bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary changes during the COVID-19 lockdown in Iranian households: are we witnessing a secular trend? A narrative review
Authors: Nikooyeh Bahareh , Ghodsi Delaram , Amini Maryam , Rabiei Samira , Rasekhi Hamid , Motlagh Mohammad Esmaeil , Neyestani Tirang R.
Published: October 2024

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in late 2019, influenced nearly all aspects of human life, including food choices and dietary habits.

Methodology

A web-based search was conducted from March to April 2024 in MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for published reports of large-scale surveys of dietary changes during or shortly after the coronavirus pandemic lockdown in Iran. The keywords used were coronavirus OR COVID-19, diet OR nutrition, household, and Iran. Studies that focused on specific areas, subgroups (such as students), or just one city or province were not included. To monitor dietary changes from the years before the lockdown, we used and plotted data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), as provided by the Statistical Center of Iran.

Results

The overall results of the nationwide studies conducted during the lockdown period in Iran revealed that a significant proportion of the households reduced their consumption of milk, yogurt, cheese, red meat, white meat, eggs, and rice/bread. In approximately 47% of the households where weekly consumption of animal protein sources decreased, the consumption of rice and bread increased. Accordingly, 35 and 44% of households reported a decrease in the consumption frequency of fruits and snacks, respectively. Additionally, 21% of those who reduced their fruit consumption completely removed fruits from their food basket. Meanwhile, the use of dietary supplements, especially vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and multivitamins, had increased in households, particularly among those with higher incomes. Decreased income was a common reason for all of these dietary changes, which can have major health consequences in the long term.

Conclusion

This review provides evidence that the observed changes had already begun years before the pandemic and presumably have not yet returned to the pre-pandemic situation. Finally, we suggest some strategies for policymakers to overcome the crisis and enhance community the nutrition and health of general population.
Towards the design of a smart warehouse management system for spare parts management in the oil and gas sector
Authors: Khan Natalia , Solvang Wei Deng , Yu Hao , Rolland Bente Elisabeth
Published: October 2024

Introduction

The oil and gas production industry requires rapid changing. As oil and gas companies around the world are called upon to decarbonize, several sectors within the industry are attempting to find new ways of working to achieve decarbonization. One of those sectors is spare parts warehousing. During the past decades of oil and gas production, spare parts warehousing has not been prioritized in optimization measures. Warehouses have been filled with material, all activities have been performed manually, and financial expenditure has been high. Now, a large oil and gas production company in Norway is looking to optimize its spare parts warehousing to streamline its logistics activities and increase sustainability.

Method

This study addresses the optimization ambitions of the company and proposes key design elements of a smart warehouse management system using Industry 4.0 technology implementation. The study is conducted by performing a review of relevant literature and company ambitions, before embarking on a qualitative design measure to contribute to the company’s innovative success.

Results

The study proposes optimization of the warehouse activities goods receipt, issuing of stocked goods, and inventory count. Additionally, the digital supply chain of tomorrow and the technical architecture of a track and trace system in the warehouse is suggested.

Discussion

The study’s results can be used in practical implications and provide a foundation for future research. Future research is suggested to include extensive visual simulations, practical implementation studies, and studies on long-term effects of implementation.
Influence of land-use types and topographic slopes on the physico-chemical characteristics of soils in Northwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Amare Hailu , Admase Habtamu , Ewunetu Tenagne
Published: October 2024

Aims

This study examines the effects of land-use types and slope position on selected soil physico-chemical properties in the Ageza Watershed, Northwestern Ethiopia, focusing on soil fertility depletion and its impact on agricultural productivity.

Materials and methods

The experiment utilized a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, involving three land-use types and slope positions. A total of 27 soil samples (both disturbed and undisturbed) were collected, prepared, and analyzed for selected physico-chemical properties following standard laboratory procedures. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA with SAS software.

Results

Significant variations in most soil physico-chemical properties were observed across land-use types and slope positions. Soil bulk density, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Av. P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable bases significantly (P ≤ 0.001) differed among the land-use types and slope positions. The main effects showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences in sand, silt, and clay contents across the land-use types. However, pH did not show significant differences (P > 0.05). Soil bulk density, silt content, Av. P, exchangeable bases, and CEC all showed significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences among the slope positions. Forest land had the highest values for clay (46.11%), OC (6.08%), Av. P (20.60 mg/kg), CEC (33.89 cmol (+) kg-¹), and exchangeable cations: Ca²+ (23.72 cmol (+) kg-¹), Mg²+ (4.40 cmol (+) kg-¹), K+ (1.18 cmol (+) kg-¹), and Na+ (0.77 cmol (+) kg-¹). Grazing land exhibited higher silt and bulk density, while cultivated land had higher sand content. Lower slope positions recorded the highest values for clay (47.33%), silt (20.77%), pH (4.90), Av. P (16.61 mg/kg), Ca²+ (20.10 cmol (+) kg-¹), Mg²+ (3.73 cmol (+) kg-¹), K+ (1.00 cmol (+) kg-¹), Na+ (0.66 cmol (+) kg-¹), and CEC (28.71 cmol (+) kg-¹), while bulk density was higher in the upper slope position.

Conclusion

Land-use types and slope positions significantly influence variations in soil physico-chemical properties and overall soil fertility status. Forest preservation and management are essential to improve the soil fertility in this region.
Relativistic reflection modeling in AGN and related variability from PCA: a brief review
Authors: Danehkar A.
Published: October 2024

X-ray observations of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) reveal relativistic reflections from the innermost regions of accretion disks, which contain general-relativistic footprints caused by spinning supermassive black holes (SMBH). We anticipate the spin of a SMBH to be stable over the human timeframe, so brightness changes in the high-energy corona above the SMBH should slightly alter relativistic reflection. In this brief review, we discuss the latest developments in modeling relativistic reflection, as well as the rapid small variation in relativistic emission disclosed by the principal component analysis (PCA) of X-ray variability in AGN. PCA studies of X-ray spectra from AGNs have shown that relativistically blurred reflection has negligible fluctuations over the course of observations, which could originate from rapid (intrahour) intrinsic variations in near-horizon accretion flows and photon rings. The PCA technique is an effective way to disclose relativistic reflection from X-ray observations of AGNs, simplifying the complexity of largely variable X-ray data for automated spectral analysis with machine learning algorithms.
Case report: Orbital myeloid sarcoma: a report of two rare cases and review of the literature
Authors: Li Yanxi , Wang Yujiao , He Weimin
Published: October 2024

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) occurs when primitive or naive myeloid cells form outside the bone marrow. It occurs mainly in soft/connective tissue and skin; orbital involvement is rare. We report the cases of two female adults, analyze the clinicopathologic characteristics, and review the literature. The average age of both patients was 28 years and they presented unilateral proptosis combined with varying degrees of impaired visual acuity and restricted ocular motility in the affected eye. Despite this, they maintained good overall health and no notable family history. However, the patients had no systemic clinical manifestations of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Both patients underwent surgical resection of the orbital tumor. Immunohistochemistry showed positive staining for CD43, Leukocyte Common Antigen (LCA), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and a high level of positive staining for Ki67, which were diagnostic for MS. Bone marrow cytology examination showed no apparent abnormalities. Postoperative chemotherapy, local radiotherapy, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) were performed in Case 1, while the second patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. No recurrence or metastasis was found in either patient during follow-up (one more than 5 years, the other more than 10 years). The occurrence of orbital MS is infrequent, with atypical clinical and imaging findings. The diagnosis depends on pathomorphology and immunohistochemical staining, and the prognosis is good with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, local radiotherapy, and allo-HSCT.
Nonlinear Optimization and Adaptive Heuristics for Solving Irregular Object Packing Problems
Authors: Pintér János D. , Castillo Ignacio , Kampas Frank J.
Published: October 2024

We review and present several challenging model classes arising in the context of finding optimized object packings (OP). Except for the smallest and/or simplest general OP model instances, it is not possible to find their exact (closed-form) solution. Most OP problem instances become increasingly difficult to handle even numerically, as the number of packed objects increases. Specifically, here we consider classes of general OP problems that can be formulated in the framework of nonlinear optimization. Research experience demonstrates that—in addition to utilizing general-purpose nonlinear optimization solver engines—the insightful exploitation of problem-specific heuristics can improve the quality of numerical solutions. We discuss scalable OP problem classes aimed at packing general circles, spheres, ellipses, and ovals, with numerical (conjectured) solutions of non-trivial model instances. In addition to their practical relevance, these models and their various extensions can also serve as constrained global optimization test challenges.
U-Space Contingency Management Based on Enhanced Mission Description
Authors: Munoz-Gamarra Jose L. , Ramos Juan J. , Liu Zhiqiang
Published: October 2024

Loss of communication, low battery, or bad weather conditions (like high-speed wind) are currently managed by performing a return to launch (RTL) point maneuver. However, the execution of this procedure can pose a safety threat since it has not been considered within the mission planning process. This work proposes an advanced management of contingency events based on the integration of a new U-space service that enhances mission description. The proposed new service, deeply linked to demand capacity balance and strategic deconfliction services, assigns alternative safe landing spots by analyzing the planned mission. Two potential solutions are characterized (distinguished primarily by the number of contingency vertiports assigned): contingency management based on the assignment of a single alternative vertiport to each mission (static) or the allocation of a set of different contingency vertiports that are valid during certain time intervals. It is proven that this enhanced mission planning could ensure that U-space volumes operate in an ultra-safe system conditions while facing these unforeseen events, highlighting its importance in high-risk scenarios like urban air mobility deployments.
Development of 6DOF Hardware-in-the-Loop Ground Testbed for Autonomous Robotic Space Debris Removal
Authors: Ali Ahmad Al , Beigomi Bahador , Zhu Zheng H.
Published: October 2024

This paper presents the development of a hardware-in-the-loop ground testbed featuring active gravity compensation via software-in-the-loop integration, specially designed to support research in autonomous robotic removal of space debris. The testbed is designed to replicate six degrees of freedom (6DOF) motion maneuvering to accurately simulate the dynamic behaviors of free-floating robotic manipulators and free-tumbling space debris under microgravity conditions. The testbed incorporates two industrial 6DOF robotic manipulators, a three-finger robotic gripper, and a suite of sensors, including cameras, force/torque sensors, and tactile tensors. Such a setup provides a robust platform for testing and validating technologies related to autonomous tracking, capture, and post-capture stabilization within the context of active space debris removal missions. Preliminary experimental results have demonstrated advancements in motion control, computer vision, and sensor fusion. This facility is positioned to become an essential resource for the development and validation of robotic manipulators in space, offering substantial improvements to the effectiveness and reliability of autonomous capture operations in space missions.
Neural Network-Based Optimization of LEO Transfers
Authors: Forestieri Andrea , Casalino Lorenzo
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the application of neural networks to the evaluation of minimum-time low-thrust transfers in low Earth orbit. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of utilizing costates to regularize the training loss, significantly enhancing the accuracy of the predictions of the neural networks, even when working with limited datasets. Remarkably precise estimates of transfer times are achieved by training the regularized networks on datasets comprising one million samples. The incorporation of a warm-started guess strategy, involving simpler neural networks to provide transfer time and costates predictions for new transfers, accelerates the data collection process, making this approach highly practical for real-world applications. Overall, the methodology employed in this research study holds significant promise for low-thrust space missions, particularly when the evaluation of multiple minimum-time transfers is necessary in mission planning. In fact, the trained neural networks significantly speed up convergence when solving optimal control problems with indirect optimization methods. Furthermore, the remarkable accuracy in estimating both minimum transfer times and costates provides the flexibility of relying entirely on neural networks for determining minimum time.
Coupling of Fluid and Particle-in-Cell Simulations of Ambipolar Plasma Thrusters
Authors: van Lynden Willem , Andriulli Raoul , Souhair Nabil , Ponti Fabrizio , Magarotto Mirko
Published: October 2024

Ambipolar plasma thrusters are an appealing technology due to multiple system-related advantages, including propellant flexibility and the absence of electrodes or neutralizer. Understanding the plasma generation and acceleration mechanisms is key to improving the performance and capabilities of these thrusters. However, the source and plume regions inside are often simulated separately, and no self-consistent strategy exists which can couple these different simulations together. This paper introduces the MUlti-regime Plasma Equilibrium Transport Solver (MUPETS), a self-consistent coupled model integrating a fluid solver for the plasma dynamics in the source, which are collision-driven, with a kinetic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code for the plasma dynamics in the magnetic nozzle, which involve expansion across a diverging magnetic field. The methodology begins by solving the plasma source with the classical Bohm condition at the thruster’s throat. The resulting plasma profiles (density, temperature, speed) are input into the PIC code for the magnetic nozzle. The PIC code calculates the plasma plume expansion and determines the electric field at the thruster’s throat. This electric field is then used as a boundary condition in the fluid code, where it replaces the Bohm assumption, and the fluid simulation is repeated. This iterative process continues until convergence. In comparing the MUPETS results with those for an experimental thruster, the plasma densities at the thruster’s throat differed by less than 2–5% between the fluid and PIC regions. The thrust predictions agreed with the experimental trend, and were kept well within the measurement’s uncertainty band. These results validate the effectiveness of the coupling strategy for enhancing plasma thruster simulation accuracy.
Disturbance Observer-Based Backstepping Terminal Sliding Mode Aeroelastic Control of Airfoils
Authors: Liu Shiqian , Yang Congjie , Zhang Qian , Whidborne James F.
Published: October 2024

This paper studies aeroelastic control for a two-dimensional airfoil–flap system with unknown gust disturbances and model uncertainties. Open loop limit cycle oscillation (LCO) happens at the post-flutter speed. The structural stiffness and quasi-steady and unsteady aerodynamic loads of the aeroelastic system are represented by nonlinear models. To robustly suppress aeroelastic vibration within a finite time, a backstepping terminal sliding-mode control (BTSMC) is proposed. In addition, a learning rate (LR) is incorporated into the BTSMC to adjust how fast the aeroelastic response converges to zero. In order to overcome the fact that the BTSMC design is dependent on prior knowledge, a nonlinear disturbance observer (DO) is designed to estimate the variable observable disturbances. The closed-loop aeroelastic control system has proven to be globally asymptotically stable and converges within a finite time using Lyapunov theory. Simulation results of an aeroelastic two-dimensional airfoil with both trailing-edge (TE) and leading-edge (LE) control surfaces show that the proposed DO-BTSMC is effective for flutter suppression, even when subjected to gusts and parameter uncertainties.
Keypoint-Based Bee Orientation Estimation and Ramp Detection at the Hive Entrance for Bee Behavior Identification System
Authors: Sledevič Tomyslav , Serackis Artūras , Matuzevičius Dalius , Plonis Darius , Andriukaitis Darius
Published: October 2024

This paper addresses the challenge of accurately estimating bee orientations on beehive landing boards, which is crucial for optimizing beekeeping practices and enhancing agricultural productivity. The research utilizes YOLOv8 pose models, trained on a dataset created using an open-source computer vision annotation tool. The annotation process involves associating bounding boxes with keypoints to represent bee orientations, with each bee annotated using two keypoints: one for the head and one for the stinger. The YOLOv8-pose models demonstrate high precision, achieving 98% accuracy for both bounding box and keypoint detection in 1024×576 px images. However, trade-offs between model size and processing speed are addressed, with the smaller nano model reaching 67 frames per second on 640×384 px images. The entrance ramp detection model achieves 91.7% intersection over union across four keypoints, making it effective for detecting the hive’s landing board. The paper concludes with plans for future research, including the behavioral analysis of bee colonies and model optimization for real-time applications.
An Extended Method Based on the Geometric Position of Salient Image Features: Solving the Dataset Imbalance Problem in Greenhouse Tomato Growing Scenarios
Authors: Lu Peng , Zheng Wengang , Lv Xinyue , Xu Jiu , Zhang Shirui , Li Youli , Zhangzhong Lili
Published: October 2024

Machine vision has significant advantages in a wide range of agricultural applications; however, acquiring a large number of high-quality image resources is often challenging in actual agricultural production due to environmental and equipment conditions. Therefore, crop image augmentation techniques are particularly important in crop growth analysis. In this paper, greenhouse tomato plants were used as research subjects to collect images of their different fertility stages with flowers and fruits. Due to the different durations of each fertility period, there is a significant difference in the number of images collected. For this reason, this paper proposes a method for balanced amplification of significant feature information in images based on geometric position. Through the geometric position information of the target in the image, different segmentation strategies are used to process the image and supervised and unsupervised methods are applied to perform balanced augmentation of the image, which is combined with the YOLOv7 algorithm to verify the augmentation effect. In terms of the image dataset, the mixed image dataset (Mix) is supplemented with mobile phone images on top of in situ monitoring images, with precision increased from 70.33% to 82.81% and recall increased from 69.15% to 81.25%. In terms of image augmentation, after supervised balanced amplification, the detection accuracy is improved from 70.33% to 77.29%, which is suitable for supervised balanced amplification. For the mobile phone dataset (MP), after amplification, it was found that better results could be achieved without any amplification method. The detection accuracy of the mixed dataset with different data sources matching the appropriate amplification method increased slightly from 82.81% to 83.59%, and accurate detection could be achieved when the target was shaded by the plant, and in different environments and light conditions.
Preparation of Biofertilizers from Banana Peels: Their Impact on Soil and Crop Enhancement
Authors: Khanyile Nokuthula , Dlamini Ndumiso , Masenya Absalom , Madlala Nothando Clementine , Shezi Sabelo
Published: October 2024

Disposing of banana peels (BPs) as bio-organic waste is an environmental challenge. Rich in potassium, BPs are often discarded despite their agricultural value. Reports on the valorization of BP are increasing, but no review has focused on BP fertilizer preparation methods. This study aims to review and analyze these methods to guide researchers and agriculturists in optimizing BP utilization, promoting sustainable waste management, and effective agricultural practices. This review has uncovered significant findings. A composite of banana and orange peels emerged as the most favoured and widely used approach, closely followed by dried BPs. This study highlighted the substantial impact of fertilizer application methods such as top and basal dressing. Most of the results revealed that the peels significantly improved the growth parameters of various plants. However, for biochar, the plant height was insignificant between treatments, further emphasizing the importance of the application method used. Banana peels are a valuable resource for biofertilizer synthesis. The banana–orange peel composite exhibits outstanding fertilizer properties. More new studies should go beyond the seedling stage, especially to harvest. This would give more information on the performance and viability of BP fertilizers.
The Influence of Habitat Diversity on Bat Species Richness and Feeding Behavior in Chilean Vineyards: Implications for Agroecological Practices
Authors: Puelles-Escobar Benjamín , Muñoz-Sáez Andrés
Published: October 2024

Agriculture is a leading cause of biodiversity loss, making the transition to sustainable agroecological practices crucial. Insectivorous bats play a crucial role as biological controllers in regard to agricultural crops, serving as important insect predators. The purpose of this study is to assess bat communities in three distinct habitats, namely the interior of a vineyard, native vegetation, and the transitional edge between them, by analyzing the echolocation patterns of different species. Generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate the influence of landscape characteristics on bat communities and at the species level, allowing the incorporation of variables at different scales (at 10 m, 100 m, and 1000 m radius) from each sampling site. Our results show that edges enhance bat richness, their general activity, and feeding patterns, and are of particular benefit to certain species: Tadarida brasiliensis, Myotis chiloensis, and Lasiurus varius. Implementing agroecological practices, such as the maintenance of tree hedgerows at the landscape scale, along with native vegetation at the landscape scale, can amplify feeding activity in vineyards, thereby enhancing the provision of ecosystem services in agroecosystems. The edges of vineyards and natural vegetation are crucial for providing habitats for bats and increasing their foraging activity, as well as providing a way to enhance agroecological practices in vineyards to bolster ecosystem services.
Influence of Loading Density and Gender on the Welfare and Meat Quality of Horses During Transport for Slaughter
Authors: Božić Jovanović Vesna , Trailović Ružica , Vićić Ivan , Grković Nevena , Radaković Milena , Karabasil Nedjeljko , Kaić Ana , Čobanović Nikola
Published: October 2024

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of loading density and gender on blood welfare indicators, carcass bruises and horsemeat quality. Data were collected from twelve transports of 89 slaughter horses originating from the same collection centre. The transportation of slaughter horses at high loading densities (>200 kg/m2), especially stallions, resulted in increased levels of lactate (p = 0.021), glucose (p < 0.0001), ceruloplasmin (p < 0.0001) and AOPP (p < 0.0001), but lower GSH levels (p < 0.0001). Compared to stallions and mares, geldings subjected to high loading density (>200 kg/m2) during transport had lower levels of the aforementioned blood metabolites. In addition, stallions exposed to a high load density (>200 kg/m2) had the highest frequency of severe (p = 0.0002), large (p < 0.0001) and circular (p = 0.0001) carcass bruises, which were predominantly located on the abdominal (p = 0.0056) and thoracic (p = 0.0004) wall. In contrast, a higher percentage (p < 0.0001) of undamaged carcasses was found in slaughter horses exposed to a low loading density (≤200 kg/m2) during transport. Stallions exposed to high loading densities (>200 kg/m2) during transport had the highest initial pH (p < 0.0001) and ultimate pH (p = 0.005) in terms of m. longissimus lumborum and redness (p = 0.017), but the lowest drip loss (p = 0.050) and lightness (p < 0.0001), which, consequently, led to the highest (p = 0.0045) proportion of DFD-like defects in the meat quality. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that high loading densities (>200 kg/m2), regardless of gender, negatively affect horse welfare during transport. In addition, stallions were more sensitive to poor pre-slaughter conditions and produced the lowest meat quality, while geldings were the most resistant. To determine the optimal transport density, further research is needed to determine the effects of different loading densities on the behaviour, physiology, carcass and meat quality of slaughter horses.
Pasture vs. Coop: Biomarker Insights into Free-Range and Conventional Broilers
Authors: Tellis Constantinos , Sarrigeorgiou Ioannis , Tsinti Gerasimina , Patsias Apostolos , Fotou Evgenia , Moulasioti Vasiliki , Kyriakou Dimitra , Papadami Maria , Moussis Vassilios , Boti Maria-Eleni , Tsiouris Vasileios , Tsikaris Vassilios , Tsoukatos Demokritos , Lymberi Peggy
Published: October 2024

Identifying blood components influenced by rearing systems that serve as biomarkers to distinguish free-range from conventional broilers can improve animal health, welfare, and productivity. The current study aimed to evaluate specific blood parameters related to immune function and tissue stress, as biomarkers to differentiate free-range, slow-growing Sasso broilers from conventionally raised fast-growing Ross 308 broilers. For this purpose, serum IgM Natural Antibodies (NAbs) targeting actin and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as key immunological parameters of natural immunity, along with creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and other significant stress and tissue-related biochemical parameters, were measured in a total of 300 broilers (150 per group) raised under industrial scale rearing systems, by standard methodology. Our results showed significantly higher IgM-NAb levels to both antigens and lower CPK and Aspartate Aminotransferase levels in Sasso broilers compared to Ross 308 broilers (p < 0.001). Combination of anti-LPS IgM-NAbs and CPK levels, as the most potent biomarker candidates, achieved 90% sensitivity and 84% specificity in distinguishing Ross 308 from Sasso broilers. In conclusion, the combined evaluation of these blood biomarkers can effectively discriminate conventional from free-range broilers analyzed herein, with potent novel applications in the poultry industry making it a promising, cost effective and easy-to-use, diagnostic tool.
Internet of Things (IoT): Sensors Application in Dairy Cattle Farming
Authors: Tangorra Francesco Maria , Buoio Eleonora , Calcante Aldo , Bassi Alessandro , Costa Annamaria
Published: October 2024

The expansion of dairy cattle farms and the increase in herd size have made the control and management of animals more complex, with potentially negative effects on animal welfare, health, productive/reproductive performance and consequently farm income. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) is based on the use of sensors to monitor individual animals in real time, enabling farmers to manage their herds more efficiently and optimise their performance. The integration of sensors and devices used in PLF with the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies (edge computing, cloud computing, and machine learning) creates a network of connected objects that improve the management of individual animals through data-driven decision-making processes. This paper illustrates the main PLF technologies used in the dairy cattle sector, highlighting how the integration of sensors and devices with IoT addresses the challenges of modern dairy cattle farming, leading to improved farm management.
Seroepidemiology of Coxiella burnetii in Domestic and Wild Ruminant Species in Southern Spain
Authors: Jiménez-Martín Débora , Caballero-Gómez Javier , Cano-Terriza David , Jiménez-Ruiz Saúl , Paniagua Jorge , Prieto-Yerro Paloma , Castro-Scholten Sabrina , García-Bocanegra Ignacio
Published: October 2024

The European Food Safety Authority has recently listed Q fever as a priority for setting up a coordinated surveillance system. Although Spain is the country with the highest human incidence of the disease in the European Union, updated data on Coxiella burnetii in ruminants are still limited. A total of 780 serum samples from small ruminants and 605 sera from wild ruminants were collected in the Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Spain during the period 2015–2023. Anti-C. burnetii antibodies were detected using a commercial indirect ELISA. The overall individual seroprevalence in the small ruminants was 49.1% (383/780; 95% CI: 45.6–52.6). Antibodies against C. burnetii were identified in 40.0% (156/390) of sheep and in 58.2% (227/390) of goats. At least one seropositive animal was observed in all sheep (100%) and in 92.3% of goat flocks. The species (goat) and the existence of reproductive disorders in primiparous females were potential risk factors for C. burnetii exposure in small ruminant farms. In the wild ruminants, the overall seroprevalence against C. burnetii was 1.5% (9/605; 95% CI: 0.8–2.8). Anti-C. burnetii antibodies were found in 1.8% (2/110) of mouflon, 1.5% (6/390) of red deer, and 1.0% (1/105) of Iberian ibex. The high exposure of the small ruminants to C. burnetii, particularly in goats, detected in the present study is of animal and public health concern. Our results denote that wild ruminants only play a minor role in the epidemiology of this bacterium in southern Spain and suggest an independent epidemiological cycle of C. burnetii in domestic and wild ruminant species in the study area.
China’s International Trade of Parrots from 1981 to 2022 Based on the CITES Trade Database
Authors: Zhang Jinming , Wang Qingqing , Shi Jianbin
Published: October 2024

Parrots are popular with pet consumers and are one of the most traded groups of live birds around the world. China has been considered as an important country in bird trades, but we know little about China’s import and export of parrots. Using the latest data available from the CITES Trade Database, we analyzed China’s import and export of CITES-listed live parrots from 1981–2022 to better understand the patterns and dynamics of these trades. China imported 155,339 parrots of 173 species and exported 608,987 parrots of 42 species during the study period with an annual average of about 18,500 individuals, accounting for c. 5% of the global average number. The most imported parrots to China were Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) and Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), while the most exported ones were Fisher’s Lovebirds (Agapornis fischeri), Rosy-faced Lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis), and Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus). Since the early 21st century, China’s imports of parrots gradually increased, but exports decreased more pronouncedly, making China’s international parrot trade volume declining in the past 20 years. China’s international parrot trade routes also changed over time, with the destination of parrot exports shifting from Europe to Africa and the Arabian region, while more parrots being gradually imported from countries in South America and Africa. The vast majority of parrots exported from China were captive-bred non-native species like Fisher’s Lovebirds, while a substantial proportion of imported parrots were wild-sourced and the proportion has been increasing in the last decade. The fact that China exported much more parrots than imported suggests existence of large-scale parrot farming and domestic parrot trade in China. Attention needs to be paid to monitoring China’s import of increasing proportion of wild-sourced parrots from South America countries and its potential impacts on their wild populations. Close monitoring of and more studies on domestic and illegal parrot trade are essential to fully understand the role China plays in the international trade of parrots.
SNPs Analysis Indicates Non-Uniform Origins of Invasive Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) on the Southern African Coast
Authors: Poćwierz-Kotus Anita , McQuaid Christopher D. , Lipinski Marek R. , Zbawicka Małgorzata , Wenne Roman
Published: October 2024

Understanding the origins of invasive species is necessary to manage them and predict their potential for spreading. The mussel genus Mytilus forms an important component of coastal ecosystems in the northern and southern hemispheres. M. galloprovincialis is an important invasive species globally, first appearing on the South African coast in the 1970s. Studies using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA indicated that the invasion probably originated from the north-east Atlantic. We used fifty-five polymorphic SNPs to genotype mussels from sites across the coast of South Africa with reference samples from the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and New Zealand to test for possible introgression of the northern and southern taxa. Low levels of genetic differentiation were confirmed, and all samples grouped with reference samples of the Atlantic form of M. galloprovincialis, supporting previous studies. The SNP genotyping, however, allowed the detection of some individuals with genotypes typical of the Mediterranean, indicating that introduced populations in South Africa do not have a uniform origin. The initial population introduced to South Africa may have been genetically heterogenous from the start, coming from a region influenced by both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Alternatively, multiple introductions may have taken place, originating from different regions, specifically North Africa, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean, building up the final heterogeneity.
Productive, Physiological, and Environmental Implications of Reducing Crude Protein Content in Swine Diets: A Review
Authors: de Almeida André Martinho , Latorre Maria Angeles , Alvarez-Rodriguez Javier
Published: October 2024

Pig production is one of the most important providers of high-quality proteins and amino acids (AAs) to human nutrition. In this sector, feeding has an important economic and environmental impact. A strategy to reduce production costs and negative sustainability effects is reducing dietary crude protein (CP) contents with or without AA supplementation. This review addresses the different aspects related to this strategy, particularly the effects on growth performance and pork traits in piglets and growing and finishing pigs, as well as the physiological molecular mechanisms’ underlying effects. Insight is also provided into the effects of dietary CP reduction on the productive performances of alternative pig production systems and breeding boars and sows. Finally, an overview is conducted on the effects of dietary CP reduction on ammonia, odor, and greenhouse gas emissions arising from pig production systems. Overall, CP reduction may lead to production losses, albeit they can be, to some extent, hindered by adequate AA supplementation. Losses are particularly relevant during the post-weaning phase, whereas in finishing pigs, it may bring additional benefits, such as high intramuscular fat contents in some markets or improved gut barrier function with benefits to the animals’ health and welfare, as well as decreased ammonia emissions to the environment.
Structural Characterization and Antioxidant Activity of Exopolysaccharide Produced from Beet Waste Residue by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides
Authors: Liu Ying , Zhou Ying , Bian Cong , Li Heqi , Kang Youxian , Gao Yu , Peng Yao , Zhang Chunjing
Published: October 2024

Lactic acid bacteria exopolysaccharide (EPS) is a large molecular polymer produced during the growth and metabolism of lactic acid bacteria. EPS has multiple biological functions and is widely used in fields such as food and medicine. However, the low yield and high production cost of EPS derived from lactic acid bacteria limit its widespread application. In this study, we used beet waste residue as a substrate to produce EPS by fermentation with Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides to improve the utilization rate of agricultural waste and reduce the production cost of lactic acid bacterial EPS. After purification, the molecular weight (Mw) of EPS was determined to be 417 kDa using high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed that the EPS was composed of glucose subunits with α-1,6 glycosidic linkages. The thermal analysis and heavy metal adsorption capacity revealed a relatively high degradation temperature of 315.54 °C and that the material could effectively adsorb Cu2+. Additionally, the findings indicated that the EPS exhibited a significant ability to neutralize free radicals, a property that was found to be concentration dependent. Furthermore, the results of the intracellular study showed the protective effect of freshly isolated EPS on tBHP-induced cellular oxidative stress at a concentration of 50 µg/mL. These results suggest that the EPS from L. pseudomesenteroides may be developed as antioxidant agents for functional food products and pharmaceutical applications due to its capacity to scavenge free radicals.
Association Between Derivatives of Reactive Oxygen Metabolites and Hemodynamics in Children with Left-to-Right Shunt Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Ishikawa Takamichi , Masui Daisuke , Uchiyama Hiroki
Published: October 2024

Existing reports on the association between oxidative stress and pulmonary hemodynamics in congenital heart disease (CHD) are limited, and the relationship remains inadequately understood. To address this, we evaluated the link between oxidative stress and hemodynamics in children with left-to-right shunt CHD. We analyzed the derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) in a cohort of 60 children with left-to-right shunt CHD and compared them to 60 healthy, age- and sex-matched controls. In the CHD group, hemodynamics measured by cardiac catheterization were evaluated in relation to d-ROMs. We also assessed the diagnostic performance of the d-ROMs for a pulmonary-to-systemic blood flow ratio (Qp/Qs) of >1.5. We found that the blood d-ROM levels in the CHD group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was observed between d-ROMs and Qp/Qs (p < 0.001), d-ROMs and the ratio of the right ventricular end-diastolic volume (p < 0.001), d-ROMs and the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (p < 0.001), and d-ROMs and the ratio of the left ventricular end-diastolic volume (p = 0.007). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve for d-ROMs in predicting Qp/Qs > 1.5 was 0.806 (p < 0.001), which, although not statistically significant, was higher than that of the plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (0.716). These findings indicate that d-ROM levels are closely associated with hemodynamics and the disease severity in patients with left-to-right shunt CHD and may serve as a valuable marker for determining the need for surgical intervention.
D3L-SLAM: A Comprehensive Hybrid Simultaneous Location and Mapping System with Deep Keypoint, Deep Depth, Deep Pose, and Line Detection
Authors: Qu Hao , Wang Congrui , Xu Yangfan , Zhang Lilian , Hu Xiaoping , Chen Changhao
Published: October 2024

Robust localization and mapping are crucial for autonomous systems, but traditional handcrafted feature-based visual SLAM often struggles in challenging, textureless environments. Additionally, monocular SLAM lacks scale-aware depth perception, making accurate scene scale estimation difficult. To address these issues, we propose D3L-SLAM, a novel monocular SLAM system that integrates deep keypoints, deep depth estimates, deep pose priors, and a line detector. By leveraging deep keypoints, which are more resilient to lighting variations, our system improves the robustness of visual SLAM. We further enhance perception in low-texture areas by incorporating line features in the front-end and mitigate scale degradation with learned depth estimates. Additionally, point-line feature constraints optimize pose estimation and mapping through a tightly coupled point-line bundle adjustment (BA). The learned pose estimates refine the feature matching process during tracking, leading to more accurate localization and mapping. Experimental results on public and self-collected datasets show that D3L-SLAM significantly outperforms both traditional and learning-based visual SLAM methods in localization accuracy.
Logic-Compatible Embedded DRAM Architecture for Multifunctional Digital Storage and Compute-in-Memory
Authors: Kim Taehoon , Chung Yeonbae
Published: October 2024

The compute-in-memory (CIM) which embeds computation inside memory is an attractive scheme to circumvent von Neumann bottlenecks. This study proposes a logic-compatible embedded DRAM architecture that supports data storage as well as versatile digital computations. The proposed configurable memory unit operates in three modes: (1) memory mode in which it works as a normal dynamic memory, (2) logic–arithmetic mode where it performs bit-wise Boolean logic and full adder operations on two words stored within the memory array, and (3) convolution mode in which it executes digitally XNOR-and-accumulate (XAC) operation for binarized neural networks. A 1.0-V 4096-word × 8-bit computational DRAM implemented in a 45-nanometer CMOS technology performs memory, logic and arithmetic operations at 241, 229, and 224 MHz while consuming the energy of 7.92, 8.09, and 8.19 pJ/cycle. Compared with conventional digital computing, it saves energy and latency of the arithmetic operation by at least 47% and 46%, respectively. For VDD = 1.0 V, the proposed CIM unit performs two 128-input XAC operations at 292 MHz with an energy consumption of 20.8 pJ/cycle, achieving 24.6 TOPS/W. This marks at least 11.9× better energy efficiency and 38.8× better delay, thereby achieving at least 461× better energy-delay product than traditional 8-bit wide computing hardware.
Design and Simulation Study of Structural Parameters of Bionic Cutters for Tea Harvest Imitating Aeolesthes induta Newman
Authors: Luo Yuanqiang , Li Junlin , He Song , Wu Weibin
Published: October 2024

The cutter of the hand-held tea picker is the key cutting component in the efficient tea harvesting process. In order to solve the problems of large cutting resistance and uneven incision during tea picking, this study fully applied the bionics principle to combine the excellent cutting performance of Aeolesthes induta Newman’s mandibles with the tea cutter, which extracted and fitted the tooth profile structure curve of the upper edge of the Aeolesthes induta Newman’s mandibles. The trapezoidal teeth on the reciprocating cutter of ordinary hand-held tea-picking harvesters were optimized by the fitted curve, and a new tea cutter with the shape of Aeolesthes induta Newman teeth was obtained, which included four kinds of bionic tea-harvesting cutters. The multi-body system software ADAMS 2020 and finite element analysis software ANSYS 2024R1 were used to compare the kinematics, statics and explicit dynamics of cutting properties of the four bionic cutters and common cutters with ordinary trapezoidal teeth and saw teeth. The simulation results showed that the maximum equivalent elastic strain and the maximum cutting force during the cutting operation were reduced by 36.7% and 42.89%, respectively, for the cutting teeth of the bionic tea-harvesting cutter #4 compared with that of the cutter with ordinary trapezoidal teeth. The bionic tea-harvesting cutter designed in this study has better cutting performance than the cutter with traditional cutting teeth, which can effectively reduce the cutting force and improve the flatness and cutting quality of the cutting surface.