bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The NAC transcription factor family in Eucommia ulmoides: Genome-wide identification, characterization, and network analysis in relation to the rubber biosynthetic genes
Authors: Zhang Shuwen , Xu Tingting , Ren Yongyu , Song Lianjun , Liu Zhao , Kang Xiangyang , Li Yun
Published: April 2023

The NAC transcription factor family is a large plant gene family, participating in plant growth and development, secondary metabolite synthesis, biotic and abiotic stresses responses, and hormone signaling. Eucommia ulmoides is a widely planted economic tree species in China that can produce trans-polyisoprene: Eucommia rubber (Eu-rubber). However, genome-wide identification of the NAC gene family has not been reported in E. ulmoides. In this study, 71 NAC proteins were identified based on genomic database of E. ulmoides. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the EuNAC proteins were distributed in 17 subgroups based on homology with NAC proteins in Arabidopsis, including the E. ulmoides-specific subgroup Eu_NAC. Gene structure analysis suggested that the number of exons varied from 1 to 7, and multitudinous EuNAC genes contained two or three exons. Chromosomal location analysis revealed that the EuNAC genes were unevenly distributed on 16 chromosomes. Three pairs of genes of tandem duplicates genes and 12 segmental duplications were detected, which indicated that segmental duplications may provide the primary driving force of expansion of EuNAC. Prediction of cis-regulatory elements indicated that the EuNAC genes were involved in development, light response, stress response and hormone response. For the gene expression analysis, the expression levels of EuNAC genes in various tissues were quite different. To explore the effect of EuNAC genes on Eu-rubber biosynthesis, a co-expression regulatory network between Eu-rubber biosynthesis genes and EuNAC genes was constructed, which indicated that six EuNAC genes may play an important role in the regulation of Eu-rubber biosynthesis. In addition, this six EuNAC genes expression profiles in E. ulmoides different tissues were consistent with the trend in Eu-rubber content. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that EuNAC genes were responsive to different hormone treatment. These results will provide a useful reference for further studies addressing the functional characteristics of the NAC genes and its potential role in Eu-rubber biosynthesis.
RNA-seq analysis of synchronized developing pollen isolated from a single anther
Authors: Le Lievre Liam , Chakkatu Sreejith P. , Varghese Shiny , Day Robert C. , Pilkington Sarah M. , Brownfield Lynette
Published: April 2023

Pollen development, from unicellular microspores to anthesis, is a complex process involving the coordinated specification, differentiation and functions of different cell types. Key to understanding this development is identifying the genes expressed at precise stages of development. However, transcriptomic studies on pollen prior to anthesis are complicated by the inaccessible nature of pollen developing in the anther and the resistant pollen wall. To assist with understanding gene expression during pollen development we have developed a protocol to perform RNA-Seq on pollen isolated from a single anther (SA RNA-Seq). The protocol involves removing pollen from a single anther for analysis and viewing the remaining pollen to determine the developmental stage. The isolated pollen is chemically lysed and mRNA isolated from the lysate using an oligo-dT column before library preparation. Here, we report on the development and testing of our method and the generation of a transcriptome for three stages of pollen development from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and two stages from male kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis). This protocol enables the transcriptome of precise developmental stages of pollen to be analyzed, and uses a small number of plants, potentially facilitating studies that require a range of treatments or the analysis of the first generation of transgenic plants.
Identification and characterization of Dof genes in Cerasus humilis
Authors: Liu Weili , Ren Weichao , Liu Xiubo , He Lianqing , Qin Chen , Wang Panpan , Kong Lingyang , Li Yang , Liu Yunwei , Ma Wei
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Dof genes encode plant-specific transcription factors, which regulate various biological processes such as growth, development, and secondary metabolite accumulation.

Methods

We conducted whole-genome analysis of Chinese dwarf cherry (Cerasus humilis) to identify ChDof genes and characterize the structure, motif composition, cis-acting elements, chromosomal distribution, and collinearity of these genes as well as the physical and chemical properties, amino acid sequences, and phylogenetic evolution of the encoded proteins.

Results

The results revealed the presence of 25 ChDof genes in C. humilis genome. All 25 ChDof genes could be divided into eight groups, and the members of the same group had similar motif arrangement and intron-exon structure. Promoter analysis showed that cis-acting elements responsive to abscisic acid, low temperature stress, and light were dominant. Transcriptome data revealed that most ChDof genes exhibited tissue-specific expression. Then, we performed by qRT-PCR to analyze the expression patterns of all 25 ChDof genes in fruit during storage. The results indicated that these genes exhibited different expression patterns, suggesting that they played an important role in fruit storage.

Discussion

The results of this study provide a basis for further investigation of the biological function of Dof genes in C. humilis fruit.
The apple 14-3-3 gene MdGRF6 negatively regulates salt tolerance
Authors: Zhu Yuqing , Kuang Wei , Leng Jun , Wang Xue , Qiu Linlin , Kong Xiangyue , Wang Yongzhang , Zhao Qiang
Published: April 2023

The 14-3-3 (GRF, general regulatory factor) regulatory proteins are highly conserved and are widely distributed throughout the eukaryotes. They are involved in the growth and development of organisms via target protein interactions. Although many plant 14-3-3 proteins were identified in response to stresses, little is known about their involvement in salt tolerance in apples. In our study, nineteen apple 14-3-3 proteins were cloned and identified. The transcript levels of Md14-3-3 genes were either up or down-regulated in response to salinity treatments. Specifically, the transcript level of MdGRF6 (a member of the Md14-3-3 genes family) decreased due to salt stress treatment. The phenotypes of transgenic tobacco lines and wild-type (WT) did not affect plant growth under normal conditions. However, the germination rate and salt tolerance of transgenic tobacco was lower compared to the WT. Transgenic tobacco demonstrated decreased salt tolerance. The transgenic apple calli overexpressing MdGRF6 exhibited greater sensitivity to salt stress compared to the WT plants, whereas the MdGRF6-RNAi transgenic apple calli improved salt stress tolerance. Moreover, the salt stress-related genes (MdSOS2, MdSOS3, MdNHX1, MdATK2/3, MdCBL-1, MdMYB46, MdWRKY30, and MdHB-7) were more strongly down-regulated in MdGRF6-OE transgenic apple calli lines than in the WT when subjected to salt stress treatment. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the roles of 14-3-3 protein MdGRF6 in modulating salt responses in plants.
Designing a methodological system for the development and support of gifted and motivated students
Authors: Mambetalina Aliya , Nurkeshov Timur , Satanov Arstan , Karkulova Aigul , Nurtazanov Erkulan
Published: April 2023

The paper was intended to develop a new methodological system and test its impact on the development of motivation and giftedness among children. The experiment was conducted among 1,200 children from grades 3, 7, and 10 by researchers from the Daryn Republican Applied Research Center of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan and L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. The teaching methodology involved: interactive technologies; developing projects with faculty members; and conducting electives in the exact sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and the creative arts. The experiment lasted 4 months. Before and after the experiment, all respondents were evaluated by their instructors according to the following four criteria: academic giftedness, creative giftedness, social giftedness, and intellectual giftedness. The overall result demonstrated an increase in the level of giftedness to above-average values. Motivation levels observed among respondents in grades 3, 7, and 10 were 1.71; 1.72, and 1.54, respectively. The level for this criterion also reached above-average values. This implies that this technique is effective. This technique can already be applied not only in special schools for gifted children, but also in general educational institutions to achieve better results.
The impact of road traffic context on secondary task engagement while driving
Authors: Cuentas-Hernandez Sandra , Li Xiaomeng , King Mark J. , Oviedo-Trespalacios Oscar
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Driver distraction has been recognized for a long time as a significant road safety issue. It has been consistently reported that drivers spend considerable time engaged in activities that are secondary to the driving task. The temporary diversion of attention from safety-critical driving tasks has often been associated with various adverse driving outcomes, from minor driving errors to serious motor vehicle crashes. This study explores the role of the driving context on a driver’s decision to engage in secondary activities non-critical to the driving task.

Method

The study utilises the Naturalistic Engagement in Secondary Tasks (NEST) dataset, a complementary dataset derived from the SHRP2 naturalistic dataset, the most extensive naturalistic study to date. An initial exploratory analysis is conducted to identify patterns of secondary task engagements in relation to context variables. Maximum likelihood Chi-square tests were applied to test for differences in engagement between types of driver distraction for the selected contextual variables. Pearson residual graphs were employed as a supplementary method to visually depict the residuals that constitute the chi-square statistic.Lastly, a two-step cluster analysis was conducted to identify common execution scenarios among secondary tasks.

Results

The exploratory analysis revealed interesting behavioral trends among drivers, with higher engagement rates in right curves compared to left curves, while driving uphill compared to driving downhill, in low-density traffic scenarios compared to high-density traffic scenarios, and during afternoon periods compared to morning periods. Significant differences in engagement were found among secondary tasks in relation to locality, speed, and roadway design. The clustering analysis showed no significant associations between driving scenarios of similar characteristics and the type of secondary activity executed.

Discussion

Overall, the findings confirm that the road traffic environment can influence how car drivers engage in distracted driving behavior.
Mediating effects of meaning in life on the relationship between family care, depression, and quality of life in Chinese older adults
Authors: Zhou Jing-Jing , Zhang Yu , Ren Qing-Zhuo , Li Ting , Lin Gui-Ding , Liao Min-Yi , Chen Shao-Hua , Tong Pei , Gao Yu-Lin
Published: April 2023

Background

The study explored sources of meaning in older adults and the action path among family care, meaning in life, quality of life, and depression.

Materials and methods

We investigated 627 older adults using the Sources of Meaning in Life Scale for the Elderly (SMSE), the Family Care Index (APGAR), the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale-10 (CES-D-10), and the EuroqOL-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D).

Results

Scores categorized 454 older adults with good family function, 99 with moderate, and 47 with severe family dysfunction; 110 older adults had depression. The structural equation model showed that family care affected the quality of life and depression by influencing meaning, and depression had a significant negative effect on the quality of life (P < 0.05). The model was a good fit for the data (χ2/df = 3.300, SRMR = 0.0291, GFI = 0.975, IFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.952, CFI = 0.971, RMSEA = 0.062).

Conclusion

Meaning in life is an intermediary factor that affects depression and quality of life in older adults. Family care had a significant positive impact on SMSE and a negative influence on depression. The SMSE effectively clarifies the sources of meaning in life and can be used to improve meaning and promote mental health in older adults.
Factors that provide protection against intimate partner physical violence among married adolescents in Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Mizanur , Jamil Kanta , Nahar Quamrun , Chakraborty Nitai , Haider M. Moinuddin , Khan Shusmita
Published: April 2023

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV), and especially intimate partner physical violence (IPPV), perpetrated by husbands, and within adolescence marriage are pervasive in Bangladesh. Younger women are more vulnerable to IPPV.

Objectives

We examined factors associated with IPPV experienced by married adolescents ages 15–19 and tested four hypotheses: (1) adolescent girls married to relatively older husbands, (2) adolescents living in extended families with parents or parents-in-law, (3) adolescents who are minimally controlled by husbands, and (4) adolescents who have a child after marriage are protective of IPPV.

Methods

We analyzed IPPV data from 1,846 married girls ages 15–19 obtained from a national adolescent survey conducted in 2019–20. IPPV is defined as the respondent having physical violence perpetrated by her husband at least once in the last 12 months. We implemented logistic regression models to test our hypotheses.

Results

Sixteen percent of married adolescent girls experienced IPPV. Girls living with parents-in-law or parents had adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 0.56 (p < 0.001) of IPPV compared to those girls who lived with husband alone. Girls with husbands ages 21–25 years and 26 years or older had AORs of 0.45 (p < 0.001) and 0.33 (p < 0.001) of IPPV compared to those girls with their husband ages 20 and younger. Married adolescent girls who did not own a mobile phone (an indicator of spousal power dynamics) had an AOR of 1.39 (p < 0.05) compared to those girls who had a phone. IPPV risk increases with an increased duration of marriage for those with no living children (p < 0.001) but not for those with at least one living child; the risk was higher among those who had a child within the 1st year of marriage than those who had not yet had a child. At a duration of 4 years and longer, IPPV risk was higher among those with no living children than those with children.

Discussion

Findings related to those living with parents-in-law or parents, girls married to relatively older boys/men, having the ability to communicate with outside world, and having a child are protective of IPPV in Bangladesh are new, to our knowledge. Strictly adhering to the law that requires men waiting until the age of 21 to marry can reduce married girls' risk of IPPV. Raising girls' legal marriage age can minimize adolescents' IPPV and other health risks associated with adolescent childbearing.
In-home environment and happiness among older adults in Thailand
Authors: Pekalee Alongkorn , Gray Rossarin Soottipong
Published: April 2023

Background

The fact that housing can play a critical role in maintaining the health and independence related to happiness of the older population has been studied in more developed countries. However, research on the effect of housing conditions on happiness is rare in less developed countries. This study aimed to construct and test a structural equation model describing the structural relationship among personal aspects (living alone and physical disability), in-home environment (sleeping place and toilet/bathroom), and happiness among older adults in Thailand.

Method

The data on the population age 75 years or over were extracted from the 2017 national Survey of Older Persons in Thailand (n = 7,829).

Results

The median age of the sample population was 79. Almost 60 percent were women. The structural equation model showed a good fit with the data. Living alone did not directly influence happiness. Physical disability had a statistically significant negative direct effect on happiness. In-home environment not only had an impact on happiness directly, but also moderated the relationship between physical disability and happiness.

Conclusion

The research suggested that interventions to improve happiness of older adults, particularly those with physical disability, should aim to adapt their housing, including sleeping place and toilet design.
“Ah, it's best not to mention that here:” Experiences of LGBTQ+ health professionals in (heteronormative) workplaces in Canada
Authors: Bizzeth Stephanie R. , Beagan Brenda L.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Despite human rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, LGBTQ+ professionals may continue to experience discrimination working in heteronormative systems and spaces.

Methods

In this qualitative study 13 health professionals (nurses, occupational therapists, and physicians) from across Canada participated in in-depth qualitative interviews to explore their experiences with work-related microaggressions and heteronormativity.

Results

Heterosexist microaggressions from both patients/clients and colleagues were the norm, perpetuating and bolstered by heteronormative workplace and professional cultures. In turn, LGBTQ+ professionals navigated disclosure-decision-making, in power-laden contexts where all options carried potential negative consequences.

Discussion

Drawing on the notion of “heteroprofessionalism,” we argue that the concept of professional carries encoded within it demands that the occupant of that category be—or present as—heterosexual, an unmarked status that can be readily desexualized. Acknowledging sex and sexuality disrupts “professionalism.” We argue that such disruption, indeed dissention, is necessary to open (hetero)professional spaces to LGBTQ+ workers.
Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis
Authors: Das Abhishek , Kumar Shalander , Ganga Rao N. V. P. R.
Published: April 2023

Groundnut crop is one of the major sources of financial and food security for a large number of Tanzanian smallholder farmers. However, the production of groundnuts in Tanzania is underdeveloped, and yields are reportedly 2.5 to 3 times lower than in other African nations such as Nigeria. There are a number of factors that contribute to lower yields including the cultivation of outdated plant varieties, increased climate variability, the infestation of pests and diseases, and the use of outdated farming techniques. To analyze the scope for increasing groundnut production, this study investigates and compares the technical efficiencies (TEs) and technological gap ratios (TGRs) in Tanzania's four main groundnut-producing regions, namely the Central zone, Lake Zone, Southern zone, Southern highland zone, by using a two-step meta frontier model. We used ICRISAT data collected under the Tropical Legume-III project during 2017–18. Our results show a very low level of technical efficiency of groundnut production in the regions and significant regional differences in TEs, TGRs, and Meta Technical Efficiencies (MTEs). The study identifies a tremendous scope to increase groundnut productivity and production in Tanzania by enhancing its production efficiency and the key drivers that may help harness this potential.
Retrospective investigation of the origin and epidemiology of the dengue outbreak in Yunnan, China from 2017 to 2018
Authors: Cao Liang , Yu Ziping , He Haiqiang , Guo Xiaofang , Wei Chun , Zhang Xuancheng , Bao Junduo , Li Chenghui , Zhou Hongning , Xin Jialiang , Nan Fulong
Published: April 2023

Since 2013, a dengue epidemic has broken out in Yunnan, China and neighboring countries. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the number of dengue cases decreased significantly. In this retrospective study, epidemiological and genetic diversity characterizations of dengue viruses (DENV) isolated in Yunnan between 2017 and 2018 were performed. The results showed that the dengue outbreak in Yunnan from 2017 to 2018 was mainly caused by DENV1 (genotype I and genotype V) and DENV2 (Asia I, Asia II, and Cosmopolitan). Furthermore, correlation analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between the number of imported and local cases (correlation coefficient = 0.936). Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic divergence analysis revealed that the local isolates are closely related to the isolates from Myanmar and Laos. Interestingly, recombination analysis found that the DENV1 and DENV2 isolates in this study had widespread intra-serotype recombination. Taken together, the results of the epidemiological investigation imply that the dengue outbreak in Yunnan was primarily due to imported cases. This study provides a new reference for further investigations on the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of DENV in Yunnan, China.
Data-driven risk assessment of the incursion of African swine fever virus via pig products brought illegally into South Korea by travelers based on the temporal relationship between outbreaks in China
Authors: Yoo Dae-Sung , Cho Ki-Hyun , Hong Seong-Keun , Kang Hae-Eun , Park Jee-Yong
Published: April 2023

Since 2018, Asian countries have been affected by the African swine fever (ASF) virus, with major socioeconomic consequences. Moreover, the number of people traveling in Asian countries has been increasing, leading to an inevitable increase in the risk of ASF spread through livestock products carried by travelers. China and South Korea have close geo-economic ties and numerous international travelers. After the ASF outbreak in China in 2018, many illegally imported pig products (IIPPs) that were confiscated from travelers from China at the port of entry in South Korea tested positive for ASF. The detection of ASF virus (ASFV)-positive IIPPs highlights the need to further assess the risk of incursion by travelers and review the existing prevention strategies. Here, we investigated the temporal relationship between ASF outbreaks in China and the detection of ASFV-positive IIPPs in randomly confiscated samples from all ports of entry, such as flights and ships to South Korea, from 2018 to 2019 using a cross-correlation analysis. Based on the significantly correlated temporal lags between the bivariate time-series data, a risk assessment model, using the Bayesian framework, was built to estimate the distribution of the parameters for the risk assessment model and the monthly probability of ASF being introduced via IIPPs from China to South Korea. ASF outbreaks in China were significantly associated with the detection of ASFV-positive IIPPs in South Korea 5 months later. Hence, the monthly probability of ASFV-infected pig products imported from China via a traveler to South Korea was estimated to be 2.00 × 10−5, corresponding to a 0.98 mean monthly probability of at least one ASF-infected pig product arriving at ports of entry via travelers, from 2018 to 2019. To our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to estimate the risk of ASF introduction via pig products carried by international travelers to all ports from neighboring countries in the Asian region using commonly exchanged observed data. The data presented in this study can be used to refine the intervention strategies to combat the spread of transboundary animal diseases.
Dynamic Vibration Absorbing Performance of 5-DoF Magnetically Suspended Momentum Wheel Based on Damping Regulation
Authors: Xiang Biao , Liu Hu
Published: April 2023

The vibration performance is critical to the suspension control and the torque precision of the magnetically suspended momentum flywheel (MSMW). The translational and torsional vibration of the MSMW are investigated in this article, and the damping regulation method is proposed to improve the anti-vibration performance of the MSMW. Firstly, the modellings of the MSMW, including the dynamic models and the displacement coordinate, are developed, and the comprehensive damping characteristics of the MSMW are investigated. Moreover, the transfer functions of the translational and the torsional vibrations are established using the dimensionless model, and the relationship between the dynamic response and the stiffness/damping coefficient is studied. Furthermore, the numerical simulations of the dynamic response of the translational and torsional vibration are conducted. Finally, the experiments are designed to verify the vibration characteristics of the MSMW, and the dynamic displacements are measured to analyze the anti-vibration performance of the proposed damping regulation method. The results indicate that the displacement deflection of the translational vibration is reduced by 68.8%, and the angle deflection of the torsional vibration is mitigated by 71.2% by regulating the damping coefficient.
Comparative Study on Effects of Input Configurations of Linear Quadratic Controller on Path Tracking Performance under Low Friction Condition
Authors: Park Manbok , Yim Seongjin
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a comparative study on the effects of the input configurations of linear quadratic (LQ) controllers on path tracking performance under low friction conditions. For the last decade, the path tracking controller has adopted several control inputs, input configurations, and actuators. However, these have not been compared with one another on a single frame in terms of common measures. For this reason, this paper compares input configurations of LQ controllers and available actuators in terms of common measures. For this purpose, the control inputs of the LQ controller were composed of front and rear steering and control yaw moment. By combining these control inputs, five input configurations of the LQ controller were set. If the control yaw moment is selected as a control input, then an actuator is needed to generate a control allocation, which should be adopted to convert the control yaw moment into longitudinal and lateral tire forces of actuators. As an actuator for control yaw moment generation, front/rear and 4-wheel steering, 4-wheel independent steering, braking, and driving were adopted. By applying the weighted least square based method, control allocation was formulated as a quadratic programming problem, which can be algebraically solved. For comparison on path tracking performance, new measures were adopted. To check the path tracking performance of each input configuration, a simulation was conducted on vehicle simulation software. From the simulation results, it was shown that front or 4-wheel steering itself is enough for path tracking on low friction roads and that the control yaw moment or an additional actuator is not recommended as a control input for path tracking on low friction roads.
Quantitative Weight and Two-Particle Search Algorithm to Optimize Aero-Stealth Performance of a Backward Inclined Vertical Tail
Authors: Zhou Zeyang , Huang Jun
Published: April 2023

To study the influence of the tilt-back design of a vertical tail on its aerodynamic stealth characteristics, an optimization method based on a quantitative weight coefficient and a two-particle search algorithm is presented. When the aerodynamic performance of the vertical tail is optimized separately, the reduction in the drag index is obvious, and the optimal solution appears at the boundary of the backward-tilt range. The optimal solution of separate stealth optimization is different from that of separate aerodynamic optimization within the given range of tilt back. The two-particle search algorithm can provide an optimal solution for comprehensive performance optimization under different weight coefficient distributions, where the fitness index, aerodynamic index, and radar cross-section index are all significantly reduced. The presented optimization method is effective for optimizing the aerodynamic stealth performance of the vertical tail.
Two-Way Coupled Aero-Structural Optimization of Stable Flying Wings
Authors: Hoyos José D. , Echavarría Camilo , Alvarado Juan P. , Suárez Gustavo , Niño Juliana A. , García Jorge I.
Published: April 2023

An aero-structural algorithm to optimize a flying wing in cruise conditions for preliminary design is developed using two-way interaction between the structure and aerodynamics. A particle swarm routine is employed to solve the multi-objective optimization, aiming to reduce the weight of the structure and the aerodynamic drag at the design point. Different shapes are evaluated during the optimization process until the algorithm reaches the optimal wing aspect ratio, taper ratio, angle of incidence, twist angle, swept angle, and airfoil shape, where a six-parameters method is employed to allow reflex airfoils. A main isotropic I-beam models the wing structure. An extended vortex lattice model is employed to model the aerodynamics, along with a high-order panel method with fully coupled viscous interaction. The finite element method is used to solve the flying-wing structure under static loads. An algorithm is developed to iterate between the deflection of the wing and its impact on the aerodynamics until convergence is reached. Different constraints are implemented into the objective function to fulfil the structural criteria and the longitudinal static stability. A comparison against a baseline optimization is carried out, achieving higher efficiency and promising results in elliptical lift distribution, and a high static margin, without the use of non-constant twist. The results suggest that combining both reflex airfoils and sweep with washout is the optimal solution to reduce the drag and weight, keeping the longitudinal static stability criteria for tailless aircraft in the lower end of the transonic regime.
Adaptive Mode Filter for Lamb Wavefield in the Wavenumber-Time Domain Based on Wavenumber Response Function
Authors: Shahrim Muhamad Azim Azhad , Chia Chen Ciang , Ramli Hafiz Rashidi , Harmin Mohammad Yazdi , Lee Jung-Ryul
Published: April 2023

Aerospace thin-walled structures are susceptible to various forms of damage and they can be effectively inspected using Lamb wavefields. However, Lamb wavefields contain at least two dispersive modes which interfere with the generation of a clear image for damage visualization. Conventional mode filters produce inconsistent results due to the need for the ad hoc or manual adjustment of the processing parameters by experienced users. An automatic, adaptive mode filter is proposed to remove human subjectivity, thereby improving the consistency of the results and making it more practical to utilize. It converts the wavefield from the space-time domain to the wavenumber-time domain and then consolidates the data in the time and angular axes into a wavenumber response function (WRF) where the modes can be automatically isolated. The single-mode data were converted back into space-time domain for result visualization. Its effectiveness was experimentally proven by keeping 78.2–122.0% of energy for a wanted mode and suppressing the energy of an unwanted mode to 0.1–4.5%. Its automatic adaptability was demonstrated through the improved visibility of a blind hole, corrosion, water-ingress in honeycomb panel, and impact damage in a complex composite wing. Consistent results can be generated in a highly efficient manner while significantly reducing the computational workload and hardware requirements.
Predefined-Time Heading Control for a 9-DOF Parafoil Recovery System Subject to Internal Relative Motions
Authors: Guo Yiming , Yan Jianguo , Xing Xiaojun , Wu Xiwei , Li Lingwei
Published: April 2023

This paper addresses the challenging problem of predefined-time heading control of a parafoil recovery system (PRS) with internal relative motions and external disturbance. On the basis of the PRS described by a 9-degree-of-freedom model, a simplification and equivalent model is first derived, which is convenient to design control law. Then, a predefined-time disturbance observer is provided to estimate the lumped disturbance caused by internal relative motions and apparent mass. With the application of the disturbance estimation, a predefined-time heading controller is developed for the PRS. The control system is proven to be predefined-time stable by Lyapunov theory. Simulation results illustrate that the proposed method has better control performance than finite-time and PID controllers.
Ernie-Gram BiGRU Attention: An Improved Multi-Intention Recognition Model for Air Traffic Control
Authors: Pan Weijun , Jiang Peiyuan , Wang Zhuang , Li Yukun , Liao Zhenlong
Published: April 2023

In recent years, the emergence of large-scale pre-trained language models has made transfer learning possible in natural language processing, which overturns the traditional model architecture based on recurrent neural networks (RNN). In this study, we constructed a multi-intention recognition model, Ernie-Gram_Bidirectional Gate Recurrent Unit (BiGRU)_Attention (EBA), for air traffic control (ATC). Firstly, the Ernie-Gram pre-training model is used as the bottom layer of the overall architecture to implement the encoding of text information. The BiGRU module that follows is used for further feature extraction of the encoded information. Secondly, as keyword information is very important in Chinese radiotelephony communications, the attention layer after the BiGRU module is added to realize the extraction of keyword information. Finally, two fully connected layers (FC) are used for feature vector fusion and outputting intention classification vector, respectively. We experimentally compare the effects of two different tokenizer tools, the BERT tokenizer tool and Jieba tokenizer tool, on the final performance of the Bert model. The experimental results reveal that although the Jieba tokenizer tool has considered word information, the effect of the Jieba tokenizer tool is not as good as that of the BERT tokenizer tool. The final model’s accuracy is 98.2% in the intention recognition dataset of the ATC instructions, which is 2.7% higher than the Bert benchmark model and 0.7–3.1% higher than other improved models based on BERT.
Design and Experiment of a Visual Detection System for Zanthoxylum-Harvesting Robot Based on Improved YOLOv5 Model
Authors: Guo Jinkai , Xiao Xiao , Miao Jianchi , Tian Bingquan , Zhao Jing , Lan Yubin
Published: April 2023

In order to achieve accurate detection of mature Zanthoxylum in their natural environment, a Zanthoxylum detection network based on the YOLOv5 object detection model was proposed. It addresses the issues of irregular shape and occlusion caused by the growth of Zanthoxylum on trees and the overlapping of Zanthoxylum branches and leaves with the fruits, which affect the accuracy of Zanthoxylum detection. To improve the model’s generalization ability, data augmentation was performed using different methods. To enhance the directionality of feature extraction and enable the convolution kernel to be adjusted according to the actual shape of each Zanthoxylum cluster, the coordinate attention module and the deformable convolution module were integrated into the YOLOv5 network. Through ablation experiments, the impacts of the attention mechanism and deformable convolution on the performance of YOLOv5 were compared. Comparisons were made using the Faster R-CNN, SSD, and CenterNet algorithms. A Zanthoxylum harvesting robot vision detection platform was built, and the visual detection system was tested. The experimental results showed that using the improved YOLOv5 model, as compared to the original YOLOv5 network, the average detection accuracy for Zanthoxylum in its natural environment was increased by 4.6% and 6.9% in terms of mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95, respectively, showing a significant advantage over other network models. At the same time, on the test set of Zanthoxylum with occlusions, the improved model showed increased mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 by 5.4% and 4.7%, respectively, compared to the original model. The improved model was tested on a mobile picking platform, and the results showed that the model was able to accurately identify mature Zanthoxylum in its natural environment at a detection speed of about 89.3 frames per second. This research provides technical support for the visual detection system of intelligent Zanthoxylum-harvesting robots.
Effect of Fiscal Expenditure for Supporting Agriculture on Agricultural Economic Efficiency in Central China—A Case Study of Henan Province
Authors: Chen Shuai , Yang Jiameng , Kang Xinyi
Published: April 2023

The policy guidance and financial support for industrial development from public finance provide an important guarantee for practicing green and circular development of agriculture. By sorting out the development context of fiscal support for agriculture in Henan province in different historical stages, this paper analyzes the development status of fiscal support for agriculture and the agricultural circular economy in the province. Relying on data envelopment analysis (DEA), it measures the efficiency of the agricultural circular economy in Henan province in 2013–2019 using the Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR) model, the Banker, Charnes, and Cooper (BCC) model, and super-efficiency DEA models and empirically analyzes the effect of the fiscal expenditure for supporting agriculture on the efficiency of the agricultural circular economy using the fixed effect model. According to the results, (1) the expenditure on comprehensive agricultural development of Henan Province was mainly supported by the government’s fiscal funds to such a degree that the proportion of fiscal funds from the central government exceeded 40% throughout the year. Particular stress was laid on the land governance projects of comprehensive agricultural development in the province. (2) The overall development level of the agricultural circular economy in Henan Province was low, and there were considerable gaps between cities (counties). Under the super-efficiency DEA model, only Hebi City, which ranked first in terms of average efficiency, achieved relative efficiency. (3) The fiscal expenditure for supporting agriculture had a positive incentive effect on the efficiency of the agricultural circular economy in Henan province, and the incentive effect became more significant after the time effect was controlled. Accordingly, this paper puts forward some targeted policy suggestions, which enrich the existing research on fiscal support for agriculture and agricultural circular economy at both theoretical and practical levels.
SSR and SNP Marker-Based Investigation of Indian Rice Landraces in Relation to Their Genetic Diversity, Population Structure, and Geographical Isolation
Authors: Choudhury Debjani Roy , Kumar Ramesh , Maurya Avantika , Semwal Dinesh P. , Rathi Ranbir S. , Gautam Raj K. , Trivedi Ajaya K. , Bishnoi Santosh K. , Ahlawat Sudhir P. , Singh Kuldeep , Singh Nagendra K. , Singh Rakesh
Published: April 2023

India is blessed with an abundance of diverse rice landraces in its traditional cultivated areas. Two marker systems (simple sequence repeats (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)) were used to study a set of 298 rice landrace accessions collected from six different regions of India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal). Thirty hyper-variable simple sequence repeats (HvSSRs) and 32,782 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used in inferring genetic structure and geographical isolation. Rice landraces from Uttar Pradesh were the most diverse, with a gene diversity value of 0.42 and 0.49 with SSR and SNP markers, respectively. Neighbor-joining trees classified the rice landraces into two major groups with SSR and SNP markers, and complete geographical isolation was observed with SSR markers. Fast STRUCTURE analysis revealed four populations for SSR markers and three populations for SNP markers. The population structure with SSR markers showed that few individuals from Uttarakhand and Andaman and Nicobar Islands were grouped in small clusters. Population structure analysis with SNP markers showed not very distinct region-wise clustering among the rice landraces. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and minimum spanning network (MSN) using SSR markers showed region-wise grouping of landraces with some intermixing, but DAPC and MSN with SNP markers showed very clear region-wise clustering. Genetic differentiation of rice landraces between the regions was significant with both SSR (Fst 0.094–0.487) and SNP markers (Fst 0.047–0.285). A Mantel test revealed a positive correlation between the genetic and geographic distance of rice landraces. The present study concludes that rice landraces investigated in this study were very diverse, and unlinked SSR markers show better geographical isolation than a large set of SNP markers.
Sternal Abnormalities on Thoracic Radiographs of Dogs and Cats
Authors: van den Broek Dirk H. N. , Vester Siemone C. , Tobón Restrepo Mauricio , Veraa Stefanie
Published: April 2023

Evaluation of the sternum is part of the routine examination of small animal thoracic radiographs. However, descriptions on frequency and type of abnormalities are lacking. This retrospective observational study aimed to describe abnormal radiographic findings of the sternum in a cross-section of client-owned dogs and cats undergoing thoracic radiography between 1 January 2019 and 1 January 2021 for reasons unrelated to diseases of the sternum. The study population consisted of 777 dogs (mean age, 7.3 ± 3.9 years) and 183 cats (mean age, 7.3 ± 5.1 years). Sternal abnormalities were observed in 189/777 (24%) dogs and 53/183 (29%) cats, mostly around the intersternebral cartilages, accounting for 32/80 (40%) dogs and 20/35 (57%) cats. This was followed by an abnormal number of sternal segments (8% dogs, range 3–9 sternebrae; 15% cats, range 7–9 sternebra). Pectus excavatum was observed in 6/777 (0.8%) dogs and 6/183 (3%) cats, and pectus carinatum in 18/777 (2%) dogs and 2/183 (1%) cats. Post-traumatic changes, such as subluxation, were observed in nine dogs (1.1%) and three cats (1.6%). Presumed prostatic carcinoma metastasis and malignant lymphoma were observed in two dogs (0.2%). Incidental radiographic sternal abnormalities are common in cats and dogs but mostly of unknown clinical relevance.
Nutrition and Flavor Evaluation of Amino Acids in Guangyuan Grey Chicken of Different Ages, Genders and Meat Cuts
Authors: Yin Lingqian , Xu Mingxu , Huang Qinke , Zhang Donghao , Lin Zhongzhen , Wang Yan , Liu Yiping
Published: April 2023

The composition and content of amino acids in foodstuffs have a vital impact on the nutritional value and taste. With the aim of understanding the nutrition and flavor of Guangyuan grey chicken, the composition and content of amino acids in the pectoralis and thigh muscle of chickens at the age of 90 d, 120 d and 150 d were determine using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and an amino acid analyzer. A total of 17 amino acids were detected both in pectoralis and thigh muscle via the amino acid analyzer, of which the content of glutamate was the highest. Additionally, 21 deproteinized free amino acids were detected via LC-MS/MS. Among all samples, the content of glutamine in thigh muscle was the highest. The content of histidine in the pectoralis was the highest. In terms of the flavor amino acids (FAAs), the umami-taste and sweet-taste amino acids were higher in the thigh muscle of 120 d male chicken. From the perspective of protein nutrition, the essential amino acid was higher in pectoral muscle, and the composition was better. The results of the amino acid score showed that the content of leucine and valine were inadequate in Guangyuan grey chicken. Collectively, the content of amino acid in Guangyuan grey chicken was affected by age, gender and meat cut. This study confirms that meat of chicken in different ages, genders, and cuts presents different nutritional values and flavors owing to the variation of amino acids content.
One-Pot Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Derived from Aqueous Leaf Extract of Ageratum conyzoides and Their Biological Efficacy
Authors: Paramasivam Deepak , Balasubramanian Balamuralikrishnan , Suresh Ramya , Kumaravelu Jayanthi , Vellingiri Manon Mani , Liu Wen-Chao , Meyyazhagan Arun , Alanazi Amer M. , Rengasamy Kannan R. R. , Arumugam Vijaya Anand
Published: April 2023

The main objective of the present research work is to assess the biological properties of the aqueous plant extract (ACAE) synthesised silver nanoparticles from the herbal plant Ageratum conyzoides, and their biological applications. The silver nanoparticle syntheses from Ageratum conyzoides (Ac-AgNPs) were optimised with different parameters, such as pH (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) and varied silver nitrate concentration (1 mM and 5 mM). Based on the UV–vis spectroscopy analysis of the synthesised silver nanoparticles, the concentration of 5 mM with the pH at 8 was recorded as the peak reduction at 400 nm; and these conditions were optimized were used for further studies. The results of the FE-SEM analysis recorded the size ranges (~30–90 nm), and irregular spherical and triangular shapes of the AC-AgNPs were captured. The characterization reports of the HR-TEM investigation of AC-AgNPs were also in line with the FE-SEM studies. The antibacterial efficacies of AC-AgNPs have revealed the maximum zone of inhibition against S. typhi to be within 20 mm. The in vitro antiplasmodial activity of AC-AgNPs is shown to have an effective antiplasmodial property (IC50:17.65 μg/mL), whereas AgNO3 has shown a minimum level of IC50: value 68.03 μg/mL, and the Ac-AE showed >100 μg/mL at 24 h of parasitaemia suppression. The α-amylase inhibitory properties of AC-AgNPs have revealed a maximum inhibition similar to the control Acarbose (IC50: 10.87 μg/mL). The antioxidant activity of the AC-AgNPs have revealed a better property (87.86% ± 0.56, 85.95% ± 1.02 and 90.11 ± 0.29%) when compared with the Ac-AE and standard in all the three different tests, such as DPPH, FRAP and H2O2 scavenging assay, respectively. The current research work might be a baseline for the future drug expansion process in the area of nano-drug design, and its applications also has a lot of economic viability and is a safer method in synthesising or producing silver nanoparticles.
First Detection of mcr-9 in a Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli of Animal Origin in Italy Is Not Related to Colistin Usage on a Pig Farm
Authors: Guarneri Flavia , Bertasio Cristina , Romeo Claudia , Formenti Nicoletta , Scali Federico , Parisio Giovanni , Canziani Sabrina , Boifava Chiara , Guadagno Federica , Boniotti Maria Beatrice , Alborali Giovanni Loris
Published: April 2023

The emergence of colistin resistance raises growing concerns because of its use as a last-resort antimicrobial for the treatment of severe gram-negative bacterial infections in humans. Plasmid-borne mobile colistin resistance genes (mcr) are particularly worrisome due to their high propensity to spread. An mcr-9-positive Escherichia coli was isolated from a piglet in Italy, representing the first isolation of this gene from an E. coli of animal origin in the country. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) revealed that mcr-9 was borne by an IncHI2 plasmid carrying several other resistance genes. The strain was indeed phenotypically resistant to six different antimicrobial classes, including 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. Despite the presence of mcr-9, the isolate was susceptible to colistin, probably because of a genetic background unfavourable to mcr-9 expression. The lack of colistin resistance, coupled with the fact that the farm of origin had not used colistin in years, suggests that mcr-9 in such a multidrug-resistant strain can be maintained thanks to the co-selection of neighbouring resistance genes, following usage of different antimicrobials. Our findings highlight how a comprehensive approach, integrating phenotypical testing, targeted PCR, WGS-based techniques, and information on antimicrobial usage is crucial to shed light on antimicrobial resistance.