bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The spatial distribution of urban community gardens and their associated socio-economic status in Tehran, Iran
Authors: Asl Sina Razzaghi , Azadgar Anahita
Published: August 2022

Urban community gardens are a type of green space presenting a diverse role in urban systems. They can also be beneficial for solving the matter of food insecurity by providing self-sufficiency and resilience in low-income communities and increasing the continuity of agricultural activities. Even though plenty of research has been conducted around community gardens, there is a noticeable research gap concerning case studies in different geographic contexts, especially in the Middle East. This paper in response to the said gap aims at mapping the spatial distribution of community gardens and their socio-economic attributes in Tehran, Iran. A methodology consisting of semi-structured interviews, qualitative and descriptive analysis along with tools such as ArcGIS was employed and secondary data were obtained from various sources such as the Tehran statistical yearbook of the year 2020. The results demonstrate that currently there are a total of 26 community gardens in Tehran and they run based on governmental funds and support with a strong educational motive backing them up. There is also an evident geographical distribution imbalance in terms of gardens placement with them mostly being present in the southern part of the city, while in the northern districts the idea of community gardens has almost been nonexistent. Only districts 22, 8, and 7 among northern districts in Tehran have community gardens. In the southern part, district 19 includes the majority of gardens having seven in total. In short, gardens are mainly placed in areas with lower average land prices, median household income, and higher education graduates.
Climate resilient agriculture and enhancing food production: Field experience from Agusan del Norte, Caraga Region, Philippines
Authors: Varela Rowena P. , Apdohan Arnold G. , Balanay Raquel M.
Published: August 2022

This paper describes the assessment of climate risks, the vulnerability of farmlands, and the adaptive farming practices to climate change with the use of GIS, field observations, stakeholder consultation and interviews and case documentation. GIS-based climate risk vulnerability assessment maps were generated to pinpoint the areas with the major climate hazards in Agusan del Norte. The vulnerability of the farmlands, and the adaptive capacity of the farms were assessed with index scoring. Also, adaptation to climate change based on the most problematic hazard (flooding) was observed on the two groups of farmers (with and without climate resilient agriculture (CRA)/cropping system adjustments) for cost and benefit comparison. The results show flooding and drought as the significant hazards in Agusan del Norte (Caraga Region) and high vulnerability to these hazards due to low coping mechanisms for most farms. Low adaptive capacity was also observed among these farms. Case-based observations on adaptation in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte revealed that well-timed adjustments to the usual cropping system can increase farm income despite of the flood and inundation for 2–3 months. This study recommends for harmonized measures toward advocating strengthened adaptive capacity for agriculture across Agusan del Norte. Further climate R&D and increasing policy support on climate financing and CRA options are highly encouraged for the agricultural stakeholders to take action. For hard-pressed farmers with constrained access to improved varieties and technologies, timing is potentially essential to circumvent damages from climate change to gain economic and psychosocial benefits with well-timed adaptation measures.
Genetic and epidemic characteristics of porcine parvovirus 7 in the Fujian and Guangdong regions of southern China
Authors: Zhang Xinjie , Zheng Canyang , Lv Zixin , Xue Shaohua , Chen Yuxuan , Liu Yanru , Huang Xirong , Luo Guoqing , Yang Xiaoyan , Dai Ailing
Published: August 2022

Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is the primary cause of reproductive disorders in pigs. The porcine parvovirus 7 (PPV7) subtype was first identified in the United States in 2016. In this study, PPV7 was detected in different porcine samples, including serum, feces, saliva, and milk, from 69 pig farms in the Fujian and Guangdong regions of South China, and its coinfection with porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2), porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3), and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) was determined. Whole-genome sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, and recombination analysis were performed on seven isolates, with each selected isolate originating from a different farm. There was a high rate of PPV7 positivity in blood, stool, and saliva but PPV7 DNA was absent from breast milk. The findings also showed that PPV7-positive samples had a high rate of coinfection with PCV2, PCV3, and PRRSV. Real-time PCR was used to determine the viral copy numbers of PCV2, PCV3, PRRSV, and PPV7 in serum samples and to assess whether PPV7 affected PCV2, PCV3, and PRRSV viral loads. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PPV7e and PPV7f were the most prevalent and widespread subtypes in the Fujian and Guangdong regions, respectively. While the PPV7a, PPV7b, PPV7c, and PPV7f subtypes were most prevalent in Fujian Province, PPV7a-e subtypes were prevalent in Guangdong, indicating that PPV7 has rich genetic diversity in these regions. A putative recombinant strain, 21FJ09, was identified using SimPlot and the Recombination Detection Program 4 software.
White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) as the definitive host of Sarcocystis lutrae in the Czech Republic
Authors: Máca Ondřej , González-Solís David
Published: August 2022

The white-tailed eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla, has been involved in the life cycle of several Sarcocystis species as the intermediate and definitive host. To date, it has been supposed that the eagle might play the role as the definitive host for S. Lutrae, and, herein, we tried to elucidate it based on morphometric and molecular analyses. One out of two eagles harbored oocysts (17.0−17.4 × 11.3–11.9 μm) and sporocysts (11.3–12.3 × 8.3–9.3 μm) in the intestinal mucosa, whose sequences at 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS1, and cox1 showed similar identity (97.64–100%) to published sequences of S. lutrae from other hosts. The presence of sporulated oocysts in the lamina propria of villi confirms that S. lutrae truly infects the white-tailed eagle. The white-tailed eagle is confirmed as the definitive host of S. lutrae in the Czech Republic.
Design and Experiment of Nondestructive Post-Harvest Device for Tomatoes
Authors: Zu Linlu , Han Mingzheng , Liu Jiuqin , Liu Pingzeng , Li Tianhua , Su Fei
Published: August 2022

This paper proposed a whole process tomato harvester with a nondestructive post-harvest collection operation mode, which was aimed to solve the high damage rate problem during the automatic greenhouse tomato harvesting process. The post-harvest device mainly included the net bag mechanism, the conveying and collecting mechanism, whose structure and materials were carefully designed to satisfy the nondestructive collection principle. Numerical simulation was done to evaluate the damage under three working conditions, which showed that the peak contact stress of tomatoes was 0.107 MPa, 0.098 MPa, and 0.11 MPa, respectively, all smaller than the damage stress of tomato peel tissue. In the postharvest prototype experiment, the degree of mechanical damage based on the shelf life of tomatoes during the color turning stage and red ripening stage was used as the evaluation index. Results showed that when tomatoes were dropped from the 60 mm higher position than the net bag mechanism, and the speed of the conveyor belt was 9 r min−1, the degree of mechanical damage at the color turning stage and red ripening stage was 1.9% and 9.5%, respectively. The harvest time of greenhouse tomatoes was always around the color turning stage, thus the proposed device can well meet the agricultural requirements.
Grape Cluster Real-Time Detection in Complex Natural Scenes Based on YOLOv5s Deep Learning Network
Authors: Zhang Chuandong , Ding Huali , Shi Qinfeng , Wang Yunfei
Published: August 2022

Due to differences in planting environment, color, shape, size, and compactness, accurate detection of grape clusters is very difficult. Herein, a real-time detection method for grape clusters based on the YOLOv5s deep learning algorithm was proposed. More specifically, a novel dataset called Grape-internet was constructed, which consisted of 8657 grape images and corresponding annotation files in complex scenes. By training and adjusting the parameters of the YOLOv5s model on the data set, and by reducing the depth and width of the network, the lightweight processing of the network was completed, losing only a small amount of accuracy. As a result, the fast and accurate detection of grape clusters was finally realized. The test results showed that the precision, recall, mAP and F1 of the grape cluster detection network were 99.40%, 99.40%, 99.40% and 99.40%, respectively, and the average detection speed per image was 344.83 fps, with a model size of 13.67 MB. Compared with the YOLOv5x, ScaledYOLOv4-CSP and YOLOv3 models, the precision of YOLOv5s was 1.84% higher than that of ScaledYOLOv4-CSP, and the recall rate and mAP were slightly lower than three networks by 0.1–0.3%. The speed was the fastest (4.6 times, 2.83 times and 6.7 times of YOLOv3, ScaledYOLOv4-CSP and YOLOv5x network, respectively) and the network scale was the smallest (1.61%, 6.81% and 8.28% of YOLOv3, ScaledYOLOv4-CSP YOLOv5x, respectively) for YOLOv5s. Moreover, the detection precision and recall rate of YOLOv5s was 26.14% and 30.96% higher, respectively, than those of Mask R-CNN. Further, it exhibited more lightweight and better real-time performance. In short, the detection network can not only meet the requirements of being a high precision, high speed and lightweight solution for grape cluster detection, but also it can adapt to differences between products and complex environmental interference, possessing strong robustness, generalization, and real-time adaptability.
Classification of Monofloral Honeys by Measuring Electrical Impedance Based on Neural Networks
Authors: María Eduardo González , Madueño-Luna Antonio , Ruiz-Canales Antonio , Luna José Miguel Madueño
Published: August 2022

The study of electrical impedance applied to food has become a method with great potential for use in the food industry, which allows the monitoring and control of quality processes in a safe and non-invasive way. Recent research has shown that this technique can be an alternative method to determine the floral origin of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) and acquire information on chemical and physical properties such as conductivity, ash content and acidity. In this work, the electrical impedance of six monofloral honey samples from diverse origins and one commercial multi-floral honey were measured using a low-cost impedance meter, obtaining 101 samples (reactance (X) versus resistance (R)), with a frequency sweep between 1 Hz and 25 MHz in all the honeys analyzed. This shows that it is possible, by using a multilayer neural network trained from these data, to classify with 100% accuracy between these honeys and, thereby, quickly and easily determine the floral origin of the honey. This is without the need to use the chemical data or equivalent electrical models.
Phenotypic Broad Spectrum of Bacterial Blight Disease Resistance from Thai Indigenous Upland Rice Germplasms Implies Novel Genetic Resource for Breeding Program
Authors: Chumpol Atitaya , Monkham Tidarat , Saepaisan Suwita , Sanitchon Jirawat , Falab Shanerin , Chankaew Sompong
Published: August 2022

Bacterial blight (BB) disease, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is one of the most devastating diseases of rice worldwide. Breeding for BB resistance has been utilized to overcome this constraint of rice production; however, limited genetic resources of BB resistance or non-desirable genetic linkage between BB disease resistance and agronomic traits have become major obstacles. Interestingly, indigenous upland rice cultivars cultivated across Thailand are considered to be novel genetic resources of BB resistance for rice cultivar improvement through breeding programs. In this study, we screened for BB disease resistance among 256 indigenous upland rice cultivars using individual inoculation of two virulent Xoo isolates; NY1-1 and MS1-2, under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that 19 indigenous rice cultivars demonstrated BB disease resistance abilities after inoculation. These 19 upland rice cultivars were further examined for broad-spectrum resistance (BSR) performance through five individual Xoo isolate inoculations, under greenhouse conditions. Moreover, a mixed five Xoo isolate inoculation, including NB7-8, CM3-1, CN2-1, MS1-2, and NY1-1, was conducted to assess the BSR for BB resistance of those 19 cultivars under field conditions. Simultaneously, independent plants of the 19 varieties were grown without inoculation in the field to observe the disease reactions from the natural infection caused by local Xoo isolates. The results of the three experiments herein showed that five indigenous upland rice cultivars—ULR024, ULR029, ULR172, ULR207, and ULR356—consistently expressed 100% BSR to BB disease, as well as the resistance check varieties, IRBB5. This further illustrated that ULR024, ULR029, ULR172, ULR207, and ULR356 upland rice cultivars were phenotypically resistant to five Xoo isolates, within those (a) inoculated with five individual isolates under greenhouse conditions or (b) inoculation with five mixed isolates under field conditions. Moreover, the ULR024, ULR029, ULR172, ULR207, and ULR356 revealed BB disease-resistance abilities to natural infection. These results present novel genetic resources from indigenous upland rice cultivars in further breeding program of BB resistance in varied rice cultivars.
Effects of Drainage on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Yields of Lowland Rice—Wheat Rotation System in East China
Authors: He Hao , Li Dandan , Pan Feifan , Wu Ze , Wang Fengwen , Wu Dong , Wu Sheng , Yang Shuyun , Ma Youhua
Published: August 2022

The subtropical region of East China is characterized by abundant water and temperature resources conducive to crop cultivation, and large areas of lowland have been widely used for agricultural planting. The objectives of the study were to explore feasible methods of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction for rice–wheat rotation systems and to explain the mechanism underlying the effect of drainage on GHG reduction. Shallow ditch (SD) and deep ditch (DD) treatments in the wheat season were set up for drainage to control the paddy soil water content, with conventional non-ditching as the control group (CG). CH4 and N2O emission fluxes were continuously measured, and related soil physical and chemical properties were also measured in this study. The results showed that CH4 emissions from paddy soil accounted for most of the global warming potential (GWP) in the rice–wheat rotation system. Drainage led to a significant reduction in cumulative soil CH4 emissions during the rice and wheat seasons; however, the overall cumulative N2O flux increased significantly. The total GWP produced by SD and DD in the three years was reduced by 58.21% and 54.87%, respectively. The GHG emission intensity (GHGI) of SD and DD declined by 60.13% and 56.40%, respectively. The CH4 emission flux was significantly positively correlated with the 5 cm ground temperature but negatively correlated with the soil redox potential (soil Eh). The drainage decreased the soil water and soil organic matter contents and increased soil pH, which were the mechanisms that reduced the CH4 emissions. The drainage increased the soil nitrogen content, which is the main reason for regulating N2O. The findings indicate that SD and DD not only ensured a stable increase in production but also effectively reduced GHG emissions, and we recommend SD treatment for agricultural production.
UAV-Supported Route Planning for UGVs in Semi-Deterministic Agricultural Environments
Authors: Katikaridis Dimitrios , Moysiadis Vasileios , Tsolakis Naoum , Busato Patrizia , Kateris Dimitrios , Pearson Simon , Sørensen Claus Grøn , Bochtis Dionysis
Published: August 2022

Automated agricultural operations must be planned and organized to reduce risk and failure potential while optimizing productivity and efficiency. However, the diversity of natural outdoor environments and the varied data types and volumes required to represent an agricultural setting comprise critical challenges for the deployment of fully automated agricultural operations. In this regard, this study develops an integrated system for enabling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) supported route planning system for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in the semi-structured environment of orchards. The research focus is on the underpinning planning system components (i.e., world representation or map generation or perception and path planning). In particular, the system comprises a digital platform that receives as input a geotagged depiction of an orchard, which is obtained by a UAV. The pre-processed data define the agri-field’s tracks that are transformed into a grid-based map capturing accessible areas. The grid map is then used to generate a topological path planning solution. Subsequently, the solution is translated into a sequence of coordinates that define the calculated optimal path for the UGV to traverse. The applicability of the developed system was validated in routing scenarios in a walnuts’ orchard using a UGV. The contribution of the proposed system entails noise reduction techniques for the accurate representation of a semi-deterministic agricultural environment for enabling accuracy in the route planning of utilized automated machinery.
Soil from Serianthes Rhizosphere Influences Growth and Leaf Nutrient Content of Serianthes Plants
Authors: Marler Thomas E.
Published: August 2022

Soils from the rhizosphere of perennial plants accumulate microorganisms that influence the growth of other plants. This microorganism biodiversity may be exploited by using these soils as an inoculum in new planting sites. Soils collected from the rhizosphere of mature Serianthes trees were subjected to treatments designed to reduce or increase microorganism populations, then were used in a series of five studies to grow Serianthes plants in container culture. Serianthes kanehirae and Serianthes grandiflora stem growth was 14–19% greater, leaf nitrogen was 40–46% greater, leaf phosphorus was 50–86% greater, and leaf potassium was 28–43% greater when grown in soils from Serianthes rhizosphere than in soils away from a Serianthes tree. Treating the Serianthes rhizosphere soils with sterilization or propiconazole fungicide reduced stem growth of S. grandiflora, S. kanehirae, and Serianthes nelsonii plants by 16–47% below that of untreated soils. The sterilization and fungicide treatments also consistently reduced phosphorus (48–50%) and potassium (12–21%) content of leaves when compared with untreated rhizosphere soil. Adding Rhizophagus irregularis inoculum to the sterilized soil reversed the reduction in S. grandiflora stem growth and leaf phosphorus content. These findings indicate that soils from the Serianthes rhizosphere contain beneficial microorganisms for Serianthes plant growth and leaf nutritional status and exploiting these soils as an inoculum for new planting sites may provide a net-positive influence on post-transplant growth and survival.
Genomic Organization of Microsatellites and LINE-1-like Retrotransposons: Evolutionary Implications for Ctenomys minutus (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae) Cytotypes
Authors: de Oliveira Thays Duarte , Bertocchi Natasha Avila , Kretschmer Rafael , de Oliveira Edivaldo H. C. , Cioffi Marcelo de Bello , Liehr Thomas , de Freitas Thales R. O.
Published: August 2022

The Neotropical underground rodents of the genus Ctenomys (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae) comprise about 65 species, which harbor the most significant chromosomal variation among mammals (2n = 10 to 2n = 70). Among them, C. minutus stands out with 45 different cytotypes already identified, among which, seven parental ones, named A to G, are parapatrically distributed in the coastal plains of Southern Brazil. Looking for possible causes that led to such extensive karyotype diversification, we performed chromosomal mapping of different repetitive DNAs, including microsatellites and long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposons in the seven parental cytotypes. Although microsatellites were found mainly in the centromeric and telomeric regions of the chromosomes, different patterns occur for each cytotype, thus revealing specific features. Likewise, the LINE-1-like retrotransposons also showed a differential distribution for each cytotype, which may be linked to stochastic loss of LINE-1 in some populations. Here, microsatellite motifs (A)30, (C)30, (CA)15, (CAC)10, (CAG)10, (CGG)10, (GA)15, and (GAG)10 could be mapped to fusion of chromosomes 20/17, fission and inversion in the short arm of chromosome 2, fusion of chromosomes 23/19, and different combinations of centric and tandem fusions of chromosomes 22/24/16. These data provide evidence for a correlation between repetitive genomic content and localization of evolutionary breakpoints and highlight their direct impact in promoting chromosomal rearrangements.
Influences of Substrate Grain Size on the Burrowing Behavior of Juvenile Meretrix meretrix
Authors: Zhang Changsheng , Xue Suyan , Li Jiaqi , Fang Jinghui , Liu Lulei , Ma Zhanfei , Yu Wenhan , Zhuang Haonan , Mao Yuze
Published: August 2022

The substrate is the key environmental factor that affects the growth, survival, population and distribution of dwelling mollusks in mudflat settings. To clarify the effect of the substrate grain size on soft substrate preference, burrowing ability and behavior during the selection process of juvenile Meretrix meretrix, four different grain size substrates (coarse sand, medium sand, fine sand, and natural substrate) were set up for comparison. The results indicated that: (1) the burrowing ability of juvenile specimens in fine sand was the strongest; (2) the degree (from high to low) of the juvenile’s preference for the four substrates was in the order of fine sand > natural substrate > medium sand > coarse sand; and (3) the selection process of the substrate by the juveniles could be divided into four stages: preparation, selection, burrowing and end stages. These stages showed the behavioral characteristics of a longer selection time and higher percentage of movement in coarse sand. Therefore, our results demonstrated that sea areas or ponds with fine sand as the main component are more suitable for stock enhancement with M. meretrix. These results provide basic data for habitat selection and suitability evaluations for the aquaculture of M. meretrix.
Hunting Levels of Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) at Sites Where Food Is Provided: Implications for Sustainable Harvesting
Authors: Rocha Gregorio , Tizado Emilio Jorge , Sánchez-García Carlos
Published: August 2022

In some regions of Spain, hunting grounds conduct management targeting the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), a commonly hunted species, and unsustainable harvesting levels at these sites have been identified as one of the factors responsible for the species’ decline across its range. In hunting grounds where food was provided, we estimated the local turtle dove abundance before the hunting season, productivity (juvenile/adult ratio) and harvesting levels using harvest data from managed grounds over 4 years (2009, 2015, 2019 and 2020). Compared to previous research, a higher productivity value was found (median 1.67, range 1.24–4.15) in grounds providing more food for a longer period. We calculated that the harvesting rate should not exceed 37% of the estimated turtle dove population size (35–45%). Significant differences were found between the estimated local turtle dove abundance using a removal sampling protocol and the number of birds observed by hunters before the hunting season, which suggests that in a high proportion of grounds, the latter method may have led to bird overestimation and overharvesting. Our research supports the current European Union’s harvest management plan to promote sustainable hunting in grounds where targeted management is conducted.
Coconut Palm: Food, Feed, and Nutraceutical Properties
Authors: Mat Khairiyah , Abdul Kari Zulhisyam , Rusli Nor Dini , Che Harun Hasnita , Wei Lee Seong , Rahman Mohammad Mijanur , Mohd Khalid Hazreen Nita , Mohd Ali Hanafiah Muhamad Hakim , Mohamad Sukri Suniza Anis , Raja Khalif Raja Ili Airina , Mohd Zin Zamzahaila , Mohd Zainol Mohamad Khairi , Panadi Mira , Mohd Nor Mohamad Faiz , Goh Khang Wen
Published: August 2022

The price of traditional sources of nutrients used in animal feed rations is increasing steeply in developed countries due to their scarcity, high demand from humans for the same food items, and expensive costs of raw materials. Thus, one of the alternative sources is coconut parts or coconut as a whole fruit. Coconut is known as the ‘tree of abundance’, ‘tree of heaven’, and ‘tree of life’ owing to its numerous uses, becoming a very important tree in tropical areas for its provision of food, employment, and business opportunities to millions of people. Coconut contains a rich profile of macro and micronutrients that vary depending on the parts and how they are used. It is frequently chosen as an alternative source of protein and fiber. Its uses as an antibacterial agent, immunomodulant, and antioxidant further increase its importance. Using coconut oil in ruminant feed helps to minimize methane gas emissions by 18–30%, and to reduce dry matter intake up to 4.2 kg/d. The aquaculture sectors also use coconut palm as an alternative source because it significantly improves the digestion, growth, lipid metabolism, health, and antioxidative responses. However, coconut is not widely used in poultry diets although it has adequate amount of protein and carbohydrate due to anti-nutritional factors such cellulose (13%), galactomannan (61%), and mannan (26%). This review considered the importance and potential of coconut usage as an alternative ingredient in feed and supplements in various livestock sectors as it has plentiful nutrients and functional qualities, simultaneously leading to reduced feed cost and enhanced production.
Effect of a Single and Triple Dose of Levamisole on Hematological Parameters in Controlled Inflammation Model
Authors: Kuropka Piotr , Leśków Anna , Małolepsza-Jarmołowska Katarzyna , Dobrzyński Maciej , Tarnowska Małgorzata , Majda Jacek , Janeczek Maciej , Żybura-Wszoła Katarzyna , Gamian Andrzej
Published: August 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of single and triple administration of levamisole on the dynamics of hematological parameters during experimental pleuritis. The experiment was performed on female Buffalo rats. Rats were randomly assigned to two equal groups that received 1 and 3 doses of levamisole every 2, 24 and 48 h, respectively. Following the experiment, blood samples for the measurement of hematological parameters were collected. The study group receiving three doses of levamisole observed a significant reduction of red blood cell count at 48 h post administration and an increase in mean corpuscular volume compared to the control inflammation group. The administration of a single dose of levamisole results in a significant increase in hematocrit at 72 h, an increase in white blood cell count at 24 h and 72 h, and an increase in neutrophil count at 72 h compared to the control inflammation group. Administration of a single and triple dose of levamisole showed statistically significant modification of some hematological parameters and thus modulates the inflammatory process. In the lungs, this results in a reduction in leukocyte infiltrations around the bronchi and blood vessels.
Effects of Ciprofloxacin Alone or in Mixture with Sulfamethoxazole on the Efficiency of Anaerobic Digestion and Its Microbial Community
Authors: Miritana Valentina Mazzurco , Patrolecco Luisa , Barra Caracciolo Anna , Visca Andrea , Piccinini Flavia , Signorini Antonella , Rosa Silvia , Grenni Paola , Garbini Gian Luigi , Spataro Francesca , Rauseo Jasmin , Massini Giulia
Published: August 2022

Some livestock farms rely on anaerobic digestion (AD) technology for manure disposal, thus obtaining energy (biogas) and fertilizer (digestate). Mixtures of antibiotics used for animal health often occur in organic waste and their possible synergistic/antagonistic effects on microorganisms involved in AD are still poorly studied. This work focuses on the effects of adding ciprofloxacin, alone (5 mg L−1) and in combination with sulfamethoxazole (2.5–5–10 mg L−1), on AD efficiency and microbial community structure. The experiment consisted of 90-day cattle manure batch tests and antibiotic removal percentages were assessed. Adding antibiotics always promoted CH4 and H2 production compared to untreated controls; however, CH4 production was lowered with the highest ciprofloxacin (CIP) concentrations. The overall results show antibiotic degradation caused by acidogenic Bacteria, and CH4 was mainly produced through the hydrogenotrophic-pathway by methanogenic Archaea. Shifts in microbial community abundance (DAPI counts) and composition (Illumina-MiSeq and FISH analyses) were observed.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Colistin Combined with Sulbactam: 9 g per Day versus 12 g per Day in the Treatment of Extensively Drug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Pneumonia: An Interim Analysis
Authors: Ungthammakhun Chutchawan , Vasikasin Vasin , Changpradub Dhitiwat
Published: August 2022

Extensively drug-resistant A. baumannii (XDRAB) pneumonia has a high mortality rate in hospitalized patients. One of the recommended treatments is colistin combined with sulbactam; however, the optimal dosage of sulbactam is unclear. In an open-label, superiority, randomized controlled trial, patients diagnosed with XDRAB pneumonia were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive colistin in combination with sulbactam at either 9 g/day or 12 g/day. The primary outcome was the 28-day mortality rate in the intention-to-treat population. A total of 88 patients received colistin in combination with sulbactam at a dosage of either 12 g/day (n = 45) or 9 g/day (n = 43). Trends toward a lower mortality rate were observed in the 12 g/day group at 7 days (11.1% vs. 23.3%), 14 days (33.3% vs. 41.9%), and 28 days (46.7% vs. 58.1%). The microbiological cure rate at day 7 was significantly higher in the 12 g/day group (90.5% vs. 58.1%; p = 0.02). Factors associated with mortality at 28 days were asthma, cirrhosis, APACHEII score ≥ 28, and a dosage of sulbactam of 9 g/day for mortality at any timepoint. Treatment with colistin combined with sulbactam at 12 g/day was not superior to the combination treatment with sulbactam at 9 g/day. However, due to being an interim analysis, this trial was underpowered to detect mortality differences.
Simulation of Soil Cutting and Power Consumption Optimization of a Typical Rotary Tillage Soil Blade
Authors: Zhang Xiongye , Zhang Lixin , Hu Xue , Wang Huan , Shi Xuebin , Ma Xiao
Published: August 2022

The rotary tillage knife roller, as one of the typical soil-touching parts of the tillage equipment cutting process, is in direct contact with the soil. During the cutting process, there are problems related to structural bending, deformation, and high power consumption, caused by impact and load, and it is difficult to observe the micro-change law of the rotary tillage tool and soil. In view of the above problems, we took the soil of the cotton experimental field in Shihezi, Xinjiang, and the soil-contacting parts of the rotary tillage equipment, specifically the rotary tiller roller, as the research subject. Using the finite-element method (FEM) to simulate the structure of the rotary tiller with different bending angle parameters, we obtained its average stress and deformation position information, and obtained a range linear relationship between the bending angle and the structural performance of the rotary tiller tool. Using discrete element method (DEM)-based simulation to build the corresponding contact model, soil particle model, and soil–rotary tillage knife roll interaction model to simulate the dynamic process of a rotary tillage knife roll cutting soil, we obtained the change rules of the soil deformation area, cutting process energy, cutting resistance, and soil particle movement. By using the orthogonal simulation test and the response surface method, we optimized the kinematic parameters of the rotary tiller roller and the key design parameters of a single rotary tiller. Taking the reduction of cutting power consumption as the optimization goal and considering the influence of the bending angle on its structural performance, the optimal parameter combination was obtained as follows: the forward speed was 900 m/h, the rotation speed was 100 rad/min, the bending angle was 115°, and the minimum power consumption of the cutter roller was 0.181 kW. The corresponding average stress and deformation were 0.983 mm and 41.826 MPa, which were 15.8%, 13%, and 7.9% lower than the simulation results of power consumption, stress, and deformation under the initial parameter setting, respectively. Finally, the effectiveness of the simulation optimization model in reducing power consumption and the accuracy of the soil-cutting simulation were verified by a rotary tilling inter-field test, which provided theoretical reference and technical support for the design and optimization of other typical soil-touching parts of tillage and related equipment, such as disc harrow, ploughshare, and sub-soiling shovel.
Fatty-Acid Profiles, Triacylglycerol Compositions, and Crystalline Structures of Bambangan-Seed Fat Extracted Using Different Solvents
Authors: Ridhwan Norazlina Mohammad , Mamat Hasmadi , Akanda Md Jahurul Haque
Published: August 2022

Currently, research on the bambangan-fruit seed has become interesting because of its potential application as a cocoa butter alternative. This work aimed to determine the changes in the quality of the extracted bambangan-seed fat (BSF) obtained using hexane, petroleum ether, and ethanol. The extraction solvents affected the total fat content (TFC), physicochemical properties, fatty-acid profile, triacylglycerol composition, and crystalline structure of the extracted BSF. The results showed that BSF has a high content of 1,3-distreoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol (SOS). The solvent-type significantly (p < 0.05) impacts the stearic and oleic acids of the extracts, resulting in apparent changes in the high-melting symmetrical triacylglycerols, such as SOS. Petroleum-ether-extracted BSF has a high stearic acid of 33.40%, followed by that of hexane- and ethanol-extracted BSF at 29.29% and 27.84%, respectively. Moreover, the spherulitic microstructure with needle-like crystals of the extracts also ranges from 30 to 70 µm in diameter. Hexane-extracted BSF illustrated a less-dense, spherulitic, crystalline microstructure with a less-granular centre than those extracted using the other solvents. The results suggested that the quality of the extracted BSF obtained from the nonpolar solvents of hexane and petroleum ether are better than that extracted using ethanol.
Towards High Usability in Gamified Systems: A Systematic Review of Key Concepts and Approaches
Authors: Magylaitė Kristina , Kapočius Kęstutis , Butleris Rimantas , Čeponienė Lina
Published: August 2022

Gamification is widely used in various domains as it helps increase user motivation and engagement. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the gamified system meets usability requirements and conforms to user experience and human-centred design guidelines, as poor usability may lead to undesired side-effects, such as a loss of user retention. Unfortunately, it is not entirely clear what usability guidelines are related to gamified systems and how they depend on the gamification target audience and on the gamified system application domain. This paper provides a systematic review of usability, user experience and human-centred design guidelines for gamified systems. A systematic search was performed in Web of Science, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, and ACM Digital Library databases, following the PRISMA guidelines. The results show that most of the recommendations listed in analysed papers are related to improving learnability of gamified systems. Furthermore, the system application domain is generally viewed as very important when making usability-related decisions. The key distinctive gamification application domains are medicine, education, and business. The findings may be useful to usability and gamification researchers, as well as the developers and owners of gamified systems who want to grasp the state of research into the specifics of gamified systems usability.
Radiation Emitter Classification and Identification Approach Based on Radiation Emission Components
Authors: Zhang Fan , Wang Wang , Zhang Dongrong , Chen Aixin , Su Donglin
Published: August 2022

An electronic system generates a large number of intended or unintended electromagnetic radiated emissions in its operating state, which can lead to potential electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problems. To avoid the impact of these electromagnetic radiation emissions on the surrounding electronic equipment or systems, it is necessary to classify and identify these radiation emitters. In this paper, we proposed a systematic approach for radiation emitter classification and identification based on radiation emission components. Inspired by the basic emission waveform theory (BEWT), the radiation emission data of electronic systems are decomposed into three kinds of radiation emission components, and the different groups of radiation emission data can be classified or identified according to the similarity of these radiation emission components. The radiation emission (RE) spectral data of several kinds of electronic equipment, such as laptops and digital cameras, were used to verify the proposed method. The classification and identification accuracy for data corresponding to different kinds of radiation emission spectra was about 99%, which confirmed the effectiveness of this method.
Data-Based Stakeholder Identification in Technical Change Management
Authors: Sippl Fabian , Magg Renè , Gil Carla Paulina , Düring Steffen , Reinhart Gunther
Published: August 2022

The efficient and effective handling of technical changes in product and production is seen as an important factor for the long-term success of manufacturing companies. Within the associated processes, the engineering and manufacturing change management, the identification and involvement of all relevant stakeholders, i.e., departments and employees, plays an essential role. Overlooking relevant stakeholders can lead to unforeseen impacts, such as production stops or further necessary changes, and can cause unforseen increased costs. In particular, in large companies, this task is complex and error-prone due to the high number of changes and departments involved, as well as the abundant variety of changes that can take place. Therefore, this contribution introduces an approach for stakeholder identification in technical change management, which allows the automated identification of relevant stakeholders at the beginning of the reactive phases of the change management process. The approach describes all necessary steps from data preparation to the evaluation of the obtained classification models. It is based on a text-classification approach and focuses in particular on the additional integration of expert knowledge to increase model quality. The approach has been successfully applied in cooperation with a German automotive company, and the obtained model quality has been compared to an expert-based classification.
Intelligent Optimization of Process Parameters in Limit Gauge Hot Strip Rolling
Authors: Jing Fengwei , Li Junliang , Hao Shimeng , Li Jie , Wang Jing
Published: August 2022

Aiming at the problems of large rolling deviation and low stability in limit specification of hot strip rolling, the optimal rolling suggestions were obtained based on back propagation (BP) neural network and genetic algorithm. According to equipment state and strip specification to select excellent sample set, in the sample set based on the data of application of neural network to build the mapping relationship between process parameters and the rolling stability, limit specifications of the mapping model is set up, and then using the genetic algorithm for the search of this mapping model, the search model of rolling stability of ideal point, determine a set of process parameters optimal advice accordingly. Taking the rolling of MRTRG00201_1276_3 as an example, a set of optimal process parameters are obtained by simulating rolling of MRTRG00201_1276_3. Then the sample distribution and rolling stability of each process are analyzed in turn. The results show that the process parameters obtained by optimizing the model accord with the distribution law of rolling samples, can obtain high rolling stability, and can play a guiding role in limit specification rolling.
Potential Effect of Syzygium aromaticum (Cloves) Extract on Serum Antioxidant Status and Lipid Profiles in Wistar Rats with Artesunate Toxicity
Authors: Adegbola Mosebolatan Victoria , Anyim Godwin , Ntwasa Monde , Ayeleso Ademola Olabode , Oyedepo Temitope Adenike
Published: August 2022

Artesunate toxicity has been linked to increased production of reactive oxygen species resulting in oxidative stress, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many chronic diseases. This study evaluated the effects of hydroethanolic extract of Syzygium aromaticum buds (HESAB) on serum antioxidant status and lipid profiles in Wistar rats with artesunate toxicity. Forty-eight male Wistar rats (150–200 g) randomized into six groups (n = 8) were treated as follows for 21 days: Group 1 (Control; DMSO); Group 2 (Artesunate, 15 mg/kg only); Group 3 (HESAB only, 400 mg/kg); Group 4 (HESAB only, 800 mg/kg); Group 5 (Artesunate, 15 mg/kg + HESAB, 400 mg/kg); Group 6 (Artesunate, 15 mg/kg + HESAB, 800 mg/kg). Antioxidant parameters—such as malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT)—were assayed in the serum using established methods. Serum lipid profiles—which include total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TAG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) assays—were performed using kits. The findings showed a significant increase in lipid profile of the artesunate-induced group compared to the control and treated groups. Administration of HESAB reversed the toxic effects of artesunate. The levels of TC (69.42 ± 8.03 mg/dL, TAG (34.43 ± 6.04 mg/dL), and LDL (45.1 ± 9.66 mg/dL) in the untreated group were significantly higher than the control group TC (41.42 ± 7.57 mg/dL), TAG (28.18 ± 1.58 mg/dL), and LDL (27.73 ± 5.00 mg/dL). The antioxidant profile however was significantly reduced in the diseased (artesunate) group compared to control and treated groups. MDA, NO, and GSH levels in the untreated group were 5.032 ± 1.25 µmol/L, 10.65 ± 3.84 µmol/L, and 0.20 ± 0.145 μM respectively and 2.237 ± 0.95 µmol/L, 6.20 ± 2.21 µmol/L, and 0.49 ± 0.068 μM in control group respectively. Treatment with HESAB raised the GSH level to 0.38 ± 0.19 μM. Furthermore, CAT, SOD, and GPX were 7.62 ± 2.15, 2.76 ± 1.52, and 3.54 ± 1.91 μmol/mL in untreated group respectively and 19.03 ± 4.25, 8.05 ± 2.91, and 10.62 ± 3.24 μmol/mL in control group respectively. Treatment with HESAB raised the CAT, SOD, and GPX to 18.866 ± 2.59, 5.020 ± 0.89, and 5.05 ± 2.01 μmol/mL respectively. In conclusion, artesunate toxicity caused a significant increase in lipid profiles and decrease in antioxidant level in the rats’ serum while administration of S. aromaticum bud extract lowered lipid levels and raised the antioxidant status.
Constructing a Gaming Model for Professional Tennis Players Using the C5.0 Algorithm
Authors: Chang Che-Wei , Qiu Yu-Ran
Published: August 2022

Professional tennis players have their own habits of tactics and play. However, players’ shortcomings can be corrected by constantly practicing professional techniques and by tactical analysis. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a two-stage, expert decision-making system for tennis matches. The first stage consisted in dividing the court area and defining the technical classification of the net. Tennis coaches were invited to assess tennis players’ skills on the competition court, dividing it into 48 areas on both sides of the court centerline and identifying the skills used by the players. In the second stage, a classification model was developed, and the score, hitting habits, and tennis skills of the players, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, over 10 matches, played from 2007 to 2019, were analyzed and classified using notational analysis and the C5.0 decision tree algorithm. The results show that the two players’ highest scored techniques were the forehand stroke in the backcourt and the backhand stroke in the half court. Thus, using this expert decision-making system, our data can provide other players with imaginary training objects from two of the top players in the world to be used during training and can allow the accumulation of experience for players through continuous simulation and training analysis.
Experimental and Modeling of Residual Deformation of Soil–Rock Mixture under Freeze–Thaw Cycles
Authors: Wang Chao , Chen Jing , Chen Lilei , Sun Yue , Xie Zelei , Yin Guoan , Liu Minghao , Li Anyuan
Published: August 2022

Projects in seasonal frozen soil areas are often faced with frost heaving and thawing subsidence failure, and the foundation fill of most projects is a mixture of soil and rock. Therefore, taking soil–rock mixture with different rock contents as research objects, the residual deformation of soil–rock mixture under multiple freezing–thawing cycles is studied. In addition, the deep learning method based on the artificial neural network was pioneered combined with the freezing–thawing test of the soil–rock mixture, and the Long short-term memory (LSTM) model was established to predict the results of the freezing–thawing test. The LSTM model has been verified to be feasible in the exploration of the freeze–thaw cycle law of a soil–rock mixture, which can not only greatly reduce the period of the freeze–thaw test, but also maintain a high prediction accuracy to a certain extent. The study found that the soil–rock mixture will repeatedly produce frost heave and thaw subsidence under the action of freeze–thaw cycles, and the initial frost heave and thaw subsidence changes hugely. With the increase of the number of freeze–thaw cycles, the residual deformation decreases and then becomes steady. Under the condition that the content of block rock in the soil–rock mixture is not more than 80%, with the increase of block rock content, the residual deformation caused by the freeze–thaw cycle will gradually decrease due to the skeleton function of block rock, while the block rock content’s further increase will increase the residual deformation. Furthermore, the LSTM model based on an artificial neural network can effectively predict the freezing and thawing changes of soil–rock mixture in the short term, which can greatly shorten the time required for the freezing and thawing test and improve the efficiency of the freezing and thawing test to a certain extent.