bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous knowledge spillover channels in universities and green technology innovation in local firms: Stimulating quantity or quality?
Authors: Nie Libing , Gong Hong , Zhao Danxiao , Lai Xiuping , Chang Mengyue
Published: October 2022

Sluggish status of green technology development has stimulated research into new incentives and pathways. Beyond the traditional regulatory-push and demand-pull approaches, we reposition the strength of the technology push. Based on the innovation diffusion theory, a multidimensional path model of knowledge spillover in universities is constructed, and the impact of heterogeneous knowledge spillover channels on green innovation activities of local firms is discussed. We find that R&D collaboration has a significant effect on local firms' quality but not the quantity of green innovation. Contrarily, patent citations and technology transfer have unequal positive effects on the quantity of green innovation of local firms, while there is no evidence that they can also improve the quality of green innovation. Despite regional disparities, strict environmental regulations are pushing companies to cite university patents in some regions. The university knowledge stock has largely contributed to both quantitative and qualitative advances in subsequent green innovation in local firms. Our conclusions provide a precise and objective evaluation of the impact mechanism of multiple knowledge spillover channels in universities on firms' green innovation, as well as a reference for the selection of the form of industry–university–research collaboration.
The sight of one’s own body: Could qEEG help predict the treatment response in anorexia nervosa?
Authors: Susta Marek , Bizik Gustav , Yamamotova Anna , Petranek Svojmil , Kadochova Marie , Papezova Hana
Published: October 2022

Aims of the study

The study aims to identify the differences in brain activity between participants with anorexia nervosa and healthy control using visual stimulus conditions combined with the quantitative dense-array EEG recording analysis method called Brain Activation Sequences (BAS).

Materials and methods

23 participants with anorexia nervosa and 21 healthy controls were presented with visual stimuli, including the subject’s facial expressions and body images. The 128-channel EEG data were processed using BAS and displayed as activity in up to 66 brain regions. Subsequent cluster analysis was used to identify groups of participants exhibiting area-specific activation patterns.

Results

Cluster analysis identified three distinct groups: one including all healthy controls (HC) and two consisting of all participants with anorexia (AN-I with 19 participants and AN-II with four participants). The AN-I and AN-II groups differed in their response to treatment. Comparisons of HC vs. AN confirmed the dominance of the right cerebral hemisphere in participants with anorexia nervosa in two of the three reported conditions. The facial expressions condition, specifically the facial reaction expressing disgust, indicates the existence of a social attentional bias toward faces, whereas emotions remained undetected in participants. High limbic activity, medial frontal gyrus involvement, low fusiform cortex activity, and milder visual cortex activity in healthy controls compared to participants indicate that the facial expression stimulus is perceived by healthy subjects primarily as an emotion, not as the face itself. In the body image condition, participants showed higher activity in the fusiform gyrus and right insula, indicating activation of the brain’s “fear network.”

Conclusion

The study describes a specific pattern of brain activation in response to facial expression of disgust and body images that likely contributes to social-cognitive and behavioral impairments in anorexia. In addition, the substantial difference in the pattern of brain activation within the participants with AN and its association with treatment resistance deserves special attention because of its potential to develop a clinically useful prediction tool and identify potential targets for, for example, neuromodulatory treatments and/or individualized psychotherapy.
The relational effects of perceived organizational support, fear of COVID-19, and work-related stress on the safety performance of healthcare workers
Authors: Adekanmbi Foluso Philip , Ukpere Wilfred Isioma , Kelvin-Iloafu Lovlyn Ekeowa
Published: October 2022

This paper assesses the relational effects of perceived organizational support (POS), fear of COVID-19 (FOC-19), and work-related stress (WRS) on the safety performance of healthcare staff. The sample for this research was extracted from the University College Hospital (UCH) in the Oyo State of Nigeria. The participants were midwives, doctors, auxiliary services staff, and nurses who functioned in a COVID-19 hospital ward, fever or respiratory ICU, Auxiliary services, or outpatient clinics. This investigation espoused a clinical cross-sectional survey involving self-reported surveys. Of the 150 questionnaires distributed, 147 were fit for scrutiny and analyzed with Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 28). This paper established a relationship between POS and safety performance (SP). Besides, it showed a significant positive correlation between FOC-19 and SP. It further noted that work-related stress negatively relates to safety performance. Moreover, this study showed the significant joint strong influence of POC, FOC-19, and WRS on the safety performance of healthcare workers. Hence, healthcare institutions are encouraged to create adequate support for healthcare workers, particularly during a global health crisis. Government and healthcare institutions should also develop an awareness program on the danger and consequences of getting infected by the virus or infecting other significant others. This will increase the fear of COVID-19 and, consequently, health workers’ safety performance. Besides, it is recommended that the management of healthcare institutions provides a proper work structure and schedule to help reduce workloads, consequently reducing WRS, as lowering it improves healthcare workers’ safety performance.
Dysfunctional customer behavior influences on employees’ emotional labor: The moderating roles of customer orientation and perceived organizational support
Authors: Cheng Pengfei , Jiang Jingxuan , Xie Sanbin , Liu Zhuangzi
Published: October 2022

Despite increasing interest being given to dysfunctional customer behavior in multiple service sectors, it is unclear how and why different types of dysfunctional customer behavior (verbal abuse, disproportionate demand, and illegitimate complaint) affect frontline employees’ emotional labor during the service interactions. Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, we propose a conceptual model in which verbal abuse, disproportionate demand, and illegitimate complaint differentially influence frontline employees’ emotional labor strategies (surface acting and deep acting). Further, the boundary conditions of these relationships are considered by introducing perceived organizational support and customer orientation as moderators. Using survey data from 436 frontline employees of five call centers in China, hypotheses were tested through a hierarchical regression analysis. The results indicated that verbal abuse and illegitimate complaint exerted positive effects on surface acting. Particularly, these positive effects were weaker when frontline employees perceived organizational support was high. Also, verbal abuse’s positive effect on surface acting was weaker when frontline employees’ customer orientation was high. Customer’s verbal abuse, disproportionate demand, and illegitimate complaint negatively influenced frontline employees’ deep acting. The negative effect of disproportionate demand on deep acting was weaker when perceived organizational support was high. However, when frontline employees’ customer orientation was high, the negative effects of disproportionate demand and illegitimate complaints on deep acting were weaker.
Prevalence and related factors of depressive symptoms among HIV/AIDS in Ningbo, China: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Chen Suting , Hong Hang , Xu Guozhang
Published: October 2022

Background

Depressive symptoms were common among HIV/AIDS patients. Previous studies had shown that HIV-infected patients were twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression as the general population. However, only few studies have explored the prevalence and related factors of depressive symptoms among HIV/AIDS in China.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted to study the prevalence of depressive symptoms among HIV/AIDS from January to December 2021 through the database of HIV/AIDS antiretroviral therapy and psychological evaluation system in Ningbo, China. The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) was used to screen for depressive symptoms (PHQ-2 > 0), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to diagnose depressive symptoms, and multivariate Logistic regression model was carried on to evaluate the related factors.

Results

A total of 3,939 HIV/AIDS patients were enrolled, and the age of initiation of antiretroviral therapy was 37.15 (IQR = 28.41–48.73) years. Among them, 3,230 (82.00%) were male, 3,844 (97.59%) were Han nationality, 1,391 (35.49%) were unmarried, 1,665 (42.27%) were homosexual transmission, and 2,194 (55.70%) were HIV-infected patients. There were 265 patients (6.73%) with depressive symptoms, and the proportion of mild, moderate, moderate and severe depressive symptoms was 4.01% (158/3939), 1.65% (65/3939), 0.76% (30/3939), and 0.30% (12/3939), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that married [odds ratio (OR) = 0.675, 95% CI = 0.501–0.908], divorced or widowed (OR = 0.571, 95% CI = 0.380–0.860), homosexual transmission (OR = 1.793, 95% CI = 1.349–2.396) were associated with depressive symptoms among HIV/AIDS.

Conclusion

The prevalence of depressive symptoms among HIV/AIDS patients was 6.73% in Ningbo, China. More attention should be paid to the psychological status of unmarried and homosexual HIV/AIDS patients in Ningbo and timely psychological intervention or treatment should be given to those patients with depressive symptoms.
ADHD diagnosis and methylphenidate consumption in children and adolescents: A systematic analysis of health databases in France over the period 2010–2019
Authors: Ponnou Sébastien , Thomé Benoît
Published: October 2022

Context

ADHD is the most common mental disorder in school-aged children. In France, methylphenidate is the only drug authorized for ADHD. Here, we describe the pattern of ADHD diagnosis and methylphenidate prescription to children and adolescents from 2010 to 2019.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all beneficiaries of the French general health insurance scheme (87% of the population, 58 million people). We extracted information for all children and adolescents aged 0–17 years who received: (1) A diagnosis of ADHD (34,153 patients). (2) At least one methylphenidate prescription (144,509 patients). We analyzed the clinical, demographic, institutional, and social parameters associated with ADHD diagnosis and methylphenidate consumption in France.

Results

The ADHD diagnosis among children and adolescents increased by 96% between 2010 and 2019. ADHD diagnosis affects more boys than girls. About 50.6% of children hospitalized with a diagnosis of ADHD in 2017 also had another psychiatric diagnosis. The rate of children hospitalized with an ADHD diagnosis and treated with MPH varied between 56.4 and 60.1%. The median duration of MPH treatment for a 6-year-old ADHD child initiated in 2011 is 7.1 years. In 2018, 62% of ADHD children were receiving at least one psychotropic medication. Between 2010 and 2019, methylphenidate prescription increased by +56% for incidence and +116% for prevalence. The prevalence of methylphenidate prescription reached between 0.61 and 0.75% in 2019. Boys are predominantly medicated. The median duration of treatment among 6-year-olds in 2011 was 5.5 years. The youngest children received the longest treatment duration. Diagnoses associated with methylphenidate prescription did not always correspond to the marketing authorization. Among children receiving the first prescription of methylphenidate, 22.8% also received one or more other psychotropic drugs during the same year. A quarter of initiations and half of renewals were made outside governmental recommendations. Educational and psychotherapeutic follow-up decreased from 4.1% in 2010 to 0.8% in 2019. French children and adolescents, who were the youngest in their class were more likely to be diagnosed (55%) and prescribed methylphenidate (54%). Children from disadvantaged families had an increased risk of ADHD diagnosis (41.4% in 2019) and methylphenidate medication (25.7% in 2019).
A visualization analysis of hotspots and frontiers of cardiovascular diseases with frailty
Authors: Bao Xuping , Chung Loretta Yuet Foon , Wen Yujie , Du Yifei , Sun Qiyu , Wang Yi
Published: October 2022

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and frailty are common health problems among the elderly. This research aims to investigate the hotspots and frontiers of the field of CVD with frailty. Data of publications between 2000 and 2021 were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and CiteSpace was used for analyzing the hotspots and frontiers of cardiovascular diseases with frailty research from high-impact countries/regions, institutions, authors, cited references, cited journals, high-frequency keywords, and burst keywords. The results showed that the USA, England, and Canada were the leading countries/regions in research on CVD with frailty. Other countries/regions and regions lagged behind these developed countries/regions. There is a need to establish cooperation between developed countries/regions and developing countries/regions. Research hotspots focused on frailty in the elderly with CVD, exercise intervention, assessment for CVD patients with frailty, quality of life, and common diseases related to CVD with frailty. The frontier fields include care and intervention of CVD patients with frailty, social frailty, and validation of CVD with frailty.
Application of team-based learning to ophthalmology in China
Authors: Wu Wenyi , Pu Li , Zhang Endong , Xiong Siqi , Zhou Xiaolai , Xia Xiaobo , Wen Dan
Published: October 2022

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to explore whether team-based learning (TBL) was more effective than traditional didactic lectures (TDLs) in improving medical students' problem-solving and study skills in the clinical course of ophthalmology. In addition, we were also concerned about Chinese students' satisfaction with TBL.

Methods

Our study program involved 275 students of the 5-year clinical medicine program from Central South China University, of which 140 were enrolled in a modified TBL course. A questionnaire that included closed-ended and open-ended items was distributed to students immediately following the completion of the TBL session, and 108 valid questionnaires were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. The effects of the TBL module on students' performance were measured between the groups using a one-way between-group analysis of variance (ANOVA) test by the individual readiness assurance test (IRAT), the group readiness assurance test (GRAT), and final examination scores (FESs), compared with a class without the TBL session.

Results

With our modified TBL strategy, 140 students achieved a mean test score of 72.65 on test questions that assessed their knowledge of ophthalmology compared to 135 students who achieved a mean score of 70.8 using the TDL method (p = 0.3434). The performance in a pre-class quiz was significantly better in the GRAT compared to the IRAT. In comparison to the TDL session, the modified TBL was preferred and acceptable by most medical students.

Conclusions

By applying the modified TBL to ophthalmology, students improved their performance, self-study, and teamwork, and their class engagement and satisfaction were enhanced. However, TBL should be further optimized and developed to enhance educational outcomes.
Real-time tracking and detection of patient conditions in the intelligent m-Health monitoring system
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , You Kangwon
Published: October 2022

In order to help patients monitor their personal health in real time, this paper proposes an intelligent mobile health monitoring system and establishes a corresponding health network to track and process patients' physical activity and other health-related factors in real time. Performance was analyzed. The experimental results show that after comparing the accuracy, delay time, error range, efficiency, and energy utilization of Im-HMS and existing UCD systems, it is found that the accuracy of Im-HMS is mostly between 98 and 100%, while the accuracy of UCD is mostly between 98 and 100%. Most of the systems are between 91 and 97%; in terms of delay comparison, the delay of the Im-HMS system is between 18 and 39 ms, which is far lower than the lowest value of the UCD system of 84 ms, and the Im-HMS is significantly better than the existing UCD system; the error range of Im-HMS is mainly between 0.2 and 1.4, while the error range of UCD system is mainly between −2 and 14; and in terms of efficiency and energy utilization, Im-HMS values are higher than those of UCD system. In general, the Im-HMS system proposed in this study is more accurate than UCD system and has lower delay, smaller error, and higher efficiency, and energy utilization is more efficient than UCD system, which is of great significance for mobile health monitoring in practical applications.
Lay health worker intervention in pre-diabetes management: Study protocol of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial for Chinese families living in inadequate houses
Authors: Chan Crystal Ying , Hoi Becky Pek-kei , Wong Eliza Lai-yi
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Lay health workers, despite their lack of formal trainings, are important partners in providing accessible care to people with risk to develop diabetes in the community. While pre-diabetes and diabetes are more prevalent among people with low socio-economic status, including those living in inadequate houses. However, this population often have accessibility problems to formal care services due to their financial and social disadvantages. In a high-income, developed Chinese society, this pragmatic randomized controlled trial seeks to investigate the effect of a 6-months lay health worker intervention in diabetes management among people living in sub-divided flats units in Hong Kong.

Methods and analysis

In this trial, 222 Chinese primary caregivers living in inadequate houses and with diabetes risk will be recruited via non-profit organizations serving in districts with low average household incomes and prevalent subdivided flats in Hong Kong. Adopting a 6 months wait-list control, participants will be randomized to receive a 6-months lay health worker intervention of 5 components, including (1) lay health worker training and support; (2) health professional training; (3) formulation of a targeted care plan for the health and nutritional needs of the families; (4) case management approach; and (5) financial subsidy for lay health workers to sustain the practice. The control group will receive usual care and health information on diabetes risk management. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose will be taken at the entry and exit assessment of this trial as primary outcomes.

Discussion

Our randomized controlled trial is one of the first to investigate the effect of lay health worker intervention on pre-diabetes management in a low-income Chinese population residing in inadequate houses. This study could provide insights to consider alternative service provision models to people living with diabetes risk in the community, by providing a care option to be supported by community health workers and enhanced community participation of care providers. This study attempts to evaluate the impact of a lay health worker intervention using a mixed-method study design. Despite its contribution, this study might be subjected to sampling bias since all the participants will be recruited from non-profit organizations serving deprived populations.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR2100052080 in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=134928&htm=4.
Metabolite-protein interactions: Native mass spectrometry and collision induced affinity selection mass spectrometry in natural product screening
Authors: Gu Yushu , Liu Miaomiao , Quinn Ronald J.
Published: October 2022

Understanding molecular level interactions between the metabolome and proteome, two of the most important classes of molecules in biology, will generate deeper insight into the function of metabolites (natural products) which have a central role in interactions with therapeutic targets. Drug discovery in today’s pharmaceutical environment is driven by high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries. It is now 10 years since we published a paper on the development of natural product fraction libraries with control of LogP properties. We have now turned our attention to using pure natural product libraries to address the timeframe issues associated with isolation and characterization of the active constituent(s). Native mass spectrometry can be used as a robust platform for identifying the interactions between natural products and their protein targets. The recent development of Collision-Induced Affinity Selection mass spectrometry, a technique using capture of ligand-protein complexes followed by collision induced dissociation to identify library hits followed by direct ligand-protein confirmation in native mass spectrometry also enables screening of a greater proportion of human proteins. We will review native mass spectrometry-based approaches to use natural product extracts, pre-fractionated natural product libraries and pure natural product libraries for screening against molecular targets. We will also discuss some of the other mass-spectrometry based applications that have been implicated in natural product drug discovery.
Differences in the main composition and molecular components of sheep and cow butter oils produced by the local traditional method
Authors: Dasht Peyma Atefeh , Piravi Vanak Zahra , Ghavami Mehrdad
Published: October 2022

Sheep and cow butter oils have high consumption and trade rate in the market, but standards regarding type differentiation are lacking. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the distinction of the main and molecular components of sheep and cow butter oils. Sanjabi sheep and Holstein cow butters were produced from milk collected in two seasons of summer and autumn via the conventional local method. The main components including fatty acids, triacylglycerols, sterol composition, and PCR test for the evaluation of molecular components were determined in butter oil samples. The most significant differences in fatty acids were for C10:0 and C16:0, and regarding TAGs were for C40, C42, C48, and C50 in sheep butter oils of the two seasons. The sterol composition in cow and sheep butter oils was similar but had differences in the two seasons. PCR tests also showed that cow and sheep butter oils differ in their molecular components. It can be concluded that it is possible to differentiate these two oils using triacylglycerols, fatty acids, and molecular evaluation.
New therapies for neurovascular bundles regeneration after radical prostatectomy: A narrative review on clinical studies
Authors: Rivero Belenchón Inés , Gómez Rivas Juan , Medina López Rafael Antonio , Checcucci Enrico , Taratkin Mark , Puliatti Stefano , Kowalewski Karl-Friedrich , Cacciamani Giovanni , Congregado Ruíz Carmen Belén , Castro Cristina , Enikeev Dmitry , Abad-Lopez Pablo , Panetsos Fivos , Moreno-Sierra Jesús
Published: October 2022

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer amongst men, and one of its treatments in the localized stage is radical prostatectomy (RP). This technique achieves a high success rate regarding oncological results, but one of its main drawbacks are sexual disorders, especially erectile dysfunction, ranging from 14-90% of the cases. Therefore, surgery advancements in the last decade have been focused on minimizing the impact on patient’s functioning. Now is time for a step forward in the recovery of functional outcomes after RP. Bioengineering solutions such as stem-cell therapy and tissue engineering hold great opportunities for the treatment of all tissues and organs dysfunctions, which may help in neuroprotection and neuro-regeneration. Specifically, the use of Dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) allografts and chitosan membranes (ChiMe) aims at reconstructing damaged neurovascular plexuses of the urogenital system to support erectile function recovery. Some research is being done on this topic, and promising results are emerging.
From fair predictions to just decisions? Conceptualizing algorithmic fairness and distributive justice in the context of data-driven decision-making
Authors: Kuppler Matthias , Kern Christoph , Bach Ruben L. , Kreuter Frauke
Published: October 2022

Prediction algorithms are regularly used to support and automate high-stakes policy decisions about the allocation of scarce public resources. However, data-driven decision-making raises problems of algorithmic fairness and justice. So far, fairness and justice are frequently conflated, with the consequence that distributive justice concerns are not addressed explicitly. In this paper, we approach this issue by distinguishing (a) fairness as a property of the algorithm used for the prediction task from (b) justice as a property of the allocation principle used for the decision task in data-driven decision-making. The distinction highlights the different logic underlying concerns about fairness and justice and permits a more systematic investigation of the interrelations between the two concepts. We propose a new notion of algorithmic fairness called error fairness which requires prediction errors to not differ systematically across individuals. Drawing on sociological and philosophical discourse on local justice, we present a principled way to include distributive justice concerns into data-driven decision-making. We propose that allocation principles are just if they adhere to well-justified distributive justice principles. Moving beyond the one-sided focus on algorithmic fairness, we thereby make a first step toward the explicit implementation of distributive justice into data-driven decision-making.
Effects of physical stress in alpine skiing on psychological, physiological, and biomechanical parameters: An individual approach
Authors: Finkenzeller Thomas , Burberg Tim , Kranzinger Stefan , Harbour Eric , Snyder Cory , Würth Sabine , Amesberger Günter
Published: October 2022

Alpine skiing is an attractive winter sport that often includes mental and physical demands. Since skiing is often done for several hours, fatigue processes occur that might lead to action errors associated with a higher risk of accidents and injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the timing of changes in subjective, physiological, and biomechanical parameters during a physically demanding, standardized, non-competitive alpine skiing session. A group of 22 experienced male skiers carried out 10 runs, each lasting between 150 and 180 s, at a turn rate of 80 turns per minute with their best skiing technique. Immediately after the run, skiers reported ratings of fatigue, and other affective states. During skiing, breathing pattern and biomechanical data of the ski turns as radial force, turn duration, edge angle symmetry, and a composed motion quality score were recorded. Analyses of variances on skiers showing signs of fatigue (n=16) revealed that only the subjective data changed significantly over time: fatigue and worry increased, vitality and calm decreased. Subsequently, individual change points analyses were computed to localize abrupt distribution or statistical changes in time series data. For some skiers, abrupt changes at certain runs in physiological and/or biomechanical parameters were observed in addition to subjective data. The results show general effects in subjective data, and individual fatigue-related patterns concerning the onset of changes in subjective, physiological, and biomechanical parameters. Individuality of response to fatigue should be considered when studying indicators of fatigue data. Based on the general effects in subjective data, it is concluded that focusing on self-regulation and self-awareness may play a key role, as subjective variables have been shown generally sensitive to the physical stress in alpine skiing. In the future, customized algorithms that indicate the onset of fatigue could be developed to improve alpine skiers' self-awareness and self-regulation, potentially leading to fewer action errors.
Questions, data and models underpinning metabolic engineering
Authors: van Rosmalen Rik P. , Martins dos Santos Vitor A. P. , Suarez-Diez Maria
Published: October 2022

Model-driven design has shown great promise for shortening the development time of cell factories by complementing and guiding metabolic engineering efforts. Still, implementation of the prized cycle of model predictions followed by experimental validation remains elusive. The development of modelling frameworks that can lead to actionable knowledge and subsequent integration of experimental efforts requires a conscious effort. In this review, we will explore some of the pitfalls that might derail this process and the critical role of achieving alignment between the selected modelling framework, the available data, and the ultimate purpose of the research. Using recent examples of studies successfully using modelling or other methods of data integration, we will then review the various types of data that can support different modelling formalisms, and in which scenarios these different models are at their most useful.
“When a dog bites someone”: Community and service provider dynamics influencing access to integrated bite case management in Chad
Authors: Madjadinan Alladoumngar , Mbaipago Nodjimbadem , Sougou Ndèye Marème , Diongue Mayassine , Zinsstag Jakob , Heitz-Tokpa Kathrin , Lechenne Monique
Published: October 2022

This study aims to identify factors on the community, the human health and the animal health provider level that determine access to Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and animal rabies diagnosis in the light of a future integrated bite case management (IBCM) approach for rabies control in Chad. The study was embedded in an overall project conducted from 2016 to 2018, to determine rabies burden and vaccine demand in West and Central Africa. Data collection took place during the projects closing workshops with stakeholders organized between August and September 2018 in the three study zones in Chad covering Logone Occidental and Ouaddaï province and parts of Hadjer Lamis and Chari Baguirmi province. A qualitative approach based on focus group discussion and in-depth interviews was used to get insights on access to care and animal investigation after suspected rabies exposure. A total of 96 participants, including 39 from the community (bite victims, dog owners) and 57 human and animal health providers (health center managers, chief veterinary officers, chief district medical officers, chiefs of livestock sectors) contributed to the study. Based on an existing conceptual framework of access to health care, several points of dissatisfaction were identified, in particular the unaffordability of human rabies vaccine for PEP (affordability) and the distance to travel to a health facility in case of a bite (accessibility). In addition, there are unfavorable attitudes observed highlighted by the importance given to traditional or local rabies care practices to the detriment of PEP (acceptability) and a low level of knowledge among Chadian communities regarding bite prevention, coupled with a very inadequate information and awareness system regarding the disease (adequacy). As for human and veterinary health services, both sectors suffer from insufficient resources for PEP on the human health and rabies diagnosis on the veterinary side impacting negatively on availability and accessibility of both these services. Action to improving provision of rabies health services and increasing knowledge about risk and prevention of the disease among the population need to be undertaken to implement IBCM, improve access to PEP and achieve the goal of eliminating dog mediated human rabies by 2030 in Chad.
Lessons learned for animal health governance from bovine viral diarrhea eradication schemes in Scotland and Ireland
Authors: Shortall Orla
Published: October 2022

This paper explores lessons learned for animal health governance from bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) eradication schemes in Scotland and Ireland, drawing on qualitative key stakeholder interviews. Bovine viral diarrhea is an endemic cattle disease that causes animal health and welfare problems, as well as financial losses to farmers. Initial voluntary industry-led schemes to eradicate BVD were introduced in both countries in the 2010s, followed by compulsory phases involving legislation. The paper uses a theoretical framework of co-productive governance to analyze stakeholder views on how well the design and execution of the eradication schemes worked and what can be learned to inform future directions of animal health governance. The term “co-productive governance” comes from the field of environmental governance and was developed to describe how science and politics influence each other in a context where governance is carried out by multiple actors working collaboratively. The results of key stakeholder interviews are analyzed using the concepts of vision, context, knowledge, and process. In relation to vision, the results show the importance of creating a clear narrative about the goal of disease eradication schemes, which may incorporate or replace existing vet or farmer “narratives” about a disease. With regard to context, it is difficult to engage all actors in biosecurity governance, when initiatives are developed with the legacy of existing relationships and tensions. In relation to knowledge, the results showed the importance but political complexity of basing decisions on scientific research. One of the lessons learned was the benefit of involving industry stakeholders in setting scientific questions to inform the design of the scheme. Additionally, with reference to the process, while interviewees were enthusiastic about future prospects for industry and government working together to achieve biosecurity goals co-productive governance is not a panacea for enrolling all actors in biosecurity goals. The results also highlighted that farmers and other actors might object to an eradication scheme, whether it is run by government or private industry. Thus, it is useful to keep questions about who benefits in what way from biosecurity governance open.
Postharvest Application of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PMB04 Fermentation Broth Reduces Anthracnose Occurrence in Mango Fruit
Authors: Liang Yu-Shen , Fu Ju-Yin , Chao Szu-Han , Tzean Yuh , Hsiao Chia-Yu , Yang Yung-Yu , Chen Yu-Kuo , Lin Yi-Hsien
Published: October 2022

Anthracnose is a destructive postharvest disease of mango fruit, especially after ripening. The application of antagonistic Bacillus spp. strains is one of many promising control strategies. B. amyloliquefaciens (PMB04) exhibits strong antagonistic activity against anthracnose in strawberry fruit, yet has not been explored for anthracnose control in mango fruit. Among seven tested rhizobacterial strains, PMB04 exhibited the strongest inhibition against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg) growth. PMB04 demonstrated better inhibitory activity against Cg mycelial growth than the fungicides pyraclostrobin and difenoconazole. A PMB04 fermentation broth (PMB04FB) was prepared and tested, and showed superior efficacy in the reduction of anthracnose disease severity in mangoes compared to a PMB04 suspension, difenoconazole, or pyraclostrobin. We further found PMB04FB increased the mortality ratio of Cg conidia. Our study demonstrates that treatment with PMB04FB is an effective control method for anthracnose in mango and represents a promising strategy for postharvest mango processing.
Response of Grain Yield and Water Use Efficiency to Irrigation Regimes during Mid-Season indica Rice Genotype Improvement
Authors: Jing Wenjiang , Wu Hao , Gu Hanzhu , Xiao Zhilin , Wang Weilu , Zhang Weiyang , Gu Junfei , Liu Lijun , Wang Zhiqin , Zhang Jianhua , Yang Jianchang , Zhang Hao
Published: October 2022

Understanding the performance of rice (Oryza sativa L.) agronomic traits and efficiency in water usage as well as grain yield under various irrigation regimes is crucial to achieving high resource use efficiency and high yield. In this study, 12 mid-season indica rice genotypes that have been grown in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River for the past 80 years were studied in a field experiment for two years under two irrigation regimes, i.e., conventional irrigation (CI) and alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD). The results showed that with genotype improvement in irrigation regimes, the total number of spikelets, shoot and root dry weight, root oxidation activity, total leaf area index (LAI), effective LAI, leaf photosynthetic rate, and abscisic acid contents and zeatin + zeatin riboside contents in root bleeding sap were significantly increased at main growth stages. AWD irrigation synchronously increased rice resource use efficiency (water use efficiency (WUE), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and temperature use efficiency (TUE)) and grain yield. Compared to CI, AWD more significantly enhanced the performances of rice genotypes in all studied traits. Based on our findings, a semi-dwarf hybrid rice genotype has great potential for high resource use efficiency and high yield under alternate wetting and drying irrigation, which was attributed to the improved agronomic characteristics and superior root traits.
Pear Tree Growth Simulation and Soil Moisture Assessment Considering Pruning
Authors: Wang Chengkun , Zhang Nannan , Li Mingzhe , Li Li , Bai Tiecheng
Published: October 2022

Few studies deal with the application of crop growth models to fruit trees. This research focuses on simulating the growth process, yield and soil moisture assessment of pear trees, considering pruning with a modified WOrld FOod Studies (WOFOST) model. Field trials (eight pruning treatments) were conducted in pear orchards in Alaer and Awat in Xinjiang, China and data were measured to calibrate and evaluate the modified model. In two pear orchards, the simulated total dry weight of storage organs (TWSO) and leaf area index (LAI) were in good agreement with the field measurements of each pruning intensity treatment, indicating that the R2 values of TWSO ranged from 0.899 to 0.976, and the R2 values of LAI ranged from 0.849 to 0.924. The modified model also showed high accuracy, with a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) ranging from 12.19% to 26.11% for TWSO, and the NRMSE values for LAI were less than 10%. The modified model also had a good simulation performance for the soil moisture (SM) under all eight pruning intensity treatments, showing good agreement (0.703 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.878) and low error (NRMSE ≤ 7.47%). The measured and simulated results of different pruning intensities showed that the highest yield of pear trees was achieved when the pruning intensity was about 20%, and the yield increased and then decreased with the increase in pruning intensity. In conclusion, the modified WOFOST model can better describe the effects of summer pruning on pear tree growth, yield and soil moisture than the unmodified model, providing a promising quantitative analysis method for the numerical simulation and soil moisture assessment of fruit tree growth.
Revealing the Genetic Architecture of Yield-Related and Quality Traits in Indian Mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Coss.] Using Meta-QTL Analysis
Authors: Kumar Rahul , Saini Dinesh Kumar , Kumar Mukesh , Priyanka Veerala , Akhatar Javed , Kaushik Deepak , Sharma Amit , Dhanda Parmdeep Singh , Kaushik Prashant
Published: October 2022

A meta-QTL analysis was conducted in Indian mustard to identify robust and stable meta-QTLs (MQTLs) by utilizing 1504 available QTLs, which included 891 QTLs for yield-related traits and 613 QTLs for quality traits. For yield-related traits, a total of 57 MQTLs (YRTs_MQTLs) were uncovered from the clustering of 560 projected QTLs, which had a 4.18-fold smaller confidence interval (CI) than that of the initial QTLs, whereas, for quality traits, as many as 51 MQTLs (Quality_MQTLs) were derived from 324 projected QTLs, which had a 2.65-fold smaller CI than that of the initial QTLs. Sixteen YRTs_MQTLs were observed to share chromosomal positions with 16 Quality_MQTLs. Moreover, four most promising YRTs_MQTLs and eight Quality-MQTLs were also selected and recommended for use in breeding programs. Four of these selected MQTLs were also validated with significant SNPs that were identified in previously published genome-wide association studies. Further, in silico functional analysis of some promising MQTLs allowed the detection of as many as 1435 genes, which also involved 15 high-confidence candidate genes (CGs) for yield-related traits and 46 high-confidence CGs for quality traits. After validation, the identified CGs can also be exploited to model the plant architecture and to improve quality traits through marker-assisted breeding, genetic engineering, and genome editing approaches.
Soil and Vegetation Cover and Biodiversity Transformation of Postagrogenic Soils of the Volga-Oka Interstream Area
Authors: Trifonova Tatiana , Mishchenko Natalia , Shoba Sergey , Bykova Elena , Shutov Pavel , Saveliev Oleg , Repkin Roman
Published: October 2022

Based on the actual material, the state of the land, previously (more than 15 years ago) placed under cultivation and “neglected” to date, was assessed. Control sites within different landscape provinces of the Volga-Oka interstream area were compared by the state of soil cover and vegetative cover, as well as the type of anthropogenic transformation. The study identified three types of transformation of post-agrogenic lands characteristic of the initial and intermediate overgrowth stages of pre-climax communities: field overgrowth associated with a change in land use; field overgrowth with nearby forest; and field overgrowth without nearby forest. The soil cover state was assessed by acidity, pH, and humus content, and it generally corresponds to the area’s characteristics. Deterioration of these characteristics was noted on sod-podzolic soils overgrown with forest vegetation, as evidenced by low humus content of 0.96–1.46%. The results of research using statistical methods reliably showed that the overgrowth of most sites with herbaceous vegetation within different landscapes followed common successions, even on different soils (sod-podzolic and gray forest). With the leveling of landscape features of areas, there were similar plant species and communities. It was shown that as a result of agricultural overgrowing, the species richness of plant communities was sharply reduced. For example, the maximum value of the Shannon index on overgrown lands is 3.6, which is lower than the reference natural community, where this indicator is 4.1. The remediation of biodiversity in the foreseeable future is very problematic. Although post-agrogenic phytocenoses can gradually restore their productive potential to the level of natural phytocenoses (the maximum value of phytomass in overgrown lands is 10.2 mt/ha, for comparison, natural phytocenoses accumulate 6.3 mt/ha at reference sites), their productivity is provided by a different species composition of herbaceous plants with poor biodiversity. In order to preserve biodiversity, it seems advisable to intersperse croplands with uncultivated plots of sufficiently large size which can serve as a kind of natural ecosystem preservation bank.
Morphological and Physiological Traits of Greenhouse-Grown Tomato Seedlings as Influenced by Supplemental White Plus Red versus Red Plus Blue LEDs
Authors: Zhang Geng , Li Zhixin , Cheng Jie , Cai Xianfeng , Cheng Fei , Yang Yanjie , Yan Zhengnan
Published: October 2022

The relatively low light intensity during autumn–winter or early spring and inclement weather such as rain or fog may lead to extended production periods and decreased quality of greenhouse-grown tomato seedlings. To produce high-quality tomato seedlings rapidly, the influences of supplementary lights with different spectra on the morphological and physiological traits of tomato seedlings were measured in a greenhouse. Supplemental lighting with the same daily light integrals (DLI) of 3.6 mol m−2d−1 was provided by white (W) light-emitting diodes (LEDs), white plus red (WR) LEDs, and red plus blue (RB) LEDs, respectively, and tomato seedlings grown under only sunlight irradiation were regarded as the control. Our results demonstrate that raised DLI by supplementary light improved the growth and development of greenhouse-grown tomato seedlings, regardless of the spectral composition. Under conditions with the equal DLI, the tomato seedlings grown under supplementary WR LEDs with a red to blue light ratio (R:B ratio) of 1.3 obtained the highest values of the shoot and root fresh weights, net photosynthetic rate, and total chlorophyll content. The best root growth and highest root activity of tomato seedlings were also found under the supplementary WR LEDs. Supplementary WR LEDs remarkably increased the stem firmness of the greenhouse-grown tomato seedlings, and increased the starch content in the leaves of greenhouse-grown tomato seedlings compared to the control. However, statistically significant differences did not occur in the sucrose, carotenoid contents, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities among the different supplemental lighting treatments. In conclusion, supplemental LED lighting could promote the growth and development of greenhouse-grown tomato seedlings grown under insufficient sunlight conditions. In addition, WR LEDs could obtain tomato seedlings with a higher net photosynthetic rate, higher root activity, and higher starch content compared with other treatments, which could be applied as supplementary lights in greenhouse-grown tomato seedlings grown in seasons with insufficient light.
Extracellular Vesicles in Veterinary Medicine
Authors: Moccia Valentina , Sammarco Alessandro , Cavicchioli Laura , Castagnaro Massimo , Bongiovanni Laura , Zappulli Valentina
Published: October 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membrane-bound vesicles involved in many physiological and pathological processes not only in humans but also in all the organisms of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic kingdoms. EV shedding constitutes a fundamental universal mechanism of intra-kingdom and inter-kingdom intercellular communication. A tremendous increase of interest in EVs has therefore grown in the last decades, mainly in humans, but progressively also in animals, parasites, and bacteria. With the present review, we aim to summarize the current status of the EV research on domestic and wild animals, analyzing the content of scientific literature, including approximately 220 papers published between 1984 and 2021. Critical aspects evidenced through the veterinarian EV literature are discussed. Then, specific subsections describe details regarding EVs in physiology and pathophysiology, as biomarkers, and in therapy and vaccines. Further, the wide area of research related to animal milk-derived EVs is also presented in brief. The numerous studies on EVs related to parasites and parasitic diseases are excluded, deserving further specific attention. The literature shows that EVs are becoming increasingly addressed in veterinary studies and standardization in protocols and procedures is mandatory, as in human research, to maximize the knowledge and the possibility to exploit these naturally produced nanoparticles.