bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social support as a mediator in the relationship between technostress or academic stress and health: analysis by gender among university students
Authors: Asensio-Martínez Angela , Aguilar-Latorre Alejandra , Masluk Bárbara , Gascón-Santos Santiago , Sánchez-Calavera María Antonia , Sánchez-Recio Raquel
Published: September 2023

Introduction

This research aims to study the role of social support as a mediator in the relationship between technostress or academic stress and health in university students.

Methods

A descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional study has been carried out through a self-reported survey answered by 389 students during March and April 2022. The current level of health was the outcome variable. Technostress and academic stress were the criterion variables. Perceived social support was the mediator variable. The sociodemographic variables and ICT use at the educational level were the independent variables.

Results

Women have higher levels of technostress and academic stress than men. Social support significantly and positively mediates the relationship between academic stress and self-perceived health in men.

Discussion

There is a clear need to develop new social management strategies that assist students in developing stable and long-lasting social networks, which can reduce stress during the student period and provide personal tools for later working life.
Anti-ableism and scientific accuracy in autism research: a false dichotomy
Authors: Bottema-Beutel Kristen , Kapp Steven K. , Sasson Noah , Gernsbacher Morton Ann , Natri Heini , Botha Monique
Published: September 2023

It was recently argued that autism researchers committed to rejecting ableist frameworks in their research may sacrifice “scientifically accurate” conceptualizations of autism. In this perspective piece, we argue that: (a) anti-ableism vs. scientific accuracy is a false dichotomy, (b) there is no ideology-free science that has claim to scientific accuracy, and (c) autism science has a history of false leads in part because of unexamined ableist ideologies that undergird researcher framings and interpretations of evidence. To illustrate our claims, we discuss several avenues of autism research that were promoted as scientific advances, but were eventually debunked or shown to have much less explanatory value than initially proposed. These research programs have involved claims about autism etiology, the nature of autism and autistic characteristics, and autism intervention. Common to these false leads have been ableist assumptions about autism that inform researcher perspectives. Negative impacts of this work have been mitigated in some areas of autism research, but these perspectives continue to exert influence on the lives of autistic people, including the availability of services, discourses about autism, and sociocultural conceptualizations of autistic people. Examining these false leads may help current researchers better understand how ableism may negatively influence their areas of inquiry. We close with a positive argument that promoting anti-ableism can be done in tandem with increasing scientific accuracy.
Relationships between childhood trauma and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a network analysis
Authors: Xia Jinjin , Zhu Lin , Huang Huayun , Fan Pengfei , Zhou Meifeng , Cai Xin-lu , He Hui
Published: September 2023

Background

Childhood trauma has been found to have an important impact on mental health. However, little is known regarding the intercorrelations between childhood trauma and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate such complex interplay between childhood trauma, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress level during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fear of COVID-19 using network analysis.

Methods

A total of 1,247 college students were recruited and were asked to complete a series of questionnaires, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Post-traumatic Stress Checklist—Civilian version, and Fear of COVID-19 Scale. The Gaussian graphical model with the scores of the questionnaires as nodes was estimated. The partial correlations between nodes were calculated as edges. Moreover, network comparison tests were conducted to compare the network patterns between participants with high levels of childhood trauma and low levels of childhood trauma.

Results

Childhood trauma was found to be connected to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress level. The node of childhood trauma exhibited the strongest strength and the highest expected influence in the network. Participants with high levels of childhood trauma and participants with low levels of childhood trauma showed comparable network structure and global strength.

Conclusion

Our findings revealed a complex network pattern between childhood trauma and different mental health problems, indicating that childhood trauma might be a risk factor for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cost-effectiveness of the Perioperative Pain Management Bundle a registry-based study
Authors: Bojic Suzana , Ladjevic Nebojsa , Palibrk Ivan , Soldatovic Ivan , Likic-Ladjevic Ivana , Meissner Winfried , Zaslansky Ruth , Stamer Ulrike M , Baumbach Philipp , Stamenkovic Dusica
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The Perioperative Pain Management Bundle was introduced in 10 Serbian PAIN OUT network hospitals to improve the quality of postoperative pain management. The Bundle consists of 4 elements: informing patients about postoperative pain treatment options; administering a full daily dose of 1–2 non-opioid analgesics; administering regional blocks and/or surgical wound infiltration; and assessing pain after surgery. In this study, we aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Bundle during the initial 24 h after surgery.

Materials and methods

The assessment of cost-effectiveness was carried out by comparing patients before and after Bundle implementation and by comparing patients who received all Bundle elements to those with no Bundle element. Costs of postoperative pain management included costs of the analgesic medications, costs of labor for administering these medications, and related disposable materials. A multidimensional Pain Composite Score (PCS), the effectiveness measurement, was obtained by averaging variables from the International Pain Outcomes questionnaire evaluating pain intensity, interference of pain with activities and emotions, and side effects of analgesic medications. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated as the incremental change in costs divided by the incremental change in PCS and plotted on the cost-effectiveness plane along with the economic preference analysis.

Results

The ICER value calculated when comparing patients before and after Bundle implementation was 181.89 RSD (1.55 EUR) with plotted ICERs located in the northeast and southeast quadrants of the cost-effectiveness plane. However, when comparing patients with no Bundle elements and those with all four Bundle elements, the calculated ICER was −800.63 RSD (−6.82 EUR) with plotted ICERs located in the southeast quadrant of the cost-effectiveness plane. ICER values differ across surgical disciplines.

Conclusion

The proposed perioperative pain management Bundle is cost-effective. The cost-effectiveness varies depending on the number of implemented Bundle elements and fluctuates across surgical disciplines.
COVID-19 vaccine equity: a retrospective population-based cohort study examining primary series and first booster coverage among persons with a history of immigration and other residents of Ontario, Canada
Authors: Wanigaratne Susitha , Lu Hong , Gandhi Sima , Shetty Janavi , Stukel Therese A. , Piché-Renaud Pierre-Philippe , Brandenberger Julia , Abdi Samiya , Guttmann Astrid
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Immigrants were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and experience unique vaccination barriers. In Canada (37 million people), 23% of the population is foreign-born. Immigrants constitute 60% of the country’s racialized (non-white) population and over half of immigrants reside in Ontario, the country’s most populous province. Ontario had several strategies aimed at improving vaccine equity including geographic targeting of vaccine supply and clinics, as well as numerous community-led efforts. Our objectives were to (1) compare primary series vaccine coverage after it was widely available, and first booster coverage 6 months after its availability, between immigrants and other Ontario residents and (2) identify subgroups experiencing low coverage.

Materials and methods

Using linked immigration and health administrative data, we conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study including all community-dwelling adults in Ontario, Canada as of January 1, 2021. We compared primary series (two-dose) vaccine coverage by September 2021, and first booster (three-dose) coverage by March 2022 among immigrants and other Ontarians, and across sociodemographic and immigration characteristics. We used multivariable log-binomial regression to estimate adjusted risk ratios (aRR).

Results

Of 11,844,221 adults, 22% were immigrants. By September 2021, 72.6% of immigrants received two doses (vs. 76.4%, other Ontarians) and by March 2022 46.1% received three doses (vs. 58.2%). Across characteristics, two-dose coverage was similar or slightly lower, while three-dose coverage was much lower, among immigrants compared to other Ontarians. Across neighborhood SARS-CoV-2 risk deciles, differences in two-dose coverage were smaller in higher risk deciles and larger in the lower risk deciles; with larger differences across all deciles for three-dose coverage. Compared to other Ontarians, immigrants from Central Africa had the lowest two-dose (aRR = 0.60 [95% CI 0.58–0.61]) and three-dose coverage (aRR = 0.36 [95% CI 0.34–0.37]) followed by Eastern Europeans and Caribbeans, while Southeast Asians were more likely to receive both doses. Compared to economic immigrants, resettled refugees and successful asylum-claimants had the lowest three-dose coverage (aRR = 0.68 [95% CI 0.68–0.68] and aRR = 0.78 [95% CI 0.77–0.78], respectively).

Conclusion

Two dose coverage was more equitable than 3. Differences by immigrant region of birth were substantial. Community-engaged approaches should be re-invigorated to close gaps and promote the bivalent booster.
Applying hybrid effectiveness-implementation studies in equity-centered policy implementation science
Authors: Asada Yuka , Kroll-Desrosiers Aimee , Chriqui Jamie F. , Curran Geoffrey M. , Emmons Karen M. , Haire-Joshu Debra , Brownson Ross C.
Published: September 2023

Policy implementation science (IS) is complex, dynamic, and fraught with unique study challenges that set it apart from biomedical or clinical research. One important consideration is the ways in which policy interacts with local contexts, such as power and social disadvantage (e.g., based on ability, race, class, sexual identity, geography). The complex nature of policy IS and the need for more intentional integration of equity principles into study approaches calls for creative adaptations to existing implementation science knowledge and guidance. Effectiveness-implementation hybrid studies were developed to enhance translation of clinical research by addressing research questions around the effectiveness of an intervention and its implementation in the same study. The original work on hybrid designs mainly focused on clinical experimental trials; however, over the last decade, researchers have applied it to a wide range of initiatives and contexts, including more widespread application in community-based studies. This perspectives article demonstrates how effectiveness-implementation hybrid studies can be adapted for and applied to equity-centered policy IS research. We draw upon principles of targeted universalism and Equity in Implementation Research frameworks to guide adaptations to hybrid study typologies, and suggest research and engagement activities to enhance equity considerations; for example, in the design and testing of implementing strategies. We also provide examples of equity-centered policy IS studies. As the field of policy IS rapidly evolves, these adapted hybrid type studies are offered to researchers as a starting guide.
Anthracyclines and trastuzumab associated cardiotoxicity: is the gut microbiota a friend or foe? – a mini-review
Authors: Gonçalves-Nobre J. Guilherme , Gaspar Inês , Alpuim Costa Diogo
Published: September 2023

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Fortunately, BC treatment has taken a huge turn in the last few years. Despite these advances, one of the main issues related to systemic treatment remains the management of its side effects, including cardiotoxicity. In this regard, we highlight the irreversible dose-dependent cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines related to oxidative stress and the reversible cardiotoxicity with trastuzumab, whose mechanism is still poorly understood. Moreover, the combination of anthracyclines and trastuzumab further exacerbate the myocardial damage. More recently, altered gut microbiota composition has been linked to the long-term effects of cancer therapy, including the potential connection between treatment-related microbial changes and cardiotoxicity. Bacteroides spp., Coriobacteriaceae_UGC-002, and Dubosiella have already been reported as bacterial species with deleterious effects on the myocardium, mainly due to the promotion of inflammation. On the other hand, Alloprevotella, Rickenellaceae_RC9, Raoultella planticola, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli BW25113 can induce cardioprotection, predominantly by increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines, promoting intestinal barrier integrity and early metabolization of doxorubicin. Herein, we explore the role of gut microbiota in the development of cardiotoxicity, as well as future perspectives to decrease the risk of cardiotoxicity associated with BC treatment.
Radiation characteristics of an aerogel-supported fission fragment rocket engine for crewed interplanetary missions
Authors: Weed Ryan , Duncan R. V. , Horsley Matthew , Chapline George
Published: September 2023

The ionizing radiation properties of a fission fragment rocket engine concept are described in the context of a crewed Mars mission. This propulsion system could achieve very high specific impulses (>106 s) at a high power density (>kW/kg), utilizing micron-sized fissile fuel particles suspended in an aerogel matrix. The fission core is located within the bore of an electromagnet and external neutron moderator material. The low-density aerogel allows for radiative cooling of fuel particles while minimizing collisional losses with the fission fragments, leading to a more efficient use of fissile fuel in producing thrust compared to previous concepts. This paper presents the estimates of the steady-state ionizing radiation equivalent dose to the astronaut crew from both external (e.g., galactic cosmic rays) and internal (reactor) sources. The spacecraft design includes a centrifugation concept where the transit habitation module rotates around the spacecraft’s center of mass, providing artificial gravity to the crew and the separation distance to the nuclear core. We find that the fission fragment propulsion system combined with centrifugation could lead to reduced transit time, reduced equivalent radiation doses, and a reduced risk of long-term exposure to micro-g environments. Such a high-specific impulse propulsion system would enable other crewed fast transit, high delta-V interplanetary missions with payload mass fractions much greater than those of alternative propulsion architecture (chemical and solar electric).
Insights into agroecological farming practice implementation by conservation-minded farmers in North America
Authors: Silva Erin M. , Wezel Alexander , Stafford Caley , Brives Jeanne , Bosseler Nathan , Cecchinato Nicole , Cossement Camille , Ranaldo Marzia , Broome Megan
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The transformation of our food system towards a more resilient agroecological framework is one of the most pressing needs faced by our global community. Understanding the use of multiple conservation practices is important in the development of research, education, and policy to accelerate their more widespread integration of into farming systems.

Methods

The aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of the trends regarding multiple practice adoption of conservation farming practices by conventional and organic farmers engaging with sustainable farming methods. Forty farmers were interviewed regarding their use of conservation practices, as well as their motivations, barriers, and future plans for new implementation and expansion of current practices.

Results

Farmers spontaneously identified cover crops and vegetation strips as the most frequently used conservation practices; however, upon more specific inquiry, we found that more than 50% of farmers used additional agroecological conservation practices including local crop varieties, intercropping, managed grazing, crop rotations, and no-till, with many farmers using multiple practices. Overall, we found no correlation of organic certification with the number of conservation practices implemented by farmers. The major motivations towards the adoption of practices included improved soil quality and profitability. Main identified barriers included financial means and risk, lack of knowledge, and access to resources. Farmers showed interest in further implementation of additional conservation practices, including expanded use of cover crops, tree plantings, and no-till practices.

Discussion

Further understanding complementarities, as well as differences in barriers and motivations, can contribute to the design of effective education strategies and financial incentives to promote the simultaneous implementation of agroecological conservation practices.
Farmers’ perspective toward a demand led yam breeding in Nigeria
Authors: Kalu Confidence , Nnabue Ikenna , Edemodu Alex , Agre Paterne A. , Adebola Patrick , Asfaw Asrat , Obidiegwu Jude Ejikeme
Published: September 2023

This study seeks to increase the efficiency of yam breeding practice using farmers’ insight at the trait and socioeconomic levels. A three-staged multisampling procedure was employed and 792 yam farmers from four geopolitical zones, comprising 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in Nigeria were randomly selected. Farmer’s preference criteria and factors pertinent to improving the efficiency of yam breeding in Nigeria were documented. The data obtained were analyzed using a 5-point Likert scale to identify major traits farmers consider in the yam cultivar selection decision. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was used to measure the degree of agreement of ranking among the farmers. Factors influencing farmers’ trait preference for yam cultivars were evaluated using a multinomial-ordered logistic regression model. The result revealed that yam varieties with high germination rates, disease-free quality, big tuber sizes, early maturity, and good pounding attributes are held in high esteem. The most critical constraint limiting the production of yam in the study area includes pest and disease attack, climate change, high cost of seed yam, high cost of staking, and weed infestation. Sex, age, access to credit, membership to yam association, total land owned, and years of experience as a yam farmer significantly influence farmers’ ability to select yam cultivars with preferred attributes. A strategic effort needs to be given to these farmers’ desired yam attributes and factored into developing improved yam varieties for increased adoption and enhanced food security in Nigeria.
An integrated strategic framework for priority setting in the Australian vanilla industry
Authors: Taghadomi-Saberi Saeedeh , Yadav Dakshina , Mazhar Muhammad Sohail
Published: September 2023

Global demand of vanilla, as a natural flavour, is consistently growing. Vanilla is an emerging crop with high potential for Australian growers due to its climatic suitability in some regions, and high domestic and global demand. In this paper, the priorities of Australian vanilla industry are recognised based on the current issues, challenges, and opportunities. We show the priorities and related activities as established through one-on-one interaction and group engagement with industry wide stakeholders to capture a varied range of views. Critical feedback from the industry included the need for structuring an industry association, arrangements that offer training for example on production, postharvest and product diversification, improvements to the linkages between stakeholders, and technical support from research and development agencies. The priorities were ranked by stakeholders according to their importance as follows: (a) capacity building, (b) harvest and postharvest protocols, (c) production procedures, and (d) selection of better clonal material. Addressing the industry’s needs and priorities will ensure its future development is sustainable and economically viable. Policymakers are encouraged to take into account these discerned priorities and the proposed strategies designed to confront the industry’s needs and challenges.
Viral skin diseases in odontocete cetaceans: gross, histopathological, and molecular characterization of selected pathogens
Authors: Segura-Göthlin Simone , Fernández Antonio , Arbelo Manuel , Andrada Borzollino Marisa Ana , Felipe-Jiménez Idaira , Colom-Rivero Ana , Fiorito Carla , Sierra Eva
Published: September 2023

Fifty-five skin lesions from 31 stranded cetaceans along the Canary coasts (2011–2021) were submitted to macroscopic, histological, and molecular analyses to confirm infection by cetacean poxvirus, herpesvirus and cetacean morbillivirus. They were macroscopically categorized into eight categories with respective subcategories according to their color, shape, size, and consistency. Cetacean poxvirus was detected in 54.54% of the skin lesions through real-time and conventional PCRs based on the DNA polymerase gene. Additionally, herpesvirus and morbillivirus were currently detected from 43.63 and 1.82% of the cutaneous lesions, respectively. Coinfection of poxvirus and herpesvirus was detected in nine of them (16.36%), which makes the present study the first to report coinfection by both pathogens in skin lesions in cetaceans. A plausible approach to histopathological characterization of poxvirus-and herpesvirus-positive skin lesions was established. Hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, ballooning degeneration, and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in vacuolized keratinocytes through the stratum spinosum were common findings in poxvirus skin lesions. Alphaherpesvirus was associated with a prominent acanthotic epidermis, moderate necrosis, multifocal dyskeratosis, and irregular keratinocytes with both cellular and nuclei pleomorphism. The common histopathological findings of both pathogens were observed in coinfection lesions. However, those associated with herpesvirus were considerably more remarkable. Relationships between molecular and microscopic findings were observed for the lesions that showed tattoo-like and tortuous patterns. Further multidisciplinary diagnostic studies of infected skin lesions are needed to understand the epidemiology of these emerging infectious diseases.
Colostrum traits and newborn body weight and growth: comparison between single and twin underfed sheep pregnancies
Authors: Turín Jesús , Sales Francisco , Peralta Oscar A. , De los Reyes Mónica , Borie Consuelo , Carrasco Albert , González-Bulnes Antonio , Parraguez Víctor H.
Published: September 2023

Maternal nutrition during gestation plays an important role in colostrum production, postnatal growth, and survival of newborn lambs, especially in twin gestations. This research aimed to investigate the effects of chronic natural undernutrition on colostrum traits and early lamb’s postnatal growth born from single and twin sheep pregnancies developed in a restrictive prairie, representative of southern Patagonia. Single- and twin-bearing ewes (n = 20 per group) were maintained grazing in a natural pasture. At 140 days of gestation, ewes were placed in individual pens for lambing control. Colostrum was collected immediately after delivery and at 12, 24, and 36 h postpartum, for determination of yield and composition. Maternal blood was obtained at 140 days of gestation and at lambing for plasma glucose, progesterone, 17β-estradiol, and IgG determination. Newborn lamb blood for determining glycaemia and IgG was collected at birth and at 12, 24, 36, and 120 h after birth. Lamb mortality and growth was assessed from birth until 30 days of life. No differences were observed in progesterone and 17β-estradiol. There were no differences in colostrum yields and fat components, however single- had higher values of protein and lactose than twin-bearing ewes (p < 0.05 for both). Singletons had higher glycaemia than twins at 12 h postpartum (102.2 ± 32.8 vs. 73.4 ± 29.9 mg/dL, p < 0.05). Colostrum IgG content was similar at delivery but higher in single ewes at 12 and 24 h, reaching a similar values at 36 h (4.7 ± 9.7 and 5.8 ± 7.7 mg/mL in single and twin pregnancies, respectively). Newborn IgG was higher in singletons compared to twins at least until 48 h of life. Lams body weight was always superior in singleton than twins from birth until 30 days of life. Mortality did not differ during the first week of life, but it increased significantly only in twins until day 30 of life. Undernourishment in pregnant ewes affected colostrum quantity and quality, resulting in a lower postnatal growth and a higher mortality in twins. Alternative managements favoring fetal growth, birth weight and neonatal viability in twin sheep pregnancies are needed, when flocks are breed under harsh environments.
Case report: Clinical experience of treating pembrolizumab-induced systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) in one patient with metastatic gastroesophageal junction squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ni Hua , Ding Xinjia , Wu Shikai , Jin Xuan
Published: September 2023

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare and complex adverse effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The diagnosis of drug-induced SCLS is based on diffuse infusions of exudative fluid into the interstitial areas and the exclusion of other causes. The best management of ICIs-induced SCLS is not settled, though proper supportive care and corticosteroids were commonly applied as the first-line treatment. In our patient with advanced gastroesophageal junction squamous cell carcinoma, although ICIs-induced SCLS was successfully controlled with corticosteroids, the patient soon experienced cancer progress and died of pulmonary infections. Based on our experience and the reported cases by other hospitals, different stages of SCLS might respond differently to the same treatment. Therefore, a grading of ICIs-induced SCLS might help to stratify the patient for different treatment strategies. Besides, corticosteroids-sensitive patients, though waived from deadly SCLS, might be at higher risk of cancer progress and subsequent infections due to the application of corticosteroids. Considering that the inflammatory factors should be closely involved in the development of ICIs-induced SCLS, targeted therapy against the driver inflammatory cytokine might offer treatment regimens that are more effective and safer.
MFCC and Machine Learning Based Speech Emotion Recognition Over TESS and IEMOCAP Datasets
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad Zafar , Siddiqui Ghazanfar Farooq
Published: September 2023

Emotions in speech provide a lot of information about the speaker’s emotional state. This paper presents a classification of emotions using a support vector machine (SVM) with Mel Frequency Cepstrum Coefficient (MFCC) features extracted from the voice signal. We have considered the following five emotions, namely anger, happy, neutral, pleasant surprise and sadness, for classification purposes. The proposed methodology, including SVM-Gaussian and SVM-Quadratic, is tested for its performance on the Toronto Emotion Speech Set (TESS) and Interactive Emotional Dyadic Motion Capture (IEMOCAP) datasets. Our proposed methodology achieved 97% accuracy with TESS and 86% with IEMOCAP datasets, respectively.
Artificial Intelligence Potential Trends in Military
Authors: Ali Atif , Shehzad Khurram , Farid Zulqarnain , Farooq Muhammad Umar
Published: September 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is trending in the military and safety-critical application sectors. Currently, the private sector is helping the government sector to implement new advanced techniques to bring a revolution for different government and public sector management. It also helps to provide sustainable accountability in the accounting field; at present, AI is bringing a revolution in concept building. It is bringing potential revolutions by using novel approaches in such directions. This paper is a novel approach in the same direction; our research aim of this paper is to emphasize the AI in the militaries, what are the latest trend and usages recently worldwide used for AI applications in militaries. In this paper, we not only discuss the usage of AI applications in the military but also in the civil defense and health industry. We review and discuss that AI has potential benefits in military applications, HRMS, decision making, disaster prevention and response, GIS, service personalization, interoperability, extensive data analysis, anomaly and pattern recognition, intrusion detection, and new solution discovery using the highly configurable system and real-time simulation.
Bayesian Opportunities for Brain–Computer Interfaces: Enhancement of the Existing Classification Algorithms and Out-of-Domain Detection
Authors: Chetkin Egor I. , Shishkin Sergei L. , Kozyrskiy Bogdan L.
Published: September 2023

Bayesian neural networks (BNNs) are effective tools for a variety of tasks that allow for the estimation of the uncertainty of the model. As BNNs use prior constraints on parameters, they are better regularized and less prone to overfitting, which is a serious issue for brain–computer interfaces (BCIs), where typically only small training datasets are available. Here, we tested, on the BCI Competition IV 2a motor imagery dataset, if the performance of the widely used, effective neural network classifiers EEGNet and Shallow ConvNet can be improved by turning them into BNNs. Accuracy indeed was higher, at least for a BNN based on Shallow ConvNet with two of three tested prior distributions. We also assessed if BNN-based uncertainty estimation could be used as a tool for out-of-domain (OOD) data detection. The OOD detection worked well only in certain participants; however, we expect that further development of the method may make it work sufficiently well for practical applications.
Sparks of Artificial General Recommender (AGR): Experiments with ChatGPT
Authors: Lin Guo , Zhang Yongfeng
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the feasibility of developing an Artificial General Recommender (AGR), facilitated by recent advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs). An AGR comprises both conversationality and universality to engage in natural dialogues and generate recommendations across various domains. We propose ten fundamental principles that an AGR should adhere to, each with its corresponding testing protocol. We proceed to assess whether ChatGPT, a sophisticated LLM, can comply with the proposed principles by engaging in recommendation-oriented dialogues with the model while observing its behavior. Our findings demonstrate the potential for ChatGPT to serve as an AGR, though several limitations and areas for improvement are identified.
Recent Advances in Airfoil Self-Noise Passive Reduction
Authors: Amirsalari Behzad , Rocha Joana
Published: September 2023

Airflow-induced noise prediction and reduction is one of the priorities for both the energy and aviation industries. This review paper provides valuable insights into flow-induced noise computation, prediction, and optimization methods with state-of-the-art efforts in passive noise reduction on airfoils, blades, and wings. This review covers the combination of several approaches in this field, including analytical, numerical, empirical, semi-empirical, artificial intelligence, and optimization methods. Under passive noise reduction techniques, leading and trailing edge treatments, porous materials, controlled diffusion airfoils, morphing wings, surface treatments, and other unique geometries that researchers developed are among the design modification methods discussed here. This work highlights the benefits of incorporating multiple techniques to achieve the best results concerning the desired application and design. In addition, this work provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of each tool, with a particular emphasis on the possible challenges when implementing them. The methods and techniques discussed herein will help increase the acoustic efficiency of aerial structures, making them a beneficial resource for researchers, engineers, and other professionals working in aviation noise reduction.
Data-Driven Soil Analysis and Evaluation for Smart Farming Using Machine Learning Approaches
Authors: Huang Yixin , Srivastava Rishi , Ngo Chloe , Gao Jerry , Wu Jane , Chiao Sen
Published: September 2023

Food shortage issues affect more and more of the population globally as a consequence of the climate crisis, wars, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing crop output has become one of the urgent priorities for many countries. To raise the productivity of the crop product, it is necessary to monitor and evaluate farmland soil quality by analyzing the physical and chemical properties of soil since the soil is the base to provide nutrition to the crop. As a result, soil analysis contributes greatly to maintaining the sustainability of soil in producing crops regularly. Recently, some agriculture researchers have started using machine learning approaches to conduct soil analysis, targeting the different soil analysis needs separately. The optimal method is to consider all those features (climate, soil chemicals, nutrition, and geolocations) based on the growing crops and production cycle for soil analysis. The contribution of this project is to combine soil analysis, including crop identification, irrigation recommendations, and fertilizer analysis, with data-driven machine learning models and to create an interactive user-friendly system (Soil Analysis System) by using real-time satellite data and remote sensor data. The system provides a more sustainable and efficient way to help farmers harvest with better usages of land, water, and fertilizer. According to our analysis results, this combined approach is promising and efficient for smart farming.
Analysis of the Nexus between Structural and Climate Changes in EU Pig Farming
Authors: Jurkėnaitė Nelė
Published: September 2023

The EU’s ambition to establish economy-wide climate neutrality by 2050 requires challenging transformations in many economic activities. This paper aims to investigate the nexus of structural changes and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) in an important sector of the livestock system, namely pig farming, during the period of 2010–2020 and to discuss the main directions of GHGE reduction. The academic novelty of this contribution is characterised by a combination of the shift-share and cluster analysis that allows for the investigation of the evolution phenomenon, applying the sustainability prism in order to understand the nexus between pig farming and the livestock system, as well as combining the national and EU levels. Results suggest that the steep decline in the number of holdings and a moderate reduction in livestock units (LSUs) on farms do not bring tangible GHGE reduction results. The cluster analysis confirms that pig farming systems in pre-2004 member states, except for Finland and Greece, demonstrated positive developments or a lower decline in holdings with pigs and live swine LSUs compared to other countries, while in the dominant share of post-2003 member states, the GHGE reduction rate was higher. This research identifies a reduction in the pig population, improvement in feed production and the development of related supply chains, and changes in manure management and utilisation as the main directions of GHGE reduction; however, the identified clusters are related with different potentials of GHGE reduction when applying the aforementioned measures. Recommendations include the development and support of actions that focus on GHGE reduction from swine manure and contribute to the establishment of a circular economy in the EU.
Effects of Dietary Galla Chinensis Tannin Supplementation on Antioxidant Capacity and Intestinal Microbiota Composition in Broilers
Authors: Yuan Peng , Ren Xiaojie , Niu Jiaxing , Liu Yang , Huang Libo , Jiang Shuzhen , Jiao Ning , Yuan Xuejun , Yang Weiren , Li Yang
Published: September 2023

The current study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary Galla Chinensis tannin (GCT) supplementation on antioxidant capacity and gut microbiota composition in broilers. Two hundred eighty-eight Arbor Acres broiler chicks were divided into the CON group and the GCT group; each treatment group contained 6 replicates with 24 broiler chicks per replicate for a period of 42 days, and were fed either a basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg GCT. Results revealed that GCT supplementation significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MAD) concentrations in serum (p < 0.05) and significantly increased GSH-Px and catalase (CAT) (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased MDA concentrations in the small intestine. In addition, GCT significantly up-regulated (p < 0.05) the gene expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1), and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1). High-throughput sequencing results showed that GCT supplementation significantly increased abundances of Faecalibacterium and Megamonas (p < 0.05). These findings will contribute to our understanding of the effects of dietary Galla Chinensis tannin supplementation on antioxidant capacity and intestinal microbiota composition in broilers.
Enhanced Soil Moisture Management Using Waste Green Algae-Derived Polymers: Optimization of Application Rate and Mixing Depth
Authors: He Zijian , Liang Jiaping , Lu Yanwei , Yang Qiliang , Lu Chengmei , Wu Die
Published: September 2023

Water scarcity poses a formidable challenge to agricultural productivity in arid regions, and water retention agents offer promising potential in this regard. Therefore, this study proposes developing and preparing polymers with water retention properties using waste green algae as raw material to explore the effectiveness of enhanced water infiltration and reduce evaporation at different use levels (0%, 0.15%, 0.30%, 0.45% and 0.60%) and maximum mixing depths (10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm and 50 cm) and determine the optimum management. The results demonstrate that the synthesized polymers exhibited a remarkable swelling rate of 143.6 g/g, along with reusability and excellent temperature stability. The polymer application rate was positively correlated with infiltration duration, with an increase from 161 min to 750 min as the application rate rose from 0% to 0.60%. Concurrently, cumulative infiltration increased from 22.6 cm to 31.1 cm, showcasing the benefits of the polymer in enhancing water retention. Intriguingly, cumulative evapotranspiration initially decreased and then increased with increasing polymer application rates. Moreover, increasing the maximum mixing depth from 10 to 50 cm while maintaining the 0.3% application rate increased the cumulative infiltration (from 22.6 cm to 31.1 cm) and infiltration rate (from 0.03 cm/min to 0.08 cm/min) while decreasing the cumulative evaporation (from 44.4 mm to 31.7 mm). Considering the cumulative infiltration, infiltration rate and evapotranspiration characteristics, an optimized polymer application rate of 0.27% at a mixing depth of 0–50 cm was recommended for efficient soil moisture management. This study highlights the potential of green algae-derived biodegradable polymers as a win–win strategy for achieving waste alleviation of water scarcity in drylands, particularly for maize and wheat cultivation in northern China.
Biochar Improves Greenhouse Tomato Yield: Source–Sink Relations under Deficit Irrigation
Authors: Li Xufeng , Zheng Lijian , Ma Juanjuan
Published: September 2023

It is important to evaluate any effects that biochar may have on tomato yield under deficit-irrigation to develop water-saving and yield-increasing best management practices for greenhouse tomato production. For this purpose, greenhouse trials were conducted in 2021 and 2022 with five biochar (B) application rates and three irrigation (W) levels. The B treatments were B0: 0 t ha−1; B1: 15 t ha−1; B2: 30 t ha−1; B3: 45 t ha−1; and B4: 60 t ha−1, and the W levels were W1: 50–70% of field capacity (θf); W2: 60–80% of θf; and W3B0: 70–90% of θf full irrigation without biochar, which was designated as the control. Our objective was to quantify the effects of biochar on the characteristics of tomato sources and sinks to determine, first, the optimal irrigation–biochar combination to achieve high yield tomato production, and, second, evaluate the mechanisms of this effect. At W1 and W2 irrigation levels, the addition of 30–60 t ha−1 and 45–60 t ha−1 biochar could compensate for the adverse effects of deficit-irrigation on the tomato source and sink characteristics. Our results show that in both years the highest tomato yield was obtained with the W2 irrigation level and the B3 biochar application rate, with 52% higher tomato yield compared to the lowest value obtained with the W1 irrigation level and B0 application rate. We conclude that biochar application can improve tomato yield by promoting the filling rather than the building of the sink capacity. The tomato yield was mainly affected by the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), followed by the leaf area, and the leaf chlorophyll content indirectly affected tomato yield through Pn. The W2 irrigation level combined with the B3 biochar application rate resulted in the best water–biochar combination under the experimental conditions.
Design and Parameter Optimization of a Negative-Pressure Peanut Fruit-Soil Separating Device
Authors: Qin Mingyang , Jin Yu , Cao Mingzhu , Wu Feng , Luo Weiwen , Guo Kai , Xu Hongbo , Gu Fengwei , Hu Zhichao
Published: September 2023

This study proposes a negative-pressure fruit-soil separating device for peanuts cultivated in hilly and mountainous areas after combined harvesting, and the mechanism of the movement of the material in the process of material screening, fruit-soil separating, and pneumatic conveying of the device was analyzed. In addition, a four-factor, three-level Box-Behnken regression design test was used to explore the optimum operating parameters of the peanut fruit-soil separation device. The results showed that the best fruit-soil separation effect was achieved when the wind speed of the blower was 13.58 m/s, the height of the suction nozzle from the screen surface was 27 mm, the length of the suction port was 64 mm, and the feeding rate was 600 kg/h. Validation tests demonstrated that the impurity rate of 0.16% and the peanut pod loss rate of 0.2% exceeded the industry standard, indicating superior performance.
Tomato Recognition and Localization Method Based on Improved YOLOv5n-seg Model and Binocular Stereo Vision
Authors: Zheng Shuhe , Liu Yang , Weng Wuxiong , Jia Xuexin , Yu Shilong , Wu Zuoxun
Published: September 2023

Recognition and localization of fruits are key components to achieve automated fruit picking. However, current neural-network-based fruit recognition algorithms have disadvantages such as high complexity. Traditional stereo matching algorithms also have low accuracy. To solve these problems, this study targeting greenhouse tomatoes proposed an algorithm framework based on YOLO-TomatoSeg, a lightweight tomato instance segmentation model improved from YOLOv5n-seg, and an accurate tomato localization approach using RAFT-Stereo disparity estimation and least squares point cloud fitting. First, binocular tomato images were captured using a binocular camera system. The left image was processed by YOLO-TomatoSeg to segment tomato instances and generate masks. Concurrently, RAFT-Stereo estimated image disparity for computing the original depth point cloud. Then, the point cloud was clipped by tomato masks to isolate tomato point clouds, which were further preprocessed. Finally, a least squares sphere fitting method estimated the 3D centroid co-ordinates and radii of tomatoes by fitting the tomato point clouds to spherical models. The experimental results showed that, in the tomato instance segmentation stage, the YOLO-TomatoSeg model replaced the Backbone network of YOLOv5n-seg with the building blocks of ShuffleNetV2 and incorporated an SE attention module, which reduced model complexity while improving model segmentation accuracy. Ultimately, the YOLO-TomatoSeg model achieved an AP of 99.01% with a size of only 2.52 MB, significantly outperforming mainstream instance segmentation models such as Mask R-CNN (98.30% AP) and YOLACT (96.49% AP). The model size was reduced by 68.3% compared to the original YOLOv5n-seg model. In the tomato localization stage, at the range of 280 mm to 480 mm, the average error of the tomato centroid localization was affected by occlusion and sunlight conditions. The maximum average localization error was ±5.0 mm, meeting the localization accuracy requirements of the tomato-picking robots. This study developed a lightweight tomato instance segmentation model and achieved accurate localization of tomato, which can facilitate research, development, and application of fruit-picking robots.
Compost Tea as Organic Fertilizer and Plant Disease Control: Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Ramírez-Gottfried Ricardo Israel , Preciado-Rangel Pablo , Carrillo Mario García , García Alain Buendía , González-Rodríguez Gabriela , Espinosa-Palomeque Bernardo
Published: September 2023

A variety of research reports that compost tea controls plant pathogens and improves plant nutrition and plant growth. Therefore, it can be used to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The aim of the study was to characterize and quantify the scientific production in the SCOPUS database on compost tea using bibliometric indicators. A total of 285 published papers related to compost tea were identified. The results show a general increasing trend from 2001 to 2023, with the highest number of publications occurring in 2021. Most of the publications were in the form of original articles, and English was the main language of publication. The top 10 countries with the highest scientific productivity were the United States, Egypt, Spain, Canada, Italy, India, China, Australia, Iran and Malaysia. Zaccardelli, M. and Pane, C. were the authors with the highest productivity with nine articles. In the co-authorship networks, two main networks were registered: the first with Diáñez F., together with Gea F. J., Navarro M.Y. and Santo M., and the second with Zaccardelli M., Celono G., and Pane C. Therefore, the need to adapt more resilient agricultural production systems allows for the consideration of compost tea as an alternative to mitigate environmental problems and soil degradation.