bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
More Than Movement: Exploring Motor Simulation, Creativity, and Function in Co-developed Dance for Parkinson’s
Authors: Bek Judith , Arakaki Aline I. , Derbyshire-Fox Fleur , Ganapathy Gayathri , Sullivan Matthew , Poliakoff Ellen
Published: February 2022

Dance is an enjoyable, non-therapy-focused activity that may provide a range of benefits for people with Parkinson’s. The internal simulation of movement through observation, imitation, and imagery, is intrinsic to dance and may contribute to functional improvements for people with Parkinson’s. This study explored the feasibility and potential benefits of a dance program designed by a collaborative team of dance artists, researchers, physiotherapists, and people living with Parkinson’s. The program incorporated motor simulation through observation, imitation and imagery of movement, supported by creative themes, expression, and music. A 6-week pilot trial of the program was conducted with 10 people with Parkinson’s. A focus group following the trial (N= 8) provided insights into the use of imagery, observation and imitation within dance, and the link between creativity and functional outcomes, as well as indicating multidimensional benefits of dance as reported in previous studies. Exploratory outcome measures also suggested potential effects on motor simulation, functional dexterity, and quality of life. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of a co-developed dance program for Parkinson’s and indicates how creative elements of dance may support functional outcomes. Future research should examine the role of motor simulation processes in dance for Parkinson’s, including the potential to develop transferable cognitive-motor skills. This study also highlights the value of collaborative partnerships in designing dance for health programs, which may optimise beneficial effects by using creative approaches to incorporate evidence-based elements, with guidance from individuals with lived experience to ensure the relevance to their goals.
Looking for the Brain Inside the Initial Teacher Training and Outreach Books in Portugal
Authors: Rato Joana R. , Amorim Jorge , Castro-Caldas Alexandre
Published: February 2022

The fascination with brain research is widespread, and school teachers are no exception. This growing interest, usually noticed by the increased supply of short-term training or books on how to turn the brain more efficient, leads us to think about their basic training and outreach resources available. Little is known about what the official Initial Teacher Training (ITT) offers concerning the brain literature and if it meets scientific standards. Also, what are the science communication materials that teachers can access to learn about the developing brain remain undiscussed. First, we examined the ITT courses taught in Portuguese Higher Education, both in public and private institutions, to identify the syllabus with updated neuroscientific knowledge. Second, we searched for the neuroscience-related books published in the last 6 years through the National Library of Portugal database. Thirty ITT courses and 35 outreach publications were reviewed through a rapid review methodology. Our results showed an absence of curricular units indicating in their programs that brain research, and its relationship with learning, would be taught in a representative and updated way. In contrast, the number of brain-related books for educators increased in Portugal, corroborating the demand for this field of study by these professionals. Based on the literature that shows how misunderstandings about the brain have increased in school contexts, our discussion recognizes that science outreach could be a way to increase the scientific literacy of school teachers with the research community working more in this direction, but, since a previous problem seems to be unsolved, there is an urgent need for specialized attention to the development of training curricula for future kindergarten and elementary school teachers.
When You Choose but Not Lose: Decreasing People’s Desire for Options on Technological Appliances
Authors: Lemmen Nieke , Bouman Thijs , Steg Linda
Published: February 2022

The appliances people adopt, and the way they use them, can critically influence the sustainable energy transition. People are often attracted to appliances with many setting options that offer them more control. Yet, operating many setting options can have negative consequences for users (e.g., user frustration) and the management of sustainable energy systems (e.g., unpredictable consumption increasing complexity and uncertainty of systems), which may obstruct sustainability goals. We aim to study how to reduce the preference for many setting options without reducing the perceived attractiveness of the appliance. In line with our theorizing we found that people opt for appliances with fewer setting options when they are asked to reflect on which options they would like to have from a list of possible setting options, while being equally satisfied with the appliance. In addition, we show that this is especially the case when asking people to select which setting options they would like an appliance to have, as this will feel like they gain options, rather than asking them which options they are willing to give up as this feels like losing options that their appliance could have. Our findings offer relatively easy and cost-efficient ways to decrease people’s desire for many setting options on appliances, decreasing stress on the user and the energy system, while ensuring satisfaction with and acceptance of the appliance.
Understanding Residents’ Physical Activity Intention and Behavior Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Cheng Xiaoyu , Chen Wei
Published: February 2022

Proper and regular physical activity (PA) plays an important role in improving people’s health. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has posed a serious threat to individual health, residents’ PA has aroused deep concern. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study examines the impact of residents’ PA intention and behavior in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from a sample of 961 residents in Wuhan in China using a questionnaire survey. The results show that residents’ PA intention and behavior have been affected significantly by residents’ PA attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on both residents’ PA intention and behavior. In addition, there were gender and region differences in this impact. The findings are of great significance in promoting residents’ PA intention and PA behavior, which are of positive significance to the development of residents’ physical and mental health in the period of global serious health crisis.
Roles of Multiple Entrepreneurial Environments and Individual Risk Propensity in Shaping Employee Entrepreneurship: Empirical Investigation From China
Authors: Zeng Kai , Wang Duanxu , Li Zhengwei , Xu Yujing , Zheng Xiaofen
Published: February 2022

While prior literature has widely acknowledged that the entrepreneurial environment significantly fertilizes entrepreneurship, the impact of workplace receives limited attention, and the vital role of organizations in linking social entrepreneurial environment and employee entrepreneurship has been largely ignored. Therefore, this study aims to unfold how multiple entrepreneurial environments (i.e., social, organizational, and interpersonal factors) shape employee entrepreneurship and then further reveal how such relationships vary with employees’ risk propensity. Drawn on the theoretical lens of mindsponge process, which offers an explanation of why and how organizations and individuals adopt new values through the cost-benefit analysis, we proposed a research model to explain the influence mechanisms of the social entrepreneurial environment on the cost-benefit analysis of both organizations and individual employees. Specifically, given that organizations deeply embedded in the society need to balance the costs and benefits under the pressure of the social entrepreneurial environment, the social entrepreneurial environment affects the organizational entrepreneurial environment (i.e., organizational hostility toward employee entrepreneurship). Similarly, employees’ cost-benefit analysis under the pressure of organizational hostility will influence their entrepreneurial intentions. Through analyzing the data collected from a two-wave survey with 220 employees, we showed that organizational hostility toward employee entrepreneurship plays a mediating role between social entrepreneurial environment and employees’ entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, such mediation relationship is moderated by coworkers’ unethical behaviors during their entrepreneurship and employees’ risk propensity, which are expected to influence organizations’ and employees’ cost-benefit analysis, respectively.
Music Perception Abilities and Ambiguous Word Learning: Is There Cross-Domain Transfer in Nonmusicians?
Authors: Smit Eline A. , Milne Andrew J. , Escudero Paola
Published: February 2022

Perception of music and speech is based on similar auditory skills, and it is often suggested that those with enhanced music perception skills may perceive and learn novel words more easily. The current study tested whether music perception abilities are associated with novel word learning in an ambiguous learning scenario. Using a cross-situational word learning (CSWL) task, nonmusician adults were exposed to word-object pairings between eight novel words and visual referents. Novel words were either non-minimal pairs differing in all sounds or minimal pairs differing in their initial consonant or vowel. In order to be successful in this task, learners need to be able to correctly encode the phonological details of the novel words and have sufficient auditory working memory to remember the correct word-object pairings. Using the Mistuning Perception Test (MPT) and the Melodic Discrimination Test (MDT), we measured learners’ pitch perception and auditory working memory. We predicted that those with higher MPT and MDT values would perform better in the CSWL task and in particular for novel words with high phonological overlap (i.e., minimal pairs). We found that higher musical perception skills led to higher accuracy for non-minimal pairs and minimal pairs differing in their initial consonant. Interestingly, this was not the case for vowel minimal pairs. We discuss the results in relation to theories of second language word learning such as the Second Language Perception model (L2LP).
Development and Validation of an Autonomy Questionnaire for Chinese Adolescents From the Perspective of Network Culture
Authors: Li Yi , Chen Hong , Zheng Yue-li , Wu Ling-ling , Fan Cui-ying
Published: February 2022

This study developed a measure of autonomy for adolescents in contemporary China. First, data from 44 interviewees—40 secondary school students, 2 parents, and 2 secondary school teachers—were used to explore the connotation and theoretical structure of autonomy in adolescents in China. Next, a preliminary Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire was created from the interview data and administered to 775 secondary school students. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to verify the factor structure. Finally, 614 secondary school students completed the Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire, Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II, and Adolescence Ego Identity Crisis Scale to evaluate criterion validity. The final version of the Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire included 16 items and four subscales: autonomous decision-making, autonomous regulation, autonomous protection, and autonomous problem-solving. The total variance of the cumulative interpretation questionnaire was 62.54%. The CFA results showed that the four-factor model fits the data well: χ2/df = 2.340, CFI = 0.949, RMSEA = 0.042, SRMR = 0.046. Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire provided support for the reliability and validity of the measure. Thus, it serves as an effective measurement tool for assessing the autonomy of adolescents in China.
Interpersonal Neural Synchronization Predicting Learning Outcomes From Teaching-Learning Interaction: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Liaoyuan , Xu Xiaoxiong , Li Zhongshan , Chen Luyao , Feng Liping
Published: February 2022

In school education, teaching-learning interaction is deemed as a core process in the classroom. The fundamental neural basis underlying teaching-learning interaction is proposed to be essential for tuning learning outcomes. However, the neural basis of this process as well as the relationship between the neural dynamics and the learning outcomes are largely unclear. With non-invasive technologies such as fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy), hyperscanning techniques have been developed since the last decade and been applied to the field of educational neuroscience for simultaneous multi-brain scanning. Hyperscanning studies suggest that the interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) during teaching-learning interaction might be an ideal neural biomarker for predicting learning outcomes. To systematically evaluate such a relationship, this meta-analysis ran on a random-effects model on 16 studies with 23 independent samples (effect sizes). Further moderator analyses were also performed to examine the potential influences of the style, mode, content, and the assessment method of learning outcomes. The random-effects modeling results confirmed a robust positive correlation between INS and learning outcomes. Subsequent analyses revealed that such relationship was mainly affected by both interaction style and mode. Therefore, the present meta-analysis provided a confirmatory neurocognitive foundation for teaching-learning interaction, as well as its relation to the learning outcomes, consolidated future learning and teaching studies in various disciplines including second language education with a firm methodological reference.
Parent–Child Relationship Quality and Internet Use in a Developing Country: Adolescents’ Perspectives
Authors: Nguyen Thao Thi Phuong , Nguyen Tham Thi , Do Ha Ngoc , Vu Thao Bich Thi , Vu Khanh Long , Do Hoang Minh , Nguyen Nga Thu Thi , Doan Linh Phuong , Vu Giang Thu , Do Hoa Thi , Nguyen Son Hoang , Latkin Carl A. , Ho Cyrus S. H. , Ho Roger C. M.
Published: February 2022

Objective

The goal of the study was to explore the relationship between parent–children relationships related to using the internet among kids and potentially associated factors.

Materials and Methods

A sample of 1.216 Vietnamese students between the ages of 12 and 18 agreed to participate in the cross-sectional online survey. Data collected included socioeconomic characteristics and internet use status of participants, their perceived changes in relationship and communication between parents and children since using the internet, and parental control toward the child’s internet use. An Ordered Logistic Regression was carried out to determine factors associated with parent–children relationship since using the internet.

Results

The characteristics of the relationship between children and their parents since using the Internet were divided into three levels: deterioration (7.0%), stability (78.2%), and improvement (14.8%). The topics that children most often communicate with their parents include learning, housework, and future directions. Two-way interactive activities, such as supporting parents to use the Internet, have a positive impact on the parent–child relationship. Stubborn parental control, such as establishing rules about contact or allowing Internet access and setting up global positioning system (GPS) to track negatively affecting parent–child relationships.

Conclusion

Findings indicated that changes in the quality of the parent–child relationship were self-assessed by participants regard to kids’ internet use, especially in the COVID-19 epidemic context. Educational campaigns and programs to raise awareness of parents as to the dangers and negative influences that their children may encounter online, psychology of children’s behaviors and effects of different responding strategies are recommended.
Recognizing Psychosis in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Ribolsi Michele , Fiori Nastro Federico , Pelle Martina , Medici Caterina , Sacchetto Silvia , Lisi Giulia , Riccioni Assia , Siracusano Martina , Mazzone Luigi , Di Lorenzo Giorgio
Published: February 2022

There is strong evidence for the existence of a high comorbidity between autism and psychosis with percentages reaching up to 34. 8% and several significant implications for treatment and prognosis of these patients. However, the identification of comorbid psychosis in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder represents a complex challenge from a psychopathological point of view, in particular in patients with greater deficits in verbal communication. Intercepting the onset of a psychotic breakdown in autism may be very difficult, both disorders in fact occur along a phenotypic continuum of clinical severity and in many cases, psychotic symptoms are present in an attenuated form. In this paper, we reviewed the available scientific literature about comorbidity between psychosis and autism, focusing our attention on four specific dimensions: delusions, hallucinations, negative symptoms, and clinical course. The aim of this paper is to provide clinical tools to identify these psychotic phenomena in autistic patients, even when they occur in their attenuated form.
Concerns of Parental Substance Abuse and Mental Health Problems Reported to Child Welfare Services—Testing a Moderated Mediation Model for Paths From Reports to Substantiated Concern and Service Provision
Authors: Vis Svein Arild , Lauritzen Camilla , Havnen Karen J. S. , Reedtz Charlotte , Handegård Bjørn Helge
Published: February 2022

Background

Parental mental health and substance abuse problems are found in reports of concern to child protection and welfare services. The aim of this study was first to investigate what characterized these reports and how they differed from reports with other types of concerns. Two hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis was (i) if a report contains concerns about mental health and substance abuse problems, the likelihood of service provision was mediated by substantiation status. The second hypothesis was (ii) that the threshold for substantiation of such problems differed depending on child age, single parent status, and the presence of other child and parent related problems.

Method

The study was designed as a case file study which was carried out retrospectively (N = 883). A conceptual model was tested in two steps. First a mediation model with direct and indirect paths from reports of concerns through substantiation decision to service provision was tested. Then a second model was expanded to also include moderators for the indirect effects of reported concerns on substantiation decisions.

Results

A total of 33.1% of reports about substance abuse and 41.7% of reports about parental mental illness concerns were provided services. The first hypothesis was confirmed. There is a negative direct effect and a positive mediated effect of reported concern on service provision. The second hypothesis was not confirmed. We failed to identify any significant moderating effect of child age, single caregiver status, or number of child problems, upon the threshold for substantiation of mental health and drug abuse problems.

Conclusions

The total effect of reports about mental illness and substance abuse upon service provision was low. Service provision in cases with suspected substance abuse and/or mental illness is highly dependent upon substantiation of that specific problem. Substantiation threshold is not impacted by other case characteristics. This is surprising because there are good theoretical reasons to assume that parental drug abuse and or mental illness are potentially more detrimental to child health, development and safety if the child is younger, if the parent is a single caregiver, and there are many other parallel concerns.
Harmful Alcohol Use Among Healthcare Workers at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya
Authors: Jaguga Florence , Kwobah Edith Kamaru , Mwangi Ann , Patel Kirtika , Mwogi Thomas , Kiptoo Robert , Atwoli Lukoye
Published: February 2022

Background

Healthcare workers play a key role in responding to pandemics like the on-going COVID-19 one. Harmful alcohol use among them could result in inefficiencies in health service delivery. This is particularly concerning in sub-Saharan Africa where the health workforce is already constrained. The aim of this study is to document the burden and correlates of harmful alcohol use among healthcare workers at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya with the aim of informing policy and practice.

Methods

This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data obtained from a parent online survey that investigated the burden and factors associated with mental disorders among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. We analyzed data obtained from a sub-population of 887 participants who completed the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test questionnaire. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and multivariate analysis to determine the factors associated with harmful alcohol use.

Results

Three hundred and eighty nine (43.9%) participants reported harmful alcohol use. The factors significantly associated with increased odds of endorsing harmful alcohol use were: being male (AOR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.14, 2.14; p = 0.006), being unmarried (AOR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.48, 2.89; p < 0.001), having 11-20 years of experience as compared to having 20+ years of experience (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.18, 3.12; p = 0.009), and being a specialist (AOR = 2.78; CI = 1.64, 4.78; p = < 0.001) or doctor (AOR = 2.82; 95% CI = 1.74, 4.63; p < 0.001) as compared to being a nurse.

Conclusions

A high proportion of healthcare workers reported harmful alcohol use at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. Males, the unmarried, those with 11–20 years of experience in the health field, doctors and specialists, were more likely to report harmful alcohol use. These findings highlight the need to institute interventions for harmful alcohol use targeting these groups of healthcare workers in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to optimize functioning of the available workforce.
Barriers and Breakthroughs in Targeting the Oxytocin System to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Ryabinin Andrey E. , Zhang Yangmiao
Published: February 2022

Development of better treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is urgently needed. One promising opportunity for this development is the potential of targeting the oxytocin peptide system. Preclinical studies showed that administration of exogenous oxytocin or, more recently, stimulation of neurons expressing endogenous oxytocin lead to a decreased alcohol consumption across several rodent models. Initial clinical studies also showed that administration of oxytocin decreased craving for alcohol and heavy alcohol drinking. However, several more recent clinical studies were not able to replicate these effects. Thus, although targeting the oxytocin system holds promise for the treatment of AUD, more nuanced approaches toward development and application of these treatments are needed. In this mini-review we discuss potential caveats resulting in differential success of attempts to use oxytocin for modulating alcohol use disorder-related behaviors in clinical studies and evaluate three directions in which targeting the oxytocin system could be improved: (1) increasing potency of exogenously administered oxytocin, (2) developing oxytocin receptor agonists, and (3) stimulating components of the endogenous oxytocin system. Both advances and potential pitfalls of these directions are discussed.
Virtual Reality for Surgical Planning – Evaluation Based on Two Liver Tumor Resections
Authors: Reinschluessel Anke V. , Muender Thomas , Salzmann Daniela , Döring Tanja , Malaka Rainer , Weyhe Dirk
Published: February 2022

Purpose

For complex cases, preoperative surgical planning is a standard procedure to ensure patient safety and keep the surgery time to a minimum. Based on the available information, such as MRI or CT images, and prior anatomical knowledge the surgeons create their own mental 3D model of the organ of interest. This is challenging, requires years of training and an inherent uncertainty remains even for experienced surgeons.

Goal

Virtual reality (VR) is by nature excellent in showing spatial relationships through its stereoscopic displays. Therefore, it is well suited to be used to support the understanding of individual anatomy of patient-specific 3D organ models generated from MRI or CT data. Utilizing this potential, we developed a VR surgical planning tool that provides a 3D view of the medical data for better spatial understanding and natural interaction with the data in 3D space. Following a user-centered design process, in this first user study, we focus on usability, usefulness, and target audience feedback. Thereby, we also investigate the individual impact the tool and the 3D presentation of the organ have on the understanding of the 3D structures for the surgical team.

Methods

We employed the VR prototype for surgical planning using a standard VR setup to two real cases of patients with liver tumors who were scheduled for surgery at a University Hospital for Visceral Surgery. Surgeons (N = 4) used the VR prototype before the surgery to plan the procedure in addition to their regular planning process. We used semi-structured interviews before and after the surgery to explore the benefits and pitfalls of VR surgical planning.

Results

The participants used on average 14.3 min (SD = 3.59) to plan the cases in VR. The reported usability was good. Results from the interviews and observations suggest that planning in VR can be very beneficial for surgeons. They reported an improved spatial understanding of the individual anatomical structures and better identification of anatomical variants. Additionally, as the surgeons mentioned an improved recall of the information and better identification of surgical relevant structures, the VR tool has the potential to improve the surgery and patient safety.
Bacterin Vaccination Provides Insufficient Protection Against Streptococcus equi Subspecies zooepidemicus Infection in Pigs
Authors: Hau Samantha J. , Buckley Alexandra , Brockmeier Susan L.
Published: February 2022

Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (SEZ) is a zoonotic pathogen capable of causing severe disease in many mammalian species. Historically, SEZ has not been a common cause of disease in pigs in North America; however, in 2019, SEZ caused mortality events leading to severe illness and 30–50% mortality in exposed animal groups. Because of the rapid progression of disease, it is important to investigate intervention strategies to prevent disease development. In this study, pigs were divided into four groups: (1) vaccinated with an inactivated SEZ vaccine generated from a highly mucoid 2019 mortality event isolate; (2) vaccinated with an inactivated SEZ vaccine generated from a genetically similar, non-mucoid isolate from a guinea pig; (3) and (4) sham vaccinated. Following boost vaccination, groups 1–3 were challenged with a 2019 mortality event isolate and group 4 were non-challenged controls. Antibody titers were higher for SEZ vaccinated animals than sham vaccinated animals; however, no anamnestic response was observed, and titers were lower than typically seen following the use of inactivated vaccines. Vaccination did not provide protection from disease development or mortality following challenge, which could be associated with the comparatively low antibody titers generated by vaccination. Surviving pigs also remained colonized and transmitted SEZ to naïve contact pigs 3 weeks following challenge, indicating that healthy animals can act as a source of SEZ exposure. Future investigation should evaluate different vaccine formulations, such as increased antigen load or an alternative adjuvant, that could induce a more robust adaptive immune response.
Genomic Characterization of the Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Lineage in Two Districts of Campania (Italy) Using Next-Generation Sequencing
Authors: Scrima Marianna , Cossu Alessia Maria , D'Andrea Egildo Luca , Bocchetti Marco , Abruzzese Ylenia , Iannarone Clara , Miarelli Cinzia , Grisolia Piera , Melisi Federica , Genua Lucia , Di Perna Felice , Maggi Paolo , Capasso Giovanbattista , Noviello Teresa Maria Rosaria , Ceccarelli Michele , Fucci Alessandra , Caraglia Michele
Published: February 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in December 2019 when the first case was reported in Wuhan, China, and turned into a pandemic. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) plays a crucial role in understanding the disease. For this reason, we performed WGS of 101 SARS-CoV-2 strains obtained from individuals from two districts of Campania (Italy) from January to May 2021. The phylogenetic analysis of sequence data identified five types of clades including 10 different Pango lineages: 20A (Lineages B.1.258.17, B.1.258.14, and B.1.160) (n = 10; 9.9%), 20B (Lineages B.1.1.351 and B.1.374) (n = 5; 4.9%), 20E (EU1) (Lineages B.1.177.53, B.1.177.75, and B.1.177) (n = 5; 4.9%), 20I (Alpha.V1) (B.1.1.7) (n = 60; 59.4%), and 20J (Gamma.V3) (Lineage P.1.1) (n = 21; 20.7%). In the early time of the epidemic (January and February 2021), B.1.1.7 lineage was in 62% of samples only in Benevento district, while this lineage appears in Avellino later in 64% of samples from March to May. The occurrence of P.1.1 lineage spreading from March to the end of the study was recorded in all districts with the same frequencies of ~21%. The highest genomic distance was observed in Lineage P.1.1. Moreover, we identified 219 “known” missense mutations with different frequencies (114 in ORF1a/1b; 12 in ORF3a; 29 in S; 5 in M; 29 in N; and 5 each in ORF7a and ORF8). This report suggests the quickly spreading in Campania of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the strict surveillance of the occurrence of genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Fault-Tolerant Control of Skid Steering Vehicles Based on Meta-Reinforcement Learning with Situation Embedding
Authors: Dai Huatong , Chen Pengzhan , Yang Hui
Published: February 2022

Meta-reinforcement learning (meta-RL), used in the fault-tolerant control (FTC) problem, learns a meta-trained model from a set of fault situations that have a high-level similarity. However, in the real world, skid-steering vehicles might experience different types of fault situations. The use of a single initial meta-trained model limits the ability to learn different types of fault situations that do not possess a strong similarity. In this paper, we propose a novel FTC method to mitigate this limitation, by meta-training multiple initial meta-trained models and selecting the most suitable model to adapt to the fault situation. The proposed FTC method is based on the meta deep deterministic policy gradient (meta-DDPG) algorithm, which includes an offline stage and an online stage. In the offline stage, we first train multiple meta-trained models corresponding to different types of fault situations, and then a situation embedding model is trained with the state-transition data generated from meta-trained models. In the online stage, the most suitable meta-trained model is selected to adapt to the current fault situation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed FTC method allows skid-steering vehicles to adapt to different types of fault situations stably, while requiring significantly fewer fine-tuning steps than the baseline.
Motion Trajectories Prediction of Lower Limb Exoskeleton Based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Networks
Authors: Ren Bin , Zhang Zhiqiang , Zhang Chi , Chen Silu
Published: February 2022

A typical man–machine coupling system could provide the wearer a coordinated and assisted movement by the lower limb exoskeleton. The process of cooperative movement relies on the accurate perception of the wearer’s human movement information and the accurate planning and control of the joint movement of the lower limb exoskeleton. In this paper, a neural network and a Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) machine learning model method is proposed to predict the actual movement trajectory of the human body’s lower limbs. Then a wearable joint angle measurement device was designed for gait trajectory prediction, which can be used for predictive control through machine learning methods. The experimental results show that the LSTM model can accurately predict the gait trajectory with an average mean square error. This method has practical significance for prediction the trajectory of the lower limb exoskeleton.
First Report of Fusarium andiyazi Presence in Portuguese Maize Kernels
Authors: Simões Daniela , Diogo Eugénio , de Andrade Eugénia
Published: February 2022

Maize is one of the most important staple crops worldwide. However, it is also very susceptible to fungal infections. Some Fusarium species are responsible for causing diseases in maize and producing mycotoxins, contributing for considerable reduction of yield, quality, and profit. In Portugal and other Mediterranean countries with similar climatic conditions, F. verticillioides and F. subglutinans are the most frequent species infecting maize. F. proliferatum, F. graminearum, and F. oxysporum are only occasionally found. However, the incidence of diseases and the occurrence and levels of fumonisins have increased, which indicate that either the exogenous conditions changed favouring the production of mycotoxins, or other mycotoxigenic species of Fusarium are present. Therefore, Fusarium species occurrence in field should be monitored. After a survey of Fusarium spp. in Ribatejo county, for the first time we report F. andiyazi in Portuguese maize crop. This species is pathogenic for maize under similar climatic conditions, and mycotoxigenic, which means a double concern to the farmers if its presence on maize increases. This report highlights the importance of surveying and monitoring local fungal diversity on maize to enable stakeholders of the maize-chain production to respond to threats. Further studies to prevent Fusarium spreading in maize need to be conducted.
Genetic Variability in a Population of Oilseed Rape DH Lines Developed from F1 Hybrids of a Cross between Black- and Yellow-Seeded DH Lines. II. Seed Quality
Authors: Szała Laurencja , Kaczmarek Zygmunt , Matuszczak Marcin , Cegielska-Taras Teresa
Published: February 2022

One of the main reasons for oilseed rape breeding is to improve the quality and composition of seeds by increasing fat and protein content, and to reduce dietary fibre. We attempted to obtain such varieties by crossing two DH lines of winter oilseed rape of different origin, H2-26 and Z-114, which have black and yellow seeds, respectively. The cross was followed by in vitro androgenesis, resulting in a population of 44 DH lines that were studied in a field experiment over two seasons. The following characters of the resulting seeds were analysed: fat, protein, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, glucosinolate content and seed colour. The main objective was to check the variability of the DH lines obtained from F1 hybrid black- and yellow-seeded oilseed rape. The range of variability of the DH lines significantly exceeded the range of variability of the parental lines for all traits. These experiments showed that by choosing the appropriate parental genotypes of oilseed rape it is possible to break the negative correlation between protein and fat content. The high level of heritability of traits related to seed quality raises the possibility of improving breeding lines through selection based on phenotype.
Assessing Variation of Soil Quality in Agroecosystem in an Arid Environment Using Digital Soil Mapping
Authors: Maleki Sedigheh , Zeraatpisheh Mojtaba , Karimi Alireza , Sareban Gholamhossein , Wang Lin
Published: February 2022

Monitoring the soil quality (SQ) in agricultural ecosystems is necessary for using sustainable soil and land resources. Therefore, to evaluate the SQ variation in an arid environment in the Bajestan region, northeastern Iran, two soil quality indices (weighted additive soil quality index-SQIw and nemoro soil quality index-SQIn) were applied. SQIs were assessed in two datasets (total data set-TDS and minimum data set-MDS) by linear (L) and nonlinear (NL) scoring methods. Physicochemical properties of 223 surface soil samples (0–30 cm depth) were determined. The random forest (RF) model was used to predict the spatial variation of SQIs. The results showed the maximum values of the SQIs in areas with saffron land covers, while the minimum values were acquired in the north of the study area where pistachio orchards are located due to higher EC and SAR. The environmental variables such as topographic attributes and groundwater quality parameters were the main driving factors that control SQIs distribution. These findings are beneficial for identifying suitable locations sites to plan agricultural management and sustainable usage of groundwater resources strategy to avoid further increase of soil salinity.
Rapeseed Morpho-Physio-Biochemical Responses to Drought Stress Induced by PEG-6000
Authors: Batool Maria , El-Badri Ali Mahmoud , Wang Zongkai , Mohamed Ibrahim A. A. , Yang Haiyun , Ai Xueying , Salah Akram , Hassan Muhammad Umair , Sami Rokayya , Kuai Jie , Wang Bo , Zhou Guangsheng
Published: February 2022

Rapeseed is a valuable oil crop due to its high nutritious value and ample oil content. The current study provides a comparative analysis of 24 cultivars to better understand the performance and predict the adaptative mechanisms of drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive cultivars based on germination and morphophysiological traits during the early seedling stage using PEG-6000 simulated drought conditions. JYZ 158 and FY 520 (tolerant cultivars) and YG 2009 and NZ 1838 (sensitive cultivars) were selected to further explore the role of osmolytes and enzymatic activity in improving drought tolerance. This investigation illustrated that drought stress negatively influenced all studied cultivars; however, the degree of influence was different for each cultivar, suggesting their different potential for drought tolerance. Moreover, enzymatic and osmoregulatory mechanisms were highly efficient in tolerant cultivars compared to sensitive cultivars. Additionally, tolerant cultivars showed higher chlorophyll and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) contents versus sensitive cultivars under drought stress conditions. Higher drought tolerance coincided with higher enzymatic activity and osmolyte content. This work showed that JYZ 158 and FY 520 cultivars had higher drought tolerance, and might be a significant germplasm resource for breeding programs developing drought-tolerant rapeseed.
Exploring Different Pretreatment Methodologies for Allowing Microalgae Growth in Undiluted Piggery Wastewater
Authors: Ferreira Alice , Figueiredo Daniel , Cardeiras Rodrigo , Nabais Rui , Ferreira Francisca , Ribeiro Belina , Cordovil Cláudia M. d. S. , Acién F. Gabriel , Gouveia Luisa
Published: February 2022

The overapplication of manure on agricultural soils leads to nitrogen and phosphorus discharge into the aquatic environment, resulting in serious eutrophication problems and decreased water quality. Piggery wastewater (PWW) can be treated by microalgae to recycle nutrients, but the toxic levels of ammonia and organic matter hinder their growth. Fresh water is usually used to dilute PWW, but it is a scarce resource. The implementation of a pretreatment step before microalgae-based treatment could make PWW suitable for microalgae growth. Electrocoagulation, ammonia stripping, photo-Fenton, and constructed wetlands were evaluated as pretreatment methods to reduce ammonia, chemical oxygen demand (COD), color, and total suspended solids. Moreover, the pretreated PWWs were tested to grow the microalga Tetradesmus obliquus. Photo-Fenton showed the best results among the other pretreatments, achieving removal efficiencies above 90%, except for ammonia. This resulted in T. obliquus being capable of growing on undiluted PWW, even at higher ammonia levels, achieving similar biomass productivity to synthetic medium (66.4 ± 17.8 mg·L−1·day−1 and 60.1 ± 10.4 mg·L−1·day−1, respectively) almost doubling with pH control (116.5 mg·L−1·day−1). Thus, this pretreatment seems to be the most promising one to incorporate into microalgae-based treatment systems and must be further explored.
Analysis of Turbulent Air Flow Characteristics Due to the Presence of a 13 × 30 Threads·cm−2 Insect Proof Screen on the Side Windows of a Mediterranean Greenhouse
Authors: López-Martínez Alejandro , Granados-Ortiz Francisco-Javier , Molina-Aiz Francisco , Lai Choi-Hong , Moreno-Teruel María , Valera-Martínez Diego
Published: February 2022

Insect-proof screens are a frequent passive method to restrict the entrance of insects into greenhouses. However, the installation of these screens also has a negative effect on natural ventilation, which is reflected in the turbulence and velocity of the airflow inside the greenhouse. The turbulent characteristics of airflow through an insect-proof screen installed in the greenhouse windows have not been studied thoroughly in the literature. The present work focuses on the use of two simultaneous 3D sonic anemometers to study the impact of the use of a 13 × 30 threads·cm−2 insect-proof screen on the turbulence properties of the micro and microscale airflow turbulence. Four tests have been carried out in windward-oriented side windows of a Mediterranean greenhouse. Results demonstrate that the approach of using two simultaneous 3D sonic anemometers for the first time allows one to observe that the effect is different for the three components of the velocity vector field, and there is a strong connection between the simultaneous conditions inside and outside of the greenhouse. Useful information and data on the effect of using a 13 × 30 threads·cm−2 insect-proof screen are also provided. To give details on the impact of screens in the turbulent properties of ventilation is essential for any commercial distribution, as well as providing important data in the design and development of more efficient insect-proof screens.
A Reversible Automatic Selection Normalization (RASN) Deep Network for Predicting in the Smart Agriculture System
Authors: Jin Xuebo , Zhang Jiashuai , Kong Jianlei , Su Tingli , Bai Yuting
Published: February 2022

Due to the nonlinear modeling capabilities, deep learning prediction networks have become widely used for smart agriculture. Because the sensing data has noise and complex nonlinearity, it is still an open topic to improve its performance. This paper proposes a Reversible Automatic Selection Normalization (RASN) network, integrating the normalization and renormalization layer to evaluate and select the normalization module of the prediction model. The prediction accuracy has been improved effectively by scaling and translating the input with learnable parameters. The application results of the prediction show that the model has good prediction ability and adaptability for the greenhouse in the Smart Agriculture System.
Design and Analysis of a Flexible Adaptive Supporting Device for Banana Harvest
Authors: Xie Bowei , Jin Mohui , Duan Jieli , Yang Zhou , Xu Shengquan , Luo Yukang , Wang Haojie
Published: February 2022

Currently, banana harvest still relies on manual operation with high labor intensity. With an aging global population, it is important to develop a machine to replace the manual harvesting of bananas to increase sustainability. In the area of robotic fruit harvest, most of the existing studies have used one single manipulator to grip the fruit. However, unlike other fruits, the weight of a banana bunch (25–40 kg) would be too heavy for one single manipulator. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a flexible supporting device, which was introduced to cooperate with the manipulator to complete banana harvest. The supporting device was designed to hold the bottom and the weight of the banana bunch. It included two parts: the flexible contact part and the height difference self-adjusting part. The shape adaptability, size adaptability, and height difference adaptability of the proposed supporting device were studied in this paper. The process of supporting bananas was also simulated and analyzed. The stiffness and stress properties of the device during this process were studied. The results showed that the flexible supporting device had a good adaptive performance for supporting different shapes and sizes of objects. During the supporting process, the device worked stably and reliably and caused small stress on the banana skin. Finally, a prototype of the supporting device was used to further verify the performance of the device. This research can promote the mechanization and automation progress of the harvesting of such a complex crop as bananas.
Ex Vitro Rooting and Simultaneous Micrografting of the Walnut Hybrid Rootstock ‘Paradox’ (Juglans hindsi × Juglans regia) cl. ‘Vlach’
Authors: Ribeiro Hugo , Ribeiro Augusto , Pires Rita , Cruz João , Cardoso Hélia , Barroso João Mota , Peixe Augusto
Published: February 2022

In vitro micropropagation is already a current multiplication tool for walnut self-rooted cultivars and rootstocks, but walnut grafting is still performed in the field or in greenhouses, mainly using seedlings as rootstocks. The present work describes a new approach to obtain clonal walnut-grafted plants, involving in vitro shoot production of ‘Paradox’ (Juglans hindsi × Juglans regia) cl. ’Vlach’, to be used as rootstock, and J. regia cv. ‘Chandler’, to be used as scion. After completing the in vitro multiplication phase and a seven-day root induction treatment, ‘Vlach’ explants are transferred to ex vitro conditions for root expression while being simultaneously grafted using the in vitro produced ‘Chandler’ scions. The importance of the presence of leaves on both the scion and the rootstock for the success rate of the technique was evaluated. Under optimal conditions, average success rates of 82% for rootstock rooting, 72% for micrografting survival, and 84% for grafted plant acclimatization were achieved. This rooting/grafting combination technique seems able to compete with the traditional techniques of nursery grafting, allowing obtaining high-quality walnut-grafted plants independently of the external weather conditions in a significantly shorter time.