bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vaccination with SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccines reduced the risk of anxiety and depression in a population majored by health care workers during the recent omicron variant outbreak
Authors: Zhao Hong , Yu Xia , Ye Wenyi , Wang Runzhu , Sheng Jifang , Shi Yu
Published: November 2022

Background

The mental health status of the population majored by health care workers in China during the omicron variant outbreak remains unknown. Furthermore, the effect of COVID-19-inactivated vaccines on mental health is yet to be investigated.

Methods

A cross-sectional, online survey study was conducted from 12–20 April, 2022. The prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results

Responses from a total of 1,387 participants were analyzed, 39.7% of which reported symptoms of mental health illness. The incidence of anxiety (30.4% vs. 48.4%, p < 0.001) and depression (27.1% vs. 46.3%, p < 0.001) decreased with COVID-19 inactivated vaccination. From multivariate analysis, living in Shanghai (anxiety: Odds ratio [OR]: 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–2.19, p = 0.006; depression: OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.16–2.25, p = 0.005), with a mental illness (anxiety: OR: 8.97, 95% CI: 1.01–79.56, p = 0.049; depression: OR: 9.32, 95% CI: 1.06–82.30, p = 0.045) increased the incidence of anxiety and depression. Elderly participants (anxiety: OR: 0.986, 95% CI: 0.975–0.997, p = 0.012; depression: OR: 0.976, 95% CI: 0.965–0.987, p < 0.001) who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 (anxiety: OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.32–0.75, p = 0.001; depression: OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.29–0.69, p < 0.001) had decreased incidences of anxiety and depression.

Conclusion

Our findings increase the awareness of the high incidence of mental health illness symptoms during the omicron variant outbreak despite previous experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, and vaccination is suggested to reduce the risk of anxiety and depression.
Prevalence and correlates of mental illness among inmates in North-western Ethiopia: A new look into the roles of rehabilitation service use
Authors: Yesuf Yassin Mohammed , Birhan Amlaku Alemu , Birara Addisu Gedlu , Adimas Bewket Dereje , Bezabh Abebe Bahiru , Agmase Nega Gedefaw
Published: November 2022

Data on the magnitude of mental illnesses and associated factors among inmates in Ethiopia, in general and in the Amhara region in particular are scarce. The available studies either focused on specific type of mental illness or include inmates from a single correctional center and leave aside the role of rehabilitation service use in inmates’ mental illness. Therefore, the present study was conducted to look into the prevalence of mental illnesses and to examine the associated demographic, imprisonment related and rehabilitation service use related factors among inmates in Northwestern Ethiopia. The study employed cross-sectional, descriptive and explanatory research design where data was collected from 422 inmates from three randomly selected prisons. Inmates’ mental illness was assessed using the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Frequency, percentage, bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze the collected data. In the study it was revealed that 74.6% of the inmates in Northwestern Ethiopia have mental illnesses. Feeling unhappy, difficulty to play important role in life, headaches and bad sleep were experienced by majority of the respondents. Male inmates (AOR = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.07–5.37) and inmates who participate in the educational training services (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.36–3.55) were found to have higher chances of having mental illnesses. On the other hand, inmates who participate in life skill training programs (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.28–0.74) and inmates who participate in recreational and cultural activities (AOR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.14–0.46) were found to have lower odds of developing mental illnesses. A high prevalence of mental illnesses among inmates was found in Northwestern Ethiopia and inmates’ participation in rehabilitation services were important correlates of their mental health. Thus, prison administrators and policy makers need to conduct large scale studies and develop tailored interventions that could reform the rehabilitation services provisions, including mental health service provisions.
“Doing good and feeling good” Relationship between authentic leadership with followers' work engagement: The mediating role of hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing
Authors: Farid Tahir , Iqbal Sadaf , Basahal Abdulrahman S. , Khattak Amira , Khan Muhammad Khalil , Salam Mohammad Asif
Published: November 2022

The positive behavioral style of authentic leadership has attracted academicians' and practitioners' attention to focus more on a healthy workplace environment and its influence on followers' valued workplace relationship outcomes, such as employees' work engagement. From the lens of social exchange perspective, we tested a unified model of authentic leadership and its influence on the followers' wellbeing (hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing) and work engagement. We also examined the mediating role of hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing on followers' work engagement. Using a time-lagged design, we collected data from 250 telecom sector workers employed in the capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan. The results indicate the positive influence of authentic leadership on followers' work engagement and employees' hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. Hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing also positively mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and followers' work engagement. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are also discussed.
Hepatic dysfunctions in COVID-19 patients infected by the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Zhang Jianguo , Zhao Daguo , Hu Jianhui , Huang Xing , Gu Qingqing , Tao Zhimin
Published: November 2022

Background

Presently, the omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) dominates amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but its clinical characteristics with intrinsic severity and organ tropism remain understudied.

Methods

We reported 1,001 mild COVID-19 patients that were infected with the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and hospitalized in China from February to June 2022, including their demographic information, medical/immunization history, clinical symptom, and hematological profile. Patients with one-, two- and three-dose vaccination were compared to assess the vaccine effectiveness. Importantly, liver damage caused by the omicron variant infection was evaluated, in comparison to that caused by the wild-type or the delta variant SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Results

For the reported COVID-19 patients infected by the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, their median age was 36.0 [interquartile range (IQR): 26.0-50.0] and 49.7% were female. Hypertension, diabetes, and bronchitis were the leading comorbidities, and asymptomatic patients took up a major portion (61.2%). While most hematological parameters revealed the alleviated pathogenicity, full vaccination or booster shot showed effective protection against clinical severity. Furthermore, liver damages caused by viral infection of the omicron variant were largely attenuated when compared to those by infection of the wild-type or the delta variant SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusions

Our results supported that the viremic effect of the omicron variant tended to be modest, while the liver damage caused by this strain became milder than the previous circulating variants.
Iron-folic acid adherence and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Metema District, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Yismaw Ayenew Engida , Tulu Helen Bekele , Kassie Fisseha Yetwale , Araya Bilen Mekonnen
Published: November 2022

Background

Iron deficiency accounts for about half of anemia cases worldwide. Iron and folate supplementation can effectively control and prevent anemia during pregnancy. Despite the efforts to reduce iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy, only a few women took an iron supplement as recommended. The aim of this study is to assess adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation and associated factors.

Methods

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 to May 31, 2021, among pregnant women attending the antenatal care clinic at Metema district governmental health institutions. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Epi info version 7.1 and SPSS 20 were used for data entry and analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with iron-folic acid supplementation for pregnant women. Significant associations were determined based on the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence, with a p-value < 0.05.

Results

The proportion of pregnant women adhering to iron-folic acid supplementation was 34.9% (95% CI: 31, 38.8%). Maternal educational status [AOR = 6.09, 95% CI (3.26, 11.4)], time of first antenatal consultation [AOR = 1.95, 95% CI (1.25, 3.06)], having good knowledge of iron with folic acid supplementation [AOR = 2.80, 95% CI (1.83, 4.28)], having a good understanding of anemia [AOR = 1.61, 95% CI (1.06, 2.43)], and a history of anemia during current pregnancy [AOR = 2.31, 95% CI (1.36, 3.94)] were factors affecting iron-folic acid supplementation adherence.

Conclusions

Iron-folic acid supplementation adherence was low in the study area. Increasing maternal awareness, having good knowledge about the benefits of iron-folate supplements, and early registration to antenatal care were positive determinants of iron with folic acid adherence.
Superposed epoch analysis using time-normalization: A Python tool for statistical event analysis
Authors: Walton Samuel D. , Murphy Kyle R.
Published: November 2022

A superposed epoch analysis (SEA) is a simple, yet powerful statistical analysis technique, used to identify patterns in the temporal evolution of observed quantities relative to defined epochs. In some cases, the event duration and time between epochs (epoch length) can be highly variable. If the measured response scales with the event duration or epoch length, then the underlying temporal patterns can be suppressed when analyzed in absolute time. In this article, we describe an adaptation of the traditional SEA, where we apply time-normalization to each event and present a Python package sea_norm which implements the time-normalized SEA. Rather than defining a singular epoch time, a start, epoch, and end time are defined for each event, separating each event into two intervals. For every event, the duration of both intervals is normalized to a common time axis, essentially stretching or compressing each interval, such that each respective epoch interval is the same length for all events. This technique has the advantage of identifying temporal patterns not observed in a traditional SEA. Given a time series, a list of event start, epoch, and end times, and specified binning dimensions the Python package sea_norm returns a time-normalized SEA analysis of the time-series. This technique is widely applicable across the Space Physics field, where events have defined start and end times, and where the response to those events may scale proportionally with event length. We provide examples demonstrating how the SEA code works with one-dimensional and two-dimensional time series, and how users can specify their own statistics to use in the superposed analysis (e.g., percentiles).
Next generation magnetic field measurements from low-earth orbit satellites enable enhanced space weather operations
Authors: Le Guan , Knipp Delores J. , Rastätter Lutz , Lu Gang , Ozturk Dogacan Su , Slavin James A. , Maute Astrid , Klenzing Jeffrey , Zou Shasha , Espley Jared R. , Purucker Michael , Akhavan-Tafti Mojtaba , Poh Gang Kai , Wang Zihan
Published: November 2022

Large-scale current systems in the ionosphere and the magnetosphere are intimately controlled by the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction and the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. During space weather events, these currents reconfigure and intensify significantly in response to enhanced solar wind-magnetosphere interaction, facilitating explosive energy input from the magnetosphere into the ionosphere-thermosphere system and inducing electric current surges in electric power systems on the ground. Therefore, measurements of magnetic manifestations associated with the dynamic changes of the current systems are crucial for specifying the energy input into the ionosphere-thermosphere system, understanding energy dissipation mechanisms, and predicting the severity of their space weather impacts. We investigate the potential uses of high-quality magnetic field data for space weather operations and propose real-time data products from next generation constellation missions that enable improved space weather forecasting and mitigation.
Examining whether affectively-charged motivations predict subsequent affective response during physical activity: An ecological momentary assessment study
Authors: Do Bridgette , Rhodes Ryan E. , Kanning Martina , Hewus Micaela , Dunton Genevieve F.
Published: November 2022

Background

Evidence suggests positive affective response during physical activity increases the likelihood of engaging in and maintaining regular activity exercise in the future. Elucidating antecedents for a positive affective response may help identify intervention strategies to increase activity. Affectively-charged motivations (e.g., desires, urges, dreading) have been posited as proximal antecedents to physical activity but have yet to be examined in terms of their influence on affective response in real-world settings. The current study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine within-subject effects of pre-physical activity affectively-charged motivation on subsequent affective response during physical activity.

Methods

Participants included 56 adults (M= 39.18 years,SD= 11.98; 67.86% female) who completed a 14-day smartphone-based EMA study. Prior to starting physical activity (timet), participants self-initiated an event-contingent EMA survey that assessed affectively-charged motivation for physical activity (i.e., rating scale from “dreading it” to “excited to do it”). EMA surveys prompted during subsequent physical activity (timet+ 15 min) assessed affective response (i.e., feeling good—bad, energized—exhausted, thrilled—miserable, interested—bored, and relaxed—nervous). Multi-level linear regression models examined within-subject effects of pre- physical activity affectively-charged motivations on subsequent affective response during physical activity controlling for between-subjects effects of affectively-charged motivation, age, biological sex, time of day, and day of the week.

Results

Overall, there wereN= 304 physical activity occasions in the analysis (M= 5.43,SD= 3.97). When individuals reported more positive affectively-charged motivation for physical activity than usual before physical activity occasions, they reported feeling more energized (Estimate = 0.22,p< 0.001), good (Estimate = 0.25,p< 0.001), thrilled (Estimate = 0.12,p= 0.02), and interested (Estimate = 0.24,p< 0.001) during subsequent physical activity. Affectively-charged motivation was not associated with feeling more relaxed (Estimate = 0.11,p= 0.13) during subsequent physical activity.

Conclusion

Momentary affectively-charged motivations predicted more positive affective response during subsequent physical activity among active adults. Future research can explore potential sources of intraindividual differences in affectively-charged motivations and further examine these associations with future physical activity behavior. To improve positive affective responses, interventions may boost affectively-charged motivations through real-time mobile prompting in naturalistic settings.
Captivity and geography influence the antibiotic resistome of non-human primates
Authors: Huang Hongli
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat for animals and humans health worldwide. Yet a comprehensive exploration of the influence of captivity and geography on non-human primate (NPH) gut antibiotic resistance remains incomplete.

Methods

In this study, 131 metagenomic sequencing datasets of five species of NHPs included different regions and lifestyles were selected to perform the antibiotic resistance analysis.

Results

Nineteen related resistance antibiotics and 325 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were obtained. A significantly higher abundance and diversity index of ARGs in the captive NHPs than in the wild was found but not for all of the samples. The biomarker-tracking of ARGs analysis identified key ARGs related to aminoglycoside resistance genes and tetracycline resistance genes.

Discussion

These results suggest that captivity and geography changes associated with human activities can lead to marked changes in the ecology of the NHP gut flora ARGs.
Establishment and characterization of the immortalized porcine lung-derived mononuclear phagocyte cell line
Authors: Takenouchi Takato , Masujin Kentaro , Suzuki Shunichi , Haraguchi Seiki , Hiramatsu Kanae , Kokuho Takehiro , Uenishi Hirohide
Published: November 2022

Mononuclear phagocytes (MNP), including monocytes, dendritic cells (DC), and macrophages, play critical roles in innate immunity. MNP are abundant in the lungs and contribute to host defense against airborne agents and pulmonary immune homeostasis. In this study, we isolated porcine lung-derived MNP (PLuM) from primary cultures of parenchymal lung cells and then immortalized them by transferring the SV40 large T antigen gene and porcine telomerase reverse transcriptase gene using lentiviral vectors. The established cell line, immortalized PLuM (IPLuM), expressed DC/macrophage markers; i.e., CD163, CD172a, and major histocompatibility complex class II, whereas they did not express a porcine monocyte-specific marker, CD52. The expression patterns of these cell surface markers indicate that IPLuM originate from the DC/macrophage lineage rather than the monocyte lineage. The bacterial cell wall components muramyl dipeptide and lipopolysaccharide induced the production of the interleukin-1 family of pro-inflammatory cytokines in IPLuM. Phagocytotic activity was also detected by time-lapse fluorescence imaging of live cells when IPLuM were cultured in the presence of pHrodo dye-conjugated E. coli BioParticles. It is worth noting that IPLuM are susceptible to African swine fever virus infection and support the virus' efficient replication in vitro. Taken together, the IPLuM cell line may be a useful model for investigating host-agent interactions in the respiratory microenvironments of the porcine lung.
Immune Profiling of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells at Pancreas Acute Rejection Episodes in Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Recipients
Authors: Rovira Jordi , Ramirez-Bajo Maria Jose , Bañón-Maneus Elisenda , Hierro-Garcia Natalia , Lazo-Rodriguez Marta , Piñeiro Gaston J. , Montagud-Marrahi Enrique , Cucchiari David , Revuelta Ignacio , Cuatrecasas Miriam , Campistol Josep M. , Ricart Maria Jose , Diekmann Fritz , Garcia-Criado Angeles , Ventura-Aguiar Pedro
Published: November 2022

Profiling of circulating immune cells provides valuable insight to the pathophysiology of acute rejection in organ transplantation. Herein we characterized the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant recipients. We conducted a retrospective analysis in a biopsy-matched cohort (n = 67) and compared patients with biopsy proven acute rejection (BPAR; 41%) to those without rejection (No-AR). We observed that CD3+ T cells, both CD8+ and CD4+, as well as CD19+ B cells were increased in patients with BPAR, particularly in biopsies performed in the early post-transplant period (<3 months). During this period immune subsets presented a good discriminative ability (CD4+ AUC 0.79; CD8+ AUC 0.80; B cells AUC 0.86; p < 0.05) and outperformed lipase (AUC 0.62; p = 0.12) for the diagnosis of acute rejection. We further evaluated whether this could be explained by differences in frequencies prior to transplantation. Patients presenting with early post-transplant rejection (<3 months) had a significant increase in T-cell frequencies pre-transplant, both CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells (p < 0.01), which were associated with a significant inferior rejection-free graft survival. T cell frequencies in peripheral blood correlated with pancreas acute rejection episodes, and variations prior to transplantation were associated with pancreas early acute rejection.
Unrelated Parallel Machine Scheduling with Job and Machine Acceptance and Renewable Resource Allocation
Authors: Olteanu Alexandru-Liviu , Sevaux Marc , Ziaee Mohsen
Published: November 2022

In this paper, an unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with job (product) and machine acceptance and renewable resource constraints was considered. The main idea of this research was to establish a production facility without (or with minimum) investment in machinery, equipment, and location. This problem can be applied to many real problems. The objective was to maximize the net profit; that is, the total revenue minus the total cost, including fixed costs of jobs, job transportation costs, renting costs of machines, renting cost of resources, and transportation costs of resources. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model and several heuristics (greedy, GRASP, and simulated annealing) are presented to solve the problem.
Generalizing the Alpha-Divergences and the Oriented Kullback–Leibler Divergences with Quasi-Arithmetic Means
Authors: Nielsen Frank
Published: November 2022

The family of α-divergences including the oriented forward and reverse Kullback–Leibler divergences is often used in signal processing, pattern recognition, and machine learning, among others. Choosing a suitable α-divergence can either be done beforehand according to some prior knowledge of the application domains or directly learned from data sets. In this work, we generalize the α-divergences using a pair of strictly comparable weighted means. Our generalization allows us to obtain in the limit case α→1 the 1-divergence, which provides a generalization of the forward Kullback–Leibler divergence, and in the limit case α→0, the 0-divergence, which corresponds to a generalization of the reverse Kullback–Leibler divergence. We then analyze the condition for a pair of weighted quasi-arithmetic means to be strictly comparable and describe the family of quasi-arithmetic α-divergences including its subfamily of power homogeneous α-divergences. In particular, we study the generalized quasi-arithmetic 1-divergences and 0-divergences and show that these counterpart generalizations of the oriented Kullback–Leibler divergences can be rewritten as equivalent conformal Bregman divergences using strictly monotone embeddings. Finally, we discuss the applications of these novel divergences to k-means clustering by studying the robustness property of the centroids.
Characterization and Testing of the Passive Magnetic Attitude Control System for the 3U AstroBio CubeSat
Authors: Carletta Stefano , Nascetti Augusto , Gosikere Matadha Sagar S. , Iannascoli Lorenzo , Baratto de Albuquerque Thiago , Maipan Davis Nithin , Schirone Luigi , Impresario Gabriele , Pirrotta Simone , Brucato John R.
Published: November 2022

AstroBio CubeSat is a mission funded by the Italian Space Agency aimed at validating novel lab-on-chip technology, that would enable the use of micro- and nanosatellites as autonomous orbiting laboratories for research in astrobiology. This 3U CubeSat is equipped with a passive magnetic attitude control system (PMACS), including permanent magnets and hysteresis strips, which allows for stabilizing the spacecraft with the longitudinal axis in the direction of the geomagnetic field vector. This work presents the process followed for the experimental characterization of the system, performed on the engineering unit of the satellite by using a Helmholtz cage facility and a spherical air-bearing to recreate environmental conditions similar to the ones experienced during the orbital motion. The hysteresis strips are characterized starting from the determination of the hysteresis loop, from which the energy dissipation per cycle and the apparent magnetic permeability are extracted. Tests performed by using the Helmholtz cage and the air-bearing facility allows for further investigating the damping torque produced by the PMACS and validating the abovementioned parameters. Numerical analysis is then used to select the number of permanent magnets which allows for achieving a pointing accuracy within an error of 10∘ within 24 h from the deployment. The analysis of the flight data supports the results obtained from the experimental test campaigns, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed methods and of the PMACS design.
Effect of Mycorrhiza Fungi, Preceding Crops, Mineral and Bio Fertilizers on Maize Intercropping with Cowpea
Authors: Zen El-Dein Atef A. M. , Koriem Mohamed H. M. , Alsubeie Moodi Saham , Alsalmi Reem A. , Masrahi Abdurrahman S. , Al-Harbi Nadi Awad , Al-Qahtani Salem Mesfir , Awad-Allah Mamdouh M. A. , Hefny Yaser A. A.
Published: November 2022

One filed experiment was carried out to study the effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza fungi and three preceding winter crops, i.e., Meskawy cultivar of Egyptian clover berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), Careem cultivar of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and Sakha 94 cultivar of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and five fertilizer combinations as treatments of NPK mineral and bio fertilizer which included 100% NPK (T1), 75% NPK + arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMFs) (T2), 50% NPK + arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMFs) (T3), 75% NPK + mycrobein (T4) and 50% NPK + mycrobein (T5) on maize intercropping with cowpea. The results showed that berseem was the best as a preceding crop and gave the highest values of maize and cowpea, followed by sugar beet as a preceding crop. While wheat recorded the lowest values. Fertilizer treatments had significant effect on all maize and cowpea traits. The treatment 75% NPK + arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMFs) (T2) gave the highest values. Meanwhile, no significant differences were found between fertilizer treatments T1 (100% NPK mineral) and T2 (75% NPK + arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMFs)) combination on all studied characters of maize. The interaction had a significant effect on most studied characters of maize and cowpea in the two growing seasons. The cultivation of the two components of intercropping after berseem with T2 fertilizer recorded the highest values. Mixing the third cut of cowpea with maize straw increased significantly the quality and digestibility of forge in both seasons. Planting after berseem and T2 fertilizer gave the highest values as yield advantageous for land equivalent ratio (LER) and relative crowding coefficient (K) which recorded 1.51 and 1.6 and 9.45 and 15.35 in the first and second seasons, respectively. The increases in net return were 3955.67 and 5062.50 L.E., which equates to a percentage of 34.25 and 44.71%, by cultivation intercropping component after berseem and T2 fertilizer treatment (75% NPK + arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMFs)) compared with maize pure stand in first and second seasons, respectively.
Effect of Aeration on Blockage Regularity and Microbial Diversity of Blockage Substance in Drip Irrigation Emitter
Authors: Li Peng , Li Hao , Li Jinshan , Huang Xiuqiao , Liu Yang , Jiang Yue
Published: November 2022

Aerated drip irrigation is rendered as a new water-saving irrigation method based on drip irrigation technology, which is endowed with the function of effectively alleviating the problem of rhizosphere hypoxia in crop soil, enhancing the utilization rate of water and fertilizer; as a result, it improves the harvest and quality of crops. However, clogged emitters are important indexes, among others, that pose an influence to the service effect and life duration of drip irrigation systems. At present, the working principle and mechanism of the influence of air feeding on the blockage of drip irrigation emitters remain unclear. Therefore, based on the two gas filling methods of the micro/nano bubble generator and Venturi injector, the dynamic change process for the average flow ratio of an air-filled drip irrigation emitter was studied by the method of emitter plugging test. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to analyze the microbial diversity of the emitter plugs. The results show that the air injection can pose influence on the clogging procedure of drip irrigation emitters, and more importantly, it makes the distribution of blocked emitters more uniform, thus improving the uniformity of the system. Different filling methods have different effects on the blockage of the emitter. Among them, the blockage time of drip irrigation system under the micro/nano aerated drip irrigation (MAI) mode is 5.73 times longer than that under unaerated drip irrigation (UVI), and similarly, Venturi gas drip irrigation (VAI) is close to that under UVI. The filling method changed the microbial diversity of the blockage in the emitter. Among them, the number of operational taxonomic unit (OTU) unique to MAI was 2.1 times that of UVI, and the number of OTU unique to VAI was 1.3 times that of UVI. Meanwhile, gas addition will inhibit the growth of Nitrospirae and Proteobacteria microbial communities and promote the growth of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria microbial communities. Furthermore, the increase in microbial extracellular polymer in the plugging material of the emitter was inhibited and the plugging process of the emitter was slowed down. The research results are of great significance in the disclosure of the clogging mechanism of drip irrigation emitter and constructing the green, anti-blockage technology of aerated drip irrigation.
Heat and Mass Transfer Kinetics on the Chemical and Sensory Quality of Arabica Coffee Beans
Authors: Debona Danieli Grancieri , Louvem Renata Falqueto , Luz José Maria Rodrigues da , Nariyoshi Yuri Nascimento , Castro Eustaquio Vinicius Ribeiro de , Oliveira Emanuele Catarina da Silva , Guarconi Rogerio Carvalho , Castro Marina Gomes de , Oliveira Gustavo Falquetto de , Partelli Fábio Luiz , Silva Marliane de Cássia Soares da , Bellon Ademilson Pelengrino , Pereira Lucas Louzada
Published: November 2022

Roasting has been used by the coffee industry to promote changes in the physical and chemical structure of coffee beans that influence the sensory quality of coffee beverages. However, there are no standardization rules for the temperature and roasting time. Thus, this study evaluated the influence of four roasting profiles obtained by two different roasters on the chemical and sensory quality of the coffee bean. Baked, light, medium, and dark roasting were evaluated using medium infrared spectroscopy and cupping test. Individual and joint effects of temperature and time for each roasting profile were observed on the loss of grain mass. There are specific regions in the infrared spectrum that can be used as markers to discriminate the roasting profiles and the type of roaster used. Despite the difference observed in the ranges of the infrared spectra, the roasters did not present significant differences in the average of the final sensory notes. This result shows the need to use analytical chemical techniques together with sensory analysis in order to better determine differences between coffee samples. Therefore, differences observed in the chemical analyzes and in the sensory attributes of roasted coffee are related to the roasting profile and type of roaster.
Comparative Effect of Allicin and Alcoholic Garlic Extract on the Morphology and Infectivity of Eimeria tenella Oocysts in Chickens
Authors: Abd-ELrahman Salwa Mahmoud , Mohamed Sara Abdel-Aal , Mohamed Samar Elsayed , El-Khadragy Manal F. , Dyab Ahmed Kamal , Hamad Nashwa , Safwat Marwa M. , Nasr Asmaa A. E. , Alkhaldi Abdulsalam A. M. , Gareh Ahmed , Elmahallawy Ehab Kotb
Published: November 2022

Avian coccidiosis remains one of the major parasitic diseases that threaten the global poultry industry. Since prevention is superior to treatment, this study focuses on eliminating the infection outside the host. To determine their effect on the viability of Eimeria tenella oocysts in vitro, allicin and alcoholic garlic extract, which are natural, less toxic, and inexpensive products, were compared to KOH 5% (chemical disinfectant) using an in vitro culture system. Three concentrations of allicin (45, 90, and 180 mg/mL) and alcoholic garlic extract (90, 180, and 360 mg/mL, were used. Subsequently, destructive and sporulation-inhibiting effects on Eimeria oocysts were detected using light and electron microscopy. Young chickens were infected with treated sporulated oocysts to determine their effect on infectivity. After 7 days pi, the percentage of excreted oocysts (oocyst shedding) was determined, and the chickens were slaughtered for histopathological examination of the cecal tissues. Under an electron microscope, allicin at a concentration of 180 mg/mL and alcoholic garlic extract at a concentration of 360 mg/mL demonstrate a high oocysticidal activity with severe destruction of the oocyst wall and the appearance of pores. In addition, both concentrations directly affected the infectivity of sporulated oocysts by reducing the shedding of oocysts and the pathological lesions of infected young chickens. We concluded that the ability of Allicin and alcoholic garlic extract to eliminate Eimeria oocysts makes them superior to chemical disinfectants as a disinfectant.
Comparative Study of the Expression Profiles of miRNAs of Milk-Derived Exosomes of Yak and Jeryak
Authors: Ren Wenwen , Zhang Yongfeng , Dingkao Renqing , Huang Chun , Ma Xiaoming , Wu Xiaoyun , La Yongfu , Chu Min , Bao Pengjia , Guo Xian , Pei Jie , Yan Ping , Liang Chunnian
Published: November 2022

The Jeryak is the hybrid offspring of yaks and Jersey cattle and exhibit improved milk and meat yields. Biomolecules carried within milk exosomes are important for cell growth, development, immune regulation, and various pathophysiological processes. Previous studies showed that miRNAs regulate mammary gland development, lactation, and milk quality. This study explored the relationship between milk exosomes miRNAs and lactation performance. A comparison of the milk content showed that yak milk was of a better quality compared to Jeryak milk (casein, fat, TS, SNF, lactose). Milk collected in December was superior to that collected in June for both yak and Jeryak, except for lactose concentrations. Exosomes were extracted by density gradient centrifugation and miRNA expression profiles in milk exosomes from three yaks and three Jeryaks collected in June and December were detected by small RNA sequencing. In all, 22, 120, 78, and 62 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified in Jun_ JY vs. Jun_ Y (P1: Jeryak in June vs. Yak in June), Jun_ JY vs. Dec_ JY (P2: Jeryak in June vs. Jeryak in December), Dec_ JY vs. Dec_ Y (P3: Jeryak in December vs. Yak in December), and Jun_ Y vs. Dec_ Y (P4: Yak in June vs. Yak in December) groups. These DEMs were enriched in functions and signaling pathways related to lactation performance. In conclusion, these findings are a reference tool to study the molecular basis of lactation performance.
Outcome of Acquired Fanconi Syndrome Associated with Ingestion of Jerky Treats in 30 Dogs
Authors: Nybroe Stinna , Bjørnvad Charlotte R. , Hansen Camilla F. H. , Andersen Tenna S. L. , Kieler Ida N.
Published: November 2022

Acquired canine proximal renal tubulopathy (Fanconi syndrome) related to excessive ingestion of jerky treats has been recognized since 2007. This study aimed to improve knowledge about the syndrome’s characteristics, especially long-term outcome. By reaching out to veterinarians and dog owners, dogs suspected of jerky induced Fanconi syndrome were identified. The dog’s medical records were reviewed, and owners interviewed. Data was analyzed using linear mixed models (p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant) and descriptive statistics are reported. Thirty dogs, median body weight 6.8 (range 1.2–59) kg and age 6.5 (0.5–14) years, were enrolled as suspected cases based on history of jerkey ingestion and confirmed normoglycemic/hypoglycemic glycosuria. Clinical signs included polydipsia (23/30), polyuria (21/30), lethargy (19/30), weight loss (15/30), hyporexia (11/30), vomiting (7/30), diarrhea (7/30) and no clinical signs (2/30). Para-clinical findings included azotemia (6/28), hypophosphatemia (9/25), metabolic acidosis (3/8), hypokalemia (6/20), proteinuria (13/26), aminoaciduria (4/4), hematuria (22/29) and ketonuria (7/27). Clinical signs resolved in 22/28 within 11 (0.3–52) weeks and glycosuria resolved in 28/30 within 6.5 (1–31) weeks. There were no associations between serum creatinine and urea and the amount/duration of jerky ingestion. Serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentrations were only available for a few dogs, therefore no conclusion was achieved on a possible association with duration of jerky ingestion. Apart from a larger percentage of dogs achieving complete recovery, the current findings are in agreement with previous reports.
Systematic Review of the Therapeutic Role of Apoptotic Inhibitors in Neurodegeneration and Their Potential Use in Schizophrenia
Authors: Morén Constanza , Treder Nina , Martínez-Pinteño Albert , Rodríguez Natàlia , Arbelo Néstor , Madero Santiago , Gómez Marta , Mas Sergi , Gassó Patricia , Parellada Eduard
Published: November 2022

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a deleterious brain disorder affecting cognition, emotion and reality perception. The most widely accepted neurochemical-hypothesis is the imbalance of neurotransmitter-systems. Depleted GABAergic-inhibitory function might produce a regionally-located dopaminergic and glutamatergic-storm in the brain. The dopaminergic-release may underlie the positive psychotic-symptoms while the glutamatergic-release could prompt the primary negative symptoms/cognitive deficits. This may occur due to excessive synaptic-pruning during the neurodevelopmental stages of adolescence/early adulthood. Thus, although SZ is not a neurodegenerative disease, it has been suggested that exaggerated dendritic-apoptosis could explain the limited neuroprogression around its onset. This apoptotic nature of SZ highlights the potential therapeutic action of anti-apoptotic drugs, especially at prodromal stages. If dysregulation of apoptotic mechanisms underlies the molecular basis of SZ, then anti-apoptotic molecules could be a prodromal therapeutic option to halt or prevent SZ. In fact, risk alleles related in apoptotic genes have been recently associated to SZ and shared molecular apoptotic changes are common in the main neurodegenerative disorders and SZ. PRISMA-guidelines were considered. Anti-apoptotic drugs are commonly applied in classic neurodegenerative disorders with promising results. Despite both the apoptotic-hallmarks of SZ and the widespread use of anti-apoptotic targets in neurodegeneration, there is a strikingly scarce number of studies investigating anti-apoptotic approaches in SZ. We analyzed the anti-apoptotic approaches conducted in neurodegeneration and the potential applications of such anti-apoptotic therapies as a promising novel therapeutic strategy, especially during early stages.
Controlled Atmosphere Improves the Quality, Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Content of Yellow Peach during the Shelf Life
Authors: Dong Xinrui , He Yi , Yuan Chushan , Cheng Xiaomei , Li Gaoyang , Shan Yang , Zhu Xiangrong
Published: November 2022

Controlled atmosphere (CA) has been demonstrated to maintain the shelf-life quality of fruits, but its effect on the antioxidant activities and phenolic content of yellow peach is not comprehensive. This study analyzed the role of CA on the quality of shelf period, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of “Jinxiu” yellow peach. Yellow peach was left under specific aeration conditions (3.5–4% CO2, 2–3% O2, 92–95.5% N2, 1 ± 0.5 °C) and the control (1 ± 0.5 °C) for 21 d, to observe changes in physiological parameters of the fruit during 10 d of the shelf life (25 ± 1 °C). The result showed that CA reduced the weight loss rate (WLR), decay rate (DR), and browning index (BI) of yellow peaches. Furthermore, the CA held a high level of total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenol content (TPC) and phenolic content in the fruit. Antioxidant analysis showed that polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme activity was lower and free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP) and antioxidant enzyme activities (POD and PAL) were higher in the CA group. Combining the results of significance analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) clearly identified the differences between the CA group and the control group. The results showed that the CA could maintain higher phenolic content and reduce the oxidation of yellow peach fruit and enhance fruit quality by affecting the antioxidant activities of yellow peach.
Dimethylthiourea Alleviates Drought Stress by Suppressing Hydrogen Peroxide-Dependent Abscisic Acid-Mediated Oxidative Responses in an Antagonistic Interaction with Salicylic Acid in Brassica napus Leaves
Authors: Lee Bok-Rye , La Van Hien , Park Sang-Hyun , Mamun Md Al , Bae Dong-Won , Kim Tae-Hwan
Published: November 2022

In plants, prolonged drought induces oxidative stress, leading to a loss of reducing potential in redox components. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a representative hormonal signal regulating stress responses. This study aimed to investigate the physiological significance of dimethylthiourea (DMTU, an H2O2 scavenger) in the hormonal regulation of the antioxidant system and redox control in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) leaves under drought stress. Drought treatment for 10 days provoked oxidative stress, as evidenced by the increase in O2•− and H2O2 concentrations, and lipid peroxidation levels, and a decrease in leaf water potential. Drought-induced oxidative responses were significantly alleviated by DMTU treatment. The accumulation of O2•− and H2O2 in drought-treated plants coincided with the enhanced expression of the NADPH oxidase and Cu/Zn-SOD genes, leading to an up-regulation in oxidative signal-inducible 1 (OXI1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (MAPK6), with a concomitant increase in ABA levels and the up-regulation of ABA-related genes. DMTU treatment under drought largely suppressed the drought-responsive up-regulation of these genes by depressing ABA responses through an antagonistic interaction with salicylic acid (SA). DMTU treatment also alleviated the drought-induced loss of reducing potential in GSH- and NADPH-based redox by the enhanced expression of glutathione reductase 1 (GR1) and up-regulation of oxidoreductase genes (TRXh5 and GRXC9). These results indicate that DMTU effectively alleviates drought-induced oxidative responses by suppressing ABA-mediated oxidative burst signaling in an antagonistic regulation of SA.
Novel Infrared Approach for the Evaluation of Thermofluidic Interactions in a Metallic Flat-Plate Pulsating Heat Pipe
Authors: Pagliarini Luca , Cattani Luca , Slobodeniuk Maksym , Ayel Vincent , Romestant Cyril , Bozzoli Fabio , Rainieri Sara
Published: November 2022

A novel and advanced analysis tool, based on the resolution of the inverse heat conduction problem, is used to evaluate wall-to-fluid heat fluxes in a metallic flat-plate pulsating heat pipe. The device under analysis is made of copper and formed by 16 channels having a squared section of 3 × 3 mm2 and filled with a water–ethanol mixture (20 wt.% of ethanol) with a volumetric filling ratio of 50%. One flat side of the device is externally coated with a highly emissive paint to perform temperature measurements by means of a medium-wave infrared camera. The acquired infrared maps are first processed by a three-dimensional Gaussian filter and then used as inputs for the inverse approach for the evaluation of heat fluxes locally exchanged between the fluid and the thin walls of each channel. The suggested procedure is successfully validated by means of synthetic data. The resulting space–time heat flux distributions are therefore statistically investigated in terms of amplitude and space–time variations, providing quantitative references for the identification of two-phase flow regimes. These unique data give an evaluation of the local heat transfer behavior, which is essential to provide empirical values for the numerical models of pulsating heat pipes.
Performance Analysis and Monitoring of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery via Polarization curves
Authors: Onyu Kannika , Yeetsorn Rungsima , Gostick Jeff , Chitvuttichot Saksitt
Published: November 2022

This article proposes the demonstration and deployment of a hand-tailored vanadium redox flow battery test station to investigate the effect of applied voltages on charging performance for electrolyte preparation and the effect of reactant flow rates on the balance of system capacity. Herein, the two different specifications of membranes and a number of electrode layers playing pivotal roles in the discharging characteristics of the VRFB were observed as well. Results indicated that 1.70 V of the charging voltage was suitable, when optimized voltage was considered from charging time, current, and the mole of electrons. The optimized flow rate (10 mL/min) must be controlled since it corresponds to mass transfer and electrolyte diffusion, resulting in reaction ability on electrode surfaces. The number of layers influenced active areas and the diffusion of electrolytes. Nafion 212 provided superior performance to Nafion 117, because it possessed lower ohmic resistance and allowed for easier proton transfer.
Research on the Fatigue Performance of Composite Girders with CSW and ST Truss
Authors: Huang Hanhui , Chen Kangming , Wu Qingxiong , Nakamura Shozo
Published: November 2022

To study the fatigue performance of a composite girder with corrugated steel web (CSW) and steel tube (ST) truss, based on an engineering object, a test and finite element (FE) analysis were carried out. The fatigue failure mode and the sensitivities of the hot spot stress to the geometric parameters of the composite girder above were studied. The position with the maximum hot spot stress and the fatigue crack position were discussed and determined. Furthermore, a fatigue life evaluation method was discussed. It was found that linear extrapolation was applicable to finding the hot spot stress. The fatigue performance evolution comprised three stages, including initiation, expansion, and failure of the fatigue crack. The fatigue crack initiation stage accounted for about 95.6% of its fatigue life, and the fatigue crack was opening type I. The maximum hot spot stress emerged at the endpoint of the inclined web of CSW (point S). The main reason for the behavior was that the inclined web had a small out-of-plane flexural stiffness but had to bear an out-of-plane bending moment. Moreover, for the same section of the CSW, the hot spot stress on the molding side was less than that on the non-molding side. The hot spot stress exhibited negative correlations with the chord diameter, chord thickness, and bend radius, meanwhile, it had the highest sensitivity to the chord diameter. The existing S-N curves were not suitable to evaluate the fatigue life of the composite girder with CSW and ST truss. Since the intersecting weld between the CSW and the chord was located in longitudinal welded joints, the hot spot stress method suggested adopting the basic fatigue strength of 100 MPa, corresponding to 2,000,000 load cycles. Meanwhile, an empirical calculation model of the S-N curve for the composite girder with CSW and ST truss was created.