bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chromosome groups 5, 6 and 7 harbor major quantitative trait loci controlling root traits in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Halder Tanushree , Liu Hui , Chen Yinglong , Yan Guijun , Siddique Kadambot H. M.
Published: March 2023

Identifying genomic regions for root traits in bread wheat can help breeders develop climate-resilient and high-yielding wheat varieties with desirable root traits. This study used the recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of Synthetic W7984 × Opata M85 to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for different root traits such as rooting depth (RD), root dry mass (RM), total root length (RL), root diameter (Rdia) and root surface areas (RSA1 for coarse roots and RSA2 for fine roots) under controlled conditions in a semi-hydroponic system. We detected 14 QTL for eight root traits on nine wheat chromosomes; we discovered three QTL each for RD and RSA1, two QTL each for RM and RSA2, and one QTL each for RL, Rdia, specific root length and nodal root number per plant. The detected QTL were concentrated on chromosome groups 5, 6 and 7. The QTL for shallow RD (Q.rd.uwa.7BL: Xbarc50) and high RM (Q.rm.uwa.6AS: Xgwm334) were validated in two independent F2 populations of Synthetic W7984 × Chara and Opata M85 × Cascade, respectively. Genotypes containing negative alleles for Q.rd.uwa.7BL had 52% shallower RD than other Synthetic W7984 × Chara population lines. Genotypes with the positive alleles for Q.rm.uwa.6AS had 31.58% higher RM than other Opata M85 × Cascade population lines. Further, we identified 21 putative candidate genes for RD (Q.rd.uwa.7BL) and 13 for RM (Q.rm.uwa.6AS); TraesCS6A01G020400, TraesCS6A01G024400 and TraesCS6A01G021000 identified from Q.rm.uwa.6AS, and TraesCS7B01G404000, TraesCS7B01G254900 and TraesCS7B01G446200 identified from Q.rd.uwa.7BL encoded important proteins for root traits. We found germin-like protein encoding genes in both Q.rd.uwa.7BL and Q.rm.uwa.6AS regions. These genes may play an important role in RM and RD improvement. The identified QTL, especially the validated QTL and putative candidate genes are valuable genetic resources for future root trait improvement in wheat.
A near complete genome assembly of chia assists in identification of key fatty acid desaturases in developing seeds
Authors: Li Leiting , Song Jingjing , Zhang Meiling , Iqbal Shahid , Li Yuanyuan , Zhang Heng , Zhang Hui
Published: March 2023

Chia is an annual crop whose seeds have the highest content of α-linolenic acid (ALA) of any plant known to date. We generated a high-quality assembly of the chia genome using circular consensus sequencing (CCS) of PacBio. The assembled six chromosomes are composed of 21 contigs and have a total length of 361.7 Mb. Genome annotation revealed a 53.5% repeat content and 35,850 protein-coding genes. Chia shared a common ancestor with Salvia splendens ~6.1 million years ago. Utilizing the reference genome and two transcriptome datasets, we identified candidate fatty acid desaturases responsible for ALA biosynthesis during chia seed development. Because the seed of S. splendens contains significantly lower proportion of ALA but similar total contents of unsaturated fatty acids, we suggest that strong expression of two ShFAD3 genes are critical for the high ALA content of chia seeds. This genome assembly will serve as a valuable resource for breeding, comparative genomics, and functional genomics studies of chia.
Axenic in vitro cultivation and genome diploidization of the moss Vesicularia montagnei for horticulture utilization
Authors: Hu Yong , Li Qing , Chen Zexi , Xu Zhanwu , Li Hongyu , Wen Congfa , Duan Liu , Yang Hong , Liu Li
Published: March 2023

Mosses are widely used in the establishment of greenery. However, little research has been conducted to choose a suitable species or improve their performance for this application. In our study, we examined Vesicularia montagnei (V. montagnei), a robust moss that is widely distributed in temperate, subtropical, and tropical Asia with varying environmental conditions. Axenic cultivation system of V. montagnei was developed on modified BCD medium, which enabled its propagation and multiplication in vitro. In this axenic cultivation environment, several diploid V. montagnei lines with enhancement of rhizoid system were generated through artificial induction of diploidization. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that several genes responsible for jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis and signaling showed significant higher expression levels in the diploid lines compared to the wild type. These results are consistent with the increasement of JA content in the diploid lines. Our establishment of the axenic cultivation method may provide useful information for further study of other Vesicularia species. The diploid V. montagnei lines with improved rhizoid system may hold promising potential for greenery applications. Additionally, our study sheds light on the biosynthesis and functions of JA in the early landed plants.
Positive irrational beliefs are associated with hypomanic personality
Authors: Tiba Alexandru I. , Trip Simona , Bora Carmen H. , Drugas Marius , Borz Feliciana , Miclăuş Daiana C. , Voss Laura , Iova Sorin C. , Pop Simona
Published: March 2023

Primary irrational beliefs, such as demanding about attaining personal goals, are a common trans-diagnostic factor involved in many emotional disorders. Although Bipolar Disorder (BPD) is a severe emotional disorder, little is known about the role of primary irrational beliefs in the risk of BPD. Given that the risk for mania is related to responses to positive rather than adverse events, we developed a measure of irrational beliefs in response to cues of positive events. This is the first study that examines the relationship between positive primary irrational beliefs and the risk of BPD. 119 participants completed an online survey including measures for the risk of BPD, irrational beliefs, positive irrational beliefs, mania-related cognitions, and mood measures (depressive and manic mood). Results revealed significant associations between the risk of BPD and positive primary irrational beliefs, irrational beliefs, positive generalization, and mood. Regression analyses revealed that positive primary irrational beliefs, such as demanding to attain significant goals in response to cues for positive events, uniquely predict the risk for BPD independently of mood, mania-related cognitions and irrational beliefs. These findings encourage the treatment approaches focused on restructuring primary irrational beliefs in response to positive situations to reduce the risk of BPD.
Anticipation dialogs in Vermont’s system of mental healthcare: Sustaining the growth of a dialogic practice culture
Authors: Alpern Zelda , Binshadler Sarah , Oakley Ashley
Published: March 2023

Open dialog is both a therapeutic approach and a way of organizing the system of mental healthcare that has been evolving in Finland since the 1980s. In Vermont, over the last decade, there has been an organic statewide effort to begin to integrate dialogic principles into the public system of mental healthcare. Because of the organic nature of these initiatives, there have not been coordinated systemic changes to support dialogic practices. To learn what visions participants in dialogically informed practice contexts have for the future as well as what structural innovations would support these visions anticipation dialogs were offered at three dialogically informed community mental health centers and one public psychiatric. The anticipation dialog was developed in Finland during the late 1980s to aid stuck professional and social networks in finding ways to move forward looking back from an imagined positive future. Twenty-seven multidisciplinary staff members and one service recipient participated in the dialogs. The authors conducted a multi-step process of thematic discourse analysis of all 4 anticipation dialogs. Findings underscore dilemmas entailed in growing a dialogic practice system, including the toll systemic uncertainty takes on workers in the system and the simultaneous pull to offer some amount of open-endedness to the system change process in the spirit of inclusiveness, mutual trust, democracy, and reducing hierarchy. Other key findings influencing sustainability of dialogic practices in community mental health include integrating dialogic work into roles rather than adding them to existing responsibilities. Our experiences indicate that anticipation dialogs may be a way of conducting systemic research that contributes to the forward momentum of system innovation. Offering a greater length of time for organizational anticipation dialogs would be valuable, as would centering the voices of clients and their networks.
Attitudes toward organizational change and their association with exhaustion in a sample of Italian police workers
Authors: Colombo Lara , Acquadro Maran Daniela , Grandi Annalisa
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Change management is an important topic for organizations and some personal characteristics may help or hinder coping with change.

Methods

The aim of the present study was to find out whether attitudes toward organizational change can predict work-related exhaustion in a sample of police workers (N = 532) in northern Italy. Differences between groups in relation to role (police officers vs. other roles) and gender were also considered.

Results

The results of hierarchical regression showed that change beliefs were negatively associated to exhaustion, while resistance to change was positively related to exhaustion; role and gender were also significantly and positive associated with the dependent variable. Regarding differences between groups, police officers had lower positive change beliefs and higher levels of exhaustion compared to workers in other roles. Regarding gender, women reported higher levels of exhaustion than men.

Discussion

The results of the present study provide further insights into what aspects should be considered when promoting organizational change in the police work context.
A growing concern for meaning: Exploring the links between ego development and eudaimonia
Authors: Osin Evgeny N. , Voevodina Elena Yu. , Kostenko Vasily Yu.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Eudaimonia, in contrast to hedonia, is theorized to be a more complex type of positive functioning that involves personal growth and is guided by the pursuit of meaning. However, the existing evidence linking eudaimonia to personality development is rather scarce. To fill this gap, we aimed to explore whether ego development is related to eudaimonic well-being and eudaimonic orientations, most notably, the concern for meaning: we explored both the quantitative differences in the presence of meaning and the search for it, as well as qualitative differences in lay theories of meaning.

Methods

Russian-speaking volunteers recruited online (N = 364, aged 18 to 85, 63% female) completed measures of ego development (Washington University Sentence Completion Test), meaning in life (Meaning in Life Questionnaire), lay theories of meaning (and original 20-item measure), hedonic and eudaimonic motives for activities (HEMA), and well-being (Mental Health Continuum—Short Form).

Results

Ego development emerged as a weak, but significant positive predictor of well-being and this effect was fully mediated by the presence of meaning and eudaimonic motives. Latent profile analysis of the items tapping into lay theories of meaning revealed four distinct individual approaches to meaning that mainly differed in the subjective importance and salience of meaning. Participants with stronger concern for meaning revealed higher scores on ego development, both presence and search for meaning, eudaimonic motives, and well-being.

Discussion

The results add to the evidence concerning the links between ego development and well-being and are in line with the theoretical view of eudaimonia as a process of growth guided by personal concern for meaning. The findings suggest that eudaimonia might be more easily attained by individuals at higher stages of personal development.
Social-ecological considerations informing a universal screening strategy for sleep health in the community
Authors: Blunden Sarah , McKellin William , Herdin Thomas , Ipsiroglu Osman S.
Published: March 2023

“Poor sleep health” (PSH), defined as reduced amount of sleep and non-restorative sleep, affects cognitive, social and emotional development. Evidence suggests an association of sleep deprivation and mental health problems; however, there are no universal concepts allowing a first-tier screening of PSH at a community level. The focus of this narrative review is to highlight the cultural context of the current medicalized approach to PSH and to suggest social ecological strategies informing new and holistic community-based screening concepts. We present two conceptual screening frameworks; a “medical” and a merged “social emotional wellbeing framework” and combine them utilizing the concept of “ecologies.” The first framework proposes the incorporation of “sleep” in the interpretation of “vigilance” and “inappropriate” labeled behaviors. In the first framework, we provide a logic model for screening the myriad of presentations and possible root causes of sleep disturbances as a tool to assess daytime behaviors in context with PSH. In the second framework, we provide evidence that informs screening for “social emotional wellbeing” in the context of predictive factors, perpetuating factors and predispositions through different cultural perspectives. The distinct goals of both frameworks are to overcome training-biased unidirectional thinking anda priorimedicalization of challenging, disruptive and/or disobedient behaviors. The latter has been explicitly informed by the critical discourse on colonization and its consequences, spearheaded by First Nations. Our “transcultural, transdisciplinary and transdiagnostic screening framework” may serve as a starting point from which adaptations of medical models could be developed to suit the purposes of holistic screening, diagnosis, and treatment of complex childhood presentations in different cultural contexts.
The shift of percent excess mortality from zero-COVID policy to living-with-COVID policy in Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong SAR
Authors: Cao Xiaohan , Li Yan , Zi Yunlong , Zhu Yuyan
Published: March 2023

Introduction

With the economic recession and pandemic fatigue, milder viral variants and higher vaccine coverage along the time lay the basis for lifting anti-COVID policies to restore COVID-19 normalcy. However, when and how to adjust the anti-COVID policies remain under debate in many countries.

Methods

In this study, four countries (Singapore, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand) and one region (Hong Kong SAR), that have shifted from the zero-COVID (ZC) policy to or close to the living-with-COVID (LWC) during or after the Omicron outbreak, were selected as research objects. All-cause mortality data were collected for these objects from 2009 to 2019. The expected mortality was estimated by a simple linear regression method. Excess mortality over time was calculated as the difference between the expected mortality and the observed mortality. Finally, percent excess mortality (PEM) was calculated as the excess mortality divided by the expected mortality.

Results

In the examined four countries, PEM fluctuated around 0% and was lower than 10% most of the time under the ZC policy before 2022. After shifting to the LWC policy, all the examined countries increased the PEM. Briefly, countries with high population density (Singapore and South Korea) experienced an average PEM of 20–40% during the first half of 2022, and followed by a lower average PEM of 15–18% during the second half of 2022. For countries with low population density under the LWC policy, Australia experienced an average PEM of 39.85% during the first half of 2022, while New Zealand was the only country in our analysis that achieved no more than 10% in average PEM all the time. On the contrary, Hong Kong SAR under their ZC policy attained an average PEM of 71.14% during the first half of 2022, while its average PEM decreased to 9.19% in the second half of 2022 with LWC-like policy.

Conclusion

PEM under different policies within each country/region overtime demonstrated that the mortality burden caused by COVID-19 had been reduced overtime. Moreover, anti-COVID policies are suggested to control the excess mortality to achieve as low as 10% in PEM.
Work-family conflict and its related factors among emergency department physicians in China: A national cross-sectional study
Authors: Yan Shijiao , Li Changjun , Zhang Jiali , Wu Yafei , Tian Mengge , Liu Li , Zhou Xuan , Zheng Jianwei , Jiang Nan
Published: March 2023

Background

Work-family conflict is common among emergency department physicians. Identifying the factors associated with work-family conflict is key to reducing its negative impact on mental health and work attitudes. However, the work-family conflict of Chinese emergency department physicians and the related factors have been scarcely studied.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the current status and related factors of work-family conflict among Chinese emergency department physicians.

Methods

A national cross-sectional study was conducted among emergency department physicians in China from June 2018 to August 2018. A standard questionnaire was used to investigate the demographic characteristics, work-related factors, and work-family conflict of emergency department physicians. The generalized linear regression analysis was used to identify the related factors of work-family conflict.

Results

A total of 10,457 licensed emergency department physicians participated in the study. The average score of work-family conflict among the enrolled emergency department physicians was 19.27 ± 3.94, and the prevalence of high levels of work-family conflict was 69.19%. The multivariable regression analysis showed that emergency physicians who were female (linear regression coefficient, −0.25; SE, 0.08; P = 0.002), older than 40 years (linear regression coefficient,−0.53; SE, 0.14; P < 0.001), and earning more than 4,000 CNY per month (e.g., 4,001~6,000 vs. ≤4,000 CNY: linear regression coefficient, −0.17; SE, 0.09; P = 0.04) had lower work-family conflicts. However, emergency department physicians who were married (linear regression coefficient, 0.37; SE, 0.11; P < 0.001), highly educated (linear regression coefficient, 0.46; SE, 0.10; P < 0.001), had a high technical title (e.g., intermediate vs. junior technical title: linear regression coefficient, 0.61; SE, 0.09; P < 0.001), worked in a high-grade hospital (e.g., tertiary hospital vs. emergency center: linear regression coefficient, 0.38; SE, 0.11; P < 0.001), had a higher frequency of night shifts (e.g., 6~10 night shifts per month vs. 0~5 night shifts per month: linear regression coefficient, 0.43; SE, 0.10; P < 0.001), self-perceived shortage of physicians in the department (linear regression coefficient, 2.22; SE, 0.08; P < 0.001), and experienced verbal abuse (linear regression coefficient, 1.48; SE, 0.10; P < 0.001) and physical violence (linear regression coefficient, 0.84; SE, 0.08; P < 0.001) in the workplace had higher work-family conflict scores.

Conclusion

Most emergency department physicians in China experience a high-level work-family conflict. Hospital administrations are recommended to develop family-friendly workplace policies, establish a scientific shift system, and keep the number of emergency department physicians to meet the demand to reduce work-family conflict.
Prevalence and associated factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms among healthcare workers in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19 at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, China: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Liang Zhiya , Wang Ying , Wei Xiaoyue , Wen Wanyi , Ma Jianping , Wu Jun , Huang Shaofen , Qin Pei
Published: March 2023

Background

Healthcare workers were at high risk of psychological problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains not well-investigated in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19, with regular epidemic prevention and control embedded in burdened healthcare work. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and potential risk factors of the symptoms of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen.

Method

Our cross-sectional study was conducted among 21- to 64-year-old healthcare workers in December 2021 at a tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, using a simple random sampling strategy. A wide range of socio-demographic characteristics, individual information, and psychological condition of the subjects were extracted. Healthcare workers' psychological conditions were tested with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CESD-10), General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Work-Family Conflict Scale (WFCS), 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and 17-item of Maslach's Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS-17). Data were collected based on these questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the difference between healthcare workers with depressive and anxiety symptoms among different groups. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between focused variables and mental health outcomes.

Results

A total of 245 healthcare workers were enrolled. The proportion of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and their co-occurrence were 34.7, 59.6, and 33.1%, respectively. Logistic regression showed that for the three outcomes, no history of receiving psychological help and self-rated good or higher health were protective factors, whereas more severe insomnia and job burnout were risk factors. Junior or lower job title and higher psychological resilience were related to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms, while relatively longer working hours and larger work-family conflict were positively associated with the anxiety symptoms. Psychological resilience was inversely associated with the co-occurrence of depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Conclusions

Our study revealed a high proportion of psychological problems and proved that several similar factors which were significant during the pandemic were also associated with the symptoms of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19. These results provide scientific evidence for psychological interventions for healthcare workers.
#NotTheSame: Asian American subgroups moderate the relation between campus racial climate and perceived burdensomeness during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Jin Joel , Zhou Vanessa , Taone Trevor , Ichimura Emi
Published: March 2023

The present study examined the effect of campus racial climate on perceived burdensomeness, a suicide risk factor, among Asian American college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, when anti-Asian racism was present. To disaggregate these data, there was a test of whether Asian American ethnicity subgroup identification as Southeast and South or East Asian changed the association between campus racial climate on perceived burdensomeness. The current sample included 148 college students, 73 Southeast or South Asian Americans, and 75 East Asian American. The study participants were enrolled at a small liberal arts institution located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Researchers collected data across 3 days (9–12 April 2020) via an online questionnaire. Both groups reported similar levels of campus racial climate and perceived burdensomeness. Bivariate correlations indicated that campus racial climate was positively correlated with perceived burdensomeness for Southeast and South Asians only. Moderation analyses revealed that a negative campus racial climate was related to greater perceived burdensomeness among Southeast and South Asian, but not East Asian, American students. This finding supports the need for disaggregation of Asian subgroups in mental health research to understand the diverse experiences within the Asian American community. Furthermore, there is a need for higher education institutions to consider tailoring interventions and tools that fit into the unique cultural and sociohistorical experiences of ethnic and racial subgroups among Asian American students.
Osteosarcoma miatt maxilla- és mandibularezekált páciens komplex maxillo-faciális rehabilitációs protetikai ellátása
Authors: Kelemen Anikó , Hermann Péter , Kádár László
Published: March 2023

Az oropharingeális daganatok okozta halálozásban Magyarország vezető helyet foglal el nemcsak Európában, hanem világviszonylatban is. A garat- és szájüregi rákok „járványszerű” terjedése a 2000-es évek környékén tetőzött. Azóta, habár csökkenő mértéket öltenek a halálozási esetszámok, az oropharingeális daganatok világviszonylatban mégis a 7. helyen állnak előfordulási gyakoriságukban és 9. helyen a rák okozta halálozásokban. A fej-nyak tájéki daganatok ellátása komplex feladat, melynek kezelését több szakterület képviselői végzik. A szájüreg területén végrehajtott sebészi kimetszést követő helyreállítás a rehabilitációs fogászati ellátás keretében dolgozó protetikusok feladata. Az esetbemutatásban szereplő hölgy páciensünk 25 évesen, 1997-ben osteosarcoma miatt mandibularezekción esett át, a műtét után interim fogpótlás készült, majd fél évvel később végleges rehabilitációs fogpótlást kapott. Tíz évvel később újabb, malignus csontdaganat miatt mandibularezekción esett át. 2018-ban ismét felkereste a Semmelweis Egyetem Fogpótlástani Klinikáját, ahol fogazatának szanálását követően teljes szájrehabilitáció keretében obturátoros kombinált fogpótlás és alsó teleszkópos overdenture típusú fogpótlás készült számára.
Implementation of Smart Materials for Actuation of Traditional Valve Technology for Hybrid Energy Systems
Authors: Zaman Saqlain , Leyva Alba , Hassan Md Sahid , Valladolid Ariztbe , Herrera Nicolas E. , Gomez Sofia Gabriela , Mahmud Md Shahjahan , Tucker David , Haynes Comas , Lin Yirong
Published: March 2023

The ever-changing nature of the power industry will require the implementation of hybrid energy systems. Integration of tightly coupled components in hybrids often involves the diversion of exhaust gas flow. An innovative smart material actuation technology is proposed to replace traditional electro-mechanical actuated valve mechanisms with lighter and less expensive actuators. A shape memory alloy (SMA) spring-actuated valve was designed for high-temperature service to demonstrate the promise of smart materials in control valve applications. With SMA springs only generating a maximum force of 3.2 N, an innovative valve design was necessary. To demonstrate the concept, a 3-inch Nominal Pipe Size valve was designed, and 3D printed using the stereolithography technique. Increasing the electrical current to actuate the SMA springs reduced actuation time. The maximum current of 10 A produced the lowest actuation time of 2.85 s, with an observed maximum stroke rate of more than 100 stroke completion %/s (considering actuation open/close as 100% stroke) at the midrange. The final assembly of the valve was estimated to provide a cost reduction of more than 30% and a weight reduction of more than 80% compared to the other available automatic valves in the present market.
Dairy Cow Nutrition and Milk Quality
Authors: Han Juan , Wang Jiaqi
Published: March 2023

Dairy products are becoming increasingly important for improving human health, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic [...]
State of Major Vegetation Indices in Precision Agriculture Studies Indexed in Web of Science: A Review
Authors: Radočaj Dorijan , Šiljeg Ante , Marinović Rajko , Jurišić Mladen
Published: March 2023

Vegetation indices provide information for various precision-agriculture practices, by providing quantitative data about crop growth and health. To provide a concise and up-to-date review of vegetation indices in precision agriculture, this study focused on the major vegetation indices with the criterion of their frequency in scientific papers indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) since 2000. Based on the scientific papers with the topic of “precision agriculture” combined with “vegetation index”, this study found that the United States and China are global leaders in total precision-agriculture research and the application of vegetation indices, while the analysis adjusted for the country area showed much more homogenous global development of vegetation indices in precision agriculture. Among these studies, vegetation indices based on the multispectral sensor are much more frequently adopted in scientific studies than their low-cost alternatives based on the RGB sensor. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was determined as the dominant vegetation index, with a total of 2200 studies since the year 2000. With the existence of vegetation indices that improved the shortcomings of NDVI, such as enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), this study recognized their potential for enabling superior results to those of NDVI in future studies.
Design and Test of Soil–Fertilizer Collision Mixing and Mulching Device for Manure Deep Application Machine
Authors: Niu Yang , Zhang Jiyuan , Qi Jiangtao , Meng Hewei , Peng Huijie , Li Jiahao
Published: March 2023

Aiming at the problems of low uniformity and utilization rate in the traditional deep application method of orchard manure, a soil–fertilizer collision mixing and mulching device was designed. The ditching mechanism, the structure of the soil divider, and the fertilizer delivery auger were analyzed and designed. Furthermore, with the rotational speed of the cutter and auger and the deflection angle of the soil divider as factors, as well as the uniformity of soil–fertilizer mixing and mulching as evaluation indexes, the discrete element simulation tests were conducted. The simulation results showed that when the turret speed, the stirrer speed and the soil separator deflection angle were 140 r/min, 146 r/min and 22°, the mixing uniformity and mulching uniformity were the highest, which was 88.35% and 96.86%, respectively. Based on the optimal parameters, the field test was conducted, and the soil–fertilizer mixing uniformity was 87.02%, with a relative error of 1.33% compared with the simulation test results. The relative error of 94.37% of mulch uniformity is 2.49%, which indicates that the simulation optimization results are reliable and the mixing performance of the device is good and can meet the requirements of soil–fertilizer mixing operation. The results of this study can provide an important reference for the design of the soil and fertilizer mixing machine.
Effects of Ewe’s Diet Supplementation with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Meat Lipid Profile of Suckling Lambs
Authors: Cal-Pereyra Luis , González-Montaña José Ramiro , Neimaur Fernández Karina , Abreu-Palermo Mayra Cecilia , Martín Alonso María José , Velázquez-Ordoñez Valente , Acosta-Dibarrat Jorge
Published: March 2023

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) deposition in lambs’ muscles could be influenced by their mothers’ diet. The aim was to study the profile of fatty acids in the muscle of lambs from ewes supplemented with different sources of PUFA to achieve a healthier meat for the consumer. On day 100 of gestation, pregnant ewes grazed on natural grass were divided into three groups (n = 20) and supplemented with PUFA: Group A: 700 g of a ration rich in PUFA, Group B: 700 g of a ration for sheep + 20 mL of fish oil and Group C: 700 g of the same ration. After parturition, each group was subdivided: ten ewes continued with the same diet until the end of lactation; the other ten were fed only natural grass. The values of n-3 and n-6 PUFA and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) were analyzed in Longissimus lumborum muscles of lambs at 90 and 120 days of life. The feeding of ewes during lactation favorably influenced the lipid profile of the lamb muscle, increasing the concentration of n-3 and n-6 PUFA, ALA, LA, AA, DHA and EPA. The supplementation of ewes with fish oil and/or a ration rich in PUFA improved the LA/ALA ratio in lambs’ meat.
Signal, Not Poison—Screening Mint Essential Oils for Weed Control Leads to Horsemint
Authors: Sarheed Mohammed , Schärer Hans-Jakob , Wang-Müller Qiyan , Flury Pascale , Maes Chloé , Genva Manon , Fauconnier Marie-Laure , Nick Peter
Published: March 2023

Weed control tries to suppress competitors for a crop and often relies on differential intoxication, making use of differences in uptake, development, or metabolism. We explored the possibility of using natural signals to shift competition in favour of the crop. Using the competitive horsemint (Mentha longifolia) as a paradigm, we showed that essential oils from certain mint species suppress the seedling development of different target species in a specific and efficient manner. The specificity concerned both the donor and the receptor. We demonstrated further that the effect of horsemint oil was specific for actin filaments, and not for microtubules. Since the elimination of actin will impair auxin transport, which is essential for root regeneration in vegetatively propagating weeds, we tested the efficacy of horsemint essential oil in combination with a slow-release carrier against field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), a pertinent weed in organic cereal production. We observed that the development of this weed can be specifically blocked, especially if the carrier is worked into the soil. We propose that allelopathic interactions, often relying on manipulative chemical signalling, harbour significant potential for organic weed control.
A Systematic Review on Automatic Insect Detection Using Deep Learning
Authors: Teixeira Ana Cláudia , Ribeiro José , Morais Raul , Sousa Joaquim J. , Cunha António
Published: March 2023

Globally, insect pests are the primary reason for reduced crop yield and quality. Although pesticides are commonly used to control and eliminate these pests, they can have adverse effects on the environment, human health, and natural resources. As an alternative, integrated pest management has been devised to enhance insect pest control, decrease the excessive use of pesticides, and enhance the output and quality of crops. With the improvements in artificial intelligence technologies, several applications have emerged in the agricultural context, including automatic detection, monitoring, and identification of insects. The purpose of this article is to outline the leading techniques for the automated detection of insects, highlighting the most successful approaches and methodologies while also drawing attention to the remaining challenges and gaps in this area. The aim is to furnish the reader with an overview of the major developments in this field. This study analysed 92 studies published between 2016 and 2022 on the automatic detection of insects in traps using deep learning techniques. The search was conducted on six electronic databases, and 36 articles met the inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were studies that applied deep learning techniques for insect classification, counting, and detection, written in English. The selection process involved analysing the title, keywords, and abstract of each study, resulting in the exclusion of 33 articles. The remaining 36 articles included 12 for the classification task and 24 for the detection task. Two main approaches—standard and adaptable—for insect detection were identified, with various architectures and detectors. The accuracy of the classification was found to be most influenced by dataset size, while detection was significantly affected by the number of classes and dataset size. The study also highlights two challenges and recommendations, namely, dataset characteristics (such as unbalanced classes and incomplete annotation) and methodologies (such as the limitations of algorithms for small objects and the lack of information about small insects). To overcome these challenges, further research is recommended to improve insect pest management practices. This research should focus on addressing the limitations and challenges identified in this article to ensure more effective insect pest management.
Chemical Characteristics Analysis and Quality Assessment of Reed-Based Spent Mushroom Substrate
Authors: Li Xiaoyu , Wang Miao
Published: March 2023

Chemical characteristics analysis and quality assessment is necessary before choosing a sustainable utilization way for spent mushroom substrate (SMS) disposal. Therefore, three varieties SMS of Pleurotus spp. cultivated on reed were taken as samples to analyze chemical characteristics on the feed and fertilizer nutrients, and mineral elements. All SMS were acidic, pH was 5.26–5.51. There was no significant difference on the contents of fiber, carbon, pH, Pb, Cd, Hg, and As in three SMS, but they were lower than that in substrate (S), expect of Pb and Cd. The principal component analysis based on 25 variables showed that 2 components explained 72.2% of the quality variation in SMS. The first component (56.8%) differentiated S, SMS of Pleurotus eryngii (SMS-P.E) from SMS of P. ostreatus and P. citrinopileatus (SMS-P.C, SMS-P.O). The second component (15.4%) differentiated SMS-P.C from SMS-P.O. The contents of total sugar, total amino acids, total potassium, crude polysaccharide, and crude lipid were similar between S and SMS-P.E. The contents of crude protein, ash, total nitrogen, Ca, Zn, Cu, and Mn in SMS-P.E were even more than that in S. The feed and fertilizer parameters of total sugar, amino acids, crude protein, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were much lower in SMS-P.C than SMS-P.O. Therefore, a utilization suggestion was provided: according to the contents of total carbon and nitrogen, neutral detergent fiber and Ca, SMS-P.E grown on reed could be considered as materials for secondary cultivation of mushroom; based on the parameters of crude protein, amino acids, total sugar, SMS-P.O was more fit for utilization as feed and fertilizer than that of P. citrinopileatus; SMS-P.C could be used as fertilizer.
A Comparison of Different Remote Sensors for Ramie Leaf Area Index Estimation
Authors: Fu Hongyu , Chen Jianfu , Lu Jianning , Yue Yunkai , Xu Mingzhi , Jiao Xinwei , Cui Guoxian , She Wei
Published: March 2023

Leaf area index (LAI) is an important parameter indicating crop growth. At present, spectral technology has developed into a popular means for LAI monitoring, which can provide accurate estimation results by constructing a model with crop spectral information and a ground LAI value. Spectral range and data type may affect the performance of the model, but few studies have compared the estimation accuracy of crop LAI using different spectral sensors, especially in ramie. In this study, we compared the potential to estimate the ramie LAI of a hyperspectral sensor with a multispectral sensor. A handheld hyperspectral sensor and an airborne multispectral sensor were used to collect spectral data from multiple growth stages, and then four machine learning algorithms were used to construct the LAI estimation model. The results showed that the R2 of the hyperspectral model was 0.702, while the R2 of the multispectral model was 0.816. The cropped hyperspectral data was less sensitive to LAI than the multispectral data with the same spectral band, due to the result of radiation area and data type. The accuracy of the ramie LAI estimation model constructed with all stage data was improved (R2 = 0.828). In conclusion, the airborne multi-spectrometer is more suitable for monitoring ramie LAI in the field.
Source–Sink Balance Optimization Depends on Soil Nitrogen Condition So as to Increase Rice Yield and N Use Efficiency
Authors: Li Xiaoxiao , Zhou Yongjin , Shuai Peng , Wang Xinyu , Peng Shaobing , Wang Fei
Published: March 2023

Genetic improvement has been devoted to increasing rice yield by increasing the spikelet number per panicle and the spikelet/leaf ratio. As a result, indica-japonica hybrid rice “Yongyou” varieties with large panicles and superhigh yield potential have been developed. These varieties exhibit significantly higher grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency for grain (NUEg) under moderate and high N supply conditions due to their large sink size, but their yield performance remains obscure under low N input and low soil fertility conditions. In the present study, we investigated four varieties including Yongyou2640 (YY2640, large-panicle india-japonica hybrid variety), Yangliangyou6 (YLY6, two-line indica hybrid variety), Quanyou6 (QY6, three-line indica hybrid variety), and Huanghuazhan (HHZ, indica inbred variety) under two low soil fertility treatments [LF (removing half of soil depth) and CK] and two N fertilizer rates (0 and 100 kg N ha−1) in Central China. The results showed that the grain yield of YY2640 was more responsive to fertility than that of other varieties, which was 19.4–42.3% higher than that of the other three varieties under CK N100 treatment, but it was 14.5–19.4% lower than that of YLY6 and QY6 under LF N0 and LF N100. A higher spikelet/leaf ratio resulted in more biomass and N partition to panicles rather than to leaves under LF N0 and N100. Slightly more post-flowering dry matter obtained from higher leaf N content and crop growth rate failed to compensate for the adverse effects of reduced pre-flowering dry matter accumulation and stem-to-grain translocation during grain filling. This led to the lower NUEg of YY2640 than YLY6 and QY6 under low soil fertility conditions. Based on these findings, the present study suggested that the source–sink relationship of the super hybrid varieties should be optimized according to the soil N supply condition.
Combined Utilization of Chinese Milk Vetch, Rice Straw, and Lime Reduces Soil Available Cd and Cd Accumulation in Rice Grains
Authors: Fang Changyu , Gao Yajie , Zhang Jianglin , Lu Yanhong , Liao Yulin , Xie Xue , Xiao Jian , Yu Zhenyu , Liu Fangxi , Yuan Haoliang , Tu Naimei , Nie Jun
Published: March 2023

Cadmium (Cd) pollution poses a growing threat to rice production in acidic paddies. In south China, a common agricultural practice involves the combined utilization of Chinese milk vetch (M) and rice straw (R). However, it is unclear how the addition of lime to these amendments affects Cd bioavailability and accumulation in soil. Control (CK), chemical fertilizer (F), Chinese milk vetch + rice straw + chemical fertilizer (MRF), and Chinese milk vetch + rice straw + chemical fertilizer + lime (MRFL) treatments were applied to develop a kind of green, efficient, and practical amendment for acidic paddies. We conducted a microplot experiment to explore Cd immobilization in paddy soil and the Cd content in rice grains with these treatments. The results showed that compared with F, the rice Cd in the MRF and MRFL treatments were significantly decreased by 51.7% and 65.2% in early rice and 23.0% and 43.3% in late rice, respectively. Both the MRF and MRFL treatments significantly reduced soil available Cd and weak acid-extractable cadmium (Aci-Cd) concentrations and increased soil organic matter (SOM), exchangeable cation concentrations, and pH, which converted Cd into a stable form in soil. In addition, the MRF and MRFL treatments increased soil pH value by reducing soil exchangeable hydrogen ion concentration (E-H). Additionally, recombination of Cd forms was the primary factor in the reduction in available Cd concentration according to partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) analysis. The Cd concentration of rice grains was primarily associated with soil available Cd, soil pH value, and SOM. Overall, these results provide useful data and novel insights into reducing rice grain Cd in south China.
Response of Soil and Plant Nutrients to Planting Years in Precious Ancient Camellia tetracocca Plantations
Authors: He Ji , Lu Qing , Wu Chuanmei , Liu Hongyan
Published: March 2023

In order to explore the response of soil nutrient supply capacity and tea plant nutrient utilization capacity to tea-planting years in precious ancient tea garden, field investigation and indoor analysis methods were employed to research the soil and plant nutrient content, eco-stoichiometric characteristics and the correlation between them, with artificially bred Camellia tetracocca at different time periods (5 years, 15 years, 25 years and 40 years). The results showed that: (1) the contents of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen were higher in the 25- and 40-year teas than in 5- and 15-year teas. The soil pH and total phosphorus were the highest in the 40-year tea, and the available nutrient content was the lowest in the 40-year tea. (2) The contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in tea shoots were the highest in 15-year tea. The nutrient content of tea trees were highest according to the following order: new shoots > leaves > branches. (3) The N: P of soil and leaves was 4.11–7.55 and 6.37–11.76, respectively. Available nutrients and soil pH were the main factors affecting the contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in new shoots. In conclusion, the soil nutrient supply capacity and the nutrient utilization capacity of tea plants in the Camellia tetracocca garden were significantly different under different tea-planting years. The growth of the tea plants was restricted by the soil nitrogen supply. The nutrient absorption and utilization capacity of precious Camellia tetracocca were higher in the 15- and 25-year teas, respectively. The study provides the basis for the rational development and sustainable utilization of precious ancient tea plants, and the scientific management of tea gardens.
Regulated Deficit Irrigation during Vegetative Growth Enhances Crop Water Productivity in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
Authors: Osuna-Amador José Denis , Méndez-Alonzo Rodrigo , Trasviña-Castro Armando , Saldívar-Lucio Romeo , Hernandez-Martinez Rufina , Moore Georgianne W.
Published: March 2023

To optimize irrigation, agronomists need to modulate crop water productivity (CWP) throughout phenology. We compared regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. var. Blanoro), expecting RDI during vegetative growth (VG) to enhance CWP, as opposed to flowering (F) and pod-filling (PF) stages. The effects of RDI and SDI on grain yield, plant height, weight, grain caliber, pods and grains per plant, harvest index, and CWP, were tested through a complete randomized block experiment during the years 2020 and 2021, comparing full irrigation (FI, ETc = 100%), SDI (SDI75, ETc = 75% during all stages), and six RDI treatments varying in ETc% across phenology: VG50, VG75, F50, F75, PF50, and PF75. VG75 had higher CWP while minimizing impacts on productivity. During 2020, the plants were taller (0.44 ± 4.4 m), and increased in harvest index (0.47 ± 0.06), and CWP (0.90 ± 0.2 kg m−3) (p < 0.05), while in 2021, plants were heavier (11.4 ± 2.8 g) and increased in caliber (46.1 ± 3.0 grains); grain yield did not differ between the years (p ˃ 0.05), reaching 861.8 (2020) and 944.7 kg ha−1 (2021). Our results highlight the relevance of maintaining 100% ETc during flowering, and the maintenance of RDI at 75% ETc during vegetative growth.