bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“We Have Been Part of the Response”: The Effects of COVID-19 on Community and Allotment Gardens in the Global North
Authors: Schoen Victoria , Blythe Chris , Caputo Silvio , Fox-Kämper Runrid , Specht Kathrin , Fargue-Lelièvre Agnès , Cohen Nevin , Poniży Lidia , Fedeńczak Konstancja
Published: October 2021

Throughout history, urban agriculture practitioners have adapted to various challenges by continuing to provide food and social benefits. Urban gardens and farms have also responded to sudden political, economic, ecological, and social crises: wartime food shortages; urban disinvestment and property abandonment; earthquakes and floods; climate-change induced weather events; and global economic disruptions. This paper examines the effects on, and responses by, urban farms and gardens to the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper is based on data collected in the summer of 2020 at the onset of the pandemic when cities were struggling with appropriate responses to curb its spread. It builds on an international research project (FEW-meter) that developed a methodology to measure material and social benefits of urban agriculture (UA) in five countries (France, Germany, Poland, UK and USA) over two growing seasons, from a Food-Energy-Water nexus perspective. We surveyed project partners to ascertain the effects of COVID-19 on those gardens and farms and we interviewed policy stakeholders in each country to investigate the wider impacts of the pandemic on UA. We report the results with respect to five key areas: (1) garden accessibility and service provision during the pandemic; (2) adjustments to operational arrangements; (3) effects on production; (4) support for urban farms and gardens through the pandemic; and (5) thoughts about the future of urban agriculture in the recovery period and beyond. The paper shows that the pandemic resulted in multiple challenges to gardens and farms including the loss of ability to provide support services, lost income, and reductions in output because of reduced labor supply. But COVID-19 also created several opportunities: new markets to sell food locally; more time available to gardeners to work in their allotments; and increased community cohesion as neighboring gardeners looked out for one another. By illustrating the range of challenges faced by the pandemic, and strategies to address challenges used by different farms and gardens, the paper illustrates how gardens in this pandemic have adapted to become more resilient and suggests lessons for pandemic recovery and longer-term planning to enable UA to respond to future public health and other crises.
Delayed Diagnosis and Treatment of Traumatic Testicular Dislocation: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Wang Qihua , Alshayyah Rami W. A. , Lv Hang , Yu Yang , Liu Xinyu , Yang Bo
Published: October 2021

Traumatic testicular dislocation is a rare complication secondary to different kinds of accidents. A 61-year-old man, who was injured by wall collapse and was diagnosed as pelvic fracture and posterior urethral rupture 5 months ago, came to the urologic department to seek urethral reconstruction. However, thorough physical examination and imaging examination confirmed a round mass in the right inguinal region and an empty right scrotum, which support diagnosis of testicular dislocation. The patient did not take the initiative to complain about that because he thought the right testis had been destroyed by the accident already. So the patient underwent fiber cystourethroscopy, urethral reconstruction, and orchiopexy. No testicular atrophy was confirmed at follow-up. We reviewed previous reports about traumatic testicular dislocation and analyzed the cause of delayed diagnosis.
Small Bowel Intussusception Due to Rare Cardiac Intimal Sarcoma Metastasis: A Case Report
Authors: Chiarelli Marco , Zago Mauro , Tagliabue Fulvio , Burati Morena , Riva Cristina , Vanzati Alice , Dainese Emanuele , Gabrielli Francesco , Guttadauro Angelo , De Simone Matilde , Cioffi Ugo
Published: October 2021

Background: Intimal sarcomas are rare malignant mesenchymal tumors arising from the heart and large blood vessels. Their intraluminal growth leads to vascular obstructive symptoms and peripheral neoplastic embolization. Direct infiltration of the lungs or metastases to the pulmonary system, occur in 40% of cases and extrathoracic spread is frequent, also in presentation. Intussusception is an unusual event in adults, accounting for <5% of bowel obstructions. In most cases it is caused by a malignancy and requires surgical resection.

Case Presentation: We describe a rare case of a 50-year-old man suffering of bowel obstruction due to intussusception sustained by a small bowel metastasis of a primary cardiac intimal sarcoma. One year and a half before the onset of abdominal symptoms, a grade II intimal sarcoma was removed from his left atrium and consequently he followed a chemotherapy protocol. Four months later a CT scan revealed local recurrence. Eighteen months after heart surgery he referred to the ER with abdominal pain. CT scan showed an ileal intussusception and the patient was scheduled for surgery. A tract of 10 cm ileus was removed containing an intramural polypoid solid mass. Histological analyses revealed a grade II intimal sarcoma consistent with his first diagnosis.

Conclusion: Primary heart tumors are late found and often partially resected, therefore metastatic pathways are to be expected. Adult small bowel intussusception is a rare event and caused by a malignancy in one third of cases. Therefore, our recommendation is to always resect the tract involved in order to perform a proper diagnosis.
Study on the Effective Material Basis and Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescription (QJC) Against Stress Diarrhea in Mice
Authors: Zhang Yuefeng , Yu Fei , Hao Jingyou , Nsabimana Eliphaz , Wei Yanru , Chang Xiaohan , Liu Chang , Wang Xiaozhen , Li Yanhua
Published: October 2021

Stress diarrhea is a major challenge for weaned piglets and restricts pig production efficiency and incurs massive economic losses. A traditional Chinese medicine prescription (QJC) composed of Astragalus propinquus Schischkin (HQ), Zingiber officinale Roscoe (SJ), and Plantago asiatica L. (CQC) has been developed by our laboratory and shows marked anti-stress diarrhea effect. However, the active compounds, potential targets, and mechanism of this effect remain unclear and warrant further investigation. In our study, we verified the bioactive compounds of QJC and relevant mechanisms underlying the anti-stress diarrhea effect through network pharmacology and in vivo experimental studies. After establishing a successful stress-induced diarrhea model, histomorphology of intestinal mucosa was studied, and Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) probe was used for the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)–Akt signaling pathway to verify the therapeutic effect of QJC on diarrhea. First, using the network pharmacology approach, we identified 35 active components and 130 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in QJC. From among these, we speculated that quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, scutellarein, and stigmasterol were the main bioactive compounds and assumed that the anti-diarrhea effect of QJC was related to the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway. The RT-qPCR indicated that QJC and its bioactive components increased the expression levels of PI3K and Akt, inhibited the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and activated the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway to relieve stress-induced diarrhea. Furthermore, we found that QJC alleviated the pathological condition of small intestine tissue and improved the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Taken together, our study showed that the traditional Chinese medicine QJC, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, scutellarein, and stigmasterol alleviated the pathological condition of small intestine tissue and relieved stress-induced diarrhea by increasing the expression levels of PI3K and Akt and inhibiting the expression levels of PTEN.
Epidemiological, Morphometric, and Molecular Investigation of Cystic Echinococcosis in Camel and Cattle From Upper Egypt: Current Status and Zoonotic Implications
Authors: Gareh Ahmed , Saleh Amira A. , Moustafa Samar M. , Tahoun Amin , Baty Roua S. , Khalifa Refaat M. A. , Dyab Ahmed K. , Yones Doaa A. , Arafa Mohsen I. , Abdelaziz Amer R. , El-Gohary Fatma A. , Elmahallawy Ehab Kotb
Published: October 2021

Cystic echinococcosis has been considered one of the major parasitic zoonoses which is associated with severe economic losses. The present study was undertaken to investigate the occurrence, organ distribution, cyst fertility, and viability of cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered camels and cattle from various abattoirs in Assiut Governorate, Egypt. The work also involved morphological, morphometric, and molecular identification of the parasite. The occurrence of hydatid cysts was investigated in total number of 100 lungs of camels and 574 liver and lungs of cattle admitted to three slaughterhouses at Assiut Governorate, Egypt. Moreover, several individual variable factors, including organ involvement, age, sex, and hydatid cyst characteristics, were studied to identify their possible association with the occurrence of the disease. Genomic DNA was extracted from the hydatid cysts, followed by molecular identification of the parasite through amplification of ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Hydatid cysts were found in 6 camels (6%) out of 100 inspected camels, while 5 hydatid cysts (0.87%) were detected in a total number of 574 cattle examined. The parasite was detected exclusively in lungs of camels, while lungs were the main organ infected by the parasite in cattle and one hydatid cyst was found in the liver (0.17%). In camel, 66.7, 16.65, and 16.65%of detected cysts were fertile, sterile, and calcified, respectively, while in cattle, these percentages were 60, 20, and 20%, respectively. None of the studied variable factors were significantly associated with the occurrence of the disease in camels, with the exception that all cysts were found in the lung. Conversely, we found a significant association (P < 0.05) between the age and sex of the slaughtered cattle and the occurrence of hydatid cysts. In this respect, the rate of infection was higher in female cattle and those cattle more than 5 years (P < 0.05). The morphological, morphometric, and molecular studies confirmed the presence of the parasite. Taken together, our results concluded that camels and cattle play a potential role in maintaining the transmission cycle of this zoonotic parasite.
Clocking and Potential Effects in Combustor–Turbine Stator Interactions
Authors: Flaszynski Pawel , Piotrowicz Michal , Bacci Tommaso
Published: October 2021

Investigations of combustors and turbines separately have been carried out for years by research institutes and aircraft engine companies, but there are still many questions about the interaction effect. In this paper, a prediction of a turbine stator’s potential effect on flow in a combustor and the clocking effect on temperature distribution in a nozzle guide vane are discussed. Numerical simulation results for the combustor simulator and the nozzle guide vane (NGV) of the first turbine stage are presented. The geometry and flow conditions were defined according to measurements carried out on a test section within the framework of the EU FACTOR (full aerothermal combustor–turbine interactions research) project. The numerical model was validated by a comparison of results against experimental data in the plane at a combustor outlet. Two turbulence models were employed: the Spalart–Allmaras and Explicit Algebraic Reynolds Stress models. It was shown that the NGV potential effect on flow distribution at the combustor–turbine interface located at 42.5% of the axial chord is weak. The clocking effect due to the azimuthal position of guide vanes downstream of the swirlers strongly affects the temperature and flow conditions in a stator cascade.
Aerodynamic Characteristics of Re-Entry Capsules with Hyperbolic Contours
Authors: Otsu Hirotaka
Published: October 2021

For most re-entry capsules, the shape of the forebody of the capsule is designed based on the blunted nose cone. A similar shape can be created using a hyperboloid of revolution that can control the nose bluntness and the half angle of the cone easily. In this study, the hypersonic aerodynamic characteristics of re-entry capsules designed with hyperbolic contours were investigated using the CFD code, FaSTAR, developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The CFD results showed that, using the hyperbolic contours, the drag and lift coefficients can be increased compared to those for the Hayabusa re-entry capsule without changing the shape of the capsule drastically. This suggests that shape design based on the hyperbolic contours can improve the aerodynamic characteristics of re-entry capsules.
Determining Threshold Values for a Crop Water Stress Index-Based Center Pivot Irrigation with Optimum Grain Yield
Authors: Qin Anzhen , Ning Dongfeng , Liu Zhandong , Li Sen , Zhao Ben , Duan Aiwang
Published: October 2021

The temperature-based crop water stress index (CWSI) can accurately reflect the extent of crop water deficit. As an ideal carrier of onboard thermometers to monitor canopy temperature (Tc), center pivot irrigation systems (CPIS) have been widely used in precision irrigation. However, the determination of reliable CWSI thresholds for initiating the CPIS is still a challenge for a winter wheat–summer maize cropping system in the North China Plain (NCP). To address this problem, field experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of CWSI thresholds on grain yield (GY) and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat and summer maize in the NCP. The results show that positive linear functions were fitted to the relationships between CWSI and canopy minus air temperature (Tc − Ta) (r2 > 0.695), and between crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and Tc (r2 > 0.548) for both crops. To make analysis comparable, GY and WUE data were normalized to a range of 0.0 to 1.0, corresponding the range of CWSI. With the increase in CWSI, a positive linear relationship was observed for WUE (r2 = 0.873), while a significant inverse relationship was found for the GY (r2 = 0.915) of winter wheat. Quadratic functions were fitted for both the GY (r2 = 0.856) and WUE (r2 = 0.629) of summer maize. By solving the cross values of the two GY and WUE functions for each crop, CWSI thresholds were proposed as being 0.322 for winter wheat, and 0.299 for summer maize, corresponding to a Tc − Ta threshold value of 0.925 and 0.498 °C, respectively. We conclude that farmers can achieve the dual goals of high GY and high WUE using the optimal thresholds proposed for a winter wheat–summer maize cropping system in the NCP.
Research on Load Disturbance Based Variable Speed PID Control and a Novel Denoising Method Based Effect Evaluation of HST for Agricultural Machinery
Authors: Cheng Zhun , Lu Zhixiong
Published: October 2021

This paper aims to realize and improve the constant speed control performance of tractors with HST (Hydrostatic Transmission) variable speed units. To achieve this, based on the HST test bench of the tractor, we perform a verification test of the adjustable speed characteristics, a denoising filter test of the response signal, a test on the influence of the load disturbance on the adjustable speed characteristics and a PID-based constant speed performance detection test. The results of the verification test of the adjustable speed characteristics show that the theoretical value and actual value of the adjustable speed transmission characteristics of the HST used are essentially consistent with each other. The results of the test of the load disturbance’s influence on the adjustable speed characteristics show that the increase in load torque inhibits the HST output response. Therefore, the paper proposes and designs a PID-based closed-loop constant speed control system. The paper uses a step response test and a load disturbance test to research the control result of the constant speed system. Collecting and analyzing all test results, we find that the constant speed control based on PID has a very good result. The average error between the average HST output speed and the target speed set was 0.37%, and the average standard deviation of output speed was 1.18 rpm. In addition, the paper proposes a denoising method combing the empirical mode decomposition method and the Gaussian distribution determination. The method shows that the first two orders of the components of the HST response signal should be removed as noise. The paper uses the denoised signal and the partial least squares method to analyze the influencing factors of the constant speed control result. The analysis results show that the rate of change of load torque has the biggest influence on the stability of HST output speed, followed by the target value.
Technological Heterogeneity in Pig Farming: A Metafrontier Approach—Perspectives from Hungary and Poland
Authors: Baráth Lajos , Fertő Imre , Staniszewski Jakub
Published: October 2021

Despite remaining the most important type of animal production, pig production in Poland and Hungary declined after their accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004. This paper investigated the evolution of the technical efficiency of the pork industry in both countries. We applied stochastic frontier analysis, which takes into account heterogeneity in the production environment and production functions in both countries—true random effects, and a metafrontier model. We employed farm-level data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network sample during the period 2004–2015. Results illustrate the differences in production function in both countries and technological decline throughout the period of analysis. Furthermore, farms in Hungary were more technologically developed as well as less efficient in relation to the country frontier; however, the higher technological level resulted in generally greater efficiency in relation to the metafrontier. Our results suggest that different policy measures would be effective in the countries under analysis.
When It Pays to Catch a Swarm—Evaluation of the Economic Importance of Remote Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colony Swarming Detection
Authors: Zacepins Aleksejs , Kviesis Armands , Komasilovs Vitalijs , Brodschneider Robert
Published: October 2021

Precision beekeeping, or precision apiculture, focuses on individual beehive remote monitoring using different measurement systems and sensors. Sometimes, there are debates about the necessity for such systems and the real-life benefits of the substitution of bee colony manual inspection by automatic systems. Remote systems offer many advantages, but also have their disadvantages and costs. We evaluated the economic benefits of the remote detection of the bee colonies’ reproductive state of swarming. We propose two economic models for predicting differences in the benefits of catching a swarm depending on its travel distance. Models are tested by comparing the situation in four different countries (Austria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Latvia). The economic model is based on financial losses caused by bee colony swarming and considers the effort needed to catch the swarm following a remote swarm detection event. The economic benefit of catching a swarm after a remote precision beekeeping notification is shown to be a function of the distance/time to reach the apiary. The possible technical range is tempting, but we demonstrated that remote sensing is economically limited by the ability to physically reach the apiary and interact in time, or alternatively, inform a person living close by. An advanced economic model additionally includes the swarm catching probability, which decreases based on travel distance/time. Based on exemplary values from the four countries, the economic potential of detecting and informing beekeepers about swarming events is calculated.
Antioxidant Activity, Polyphenolic Profiles and Antibacterial Properties of Leaf Extract of Various Paulownia spp. Clones
Authors: Dżugan Małgorzata , Miłek Michał , Grabek-Lejko Dorota , Hęclik Joanna , Jacek Beata , Litwińczuk Wojciech
Published: October 2021

Paulownia spp. are widely distributed ornamental trees with leaves abundant in secondary metabolites of high medicinal potential. Eighteen breeding clones of Paulownia spp. were tested in terms of their antioxidant activity and total polyphenolic contents. The 50% ethanolic extracts (2 g/30 mL) of leaves and petioles were compared in the screening step. Eight paulownia clones were selected for detailed analyses including HPTLC polyphenolic profile, verbascoside content and antibacterial activity against five bacteria species (S. aureus, B. cereus, E. coli, Y. enterocolitica, S. enterica). The species-specific differences in terms of antioxidant activity correlated with phenolic compounds were found mainly in the case of leaf blade extracts, the highest for P. tomentosa × P. fortunei and the lowest for P. elongata × P. fortunei clones. The P. tomentosa clones varied greatly in this regard. In the HPTLC polyphenolic profile, the occurrence of some polyphenols was proved and the specific verbascoside content was quantified (70 to 225 mg/g DW). The P. tomentosa × P. fortunei hybrids had the highest inhibitory activity, mainly against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas only slight inhibition of S. aureus growth was observed for P. elongata × P. fortunei clones. The obtained results indicate diverse suitability of paulownia clones as a source of active ingredients.
Influence of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles to Regulate the Antioxidants Enzymes, Some Osmolytes and Agronomic Attributes in Coriandrum sativum L. Grown under Water Stress
Authors: Khan Muhammad Tajammal , Ahmed Shakil , Shah Anis Ali , Noor Shah Adnan , Tanveer Mohsin , El-Sheikh Mohamed A. , Siddiqui Manzer H.
Published: October 2021

Climatic variations adversely affect the limited water resources of earth which leads to water stress and influences agricultural production worldwide. Therefore, a novel approach has been introduced to improve the tolerance against water stress in herbaceous nature medicinal plants such as Coriandrum sativum by the usage of nanotechnology (foliar applied nanoparticles of ZnOx) coupled with the application of water deficit irrigation. This is an alternative water saving strategy that proved to be efficient to mitigate the Coriandrum sativum tolerance against water stress regimes for sustainable yield production through the activation of antioxidant system. Thus, the phenomena of green synthesis have been deployed for the formation of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnOx NPs) from the leaf extract of Camellia sinensis L. and zinc acetate dihydrate was used as precursor. Different techniques have been used for the thorough study and confirmation of ZnOx NPs such as UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis) X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Elemental dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The prepared ZnOx NPs exhibit hexagonal wurtzite crystal nature has an average size of 37 nm with high purity. These ZnOx NPs have been further studied for their role in amelioration of water stress tolerance in Coriandrum sativum in a pot experiment. Two levels of water stress regimes were employed, IR75 (moderate) and IR50 (Intense) to evaluate the behavior of plant compared to full irrigation (FI). Results showed that under water stress regimes, the 100 ppm of prepared NPs stimulate the antioxidant system by increasing the activity of catalases (CAT), super oxidases (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzymes and found the maximum at IR50, while the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased due to increase in activity of antioxidative enzymes. Furthermore, chlorophyll content and amount of proline also enhanced by the foliar application of prepared ZnOx NPs under moderate water stress (IR75). The results suggested that all the investigated agronomic attributes significantly increased, including plant biomass and economic yield (EY), compared to non-treated ZnOx NPs plants, except for the number of primary branches and LAI. Further, the 100 ppm of prepared ZnOx NPs have great potential to improve water stress tolerance in Coriandrum sativum by improving the antioxidant enzymes activity that enhance agronomic attributes for high crop productivity that require further research at transcriptomic and genomic level.
Liming Optimizes Nitrogen Fertilization in a Maize-Upland Rice Rotation under No-Till Conditions
Authors: Crusciol Carlos Alexandre Costa , Momesso Letusa , de Campos Murilo , Bossolani João William , Portugal José Roberto , Moretti Luiz Gustavo , Volf Marcelo Raphael , Calonego Juliano Carlos , Rosolem Ciro Antonio
Published: October 2021

Liming and N fertilization are common practices for optimizing crop yields in tropical agriculture, but the adequate N rate to ensure crop development, enhance yields and N use efficiency, and improve soil chemical properties has not been established for grass rotation. We assessed the optimal N fertilizer rate for combination with liming in an agricultural system composed of two grasses (maize and rice) in rotation under no-till (NT) conditions. Four N rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg N·ha−1) were tested under two liming conditions. Maize (11 Mg·ha−1) and rice (5 Mg·ha−1) yields were highest with lime and 150 kg N·ha−1 applications. At 18 months after liming, lime application increased soil pH. In addition, combining liming with N fertilization further increased SOM content at all N rates. Lime increased available P, exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+, and BS at N rates of 0, 50, and 100 kg N·ha−1. Overall, combining liming and N fertilization is beneficial for grass crops under NT conditions, as evidenced by enhanced maize and rice N use efficiency and yields. N fertilization rates of 100 and 150 kg N·ha−1 under lime amendment provided the best improvements in crop yields in this cropping system.
Risk Factors of Forced Take-Off in Dairy Cows Milked Three Times per Day in A Rotary Milking Parlor: A Case Control Study
Authors: Wieland Matthias , Virkler Paul Douglas , Sipka Anja
Published: October 2021

The aims of the research were to: (1) describe a protocol for the identification of cows that are subjected repeatedly to a forced retraction event at the end of milking; (2) study risk factors of repeated forced take-off (RFTO); and (3) assess the average milk flow rate at which the forced retraction event occurred. In a retrospective study, we collected milk flow data over a 1-week period from a 4300-cow dairy with a rotary milking parlor and a thrice-daily milking schedule. We identified 109 cases of RFTO and 2467 controls. A multivariable logistic regression model revealed associations of parity, stage of lactation, average daily milk production, and milking speed with RFTO. Cows in parity 3 or greater, animals ≤100 days in milk, high-producing animals, and cows with low milking speed had higher odds of RFTO. The average (least squares means (95% CI)) milk flow rates at the time of removal of the milking unit were 2.1 (2.0–2.1) kg/min in milking observations that were terminated with the forced retract and 1.5 (1.4–1.5) kg/min when milking units were removed with the automatic cluster remover. Future research to better understand the effect of RFTO on milk production, udder health, and animal well-being is warranted.
Maternal and Neonatal Evaluation of Derived Reactive Oxygen Metabolites and Biological Antioxidant Potential in Donkey Mares and Foals
Authors: Sgorbini Micaela , Bonelli Francesca , Percacini Giulia , Pasquini Anna , Rota Alessandra
Published: October 2021

Our aim was to measure the concentrations of derived reactive oxygen metabolite (d-ROMs) and biological antioxidant potential (BAP) of donkey mares and foals at delivery and to verify the protective role of the placenta against fetal oxidative stress. A total of 15 Amiata jennies with a physiological gestation length and delivery were included together with 17 foals (two twin foalings). After delivery, maternal and foal venous blood samples were collected along with blood from the artery. Circulating lactate and plasma d-ROMs and BAP were evaluated. The Wilcoxon test for paired data was applied to verify differences in d-ROMs and BAP values, while the Spearman test was used to evaluate correlations. A significantly higher d-ROMs concentration was found in jennies compared to their foals, and to the umbilical artery blood. The BAP was higher in jennies than in their foals, but no differences were observed in the umbilical artery blood. No difference was found between foals and their umbilical cord. Blood lactate was higher in foals than in their dams. Positive correlations were found between mares and umbilical cord for BAP and d-ROMs, and between mares and foals and umbilical cord for BAP. In conclusion, the placenta may be a protective factor for the fetus. As with equine foals, the antioxidant system of donkey foals does not seems to be effective at birth.
Genetic Analysis of the Fatty Acid Profile in Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata L.)
Authors: Vallecillos Antonio , Marín María , Bortoletti Martina , López Javier , Afonso Juan M. , Ramis Guillermo , Arizcun Marta , María-Dolores Emilio , Armero Eva
Published: October 2021

The gilthead seabream is one of the most valuable species in the Mediterranean basin both for fisheries and aquaculture. Marine fish, such as gilthead seabream, are a source of n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, highly appreciated for human food owing to their benefits on the cardiovascular and immune systems. The aim of the present study was to estimate heritability for fatty acid (FA) profile in fillet gilthead seabream to be considered as a strategy of a selective breeding program. Total of 399 fish, from a broodstock Mediterranean Sea, were analysed for growth, flesh composition and FA profile. Heritabilities for growth traits, and flesh composition (fat, protein, and moisture content) were medium. Heritability was moderate for 14:0, 16:0 and 18:1n9 and for sum of monounsaturated FA and n6/n3 ratio, and it was low for 20:1n11 and 22:6n3 and the ratio unsaturated/saturated FA. Breeding programs in gilthead seabream usually include growth as the first criterion in the selection process of the fish. However, other quality traits, such as fillet fat content and its fatty acids profile should be considered, since they are very important traits for the consumer, from a nutritional point of view and the benefits for the health.
Sexual Development in Non-Human Parasitic Apicomplexa: Just Biology or Targets for Control?
Authors: Cruz-Bustos Teresa , Feix Anna Sophia , Ruttkowski Bärbel , Joachim Anja
Published: October 2021

The phylum Apicomplexa is a major group of protozoan parasites including gregarines, coccidia, haemogregarines, haemosporidia and piroplasms, with more than 6000 named species. Three of these subgroups, the coccidia, hemosporidia, and piroplasms, contain parasites that cause important diseases of humans and animals worldwide. All of them have complex life cycles involving a switch between asexual and sexual reproduction, which is key to their development. Fertilization (i.e., fusion of female and male cells) results in the formation of a zygote that undergoes meiosis, forming a new generation of asexual stages. In eukaryotes, sexual reproduction is the predominant mode of recombination and segregation of DNA. Sex is well documented in many protist groups, and together with meiosis, is frequently linked with transmission to new hosts. Apicomplexan sexual stages constitute a bottleneck in the life cycle of these parasites, as they are obligatory for the development of new transmissible stages. Consequently, the sexual stages represent attractive targets for vaccination. Detailed understanding of apicomplexan sexual biology will pave the way for the design and implementation of effective transmission-blocking strategies for parasite control. This article reviews the current knowledge on the sexual development of Apicomplexa and the progress in transmission-blocking vaccines for their control, their advantages and limitations and outstanding questions for the future.
A Novel Methodology for Simultaneous Minimization of Manufacturing Objectives in Tolerance Allocation of Complex Assembly
Authors: Nagarajan Lenin , Mahalingam Siva Kumar , Salunkhe Sachin , Nasr Emad Abouel , Davim Jõao Paulo , Hussein Hussein M. A.
Published: October 2021

Tolerance cost and machining time play crucial roles while performing tolerance allocation in complex assemblies. The aim of the proposed work is to minimize the above-said manufacturing objectives for allocating optimum tolerance to the components of complex assemblies, by considering the proper process and machine selections from the given alternatives. A novel methodology that provides a two-step solution is developed for this work. First, a heuristic approach is applied to determine the best machine for each process, and then a combined whale optimization algorithm with a univariate search method is used to allocate optimum tolerances with the best process selection for each sub-stage/operation. The efficiency of the proposed novel methodology is validated by solving two typical tolerance allocation problems of complex assemblies: a wheel mounting assembly and a knuckle joint assembly. Compared with previous approaches, the proposed methodology showed a considerable reduction in tolerance cost and machining time in relatively less computation time.
Effects of Neglecting PCM Hysteresis While Making Simulation Calculations of a Building Located in Polish Climatic Conditions
Authors: Zastawna-Rumin Anna , Nowak Katarzyna
Published: October 2021

The use of phase change materials (PCM) in different building applications is a hot topic in today’s research and development activities. Numerous experimental tests confirmed that the hysteresis of the phase change process has a noticeable effect on heat accumulation in PCM. The authors are trying to answer the question of whether the neglecting of hysteresis or the impact of the speed of phase transformation processes reduce the accuracy of the simulation. The analysis was performed for a model building, created to validate the energy calculations. It was also important to conduct simulations for the polish climatic conditions. The calculations were conducted for three variants of materials. In addition, in the case of models containing layers with PCM, calculations were made both taking into account, as well as excluding material hysteresis in the calculations. In the analyzed examples, after taking into account hysteresis in the calculations, the period of time when surface temperature is below the phase change temperature of the materials decreased by 10.6% and 29.4% between 01 June to 30 September, for the options with PCM boards and Dupont boards, respectively. Significant differences in surface temperature were also observed. The effects of neglecting, even relatively small hysteresis, in the calculations are noticeable and can lead to significant errors in the calculation.
Potato Starch Extrusion and Roasting with Apple Distillery Wastewater as a New Method for Resistant Starch Production
Authors: Zięba Tomasz , Solińska Dominika , Gryszkin Artur , Kapelko-Żeberska Małgorzata , Raszewski Bartosz , Ačkar Đurđica , Babić Jurislav , Miličević Borislav , Jozinović Antun
Published: October 2021

Potato starch was extruded and roasted with apple distillery wastewater to produce starch esters substituted with malic acid residues. The starch esterification degree was higher at the higher roasting temperatures. Starch modification contributed to its darker color, its increased resistance to the action of amylolytic enzymes, and its decreased solubility and heat of phase transition. The changes in the other starch properties examined depended on the extrusion and roasting temperatures. The process, which was conducted without a chemical agent—in this case, the process of starch extrusion and roasting with apple distillery wastewater—should be deemed a novel method for resistant starch production.
Digital Simulation and Identification of Faults with Neural Network Reasoners in Brushed Actuators Employed in an E-Brake System
Authors: Ramesh Gouri , Garza Pablo , Perinpanayagam Suresh
Published: October 2021

The aerospace industry is constantly looking to adopt new technologies to increase the performance of the machines and procedures they employ. In recent years, the industry has tried to introduce more electric aircraft and integrated vehicle health management technologies to achieve various benefits, such as weight reduction, lower fuel consumption, and a decrease in unexpected failures. In this experiment, data obtained from the simulation model of an electric braking system employing a brushed DC motor is used to determine its health. More specifically, the data are used to identify faults, namely open circuit fault, intermittent open circuit, and jamming. The variation of characteristic parameters during normal working conditions and when faults are encountered are analysed qualitatively. The analysis is used to select the features that are ideal to be fed into the reasoner. The selected features are braking force, wheel slip, motor temperature, and motor angular displacement, as these parameters have very distinct profiles upon injection of each of the faults. Due to the availability of clean data, a data-driven approach is adopted for the development of the reasoner. In this work, a Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network time series classifier is proposed for the identification of faults. The performance of this classifier is then compared with two others—K Nearest Neighbour time series and Time Series Forest classifiers. The comparison of the reasoners is then carried out in terms of accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score.
On-Device Object Detection for More Efficient and Privacy-Compliant Visual Perception in Context-Aware Systems
Authors: Rodriguez-Conde Ivan , Campos Celso , Fdez-Riverola Florentino
Published: October 2021

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) encompasses technological infrastructures capable of sensing data from environments and extracting high-level knowledge to detect or recognize users’ features and actions, as well as entities or events in their surroundings. Visual perception, particularly object detection, has become one of the most relevant enabling factors for this context-aware user-centered intelligence, being the cornerstone of relevant but complex tasks, such as object tracking or human action recognition. In this context, convolutional neural networks have proven to achieve state-of-the-art accuracy levels. However, they typically result in large and highly complex models that typically demand computation offloading onto remote cloud platforms. Such an approach has security- and latency-related limitations and may not be appropriate for some AmI use cases where the system response time must be as short as possible, and data privacy must be guaranteed. In the last few years, the on-device paradigm has emerged in response to those limitations, yielding more compact and efficient neural networks able to address inference directly on client machines, thus providing users with a smoother and better-tailored experience, with no need of sharing their data with an outsourced service. Framed in that novel paradigm, this work presents a review of the recent advances made along those lines in object detection, providing a comprehensive study of the most relevant lightweight CNN-based detection frameworks, discussing the most paradigmatic AmI domains where such an approach has been successfully applied, the different challenges arisen, the key strategies and techniques adopted to create visual solutions for image-based object classification and localization, as well as the most relevant factors to bear in mind when assessing or comparing those techniques, such as the evaluation metrics or the hardware setups used.
A Voxel-Based Watermarking Scheme for Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Ueng Shyh-Kuang , Hsieh Ya-Fang , Kao Yu-Chia
Published: October 2021

Digital and analog contents, generated in additive manufacturing (AM) processes, may be illegally modified, distributed, and reproduced. In this article, we propose a watermarking scheme to enhance the security of AM. Compared with conventional watermarking methods, our algorithm possesses the following advantages. First, it protects geometric models and printed parts as well as G-code programs. Secondly, it embeds watermarks into both polygonal and volumetric models. Thirdly, our method is capable of creating watermarks inside the interiors and on the surfaces of complex models. Fourth, the watermarks may appear in various forms, including character strings, cavities, embossed bumps, and engraved textures. The proposed watermarking method is composed of the following steps. At first, the input geometric model is converted into a distance field. Then, the watermark is inserted into a region of interest by using self-organizing mapping. Finally, the watermarked model is converted into a G-code program by using a specialized slicer. Several robust methods are also developed to authenticate digital models, G-code programs, and physical parts. These methods perform virtual manufacturing, volume rendering, and image processing to extract watermarks from these contents at first. Then, they employ similarity evaluation and visual comparison to verify the extracted signatures. Some experiments had been conducted to validify the proposed watermarking method. The test results, analysis, discussion, and comparisons are also presented in this article.
Firewall Best Practices for Securing Smart Healthcare Environment: A Review
Authors: Anwar Raja Waseem , Abdullah Tariq , Pastore Flavio
Published: October 2021

Smart healthcare environments are growing at a rapid pace due to the services and benefits offered to healthcare practitioners and to patients. At the same time, smart healthcare environments are becoming increasingly complex environments where a plethora of devices are linked with each other, to deliver services to patients, and they require special security measures to protect the privacy and integrity of user data. Moreover, these environments are exposed to various kinds of security risks, threats, and attacks. Firewalls are considered as the first line of defense for securing smart healthcare networks and addressing the challenges mentioned above. Firewalls are applied at different levels in networks, and range from conventional server-based to cloud-based firewalls. However, the selection and implementation of a proper firewall to get the maximum benefit is a challenging task. Therefore, understanding firewall types, the services offered, and analyzing underlying vulnerabilities are important design considerations that need addressing before implementing a firewall in a smart healthcare environment. The paper provides a comprehensive review and best practices of firewall types, with offered benefits and drawbacks, which may help to define a comprehensive set of policies for smart healthcare devices and environments.
Dropwise Condensation Mechanism on Smooth Hydrophilic Surfaces
Authors: Bayani Ahangar Shahab , Lee Kyung-Bon , Choi Chang Kyoung
Published: October 2021

The objective of this work is to identify the mechanism of dropwise condensation on a smooth solid surface. We investigate the stable dropwise condensation that occurs at a droplet growth rate of 1 µm/s in diameter on a gold-coated glass surface. Additionally, we present our observations on unstable dropwise condensation, i.e., degradation of dropwise condensation of steam on a gold surface. Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging (SPRi) is used to evaluate the existence and structure of thin films and occurrence of initial nuclei during condensation. SPRi approach used in this study has lateral resolutions of 4–10 µm, thickness resolutions of 0.1–1 nm, and temporal resolutions of 200–10,000 frames per second (FPS). Visualization of the onset of stable dropwise condensation suggests droplets form at heterogeneous nucleation sites and that no film greater than a monolayer exists on the surface before the formation of droplets. Observation of the unstable dropwise condensation of steam shows the existence of water films that are several nanometers thick between droplets. This work shows that neither the nucleation theory nor film rupture theory can individually explain the physics of dropwise condensation. Therefore, there is a need for a more comprehensive theory that can explain the mechanism of dropwise condensation.
Point-Graph Neural Network Based Novel Visual Positioning System for Indoor Navigation
Authors: Jung Tae-Won , Jeong Chi-Seo , Kwon Soon-Chul , Jung Kye-Dong
Published: October 2021

Indoor localization is a basic element in location-based services (LBSs), including seamless indoor and outdoor navigation, location-based precision marketing, spatial recognition in robotics, augmented reality, and mixed reality. The popularity of LBSs in the augmented reality and mixed reality fields has increased the demand for a stable and efficient indoor positioning method. However, the problem of indoor visual localization has not been appropriately addressed, owing to the strict trade-off between accuracy and cost. Therefore, we use point cloud and RGB characteristic information for the accurate acquisition of three-dimensional indoor space. The proposed method is a novel visual positioning system (VPS) capable of determining the user’s position by matching the pose information of the object estimated by the improved point-graph neural network (GNN) with the pose information label of a voxel database object addressed in predefined voxel units. We evaluated the performance of the proposed system considering a stationary object in indoor space. The results verify that high positioning accuracy and direction estimation can be efficiently achieved. Thus, spatial information of indoor space estimated using the proposed novel VPS can aid in indoor navigation.
Flexural Behavior of UHPC Beams Prestressed with External CFRP Tendons
Authors: Jia Li , Fang Zhi , Huang Zhengmeng , Pilakoutas Kypros , Wang Qiwu , Tan Xingyu
Published: October 2021

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the flexural behavior of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) beams prestressed with external carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) tendons. A total of eight T-shaped beam specimens were fabricated and tested, and the effects of the effective prestressing stress, partial prestressing ratio, deviated angle, and loading condition on the flexural behavior were analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the fully prestressed beams experienced a brittle failure, and the shear capacity of these beams was mainly controlled by the effective prestressing stress in CFRP tendons and the ultimate tensile strength of UHPC, whereas the partially prestressed beams failed in a ductile manner. The presence of internal steel reinforcement could significantly improve the flexural capacity and deformation ability. Thus, internal reinforcements should not be omitted from UHPC beams with CFRP tendons. A higher effective prestressing stress resulted in enhanced cracking load and flexural capacity. The deviated angle enhanced the utilization efficiency of high strength CFRP tendons. The loading condition exerted a slight influence on the flexural behavior of the specimens. Moreover, a method considering the effect of steel fibers was proposed and verified to predict the flexural capacity of UHPC beams prestressed with external CFRP tendons.