bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement in quality of cow’s raw milk using novel on-farm milk cooling system
Authors: V. Vekariya Yogeshkumar , M. Patel Sunil , R Kathiriya Mital
Published: September 2023

The present study was conducted with an aim to check the improvement in raw milk quality at farm level by novel milk cooling system. Bulk milk cooler was taken as control. Optimization of different precooling temperatures viz., 30°C, 20°C,10°C and 4°C in novel milk cooling system was carried out based on microbial and physicochemical tests. The raw milk samples were stored at 4°C and analyzed at an interval of 24 h for 72 h. A significant (p<0.05) reduction in the aerobic plate count and psychrotrophic count was observed when precooling temperature was decreased from 30°C to 10°C whereas non-significant difference was observed when precooled at 10°C and4°C. The aerobic plate count and psychrotrophic counts of the raw milk samples ranged from 5.02±0.16 log CFU/ml to 6.87±0.17log CFU/ml and 1.71±0.13 log CFU/ml to 3.54±0.17 log CFU/ml, respectively throughout the storage period. Whereas, pH and titratable acidity of cow’s milk samples ranged from 6.71±0.04 to6.56±0.08 and 0.14±0.01%LA to 0.16±0.02%LA, respectively throughout the storage period. pH and titratable acidity of all milk samples during storage at 4°C for 72 h remained non-significant. Among the treatments, raw milk precooled at 10°Cand 4°C showed lower aerobic plate count and psychrotrophic count with non-significant difference, hence, precooling of raw milk was optimized to 10°C. The better quality of raw milk can be obtained at reduced operating expenses using such novel milk cooling system. The farmers can earn higher incentives from superior quality of raw milk
Design of micro-perforated PTFE mould for manufacture of Paneer,Cheese and Tofu using finite element analysis
Authors: KJ Jayanth , Kumar G Mahesh , B Rajunaik , Ramachandra CT , Manjunatha M , Kumar H Arun
Published: September 2023

The idea of utilizing a micro-perforated PTFE(polytetrafluoroethylene) mould to manufacture paneer, cheese, and tofu was conceived and mould was designed, developed and tested. The micro-perforated PTFE mould is intended to work at temperature 65 to 110ºC, 200 kPa inside pressure. This new generation pressing mould contains micro perforations of 300μmdiameter which are drilled using advanced high precision 4 and 3axis CNC machines. There will be failure (due to induced hoop stress) in the mould when Von Mises(equivalent) stress generated is more than yield stress of virgin PTFE (30 MPa). Wall thickness of mould was optimized by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) by hyper tetrahedron meshing using ANSYS- 22. The results obtained from stress analysis were expressed as Von Mises stress, deformation and factor of safety. A design software developed by ASME was employed to validate shell thickness. The model prediction was shown to be in good agreement with the analytical calculation. Micro-perforated PTFE mould was fabricated as per FDA, c-GMP standards from 6.00 mm thick virgin PTFE material. The FEA resulted in Von Mises Stress of 14.7 MPa, deformation of 2.1535×10-10 m and factor of safety of 2.04. The working drawings were developed and actual fabrication was carried out adopting the prescribed sanitary standards. Satisfactory production of paneer was carried out in the newly designed and developed PTFE paneer mould resulted in excellent quality product.
Applying sensory and instrumental techniques to evaluate the texture of Paneer(an Indian variety of cheese)
Authors: Kaura Robin , Sharma Amandeep , Kumar Singh Pranav , Kaur Goraya Rajpreet
Published: September 2023

The aim of the work is to investigate the relationship between the instrument and sensory data. Paneer samples from thirty-five manufacturers were evaluated for quality of paneer using texture analyser and perceived sensations through sensory evaluation. The modified sensory scorecard can distinguish the samples well. The correlation between sensory attributes and instrumental parameters was obtained by using Principal component analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. The correlation data showed poor correlation between instrumental parameters and sensory attributes (flavour, body and texture, colour and appearance, and overall acceptability). Instrumental techniques have potential to replace sensory analysis.
Cultural Globalization in Anne Tyler’s Digging to America
Authors: Raslan Iman
Published: September 2023

At the turn of the twenty-first century, globalization becomes one of the most contested topics in literature. It not only brings about independence and integration of economic process but also makes a tremendous impact on the literary and cultural fields around the world. It helps in spreading the Western culture and beliefs. Moreover, it is specially linked to the rise of the American influence and Western hegemony. Emanating from Europe and the West, it is a theory of ‘Westernization’ replicating all the problems associated with ‘Eurocentrism’. The aim of this research paper is to explore the concept of cultural globalization in Anne Tyler’s Digging to America (2006). This paper stresses that if there is ever to be a global society, its basis is likely to be on Western socio-political culture which can lead to a backlash of non-Western cultures. This paper provides an overview of globalization and then gives a cogent anti-imperialist analysis of the phenomenon. Within the frame of globalization, it pursues a close reading of the novel which deals with two families meeting at the airport for the first time. Each of them anticipates the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. Over the years, the American family, The Donaldsons, and the Iranian-American, The Yazdans, become more entwined. As a result, cultures clash, values are challenged and the American way is seen from different perspectives. The novel also examines family ties, cultural identity, hybridity and the universal struggle towards the American Dream..
Duality of Expression: Revolutionary and Linguistic Politics in Ibrahim Al-Husseini's Commedia Al-Ahzaan
Authors: Albakry Mohammed
Published: September 2023

This article discusses the Egyptian playwright Ibrahim Al-Husseini's recent play Commedia Al-Ahzaan (Comedy of Sorrows). The play is a bold dramatic attempt to capture the giddying experience of the Egyptian revolution of 25th January, 2011. By offering a glimpse into the lives of some of the nameless crowds that amassed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, Commedia Al-Ahzaan gives a human face to their leaderless mass protests, which managed to topple Mubarak’s dictatorial regime. The discussion focuses particularly on the play’s dramatization of the moment of revolutionary awakening with its mixed feelings of hope and fear as well as the playwright’s use of diglossic language mixing standard Arabic with Egyptian colloquial Arabic as a means of dramatic expression..
Literature and Culture: David Greig’s Play Damascus as a an Example for the Clash between Western and Eastern Cultures
Authors: Abbas Insaf
Published: September 2023

The relations between the East and the West are very old and have been hostile at many times. There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings that envelop the views each side has about the other. Damascus is an interesting play for David Greig which deals with these views. It presents some of these misconceptions and the vast cultural overgeneralizations that each side makes about the other. In the play, Greig explains that he is handling this issue for the sake of producing more understanding between the two cultures. Through the exposure of Paul , the Scottish author of English textbooks to be used as a syllabus for Syrian students, to the eastern culture, the gaps between the two cultures are highlighted. Nevertheless, some understanding occurs as a result. The possibilities of having a multicultural syllabus are also challenged. Moreover, thestudy tries to discuss to what extent Grieg succeeded in presenting the two views and in reducing the misunderstanding between them. It also tries to show whether Greig was able to erase some of the misconceptions the west has about eastern culture or ironically speaking he ended up creating more provocative and negative ideas in presenting the Arab culture.
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Onomatopoeic Problems in Translating Conrad's The Lagoon into Arabic
Authors: Shunnaq Abdullah
Published: September 2023

This study aims at investigating problems of translating onomatopoeic expressions as encountered in translating Conrad's short story The Lagoon from English into Arabic. It combines the practical side with the theoretical one. After translating the short story from English into Arabic, the study investigates this problematic area theoretically and then discusses the strategies used in dealing with it. Finally, it concludes that onomatopoeia is not used haphazardly; it is used functionally and it also constitutes a challenge for the translator. It is recommended that more research should be conducted on this issue..
Feminism and Postmodern Aesthetics in Angela Carter's "Wolf-Alice", "The Company of Wolves", and "The Werewolf"
Authors: Taha Al-Kassasbeh Rabab
Published: September 2023

This paper analyzes the connections between feminist politics and postmodern aesthetics as demonstrated in recent women's fiction. It intends to investigate the much debated problematic of postmodernist and feminist ideologies by examining certain key texts written by Angela Carter, who is a British novelist. Angela Carter's "Wolf-Alice," "The Company of Wolves," and "The Werewolf" are examples which transform revolutionary aesthetics strategies usually associated with post-modern fiction to strengthen its feminist political edge. The first section highlights the theoretical frameworks of postmodernism and feminism accordingly showing the different perspectives from which Carter's work would be analyzed. The second section is devoted to Angela Carter's three short stories. .
Impersonal Passive ‘Personalized’
Authors: El-Marzouk Ghiath
Published: September 2023

Within a specified sense of pragmatics, this article will discuss impersonal passive in (written) Arabic and its typological counterpart in English, a rather unique construction which subjectivizes the semantically vacuous nominal expletive to refer to the indefinite humanness of the real Agent (or its thematic proxy). It will show that there exist certain instantiations of the construction where the subjectivized category is not semantically vacuous but the real Agent (or its thematic proxy) still maintains reference to its indefinite humanness in particular, thus overlapping with what is misleadingly termed ‘personal passive’ in the literature. Hence, with respect to the logical value of transitivity underlying the central activity, the article will highlight two major sub-types of impersonal passive and their ‘personalized’ versions as a preliminary to further reconsideration of the entire terminological apparatus in this regard –the principal concern of a forthcoming article..
The Relevance of Relevance Theory to the Teaching of Literary Translation to Speakers of Arabic Language
Authors: Besbes Khaled
Published: September 2023

This paper deals with the relevance of relevance theory to the teaching and learning of literary translation to Arabic speaking students. It also seeks to demonstrate that the use of a relevance-theoretic framework to teach translation practice to Arab students can yield positive outcomes in terms of accuracy, communicative potential and faithfulness to the original writer’s intentions, among others. After introducing the major premises of the relevance theory of communication and the pertinence of communicative clues to the practice of literary translation, this paper proceeds to a systematic illustration of how these clues can substantially help the student of literary translation to produce communicatively and culturally relevant translations or renditions of texts from English to Arabic and vice versa. Though it involves occasional hints at the translation of stylistic devices, this discussion does not engage with the issue of figurative language in a systematic or explicit way, but rather opens up paths of enquiry into its potential handling from the perspective of the relevance theory of communication.
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Students’ Perceptions towards Co-teaching as an Innovative Approach in Teaching Excellence
Authors: Saleh Yahya
Published: September 2023

This study argues that co-teaching between two different disciplines, i.e. English and Engineering can contribute to the improvement in the quality of teaching English in general and in enhancing communication skills and class interaction in specific. To investigate this argument, one Industrial Engineering teacher and two English language teachers launched an innovative teaching experience through applying co-teaching in their teaching of English 10322 course for students of engineering and science. The ‘One Teaching-One Assisting’ co-teaching approach was adopted in this study. Co-teaching was employed to a class of 42 students to report the students’ attitudes towards three main domains. More specifically, the researchers investigated the students’ attitudes towards the co-teaching environment, the co-teacher himself and the benefits of co-teaching in improving students’ oral communication, presentation and writing skills. Students’ attitudes were collected via a self-report questionnaire as well as through observations and interviews. The statistical analysis revealed general positive attitudes in the three domains, however, significant differences were only observed among both genders in their attitudes towards the co-teaching environment, in particular, in improvements of their writing skills in favor of females..
Non-invasive estimation of in vivo optical properties and hemodynamic parameters of domestic animals: a preliminary study on horses, dogs, and sheep
Authors: Frabasile Lorenzo , Amendola Caterina , Buttafava Mauro , Chincarini Matteo , Contini Davide , Cozzi Bruno , De Zani Donatella , Guerri Giulia , Lacerenza Michele , Minero Michela , Petrizzi Lucio , Qiu Lina , Rabbogliatti Vanessa , Rossi Emanuela , Spinelli Lorenzo , Straticò Paola , Vignola Giorgio , Zani Davide Danilo , Dalla Costa Emanuela , Torricelli Alessandro
Published: September 2023

Biosensors applied in veterinary medicine serve as a noninvasive method to determine the health status of animals and, indirectly, their level of welfare. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been suggested as a technology with this application. This study presents preliminary in vivo time domain NIRS measurements of optical properties (absorption coefficient, reduced scattering coefficient, and differential pathlength factor) and hemodynamic parameters (concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, total hemoglobin, and tissue oxygen saturation) of tissue domestic animals, specifically of skeletal muscle (4 dogs and 6 horses) and head (4 dogs and 19 sheep). The results suggest that TD NIRS in vivo measurements on domestic animals are feasible, and reveal significant variations in the optical and hemodynamic properties among tissue types and species. In horses the different optical and hemodynamic properties of the measured muscles can be attributed to the presence of a thicker adipose layer over the muscle in the Longissimus Dorsi and in the Gluteus Superficialis as compared to the Triceps Brachii. In dogs the absorption coefficient is higher in the head (temporalis musculature) than in skeletal muscles. The smaller absorption coefficient for the head of the sheep as compared to the head of dogs may suggest that in sheep we are indeed reaching the brain cortex while in dog light penetration can be hindered by the strongly absorbing muscle covering the cranium.
Separable Gaussian Neural Networks: Structure, Analysis, and Function Approximations
Authors: Xing Siyuan , Sun Jian-Qiao
Published: September 2023

The Gaussian-radial-basis function neural network (GRBFNN) has been a popular choice for interpolation and classification. However, it is computationally intensive when the dimension of the input vector is high. To address this issue, we propose a new feedforward network-separable Gaussian neural network (SGNN) by taking advantage of the separable property of Gaussian-radial-basis functions, which splits input data into multiple columns and sequentially feeds them into parallel layers formed by uni-variate Gaussian functions. This structure reduces the number of neurons from O(Nd) of GRBFNN to O(dN), which exponentially improves the computational speed of SGNN and makes it scale linearly as the input dimension increases. In addition, SGNN can preserve the dominant subspace of the Hessian matrix of GRBFNN in gradient descent training, leading to a similar level of accuracy to GRBFNN. It is experimentally demonstrated that SGNN can achieve an acceleration of 100 times with a similar level of accuracy over GRBFNN on tri-variate function approximations. The SGNN also has better trainability and is more tuning-friendly than DNNs with RuLU and Sigmoid functions. For approximating functions with a complex geometry, SGNN can lead to results that are three orders of magnitude more accurate than those of a RuLU-DNN with twice the number of layers and the number of neurons per layer.
An Aspect-Oriented Approach to Time-Constrained Strategies in Smart City IoT Applications
Authors: O’Neill Vyas , Soh Ben
Published: September 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing rapidly in various domains, including smart city applications. In many cases, IoT data in smart city applications have time constraints in which they are relevant and acceptable to the task at hand—a window of validity (WoV). Existing algorithms, such as ex post facto adjustment, data offloading, fog computing, and blockchain applications, generally focus on managing the time-validity of data. In this paper, we consider that the functional components of the IoT devices’ decision-making strategies themselves may also be defined in terms of a WoV. We propose an aspect-oriented mechanism to supervise the execution of the IoT device’s strategy, manage the WoV constraints, and resolve invalidated functional components through communication in the multi-agent system. The applicability of our proposed approach is considered with respect to the improved cost, service life, and environmental outcomes for IoT devices in a smart cities context.
Scaling Effects on Morphing Structures: Preliminary Guidelines for Managing the Effects on a Case Study
Authors: Concilio Antonio , Galasso Bernardino , Ameduri Salvatore
Published: September 2023

The technique of morphing in aerospace engineering is a relatively new discipline targeting the improvement of aircraft performance, even through dramatic changes to some critical geometrical and mechanical features, to adapt aircrafts’ configurations to evolving operation conditions. The development path of morphing systems is complex and shall pass through articulated gates to prove its readiness level due to the concurrence of different disciplines and approaches. The characterization and demonstration of the concepts in a representative environment, such as wind tunnel test facilities, are some of the most relevant steps needed for the maturation of the engineering technique. The practical size limitations of test facilities usually impose the use of scaled models. In the case of morphing systems, whose architecture is strictly dependent on the available room, and whose performance is tightly correlated with the general structural stiffness, changes in dimensions may affect the overall behaviour significantly. Therefore, the adaptive design may change a lot until it arrives to the formation of completely different products. Transportability issues of certain architectural forms, as well as the different classes of vehicles, are also related to that aspect. The scope of this paper is to investigate the impact of some effects of scaling processes on certain features of a morphing system, particularly focusing on the stiffness parameters, for their impact on several features such as the load bearing capability and structural stability in both steady and dynamic conditions. As a case study, a rotorcraft blade segment integrated with torsional shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators was considered. Relevant numerical models were exploited to highlight the different evolution laws of the characteristic structural parameters vs. the referred scale factors. In this investigation, the axial, flap, lag bending, and torsion stiffnesses, as well as normal modes and stress levels, are considered. The achieved results confirm the complexity of attaining an effective reproduction of the targeted morphing architecture, as scaled configurations are considered. In spite of the unavoidable specificity of the analysis herein reported, it is believed that such attainments can have a general validity at least to some extent, and the outcomes may be exported to other morphing systems, at least as guidelines. This study took place within the European project SABRE (Shape Adaptive Blades for Rotorcraft Efficiency, H2020).
Improving Strategic Planning: The Crucial Role of Enhancing Relationships between Management Levels
Authors: Gandrita Daniel Mandel
Published: September 2023

Having a fruitful relationship with all levels of management can increase the likelihood of better opportunities within and outside the organization. In some environments, it is known that participation in strategic planning creates better overall conditions for all partners, better conditions for retention, and above all, loyalty to talent. The very acceptance of contributions to this desideratum entails knowledge sharing and knowledge management. Our study examines how the relationship between management levels can disrupt strategic planning, particularly in contexts of resistance to change, situations that can affect talent retention and loyalty. Gathering the essential data to enhance the recommendations and contributions, the organization’s overall robustness takes shape through a combination of participant and nonparticipant observation, alongside interviews and questionnaires administered within the company. Initially, a qualitative approach was employed, involving interviews with a cohort of n = 14 top management executives. Subsequently, a qualitative method was employed, involving questionnaires distributed to a group of n = 204 individuals encompassing middle and lower management levels. Our conclusions, therefore, reflect the continuation of a research study. This paper contributes to the literature of work pursued by exploring how social actors and different stakeholders can make a difference in participating in strategic planning and how they can overcome, in counterpoint, the limitations of possibly not being able to participate in such strategic planning. Our contribution will also result in a critical understanding of the need for talent retention and loyalty, highlighting how retention efforts, especially the small nudges that are absolutely significant in terms of employee participation and even emotional pay purposes, are differentiators and can overcome, very concretely, resistance to change.
The Influence of Economic and Entrepreneurial Education on Perception and Attitudes towards Entrepreneurship
Authors: Ilieș Garofița Loredana , Mureșan Iulia Cristina , Arion Iulia Diana , Arion Felix H.
Published: September 2023

The entrepreneurial behavior of individuals is a result of a complex assembly of factors, and education is one of them. The article is aiming to address the scientific gap in the relation between education and the intention and attitudes in entrepreneurship by focusing on the analysis of the economic and entrepreneurial background as a determinant factor. Besides that, the study looked for the factors that influence entrepreneurial intention and intended to find out if there are significant differences between economic and non-economic backgrounds and entrepreneurial intentions of individuals. A survey with 582 validated respondents was employed in the north-west and the west part of Romania to determine the entrepreneurial intention of the residents. For investigating the results, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, and principal component analysis with varimax rotation was conducted to reduce the number of items used to analyze the entrepreneurial intention of the respondents. The study demonstrated the significance of entrepreneurial education for entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial process: the higher variance is given by entrepreneurial intention (58.75%) for those with economic studies and by entrepreneurial capacity (58.39%) for those without economic studies. It concludes that entrepreneurial education policies should concentrate on the increase of opportunities for entrepreneurs and on creating a culture of entrepreneurship. Regression analysis revealed that entrepreneurial capacity, personal attraction, social valuation, and entrepreneurial education/economic background significantly predict entrepreneurial intention.
A Review on Information Technologies Applicable to Precision Dairy Farming: Focus on Behavior, Health Monitoring, and the Precise Feeding of Dairy Cows
Authors: Liu Na , Qi Jingwei , An Xiaoping , Wang Yuan
Published: September 2023

Milk production plays an essential role in the global economy. With the development of herds and farming systems, the collection of fine-scale data to enhance efficiency and decision-making on dairy farms still faces challenges. The behavior of animals reflects their physical state and health level. In recent years, the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and computer vision (CV) has made great progress in the research of precision dairy farming. Combining data from image, sound, and movement sensors with algorithms, these methods are conducive to monitoring the behavior, health, and management practices of dairy cows. In this review, we summarize the latest research on contact sensors, vision analysis, and machine-learning technologies applicable to dairy cattle, and we focus on the individual recognition, behavior, and health monitoring of dairy cattle and precise feeding. The utilization of state-of-the-art technologies allows for monitoring behavior in near real-time conditions, detecting cow mastitis in a timely manner, and assessing body conditions and feed intake accurately, which enables the promotion of the health and management level of dairy cows. Although there are limitations in implementing machine vision algorithms in commercial settings, technologies exist today and continue to be developed in order to be hopefully used in future commercial pasture management, which ultimately results in better value for producers.
Research on the Improvement of Digital Literacy for Moderately Scaled Tea Farmers under the Background of Digital Intelligence Empowerment
Authors: Lin Dongkai , Fu Bingsheng , Xie Kexiao , Zheng Wanhe , Chang Linjie , Lin Jinke
Published: September 2023

In the context of digital intelligence empowerment, the digital literacy level of tea farmers has a significant impact on the intelligent development and transformation of the tea industry. This study extends the original model of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) by introducing the personal innovativeness theory and the self-efficacy theory and constructs a new model to explore the influencing factors of moderately scaled tea farmers’ digital literacy improvement behavior. There are a total of 22 research hypotheses. Using structural equation modeling and collecting questionnaire data for analysis, the following research results were obtained. (1) The performance expectancy, social influence, effort expectancy, personal innovativeness, and self-efficacy all significantly positively affected the willingness of tea farmers to improve their digital literacy, according to the path coefficient in descending order: social influence (0.226) > self-efficacy (0.224) > effort expectancy (0.178) > performance expectancy (0.157) > personal innovativeness (0.155). (2) Facilitating conditions and the willingness to improve digital literacy had a significant positive impact on tea farmers’ digital literacy improvement behavior, according to the size of the path coefficient: the willingness to improve (0.271) > facilitating conditions (0.106). (3) The willingness of tea farmers to improve their digital literacy played a complete mediating role between personal innovativeness and self-efficacy on their digital literacy improvement behavior, and was partially mediated between the performance expectancy, social influence, and effort expectancy on their digital literacy improvement behavior. According to the proportion of indirect effects, the order was effort expectancy (27%), performance expectancy (47%), and social influence (49%). (4) The gender and age of tea farmers had a significant positive moderating effect on the impact of performance expectancy on the willingness to improve digital literacy. Age and experience had a significant positive moderating effect on the impact of effort expectancy on the willingness to improve digital literacy. The age of tea farmers had a significant positive moderating effect on the improvement of digital literacy behavior through the facilitating conditions. This study extended the applicability of the UTAUT theoretical model and proposed six strategies to improve the digital literacy of tea farmers, which helps policymakers and industry leaders provide practical guidance for tea farmers to improve their digital literacy and provide reference for research related to farmers’ digital literacy.
Advances in Crop Genetic Improvement to Overcome Drought Stress: Bibliometric and Meta-Analysis
Authors: da Silva Patrícia Ferreira , Cassa Natália , de Melo Alberto Soares , Dantas Neto José , Meneghetti Luana Aparecida Menegaz , Custódio Alisson Silva Costa , de Oliveira Niclene Ponce Rodrigues , da Silva Tonny José Araújo , Bonfim-Silva Edna Maria , Andrade Sérgio Plens , Duarte Thiago Franco , da Silva Berilli Sávio , Souza Maurício Novaes , de Oliveira Aparecida de Fátima Madella , Moulin Monique Moreira , Berilli Ana Paula Candido Gabriel
Published: September 2023

Plant resistance to drought stress is a parameter that should be studied with more emphasis in the search for higher agricultural yields. In this scenario, research within breeding programs should be directed toward specific mechanisms of action and important agricultural crops in worldwide agribusiness. From this perspective, this study carried out a bibliographic investigation regarding the advances in genetic improvement aimed at drought stress in crops using a hybrid model of analysis of scientific articles. The analysis employed bibliometric parameters for qualitative and quantitative discussion of scientific production and the methodological process of systematic review for the synthesis of the results obtained. The work was divided into four stages: the search for articles in databases, meta-analysis, bibliometric analysis, and systematic analysis. Scientific articles were searched for on the Scopus, Scielo, and Web of Science databases within a 20-year timeframe. Most authors and institutions were from Asian countries, demonstrating the need for global expansion of research on the subject. With regard to the co-occurrence networks between the keywords used in the search, a focus was observed on the following terms: drought resistance, drought stress; drought, and drought tolerance. Evidently, the primary mechanism of tolerance or even resistance studied in breeding programs is associated with the expression of genes and genetically modified organisms that confer resistance to plants. Also, the crops addressed in the research retrieved are highly diverse.
“Eyes”, “Brain”, “Feet” and “Hands” of Efficient Harvesting Machinery
Authors: Shen Cheng , Tang Zhong , Xiao Maohua
Published: September 2023

The main function of harvesting is the cutting, picking, or digging of mature crop seeds, fruits, stalks, leaves, root parts, or the whole plant [...]
The Preference of Thrips tabaci for Allium cepa, Allium fistulosum, and Allium roylei
Authors: Olczyk Marta , Koschier Elisabeth H. , Wójtowicz Tomasz , Pobożniak Maria
Published: September 2023

Thrips tabaci Lind. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a key pest of onions worldwide. It causes both direct and indirect damage to onion crops, resulting in high yield losses. Today, the Integrated System of Production and Plant Protection requires onion growers to use onion- thrips-resistant cultivars. It has become apparent that the improvement of existing onion cultivars may not be a sufficient, so it is necessary to search for desirable plant traits related to disease and pest resistance among existing and wild cultivars. For this purpose, we conducted bioassays on the possible preference of T. tabaci for three different cultivars of Allium cepa L., namely, Alibaba, Bila, Tęcza, one cultivar Kroll of Welsh onion, Allium fistulosum L., and the wild species Allium roylei Stearn. The settling preference and the oviposition rate of female onion thrips were evaluated using choice and no-choice laboratory tests, respectively. During the bioassay, on leaf sections of the A. roylei species, a significantly higher number of T. tabaci females was recorded compared to the cv. Tęcza of the A. cepa species and the cv. Kroll of the A. fistulosum species in each observation period. Significantly more thrips settled on cv. Kroll compared to Alibaba and Bila. Regarding the results obtained on A. cepa, significantly fewer females were found on cv. Bila compared to cv. Tęcza. Opposite results were observed in a combination of cvs. Tęcza–Alibaba, where significantly more insects settled on the leaves of cv. Alibaba. Statistically significant differences between cultivars/species were found in the number of hatched larvae on the leaves of the tested cultivars/species of onion. The lowest number of larvae hatched from eggs laid on A. roylei, as compared to A. fistulosum and the cultivars of A. cepa, except for Bila.
Evolution of Nano-Biofertilizer as a Green Technology for Agriculture
Authors: Patel Chitranshi , Singh Jyoti , Karunakaran Anagha , Ramakrishna Wusirika
Published: September 2023

Agriculture has long been the cornerstone of human civilization, providing sustenance and livelihoods for millennia. However, as the global population continues to burgeon, agriculture faces mounting challenges. Soil degradation, nutrient depletion, environmental pollution, and the need for sustainable farming practices are among the pressing issues that require innovative solutions. In this context, nano-biofertilizers have emerged as a groundbreaking technological advancement with the potential to reshape modern agriculture. nano-biofertilizers are innovative agricultural products that leverage the combined principles of nanotechnology and biotechnology to enhance nutrient uptake by plants, improve soil health, and promote sustainable farming practices. These specialized fertilizers consist of nanoscale materials and beneficial microorganisms. These fertilizers are eco-friendly and cost-effective and have shown promising results in various crop plants. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in the development of eco-friendly nano-biofertilizers along with an overview of the various types of nano-biofertilizers, their formulation, synthesis, and mode of application for next-generation agriculture. The importance of the interaction between nanoparticles and bacterial species and its impact on the effectiveness of nano-biofertilizers has also been discussed along with the potential benefits, challenges, and future perspectives of using eco-friendly nano-biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture, ensuring a greener and healthier future for generations to come.
Optimization Design and Experiment for Precise Control Double Arc Groove Screw Fertilizer Discharger
Authors: Dun Guoqiang , Wu Xingpeng , Ji Xinxin , Liu Wenhui , Mao Ning
Published: September 2023

In order to solve the problem of uniform and precise fertilizer discharge, based on experimental analysis of the uneven nature of single-screw fertilizer discharge, a double arc groove screw fertilizer discharger was designed based on the principle of the half-cycle superposition of the fertilizer discharge curve. The fertilizer discharge amount and the instantaneous fertilizer discharge characteristics of the double arc groove screw fertilizer discharger were theoretically analyzed, and the factors affecting the fertilizer discharge uniformity of the double arc groove screw fertilizer discharger were obtained, taking the pitch S, arc groove radius Rp and center distance as the test factors. Using the uniformity variation coefficient and fertilization accuracy as test indexes, the experimental indicators were evaluated through a quadratic universal rotation combination design experiment with three factors and five levels. The optimal parameters were pitch S = 35 mm, arc groove radius Rp = 17 mm and center distance a = 40 mm. The fertilizer discharger was produced based on the optimal parameter combination, and a bench verification test and a comparative test were carried out. The test results show that the uniformity variation coefficient of the bench test and the relative error between the fertilization accuracy and the simulation test are 5.60% and 5.52%, respectively, and there is little difference between them, which verifies the correctness of the simulation. The comparative test results show that the uniformity variation coefficient of the optimized double arc groove screw fertilizer discharger is 7.16%, the fertilization accuracy is 3.44% and the fitting curve equation R2 of fertilizer discharge flow is 0.998, all of which are significantly better than in the single-screw fertilizer discharger. We developed an electronic fertilizer discharge controller and conducted bench verification tests on it. The test results show that the average deviation between the measured fertilizer discharge capacity and the preset value of the double arc groove screw fertilizer discharger based on our self-developed controller is 2.78%. This fertilizer discharge device can precisely control fertilizer discharge, effectively solving the problem of uneven fertilizer discharge in single-screw fertilizer dischargers.
Pipe Cavitation Parameters Reveal Bubble Embolism Dynamics in Maize Xylem Vessels across Water Potential Gradients
Authors: Ren Yangjie , Zhang Yitong , Guo Shiyang , Wang Ben , Wang Siqi , Gao Wei
Published: September 2023

Maize, a crop of international relevance, frequently undergoes xylem embolism due to water shortage, negatively impacting growth, yield, and quality. Consequently, a refined comprehension of xylem embolism is vital for enhancing maize cultivation. Notwithstanding extensive research and the generation of analytical models for embolism mechanisms, prevalent models often disregard crop-specific hydraulic processes and the formation of embolisms via air bubbles in the xylem conduit. In this research, we present an inventive model applying pipe cavitation parameters to discern water potential and bubble formation in maize leaf xylem. The model integrates pivotal physiological traits of the maize–leaf count, leaf vein count, and diameter of xylem vessels—demonstrating robust correlations. Furthermore, we constructed Percent Loss of Conductivity (PLC) curve based on water potential and compared it with our model, offering interval data to observe embolization events triggered by air bubbles. Utilizing experimental data, our novel cavitation-parameter-based model effectively corresponds with observed bubble phenomena and appropriately characterizes water transport in plant xylem conduits. This method enabled us to observe the transition from bubble occurrence to cavitation embolism microscopically, which aligned with the embolism intervals provided by the model. This procedure reveals potential trends in bubble-induced embolism and deepens our knowledge of microscopic plant hydraulics and crop embolism. This work establishes a basis for understanding the generation of bubble embolisms in maize, assists in evaluating maize-plant water status for efficient water supply management throughout the growth cycle, and contributes towards potential water management strategies for maize.
Research on Apple Origins Classification Optimization Based on Least-Angle Regression in Instance Selection
Authors: Li Bin , Wang Yuqi , Li Lisha , Liu Yande
Published: September 2023

Machine learning is used widely in near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for fruit qualification. However, the directly split training set used contains redundant samples, and errors may be introduced into the model. Euclidean distance-based and K-nearest neighbor-based instance selection (IS) methods are widely used to remove useless samples because of their accessibility. However, they either have high accuracy and low compression or vice versa. To compress the sample size while improving the accuracy, the least-angle regression (LAR) method was proposed for classification instance selection, and a discrimination experiment was conducted on a total of four origins of 952 apples. The sample sets were split into the raw training set and testing set; the optimal training samples were selected using the LAR-based instance selection (LARIS) method, and the four other selection methods were compared. The results showed that 26.9% of the raw training samples were selected using LARIS, and the model based on these training samples had the highest accuracy. Thus, the apple origin classification model based on LARIS can achieve the goal of high accuracy and compression and provide experimental support for the least-angle regression algorithm in classification instance selection.
Postharvest Quality Exploration of “Crystal” Grapes in Karst Mountainous Area: Regulatory Effect of High Concentration 1-MCP Fumigation
Authors: Liu Renchan , Ji Ning , Zhang Ni , Wang Rui , Li Yuxin , Lei Jiqing , Zhou Renzhang
Published: September 2023

The comprehensive exploration and thorough understanding of the physicochemical characteristics of “Crystal” grapes in the Karst area of Southwest China can not only produce edible table grapes, but also offer significant theoretical backing for the management of rocky desertification in the Karst area and consequently generate enhanced social and ecological benefits. This study explored the regulatory effect of 1-MCP fumigation on the postharvest storage quality of "Crystal” grapes, aiming to provide some technical support for the development of the grape industry in the Karst mountainous areas. The results indicate that compared with the control group, both the 10.0 and 50.0 μL/L 1-MCP treatment groups effectively inhibited the increase in decay rate, browning rate, shedding rate, and color change of the grapes, significantly inhibited the enhancement of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and lipoxygenases (LOX) browning-related enzyme activities, improved the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of the fruits, hindered the decrease of ascorbic acid (AsA) and polyphenols, delayed the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and significantly postponed the peak period of polygalacturonase (PG) activity in the fruits and the degradation of protopectin to soluble pectin, thereby maintaining desirable texture characteristics. The utilization of 1-MCP for fruit fumigation yielded a heightened overall fragrance, thereby facilitating the emission of terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketone aromatic compounds, and methyl aromatic substances within the fruit. Overall, both the M10 and M50 treatments are equally effective in preserving the storage quality of “Crystal” grapes. Under the condition of ensuring the excellent edible quality of crystal grapes, M2 can extend the shelf life of crystal grapes by about 5 days, and M10 and M50 can extend the storage period of crystal grapes by 10~15 days. Considering the cost, it is recommended that the industry employs a concentration of 10.0 μL/L of 1-MCP for “Crystal” grapes. Simultaneously, this study also provides theoretical support for the ecologically high-quality development of cultivated land in the Karst mountainous area of Guizhou and tree selection.
Effect of Shading, Substrate, and Container Size on Argania spinosa Growth and Cost–Benefit Analysis
Authors: Oumahmoud Mouad , Alouani Mohamed , Elame Fouad , Tahiri Abdelghani , Bouharroud Rachid , Qessaoui Redouan , El Boukhari Ali , Mimouni Abdelaziz , Koufan Meriyem
Published: September 2023

The production of argan seedlings in nurseries is considered a crucial step for the success of any argan forest regeneration program since it increases the rate of survival and growth. Therefore, the substrate and container play a vital role in argan seedling production, while the use of shade may improve soil moisture and decrease the water stress of the plant. This study aims to determine the effects of these factors and their interactions. For this, the effects of four shade levels (0%, 20%, 40%, and 80%) and six different compositions of the substrate, as well as four different sizes and forms of containers, on argan seedling production were studied for six months under greenhouse conditions, based on analyzing the leaf mineral elements and measuring morphological traits. According to the studied parameters, the results show that 0% and 40% of shade are, respectively, the best shade levels for growth, while the germination rate is higher only in an unshaded compartment (85.28%). Furthermore, the substrate based on peat moss lead to one of the higher germination rates (78.75%) and the finest plants in terms of chlorophyll content, and shoot and root growth, while the largest container (C2) had the best shoot and root growth with 34.34 cm of root length. However, the mineral analysis, mainly the leaf total nitrogen concentration, is correlated with morphological traits. In addition, the cost–benefit analysis study confirmed this finding and valorizes the use of S1 substrate (1/2 black peat and 1/2 blond peat) and a C2 container (volume: 3100 mL) since it is considered the most efficient and economic combination for different shade levels.