bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender non-binary adolescents’ somatic and mental health throughout 2020
Authors: Johansson Catrin , Kullgren Carina , Bador Kourosh , Kerekes Nóra
Published: December 2022

Background

Non-binary gender adolescents are particularly vulnerable and more likely to be exposed to several socio-psychological difficulties and disorders. It is vital to discover and act on the vulnerabilities they encounter. The present study aims to describe the somatic and mental health, affect state, frequency of risk behaviors, victimization and negative psychosocial factors, as well as the personality profiles of non-binary adolescents. In this study the concept of gender non-binary is used and captured respondents who selected “neither of these” as their gender from the possible options (female/male/neither of these).

Materials and methods

Data was collected between September 2020 and February 2021 in Sweden, Morocco, Serbia, Vietnam, and the United States. The cross-sectional, retrospective study utilized the electronic version of the Mental and Somatic Health without borders (MeSHe) survey. From the over 5,000 responses of 15–19-year-old adolescents, 58 respondents identified as being non-binary, and built our study population. Their data was analyzed with descriptive statistic methods.

Results

Close to a fourth of adolescents identifying as non-binary reported the existence of at least one somatic disease. The most prevalent somatic disease was allergies. Almost one-third had suffered from pain either often or all the time in the past 12 months. The highest levels of perceived psychological distress were measured using obsessive–compulsive symptoms, depression, and interpersonal sensitivity. The average level of alcohol and drug use during the past 12 months was low. About 40% of non-binary adolescents reported having experienced physical abuse, and half of them experienced psychological abuse at some point in their lives. Seventeen percent reported living with adults with alcohol-use problems. Non-binary adolescents’ personalities were found to be dominated by high scores in Openness, Neuroticism, and Agreeableness.

Conclusion

This study presents a detailed biopsychosocial picture of a multinational sample of non-binary adolescents. Our study suggests that awareness and support are required from all fields of society, including family, school, healthcare, and educational institutions, for cis-normative culture to progress toward a greater understanding of and respect for gender diversity.
Emigration from the perspective of Polish health professionals – insights from a qualitative study
Authors: Domagała Alicja , Kulbat Aleksandra , Parzonka Kamila
Published: December 2022

The Polish health workforce is facing many problems, including shortages, heavy workload, burnout, and dissatisfaction, which may lead to job emigration, mainly among younger generations. The objective of the article is to explore the reasons, consequences, and circumstances of the emigration of Polish health professionals with a qualitative approach. We have conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 practicing health professionals, exploring the perspectives of different professions and different generations. The interviews were conducted using the on-line MS Teams platform from February until March 2022. We transcribed all interviews verbatim and performed directed qualitative content analysis. Currently, the scale of emigration is rather stable and mainly affects the younger generations. The main reasons for emigration, as indicated by representatives of different health professions, are similar, including excessive workload and long working hours. However, doctors and dentists also emphasized problems with professional development and specialization training, while nurses, midwives, and physiotherapists underlined problems with low prestige and work autonomy. Taking into account the substantial shortage of health workforce and the high average age of practicing health professionals, emigration requires special attention from health decision makers. Implementation of an effective mechanism for monitoring the emigration of medical staff is recommended.
COVID-19 self-protective practices and associated factors among secondary school students in Jimma town, Jimma, Oromia, Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Birhanu Zewdie , Tesfaye Genzebie , Tareke Kasahun Girma
Published: December 2022

Background

Since there is limited evidence regarding COVID-19 self-protective practices among school students, this study assessed COVID-19 self-protective practices and associated factors among secondary school students.

Methods

A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Jimma town, Oromia regional state, Southwest Ethiopia from 25 May 2021 to 10 June 2021. The total sample size was 634, and students were randomly selected from public and private secondary schools. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were entered into Epidata 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS 21.0 software. Descriptive statistics, such as proportion and mean, were computed to describe the findings. The composite index was computed for each dimension. A linear regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of self-protective practice. A local polynomial smoothing graph was done using Stata 12 software to visualize the relationship between a significant variable and an outcome variable.

Results

A total of 576 respondents participated in this study, which made a response rate of 90.85%. The mean score for overall knowledge was 31.40 (SD ±8.65). Knowledge about COVID-19 symptoms and preventive practices had a mean score of 23.93 and 45.96, respectively. The mean scores for perceived vulnerability, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, and school support were 26.37, 33.21, 43.13, 16.15, 33.38, and 25.45, respectively. The mean score for self-protective practice was 28.38 (SD ±11.04). As perceived benefit (AOR = 0.199, p = 0.000, 95% CI: 0.094–0.304), perceived school support (AOR = 0.125, p = 0.009, 95% CI: 0.032–0.218), and self-efficacy (AOR = 0.186, p = 0.000, 95% CI: 0.102–0.270) increased, COVID-19 self-protective practices also increased and vice versa. However, age (AOR = −0.873, p = 0.006, 95% CI = −1.495, −0.251), perceived vulnerability (AOR = −0.107, p = 0.021; 95% CI = −0.199, −0.016), and maternal educational status (no formal education) (AOR = −5.395, p = 0.000, 95% CI = −7.712 to 3.077) had negatively associated with self-protective practices.

Conclusion

COVID-19 self-protective practice is unsatisfactory. Perceived benefit, perceived school support, and self-efficacy are positively associated with it. However, students' age, perceived vulnerability, and maternal educational status (no formal education) were negatively associated with COVID-19 self-protective measures among secondary school students. The findings underscore that there is a need to conduct risk communications among students. Similarly, awareness creation intervention should target mothers with no formal education.
Differential effects of size-specific particulate matter on the number of visits to outpatient fever clinics: A time-series analysis in Zhuhai, China
Authors: Li Duo , He Rui , Liu Peixin , Jiang Hong
Published: December 2022

Introduction

While many studies have investigated the adverse effects of particulate matter (PM), few of them distinguished the different effects of PM2.5, PM10, and coarse PM (PMc) on outpatients with fever. Our study aimed to estimate and compare the acute cumulative effects of exposure to three size-specific particles on the number of visits to outpatient fever clinics.

Methods

To examine the association between daily PM concentrations and outpatients in fever clinics, a generalized additive Poisson model was applied, stratified by sex, age, and season.

Results

Our study included 56,144 outpatient visits in Zhuhai, from January 2020 to June 2021. On the current day, each 10 mg/m3 increment of PM10 and PMc were estimated to increase fever clinic visits by 1.74% (95% CI: 0.59%, 2.91%) and 4.42 % (2.30%, 6.58%), respectively. Cumulative effects enhanced from lag01 to lag05 for PM10 and PMc, and PMc had the strongest impact [ER = 8.92% (5.91%, 12.01%) at lag05]. Female outpatients and outpatients aged 14 years and above had an increased PM-related risk. During the cold season, significant effects could be observed for the three-size PM, while only PMc showed the impact during the warm season.

Discussion

Overall, the three size-specific PM exerted different effects on the fever clinic visits. Strategies to control the concentrations of PM are still necessary, especially against PM10 and PMc.
Music education contributes to development and personal change in young adults with disabilities
Authors: Lundqvist-Persson Cristina , Holmqvist Gärd
Published: December 2022

In Sweden as in many other countries, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of health, social participation, and active leisure time for people with disabilities. Against this background, a three-year music education was started for a group of young adults with disabilities in order to enhance their wellbeing, learning, and emotional and social development. The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of a 3-year education program with set goals for young adults with disabilities using a qualitative method. The study was conducted from autumn 2014 to 2018. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, the first at the beginning of the education, after the first year, second, and third year respectively. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. The teachers and care staff made process notes about the development of each participant. The transcribed interviews and process notes were analyzed using Thematic Content Analysis. The education achieved its purpose and goals as evidenced by participants, teachers, and staff. It showed that music education training may revitalize people with disabilities. Furthermore, it demonstrated that persons with disabilities can learn, develop, and even change on a personal level, if they are given the right conditions.
Family-centred service in paediatric acquired brain injury rehabilitation: Bridging the gaps
Authors: Jenkin Taylor , Anderson Vicki A. , D'Cruz Kate , Scheinberg Adam , Knight Sarah
Published: December 2022

Background

Children and adolescents who sustain an acquired brain injury (ABI) can experience acute and ongoing difficulties in a range of cognitive and functional domains, and their families often experience significant life changes and challenges. Family-centred service is therefore considered best practice in paediatric ABI rehabilitation. Despite widespread acceptance of family-centred service in this context, recent literature indicates that family needs are often unrecognised and unmet following paediatric ABI. Although family-centred service was introduced in the field of developmental disability over five decades ago, there remains a lack of clarity about how this approach is implemented in practice. Additionally, limited literature has discussed the implementation of family-centred service in paediatric ABI rehabilitation despite key differences between ABI and developmental disability, including nature and timing of onset, rehabilitation foci, and impacts on families.

Aims

In this review, we aim to: (i) outline common sequelae of paediatric ABI with a focus on family outcomes; (ii) summarise paediatric rehabilitation and highlight opportunities for family support and involvement; (iii) discuss and synthesise literature across paediatric ABI rehabilitation and family-centred service to highlight gaps in knowledge and practice; and (v) identify clinical implications and future research directions.

Conclusions

There is a clear need for greater clarity and consensus regarding the implementation of family-centred service in paediatric ABI rehabilitation. This review highlights the importance of providing professional development opportunities for clinicians to increase competency in practising in a family-centred manner, and opportunities to actively involve, empower and support families within rehabilitation. This review also emphasises the importance of services implementing relevant supports to address family needs where possible and developing clear referral pathways so that families can access further support elsewhere when needed.
On the importance of investigating CME complexity evolution during interplanetary propagation
Authors: Winslow Réka M. , Scolini Camilla , Jian Lan K. , Nieves-Chinchilla Teresa , Temmer Manuela , Carcaboso Fernando , Schmieder Brigitte , Poedts Stefaan , Lynch Benjamin J. , Wood Brian E. , Palmerio Erika , Lugaz Noé , Farrugia Charles J. , Lee Christina O. , Davies Emma E. , Regnault Florian , Salman Tarik M. , Török Tibor , Al-Haddad Nada , Vourlidas Angelos , Manchester Ward B. , Jin Meng , Lavraud Benoit , Galvin Antoinette B.
Published: December 2022

This perspective paper brings to light the need for comprehensive studies on the evolution of interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) complexity during propagation. To date, few studies of ICME complexity exist. Here, we define ICME complexity and associated changes in complexity, describe recent works and their limitations, and outline key science questions that need to be tackled. Fundamental research on ICME complexity changes from the solar corona to 1 AU and beyond is critical to our physical understanding of the evolution and interaction of transients in the inner heliosphere. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of such changes is required to understand the space weather impact of ICMEs at different heliospheric locations and to improve on predictive space weather models.
Combination of Fe(OH)3 modified diatomaceous earth and qPCR for the enrichment and detection of African swine fever virus in water
Authors: Wu Hao , Tian Zihan , Yao Lun , Ghonaim Ahmed H. , Chen Xiaoyu , Ruan Shengnan , Li Huimin , Li Wentao , He Qigai
Published: December 2022

Water is one of the primary vectors for African swine fever virus (ASFV) transmission among swine herds. However, the low concentrations of ASFV in water represent a challenge for the detection of the virus by conventional PCR methods, and enrichment of the virus would increase the test sensitivity. In this study, aiming to enrich ASFV in water quickly and efficiently, a rapid and efficient water-borne virus enrichment system (MDEF, modified diatomaceous earth by ferric hydroxide colloid) was used to enrich ASFV in water. After enrichment by MDEF, conventional real-time PCR (qPCR) was used for ASFV detection. ASFV were inactivated and diluted in 10 L of water, of which 4 mL were collected after 60 min treatment using the MDEF system. Two thousand five hundred times reduction of the sample volume was achieved after enrichment. A high adsorption rate of about 99.99 (±0.01)% and a high recovery rate of 64.01 (±10.20)% to 179.65 (±25.53)% was achieved by using 1g modified diatomaceous earth for 10 L ASFV contaminated water. The limit of qPCR detection of ASFV decreased to 1 × 10−1.11 GU ml−1 (genomic units per milliliter) from 1 × 102.71 GU ml−1 after concentrating the spiked water from 10 L to 4 ml. Preliminary application of MDEF allowed successful detection of African swine fever virus (ASFV), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), and pseudorabies virus (PRV) in sewage. Thus, the combination of modified diatomaceous earth and real-time PCR is a promising strategy for the detection of viruses in water.
Enteric methane research and mitigation strategies for pastoral-based beef cattle production systems
Authors: Smith Paul E. , Kelly Alan K. , Kenny David A. , Waters Sinéad M.
Published: December 2022

Ruminant livestock play a key role in global society through the conversion of lignocellulolytic plant matter into high-quality sources of protein for human consumption. However, as a consequence of the digestive physiology of ruminant species, methane (CH4), which originates as a byproduct of enteric fermentation, is accountable for 40% of global agriculture's carbon footprint and ~6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, meeting the increasing demand for animal protein associated with a growing global population while reducing the GHG intensity of ruminant production will be a challenge for both the livestock industry and the research community. In recent decades, numerous strategies have been identified as having the potential to reduce the methanogenic output of livestock. Dietary supplementation with antimethanogenic compounds, targeting members of the rumen methanogen community and/or suppressing the availability of methanogenesis substrates (mainly H2and CO2), may have the potential to reduce the methanogenic output of housed livestock. However, reducing the environmental impact of pasture-based beef cattle may be a challenge, but it can be achieved by enhancing the nutritional quality of grazed forage in an effort to improve animal growth rates and ultimately reduce lifetime emissions. In addition, the genetic selection of low-CH4-emitting and/or faster-growing animals will likely benefit all beef cattle production systems by reducing the methanogenic potential of future generations of livestock. Similarly, the development of other mitigation technologies requiring minimal intervention and labor for their application, such as anti-methanogen vaccines, would likely appeal to livestock producers, with high uptake among farmers if proven effective. Therefore, the objective of this review is to give a detailed overview of the CH4mitigation solutions, both currently available and under development, for temperate pasture-based beef cattle production systems. A description of ruminal methanogenesis and the technologies used to estimate enteric emissions at pastures are also presented.
Association of DGF and Early Readmissions on Outcomes Following Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Jadlowiec Caroline C. , Frasco Peter , Macdonough Elizabeth , Wagler Josiah , Das Devika , Budhiraja Pooja , Mathur Amit K. , Katariya Nitin , Reddy Kunam , Khamash Hasan , Heilman Raymond
Published: December 2022

Concerns regarding outcomes and early resource utilization are potential deterrents to broader use of kidneys at risk for delayed graft function (DGF). We assessed outcomes specific to kidneys with DGF that required early readmission following transplant. Three groups were identified: 1) recipients with DGF not requiring readmission, 2) recipients with DGF having an isolated readmission, and 3) recipients with DGF requiring ≥2 readmissions. Most recipients either required a single readmission (26.8%, n = 247) or no readmission (56.1%, n = 517); 17.1% (n = 158), had ≥2 readmissions. Recipients requiring ≥2 readmissions were likely to be diabetic (53.8%, p = 0.04) and have longer dialysis vintage (p = 0.01). Duration of DGF was longer with increasing number of readmissions (p < 0.001). There were no differences in patient survival for those with DGF and 0, 1 and ≥2 readmissions (p = 0.13). Graft survival, however, was lower for those with ≥2 readmissions (p < 0.0001). This remained true when accounting for death-censored graft loss (p = 0.0012). Additional subgroup analysis was performed on mate kidneys with and without DGF and mate kidneys, both with DGF, with and without readmissions. For these subgroups, there were no differences in patient or graft survival. As a whole, patients with DGF have excellent outcomes, however, patients with DGF requiring ≥2 readmissions have lower graft survival. A better understanding of recipient variables contributing to multiple readmissions may allow for improvements in the utilization of DGF at-risk kidneys.
SAPBERT: Speaker-Aware Pretrained BERT for Emotion Recognition in Conversation
Authors: Lim Seunguook , Kim Jihie
Published: December 2022

Emotion recognition in conversation (ERC) is receiving more and more attention, as interactions between humans and machines increase in a variety of services such as chat-bot and virtual assistants. As emotional expressions within a conversation can heavily depend on the contextual information of the participating speakers, it is important to capture self-dependency and inter-speaker dynamics. In this study, we propose a new pre-trained model, SAPBERT, that learns to identify speakers in a conversation to capture the speaker-dependent contexts and address the ERC task. SAPBERT is pre-trained with three training objectives including Speaker Classification (SC), Masked Utterance Regression (MUR), and Last Utterance Generation (LUG). We investigate whether our pre-trained speaker-aware model can be leveraged for capturing speaker-dependent contexts for ERC tasks. Experiments show that our proposed approach outperforms baseline models through demonstrating the effectiveness and validity of our method.
A Hybrid Multistep Procedure for the Vibroacoustic Simulation of Noise Emission from Wind Turbines
Authors: Zarnekow Marc , Grätsch Thomas , Ihlenburg Frank
Published: December 2022

This paper proposes an efficient hybrid analytical-computational approach for the simulation of mechanical vibrations and sound radiation in wind turbine drive trains.The computational procedure encompasses the detailed modeling of vibrational sources and structural sound paths as well as the major panels of airborne noise radiation. The angle-varying mesh stiffness is obtained from a series of quasi-static finite element simulations. A novel procedure is proposed to obtain the time-varying mesh stiffness at fluctuating speed. The varying mesh stiffness is introduced as a parametric excitation in an analytical gear model, and the Fourier-transformed results are used as vibrational sources in a finite-element-based harmonic response analysis of the drive train. The present paper focuses on the modeling of gear contact and gearbox vibrations. The models and procedures are outlined, and computational results are compared to physical measurements on a 2.5 MW wind turbine. The results are in good qualitative agreement at tonal frequencies. This is particularly the case at fluctuating speed, where both the simulation and the measurement show the characteristic effect of frequency modulation. The computational procedure has been expanded to the whole drive train and is effectively applied in the conception and evaluation of design measures for the reduction of tonal amplitudes.
Incorporation of Pilot Factors into Risk Analysis of Civil Aviation Accidents from 2008 to 2020: A Data-Driven Bayesian Network Approach
Authors: Zhang Chenyang , Liu Chenglin , Liu Haiyue , Jiang Chaozhe , Fu Liping , Wen Chao , Cao Weiwei
Published: December 2022

Pilot factor is worth considering when analyzing the causes of civil aviation accidents. This study introduces a data-driven Bayesian network (BN) approach to investigating the joint causal effects of pilot and other factors on civil aviation safety. A total number of 163 individual pilot-related accidents in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) aviation accident database from 2008 to 2020 are analyzed, focusing on eliciting the causal effects of various potential risk factors, including pilot factors, on civil aviation accidents. The modeling of the interdependency among the risk influencing factors (RIFs) and their causal contributory effect on the accident outcome is structured by a tree augmented network (TAN) and validated by sensitivity analysis. The novelty of this study is to incorporate pilot factors derived from the civil aviation accident database into risk analysis, combined with other external factors. The results indicate that weather conditions and flight phases are more correlated with casualty types of civil aviation accidents than pilot action and decision, and three other pilot factors only contribute to fatal injury in civil aviation accidents.
Innovative Models Built Based on Image Textures Using Traditional Machine Learning Algorithms for Distinguishing Different Varieties of Moroccan Date Palm Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.)
Authors: Noutfia Younés , Ropelewska Ewa
Published: December 2022

The aim of this study was to develop the procedure for the varietal discrimination of date palm fruit using image analysis and traditional machine learning techniques. The fruit images of ‘Mejhoul’, ‘Boufeggous’, ‘Aziza’, ‘Assiane’, and ‘Bousthammi’ date varieties, converted to individual color channels, were processed to extract the texture parameters. After performing the attribute selection, the textures were used to build models intended for the discrimination of different varieties of date palm fruit using machine learning algorithms from Functions, Bayes, Lazy, Meta, and Trees groups. Models were developed for combining image textures selected from a set of all color channels and for sets of textures selected for individual color spaces and color channels. The models, including combined textures selected from all color channels, distinguished all five varieties with an average accuracy reaching 98%, and ‘Bousthammi’ and ‘Mejhoul’ were completely correctly discriminated for the SMO (Functions) and IBk (Lazy) machine learning algorithms. By reducing the number of varieties, the correctness of the date palm fruit classification increased. The models developed for the three most different date palm fruit varieties ‘Boufeggous’, ‘Bousthammi’, and ‘Mejhoul’ revealed an average discrimination accuracy of 100% for each algorithm used (SMO, Naive Bayes (Bayes), IBk, LogitBoost (Meta), and LMT (Trees)). In the case of individual color spaces and channels, the accuracies were lower, reaching 97.3% for color space RGB and SMO and LMT algorithms for all five varieties and 99.63% for Naive Bayes and IBk for the ‘Boufeggous’, ‘Bousthammi’, and ‘Mejhoul’ date palm fruits. The results can be used in practice to develop vision systems for sorting and distinguishing the varieties of date palm fruit to authenticate the variety of the fruit intended for further processing.
Distribution of Genetic Diversity in Beta patula Aiton Populations from Madeira Archipelago, Portugal
Authors: Ragonezi Carla , Nóbrega Humberto , Leite Maria Inês , Freitas José G. R. de , Macedo Fabrício Lopes , Carvalho Miguel Â. A. Pinheiro de
Published: December 2022

Beta patula Aiton is a crop wild relative (CWR) which belongs to the Gene Pool 1b and is considered a Critically Endangered species, and is present in very specific environments, such as the Desembarcadouro islet (DI) in Ponta de São Lourenço or Chão islet (CI) in the Desertas Islands. The ISOPlexis Center (University of Madeira) has been providing continuous support for its in situ conservation by keeping a management plan of wild populations and an ex situ conservation strategy through the storage of accessions in the ISOPlexis GeneBank. The present work intends to present the spatial distribution of genetic variability and diversity in these B. patula populations using eight polymorphic Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. The overall results lead to the identification of three spots with a high genetic diversity. CI with a small cluster of individuals shows a genetic footprint different from DI, having unique alleles present in its population. DI has two distinct areas: the western area, with a higher individual density but with a lower genetic diversity and higher allele fixation; and the central area, with a lower individual count but with a higher genetic diversity and with the presence of unique alleles. Despite some genetic differences, the comparison of the two islets’ DI and CI populations shows that they have more similarities than differences. Analysis of the Molecular Variance, based on the hierarchical cluster, showed a 9% diversity between populations, 68% among individuals, and 23% within individuals. This data will be used for the establishment of a protocol to monitor and manage B. patula genetic diversity under a genetic reserve, subsequently contributing to the European Genetic Reserve network implementation and the protection of this important CWR.
X-ray Microtomography for Investigating Pore Space and Its Relation to Water Retention and Conduction in Highly Weathered Soils
Authors: Pessoa Thaís Nascimento , Ferreira Talita Rosas , Pires Luiz Fernando , Cooper Miguel , Uteau Daniel , Peth Stephan , Vaz Carlos Manoel Pedro , Libardi Paulo Leonel
Published: December 2022

Soil structure controls soil hydraulic properties and is linked to soil aggregation processes. The aggregation processes of Oxisols are controlled mainly by clay mineralogy and biological activity. Computed microtomography (µCT) may be a tool for improving the knowledge of the hydraulic properties of these soils. Thus, this study brings an advance in the use of 3D image analysis to better comprehend the water behavior in tropical soils. In this work, three Oxisols were studied with the objective to (i) characterize the soil water retention curve (SWRC), the corresponding pore size frequency, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat); (ii) use µCT to obtain, based on 3D images of soil structure and pore size distribution; and (iii) correlating parameters from SWRCs, Ksat, and µCT with other physical-hydric, chemical, and mineralogical attributes. Rhodic Haplustox—P1, Anionic Acrustox—P2, and Typic Hapludox—P3 were the three studied Oxisols. The differences among the SWRCs were related to the microgranular and block type’s structure morphology, which modified the soil pore space. The pore size frequency was calculated from SWRCs for pores with diameters of 87 ± 2 μm in P1, 134 ± 11μm in P2, and 175 ± 18 μm in P3. Pore size distribution from µCT was determined for the range of 20–100 µm, mainly with the highest percentages: 12 ± 1.09% for P1 and 12 ± 1.4% for P2. Pore connectivity was assessed from images by calculating Euler Numbers (EN), with the differences related to the biggest pore (ENbigpore): P1 (−44,223 ± 10,096) and P2 (−44,621 ± 12,573) showed more connected pores (ENbigpore) in comparison to P3 (−11,597 ± 6935). The parameter ENbigpore was decisive in understanding the water retention and conduction processes of the studied soils. The better-connected pore space increased Ksat in P1 (220 ± 0.05 mm h−1) and P2 (189 ± 0.1 mm h−1) in comparison to P3 (20 ± 0.3 mm h−1) and modified the shape of SWRCs.
Design and Test of Duckbill Welding Robot for Cotton Seeder
Authors: Ren Yu , Guo Wensong , Wang Xufeng , Hu Can , Wang Long , He Xiaowei , Xing Jianfei
Published: December 2022

To improve the automation, welding efficiency, and welding quality of duckbill welding of the cotton seeder, this study designed a cotton seeder duckbill welding robot. According to the characteristics of the duckbill weldment and welding requirements, the overall structure of the welding robot was determined, including the girdle feeding mechanism, static duckbill feeding mechanism, hinge feeding mechanism, welding fixture, welding actuator, and control system. To realize the continuous automatic feeding, positioning, fixing, welding, and unloading of the workpiece in the duckbill welding, the feeding mechanism adopts the method of cooperative cooperation of inductive proximity switch, electromagnet, and cylinder. The main body of the welding fixture adopts the pneumatic clamping method; the welding actuator adopts the synchronous belt module electric drive so that the welding torch can move in a straight line along the X axis and the Z axis. The welding process of the duckbill was simulated by Simufact Welding software, and the deformation and stress changes of the weldment were compared and analyzed when the single-sided single welding, the bilateral symmetrical double welding torch, two welding forms, and two welding process parameters were used to determine the welding process parameters of the welding robot. The prototype was made and the welding test was carried out. The test results show that the duckbill welding robot of the cotton seeder has stable feeding, solid clamping, accurate positioning, and high welding efficiency. According to the national standard, the appearance of the duckbill weld is inspected. The surface of the duckbill weld and the heat-affected zone has no cracks, incomplete fusion, slag inclusion, crater, and porosity. The forming quality of the welded parts is good. The design of the duckbill welding robot for cotton seeder is helpful in solving the problems of cumbersome positioning and clamping and low efficiency in manual and semi-automatic duckbill welding robots, which provides a strong guarantee for the large-scale and standardized welding production of the dibbler duckbill.
Autumn Application of Synthetic Auxin Herbicide for Weed Control in Cereals in Poland and Germany
Authors: Sobiech Łukasz , Joniec Andrzej , Loryś Barbara , Rogulski Janusz , Grzanka Monika , Idziak Robert
Published: December 2022

The biological efficacy of herbicides MCPA+tribenuron-methyl (code name: MT-565 SG) and diflufenican+chlorotoluron (Legato Pro 425 SC) was estimated in eighteen field experiments on winter cereals in Poland and Germany to control broadleaf weeds. Postemergence application of tribenuron-methyl in combination with MCPA, applied at the 3-leaf stage to 3 tillers detectable in autumn in winter cereals, resulted in the majority of weed species occurring in autumn being effectively eliminated with MCPA+tribenuron-methyl applied at 1.0 kg∙ha–1. It also provided an acceptable (82.4–94.1%) and comparable level of control to commonly occurring weeds Brassica napus, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Centaurea cyanus, Lamium purpureum, Tripleurospermum inodorum, Stellaria media, and Thlaspi arvense. A satisfactory level of control of 66.3 to 88.3% was confirmed for Veronica persica, Viola arvensis, and Galium aparine. According to these results, the formulation of tribenuron-methyl combined with MCPA can be recommended for application in winter cereals in the autumn as an alternative to commonly available herbicides.
Genetic Diversity of Black Amaranth (Amaranthus quitensis Kunth) Landraces of Ecuadorian Highlands: Association Genotypes—Color Morphotypes
Authors: Delgado Hipatia , Martín Juan Pedro
Published: December 2022

Black amaranth (Amarantus quitensis Kunth) is an ancestral crop of the Ecuadorian Andean region, where traditionally it is called ataco or sangorache. Nowadays, there is some information about the phenotypic diversity of black amaranth landraces, but there are no data about their genetic diversity. In this study, we evaluated the genetic diversity of 139 black amaranth accessions collected twice (1981–1986 and 2014–2015) in three representative Ecuadorian Andean provinces for this crop (Imbabura, Tungurahua, and Cañar) using nine simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. We detected low genetic diversity levels; only a total of 36 alleles were amplified in 139 accessions, with a mean allelic richness of 4.0 per marker, observed heterozygosity of 0.014, expected heterozygosity of 0.134, and Shannon’s information index of 0.297. In addition, only 17 genotypes were found, with a predominant genotype (83.6%) and up to 12 accession-unique genotypes. Moreover, a certain genetic diversity decrease was observed over the last decades, especially in Tungurahua and Cañar, where today practically only the predominant genotype exists. The ataco germplasm is genetically structured into two well-defined genotype clusters and could constitute two different genetic lineages. Furthermore, a clear association of each genotype group with a different color morphotype defined in a previous agromorphological characterization was observed. The accessions of the majority group of genotypes showed purple pigmentation in stems, leaves, and inflorescences, whereas those of the other genotype group showed less intense pigmentation (pink stems, inflorescences, and green leaves). Molecular information obtained in this study may be useful for the suitable management and conservation of this underutilized genetic plant resource that is of great food and cultural significance for indigenous farming communities of the Ecuadorian highlands.
Integration of RUSLE Model, Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques for Assessing Soil Erosion Hazards in Arid Zones
Authors: Abdelsamie Elsayed A. , Abdellatif Mostafa A. , Hassan Farag O. , El Baroudy Ahmed A. , Mohamed Elsayed Said , Kucher Dmitry E. , Shokr Mohamed S.
Published: December 2022

Soil erosion constitutes one of the main environmental and food security threats, derived from the loss of its productive capacity. With the help of remote sensing (RS), geographic information systems (GIS), and a revised version of the universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), this research has mostly focused on measuring the potential soil erosion hazard and soil water conservation ratio (SWCR) in the El-Minia region of Egypt. Based on the integration of S2A images and the digital elevation model (DEM), geomorphological units of the study area were identified. The RUSLE model includes parameters that allow for mapping soil erosion, such as rain erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, soil cover and management, and soil conservation practices. The outcomes revealed that the classes of annual erosion rates of the study area are those of “slight erosion”, “low erosion”, “moderate erosion” and “moderately high erosion”, which represent percentages of 29%, 18%, 33% and 20%, respectively, of the total area. The rate of erosion decreases from east to west. The main erosion factors in the research area are the low vegetation cover and the high slope values. This study highlights the utility of combining the classic RUSLE equation with techniques such as remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) as a basis for assessing current erosion conditions in arid environments and, specifically, for the application of soil management patterns aimed at increasing soil organic matter and any other soil conservation actions. The findings of this study can be used by policymakers to implement soil conservation measures if development projects are to proceed in areas with a high risk of soil erosion. The approach described here is therefore adaptable to similar environments in arid regions.
Research on Dynamic Analysis and Experimental Study of the Distributed Drive Electric Tractor
Authors: Deng Xiaoting , Sun Hailong , Lu Zhixiong , Cheng Zhun , An Yuhui , Chen Hao
Published: December 2022

This paper has taken a 25-horsepower tractor as the object and developed a distributed drive electric tractor (DDET), which may be applied to farms in paddy and upland fields. First, we designed the structure of the chassis drive system in the DDET, then analyzed the dynamic performances, built an evaluation index of dynamic performance for the DDET, and researched the influencing factors of dynamic performances. Moreover, we built the simulation model and studied the dynamic performance based on Advisor software in different working conditions. Finally, we developed the testing tractor of the DDET for test verification. Results show that the traction of DDET is about 5400 N, and the time from being static to being accelerated to a maximum speed of 28.15 km/h is about 5.5279 s. The theoretical analysis results, simulation results, and testing tractor verification results of the DDET designed in this paper are basically consistent, and the overall dynamic performance of the DDET is good.
Glyphosate Effects on Earthworms: Active Ingredients vs. Commercial Herbicides at Different Temperature and Soil Organic Matter Levels
Authors: Schmidt Ricarda , Spangl Bernhard , Gruber Edith , Takács Eszter , Mörtl Mária , Klátyik Szandra , Székács András , Zaller Johann G.
Published: December 2022

Little is known about the non-target effects of glyphosate active ingredients (GLY) versus glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) formulations on soil organisms, and whether effects are influenced by environmental conditions. We investigated the avoidance behavior, biomass growth, and reproduction of earthworms (Eisenia fetida, E. andrei) in response to two GLYs (glyphosate ammonium and potassium salt), the corresponding GBHs (Touchdown Quattro, Roundup PowerFlex) containing these GLYs, and the “inert” co-formulant alkylpolyglycoside (APG) at two temperature (15 °C vs. 20 °C) and soil organic matter levels (3.2% vs. 4.3%). Earthworm avoidance was lower at high soil organic matter content, but remained unaffected by substances and temperature. Earthworm biomass growth and reproduction (cocoons and juveniles) were significantly affected by substances and temperature; reproduction was also affected by a substance and temperature interaction. Biomass growth was almost zero at higher temperature; reproduction was generally higher at higher temperature. More cocoons were produced under Roundup PowerFlex than under the corresponding AI, due to the impact of the co-formulant APG. No other differences were observed between GBH and the corresponding AIs. We conclude that the non-target effects of pesticides can only be fully assessed if all ingredients in a formulation are known and environmental parameters are included in environmental risk assessments.
Optimizing Water and Nitrogen Management for Green Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) under Drip Irrigation in Sub-Tropical Monsoon Climate Regions
Authors: Dai Zhiguang , Zhao Xinyu , Yan Hui , Qin Long , Niu Xiaoli , Zhao Long , Cai Yaohui
Published: December 2022

Green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the major vegetables cultivated in sub-tropical monsoon climate regions. However, with the unreasonable use of water and nitrogen (N) fertilizer, efficient water and N fertilizer management systems need to be identified. The goal of this project was to investigate the coupling effects of different amounts of water and N on green pepper yield, water use efficiency (WUE), as well as N use efficiency (NUE) in sub-tropical monsoon climate regions. The optimum combination of water and N inputs was determined for multi-objective optimization through the multiple regression analysis and the combinations of likelihood functions. The pot experiment was conducted during the green pepper growing seasons (May–September) of 2019 and 2020 in a greenhouse at Nanchang, Jiangxi of China that included three water deficit levels, i.e., mild deficit (W1: 95~80%θFC, %θ field capacity simplified as %θFC), moderate deficit (W2: 80~65%θFC), and severe deficit (W3: 65~50%θFC), and four levels of nitrogen application (Napp) rate, i.e., 6.0 (N1), 3.0 (N2), 1.5 (N3), and 0.0 g plant−1 (N4), for a total of twelve treatments (i.e., 3 × 4) with six replications. Results show that water levels have an extremely significant effect (p < 0.01) on green pepper yield and WUE, but no effect on NUE (p > 0.05). N treatments have significant effects on green pepper yield, WUE, and NUE. Meanwhile, the effects of water levels and N treatment interaction on WUE and NUE were extremely significant (p < 0.01), but varied on yield between the two years. The maximum yields (576.26 and 619.00 g plant−1) occurred when the water level and Napp rate were 80~65%θFC and 6.0 g plant−1. While the water level and Napp rate were 80~65%θFC and 3.0 g plant−1, the WUEs and NUEs reached the maximum, which were 20.14 and 17.71 g L−1, 76.54, and 77.73 g−1 in 2019 and 2020. The dualistic and quadric regression equations of irrigation amount and Napp rate indicated that the yield, WUE and NUE cannot reach the maximum at the same time. By establishing a multiobjective optimization model using combinations of likelihood functions, it was concluded that the water level shall be controlled in 80~65%θFC and the Napp rate is 3.78 g plant−1, which can be used as the suitable strategy of water and N management for the maximum comprehensive benefits of yield, WUE, and NUE for green pepper. The obtained optimum combination of water and N inputs can provide a scientific basis for irrigation and fertilization optimization and management in sub-tropical monsoon climate regions.
Effects of Salinity Stress on Drip-Irrigated Tomatoes Grown under Mediterranean-Type Greenhouse Conditions
Authors: Karaca Cihan , Aslan Gulcin Ece , Buyuktas Dursun , Kurunc Ahmet , Bastug Ruhi , Navarro Alejandra
Published: December 2022

Plant tolerance to salinity stress is vital for irrigation scheduling, decision-making, planning and operation, and water resource management. This study is aimed to investigate the effects of irrigation water salinity on water use, growth, physiology, and yield parameters of drip-irrigated tomatoes in two different growing seasons. In addition to control (0.7 dS m−1), three irrigation water salinity levels: 2.5 (low), 5.0 (moderate), and 7.5 (high) dS m−1 were used. In both seasons, autumn 2021 and spring 2022, increased water salinities caused an increase in soil salinity, while a decrease in seasonal crop evapotranspiration. Plant heights did not show significant differences under different salinity levels in autumn 2021, while a meaningful difference among treatments was found in spring 2022. Marketable and total tomato yields, and the leaf area index showed significant decreases under increased salinities in both seasons. Stomatal conductance was not affected by salinity levels. The salt tolerance models for marketable and total fruit yields showed a low threshold and slope value in autumn 2021, contrasting with a high threshold and slope value determined in spring 2022. The results suggest that the salinity slope value should be considered, as well as the salinity threshold value, for decision making in tomato production at different growing seasons.
Testing the Effect of High pH and Low Nutrient Concentration on Four Leafy Vegetables in Hydroponics
Authors: Fimbres-Acedo Yenitze Elizabeth , Traversari Silvia , Cacini Sonia , Costamagna Giulia , Ginepro Marco , Massa Daniele
Published: December 2022

Low nutrient and high pH of circulating water represent two of the main issues to overcome for a successful combination of aquaculture and hydroponics in aquaponics offering a sustainable and circular economy solution for vegetable production. The purpose of this study was to screen the tolerance of four herbs to high pH and low nutrient concentration in hydroponics, i.e., green and red basils, mint, and rocket salad, with a focus on plant yield and nutraceutical aspects. Results highlighted green basil as the most tolerant species to low nutrient and high pH conditions followed by mint. On the contrary, negative effects from high pH and low nutrient were reported on red basil and especially rocket salad, which strongly affect their marketability parameters. Rocket salad fresh biomass was more than halved under the combination of high pH and low nutrients. Results on green and red basil showed the importance of testing the tolerance to these agronomic conditions at both species and variety levels. Despite the reduction in biomass, leaf pigments were not influenced by high pH and low nutrients and therefore can be considered parameters of minor importance for the evaluation of these species. In conclusion, the tolerance of green basil and mint to high pH and low nutrients under hydroponic conditions has been highlighted. Further investigation coupled with fish farming will be able to reinforce the convenience of using these species for aquaponics.