The small-scale fisheries of Paraja Bay are a complex system that plays a vital role in people's livelihoods. This study aims to map the connectivity of social-ecological components in small-scale fisheries systems in Paraja Bay, Banten, Indonesia. Social-Ecological Systems Framework (SESF) approach was applied to identify key variables in the small-scale fisheries system. The SESF variables were then analyzed using Social- Ecological Networks Analysis (SENA) with the igraph program in R. The analysis revealed 33 nodes and 58 edges of interaction in the system. The analysis identified fishing activity (FishAktv) and regulation as the most central nodes, which are important links in the system. Nodes such as income, debt, and lift net owners also function as strategic nodes in connecting the social, economic, and institutional dimensions. The results show the importance of key elements such as economics and governance for intervention and policy in system networking. The combined SESF and SENA approach has proven to provide a more holistic understanding of the dynamics of small-scale fisheries systems.
Rhaphidophoridae, also called cave crickets, is a globally distributed insect group belonging to the katydids and allies (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Tettigoniidea). Rhaphidophorids are restricted to humid microhabitats such as caves and wet forests, but the group’s true diversity is poorly known. In Australia, 27 species are described from nine genera in the subfamily Macropathinae, with the highest diversity concentrated in the mesic island state of Tasmania. Micropathus Richards, 1964 is the most widespread genus on the island and contains five species largely restricted to subterranean habitats. Micropathus is reliant on pockets of relictual wet forest, placing species at risk of decline due to climate and land use change, and one species is listed as Critically Endangered. A recent molecular phylogeny for Macropathinae identified two additional, putatively undescribed species of Micropathus, neither of which can be adequately conserved without formal scientific names. Integrating morphological evidence alongside this phylogenetic framework, we describe Micropathus ditto Beasley-Hall sp. nov., previously thought to be a subpopulation of Micropathus tasmaniensis, and Micropathus zubat Beasley-Hall sp. nov., currently known only from the remote Forest Hills karst system. We also provide a key to Micropathus and redescribe its existing members to better reflect intraspecific morphological variation in the genus.
The Yangtze finless porpoise (<i>Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis</i>, YFP) is the only freshwater cetacean species currently found in China’s Yangtze River. To accurately evaluate its genetic diversity and provide reliable molecular markers for population genetic studies, this study developed a highly efficient and reproducible method for identifying polymorphic microsatellite loci using whole-genome sequencing data. Using this method, we identified and validated a set of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, which were then used to analyze the genetic diversity of the YFP populations in Poyang Lake to evaluate their effectiveness. Our results demonstrated that the screening pipeline successfully identified 220 tetranucleotide repeat microsatellite loci. Based on the principle of uniform chromosomal distribution, 190 loci were randomly selected for experimental validation, of which 19 exhibited stable amplification, high polymorphism, and a low genotyping error rate. Genetic diversity analysis based on these markers revealed significant genetic variation among YFP populations in Poyang Lake, confirming the effectiveness of the developed markers. The polymorphic microsatellite molecular marker system developed in this study demonstrates high reliability and applicability for assessing YFP genetic diversity. This system provides a critical technical foundation for future research in conservation genetics, genetic resource preservation, and the development of genetic management strategies for the species.
Individual recognition of Hu sheep is a core requirement for precision livestock management, significantly improving breeding efficiency and fine management. However, traditional machine vision methods face challenges such as high annotation time costs, the inability to quickly annotate new sheep, and the need for manual intervention and retraining. To address these issues, this study proposes a solution that integrates automatic annotation and transfer learning, developing a sheep face recognition algorithm that adapts to complex farming environments and can quickly learn the characteristics of new Hu sheep individuals. First, through multi-view video collection and data augmentation, a dataset consisting of 82 Hu sheep and a total of 6055 images was created. Additionally, a sheep face detection and automatic annotation algorithm was designed, reducing the annotation time per image to 0.014 min compared to traditional manual annotation. Next, the YOLOv10n-CF-Lite model is proposed, which improved the recognition precision of Hu sheep faces to 92.3%, and the mAP@0.5 to 96.2%. To enhance the model’s adaptability and generalization ability for new sheep, transfer learning was applied to transfer the YOLOv10n-CF-Lite model trained on the source domain (82 Hu sheep) to the target domain (10 new Hu sheep). The recognition precision in the target domain increased from 91.2% to 94.9%, and the mAP@0.5 improved from 96.3% to 97%. Additionally, the model’s convergence speed was improved, reducing the number of training epochs required for fitting from 43 to 14. In summary, the Hu sheep face recognition algorithm proposed in this study improves annotation efficiency, recognition precision, and convergence speed through automatic annotation and transfer learning. It can quickly adapt to the characteristics of new sheep individuals, providing an efficient and reliable technical solution for the intelligent management of livestock.
Pankratov Fedor, Panasenkov Dmitry, Kartashov Aleksandr
et al.
The article presents a research of the lubricity of the elements of the mechatronic transmission of an energy efficient truck. Particular attention is paid to the processes associated with ensuring reliable operation of the transmission and reducing friction between the components. Analysis of the distribution of fluids, performed using the SPH method, allows us to determine the lubricity conditions to improve performance characteristics, as well as reduce the temperature of the mechanisms to increase the service life and improve the overall efficiency of the system. The results of the research demonstrate the importance of choosing lubricants and their application modes, which directly affects the durability of transmission elements and the energy efficiency of the entire vehicle. These findings can serve as a basis for developing recommendations for optimizing the operation of mechatronic transmissions of cars.
A Madinu Abd Malik, Jouhary Naufal Amir, Ulfa Aulia
et al.
This study aims to better understand the coastal dynamics along the 6.89 km of Subang shoreline using Landsat data and GIS methods with cloud computing-based analysis. The data is processed using remote sensing techniques, image classification, and change detection algorithms. Furthermore, this research harnesses cloud computing to efficiently manipulate big data, enabling rapid and measurable analysis of coastline changes. Cloud computing-based platforms facilitate data storage, processing, and dissemination, enhancing accessibility for researchers and stakeholders. This study indicates that the area has experienced significant changes from 1990 to 2023, with the total length of the coastlines that have changed (positive stands for accretion and negative for erosion) being 8.21 km (-16,86 %) for 1990 to 2000, 6.52 km (16.21%) for 2000 to 2010, 8.14 km (6,66%) for 2010 to 2020, and 8.81 km (-19,16%) for 2020 to 2023. The results provide valuable information about erosion, accretion, and coastal morphological changes. The findings can help make informed decisions for sustainable coastal management. The methodology presented in this article demonstrates a solid approach to coastline monitoring that can be replicated in other areas for more efficient and effective coastal management and environmental preservation.
This article aims to identify the factors that influence the academic performance of undergraduate students, focusing on digital literacy, digital knowledge and skills, as well as personal characteristics in the digital economy. To identify these relationships, surveys were conducted among students using appropriate online questionnaires, and the Big Five Personality Traits (BFPT) testing methodology was chosen to assess the personal qualities of undergraduate students. The findings of the study are consistent with the research in the field indicating a correlation between digital skills and student academic success and simultaneously the inverse impact of social media on academic performance. In addition, the study showed that there is also a positive relationship between some personal traits as conscientiousness, agreeableness and academic performance outcomes. Research illustrates the significant role of gender in academic achievement, explaining how differences in male and female personality traits can influence academic performance and adaptability. The results confirm that academic success and, thus, the ability to adapt to the changing conditions can be explained by personal traits and digital technologies used while the other possible factors can include gender, professional and cultural background.
Iriani Dian, Hasan Bustari, Warningsih Trisla
et al.
Probiotics are microorganisms that have benefits when consumed, they can be found in yogurt. Yogurt commercially lack protein; the addition of chlorella is a solution due to chlorella contains high protein. The research aimed to determine the effect of chlorella fortification on the quality characteristics of yogurt and the best concentration of chlorella addition in the manufacturing of yogurt. The experimental method using a non-factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of 4 treatment levels: without the addition of chlorella (PC0), 0.75% of chlorella (PC1), 1% of chlorella (PC2), and 1.25% of chlorella (PC3). The parameters tested in this research were hedonic testing and quality, chemical composition, physical properties, and microbiological assay. The results showed that yogurt fortified with 1% chlorella was most favorable by consumer acceptance, with organoleptic characteristics: green and thick color, slightly characteristic aroma of chlorella, and slightly sour taste typical of chlorella. Meanwhile, the proximate composition of this yogurt contains 81.26% moisture, 3.77% protein, 2.30% fat, 0.89% ash, 1.47% fiber; physical properties of pH 4.65, Aw 0.75, viscosity 205.85 cP; and microbiological value of acid total 1.95%, and lactic acid bacteria 2.1×107 cfu/g. Therefore, the yogurt chlorella is suitable for consumption and can enhance health benefits.
<i>Toxocara canis</i> is an unnoticed zoonotic helminth that causes severe disease in animals and humans. The spleen has a wide range of immunological functions in protecting the host against infection by many pathogens, but the function of the spleen in <i>T. canis</i> infection is still to be clarified, especially for the role of spleen microRNAs (miRNAs). In this study, deep sequencing of spleen RNA samples of 18 Beagle puppies was conducted to uncover the miRNAs expression profiling at 24 h post-infection (hpi), 96 hpi, and 36 days post infection (dpi). A total of 20, 34, and 19 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were identified at 24 hpi, 96 hpi, and 36 dpi, respectively. These DEmiRNAs (e.g., cfa-miR-206, cfa-miR-331, and cfa-miR-339) could play critical roles in Beagle puppies against <i>T. canis</i> infection, such as influencing inflammatory and immune-related cells and cytokines, by regulating target genes that are tightly associated with host immune function and enriched in immune response and immune pathways based on GO annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis. The current study discovered marked alterations of spleen miRNAs after <i>T. canis</i> infection, with potential effects on the pathogenesis of toxocariasis.
Giovanna Ranzato, Ines Adriaens, Isabella Lora
et al.
Early predictions of cows’ probability of survival to different lactations would help farmers in making successful management and breeding decisions. For this purpose, this research explored the adoption of joint models for longitudinal and survival data in the dairy field. An algorithm jointly modelled daily first-lactation sensor data (milk yield, body weight, rumination time) and survival data (i.e., time to culling) from 6 Holstein dairy farms. The algorithm was set to predict survival to the beginning of the second and third lactations (i.e., second and third calving) from sensor observations of the first 60, 150, and 240 days in milk of cows’ first lactation. Using 3-time-repeated 3-fold cross-validation, the performance was evaluated in terms of Area Under the Curve and expected error of prediction. Across the different scenarios and farms, the former varied between 45% and 76%, while the latter was between 3.5% and 26%. Significant results were obtained in terms of expected error of prediction, meaning that the method provided survival probabilities in line with the observed events in the datasets (i.e., culling). Furthermore, the performances were stable among farms. These features may justify further research on the use of joint models to predict the survival of dairy cattle.
Muhammad Naeem, Saba Manzoor, Mashhud-Ul-Hasan Abid
et al.
With the increasing world population, demand for industrialization has also increased to fulfill humans’ living standards. Fungi are considered a source of essential constituents to produce the biocatalytic enzymes, including amylases, proteases, lipases, and cellulases that contain broad-spectrum industrial and emerging applications. The present review discussed the origin, nature, mechanism of action, emerging aspects of genetic engineering for designing novel proteases, genome editing of fungal strains through CRISPR technology, present challenges and future recommendations of fungal proteases. The emerging evidence revealed that fungal proteases show a protective role to many environmental exposures and discovered that an imbalance of protease inhibitors and proteases in the epithelial barriers leads to the protection of chronic eosinophilic airway inflammation. Moreover, mitoproteases recently were found to execute intense proteolytic processes that are crucial for mitochondrial integrity and homeostasis function, including mitochondrial biogenesis, protein synthesis, and apoptosis. The emerging evidence revealed that CRISPR/Cas9 technology had been successfully developed in various filamentous fungi and higher fungi for editing of specific genes. In addition to medical importance, fungal proteases are extensively used in different industries such as foods to prepare butter, fruits, juices, and cheese, and to increase their shelf life. It is concluded that hydrolysis of proteins in industries is one of the most significant applications of fungal enzymes that led to massive usage of proteomics.
Valentina Secchi, Gerolamo Masala, Andrea Corda
et al.
Early diagnosis of tendon injuries and accurate long-term monitoring of the healing process are key for equine veterinarians that use conventional ultrasonography. The development of strain elastography could improve the management of clinical cases. The aim of the study was to assess the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility of manual measurements of the colored areas of the tendons within elastograms and to standardize this manual modality by comparing the analysis of the images with ImageJ. Twenty elastograms of the injured superficial digital flexor tendons (SDFTs) of horses were analyzed by two different operators after an acute injury was diagnosed with ultrasonography. Statistical analysis demonstrated excellent intraobserver repeatability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.949) and good interobserver reproducibility (ICC = 0.855) for manual measurements performed with tools available on the ultrasound unit. A good agreement between manual measurements and measurements performed with ImageJ (ICC = 0.849) was then demonstrated. Despite its subjectivity, the manual modality proved to be a valid method for analyzing images obtained with strain elastography.
Dibakar Ghosh, Koushik Brahmachari, Marian Brestic
et al.
Increasing productivity of maize while decreasing production costs and maintaining soil health are emerging challenges for the rice–maize system in South Asia. A range of integrated nutrient and weed management practices were tested in winter maize for their effects on yield, profitability, and soil health. The nutrient management treatments were a partial substitution of nitrogen with bulky (Farmyard manure; vermicompost) and concentrated organic manures (<i>Brassicaceous</i> seed meal, BSM; neem cake), whereas weed management practices compared chemical controls only versus an integrated approach. The N supplementation through BSM diminished the weed growth by reducing weed N uptake, and enhanced the maize crop uptake of nutrients. As compared to the sole chemical approach, atrazine-applied pre-emergence followed by hoeing reduced weed density by 58 and 67% in years 1 and 2, respectively. The N supplementation through BSM resulted in the maximum yield of maize grain (6.13 and 6.50 t ha<sup>−1</sup> in year 1 and year 2, respectively) and this treatment increased yield in year 2 compared to N application through synthetic fertilizer. Hoeing in conjugation with herbicide enhanced the maize grain yield by 9% over herbicide alone. The maximum net return and economic efficiency were achieved with the application of BSM for N supplementation, together with the integrated weed management practice.
Industrialization has made developing countries ‘hot-spots’ of metal pollution. Being non-biodegradable, they persist in the environment and result in bioaugmentation. To remediate this persistent pollutant, the green technology, phytoremediation has been attempted in the present study. Analysis of variance showed the probability (P) of significant chromium (Cr) uptake by shoot (P ≤ 0.03) and highly significant Cr accumulation in root (P ≤ 0.0001). Cr-induced physiological changes were observed in the form of significant decrease in chlorophyll content (P ≤ 0.004) and significant increase in biomass (P ≤ 0.002), from day 7 to day 35 when exposed to 2, 4 and 6 mg kg−1 of chrome effluent. Tagetes erecta in association with rhizobacteria (Bacillus cereus-CK 505 and Enterobacter cloacae-CK 555) was found to accumulate high levels (94%) of Cr within a short period of 35 days. Keywords: Phytoremediation, Tagetes erecta, African marigold, Electroplating, Chromium, Rhizobacteria
Notonectidae are a family of water bugs that are known to be important predators of mosquito larvae and have great potential in the biological control of vector mosquitoes. An experiment was conducted to assess mosquito larvae predation by <em>Anisops</em> <em>breddini</em>, a species common to Southeast Asia. The predation rates were recorded in context of prey density, predator density, predator size and prey type. Predation rates were strongly affected by prey type and less by prey density and predator density. They ranged between 1.2 prey items per day for pupae of <em>Aedes</em> <em>aegeypti</em> and <em>Armigeres</em> <em>moultoni</em> to 5.9 for <em>Ae</em>. <em>aegypti</em> larvae. Compared with studies on other Notonectidae species, the predation rates appear low, which is probably caused by the relative small size of the specimens used in this study. <em>An</em>. <em>breddini</em> is very common in the region and often found in urban areas; therefore, the species has potential as a biological control agent.