bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of ergosterol and phytosterols on wine alcoholic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains
Authors: Girardi-Piva Giovana , Casalta Erick , Legras Jean-Luc , Nidelet Thibault , Pradal Martine , Macna Faïza , Ferreira David , Ortiz-Julien Anne , Tesnière Catherine , Galeote Virginie , Mouret Jean-Roch
Published: September 2022

Sterols are a fraction of the eukaryotic lipidome that is essential for the maintenance of cell membrane integrity and its good functionality. During alcoholic fermentation, they enhance yeast growth, metabolism and viability, as well as resistance to high sugar content and ethanol stress. Grape musts clarified in excess lead to the loss of solid particles rich in sterols, resulting in sluggish and stuck fermentations. Two sterol sources can helpSaccharomyces cerevisiaeyeasts to adapt to fermentation stress conditions: ergosterol (synthesized by yeast under aerobic conditions) and phytosterols (plant sterols imported by yeast cells from grape musts under anaerobiosis). Little is known about the physiological impact of phytosterols assimilation in comparison with ergosterol and the influence of sterol type on fermentation kinetics parameters. Moreover, studies to date have analyzed a limited number of yeast strains. Thus, the aim of this work was to compare the performances of a set ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaewine strains that represent the diversity of industrial wine yeast, fermenting with phytosterols or ergosterol under two conditions: sterol limitation (sterol starvation) and high sugar content (the most common stress during fermentation). Results indicated that yeast cell viability was negatively impacted by both stressful conditions, resulting in sluggish and stuck fermentations. This study revealed the huge phenotype diversity of theS. cerevisiaestrains tested, in particular in terms of cell viability. Indeed, strains with better viability maintenance completed fermentation earlier. Interestingly, we showed for the first time that sterol type differently affects a wide variety of phenotype, such as viability, biomass, fermentation kinetics parameters and biosynthesis of carbon central metabolism (CCM) metabolites. Ergosterol allowed preserving more viable cells at the end of fermentation and, as a consequence, a better completion of fermentation in both conditions tested, even if phytosterols also enabled the completion of alcoholic fermentation for almost all strains. These results highlighted the essential role of sterols during wine alcoholic fermentation to ensure yeast growth and avoid sluggish or stuck fermentations. Finally, this study emphasizes the importance of taking into account sterol types available during wine fermentation.
Sweet but sour: Impaired attention functioning in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Lancrei Hayley M. , Yeshayahu Yonatan , Grossman Ephraim S. , Berger Itai
Published: September 2022

Children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at risk for neurocognitive sequelae, including impaired attention functioning. The specific nature of the cognitive deficit varies; current literature underscores early age of diabetes diagnosis and increased disease duration as primary risk factors for this neurocognitive decline. Forty-three children with T1DM were evaluated for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptomatology using the MOXO continuous performance test (MOXO-CPT) performed during a routine outpatient evaluation. The study cohort demonstrated a significant decline in all four domains of attention functioning. The effect was most pronounced with early age at T1DM diagnosis, a longer disease duration and with poorer glycemic control (represented by higher HbA1c values). With increased disease duration (of 5 plus years), acute hyperglycemia was associated with inattention in the real-time setting. These findings highlight the need for routine screening of neurocognitive function in children with T1DM so that early intervention can be employed during this crucial period of cognitive development.
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy imaging of the prefrontal cortex during a naturalistic comedy movie
Authors: Somech Noam , Mizrahi Tamar , Caspi Yael , Axelrod Vadim
Published: September 2022

Naturalistic stimulation (i.e., movies and auditory narratives of some minutes’ length) has been a powerful approach to bringing more real-life experiences into laboratory experiments. Data-driven, intersubject correlation (ISC) analysis permits examining to what extent activity in a specific brain region correlates across participants during exposure to a naturalistic stimulus, as well as testing whether neural activity correlates with behavioral measures. Notably, most of the previous research with naturalistic stimuli was conducted using functional fMRI (fMRI). Here, we tested whether a naturalistic approach and the ISC are feasible using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) - the imaging method particularly suited for populations of patients and children. Fifty-three healthy adult participants watched twice a 3-min segment of a Charlie Chaplin movie while we recorded the brain activity on the surface of their prefrontal cortex using fNIRS. In addition, an independent group of 18 participants used a continuous scoring procedure to rate the extent to which they felt that different parts of the movie fragment were funny. Our two findings were as follows. First, we found higher-than-zero ISC in fNIRS signals in the prefrontal cortex lobes, a result that was particularly high in the oxygenated channels during the first repetition of the movie. Second, we found a significant negative correlation between oxygenated brain signals and ratings of the movie’s humorousness. In a series of control analyses we demonstrated that this latter correlation could not be explained by various non-humor-related movie sensory properties (e.g., auditory volume and image brightness). The key overall outcome of the present study is that fNIRS in combination with the naturalistic paradigms and the ISC might be a sensitive and powerful research method to explore cognitive processing. Our results also suggest a potential role of the prefrontal cortex in humor appreciation.
Segregation over time in functional networks in prefrontal cortex for individuals suffering from pathological fatigue after traumatic brain injury
Authors: Skau Simon , Johansson Birgitta , Kuhn Hans-Georg , Thompson William Hedley
Published: September 2022

Pathological fatigue is present when fatigue is perceived to continually interfere with everyday life. Pathological fatigue has been linked with a dysfunction in the cortico-striatal-thalamic circuits. Previous studies have investigated measures of functional connectivity, such as modularity to quantify levels of segregation. However, previous results have shown both increases and decreases in segregation for pathological fatigue. There are multiple factors why previous studies might have differing results, including: (i) Does the functional connectivity of patients with pathological fatigue display more segregation or integration compared to healthy controls? (ii) Do network properties differ depending on whether patients with pathological fatigue perform a task compared to periods of rest? (iii) Are the brain networks of patients with pathological fatigue and healthy controls differently affected by prolonged cognitive activity? We recruited individuals suffering from pathological fatigue after mild traumatic brain injury (n = 20) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 20) to perform cognitive tasks for 2.5 h. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess hemodynamic changes in the frontal cortex. The participants had a resting state session before and after the cognitive test session. Cognitive testing included the Digit Symbol Coding test at the beginning and the end of the procedure to measure processing speed. We conducted an exploratory network analysis on these resting state and Digit Symbol Coding sessions with no a priori hypothesis relating to how patients and controls differ in their functional networks since previous research has found results in both directions. Our result showed a Group vs. Time interaction (p = 0.026, ηp2 = 0.137), with a post hoc test revealing that the TBI patients developed higher modularity toward the end of the cognitive test session. This work helps to identify how functional networks differ under pathological fatigue compared to healthy controls. Further, it shows how the functional networks dynamically change over time as the patient performs tasks over a time scale that affect their fatigue level.
Does the plasticity of neural stem cells and neurogenesis make them biosensors of disease and damage?
Authors: Rodríguez-Bodero Ane , Encinas-Pérez Juan Manuel
Published: September 2022

Postnatal and adult neurogenesis takes place in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in the vast majority of mammals due to the persistence of a population of neural stem cells (NSCs) that also generate astrocytes and more NSCs. These are highly plastic and dynamic phenomena that undergo continuous modifications in response to the changes brain homeostasis. The properties of NSCs as well as the process of neurogenesis and gliogenesis, are reshaped divergently by changes in neuronal activity and by different types of disease and damage. This richness of plastic responses identifies NSCs and newborn neurons as biosensors of the health state of the hippocampus, detecting and providing useful information about processes such as neuronal and network hyperexcitation, excitotoxicity, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation. Learning to gather and use this information is a challenge worth of our attention.
Higher dietary vitamin D intake is associated with better survival among older women: Results from the French EPIDOS cohort
Authors: Gautier Jennifer , Riou Jérémie , Schott Anne-Marie , Blain Hubert , Rolland Yves , Saulnier Patrick , Annweiler Cédric
Published: September 2022

Background

Hypovitaminosis D, a condition highly common among older adults, is associated with 35-percent increased all-cause mortality. In contrast, vitamin D supplementation prevents all-cause mortality. The possible role of the dietary intake of vitamin D on mortality remains yet unknown.

Objectives

The objective of this prospective study was to determine all-cause mortality risk according to baseline dietary vitamin D intake among older adults while accounting for potential confounders including dietary calcium intake.

Methods

Vitamin D and calcium dietary intakes were estimated at baseline from a self-administered food frequency questionnaire among 3,066 community-dwelling older women aged ≥75 years, recruited in the French EPIDOS cohort between 1992 and 1994, and for whom information about vital status was available in 2010. Dietary vitamin D and calcium intakes were defined as low if <400 IU/day or <1,200 mg/day, respectively.

Results

The mean ± SD age of the whole cohort was 80.1 ± 3.6 years at baseline. The median survival time from baseline for participants with low dietary vitamin D intake was 11.5 years [95% confidence interval (CI): 11.0–11.9] vs. 12.2 years (95% CI: 11.7–12.9) for those consuming more than 400 IU/day (p = 0.003). Among those with calcium dietary intake <1,200 mg/day, a vitamin D consumption of 400 IU/day and over had a significant positive effect on all-cause mortality (RR: 0.86, p < 0.05). However, no association was retrieved between dietary vitamin D intake and all-cause mortality among participants with dietary calcium intake ≥1,200 mg/day.

Conclusion

Higher dietary vitamin D intake was associated with better survival in the study cohort, specifically among those consuming <1,200 mg/day of dietary calcium.
Relationship between leisure-time physical activity and depressive symptoms under different levels of dietary inflammatory index
Authors: You Yanwei , Chen Yuquan , Yin Jiahui , Zhang Zheng , Zhang Kening , Zhou Jing , Jin Shuai
Published: September 2022

Depressive symptoms are major public health problems. Leisure-time Physical activity (LPA) and dietary inflammatory preference are emerging factors that tends to affect the mental health status. There is limited evidence regarding the joint influence of LPA and dietary status on the prevalence of depression. This study was a cross-sectional study, which used a nationwide represented sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to assess the relationship among LPA, diet status and depression. Depression and LPA status was reported by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ), respectively. To assess dietary inflammatory preferences, dietary inflammatory index (DII) was applied based on a 24-h dietary recall interview. A total of 11,078 subjects was included in this study and weighted participants were 89,682,020. Weighted multivariable linear regression showed that DII was negatively associated with LPA after full adjustment, with β (95% CI): −0.487 (−0.647, −0.327). Weighted multivariable logistic regression showed that LPA was significantly associated with depressive symptoms after full adjustment, with odds ratios OR (95% CIs): 0.986 (0.977, 0.995). By DII stratification analysis, this phenomenon was also existed in groups with anti-inflammatory diet. Mediation effect analysis was further performed, which showed that DII significantly mediating the association between LPA and depression with proportion mediated as 3.94%. Our findings indicated the mediating role of DII in the association between LPA condition and incident depression. More well-designed studies are still needed to validate the causal relationship.
Transformation of adenocarcinoma to squamous cell carcinoma as a source of EGFR-TKI resistance: A case report and literature review
Authors: Xi Yun-Zhu , Xie Li , Tan Xiao-Wu , Zeng Sai-Li
Published: September 2022

In general, non-small cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations respond to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, most patients experience resistance within 1-2 years after treatment. The histological explanation for the acquired resistance is that malignant transformation occurs during cancer treatment. To date, the transformation from adenocarcinoma to squamous cell carcinoma associated with EGFR-TKI use remains poorly reported. We report a case of stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR mutations that converted to squamous cell carcinoma due to long-term administration of EGFR-TKIs. This report strengthens histological evolution as a source of acquired drug resistance.
PALB2 as a factor to predict the prognosis of patients with skull base chordoma
Authors: Xiong Yujia , Li Mingxuan , Shen Yutao , Ma Tianshun , Bai Jiwei , Zhang Yazhuo
Published: September 2022

Objective

This study aimed to study the role of PALB2 on the prognosis of skull base chordoma patients and the proliferation, migration, and invasion of chordoma cells.

Methods

187 patients with primary skull base chordoma were involved in the study. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to measure the PALB2 protein expression. Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox analysis were used to evaluate the impact of PALB2 on patient prognosis. A nomogram was established for predicting the progression free survival of chordoma patients. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation, transwell migration, and invasion assays were used to assess the proliferation, migration, and invasion of chordoma cells with PALB2 knockdown. TIMER 2.0 was used to explore the expression and prognostic role of PALB2 in cancers.

Results

High PALB2 expression indicated an adverse prognosis in chordoma. A nomogram involved PALB2, degree of resection, pathology, and Al-mefty classification could accurately predict the progression free survival of chordoma patients. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of chordoma cells significantly decreased after PALB2 knockdown. Additionally, PALB2 showed high expression in various cancers and was associated with a poor prognosis.

Conclusion

In summary, our results reveal that high PALB2 expression indicates a poor prognosis of chordoma patients and promotes the malignant phenotypes of chordoma cells in vitro.
The role of dual antiplatelets in geographic atrophy secondary to non-neovascular aged-related macular degeneration
Authors: Chantarasorn Yodpong , Smitthimathin Warin , Vorasayan Pongpat
Published: September 2022

Background

To evaluate the effects of dual antiplatelets on progression of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and to determine additional factors predicting rapid GA growth.

Material and Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, patients with unifocal GA were consecutively enrolled (one eye per patient) from 2018 to 2021. The patients were categorized as 1. those receiving dual antiplatelet therapy containing a daily dose of 75 mg clopidogrel plus 81 mg aspirin (DAPT group), and 2. those not receiving DAPT (control group). Areas of GA, based on red-filtered fundus autofluorescence, were measured at baseline, and at 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome was absolute 12-month changes in the square root (SQRT) area.

Results

One eye in each group developed neovascular AMD and was excluded from the analysis. The DAPT (24 eyes) and control (22 eyes) groups had comparable age and baseline SQRT area (1.2 ± 0.27 and 1.8 ± 0.41 mm, respectively; p adjusted for age = 0.23). At 12 months, after controlling for age and the presence of soft drusen or reticular pseudodrusen, patients receiving DAPT had fewer changes in the SQRT area than that of the control group (0.097 vs. 0.17 mm; p = 0.02). The presence of drusen significantly predicted increased GA growth and choroidal thickness reduction.

Conclusions

Routine uses of dual antiplatelets were associated with decelerating GA growth. Drusen-associated GA may represent a generalized form of choroidal vascular alterations.
Teaching fiberoptic-assisted tracheoscopy in very low birth weight infants: A randomized controlled simulator study
Authors: Wolf Monika , Seiler Berenike , Vogelsang Valentina , Sydney Hopf Luke , Moll-Koshrawi Parisa , Vettorazzi Eik , Ebenebe Chinedu Ulrich , Singer Dominique , Deindl Philipp
Published: September 2022

Objective

We developed a fiberoptic-assisted tracheoscopy (FAST) method to avoid direct laryngoscopy during surfactant replacement therapy and compared two training approaches on a very low birth weight (VLBW) infant simulator.

Design

This prospective randomized controlled study was conducted at the Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.

Participants

We recruited physicians, trainees, students, and nurses without prior experience in endoscopic techniques.

Interventions

Participants were assigned randomly to a group that received instructions according to Peyton’s Four-Step Approach and a control group that received standard bedside teaching only.

Main outcome measures

Primary endpoints were the total and the component times required to place the bronchoscope and the method success.

Results

We recruited 186 participants. Compared with the control group, the Peyton group had a lower mean (±standard deviation) FAST completion time (33.2 ± 27.5 s vs. 79.5 ± 47.9 s, p < 0.001; d = 1.12) and a higher FAST success rate (95% vs. 84%, p = 0.036, V = 0.18).

Conclusion

After standardized training, the vast majority of novices completed FAST successfully. Peyton’s four-step approach resulted in faster and more successful performance than standardized training.
Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal the mechanism of sweet-acidic taste formation during pineapple fruit development
Authors: Gao Yuyao , Yao Yanli , Chen Xin , Wu Jianyang , Wu Qingsong , Liu Shenghui , Guo Anping , Zhang Xiumei
Published: September 2022

Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) is one of the most valuable subtropical fruit crop in the world. The sweet-acidic taste of the pineapple fruits is a major contributor to the characteristic of fruit quality, but its formation mechanism remains elusive. Here, targeted metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were performed during the fruit developmental stages in two pineapple cultivars (“Comte de Paris” and “MD-2”) to gain a global view of the metabolism and transport pathways involved in sugar and organic acid accumulation. Assessment of the levels of different sugar and acid components during fruit development revealed that the predominant sugar and organic acid in mature fruits of both cultivars was sucrose and citric acid, respectively. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis of metabolic phenotypes and gene expression profiling enabled the identification of 21 genes associated with sucrose accumulation and 19 genes associated with citric acid accumulation. The coordinated interaction of the 21 genes correlated with sucrose irreversible hydrolysis, resynthesis, and transport could be responsible for sucrose accumulation in pineapple fruit. In addition, citric acid accumulation might be controlled by the coordinated interaction of the pyruvate-to-acetyl-CoA-to-citrate pathway, gamma-aminobutyric acid pathway, and tonoplast proton pumps in pineapple. These results provide deep insights into the metabolic regulation of sweetness and acidity in pineapple.
Sign learning and its use in a co-enrollment kindergarten setting
Authors: Goppelt-Kunkel Madlen , Wienholz Anne , Hänel-Faulhaber Barbara
Published: September 2022

Experimental studies report positive effects of signing for language acquisition and communication in children with and without language development delays. However, little data are available on natural kindergarten settings. Therefore, our study used questionnaire data to investigate the sign learning in hearing children (aged 3;7–5;9 years) with and without language development delays in an inclusive kindergarten group with a co-enrolled deaf child (aged 3;8  years) and a deaf signing educator. We observed that the hearing children in this co-enrollment group learned more signs than the hearing children from groups with only hearing educators who learned signs in a training program. Hearing children’s sign learning showed a tendency toward correlating positively with their level of spoken language development. However, the individual background for children with language development delays impacted this relationship. Additionally, we examined the modality use of all children in interactions with hearing and deaf educators and peers using questionnaire and video data. Despite acquiring signs, hearing children predominantly used spoken language with hearing educators and predominantly nonverbal communication strategies with the deaf educator and the deaf child. Children with language development delays used code-blending with hearing educators in a few cases. The deaf child used mainly sign language for interactions with the deaf educator and mainly nonverbal communication with hearing educators and peers. Overall, our results suggest that the presence of a deaf educator increases sign learning in hearing children. However, in interactions during free play, they barely used signs making it particularly challenging for the deaf child to participate. This reveals that, in addition to a deaf role model, more sign language competent peers and targeted approaches increasing the use of the visual modality are required.
A survey of college students’ willingness to participate in social practice with perceived environmental support based on the applied mixed research method
Authors: Li Yingxin , Jin Zhou , Dong Gaoqi , Zheng Ran , Wang Ting
Published: September 2022

Contemporary social reform promotes rapid social transformation, and social practice has a special educational function in higher education. However, research shows weak willingness to participate in social practice among college students. Using the mixed research method, 438 completed questionnaire surveys on perceived environmental support were collected from college students. The influence of perceived environmental support on Chinese college students’ willingness to participate in social practice was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling, and an empirical test was conducted. The findings are as follows: (1) Perceived environmental support significantly impacts students’ participation attitude and perceived behavioral control. (2) Participation attitude and perceived behavioral control significantly influence participation intention, but behavioral norms have no significant influence. (3) Participation intention and perceived behavioral control significantly influence actual behavior. This study provides the theoretical basis of perceived environmental support for future research on social practice participation intention and offers some theoretical guidance for the implementation of social practice in China.
Is something out of reach more attractive? The effectiveness of visual distance in computational advertising
Authors: Liu Tong , Yu Zhengdong
Published: September 2022

With the development of mobile Internet technology, firms need to complete the entire process of consumer targeting, ad content generation, and ad display in a very short time window. Therefore, computational advertising, such as native ads on social media platforms, has become the mainstream of online advertising with its automation and personalization features. However, computational advertising faces some problems when using artificial intelligence technology to generate content. First, the images should have a significant enough impact on consumers and be easy to adjust to save computational power at the same time; second, the iteration of the computational advertising system relies on consumer behaviors or advertising effectiveness, and firms need to learn the relationship between ad design and consumer behaviors. Under the above two problems, this paper selects visual distance as the main variable, and images can be adjusted by cropping to save computational power. This paper incorporates image design and ad effectiveness metrics into the construal level theory framework, under which the effectiveness metrics can be quickly determined. Following previous studies, we use click-through rate (CTR) to represent the early stage of the sales funnel and a higher construal level and CVR (conversion rate) to represent the later stage of the sales funnel and a lower construal level. Therefore, visually distant images bring distant psychological distance or higher construal level, which can get higher CTR; visually proximate images bring near psychological distance or lower construal level, which can bring higher CVR. These findings suggest that firms can improve the efficiency of their advertising systems and gain more revenue by understanding consumer psychological states.
25 years of continuous sewage sludge application vs. mineral fertilizers on a calcareous soil affected pH but not soil carbonates
Authors: de Soto Isabel S. , Zamanian Kazem , Urmeneta Henar , Enrique Alberto , Virto Iñigo
Published: September 2022

Inorganic and organic fertilizers have been widely used to maintain crop yields. However, several studies have demonstrated that the dissolution of carbonates in agricultural soils by the acidification induced by N-fertilizers can result in their total or partial loss in the tilled layer of some agricultural soils. The effect of inorganic and organic fertilization on carbonates in calcareous semiarid Mediterranean soils has been less studied and is still unclear. Based on a 25-year field experiment, we investigated the effects of different fertilization strategies on the soil pH, inorganic C content, and in the proportion of pedogenic carbonates in the topsoil (0-30 cm) of a carbonate-rich soil in Navarre (N Spain). Five treatments were compared: no amendments as a control (SC), mineral fertilization (MF), and the application of sewage sludge at different doses (80 Mg ha-1 every year (80-1), 40 Mg ha-1 every year (40-1) and 40 Mg ha-1 every four years (40-4). Results showed a decrease in soil pH values by increasing the amount of sewage sludge and a small alteration in the calcite structure particularly in 40-4. However, no significant differences between treatments were found in the total content of carbonates nor in the proportion of pedogenic carbonates. The high concentration of total carbonates in the soil (16.09 ± 0.48%), and of the proportion of pedogenic carbonates (40.21 ± 1.29%, assuming a δ13C of primary carbonates = 0 ‰) seemed elevated enough to compensate for the observed acidification in the studied soil. In the case of MF, no changes were observed in the pH values, nor in the carbonate content (total and pedogenic). This suggests that the use of sewage sludge could induce changes in the future at a faster rate and of greater dimension than the use of mineral fertilizers such as the ones used in this field (46% urea, superphosphate and ClK).
Spatial Coherence Comparisons between the Acoustic Field and Its Frequency-Difference and Frequency-Sum Autoproducts in the Ocean
Authors: Joslyn Nicholas J. , Douglass Alexander S. , Dowling David R.
Published: September 2022

The frequency-difference and frequency-sum autoproducts, quadratic products of complex acoustic field amplitudes at two frequencies, may mimic genuine acoustic fields at the difference and sum frequencies of the constituent fields, respectively. Autoproducts have proven useful in extending the useable frequency range for acoustic remote sensing to frequencies outside a recorded field’s bandwidth. In array signal processing applications, the spatial coherence of the field often sets performance limits. This paper presents results for the spatial coherence of the genuine field, the frequency-difference autoproduct, and the frequency-sum autoproduct as determined from data collected during the Cascadia Open-Access Seismic Transects (COAST 2012) experiment. In this experiment, an airgun array providing a 10 to 200 Hz signal was repeatedly fired off the coast of Washington state, and the resulting acoustic fields were recorded by a nominal 8 km long, 636-element towed horizontal array. Based on hundreds of airgun firings from a primarily shore-parallel transect, both autoproducts were found to extend field coherence to frequencies outside the genuine field’s bandwidth and to produce longer coherence lengths than genuine fields, in most cases. When used for matched-field processing, the same data illustrate the benefits of the autoproducts’ extended coherence.
Application Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) and Multiplex PCR Reactions in Resistance Breeding of Maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Sobiech Aleksandra , Tomkowiak Agnieszka , Bocianowski Jan , Nowak Bartosz , Weigt Dorota , Kurasiak-Popowska Danuta , Kwiatek Michał , Mikołajczyk Sylwia , Niemann Janetta , Szewczyk Katarzyna
Published: September 2022

Cultivated maize (Zea mays L.) is the oldest and one of the most important crop species in the world. Changing climatic conditions in recent years, warm weather, expansion of acreage and intensification of maize cultivation have resulted in an increase in the threat posed by diseases caused by, among others, Fusarium fungi. Breeding success in all plant species is determined by access to starting materials with possible high genetic diversity also in terms of disease resistance. Identification of parental combinations that produce offspring that are high-yielding and resistant to Fusarium, among other diseases, is one of the costliest steps in breeding programs. We used maize lines which, as a result of five-year field observations, were divided into resistant and susceptible to F. verticillioides. It is known that resistance to fusarium is a trait strongly dependent on environmental conditions. Due to the fact that the years of observation of the degree of infestation were hot and dry, the resistance of some lines could result from favorable environmental conditions. In view of the above, the aim of this study was to analyze the genetic basis of the resistance of these lines and to correlate molecular analyses with field observations. Comprehensive field and molecular analyses will allow the selection of reference lines that will be resistant to fusarium in the field and, at the same time, will have pyramidized resistance genes. Such lines can be used for crossbreeding to obtain fusarium-resistant varieties. In addition, an attempt was made to develop Multiplex PCR conditions for faster identification of the analyzed markers. As a result of the analyses, it was found that the resistance of the studied maize lines was correlated with the number of molecular markers identified in them. Both field and laboratory analyses have shown that the best line that can be used for crossbreeding as a source of fusarium resistance genes is the line number 25. It has a resistance level of 8–9 on the nine-point COBORU scale. In this line, as a result of molecular analyses, 10 out of 12 markers were identified (SSR 85, Bngl 1063, Bngl 1740, Umc 2082, Bngl 1621, Umc 2059, Umc 2013, SSR 93, SSR 105, STS 03) related to fusarium resistance genes, which may be the reason for such a high resistance to this pathogen. Similarly, 9 markers were identified for line number 35 (SSR 85, Bngl 1063, Bngl 1740, Umc 2082, Bngl 1621, Umc 2059, Umc 2013, SSR 93, STS 03). This line, however, was characterized by a slightly lower resistance at the level of 7–8. Line 254 turned out to be the least resistant, as the resistance was at the level of 4–5, and the number of identified molecular markers was 5. Lines numbered 25 and 35 can be successfully used as a source of fusarium resistance genes.
Plasmodiophora brassicae Infection Modulates Expansin Genes of Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis
Authors: Muthusamy Muthusamy , Park Sang Ryeol , Park Jong-In , Lee Soo In
Published: September 2022

Clubroot is a soil-borne disease of cruciferous crops, including Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis, and causes substantial yield losses. In an attempt to develop clubroot-resistant B. rapa cultivars, we investigated the role of a root-abundant expansin-like B1 (EXLB1) during Plasmodiophora brassicae inoculation. The histochemical analyses of infected transgenic reporter lines showed a role for BrEXLB1 in disease response as early as 3 dpi. The transgenic overexpression of EXLB1 in B. rapa conferred disease-sensitive phenotypes and was comparable to non-transgenic controls at 30 dpi. In contrast, the heterogeneous population of antisense BrEXLB1-overexpressing lines conferred disease resistance against highly pathogenic P. brassicae race 2 inoculations under greenhouse conditions. Additionally, we profiled the relative expression of 32 other BrEXPs in wild-type seedlings, sampled on different days (1–10) after inoculation using qRT-PCR. The results indicate that the expression pattern of most BrEXP genes was significantly altered during different infection times, suggesting their participation in clubroot responses. In particular, the expressions of EXPA20, EXPA21, and EXPA34 were consistently downregulated, while the expression of EXPA5 was upregulated (log2FC ≥ 2) compared to controls. Altogether, our study showed that BrEXPs participate in clubroot disease response, and their genetic manipulation is likely to provide clubroot disease resistance.
Experiments and Analysis of a Peanut Semi-Feeding Picking Mechanism Based on the JKR Model
Authors: Li Dongjie , Shang Shuqi , He Xiaoning , Zhao Zhuang , Chang Zengcun , Wang Yuetao , Wang Dongwei
Published: September 2022

When peanuts are harvested, the high rate of pod crush and pods leakage are the main problems in the current peanut fruit picking process. Optimized peanut picking rollers help to improve peanut harvesting efficiency. This paper investigates the fruit picking system of a three-monopoly, six-row semi-feeding peanut combine harvester, in order to reduce the rate of crush and leakage of peanut pods during the picking process. Firstly, this article specifies the structure and basic parameters of peanut picking pairs of rollers. Secondly, this paper combines JKR (Johnson-Kendall-Roberts) model theory, crash model simulation analysis, a field test, and other methods. Motion and force analysis are presented in detail for the peanut picking mechanism and associated harvesting components. The optimum clamping chain speed, the angle of installation of the picking rollers to the clamping chain, and the picking rollers’ speed are determined. A three-factor, three-level regression orthogonal combination test was designed to obtain regression models for pod crushed and pods leakage rate. The regression model’s response surface analysis concluded that when the clamping chain speed is 0.84–1.2 m/s, the fruit picking roller angle is 10°–11.2° and the fruit picking roller speed is 442 r/min–500 r/min. It is the optimal working parameter for the three-monopoly six-row peanut combine harvester. At this point, the peanut harvesting requirements are met, and the overall performance is significantly improved. This paper lays the foundation for the development of the semi-feeding peanut picking system.
Machine Learning-Based Processing of Multispectral and RGB UAV Imagery for the Multitemporal Monitoring of Vineyard Water Status
Authors: López-García Patricia , Intrigliolo Diego , Moreno Miguel A. , Martínez-Moreno Alejandro , Ortega José Fernando , Pérez-Álvarez Eva Pilar , Ballesteros Rocío
Published: September 2022

The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and light sensors has required new approaches for high-resolution remote sensing applications. High spatial and temporal resolution spectral data acquired by multispectral and conventional cameras (or red, green, blue (RGB) sensors) onboard UAVs can be useful for plant water status determination and, as a consequence, for irrigation management. A study in a vineyard located in south-eastern Spain was carried out during the 2018, 2019, and 2020 seasons to assess the potential uses of these techniques. Different water qualities and irrigation application start throughout the growth cycle were imposed. Flights with RGB and multispectral cameras mounted on a UAV were performed throughout the growth cycle, and orthoimages were generated. These orthoimages were segmented to include only vegetation and calculate the green canopy cover (GCC). The stem water potential was measured, and the water stress integral (Sψ) was obtained during each irrigation season. Multiple linear regression techniques and artificial neural networks (ANNs) models with multispectral and RGB bands, as well as GCC, as inputs, were trained and tested to simulate the Sψ. The results showed that the information in the visible domain was highly related to the Sψ in the 2018 season. For all the other years and combinations of years, multispectral ANNs performed slightly better. Differences in the spatial resolution and radiometric quality of the RGB and multispectral geomatic products explain the good model performances with each type of data. Additionally, RGB cameras cost less and are easier to use than multispectral cameras, and RGB images are simpler to process than multispectral images. Therefore, RGB sensors are a good option for use in predicting entire vineyard water status. In any case, field punctual measurements are still required to generate a general model to estimate the water status in any season and vineyard.
Research on the Chinese Named-Entity–Relation-Extraction Method for Crop Diseases Based on BERT
Authors: Zhang Wenhao , Wang Chunshan , Wu Huarui , Zhao Chunjiang , Teng Guifa , Huang Sufang , Liu Zhen
Published: September 2022

In order to integrate fragmented text data of crop disease knowledge to solve the current problems of disordered knowledge management, weak correlation and difficulty in knowledge sharing, a Chinese named-entity–relation-extraction model for crop diseases (BBCPF) was proposed in this paper by utilizing the advantage of knowledge graph in describing complex relations between disease entities in a structured form. This model was composed of two parts, i.e., named-entity recognition and relation extraction, in the form of an assembly line. To deal with the different meanings of Chinese crop disease terms in different contexts and to better obtain the contextual information, the BERT model was introduced for dynamic vector representations. Then, the BiLSTM layer was used to learn long-distance text information, and the CRF was applied to obtain the globally optimal labeling sequence, so as to output the crop disease entities. According to the entity category, the entities were divided as subjects and objects, which were then input into the disordered language model PERT to extract the contextual features of the relation data. At last, the fully connected layer was used to decode the information and output the crop disease entity-relation triples. The experiment results show that, on the self-built disease corpus dataset, the Precision, Recall, and F1-Score values of the established model reached 85.63%, 79.46% and 82.43%, respectively, for entity extraction, and reached 97.96%, 98.43% and 98.16%, respectively, for relation extraction. This paper provides an effective method for information extraction in the construction of Chinese crop disease domain knowledge graphs.
Modeling and Forecasting of Rice Prices in India during the COVID-19 Lockdown Using Machine Learning Approaches
Authors: Rathod Santosha , Chitikela Gayatri , Bandumula Nirmala , Ondrasek Gabrijel , Ravichandran Sundaram , Sundaram Raman Meenakshi
Published: September 2022

Via national lockdowns, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the production and distribution of foodstuffs worldwide, including rice (Oryza sativa L.) production, affecting the prices in India’s agroecosystems and markets. The present study was performed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 national lockdown on rice prices in India, and to develop statistical machine learning models to forecast price changes under similar crisis scenarios. To estimate the rice prices under COVID-19, the general time series models, such as the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, the artificial neural network (ANN) model, and the extreme learning machine (ELM) model, were applied. The results obtained using the ARIMA intervention model revealed that during the COVID-19 lockdown in India, rice prices increased by INR 0.92/kg. In addition, the ELM intervention model was faster, with less computation time, and provided better results vs other models because it detects the nonlinear pattern in time series data, along with the intervention variable, which was considered an exogenous variable. The use of forecasting models can be a useful tool in supporting decision makers, especially under unpredictable crises. The study results are of great importance for the national agri-food sector, as they can bolster authorities and policymakers in planning and designing more sustainable interventions in the food market during (inter)national crisis situations.
Understanding the Role of Physiological and Agronomical Traits during Drought Recovery as a Determinant of Differential Drought Stress Tolerance in Barley
Authors: Hasanuzzaman Md. , Shabala Lana , Brodribb Timothy J. , Zhou Meixue , Shabala Sergey
Published: September 2022

The fast and efficient recovery could be an important trait defining the efficacy of plant drought adaptation. In this work, we aimed to develop a set of simple and appropriate physiological proxies that could be used as reliable indicators to predict plant drought responses and validate the role of specific physiological traits such as root length, stomata density, and residual transpiration, in the drought tolerance and recovery in barley. Eighty barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes were subjected to progressive droughting until the soil moisture level reached 10%, followed by rewatering. Plants were visually scored at the end of drought period and two weeks after rewatering. SPAD values and chlorophyll fluorescence Fv/Fm ratio were also measured, alongside with stomatal density (SD) and residual transpiration (RT). The same genotypes were germinated in paper rolls treated with 15% (w/v) of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 by quantification of changes in the root growth patterns. Responses to drought stress varied among the genotypes, and drought tolerance and recovery scores were significantly correlated with each other. Changes in SPAD value, Fv/Fm ratio and root length were significantly correlated with the drought tolerance and recovery indices. Both indices correlated strongly with the SD and RT of irrigated plants, although in an unexpected direction. We have also correlated the extent of plants’ drought tolerance to their ability to grow in saline soils (a condition often termed a “physiological drought”) and found a positive association between these two traits. The fact that drought tolerant genotype also possessed higher salinity tolerance implies some common mechanisms conferring both traits. Plants having less SD and more RT under irrigated conditions showed higher drought tolerance. It is concluded that lower SD and higher RT under optimal conditions may be used as proxies for drought tolerance in barley.
Effect of Chlorella vulgaris on the Growth and Phytochemical Contents of “Red Russian” Kale (Brassica napus var. Pabularia)
Authors: Park Yun Ji , Park Jai-Eok , Truong To Quyen , Koo Song Yi , Choi Jae-Hyeong , Kim Sang Min
Published: September 2022

Kale is a prominent leafy vegetable because of its high content of bioactive compounds and various health benefits. Microalgae have been suggested as a biostimulator that can replace chemical fertilizers by enhancing crop yield and supporting soil carbon sequestration. In this study, the effect of Chlorella vulgaris as a plant biostimulant on the growth and secondary metabolite contents of “Red Russian” kale (Brassica napus var. Pabularia) with green leaves and purple veins has been demonstrated. Three Chlorella treatments were used: CS, C. vulgaris suspension; CB, C. vulgaris biomass; and CFS, filtered C. vulgaris-free supernatant. The plant growth rates, phytochemical contents, and individual glucosinolate and anthocyanin contents were determined. There was no significant difference under the CS and CB treatments, while CFS negatively influenced on kale growth with 37% reduction of dried weight. In contrast, metabolite production differed according to Chlorella treatments. Total contents of chlorophyll and carotenoid were increased by 1.57 and 1.41 folds by CS treatment, whereas total contents of phenol and flavonoids were enhanced by 1.30 and 1.22 folds by CFS treatment. Totally, seven glucosinolates and four anthocyanins were characterized and quantified individually. Notably, CFS treatment increased gluconasturtiin and all anthocyanins the most, 10.28-fold and 5.90-fold, respectively.