bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide association analysis of phenotypic traits in Bambara groundnut under drought-stressed and non-stressed conditions based on DArTseq SNP
Authors: Odesola Kafilat Abiodun , Olawuyi Odunayo Joseph , Paliwal Rajneesh , Oyatomi Olaniyi Ajewole , Abberton Michael T.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Bambara groundnut (BG) (Vigna subterranea [L.] Verdc) is an indigenous, resilient, but underutilized leguminous crop that occurs mostly as genetically heterogeneous landraces with limited information on the drought tolerant attributes. This study elucidates the associations between sequencing-based diversity array technology (DArTseq) and phenotypic character as well as differing indices related to drought tolerance in one hundred accessions of Bambara groundnut.

Methods

The field experiments were conducted at IITA research stations in Kano and Ibadan between 2016 and 2018 planting seasons. The experiments were arranged in randomised complete block design with three replications, under the different water regimes. The phenotypic traits evaluated was further to construct the dendrogram. Genome-wide association mapping was conducted based on 5927 DArTs loci with < 20% missing data.

Results and Discussions

The genome wide association study predicted drought tolerance in Bambara accessions for geometric mean productivity (GMP) and stress tolerance index (STI). TVSu-423 had the highest GMP and STI values (28.50, 2.40), while TVSu-2017 had the lowest at GMP (1.74) and STI (0.01) respectively. The relative water content (%) was significantly higher for accessions; TVSu-266 (60.35, 61.49), TVSu-2 (58.29, 53.94), and TVSu-411 (55.17, 58.92) in 2016/2017 and 2017/2018, respectively. The phenotypic characters studied delineated the accessions into two major clusters and five distinct sub-clusters, indicating variations across all the geographical locations. The 5,927 DArTseq genomic markers in association with STI further grouped the 100 accessions into two main clusters. TVSu-1897 from Botswana (Southern Africa) was in the first cluster, while the remaining 99 accessions from Western, Central, and Eastern Africa made up the second cluster. The eight significant Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) (24346377|F|0-22:A>G-22:A>G, 24384105|F|0-56:A>G33 :A> G, 24385643|F|0-53:G>C-53:G>C, 24385696|F|0-43:A>G-43:A>G, 4177257|F|0-44:A>T-44:A>T, 4182070|F|0-66:G>A-66:G>A, 4183483|F|0-24:G>A-24:G>A, 4183904|F|0-11:C>T-11:C>T) identified with Bonferroni threshold was in association with STI, indicative of variations under the drought-stressed condition. The observation of consistent SNPs in the 2016 and 2017 planting seasons, as well as in combination with the 2016 and 2017 planting seasons, led to the designation of these QTLs as significant. The drought selected accessions could form basis for hybridization breeding. The identified quantitative trait loci could be useful in marker-assisted selection in drought molecular breeding programs.
Coordinated variation in root and leaf functional traits of Hippophae rhamnoides treated at different stump heights in feldspathic sandstone areas of Inner Mongolia
Authors: Liu Lu , Guo Yuefeng , Liu Xiaoyu , Yao Yunfeng , Qi Wei
Published: February 2023

This study was aimed to clarify the effects of stumping on root and leaf traits as well as the tradeoffs and synergies of decaying Hippophae rhamnoides in feldspathic sandstone areas, and to select the optimal stump height that contributed to the recovery and growth of H. rhamnoides. variations and coordination between leaf traits and fine root traits of H. rhamnoides were studied at different stump heights (0, 10, 15, 20 cm, and no stumping) in feldspathic sandstone areas. All functional traits of the leaves and roots, except the leaf C content (LC) and the fine root C content (FRC), were significantly different among different stump heights. The total variation coefficient was the largest in the specific leaf area (SLA), which is therefore the most sensitive trait. Compared to non-stumping, SLA, leaf N content (LN), specific root length (SRL) and fine root N content (FRN) all improved significantly at stump height of 15 cm, but leaf tissue density (LTD), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio (LC : LN), fine root tissue density (FRTD), fine root dry matter content (FRDMC) and fine root carbon to nitrogen ratio (FRC : FRN) all decreased significantly. The leaf traits of H. rhamnoides at different stump heights follow the leaf economic spectrum, and the fine roots show a similar trait syndrome to the leaves. SLA and LN are positively correlated with SRL and FRN and negatively with FRTD and FRC : FRN. LDMC and LC : LN are positively correlated with FRTD and FRC : FRN, and negatively correlated SRL and RN. The stumped H. rhamnoides changes to the ‘rapid investment–return type’ resource trade-offs strategy, and the growth rate is maximized at the stump height of 15 cm. Our findings are critical to the prevention and control of vegetation recovery and soil erosion in feldspathic sandstone areas.
Hydrogen-rich water treatment increased several phytohormones and prolonged the shelf life in postharvest okras
Authors: Dong Wanqi , Cao Shifeng , Zhou Qihang , Jin Shuwan , Zhou Chujiang , Liu Qingli , Li Xu , Chen Wei , Yang Zhenfeng , Shi Liyu
Published: February 2023

Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) treatment has been reported to delay the softening and senescence of postharvest okras, but its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. In this paper, we investigated the effects of HRW treatment on the metabolism of several phytohormones in postharvest okras, which act as regulatory molecules in fruit ripening and senescence processes. The results showed that HRW treatment delayed okra senescence and maintained fruit quality during storage. The treatment upregulated all of the melatonin biosynthetic genes such as AeTDC, AeSNAT, AeCOMT and AeT5H, contributing to the higher melatonin content in the treated okras. Meanwhile, increased transcripts of anabolic genes but lower expression of catabolic genes involved in indoleacetic acid (IAA) and gibberellin (GA) metabolism were observed in okras when treated with HRW, which was related to the enhanced levels of IAA and GA. However, the treated okras experienced lower abscisic acid (ABA) content as compared to the non-treated fruit due to the down-regulation of its biosynthetic genes and up-regulation of the degradative gene AeCYP707A. Additionally, there was no difference in γ-aminobutyric acid between the non-treated and HRW-treated okras. Collectively, our results indicated that HRW treatment increased levels of melatonin, GA and IAA, but decreased ABA content, which ultimately delayed fruit senescence and prolonged shelf life in postharvest okras.
Temperature increase modifies susceptibility to Verticillium wilt in Medicago spp and may contribute to the emergence of more aggressive pathogenic strains
Authors: Sbeiti Abed Al Latif , Mazurier Mélanie , Ben Cécile , Rickauer Martina , Gentzbittel Laurent
Published: February 2023

Global warming is expected to have a direct impact on plant disease patterns in agro-eco-systems. However, few analyses report the effect of moderate temperature increase on disease severity due to soil-borne pathogens. For legumes, modifications of root plant-microbe interactions either mutualistic or pathogenic due to climate change may have dramatic effects. We investigated the effect of increasing temperature on the quantitative disease resistance to Verticillium spp., a major soil-borne fungal pathogen, in the model legume Medicago truncatula and the crop M. sativa. First, twelve pathogenic strains isolated from various geographical origin were characterized with regard to their in vitro growth and pathogenicity at 20°C, 25°C and 28°C. Most of them exhibited 25°C as the optimum temperature for in vitro parameters, and between 20°C and 25°C for pathogenicity. Second, a V. alfalfae strain was adapted to the higher temperature by experimental evolution, i.e. three rounds of UV mutagenesis and selection for pathogenicity at 28°C on a susceptible M. truncatula genotype. Inoculation of monospore isolates of these mutants on resistant and susceptible M. truncatula accessions revealed that at 28°C they were all more aggressive than the wild type strain, and that some had acquired the ability to cause disease on resistant genotype. Third, one mutant strain was selected for further studies of the effect of temperature increase on the response of M. truncatula and M. sativa (cultivated alfalfa). The response of seven contrasted M. truncatula genotypes and three alfalfa varieties to root inoculation was followed using disease severity and plant colonization, at 20°C, 25°C and 28°C. With increasing temperature, some lines switched from resistant (no symptoms, no fungus in the tissues) to tolerant (no symptoms but fungal growth into the tissues) phenotypes, or from partially resistant to susceptible. Further studies in greenhouse evidence the reduction in plant fitness due to disease in susceptible lines. We thus report that root pathogenic interactions are affected by anticipated global warming, with trends towards increased plant susceptibility and larger virulence for hot-adapted strains. New threats due to hot-adapted strains of soil-borne pathogens, with possibly wider host range and increased aggressiveness, might occur.
The stereotype content model and mental disorders: Distinct perceptions of warmth and competence
Authors: Allstadt Torras Ramona C. , Scheel Corinna , Dorrough Angela R.
Published: February 2023

This work investigates the perception of eight different mental disorders within the Stereotype Content Model (SCM). The presented study (N = 297) includes a sample representative for the German population in terms of age and gender. Results reveal distinct warmth and competence evaluations for people with different mental disorders, e.g., people with alcohol dependence were seen as less warm and less competent than people with depression or phobia. Future directions and practical implications are discussed.
Identification and spatio-temporal tracking of ubiquitous phage families in the human microbiome
Authors: Tadmor Arbel D. , Mahmoudabadi Gita , Foley Helen B. , Phillips Rob
Published: February 2023

Viruses are a major component of the human microbiome, yet their diversity, lifestyles, spatiotemporal dynamics, and functional impact are not well understood. Elucidating the ecology of human associated phages may have a major impact on human health due to the potential ability of phages to modulate the abundance and phenotype of commensal bacteria. Analyzing 690 Human Microbiome Project metagenomes from 103 subjects sampled across up to 18 habitats, we found that despite the great interpersonal diversity observed among human viromes, humans harbor distinct phage families characterized by their shared conserved hallmark genes known as large terminase subunit (TerL) genes. Phylogenetic analysis of these phage families revealed that different habitats in the oral cavity and gut have unique phage community structures. Over a ~7-month timescale most of these phage families persisted in the oral cavity and gut, however, presence in certain oral habitats appeared to be transitory, possibly due to host migration within the oral cavity. Interestingly, certain phage families were found to be highly correlated with pathogenic, carriage and disease-related isolates, and may potentially serve as novel biomarkers for disease. Our findings shed new light on the core human virome and offer a metagenomic-independent way to probe the core virome using widely shared conserved phage markers.
Event-based feature tracking in a visual inertial odometry framework
Authors: Ribeiro-Gomes José , Gaspar José , Bernardino Alexandre
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Event cameras report pixel-wise brightness changes at high temporal resolutions, allowing for high speed tracking of features in visual inertial odometry (VIO) estimation, but require a paradigm shift, as common practices from the past decades using conventional cameras, such as feature detection and tracking, do not translate directly. One method for feature detection and tracking is the Eventbased Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi tracker (EKLT), an hybrid approach that combines frames with events to provide a high speed tracking of features. Despite the high temporal resolution of the events, the local nature of the registration of features imposes conservative limits to the camera motion speed.

Methods: Our proposed approach expands on EKLT by relying on the concurrent use of the event-based feature tracker with a visual inertial odometry system performing pose estimation, leveraging frames, events and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) information to improve tracking. The problem of temporally combining high-rate IMU information with asynchronous event cameras is solved by means of an asynchronous probabilistic filter, in particular an Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF). The proposed method of feature tracking based on EKLT takes into account the state estimation of the pose estimator running in parallel and provides this information to the feature tracker, resulting in a synergy that can improve not only the feature tracking, but also the pose estimation. This approach can be seen as a feedback, where the state estimation of the filter is fed back into the tracker, which then produces visual information for the filter, creating a “closed loop”.

Results: The method is tested on rotational motions only, and comparisons between a conventional (not event-based) approach and the proposed approach are made, using synthetic and real datasets. Results support that the use of events for the task improve performance.

Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work proposing the fusion of visual with inertial information using events cameras by means of an UKF, as well as the use of EKLT in the context of pose estimation. Furthermore, our closed loop approach proved to be an improvement over the base EKLT, resulting in better feature tracking and pose estimation. The inertial information, despite prone to drifting over time, allows keeping track of the features that would otherwise be lost. Then, feature tracking synergically helps estimating and minimizing the drift.
The effectiveness of the Congo Red Dot paper test in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Khaliq O. P. , Phoswa W. N. , Moodley J.
Published: February 2023

Background

Congo Red Dot Paper Test (CRDPT) appears to be a simple, cost-effective, non-invasive diagnostic tool for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). The main objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of CRDPT in detecting HDP.

Methods

This is a systemic review and meta-analysis of published studies on the effectiveness of CRDPT in the detection of HDP. The study was conducted in line with the PRISMA-DTA guidelines. The PICOS framework was used to search for relevant articles using Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases. The articles were screened against a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria and analysed using the Review Manager 5.4 software.

Results

A title, abstract and full article screening was conducted on 18,153 potential articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The screening yielded five articles for meta-analysis. The total number of normotensive pregnant women (n = 3,380) in the included studies was five times higher than the total number of women with pre-eclampsia (n = 535). A difference between the HDP and normotensive group was noted. This is indicated by a significantly decreased in the effectiveness of CRDPT in detecting HDP as compared to normotensive group [Risk Ratio (RR) = 6.32 (2.17, 18.43) p < 0.00001]. The included studies had a high nature of heterogeneity (I2 = 98%, p < 0.00001) partially due to different study designs included in the analysis and different regions where studies were conducted given that none of these studies were conducted in African countries where HDP is prominent.

Conclusions

According to results generated from 5 studies in this meta-analysis, it was found that CRDPT might not be effective in the detection of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Moreover, more research, especially in African women where hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are prevalent, are re-quired to ascertain these findings.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021283679, identifier: CRD42021283679.
Insects in water towers: Hibernating flies could compromise microbial drinking water quality
Authors: Baele Amber , Waegenaar Fien , De Maeyer Katrien , De Gusseme Bart , Vervaeren Han , Spanoghe Pieter , Boon Nico
Published: February 2023

Providing safe and qualitative drinking water is becoming increasingly important due to climate change and population growth. Water towers are often used to provide storage and ensure water pressure for drinking water distribution. However, microbial regrowth of water is still a challenge during storage and distribution. Moreover, water towers can be used as an aggregation site by insects, mainly flies (Diptera). In this study, ten water towers in Belgium were monitored for 8 months with sticky traps to evaluate fly species diversity, abundances and activity. The results showed the presence of three fly species: Thaumatomyia notata (yellow swarming fly), Musca autumnalis (face fly) and Pollenia spp. (cluster fly). The flies entered the towers in autumn and took shelter against wintering conditions in cracks and crevices, especially on the highest floors where the water tank is located. In this way, flies can come into contact with the drinking water. Based on the monitoring campaign, a risk assessment matrix was set up to determine risks of possible microbial water contaminations caused by flies in water towers. This was validated by a worst-case experiment in laboratory conditions. Face flies (living and dead) were added to tap water to evaluate their influence on microbial water quality and safety using several techniques such as 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, flow cytometric cell counts and fingerprinting. Our research showed that flies in drinking water promote bacterial growth and change the phenotypic resident drinking water community. Furthermore, new genera such as Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter as well as the coliforms Serratia fonticola and S. liquefaciens were detected when flies were added to tap water. Hence, prevention and intervention measures are important in water quality management to avoid contact between flies and drinking water in water towers. In this study, several effective prevention methods are discussed, such as sealing ventilation, overflow and weep holes with insect screens with adequate mesh size and covering water tanks.
Regional differences in nitrogen balance and nitrogen use efficiency in the rice–livestock system of Uruguay
Authors: Castillo Jesús , Kirk Guy J. D. , Rivero M. Jordana , Haefele Stephan M.
Published: February 2023

The reintegration of crops with livestock systems is proposed as a way of improving the environmental impacts of food production globally, particularly the impact involving nitrogen (N). A detailed understanding of processes governing N fluxes and budgets is needed to design productive and efficient crop–livestock systems. This study aimed to investigate regional differences in N balance (NBAL, defined as all N inputs minus outputs), N use efficiency (NUE, defined as N outputs/inputs × 100), and N surplus (NSURP, defined as all N inputs minus only outputs in food products) in the rice–livestock system of Uruguay. Three regions across Uruguay are distinguished based on soil fertility and length of pasture rotation. The northern region has high soil fertility and short length of rotation (HFSR); the central region has medium soil fertility and medium length of rotation (MFMR); the eastern region has low fertility and long pasture rotation (LFLR). Results for the last 18 years show a very high NUE (90%) for the rice component in all rotations, associated with negative NBALs ranging from −35 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in HFSR to −3 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in LFLR. However, the livestock component, which overall had low animal productivity (<2 kg N ha−1 yr−1), had low NUE (<10%) but positive NBALs in all the rotations, sustaining N supply in the rice component. At the system level, NUE was high (60%) and NBAL was slightly positive in all rotations (from +2.8 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in HFSR to +8.5 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in LFLR). Because of a recent increase in the N fertilizer dose in rice, NSURP for the overall system was intermediate (40 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and should be monitored in the future. Efforts to improve the system's efficiency should focus on the livestock component.
Tracheal or bronchial wedge resection: Case report
Authors: Jiao Zhenhua , Tang Zhe , Yu Jun
Published: February 2023

Background

Primary tracheal or bronchial tumors are relatively uncommon, whether benign or malignant. Sleeve resection is an excellent surgical technique for most primary tracheal or bronchial tumors. However, depending on the size and location of the tumor, thoracoscopic wedge resection of trachea or bronchus can be performed with the assistance of a fiberoptic bronchoscope for some malignant and benign tumors.

Case Description

We performed a single incision video-assisted bronchial wedge resection in a patient with a left main bronchial hamartoma with a size of 7 × 5 × 5 mm. The patient was discharged from the hospital six days after the surgery with no postoperative complications. There was no obvious discomfort during the 6-month postoperative follow-up, and the reexamination of fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed no evident stenosis of the incision.

Conclusions

Through the detailed case study and literature review, we believe that tracheal or bronchial wedge resection is a significantly superior technique under the appropriate conditions. Video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection of trachea or bronchus should be a new and excellent development direction of minimally invasive bronchial surgery.
Toward assessing the role of dietary fatty acids in lamb's neurological and cognitive development
Authors: Tajonar Karen , Gonzalez-Ronquillo Manuel , Relling Alejandro , Nordquist Rebecca E. , Nawroth Christian , Vargas-Bello-Pérez Einar
Published: February 2023

Understanding and measuring sheep cognition and behavior can provide us with measures to safeguard the welfare of these animals in production systems. Optimal neurological and cognitive development of lambs is important to equip individuals with the ability to better cope with environmental stressors. However, this development can be affected by nutrition with a special role from long-chain fatty acid supply from the dam to the fetus or in lamb's early life. Neurological development in lambs takes place primarily during the first two trimesters of gestation. Through late fetal and early postnatal life, the lamb brain has a high level of cholesterol synthesis. This rate declines rapidly at weaning and remains low throughout adulthood. The main polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the brain are ω-6 arachidonic acid and ω-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are elements of plasma membranes' phospholipids in neuronal cells. DHA is essential for keeping membrane integrity and is vital for normal development of the central nervous system (CNS), and its insufficiency can damage cerebral functions and the development of cognitive capacities. In sheep, there is evidence that supplying PUFA during gestation or after birth may be beneficial to lamb productive performance and expression of species-specific behaviors. The objective of this perspective is to discuss concepts of ruminant behavior and nutrition and reflect on future research directions that could help to improve our knowledge on how dietary fatty acids (FA) relate to optimal neurological and cognitive development in sheep.
Effects of dietary Galla Chinensis tannin supplementation on immune function and liver health in broiler chickens challenged with lipopolysaccharide
Authors: Yuan Peng , Xu Haitao , Ma Yuanfei , Niu Jiaxing , Liu Yang , Huang Libo , Jiang Shuzhen , Jiao Ning , Yuan Xuejun , Yang Weiren , Li Yang
Published: February 2023

Herein, Galla Chinensis tannin (GCT) was examined for its influence on preventing lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver damage in broiler chickens. Approximately 486 one-day-old healthy broilers were randomly allocated to 3 treatment groups (control, LPS, and LPS + GCT). The control and LPS groups were fed a basal diet and the LPS+GCT group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg GCT. LPS was intraperitoneally injected (1 mg/kg body weight BW) in broilers in the LPS and LPS+GCT groups at 17, 19, and 21 days of age. The results manifested that dietary GCT addition attenuated LPS-induced deleterious effects on serum parameters and significantly increased serum immunoglobulin and complement C3 concentrations relative to the control and LPS groups. Dietary supplementation of GCT inhibited LPS-induced increase in broiler hepatic inflammatory cytokines, caspases activities, and TLR4/NF-κB pathway-related gene mRNA expression. Therefore, 300 mg/kg GCT addition to the diet improved the immune function of broilers and inhibit liver inflammation by blocking the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. Our findings provide support for the application of GCT in poultry production.
Live attenuated influenza A virus vaccine expressing an IgA-inducing protein protects pigs against replication and transmission
Authors: Rajao Daniela S. , Zanella Giovana C. , Wymore Brand Meghan , Khan Shehroz , Miller Michael E. , Ferreri Lucas M. , Caceres C. Joaquin , Cadernas-Garcia Stivalis , Souza Carine K. , Anderson Tavis K. , Gauger Phillip C. , Vincent Baker Amy L. , Perez Daniel R.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

The rapid evolution of influenza A viruses (FLUAV) complicates disease control for animal and public health. Although vaccination is an effective way to control influenza, available vaccines for use in swine result in limited protection against the antigenically distinct FLUAV that currently co-circulate in pigs. Vaccines administered parenterally usually stimulate IgG antibodies but not strong mucosal IgA or cell-mediated responses, which are typically more cross-reactive.

Methods

We developed a live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) vaccine containing IgA-inducing protein (IGIP) as a molecular marker and immunomodulator. This Flu-IGIP vaccine was tested in a bivalent formulation (H1N1 and H3N2) against challenge with antigenically drifted viruses in pigs. Pigs were vaccinated intranasally with either a bivalent Flu-IGIP or a bivalent Flu-att (control without IGIP) and boosted two weeks later. Three weeks post boost, pigs were challenged with antigenically drifted H1N1 or H3N2 virus.

Results

Vaccinated pigs had increased numbers of influenza-specific IgA-secreting cells in PBMC two weeks post boost and higher numbers of total and influenza-specific IgA-secreting cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) 5 days post inoculation (dpi) compared to naïve pigs. Pigs vaccinated with both Flu-IGIP and Flu-att shed significantly less virus after H1N1 or H3N2 challenge compared to non-vaccinated pigs. Vaccination with Flu-att reduced respiratory transmission, while Flu-IGIP fully blocked transmission regardless of challenge virus. Both Flu-IGIP and Flu-att vaccines reduced virus replication in the lungs and lung lesions after inoculation with either virus. IgG and IgA levels in BALF and nasal wash of vaccinated pigs were boosted after inoculation as soon as 5 dpi and remained high at 14 dpi.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that Flu-IGIP leads to protection from clinical signs, replication and shedding after antigenically drifted influenza virus infection.
A Distributed Satellite System for Multibaseline AT-InSAR: Constellation of Formations for Maritime Domain Awareness Using Autonomous Orbit Control
Authors: Thangavel Kathiravan , Servidia Pablo , Sabatini Roberto , Marzocca Pier , Fayek Haytham , Cerruti Santiago Husain , España Martin , Spiller Dario
Published: February 2023

Space-based Earth Observation (EO) systems have undergone a continuous evolution in the twenty-first century. With the help of space-based Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), specially Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), their applicability across the world’s waterways, among others, has grown substantially. This research work explores the potential applicability of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Distributed Satellite Systems (DSS) for the MDA operation. A robust multi-baseline Along-Track Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (AT-InSAR) Formation Flying concept is proposed to combine several along-track baseline observations effectively for single-pass interferometry. Simulation results are presented to support the feasibility of implementing this acquisition mode with autonomous orbit control, using low-thrust actuation suitable for electric propulsion. To improve repeatability, a constellation of this formation concept is also proposed to combine the benefits of the DSS. An MDA application is considered as a hypothetical mission to be solved by this combined approach.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Animals in 2022
Authors:   Animals Editorial Office
Published: February 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Antioxidant Strategies to Modulate NETosis and the Release of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps during Chronic Inflammation
Authors: Hallberg Line A. E. , Barlous Kristine , Hawkins Clare L.
Published: February 2023

Extracellular traps are released by neutrophils and other immune cells as part of the innate immune response to combat pathogens. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) consist of a mesh of DNA and histone proteins decorated with various anti-microbial granule proteins, such as elastase and myeloperoxidase (MPO). In addition to their role in innate immunity, NETs are also strongly linked with numerous pathological conditions, including atherosclerosis, sepsis and COVID-19. This has led to significant interest in developing strategies to inhibit NET release. In this study, we have examined the efficacy of different antioxidant approaches to selectively modulate the inflammatory release of NETs. PLB-985 neutrophil-like cells were shown to release NETs on exposure to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), hypochlorous acid or nigericin, a bacterial peptide derived from Streptomyces hygroscopicus. Studies with the probe R19-S indicated that treatment of the PLB-985 cells with PMA, but not nigericin, resulted in the production of HOCl. Therefore, studies were extended to examine the efficacy of a range of antioxidant compounds that modulate HOCl production by MPO to prevent NETosis. It was shown that thiocyanate, selenocyanate and various nitroxides could prevent NETosis in PLB-985 neutrophils exposed to PMA and HOCl, but not nigericin. These results were confirmed in analogous experiments with freshly isolated primary human neutrophils. Taken together, these data provide new information regarding the utility of supplementation with MPO inhibitors and/or HOCl scavengers to prevent NET release, which could be important to more specifically target pathological NETosis in vivo.
Hybrid Decision-Making-Method-Based Intelligent System for Integrated Bogie Welding Manufacturing
Authors: Guan Kainan , Sun Yang , Yang Guang , Yang Xinhua
Published: February 2023

To address the challenges of incomplete knowledge representation, independent decision ranges, and insufficient causal decisions in bogie welding decisions, this paper proposes a hybrid decision-making method and develops a corresponding intelligent system. The collaborative case, rule, and knowledge graph approach is used to support structured documents and domain causality decisions. In addition, we created a knowledge model of bogie welding characteristics and proposed a case-matching method based on empirical weights. Several entity categorizations and relationship extraction models were trained under supervised conditions while building the knowledge graph. CRF and CR-CNN obtained high combined F1 scores (0.710 for CRF and 0.802 for CR-CNN) in the entity classification and relationship extraction tasks, respectively. We designed and developed an intelligent decision system based on the proposed method to implement engineering applications. This system was validated with some actual engineering data. The results show that the system obtained a high score on the accuracy test (0.947 for Corrected Accuracy) and can effectively complete structured document and causality decision-making tasks, having large research significance and engineering value.
Introducing the Loewner Method as a Data-Driven and Regularization-Free Approach for the Distribution of Relaxation Times Analysis of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Rüther Tom , Gosea Ion Victor , Jahn Leonard , Antoulas Athanasios C. , Danzer Michael A.
Published: February 2023

For the identification of processes in lithium-ion batteries (LIB) by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, frequency data is often transferred into the time domain using the method of distribution of relaxation times (DRT). As this requires regularization due to the ill-conditioned optimization problem, the investigation of data-driven methods becomes of interest. One promising approach is the Loewner method (LM), which has already had a number of applications in different fields of science but has not been applied to batteries yet. In this work, it is first deployed on synthetic data with predefined time constants and gains. The results are analyzed concerning the choice of model order, the type of processes , i.e., distributed and discrete, and the signal-to-noise ratio. Afterwards, the LM is used to identify and analyze the processes of a cylindrical LIB. To verify the results of this assessment a comparison is made with the generalized DRT at two different states of health of the LIB. It is shown that both methods lead to the same qualitative results. For the assignment of processes as well as for the interpretation of minor gains, the LM shows advantageous behavior, whereas the generalized DRT shows better results for the determination of lumped elements and resistive–inductive processes.
A Comprehensive Comparison of Gluten-Free Brewing Techniques: Differences in Gluten Reduction Ability, Analytical Attributes, and Hedonic Perception
Authors: Cela Nazarena , Condelli Nicola , Perretti Giuseppe , Di Cairano Maria , De Clippeleer Jessika , Galgano Fernanda , De Rouck Gert
Published: February 2023

This study provides a comprehensive comparison among the most common gluten-free (GF) brewing practices, with a focus on the impact of each treatment on physicochemical parameters and consumer acceptability of the final beer. In addition, the influence of a longer cold maturation on the natural reduction of the gluten content was investigated. Prolyl endopeptidase addition was found to be the most effective treatment in reducing gluten levels (−75.93%), followed by silica gel (−53.09%), longer cold maturation (−4.32%), and tannins (−1.85%). Nonetheless, none of the treated beer samples was gluten-free (gluten content > 20 ppm) due to the high nitrogen content of the original wort. The silica gel application treatment affected the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the final beer the least. According to the difference from control test results, no significant difference in terms of overall liking, appearance, odor/aroma, or taste was observed between the silica gel-treated sample and control beer (p > 0.05). On the other hand, the application of enzymes and tannins significantly affected the appearance and the beer odor/aroma. Nevertheless, all beer samples received positive sensory acceptance scores.
Small Molecule GSK-3 Inhibitors Safely Promote the Proliferation and Viability of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells—In Vitro
Authors: Hanna Samer , Aly Riham , Eldeen Ghada Nour , Adanero Velasco Alberto , Pérez Alfayate Ruth
Published: February 2023

Small molecules have demonstrated promising results as successful alternatives to growth factors. In this study, focus was drawn to CHIR99021 and tideglusib as GSK-3 inhibitors known for their anti-inflammatory and regenerative potential. The effect of both tideglusib and CHIR99021 on the proliferation, viability, and stemness of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) was investigated to assess their possible role in regenerative dentistry. Briefly, hDPSCs were isolated from sound premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes. Cytotoxicity and proliferation assessment were performed via cell counting kit-8 followed by flow cytometric analysis of apoptotic marker ANNEXIN V. The effect of both small molecules on the stemness of hDPSCs was analyzed by qRT-PCR. Both tideglusib and CHIR99021 were proven to be safe on hDPSCs. The tideglusib concentration that resulted in higher viable cells was 100 nM, while the concentration for CHIR99021 was 5 nM. Both small molecules successfully induced cellular proliferation and demonstrated minimal expression of ANNEXIN V, indicative of the absence of cellular apoptosis and further confirming their positive effect on proliferation. Finally, both small molecules enhanced stemness markers expression as evidenced by qRT-PCR, which, again, highlighted the positive effect of both tideglusib and CHIR99021 on safely promoting the proliferation of hDPSCs while maintaining their stemness.
In Vitro Exposure to Glucose Alters the Expression of Phosphorylated Proteins in Platelets
Authors: Suzuki Mizuho , Takeshita Kyosuke , Kitamura Yuki , Kuribayashi Marie , Huang Zhenlie , Ichihara Gaku , Oikawa Shinji , Ichihara Sahoko
Published: February 2023

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a pro-thrombotic state that can potentially cause serious cardiovascular complications. Platelet hyperactivation plays an important role in these pathological processes, however there is little or no information on the effect of hyperglycemia on platelet proteins. The aim of this study was to identify the molecular targets associated with platelet reactivity under hyperglycemia. Towards this goal, we examined the effects of the exposure of platelets to 1 and 2 h glucose (300 mg/dL) and control (vehicle and osmolality control using mannitol) on platelet proteins (n = 4 samples per group) using two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) combined with MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry. Two-hour exposure to glucose significantly up-regulated the expression of ATP synthase subunit beta, filamin-A, and L-lactate dehydrogenase A chain in platelets. Pro-Q Diamond staining confirmed the effect of 2 h glucose on vinculin, heat shock protein HSP 90-alpha, filamin-A, and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase A (platelet phosphorylated proteins). The identified proteins are involved in various cellular processes and functions and possibly in platelet reactivity under hyperglycemic conditions.
Anti-Inflammatory Therapeutic Mechanisms of Natural Products: Insight from Rosemary Diterpenes, Carnosic Acid and Carnosol
Authors: Habtemariam Solomon
Published: February 2023

Carnosic acid (CA) and carnosol (CAR) are two major diterpenes of the rosemary plant (Rosmarinus officinalis). They possess a phenolic structural moiety and are endowed with the power to remove cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) either through direct scavenging reaction or indirectly through upregulation of antioxidant defences. Hand in hand with these activities are their multiple biological effects and therapeutic potential orchestrated through modulating various signalling pathways of inflammation, including the NF-κB, MAPK, Nrf2, SIRT1, STAT3 and NLRP3 inflammasomes, among others. Consequently, they ameliorate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6), adhesion molecules, chemokines and prostaglandins. These anti-inflammatory mechanisms of action as a therapeutic link to various effects of these compounds, as in many other natural products, are scrutinised.
Mint3 as a Potential Target for Cooling Down HIF-1α-Mediated Inflammation and Cancer Aggressiveness
Authors: Tanaka Noritaka , Sakamoto Takeharu
Published: February 2023

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in cells adapting to a low-oxygen environment by facilitating a switch from oxygen-dependent ATP production to glycolysis. Mediated by membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) expression, Munc-18-1 interacting protein 3 (Mint3) binds to the factor inhibiting HIF-1 (FIH-1) and inhibits its suppressive effect, leading to HIF-1α activation. Defects in Mint3 generally lead to improved acute inflammation, which is regulated by HIF-1α and subsequent glycolysis, as well as the suppression of the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells directly through its expression in cancer cells and indirectly through its expression in macrophages or fibroblasts associated with cancer. Mint3 in inflammatory monocytes enhances the chemotaxis into metastatic sites and the production of vascular endothelial growth factors, which leads to the expression of E-selectin at the metastatic sites and the extravasation of cancer cells. Fibroblasts express L1 cell adhesion molecules in a Mint3-dependent manner and enhance integrin-mediated cancer progression. In pancreatic cancer cells, Mint3 directly promotes cancer progression. Naphthofluorescein, a Mint3 inhibitor, can disrupt the interaction between FIH-1 and Mint3 and potently suppress Mint3-mediated inflammation, cancer progression, and metastasis without causing marked adverse effects. In this review, we will introduce the potential of Mint3 as a therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases and cancers.
Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Birds in 2022
Authors:   Birds Editorial Office
Published: February 2023

High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
Estimation of Temperature-Dependent Band Parameters for Bi-Doped SnSe with High Thermoelectric Performance
Authors: Park Hyunjin , Kim Sang-il , Kim Jeong-Yeon , Hwang Seong-Mee , Kim Hyun-Sik
Published: February 2023

Recent studies have revealed the outstanding thermoelectric performance of Bi-doped n-type SnSe. In this regard, we analyzed the band parameters for Sn1−xBixSe (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06) using simple equations and the Single Parabolic Band model. Bi doping suppresses the carrier-phonon coupling while increasing the density-of-states effective mass. The n-type SnSe is known to have two conduction bands converge near 600 K. Bi doping changes the temperature at which the band convergence occurs. When x = 0.04, its weighted mobility maximized near 500 K, which indicated the possible band convergence. The highest zT of the x = 0.04 sample at mid-temperatures (473–573 K) can be attributed to the engineered band convergence via Bi doping.
High-Strength Optical Coatings for Single-Crystal ZnGeP2 by the IBS Method Using Selenide and Oxide Materials
Authors: Zinovev Mikhail , Yudin Nikolay N. , Kuznetsov Vladimir , Podzyvalov Sergey , Kalsin Andrey , Slyunko Elena , Lysenko Alexey , Vlasov Denis , Baalbaki Houssain
Published: February 2023

The paper presents the results on the development of an optical coating for a single-crystal ZnGeP2 substrate based on a selenide-oxide pair of materials (ZnSe/Al2O3). The obtained coating ensures the operation of OPO in the mid-IR range up to 5 μm wavelengths. The possibility of ZnSe sputtering by the IBS method is shown. The obtained optical coating has a high laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) value at a 2097 µm wavelength: WoE=3.51 J/cm2 in energy density and WoP= 101 W/cm2 in power density at a 10 KHz pulse repetition frequency and a pulse duration of 35 ns. Thus, it is shown for the first time that the pair of materials ZnSe/Al2O3 can be used for the deposition of optical coatings by the IBS method with high LIDT values for ZnGeP2 optical elements operating in the mid-IR range.
How Epiphytic Are Filmy Ferns? A Semi-Quantitative Approach
Authors: Zotz Gerhard , Einzmann Helena J. R.
Published: February 2023

Similar to plants in many other families, members of the Hymenophyllaceae use numerous substrates for growth, e.g., soil, rocks or tree bark. However, substrate preference does not only differ among species but can also vary among members of the same species. There have been several attempts in the past to appropriately capture this variation, but none proved feasible or was replicated in any subsequent work. In our approach, we use textual information from numerous sources like checklists, floras and species descriptions to come up with a quantitative index of the preference of 450 species of filmy ferns (=c. 75% of all species of the family) for epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial growth. We show that the majority of species have clear habitat preferences, while strict habitat specificity is rather uncommon. Our compilation will be an important input for future ecological and phylogenetic studies in this family, but the presented approach is of much more general interest: it is immediately applicable to other taxonomic groups and should eventually allow us to replace the current approach of assigning species to distinct categories (epiphyte, lithophyte or terrestrial) by one that finally reflects biological variability more appropriately.
Estimating Mixed Memberships in Directed Networks by Spectral Clustering
Authors: Qing Huan
Published: February 2023

Community detection is an important and powerful way to understand the latent structure of complex networks in social network analysis. This paper considers the problem of estimating community memberships of nodes in a directed network, where a node may belong to multiple communities. For such a directed network, existing models either assume that each node belongs solely to one community or ignore variation in node degree. Here, a directed degree corrected mixed membership (DiDCMM) model is proposed by considering degree heterogeneity. An efficient spectral clustering algorithm with a theoretical guarantee of consistent estimation is designed to fit DiDCMM. We apply our algorithm to a small scale of computer-generated directed networks and several real-world directed networks.
Learning by Population Genetics and Matrix Riccati Equation
Authors: Kozyrev Sergei
Published: February 2023

A model of learning as a generalization of the Eigen’s quasispecies model in population genetics is introduced. Eigen’s model is considered as a matrix Riccati equation. The error catastrophe in the Eigen’s model (when the purifying selection becomes ineffective) is discussed as the divergence of the Perron–Frobenius eigenvalue of the Riccati model in the limit of large matrices. A known estimate for the Perron–Frobenius eigenvalue provides an explanation for observed patterns of genomic evolution. We propose to consider the error catastrophe in Eigen’s model as an analog of overfitting in learning theory; this gives a criterion for the presence of overfitting in learning.