bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Salicylic Acid-Responsive Factor TcWRKY33 Positively Regulates Taxol Biosynthesis in Taxus chinensis in Direct and Indirect Ways
Authors: Chen Ying , Zhang Hua , Zhang Meng , Zhang Wenli , Ou Ziqi , Peng Zehang , Fu Chunhua , Zhao Chunfang , Yu Longjiang
Published: August 2021

Taxol is a rare secondary metabolite that accumulates considerably in Taxus species under salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate treatment. However, the molecular mechanism of its accumulation remains unclear. We investigated TcWRKY33, a nuclear-localized group I WRKY transcription factor, as an SA-responsive regulator of taxol biosynthesis. Overexpression and RNA interference of TcWRKY33 confirmed that TcWRKY33 regulates the expression of most taxol biosynthesis genes, especially 10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-O-acetyltransferase (DBAT) and taxadiene synthase (TASY), which were considered as key enzymes in taxol biosynthesis. Transient overexpression of TcWRKY33 in Taxus chinensis leaves resulted in increased taxol and 10-deacetylbaccatin accumulation by 1.20 and 2.16 times compared with the control, respectively. Furthermore, TcWRKY33, DBAT, and TASY were confirmed to respond positively to SA signals. These results suggested that TcWRKY33 was the missing component of taxol biosynthesis that responds to SA. The sequence analysis identified two W-box motifs in the promoter of DBAT but not in the TASY. Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase activity assays confirmed that TcWRKY33 can bind to the two W-boxes in the promoter of DBAT, upregulating its expression level. Hence, DBAT is a direct target of TcWRKY33. Furthermore, TcERF15, encoding a TASY activator, also contains two W-boxes in its promoter. Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase activity assays further confirmed that TcWRKY33 can upregulate TASY expression through the activation of TcERF15. In summary, TcWRKY33 transmits SA signals and positively regulates taxol biosynthesis genes in two ways: directly and through the activation of other activators. Therefore, TcWRKY33 is an excellent candidate for genetically engineering regulation of taxol biosynthesis in Taxus plants.
Heat Shock Signaling in Land Plants: From Plasma Membrane Sensing to the Transcription of Small Heat Shock Proteins
Authors: Bourgine Baptiste , Guihur Anthony
Published: August 2021

Heat stress events are major factors limiting crop productivity. During summer days, land plants must anticipate in a timely manner upcoming mild and severe temperature. They respond by accumulating protective heat-shock proteins (HSPs), conferring acquired thermotolerance. All organisms synthetize HSPs; many of which are members of the conserved chaperones families. This review describes recent advances in plant temperature sensing, signaling, and response. We highlight the pathway from heat perception by the plasma membrane through calcium channels, such as cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, to the activation of the heat-shock transcription factors (HSFs). An unclear cellular signal activates HSFs, which act as essential regulators. In particular, the HSFA subfamily can bind heat shock elements in HSP promoters and could mediate the dissociation of bound histones, leading to HSPs transcription. Although plants can modulate their transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome to protect the cellular machinery, HSP chaperones prevent, use, and revert the formation of misfolded proteins, thereby avoiding heat-induced cell death. Remarkably, the HSP20 family is mostly tightly repressed at low temperature, suggesting that a costly mechanism can become detrimental under unnecessary conditions. Here, the role of HSP20s in response to HS and their possible deleterious expression at non-HS temperatures is discussed.
Category Exemplar Production Norms for Hong Kong Cantonese: Instance Probabilities and Word Familiarity
Authors: Li Bing , Lin Qiduo , Mak Hoi Yan , Tzeng Ovid J. L. , Huang Chih-Mao , Huang Hsu-Wen
Published: August 2021

The lexical system of Hong Kong Cantonese has been heavily shaped by the local trilingual environment. The development of cultural- and language-specific norms for Hong Kong Cantonese is fundamental for understanding how the speaker population organize semantic memory, how they utilize their semantic resources, and what information processing strategies they use for the retrieval of semantic knowledge. This study presents a normative database of 72 lexical categories in Hong Kong Cantonese produced by native speakers in a category exemplar production task. Exemplars are enlisted under a category label, along with the instance probabilities and word familiarity scores. Possible English equivalents are given to the exemplars for the convenience of non-HKC speaker researchers. Statistics on categories were further extracted to capture the heterogeneity of the categories: the total number of valid exemplars, the number of exemplars covering 90% of the occurrence and the probabilities of the most frequent exemplars in each category. The database offers a direct lexical sketch of the vocabulary of modern Hong Kong Cantonese in a categorical structure. The category-exemplar lists and the comparative statistics together lay the foundations for further investigations on the Hong Kong Cantonese speaking population from multiple disciplines, such as the structure of semantic knowledge, the time-course of knowledge access, and the processing strategies of young adults. Results of this norm can be also used as a benchmark for other age groups. The database can serve as a crucial resource for establishing initial screening tests to assess the cognitive and psychological functioning of the Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong population in both educational and clinical settings. In sum, this normative study provides a fundamental resource for future studies on language processing mechanisms of Hong Kong Cantonese speaking population, as well as language studies and other cross-language/culture studies on Hong Kong Cantonese.
The Influence of Entrepreneurial Characteristics on the Performance of Tourism Vlogger Entrepreneurs
Authors: Xie Qing , Liu Lisha , Malik Haider , Chupradit Supat , Chupradit Priyanut Wutti
Published: August 2021

The current Internet revolution has changed the entrepreneurial opportunities and trends. This study explores the relationship between entrepreneurial characteristics (e.g., innovation, leadership, planning, and sociability) and the performance of entrepreneurial vloggers in India. In addition, this study considers the mediating effect of entrepreneurial intentions. This study is cross-sectional, and it considered 128 entrepreneurial vloggers for the analysis. The SmartPLS application was used to estimate the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis for the estimation of reliability and validity along with the path relationship. The findings are more important as the entrepreneurial characteristics can meaningfully predict the performance of entrepreneurial vloggers in a positive direction. Moreover, the relationship between entrepreneurial characteristics and the performance of entrepreneurs is partially mediated by entrepreneurial intentions. These findings have important implications for vloggers in Indian or other countries with similar nature. This study has also put some future research directions at the end.
Childhood Emotional Neglect and Adolescent Depression: Assessing the Protective Role of Peer Social Support in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort
Authors: Glickman Emma A. , Choi Karmel W. , Lussier Alexandre A. , Smith Brooke J. , Dunn Erin C.
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Childhood adversities have been shown to increase psychopathology risk, including depression. However, the specific impact of childhood emotional neglect on later depression has been understudied. Moreover, few studies have investigated relational protective factors that may offset the risk of depression for children who experienced emotional neglect. Analyzing data (n = 3,265) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) study, a longitudinal birth cohort of children born to pregnant women residing in Avon, UK from 1990 to 1992, we assessed the prospective relationship between childhood emotional neglect and depressive symptoms in late adolescence, and tested whether peer social support in mid-adolescence moderates this relationship.

Methods: Childhood emotional neglect, defined as the absence of parental attention and support, was measured across seven assessments from age 8 to 17.5. Peer social support was measured at age 15. Depressive symptoms were measured at age 18. We analyzed the associations between emotional neglect and depressive symptoms, and between peer support and depressive symptoms, and also tested interactive effects of peer support on the association between emotional neglect and depressive symptoms.

Results: Higher levels of emotional neglect were associated with increased depressive symptoms at 18. Conversely, strong peer social support was associated with reduced depressive symptoms, though no significant interaction with emotional neglect was detected.

Conclusion: Although childhood emotional neglect is a risk factor for later depression, our results suggest that strong peer social support at age 15 may generally reduce the risk of depressive symptoms by the time children reach late adolescence. Fostering strong peer support in youth may help offset depression risk for all youth, even among those who have experienced emotional neglect.
Prevalence and Factors Associated With Syphilis in People Living With HIV/AIDS in the State of Pará, Northern Brazil
Authors: Neto Pedro Leão Fontes , Fonseca Ricardo Roberto de Souza , Avelino Maria Eduarda de Sousa , Vilhena Elizandro Monteiro , Barbosa Maria dos Anjos de Abreu Pina , Lopes Carmen Andrea Freitas , Gomes Samara Tatielle Monteiro , Sequeira Bianca Jorge , Laurentino Rogério Valois , Freitas Felipe Bonfim , Oliveira-Filho Aldemir Branco , Machado Luiz Fernando Almeida
Published: August 2021

Syphilis continues to be a public health problem worldwide and its incidence has increased in people living with HIV/AIDS in recent years. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with syphilis in people living with HIV/AIDS in the city of Belém, northern Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to November 2018. A total of 500 people living with HIV/AIDS attended at a specialized unit of the public health network of the State of Pará were studied. Questionnaires were used to collect socio-demographic data and potential risk factors for syphilis. Blood samples were collected from all subjects and screened for syphilis using VDRL, and the seropositive were confirmed using FTA-abs. Logistic regressions were used to identify the factors associated with syphilis. Most subjects were male (56.8%), had more than 40 years (54.0%), single (63.0%), had finished high school (54.2%), had monthly income ≤1 minimum wage (72.4%), and had been born to the city of Belém (59.8%). Prevalence of syphilis was 6.4%. Eight characteristics/behaviors associated with syphilis: male, young adults, single, studied at least high school, monthly income >1 minimum wage, homosexual/bisexual, does not use or sporadically use condoms during sexual intercourse, and have had more than one sexual partner in the last three months. The prevalence of syphilis in people living with HIV/AIDS in Belém is low when compared to other Brazilian states. However, there is a need for public policies and actions to monitor, control and prevent these two sexually transmitted infections.
Unraveling the Transport and Fate of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Through Coupling Fluvial Geomorphic Modeling and Measured Data
Authors: Hosseiny Hossein , Cao Han , Smith Virginia , Xu Wenqing
Published: August 2021

Coastal zones receive upstream runoff and sediments, as well as the contaminants transported with sediments and flow. Constant urban growth in many coastal areas has raised an increasing concern about stream and floodplain contamination. This is a particularly challenging issue because fluvial hydraulics in the coastal zone is complex, due to the presence of backwater (BW) conditions which alter flow patterns and sediment transport regime. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants that are widely distributed in urban areas and can be transported through stormwater runoff and by sediment facilitated transport. Even though this is a widespread problem in urban areas, the relationship between fluvial deposition and concentrations of PAHs is largely uninvestigated. To fill this gap, this paper investigates the correlation between PAHs concentration and sediment deposition in a backwater zone, using the lower Darby Creek, PA as a case study. A BW geomorphologic model was used to simulate the hydraulics of the flow in Darby Creek. The model identified locations of high and low shear stresses, erosion, and deposition of fluvial sediment. Twenty-eight core sediment samples, capturing a range of soil depths, were collected from the bed, the banks, and the floodplains of the creek and were analyzed for PAHs on a GC-MS. The results showed that PAHs concentrations were generally highest on depositional banks and were highly variable on the channel bed and in the floodplain. Further, PAH concentrations were more uniform across the cross section (bed, bank, and floodplain) at downstream sites compared to upstream. The results also showed that in erosional sites, unlike the depositional sites, there was little variation in PAHs concentration in the soil column. This analysis provides deeper insight into the transport and fate of PAHs in urban streams and floodplains, ultimately helping mitigate the impacts of pollutants on the environment.
Clinicopathological Features of Stage I–III Colorectal Cancer Recurrence Over 5 Years After Radical Surgery Without Receiving Neoadjuvant Therapy: Evidence From a Large Sample Study
Authors: Luo Dakui , Yang Yufei , Shan Zezhi , Liu Qi , Cai Sanjun , Li Qingguo , Li Xinxiang
Published: August 2021

Late recurrence (5 or more years) after radical resection of colorectal cancer (CRC) is rare. This study aims to investigate the features of late recurrence in stage I–III CRC. A total of 9,754 stage I–III patients with CRC who underwent radical surgery without receiving neoadjuvant therapy, at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), were enrolled in this study. These patients were divided into three groups: early recurrence (3 months−2 years), intermediate recurrence (2–5 years), and late recurrence (over 5 years). The median duration of follow-up was 53.5 ± 30.1 months. A total of 2,341 (24.0%) patients developed recurrence. The late recurrence rate was 11.7%. Patients with a higher risk of late recurrence were more likely to be older, to be at the T4 stage, to have a higher degree of colon cancer, to have a lower frequency of signet ring cell carcinoma, to have fewer poorly differentiated tumors, to be at the early stage of CRC, along with less perineural and vascular invasions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age, differentiation, T stage, N stage, perineural, and vascular invasions as independent factors for late recurrence. Late recurrent CRC has some distinctive characteristics. Although recurrence over 5 years after surgery is infrequent, an enhanced follow-up is still needed for the selected patients after 5 years.
Management of Medium and Long Term Complications Following Prostate Cancer Treatment Resulting in Urinary Diversion – A Narrative Review
Authors: Hoeh Benedikt , Müller Stefan C. , Kluth Luis A. , Wenzel Mike
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this narrative review is to discuss and highlight recently published studies regarding the surgical management of patients suffering from prostate cancer treatment complications. Focus will be put on the recalcitrant and more complex cases which might lead to urinary diversion as a definite, last resort treatment. It is in the nature of every treatment, that complications will occur and be bothersome for both patients and physicians. A small percentage of patients following prostate cancer treatment (radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, or other focal therapies) will suffer side effects and thus, will experience a loss of quality of life. These side effects can persist for months and even years. Often, conservative management strategies fail resulting in recalcitrant recurrences. Prostate cancer patients with “end-stage bladder,” “devastated outlet,” or a history of multiple failed interventions, are fortunately rare, but can be highly challenging for both patients and Urologists. In a state of multiple previous surgical procedures and an immense psychological strain for the patient, urinary diversion can offer a definite, last resort surgical solution for this small group of patients. Ideally, they should be transferred to centers with experience in this field and a careful patient selection is needed. As these cases are highly complex, a multidisciplinary approach is often necessary in order to guarantee an improvement of quality of life.
Prevention and Management of Infectious Complications of Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery
Authors: Khusid Johnathan A. , Hordines John C. , Sadiq Areeba S. , Atallah William M. , Gupta Mantu
Published: August 2021

Kidney stone disease (KSD) is a commonly encountered ailment in urologic practice. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is commonly associated with KSD, both as an etiology (e.g., struvite and carbonate apatite stones), and as a complication (i.e., obstructive pyelonephritis and post-operative UTI). Indeed, a significant portion of the economic burden of KSD is skewed toward stones associated with infection. UTI is the most common post-operative complication related to stone intervention with progression to urosepsis as a rare but serious consequence. Risk for infection is influenced by a variety of factors including co-morbid conditions, anatomic abnormalities, prior surgical procedures, and local anti-microbial susceptibility. Understanding these risks and the proper steps to mitigate them is an essential component in reducing post-operative morbidity and mortality. Retrograde intrarenal surgery is routinely used for the treatment of KSD. The objective of this review article is to examine the current literature and guidelines for the prevention and management of stone-related infectious complications associated with retrograde intrarenal surgery. Special attention will be given to the incidence, etiology, and antibiotic prophylaxis choice in the management of stone-related infections. Intraoperative risk mitigation techniques will be discussed in conjunction with the management of post-operative infections. Antibiotic stewardship and the potential benefits of reduced empiric antibiotic treatment will also be discussed.
Fluid Therapy in Pulmonary Disease: How Careful Do We Need to Be?
Authors: Adamantos Sophie
Published: August 2021

Intravenous fluid therapy is a vital and life-saving therapeutic in veterinary medicine. In the absence of heart or lung disease, trauma or sepsis there is limited evidence that fluid therapy will have a detrimental effect on lung function. In healthy dogs there is a reasonable level of experimental evidence that supraphysiologic rates of fluid are required before signs of fluid overload are made evident. In cats, however, this may not be the case. There are higher rates of asymptomatic myocardial disease, but even in the absence of that it seems that some cats may be susceptible to fluid overload. Where systemic inflammation already exists the careful homeostatic and protective mechanisms within the lung are deranged and increases in hydrostatic pressure are more likely to result in fluid movement into the lung tissues. Strategies including restricting the use of intravenous crystalloid fluid administration and using blood products for management of severe hemorrhage are of increasing importance in human trauma and seem to be associated with fewer pulmonary complications, and lower mortality. Managing dogs and cats with sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome is already challenging, but ensuring adequate vascular expansion needs to be balanced with avoiding excessive volume administration which may negatively impact pulmonary function. While fluids remain crucial to management of these conditions, there will be an ongoing requirement to balance need without providing excess. The use of point of care ultrasound may provide clinicians with a non-invasive and accessible way to do this.
A Novel Rotation-Structure Based Stick-Slip Piezoelectric Actuator with High Consistency in Forward and Reverse Motions
Authors: Tang Jizhou , Wei Jingsong , Wang Yuming , Xu Zhi , Huang Hu
Published: August 2021

Under the same driving voltage and frequency, the forward and reverse motion inconsistency of stick-slip piezoelectric actuators would bring difficulty for subsequent control. To solve this problem, a rotation-structure based piezoelectric actuator with completely symmetric structure and two driving feet was initially proposed. By testing its output performances under various driving voltages and frequencies, it was confirmed that, although similar speeds could be achieved for forward and reverse motions, the maximum displacement and backward displacement in each step were still quite different. By analyzing the reasons leading to this difference, this actuator was further improved by using only one driving foot. The experimental results showed that the forward and reverse motion consistency of the improved actuator had been significantly improved. The deviation rate was only 1.6%, corresponding to a travel distance of 118.7 μm, obtained under the driving voltage of 100 V and driving frequency of 10 Hz. The comparison with some previously reported actuators further confirmed the advancement of this improved actuator.
Behavior of Sliding Angle as Function of Temperature Difference between Droplet and Superhydrophobic Coating for Aircraft Ice Protection Systems
Authors: Hasegawa Mitsugu , Endo Haruka , Morita Katsuaki , Sakaue Hirotaka , Kimura Shigeo
Published: August 2021

A hybrid anti-/de-icing system combining a superhydrophobic coating and an electrothermal heater is an area of active research for aircraft icing prevention. The heater increases the temperature of the interaction surface between impinging droplets and an aircraft surface. One scientific question that has not been studied in great detail is whether the temperatures of the droplet and the surface or the temperature difference between the two dominate the anti-/de-icing performance. Herein, this scientific question is experimentally studied based on the mobility of a water droplet over a superhydrophobic coating. The mobility is characterized by the sliding angle between the droplet and the coating surface. It was found that the temperature difference between the droplet and the coating surface has a higher impact on the sliding angle than their individual temperatures.
Effect of Applied Ozone Dose, Time of Ozonization, and Storage Time on Selected Physicochemical Characteristics of Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)
Authors: Zalewska Magdalena , Górska-Horczyczak Elżbieta , Marcinkowska-Lesiak Monika
Published: August 2021

The impact of ozone dose and time of ozonization on the selected physicochemical properties of Agaricus bisporus stored for 14 days in 2 °C was investigated. Mushrooms were subjected to gaseous ozone with increasing concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg L−1 and applied two times to ozonization: 30 and 60 min. The following parameters were evaluated: weight loss, internal and external color L*a*b* parameters, overall color change (ΔE), browning index (BI), firmness, total phenolic content (TPC), and total antioxidant activity (TAA). After storage, mushrooms had a higher level of firmness, especially for group ozonized with 2 mg L−1 for 30 or 60 min. Mushrooms from group (1 mg L−1) subjected to ozonization within 30 and 60 min had a high ability to neutralize DPPH-free radical (42.45 ± 0.43 and 41.34 ± 0.29, respectively). Exposure of mushrooms to ozone atmosphere does not cause large changes in quality and physical parameters of Agaricus bisporus.
Pollen-Specific CRISPR/Cas9 System to Increase Heritable Gene Mutations in Maize
Authors: Jing Changshuang , Wei Min , Fang Peng , Song Rentao , Qi Weiwei
Published: August 2021

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been widely utilized in plant biotechnology as a gene editing tool. However, a conventional design with ubiquitously expressed CRISPR/Cas9 was observed to cause large numbers of somatic mutations that complicated the identification of heritable mutations. We constructed a pollen-specific CRISPR/Cas9 (PSC) system using pollen-specific promoters of maize Profilin 1 and Profilin 3 (pZmPRO1 and pZmPRO3) to drive Cas9 expression, and the bZIP transcription factor Opaque2 (O2) was employed as the target gene. The maize ubiquitin promoter (pZmUbi)-driven CRISPR/Cas9 (UC) system was employed as a control. We generated transgenic plants for the PSC and UC systems and analyzed three independent events for each system. We found that the pZmPRO1 PSC system generated no target gene mutations in the T0 generation but successfully generated 0–90% target gene mutations in the T1 generation. A total of 31 of 33 mutations in the T1 generation could be inherited in the T2 generation. In addition, 88.9–97.3% of T2 mutations were from the T1 generation. The UC system generated mutations in the T0 generation, and 0%, 50% and 92.9% of T1 mutations were from the T0 generation. Our results demonstrate that the PSC system provided stable, heritable mutants in the next generation, and this approach might also be applied in other crops using germinal cell-specific CRISPR/Cas9 systems to facilitate plant breeding.
Spatial Variability of Nitrogen Uptake and Net Removal and Actual Evapotranspiration in the California Desert Carrot Production System
Authors: Montazar Aliasghar , Geisseler Daniel , Cahn Michael
Published: August 2021

Nitrogen (N) and irrigation water must be effectively used in mineral soils to produce carrots with high yield and minimal environmental impact. This study attempts to identify optimal N and irrigation management practices for low desert carrot production in California by investigating consumptive water use and N uptake and removal rates in fresh market and processing carrots. Field experiments were conducted at the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center and nine farmer fields during two growing seasons. The actual evapotranspiration (ETa) was measured using the residual energy balance method with a combination of surface renewal and eddy covariance equipment. Crop canopy coverage, actual soil nitrate-N from multiple depths as well as total N percentage, dry matter, and fresh biomass in roots and tops were measured over the growing seasons. The length of the crop season had a wide range amongst the experimental sites: from a 128-day period in a processing carrot field to as long as 193 days in a fresh market carrot field. The seasonal ETa varied between 305.8 mm at a silty loam furrow irrigated processing carrot field and 486.2 mm at a sandy clay loam sprinkler irrigated fresh market field. The total N accumulated at harvest ranged between 205.4 kg ha−1 (nearly 52% in roots) and 350.5 kg ha−1 (nearly 64% in roots). While the mean value of nitrogen removed by carrot roots varied from 1.24 to 1.73 kg N/Mg carrot roots, it appears that more N was applied than was removed by carrot roots at all sites. Within the range of N application rates examined at the experimental sites, there was no significant relationship between carrot fresh root yield and N application rate, although the results suggested a positive effect of N application on carrot yield. Sufficient soil N availability over the growing season and the lack of significant yield response to N application illuminated that optimal N rates are likely less than the total amounts of N applied at most sites.
Effectiveness of a Complex Fertilisation Technology Applied to Zea mays, Assessed Based on Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
Authors: Matłok Natalia , Basara Oskar , Zardzewiały Miłosz , Gorzelany Józef , Balawejder Maciej
Published: August 2021

Assessment of effectiveness of fertilisation is a complex, multistage procedure. A few methods, used for this purpose, are based mainly on physiological measures acquired from a limited number of plants. Assessment of the process taking into account the entire area, in which the crop is grown, can be conducted using satellite remote sensing methods. The current study presents four fertilisation schemes applied to maize plants, including innovative foliar fertilizers and soil localized fertilization. Nutritional status and condition of the plants were assessed using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the results were analysed in relation to the grain yield. The findings show that the complex fertilisation technology applied to maize is most effective, producing grain yield which was 42.4% higher than the yield from the control variant.
Cover Crops and Manure Combined with Commercial Fertilizers Differently Affect Yield and Quality of Processing Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Organically Grown in Puglia
Authors: Fracchiolla Mariano , Renna Massimiliano , Durante Miriana , Mita Giovanni , Serio Francesco , Cazzato Eugenio
Published: August 2021

Nitrogen is crucial for the productivity of agricultural systems, although there is a growing demand for alternative cultural practices that reduce the off-farm inputs of this fertilizer. Cover crops provide a suite of services; among these, they can affect soil nitrogen content. In addition, the use of manure can contribute to a decrease in nitrogen loads from external inputs. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in processing tomato grown under an organic system, the combined use of cover crops (i.e., Vicia faba var. minor, Triticum aestivum, and Raphanus sativus) or cattle manure, with reduced rates of commercial nitrogen fertilizers. The yield and some important qualitative characteristics of the tomato fruits were considered. V. faba was able to enhance the effects of the external input of nitrogen with respect to the yield. External inputs increased tocopherol content with respect to the control but only when it was integrated with manure. The content of carotenoids was not affected by commercial fertilizer alone; however, when it was supplied in addition to cattle manure or incorporation of R. sativus, a decrease in β-carotene was observed. Moreover, lycopene also decreased when T. aestivum or R. sativus were used as cover crops. We conclude that the sowing of nitrogen-fixing cover crops or the use of manure are good strategies for combining internal and external inputs for the sustainable production of processing tomato.
Are Wild Blueberries a Crop with Low Photosynthetic Capacity? Chamber-Size Effects in Measuring Photosynthesis
Authors: Tasnim Rafa , Zhang Yong-Jiang
Published: August 2021

Wild lowbush blueberries, an important fruit crop native to North America, contribute significantly to the economy of Maine, USA, Atlantic Canada, and Quebec. However, its photosynthetic capacity has not been well-quantified, with only a few studies showing its low photosynthetic rates. Its small leaves make accurate leaf-level photosynthetic measurements difficult and introduce potential uncertainties in using large leaf chambers. Here, we determined the photosynthetic rate for five different wild blueberry genotypes using a big leaf chamber enclosing multiple leaves and a small leaf chamber with a single leaf to test whether using big leaf chambers (branch-level measurements) underestimates the photosynthetic capacity. Photosynthetic rates of wild blueberries were significantly (35–47%) lower when using the big leaf chamber, and they are not a crop with low photosynthetic capacity, which can be as high as 16 μmol m−2 s−1. Additionally, wild blueberry leaves enclosed in the big chamber at different positions of a branch did not differ in chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate, suggesting that the difference was not caused by variation among leaves but probably due to leaf orientations and self-shading in the big chamber. A significant linear relationship between the photosynthetic rate measured by the small and big leaf chambers suggests that the underestimation in leaf photosynthetic capacity could be corrected. Therefore, chamber-size effects need to be considered in quantifying photosynthetic capacity for small-leaf crops, and our study provided important guidelines for future photosynthesis research. We also established the relationship between the Electron Transport Rate (ETR) and photosynthetic CO2 assimilation for wild blueberries. ETR provides an alternative to quantify photosynthesis, but the correlation coefficient of the relationship (R2 = 0.65) suggests that caution is needed in this case.
Granulometric Parameters of Solid Blueberry Fertilizers and Their Suitability for Precision Fertilization
Authors: Lillerand Tormi , Virro Indrek , Maksarov Viacheslav V. , Olt Jüri
Published: August 2021

For precise fertilization of blueberry plants, it is technologically the easiest and most suitable option to use a volumetric filling, for which it can be presumed that it is possible to precisely dose the fertilizer for each plant by grams. For setting up a volumetric filler, it is necessary to know parameters such as the size of the fertilizer particles and their bulk density. The aim of this research is to determine the granulometric parameters and their effect, which is done by measuring up three different fertilizers (SQM Qrop K, Memon Siforga, Substral): width, height, and length of 100 randomly selected fertilizer particles as well as the volumes and weights of 100 particles in 10 repetitions. According to the measurements, the average diameters of fertilizer particles were found as well as the average mass, volumes, and bulk density. A Mahr Digital Caliper 16EWRi 0–150 mm was used to measure the diameters of the fertilizer granules. A Yxlon FF35 computer tomograph was used to accurately scan particles. The analytical scale, Kern ABJ 220-4NM, was used to determine mass. The volumes were measured, using measuring glasses, with one having a maximum volume of 10 mL in 0.2 mL increments and another having a maximum volume of 100 mL in 1 mL increments. Descriptive statistics analysis was performed in Microsoft Excel. It turned out that the average diameters (3.68 vs. 3.64 vs. 4.29 mm) and bulk densities (0.928 vs. 0.631 vs. 0.824 g cm−3) of the three fertilizers differed far from each other, meaning that the given volume could be filled with different amounts of fertilizer. Equations between mass and weight were formed according to the measurements. As a result, it was found that a volumetric filler can be used for fertilizing blueberry plants precisely, but it demands adjusting the filler each time in the situation, which is defined by the variety of blueberry plants: their age, size, and health.
Molecular Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology in Crop Plant Breeding, Series II
Authors: Rasmussen Søren K.
Published: August 2021

This second volume of this series of Special Issues provides research papers and reviews on the use of molecular marker technologies, genomics selection, site-directed mutagenesis, gene-discovery by genome-wide association studies and biotechnology in important grain crops, tubers, fruit bearing shrub and small fruit crops [...]
Abiotic Stress in Plants; Stress Perception to Molecular Response and Role of Biotechnological Tools in Stress Resistance
Authors: Imran Qari Muhammad , Falak Noreen , Hussain Adil , Mun Bong-Gyu , Yun Byung-Wook
Published: August 2021

Plants, due to their sessile nature, face several environmental adversities. Abiotic stresses such as heat, cold, drought, heavy metals, and salinity are serious threats to plant production and yield. To cope with these stresses, plants have developed sophisticated mechanisms to avoid or resist stress conditions. A proper response to abiotic stress depends primarily on how plants perceive the stress signal, which in turn leads to initiation of signaling cascades and induction of resistance genes. New biotechnological tools such as RNA-seq and CRISPR-cas9 are quite useful in identifying target genes on a global scale, manipulating these genes to achieve tolerance, and helping breeders to develop stress-tolerant cultivars. In this review, we will briefly discuss the adverse effects of key abiotic stresses such as cold, heat, drought, and salinity. We will also discuss how plants sense various stresses and the importance of biotechnological tools in the development of stress-tolerant cultivars.
Optimization of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for On-Site Detection of Fusarium fujikuroi in Rice Seed
Authors: Sanna Martina , Spadaro Davide , Gullino Maria Lodovica , Mezzalama Monica
Published: August 2021

Fusarium fujikuroi, causing bakanae disease, is one of the most important seedborne pathogens of rice, the detection of which is paramount for seed certification and for preventing field infections. Molecular tests—qPCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)—are replacing the blotter test in seed health procedures, due to higher sensitivity, specificity, fast turnaround results delivery, on-site application and the possibility of quantifying endophytic seed infections. A LAMP test, which had been previously developed with primers designed to target the elongation factor 1-α sequence of F. fujikuroi, was validated according to the international validation standard (EPPO, PM7/98) on thirty-four rice seed lines of different levels of susceptibility to the disease, thus comparing it to the blotter test and with two different DNA extraction procedures. The use of crude extracted DNA provided more sensitive results than the DNA extracted with the commercial kit Omega E.Z.N.A® Plant DNA kit. The results showed that the endophytic infection of F. fujikuroi is essential for the development of the disease in the field and that the minimum amount of the pathogen necessary for the development of the disease corresponds to 4.17 × 104 cells/µL. This study confirms the applicability of the LAMP technique on-site on rice seeds with fast and quantitative detection of the pathogen.
Effects of Syo-seiryu-to and Its Constituent Crude Drugs on Phorbol Ester-Induced Up-Regulation of IL-33 and Histamine H1 Receptor mRNAs in Swiss 3T3 and HeLa Cells
Authors: Nakano Seiichi , Yamamoto Sayaka , Esu Takako , Naniwa Shiho , Konishi Yuki , Wakugawa Tomoharu , Kitamura Yoshiaki , Fujii Tatsuya , Kamimura Seiichiro , Fukui Hiroyuki , Takeda Noriaki , Mizuguchi Hiroyuki
Published: August 2021

Syo-seiryu-to (SST) is a traditional herbal medicine that has been used clinically to treat allergic rhinitis (AR) in Japan. SST improves acute symptoms, such as sneezing and rhinorrhea, as well as chronic symptoms, such as nasal obstruction, in patients with AR. However, its therapeutic mechanisms remain unknown. We examined the effects of SST and eight constituent crude drugs on phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-induced gene up-regulation of IL-33 and histamine H1 receptor (H1R), which are responsible for the pathogenesis of AR. We found that SST and its crude drugs, except for Pinellia tuber, significantly and dose-dependently suppressed PMA-induced both IL-33 and H1R mRNA up-regulation in vitro. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of the seven crude drugs to inhibit PMA-induced IL-33 mRNA up-regulation were correlated with those related to H1R mRNA up-regulation, suggesting that they act on a common signal molecule. These results suggest that SST improves nasal congestion that is induced by IL-33-related eosinophil infiltration and inhibits sneezing and rhinorrhea that are induced by H1R-mediated histamine signaling in the nasal mucosa of AR patients through its inhibition of a common molecule in the gene expression pathways of IL-33 and H1R. The results could explain the advantages of traditional herbal medicine, in which mixing various crude drugs not only acts on a common target to enhance its pharmacological action, similar to the effect of a high concentration of a single crude extract but also has the benefit of reducing the side effects of each crude drug.
Precision Agriculture for Crop and Livestock Farming—Brief Review
Authors: Monteiro António , Santos Sérgio , Gonçalves Pedro
Published: August 2021

In the last few decades, agriculture has played an important role in the worldwide economy. The need to produce more food for a rapidly growing population is creating pressure on crop and animal production and a negative impact to the environment. On the other hand, smart farming technologies are becoming increasingly common in modern agriculture to assist in optimizing agricultural and livestock production and minimizing the wastes and costs. Precision agriculture (PA) is a technology-enabled, data-driven approach to farming management that observes, measures, and analyzes the needs of individual fields and crops. Precision livestock farming (PLF), relying on the automatic monitoring of individual animals, is used for animal growth, milk production, and the detection of diseases as well as to monitor animal behavior and their physical environment, among others. This study aims to briefly review recent scientific and technological trends in PA and their application in crop and livestock farming, serving as a simple research guide for the researcher and farmer in the application of technology to agriculture. The development and operation of PA applications involve several steps and techniques that need to be investigated further to make the developed systems accurate and implementable in commercial environments.
Companion Animal Type and Level of Engagement Matter: A Mixed-Methods Study Examining Links between Companion Animal Guardianship, Loneliness and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Clements Heather , Valentin Stephanie , Jenkins Nicholas , Rankin Jean , Gee Nancy R. , Snellgrove Donna , Sloman Katherine A.
Published: August 2021

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, countries worldwide placed limitations on social interaction, which is anticipated to have severe psychological consequences. Although findings are inconsistent, prior research has suggested that companion animals may positively influence human well-being and reduce loneliness. In the context of COVID-19, this has important implications, as companion animal guardians may be less negatively affected by the pandemic. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the influence of companion animals on mental well-being and loneliness during the pandemic, with specific interest in the role of ornamental fishes. A mixed-methods study was conducted, using an international sample. Quantitative data were collected via an online survey (n = 1199) and analysed using robust hierarchical multiple regression analyses; the influence of level of engagement with companion animals was examined for dogs, cats and ornamental fishes. There was no evidence that companion animal guardianship was associated with loneliness and mental well-being during the pandemic but spending more time engaging physically or socially with dogs (and to a lesser extent cats) was generally associated with poorer outcomes. Qualitative data were collected through open-ended survey responses (n = 757) and semi-structured interviews (n = 25) and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Two themes were developed—one related to companion animals as providers of social and emotional support, and the other to companion animals as providers of purpose and perspective. Concerns regarding the impact of the pandemic on animal welfare were also identified. Compared to other animal types, more participants expressed indifference regarding the impact of their fishes on their well-being during the pandemic, possibly because fishes cannot provide comfort via physical touch. The findings of this study reflect the wider field of human–animal interaction; although qualitative data suggest guardians believe their companion animals are a positive influence in their lives, there is little convincing quantitative data to support these beliefs. This highlights the need to refine theories regarding which aspects of companion animal guardianship may influence human well-being; the findings from this research may be useful in the refinement of such theories.
Paradigm Shift in Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of Bacterial Isolates during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Saini Vikas , Jain Charu , Singh Narendra Pal , Alsulimani Ahmad , Gupta Chhavi , Dar Sajad Ahmad , Haque Shafiul , Das Shukla
Published: August 2021

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging public health problem in modern times and the current COVID-19 pandemic has further exaggerated this problem. Due to bacterial co-infection in COVID-19 cases, an irrational consumption of antibiotics has occurred during the pandemic. This study aimed to observe the COVID-19 patients hospitalized from 1 March 2019 to 31 December 2020 and to evaluate the AMR pattern of bacterial agents isolated. This was a single-center study comprising 494 bacterial isolates (blood and urine) that were obtained from patients with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to the ICU and investigated in the Department of Microbiology of a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, India. Out of the total bacterial isolates, 55.46% were gram negative and 44.53% were gram positive pathogens. Of the blood samples processed, the most common isolates were CoNS (Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus) and Staphylococcus aureus. Amongst the urinary isolates, most common pathogens were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. A total of 60% MRSA was observed in urine and blood isolates. Up to 40% increase in AMR was observed amongst these isolates obtained during COVID-19 period compared to pre-COVID-19 times. The overuse of antibiotics gave abundant opportunity for the bacterial pathogens to gradually develop mechanisms and to acquire resistance. Since the dynamics of SARS-COV-2 are unpredictable, a compromise on hospital antibiotic policy may ultimately escalate the burden of drug resistant pathogens in hospitals. A shortage of trained staff during COVID-19 pandemic renders it impossible to maintain these records in places where the entire hospital staff is struggling to save lives. This study highlights the extensive rise in the use of antibiotics for respiratory illness due to COVID-19 compared to antibiotic use prior to COVID-19 in ICUs. The regular prescription audit followed by a constant surveillance of hospital infection control practices by the dedicated teams and training of clinicians can improve the quality of medications in the long run and help to fight the menace of AMR.
Apply a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model to Promote the Development of Enrofloxacin Granules: Predict Withdrawal Interval and Toxicity Dose
Authors: Zhou Kaixiang , Liu Aimei , Ma Wenjin , Sun Lei , Mi Kun , Xu Xiangyue , Algharib Samah Attia , Xie Shuyu , Huang Lingli
Published: August 2021

Enrofloxacin (ENR) granules were developed to prevent and control the infections caused by foodborne zoonotic intestinal pathogens in our previous studies. To promote the further development of ENR granules and standardize their usage in pigs, a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model of the ENR granule in pigs was built to determine the withdrawal time (WT) and evaluate the toxicity to pigs. Meanwhile, the population WT was determined by a Monte Carlo analysis to guarantee pork safety. The fitting results of the model showed that the tissue residual concentrations of ENR, ciprofloxacin, and ENR plus ciprofloxacin were all well predicted by the built PBPK model (R2 > 0.82). When comparing with the EMA’s WT1.4 software method, the final WT (6 d) of the ENR granules in the population of pigs was well predicted. Moreover, by combining the cytotoxicity concentration (225.9 µg/mL) of ENR against pig hepatocytes, the orally safe dosage range (≤130 mg/kg b.w.) of the ENR granules to pigs was calculated based on the validated PBPK model. The well-predicted WTs and a few uses in animals proved that the PBPK model is a potential tool for promoting the judicious use of antimicrobial agents and evaluating the toxicity of the veterinary antimicrobial products.