bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flavorless vs. Flavored Electronic Cigarette-Generated Aerosol and E-Liquid on the Growth of Common Oral Commensal Streptococci
Authors: Fischman Jacob S. , Sista Swapna , Lee DongKeun , Cuadra Giancarlo A. , Palazzolo Dominic L.
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Electronic cigarette (ECIG) use or vaping has become popular globally. While the question “Is vaping safer than smoking?” continues, it is becoming clearer that one of the most dangerous components of E-liquids are the flavorings. Since the oral cavity is the first anatomical site to be assaulted by ECIG aerosol, the aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that flavored ECIG aerosols or E-liquids pose a more detrimental effect on the growth of commensal oral streptococcal bacteria compared to flavorless aerosols or E-liquids.

Methods

Kirby Bauer assays and 24-h planktonic growth curves were used to compare the effects of flavorless vs. flavored (tobacco, menthol, cinnamon, strawberry and blueberry) ECIG-generated aerosols and E-liquids on the growth of four common strains of oral commensal bacteria (Streptococcus gordonii, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus oralis).

Results

Kirby Bauer assays revealed inhibition of growth for all bacteria tested when exposed to 100% menthol, cinnamon or strawberry flavors. In contrast, 5% flavor in E-liquid had no effect. When exposed to 100 puffs of ECIG-generated aerosol ± flavors (≈ 0.05% flavor in brain heart infusion media) or an equivalent amount of E-liquid ± flavors, twenty-four hour planktonic growth curves indicated no effect on growth for all streptococci tested. Subsequent twenty-four hour planktonic growth curves testing the effects of E-liquid ± flavors (0.0625, 0.125, 0.25, 0.3125, 0.625, and 1.25% flavor in brain heart infusion media) revealed dose-dependent inhibition of growth, particularly for menthol, cinnamon and strawberry), for all bacteria tested.

Conclusion

These results support the hypothesis that flavored E-liquids are more detrimental to the growth of oral commensal bacteria than unflavored E-liquids. The streptococci tested in this study are early colonizers and part of the foundation of oral biofilms and dental plaque. Disturbances in the composition and growth of these primary colonizers is crucial to the development of a healthy dental plaque and host-bacteria interactions. E-liquids and their aerosols containing flavoring agents alter the growth of these bacteria. Such perturbations of pioneering oral communities pose a potential risk to the health of the oral cavity and, ultimately, health in general.
Phenotypic, Transcriptomic, and Metabolomic Signatures of Root-Specifically Overexpressed OsCKX2 in Rice
Authors: Yan Huimin , Sun Hongzheng , Jia Xueying , Lv Chuanwei , Li Junzhou , Zhao Quanzhi
Published: November 2020

Cytokinins are crucial signaling molecules that regulate plant growth and development. OsCKX2 irreversibly degrades nucleobase cytokinins by encoding cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase to control grain production in rice. In this study, OsCKX2 was specifically overexpressed in roots using RCc3 promoter to investigate the effects of root-source cytokinins on the growth of rice. OsCKX2 overexpressed (OE) rice showed retarded growth with lower cytokinin levels and biomass production. Shoot-specific transcriptome analysis between OsCKX2 OE rice and wild type (WT) revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with cell division, cell wall structure, phytohormone signaling, and assimilation and catabolism. Metabolome analysis indicated that a majority of differential primary metabolites, such as amino acids and organic acids, increased, while lipids decreased in OsCKX2 OE rice. Integration of transcriptomic and metabolomic data showed that several DEGs and differential metabolites were related to glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA). To conclude, reduced cytokinin levels via root-specific overexpression of OsCKX2 resulted in developmental defects, which confirmed the importance of root-source cytokinins in plant growth and morphogenesis.
Silent Counterattack: The Impact of Workplace Bullying on Employee Silence
Authors: Liu Xiwei , Yang Shenggang , Yao Zhu
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between workplace bullying (WB) and employee silence (ES) as well as its mechanism. This paper collects data from 322 employees of three Chinese enterprises in two waves, with a 2 months interval between the two waves. Moreover, this paper uses confirmatory factor analysis, a bootstrapping mediation test, a simple slope test, and other methods to verify the hypothesis. We find that: (1) WB is positively correlated with ES; (2) psychological safety (PS) and affective commitment mediated the relationship between WB and ES, respectively, and these two variables have a chain mediating effect in the above relationship; and (3) a forgiveness climate moderates this chain mediating effect by weakening the negative impact of WB on PS. Our findings can effectively guide organizations to ultimately adjust their management style, pay attention to employees’ cognitive and emotional resources, and formulate some measures to curb WB in organizations.
Infants’ and Toddlers’ Language, Math and Socio-Emotional Development: Evidence for Reciprocal Relations and Differential Gender and Age Effects
Authors: Slot Pauline L. , Bleses Dorthe , Jensen Peter
Published: November 2020

Toddlerhood is characterized by rapid development in several domains, such as language, socio-emotional behavior and emerging math skills all of which are important precursors of school readiness. However, little is known about how these skills develop over time and how they may be interrelated. The current study investigates young children’s development at two time points, with about 7 months in between, assessing their language, socio-emotional and math language and numeracy skills with teacher ratings. The sample includes 577 children from 18 until 36 months of age of 86 childcare classrooms. The results of the autoregressive path analyses showed moderate to strong stability of language, socio-emotional and math language and numeracy skills, although the magnitude of associations was smaller for the latter. The cross-lagged path analyses highlighted the importance of language and socio-emotional skills for development in the other domains. Differential relations were found for the autoregressive and cross-lagged paths depending on gender and age. Language skills appeared a stronger predictor of boys’ socio-emotional and math language and numeracy skill development compared to girls. Girls’ socio-emotional skills predicted growth in math. For boys, socio-emotional and math language and numeracy skills appeared to be unrelated. Language skills showed stronger relations with the development of math language and numeracy skills for younger children as compared to older children. Also, for older children math language and numeracy skills negatively predicted growth in their socio-emotional skills. The findings provide more insights in how language, math language and numeracy skills and socio-emotional skills co-develop in the early years and as such have important implications for interventions aimed to support children’s development.
Math Is for Me: A Field Intervention to Strengthen Math Self-Concepts in Spanish-Speaking 3rd Grade Children
Authors: Cvencek Dario , Paz-Albo Jesús , Master Allison , Herranz Llácer Cristina V. , Hervás-Escobar Aránzazu , Meltzoff Andrew N.
Published: November 2020

Children’s math self-concepts—their beliefs about themselves and math—are important for teachers, parents, and students, because they are linked to academic motivation, choices, and outcomes. There have been several attempts at improving math achievement based on the training of math skills. Here we took a complementary approach and conducted an intervention study to boost children’s math self-concepts. Our primary objective was to assess the feasibility of whether a novel multicomponent intervention—one that combines explicit and implicit approaches to help children form more positive beliefs linking themselves and math—can be administered in an authentic school setting. The intervention was conducted in Spain, a country in which math achievement is below the average of other OECD countries. We tested third grade students (N= 180;Mage= 8.79 years; 96 girls), using treatment and comparison groups and pre- and posttest assessments. A novelty of this study is that we used both implicit and explicit measures of children’s math self-concepts. For a subsample of students, we also obtained an assessment of year-end math achievement. Math self-concepts in the treatment and comparison groups did not significantly differ at pretest. Students in the treatment group demonstrated a significant increase in math self-concepts from pretest to posttest; students in the comparison group did not. In the treatment group, implicit math self-concepts at posttest were associated with higher year-end math achievement, assessed approximately 3 months after the completion of the intervention. Taken together, the results suggest that math self-concepts are malleable and that social–cognitive interventions can boost children’s beliefs about themselves and math. Based on the favorable results of this feasibility study, it is appropriate to formally test this novel multicomponent approach for improving math self-concepts using randomized controlled trial (RCT) design.
Predictors of Functional Outcome in Patients With Bipolar Disorder: Effects of Cognitive Psychoeducational Group Therapy After 12 Months
Authors: Sachs Gabriele , Berg Andrea , Jagsch Reinhold , Lenz Gerhard , Erfurth Andreas
Published: November 2020

Background: Cognitive deficits are known as a core feature in bipolar disorder. Persisting neurocognitive impairment is associated with low psychosocial functioning. The aim of this study was to identify potential cognitive, clinical and treatment-dependent predictors for functional impairment, symptom severity and early recurrence in bipolar patients, as well as to analyze neurocognitive performance compared to healthy controls.

Methods: Forty three remitted bipolar patients and 40 healthy controls were assessed with a neurocognitive battery testing specifically attention, memory, verbal fluency and executive functions. In a randomized controlled trial, remitted patients were assigned to two treatment conditions as add-on to state-of-the-art pharmacotherapy: cognitive psychoeducational group therapy over 14 weeks or treatment-as-usual. At 12 months after therapy, functional impairment and severity of symptoms were assessed.

Results: Compared to healthy controls, bipolar patients showed lower performance in executive function (perseverative errors p < 0.01, categories correct p < 0.001), sustained attention (total hits p < 0.001), verbal learning (delayed recall p < 0.001) and verbal fluency (p-words p < 0.002). Cognitive psychoeducational group therapy and attention predicted occupational functioning with a hit ratio of 87.5%. Verbal memory recall was found to be a predictor for symptom severity (hit ratio 86.8%). Recurrence in the follow-up period was predicted by premorbid IQ and by years of education (hit ratio 77.8%).

Limitations: Limitations of the present study result mainly from a small sample size. The extent of cognitive impairment appears to impact occupational disability, clinical outcome as well as recurrence rate. This result must be interpreted with caution because statistical analysis failed to show higher significance.

Conclusions: Bipolar patients benefit from cognitive psychoeducational group therapy in the domain of occupational life. Deficits in sustained attention have an impact on occupational impairment. Implications for treatment strategies are discussed. Further evaluation in larger studies is needed.
Acute Exposure to the Cold Pressor Stress Impairs Working Memory Functions: An Electrophysiological Study
Authors: Xin Zengyou , Gu Simeng , Yi Lei , Li Hong , Wang Fushun
Published: November 2020

The results of previous literature focusing on the effects of acute stress on human working memory (WM) are equivocal. The present study explored the effects of acute stress on human WM processing using event-related potential (ERP) techniques. Twenty-four healthy participants were submitted to stressful treatments and control treatment at different times. Cold pressor stress (CPS) was used as stressful treatment, while warm water was used as the control treatment before the WM task. Exposure to CPS was associated with a significant increase in blood pressure and salivary cortisol. After the 3-min resting period, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) for the CPS session significantly increased relative to the control treatment session (all p ≤ 0.01), and data also showed a significant increase of 20-min post-treatment cortisol concentration (p < 0.001) for CPS. Data from the CPS session showed significantly longer reaction times, lower accuracy, and WM capacity scores than that of the control treatment session. Interestingly, a difference between the two sessions was also found in N2pc and the late contralateral delay activity (late CDA) components. Specifically, although non-significant main effects of treatment were found for N2pc amplitudes, there was a significant interaction between treatments and stimuli conditions (processing load) [F(2,46) = 3.872, p = 0.028, η2 p = 0.14], which showed a pronounced trend toward equalization of N2pc amplitude across stimuli conditions during the CPS session clearly different from that of control treatment. As for amplitudes for late CDA, a nearly significant main effect of Treatment was found (p = 0.069). That is, the mean amplitude of the late CDA (−2.56 ± 0.27) for CPS treatment was slightly larger than that (−2.27 ± 0.22) for warm water treatment. To summarize, this study not only reported performance impairments in the WM task during CPS trials but also provided high temporal resolution evidence for the detrimental effects of acute stress on processes of information encoding and maintenance.
Multimodal Computational Modeling of Visual Object Recognition Deficits but Intact Repetition Priming in Schizophrenia
Authors: Sehatpour Pejman , Bassir Nia Anahita , Adair Devin , Wang Zhishun , DeBaun Heloise M. , Silipo Gail , Martinez Antigona , Javitt Daniel C.
Published: November 2020

The term perceptual closure refers to the neural processes responsible for “filling-in” missing information in the visual image under highly adverse viewing conditions such as fog or camouflage. Here we used a closure task that required the participants to identify barely recognizable fragmented line-drawings of common objects. Patients with schizophrenia have been shown to perform poorly on this task. Following priming, controls and importantly patients can complete the line-drawings at greater levels of fragmentation behaviorally, suggesting an improvement in their ability to perform the task. Closure phenomena have been shown to involve a distributed network of cortical regions, notably the lateral occipital complex (LOC) of the ventral visual stream, dorsal visual stream (DS), hippocampal formation (HIPP) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We have previously demonstrated the failure of closure processes in schizophrenia and shown that the dysregulation in the sensory information transmitted to the prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in this failure. Here, using a multimodal imaging approach in patients, combining event related electrophysiological recordings (ERP) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of priming in perceptual closure. Using directed functional connectivity measures we demonstrate that priming modifies the network-level interactions between the nodes of closure processing in a manner that is functionally advantageous to patients resulting in the mitigation of their deficit in perceptual closure.
Facilitating Evaluation of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Long-Term Health Outcomes Through Social Media Support Groups
Authors: Beczkiewicz Aaron T. E. , Scharff Robert L. , Kowalcyk Barbara B.
Published: November 2020

Individual burden and cost of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)—a medical condition characterized by acute kidney failure—can be substantial when accounting for long-term health outcomes (LTHOs). Because of the low incidence of HUS, evaluation of associated LTHOs is often restricted to physician and outbreak cohorts, both of which may not be representative of all HUS cases. This exploratory study recruited participants from private social media support groups for families of HUS cases to identify potential LTHOs and costs of HUS that are not currently measured. Additionally, this study sought to identify case characteristics that may confound or modify these LTHOs and costs of HUS. Respondents self-selected to complete an online cross-sectional survey on acute and chronic illness history, treatments, and public health follow-up for HUS cases. Posttraumatic stress among respondents (typically case parents) was also evaluated. Responses were received for 74 HUS cases from 71 families representing all geographic regions, and levels of urbanicity within the US self-reported symptoms were typical for HUS, while 35.1% of cases reported antibiotic treatment at any point during the acute illness. Hospital transfers were reported by 71.6% of cases introducing possible delays to care. More than 70% of cases reported experiencing at least one LTHO, with 45% of cases reporting renal sequelae. Posttraumatic stress symptoms were frequently reported by respondents indirectly affected by HUS. Potentially large economic costs that are not addressed in existing analyses were identified including both financial and more general welfare losses (lost utility). While biases in the study design limit the generalizability of results to all HUS cases, this study provides new insights into unmeasured LTHOs and costs associated with HUS. These results suggest that robustly designed cohort studies on HUS should include measures of psychosocial impacts on both the affected individual and their family members.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of Published Pregnancy Cases
Authors: Rodrigues Carina , Baía Inês , Domingues Rosa , Barros Henrique
Published: November 2020

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is an emerging concern regarding the potential adverse effects during pregnancy. This study reviews knowledge on the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy and describes the outcome of published cases of pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19.

Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed®, Scopus®, Web of Science®, and MedRxiv® up to 26th June 2020, using PRISMA standards, to identify original published studies describing pregnant women at any gestational age diagnosed COVID-19. There were no date or language restrictions on the search. All identified studies were included irrespective of assumptions on study quality.

Results: We identified 161 original studies reporting 3,985 cases of pregnant women with COVID-19 (1,007 discharged while pregnant). The 2,059 published cases with pregnancy outcomes resulted in 42 abortions, 21 stillbirths, and 2,015 live births. Preterm birth occurred in 23% of cases. Around 6% of pregnant women required admission to an intensive care unit and 28 died. There were 10 neonatal deaths. From the 163 cases with amniotic fluid, placenta, and/or cord blood analyzed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, 10 were positive. Sixty-one newborns were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Four breast milk samples from 92 cases showed evidence of SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion: Emerging evidence suggests that vertical transmission is possible, however, there is still a limited number of reported cases with intrapartum samples. Information, counseling and adequate monitoring are essential to prevent and manage adverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy.
Functional Change in Experimental Allodynia After Glutamate-Induced Pain in the Human Masseter Muscle
Authors: Shimada Akiko , Alhilou Abdelrahman M. , Svensson Peter , Ernberg Malin , Christidis Nikolaos
Published: November 2020

Background: Glutamate, as well as nerve growth factor (NGF), is involved in nociception from peripheral tissues, such as muscles. However, the potential interaction between glutamate and NGF still remains unclear. This study investigated the interaction between glutamate-induced masseter muscle pain and NGF-induced allodynia on pain perception and jaw function in healthy individuals, and any possible sex differences in the response.

Materials and Methods: Thirty pain-free adult participants (15 men and 15 women, mean age ± SD: 24 ± 4 years) participated in this study consisting of three sessions (Day 0, Day 3, and Day 4). NGF (5 μg/mL, 1.0 mL) was injected into the masseter muscle on Day 0 to induce muscle allodynia. On Day 3, glutamate (1M, 0.2 mL) was injected into the same masseter muscle. Before and after injections on Day 0 and 3, and post-injection (Day 4), spontaneous pain, temporal summation pain, as well as functional pain and fatigue in response to chewing were assessed with validated scales, and the pressure pain threshold (PPT) was recorded.

Results: Spontaneous pain intensity was significantly higher after glutamate than NGF (P < 0.001). PPTs, temporal summation pain and functional measures were all reduced 3 days after NGF injection (P's < 0.001). Injection of glutamate on Day 3 did not further affect PPTs or temporal summation pain and there were no sex differences in the effects (P > 0.189). Chewing pain (P = 0.022) and fatigue increased after glutamate injection to a higher degree in the women than men (P = 0.037).

Conclusion: Taken together, while glutamate injected into the NGF-sensitized muscle was painful, it did not alter muscle tenderness in women vs. men. However, pain and fatigue evoked by jaw function were higher in women after glutamate injection. This suggest that sex differences reported for masseter myalgia, mimicked by glutamate and NGF mediated pain in this study, may be greater for measures of perceived jaw function, which should be considered in a clinical evaluation.
A Comparison Study of Extrapolation Models and Empirical Relations in Forecasting Solar Wind
Authors: Kumar Sandeep , Paul Arghyadeep , Vaidya Bhargav
Published: November 2020

Coronal mass ejections and high speed solar streams serve as perturbations to the background solar wind that have major implications in space weather dynamics. Therefore, a robust framework for accurate predictions of the background wind properties is a fundamental step toward the development of any space weather prediction toolbox. In this pilot study, we focus on the implementation and comparison of various models that are critical for a steady state, solar wind forecasting framework. Specifically, we perform case studies on Carrington rotations 2,053, 2,082, and 2,104, and compare the performance of magnetic field extrapolation models in conjunction with velocity empirical formulations to predict solar wind properties at Lagrangian point L1. Two different models to extrapolate the solar wind from the coronal domain to the inner-heliospheric domain are presented, namely, a) Kinematics based [Heliospheric Upwind eXtrapolation (HUX)] model, and b) Physics based model. The physics based model solves a set of conservative equations of hydrodynamics using the PLUTO code and can additionally predict the thermal properties of solar wind. The assessment in predicting solar wind parameters of the different models is quantified through statistical measures. We further extend this developed framework to also assess the polarity of inter-planetary magnetic field at L1. Our best models for the case of CR2053 gives a very high correlation coefficient (∼0.73–0.81) and has an root mean square error of (∼75–90 km s−1). Additionally, the physics based model has a standard deviation comparable with that obtained from the hourly OMNI solar wind data and also produces a considerable match with observed solar wind proton temperatures measured at L1 from the same database.
Searching via Nonlinear Quantum Walk on the 2D-Grid
Authors: Di Molfetta Giuseppe , Herzog Basile
Published: November 2020

We provide numerical evidence that the nonlinear searching algorithm introduced by Wong and Meyer, rephrased in terms of quantum walks with effective nonlinear phase, can be extended to the finite 2-dimensional grid, keeping the same computational advantage with respect to the classical algorithms. For this purpose, we have considered the free lattice Hamiltonian, with linear dispersion relation introduced by Childs and Ge The numerical simulations showed that the walker finds the marked vertex in O(N1/4log3/4N) steps, with probability O(1/logN), for an overall complexity of O(N1/4log5/4N), using amplitude amplification. We also proved that there exists an optimal choice of the walker parameters to avoid the time measurement precision affecting the complexity searching time of the algorithm.
Mycotoxin Contamination of Selected Organic Enrichment Materials Used in Pig Farming
Authors: Tenbrink Krista Marie , Schulz Jochen , Kemper Nicole
Published: November 2020

Abnormal behavior, such as tail biting, is a fundamental problem in pig husbandry worldwide, and the application of enrichment materials, particularly organic materials, is one of the most promising preventive and curative measures. However, the potential health risks posed by these materials, such as being an additional source of mycotoxins, have not been sufficiently studied to date. Therefore, 21 different organic enrichment materials were tested for mycotoxin contamination with a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry multi-mycotoxin method. Concerning the legally regulated mycotoxins in the EU, aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A were not detected in any of the tested materials. Fumonisin B2 was detected in straw meal made of wheat, rye, and triticale, but the level (0.014 mg/kg) was very low. The level of deoxynivalenol in maize pellets (5.01 mg/kg) and maize silage (2.12 mg/kg) exceeded the guidance value for pig feed. Zearalenone was present at high levels in maize pellets (1.21 mg/kg), hay (0.30 mg/kg), and maize silage (0.25 mg/kg). Maize products showed high levels of mycotoxins presenting a health risk for pigs and cannot be recommended as enrichment material.
Application of Artificial Neural Networks to Assess the Mycological State of Bulk Stored Rapeseeds
Authors: Wawrzyniak Jolanta
Published: November 2020

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) constitute a promising modeling approach that may be used in control systems for postharvest preservation and storage processes. The study investigated the ability of multilayer perceptron and radial-basis function ANNs to predict fungal population levels in bulk stored rapeseeds with various temperatures (T = 12–30 °C) and water activity in seeds (aw = 0.75–0.90). The neural network model input included aw, temperature, and time, whilst the fungal population level was the model output. During the model construction, networks with a different number of hidden layer neurons and different configurations of activation functions in neurons of the hidden and output layers were examined. The best architecture was the multilayer perceptron ANN, in which the hyperbolic tangent function acted as an activation function in the hidden layer neurons, while the linear function was the activation function in the output layer neuron. The developed structure exhibits high prediction accuracy and high generalization capability. The model provided in the research may be readily incorporated into control systems for postharvest rapeseed preservation and storage as a support tool, which based on easily measurable on-line parameters can estimate the risk of fungal development and thus mycotoxin accumulation.
Attitudes of Kazakh Rural Households towards Joining and Creating Cooperatives
Authors: Kaliyeva Samal , Jose Areal Francisco , Gadanakis Yiorgos
Published: November 2020

The government of Kazakhstan is currently developing strategies and policies to stimulate milk production at an industrial production level to increase milk processing capacity. We use and expand the reasoned action approach as a framework to study the factors underlying the rural household’s motivation to participate in a governmental programme aimed at increasing rural cooperative production in Kazakhstan to increase milk production using primary data acquired from 181 randomly selected dairy households in the Akmola region of Kazakhstan. We account for the rural household’s psychological factors and socio-demographic characteristics along with the household’s risk attitudes, production structure, level of information about the government support programme and cooperatives, cultural aspects as well as the household’s proximity to the main market. A bivariate probit model is used to jointly estimate the impact of these factors on the rural household’s intention to join and create a cooperative. The results show that rural households which hold positive views towards cooperatives, have a relatively high production capacity, are aware/know of cooperatives, and do not have a dairy business as a source of household income are relatively keen to participate in collective actions. Perceived social norms and household risk attitudes also play a significant role in the rural household’s intention to participate in collective actions. Finally, gender and nationality are found to be positively associated with joining and creating a cooperative, while higher educated rural households are found to be less motivated to participate in the programme. In order to stimulate milk production at an industrial production level through a policy that encourages collective action, we recommend a policy that (a) supports rural households which have the capacity to produce and are in need; (b) is attractive to rural households which consider dairy as a source of income; and (c) is well disseminated and well explained to the targeted rural households.
Rooting Media and Biostimulator Goteo Treatment Effect the Adventitious Root Formation of Pennisetum ‘Vertigo’ Cuttings and the Quality of the Final Product
Authors: Kapczyńska Anna , Kowalska Iwona , Prokopiuk Barbara , Pawłowska Bożena
Published: November 2020

This study evaluated rooting of Pennisetum ‘Vertigo’ cuttings and development and the nutritional status of rooted plants. Cuttings of Pennisetum ‘Vertigo’ rooted in a perlite or peat medium were treated with Goëmar Goteo biostimulator as follows: (1) soaking (2) watering (3) spraying (4) no Goteo applied (control). Then, 83.3–100% of cuttings formed adventitious roots. The, 100% rooting was obtained for plants in perlite when Goteo spraying or watering was used for plants rooted in peat only after Goteo watering application. Cuttings rooted in perlite had 30% more roots and they were longer than in peat. Goteo watering of cuttings affected root elongation in both peat and perlite. Neither rooting media nor biostimulator treatment affected root dry weight (DW). Rooting medium after 2 months of pot cultivation had no effect on biometric features of plants, but those grown from cuttings rooted in peat had a higher fresh weight (FW) compared to those rooted in perlite. Plants developed from Goteo-treated cuttings were higher compared to the control plants. Goteo watering during rooting stimulated the formation of new shoots in the greenhouse cultivation. Plants from cuttings rooted in perlite had more Fe and Cu in their leaves, especially when they were Goteo-watered. Goteo increased P content in plants derived from biostimulator-watered cuttings, and K in plants from cuttings soaked in Goteo and rooted in perlite.
Pathogen-Induced Expression of OsDHODH1 Suggests Positive Regulation of Basal Defense Against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in Rice
Authors: Rolly Nkulu Kabange , Imran Qari Muhammad , Kim Hyun-Ho , Aye Nay Chi , Hussain Adil , Kim Kyung-Min , Yun Byung-Wook
Published: November 2020

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB), a vascular disease caused by Xanthomonasoryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), induces a significant reduction in rice yield in severe epidemics. This study investigated the transcriptional regulation of the OsDHODH1 gene in rice cultivars exposed to the Xoo K3 isolate. The symptoms were monitored on a daily basis, and the lesion length of inoculated rice plants was scored 21 days post inoculation (dpi). The most resistant and the highly susceptible cultivars were used for gene expression analysis. The dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) domain is shared by many proteins in different plant species, and in Arabidopsis, this protein is encoded by the AtPYD1 gene. To investigate the functional role of the OsDHODH1 gene under bacterial infection, we inoculated the Arabidopsispyd1-2 knockout (atpyd1-2) plants, lacking the AtPYD1 gene (orthologous gene of the rice OsDHODH1), with Pseudomonassyringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 vir, and the phenotypic response was scored 9 dpi. Results show that OsDHODH1 was upregulated in Tunnae, the most resistant rice cultivar but downregulated in IRAT112, the highly susceptible rice cultivar. In addition, Tunnae, Sipi and NERICA-L14 exhibited a durable resistance phenotype towards Xoo K3 isolate 21 dpi. Moreover, the expression of OsPR1a and OsPR10b (the rice pathogenesis inducible genes) was significantly upregulated in Tunnae, while being suppressed in IRAT112. Furthermore, the atpyd1-2 plants exhibited a high susceptibility towards Pst DC3000 vir. AtPR1 and AtPR2 (the Arabidopsis pathogenesis inducible genes) transcripts decreased in the atpyd1-2 plants compared to Col-0 (wild type) plants. Due to the above, OsDHODH1 and AtPYD1 are suggested to be involved in the basal adaptive response mechanisms towards bacterial pathogen resistance in plants.
The Colonization of Grape Bunch Trash by Microorganisms for the Biocontrol of Botrytis cinerea as Influenced by Temperature and Humidity
Authors: Fedele Giorgia , Brischetto Chiara , González-Domínguez Elisa , Rossi Vittorio
Published: November 2020

Six commercial biocontrol agents (BCAs: Aureobasidium pullulans, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. amyloliquefaciens plantarum, B. subtilis, Metschnikowia fructicola, or Trichoderma atroviride) were applied to bunch trash that was then incubated at one of five temperatures (T, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C) and one of five relative humidity levels (RH, 60, 80, 90, 95, and 100%). After 1 to 13 days of incubation (BCA colonization period), the number of colony forming units (CFUs) was assessed. The colonization of bunch trash in response to T/RH conditions and BCA colonization period differed among the BCAs; the coefficients of variation among the BCAs ranged from 104.6 to 397.7%. Equations were developed that accounted for the combined effects of the T, RH, and BCA colonization period on BCA colonization of bunch trash. Assuming that the equations, which had an R2 > 0.87, correctly predict BCA growth under field conditions, they would help farmers select the BCA to be used for a specific application based on weather conditions at the time of treatment and in the following days. The equations would also help predict how long an early season BCA application remains effective and thereby help farmers decide whether and when a second BCA application may be needed.
Effects of a Salicylic Acid Analog on Aphis gossypii and Its Predator Chrysoperla carnea on Melon Plants
Authors: Moreno-Delafuente Ana , Garzo Elisa , Fereres Alberto , Viñuela Elisa , Medina Pilar
Published: November 2020

The salicylic acid analog BTH (benzo-(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic-acid S-methyl ester) induces systemic acquired resistance by promoting plant resistance against numerous plant pathogens and some insect pests. The objective of the research was to evaluate the activation of plant defenses with BTH on melon (Cucumis melo L., Cucurbitaceae) and its effects on the herbivore Aphis gossypii Glover, 1877 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and on the aphid predator Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens, 1836) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). Under laboratory conditions, plants were sprayed with BTH (50 g/ha) zero (B0), four (B4), and seven (B7) days prior exposure to insects. B0 treatment resulted in 100% mortality of aphid nymphs and disrupted adult feeding behavior (recorded by electrical-penetration-graphs technique), by prolonging the time to reach the phloem, requiring more probes to first salivation and reducing ingestion activities. There were no effects on feeding behavior of A. gossypii fed on B4 plants but on its life history because fewer nymphs were born, intrinsic rate of natural growth decreased, and mortality increased. There were no effects on biological parameters of aphids reared on B7 plants. Prey consumption by C. carnea larvae when predated A. gossypii fed on BTH-treated plants was not different among treatments. Therefore, BTH enhances the suppression of A. gossypii in the short term, without negative effects on the predatory larva C. carnea, which makes this plant strengthener a useful tool to be considered in integrated pest management programs.
Changes in the Occurrence of Late Spring Frost in Poland
Authors: Graczyk Dariusz , Szwed Małgorzata
Published: November 2020

Trends in the appearance of the last spring frost for three thresholds of minimum daily air temperature at the height of 2 m and near the ground were examined for six meteorological stations located in two agricultural regions in Poland. For most time series, the last spring frost, calculated as a consecutive day of the year, showed a statistically significant trend indicating its earlier appearance from 1.6 to about 3.5 days per decade. The date of the last spring frost was also calculated in relation to the ongoing growing season. In this case, few statistically significant changes in the dates of the last frosts were found. The probability of the last spring frost on a specific day of the calendar year and the day of the growing season was also examined for two periods: 1961–1990 and 1991–2020. For low probability levels corresponding to the early dates of the last spring frost, the last frost usually occurred much earlier (6–14 days) in 1991–2020. With the probability levels of 80–90% describing the late occurrence of the last frost with a frequency of once every 5–10 years, at some stations, the last spring frosts occurred at a similar time for both periods.
Recycling of Organic Wastes through Composting: Process Performance and Compost Application in Agriculture
Authors: Sayara Tahseen , Basheer-Salimia Rezq , Hawamde Fatina , Sánchez Antoni
Published: November 2020

Composting has become a preferable option to treat organic wastes to obtain a final stable sanitized product that can be used as an organic amendment. From home composting to big municipal waste treatment plants, composting is one of the few technologies that can be practically implemented at any scale. This review explores some of the essential issues in the field of composting/compost research: on one hand, the main parameters related to composting performance are compiled, with especial emphasis on the maturity and stability of compost; on the other hand, the main rules of applying compost on crops and other applications are explored in detail, including all the effects that compost can have on agricultural land. Especial attention is paid to aspects such as the improvement of the fertility of soils once compost is applied, the suppressor effect of compost and some negative experiences of massive compost application.
A Look at the Past, Present and Future Research Trends of Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
Authors: Ruiz-Real José Luis , Uribe-Toril Juan , Torres Arriaza José Antonio , de Pablo Valenciano Jaime
Published: November 2020

Technification in agriculture has resulted in the inclusion of more efficient companies that have evolved into a more complex sector focused on production and quality. Artificial intelligence, one of the relevant areas of technology, is transforming the agriculture sector by reducing the consumption and use of resources. This research uses a bibliometric methodology and a fractional counting method of clustering to analyze the scientific literature on the topic, reviewing 2629 related documents recorded on the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The study found significant results regarding the most relevant and prolific authors (Hoogenboom), supporting research organizations (National Natural Science Foundation of China) and countries (U.S., China, India, or Iran). The identification of leaders in this field gives researchers new possibilities for new lines of research based on previous studies. An in-depth examination of authors’ keywords identified different clusters and trends linking Artificial Intelligence and green economy, sustainable development, climate change, and the environment.
Within-Field Relationships between Satellite-Derived Vegetation Indices, Grain Yield and Spike Number of Winter Wheat and Triticale
Authors: Panek Ewa , Gozdowski Dariusz , Stępień Michał , Samborski Stanisław , Ruciński Dominik , Buszke Bartosz
Published: November 2020

The aims of this study were to: (i) evaluate the relationships between vegetation indices (VIs) derived from Sentinel-2 imagery and grain yield (GY) and the number of spikes per square meter (SN) of winter wheat and triticale; (ii) determine the dates and plant growth stages when the above relationships were the strongest at individual field scale, thus allowing for accurate yield prediction. Observations of GY and SN were performed at harvest on six fields (three locations in two seasons: 2017 and 2018) in three regions of Poland, i.e., northeastern (A—Brożówka), central (B—Zdziechów) and southeastern Poland (C—Kryłów). Vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), modified SAVI (mSAVI), modified SAVI 2 (mSAVI2), Infrared Percentage Vegetation Index (IPVI), Global Environmental Monitoring Index (GEMI), and Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI)) calculated for sampling points from mid-March until mid-July, covering within-field soil and topographical variability, were included in the analysis. Depending on the location, the highest correlation coefficients (of about 0.6–0.9) for most of VIs with GY and SN were obtained about 4–6 weeks before harvest (from the beginning of shooting to milk maturity). Therefore, satellite-derived VIs are useful for the prediction of within-field cereal GY as well as SN variability. Information on GY, predicted together with the results for soil nutrient availability, is the basis for the formulation of variable fertilize rates in precision agriculture. All examined VIs were similarly correlated with GY and SN via the commonly used NDVI. The increase in NDVI by 0.1 unit was related to an average increase in GY by about 2 t ha−1.
Genomic Prediction of Rust Resistance in Tetraploid Wheat under Field and Controlled Environment Conditions
Authors: Azizinia Shiva , Bariana Harbans , Kolmer James , Pasam Raj , Bhavani Sridhar , Chhetri Mumta , Toor Arvinder , Miah Hanif , Hayden Matthew J. , Pino del Carpio Dunia , Bansal Urmil , Daetwyler Hans D.
Published: November 2020

Genomic selection can increase the rate of genetic gain in crops through accumulation of positive alleles and reduce phenotyping costs by shortening the breeding cycle time. We performed genomic prediction for resistance to wheat rusts in tetraploid wheat accessions using three cross-validation with the objective of predicting: (1) rust resistance when individuals are not tested in all environments/locations, (2) the performance of lines across years, and (3) adult plant resistance (APR) of lines with bivariate models. The rationale for the latter is that seedling assays are faster and could increase prediction accuracy for APR. Predictions were derived from adult plant and seedling responses for leaf rust (Lr), stem rust (Sr) and stripe rust (Yr) in a panel of 391 accessions grown across multiple years and locations and genotyped using 16,483 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Different Bayesian models and genomic best linear unbiased prediction yielded similar accuracies for all traits. Site and year prediction accuracies for Lr and Yr ranged between 0.56–0.71 for Lr and 0.51–0.56 for Yr. While prediction accuracy for Sr was variable across different sites, accuracies for Yr were similar across different years and sites. The changes in accuracies can reflect higher genotype × environment (G × E) interactions due to climate or pathogenic variation. The use of seedling assays in genomic prediction was underscored by significant positive genetic correlations between all stage resistance (ASR) and APR (Lr: 0.45, Sr: 0.65, Yr: 0.50). Incorporating seedling phenotypes in the bivariate genomic approach increased prediction accuracy for all three rust diseases. Our work suggests that the underlying plant-host response to pathogens in the field and greenhouse screens is genetically correlated, but likely highly polygenic and therefore difficult to detect at the individual gene level. Overall, genomic prediction accuracies were in the range suitable for selection in early generations of the breeding cycle.
Stage-Dependent Expression of Protein Gene Product 9.5 in Donkey Testes
Authors: Choi Yeonju , Jung Youngwook , Kim Seongmin , Kim Junyoung , Jung Heejun , Yoon Minjung
Published: November 2020

Molecular markers can be used to identify and isolate specific developmental stages of germ cells and Leydig cells. Protein gene product (PGP)9.5 expression in spermatogonia and Leydig cells has been reported in several species. The stages of spermatogonia and Leydig cells expressing PGP9.5 vary depending on the species and reproductive stages. Thus, the objectives of this study were (1) to identify the localization of PGP9.5 in donkey testicular cells, and (2) to compare the expression patterns of PGP9.5 in donkey testicular cells between pre- and post-pubertal stages. Testes samples were collected following the routine field castration of six donkeys. Western blotting was performed to verify the cross-reactivity of the rabbit anti-human PGP9.5 antibody to donkey testes. Immunofluorescence was performed to investigate the expression pattern of PGP9.5 in testicular tissues at different reproductive stages. In Western blotting, the protein band of the PGP9.5 antibody appeared at approximately 27 kDa, whereas the band was not observed in the negative control treated with normal mouse IgG. In the pre-pubertal stage, the expression of deleted in azoospermia-like (DAZL) was found in some spermatogonia in pre-pubertal testicular tissues. However, the immunolabeling of PGP9.5 in testicular tissue was not observed in the seminiferous tubules. In stages 1 and 2, spermatogonia were immunolabeled with either PGP9.5 or DAZL. In contrast, PGP9.5 and DAZL were co-immunolabeled in some of the spermatogonia in stages 3 to 8. Interestingly, some Leydig cells were immunolabeled with PGP9.5 in both pre- and post-pubertal stages. In conclusion, the PGP9.5 antibody can be used as a tool to identify and isolate spermatogonia from seminiferous tubules.