bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unleashing the power of shark variable single domains (VNARs): broadly neutralizing tools for combating SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Cabanillas-Bernal Olivia , Valdovinos-Navarro Blanca J. , Cervantes-Luevano Karla E. , Sanchez-Campos Noemi , Licea-Navarro Alexei F.
Published: September 2023

The pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) generated a joint global effort to develop vaccines and other treatments that could mitigate the negative effects and the rapid spread of the virus. Single-domain antibodies derived from various sources, including cartilaginous fish, camelids, and humans, have gained attention as promising therapeutic tools against coronavirus disease 2019. Shark-derived variable new antigen receptors (VNARs) have emerged as the smallest naturally occurring antigen-binding molecules. Here, we compile and review recent published studies on VNARs with the capacity to recognize and/or neutralize SARS-CoV-2. We found a close balance between the use of natural immune libraries and synthetic VNAR libraries for the screening against SARS-CoV-2, with phage display being the preferred display technology for the selection of VNARs against this virus. In addition, we discuss potential modifications and engineering strategies employed to improve the neutralization potential of VNARs, such as exploring fusion with the Fc domain of human Immunoglobulin G (IgG) to increase avidity and therapeutic potential. This research highlights the potential of VNARs as powerful molecular tools in the fight against infectious diseases.
Biogeographic distribution patterns of the bacterial and archaeal communities in two seamounts in the Pacific Ocean
Authors: Liu Ning-Hua , Ma Jun , Lin Si-Qi , Xu Kui-Dong , Zhang Yu-Zhong , Qin Qi-Long , Zhang Xi-Ying
Published: September 2023

Seamounts are important components of seafloor topography and have a significant influence on the biogeographic distribution of marine microorganisms. However, current studies on the biogeographic distribution patterns of microorganisms in the ocean around seamounts are still inadequate. This study investigated the bacterial and archaeal communities present in the water column at various depths around the Kocebu and M5 seamounts located in the western Pacific Ocean using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. The analyses showed that microbial communities had different alpha diversities and species compositions in samples from the same depth, and disruption of vertical stratification of microbes was observed in deep water layers at both seamounts. The stochastic processes dominated the microbial community assembly around two seamounts, for the Kocebu Seamount, drift accounted for 34.99% and 64.85% in the bacterial and archaeal community assembly processes, respectively; while the corresponding values for the M5 Seamount were 14.07% and 58.65%. Despite the low explanatory power of environmental variables for microbial communities, dissolved inorganic nitrogen was the most significant factor influencing the microbial community structure in seawater around seamounts. Overall, our results revealed that the presence of Kocebu and M5 seamounts enhance the vertical mixing of microbial communities in the surrounding seawater, and stochastic processes dominate microbial community assembly. Considering the numerous seamounts in the global ocean, the impacts of seamounts on marine ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles may have been underestimated.
Lipid modification to improve cryotolerance of gametes, embryos and larvae and its potential application in aquaculture species: a review
Authors: Zhu Xiaochen , Miller-Ezzy Penny , Zhao Yingying , Qin Jianguang , Tang Youhong , Liu Yibing , Li Xiaoxu
Published: September 2023

Cryopreservation is a technique to maintain biological materials’ physiological and genetic stability at an ultralow temperature. For commercially important livestock or aquatic species, gamete and embryo cryopreservation could play a significant role in breeding programs and commercial production. For example, it could help overcome key problems such as asynchronous maturation and an unbalanced sex ratio. However, the physiochemical stresses imposed by cryopreservation can negatively affect gametes and embryos, leading to a poor survival rate. Recent studies on cryoinjury have demonstrated that the cryosensitivity of lipids is one of the key causes of cryodamage in mammalians, as lipid compositions in membranes of gametes and embryos are closely related to their cryoresistance. In addition, the cryotolerance of gametes and embryos in some mammalian species has been improved by lipid modification. However, studies on the role of lipids in the cryopreservation of gametes, embryos, and larvae are rare in fish and shellfish. Therefore, this review focuses on recent methodological advances to improve cryotolerance by lipid modification, including lipid application or manipulation in human and livestock sperm, oocytes, and embryos, and how these novel approaches could improve cryopreservation techniques in aquatic species, especially for oocytes and embryos.
Spatial extent and isolation of marine artificial structures mediate fish density
Authors: Gilliland Virginia A. , Fessler Avery E. , Paxton Avery B. , Ebert Erik F. , Tharp Ryan M. , Runde Brendan J. , Bacheler Nathan M. , Buckel Jeffrey A. , Taylor J. Christopher
Published: September 2023

Installations of artificial structures in coastal oceans create de facto habitat for marine life. These structures encompass wide varieties of physical characteristics, reflecting their multiple, diverse purposes and creating a need to understand which characteristics maximize fish habitat. Here, we test how physical characteristics – horizontal area, vertical relief, and spatial isolation – relate to fish density from echosounder surveys over artificial structures like concrete pipes, train boxcars, and ships purposely sunk to function as reefs. Echosounder mapping of 31 artificial reef structures and associated fish across a 200 km linear length of the continental shelf of North Carolina, USA, revealed that structures with greater horizontal area and vertical relief host higher fish densities than smaller, shorter structures. Artificial structure spatial arrangement also relates to fish density, as isolated structures are generally associated with greater localized fish densities than structures closer to one another. Patterns in the relationships between fish density and reef characteristics differed for schooling fish, as there was some evidence that reefs of intermediate area exhibited higher schooling fish density. These results suggest that intentional design and spatial arrangement of marine built structures like artificial reefs relates to and can be deliberately incorporated into siting and deployment decisions to enhance their role as fish habitat.
DeepNet model empowered cuckoo search algorithm for the effective identification of lung cancer nodules
Authors: M Grace John , S Baskar
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Globally, lung cancer is a highly harmful type of cancer. An efficient diagnosis system can enable pathologists to recognize the type and nature of lung nodules and the mode of therapy to increase the patient's chance of survival. Hence, implementing an automatic and reliable system to segment lung nodules from a computed tomography (CT) image is useful in the medical industry.

Methods

This study develops a novel fully convolutional deep neural network (hereafter called DeepNet) model for segmenting lung nodules from CT scans. This model includes an encoder/decoder network that achieves pixel-wise image segmentation. The encoder network exploits a Visual Geometry Group (VGG-19) model as a base architecture, while the decoder network exploits 16 upsampling and deconvolution modules. The encoder used in this model has a very flexible structural design that can be modified and trained for any resolution based on the size of input scans. The decoder network upsamples and maps the low-resolution attributes of the encoder. Thus, there is a considerable drop in the number of variables used for the learning process as the network recycles the pooling indices of the encoder for segmentation. The Thresholding method and the cuckoo search algorithm determines the most useful features when categorizing cancer nodules.

Results and discussion

The effectiveness of the intended DeepNet model is cautiously assessed on the real-world database known as The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) dataset and its effectiveness is demonstrated by comparing its representation with some other modern segmentation models in terms of selected performance measures. The empirical analysis reveals that DeepNet significantly outperforms other prevalent segmentation algorithms with 0.962 ± 0.023% of volume error, 0.968 ± 0.011 of dice similarity coefficient, 0.856 ± 0.011 of Jaccard similarity index, and 0.045 ± 0.005s average processing time.
Real-time monitoring strategies for optimization of in vitro transcription and quality control of RNA
Authors: Lee Kyung Hyun , Song Jaehwi , Kim Seongcheol , Han Seung Ryul , Lee Seong-Wook
Published: September 2023

RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines are opening up new avenues for modern medicine. To produce these useful RNA-based reagents, in vitro transcription (IVT) is an important reaction that primarily determines the yield and quality of the product. Therefore, IVT condition should be well optimized to achieve high yield and purity of transcribed RNAs. To this end, real-time monitoring of RNA production during IVT, which allows for fine tuning of the condition, would be required. Currently, light-up RNA aptamer and fluorescent dye pairs are considered as useful strategies to monitor IVT in real time. Fluorophore-labeled antisense probe-based methods can also be used for real-time IVT monitoring. In addition, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based method that can monitor IVT reagent consumption has been developed as a powerful tool to monitor IVT reaction in near real-time. This mini-review briefly introduces some strategies and examples for real-time IVT monitoring and discusses pros and cons of IVT monitoring methods.
Linguistic, visuospatial, and kinematic writing characteristics in cognitively impaired patients with beta-amyloid deposition
Authors: An Seo Kyung , Jang Hyemin , Kim Hee Jin , Na Duk L. , Yoon Ji Hye
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), begins before dementia and is an important factor in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Aβ deposition is a recognized risk factor for various cognitive impairments and has been reported to affect motor performance as well. This study aimed to identify the linguistic, visuospatial, and kinematic characteristics evident in the writing performance of patients with cognitive impairment (CI) who exhibit Aβ deposition.

Methods

A total of 31 patients diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) with Aβ deposition, 26 patients with Alzheimer’s-type dementia, and 33 healthy control (HC) participants without deposition were administered tasks involving dictation of 60 regular words, irregular words, and non-words consisting of 1–4 syllables. Responses from all participants were collected and analyzed through digitized writing tests and analysis tools.

Results

In terms of linguistic aspects, as cognitive decline progressed, performance in the dictation of irregular words decreased, with errors observed in substituting the target grapheme with other graphemes. The aMCI group frequently exhibited corrective aspects involving letter rewriting during the task. In terms of visuospatial aspects, the AD group displayed more errors in grapheme combination compared to the HC group. Lastly, in the kinematic aspects, both the aMCI group and the AD group exhibited slower writing speeds compared to the HC group.

Discussion

The findings suggest that individuals in the CI group exhibited lower performance in word dictation tasks than those in the HC group, and these results possibly indicate complex cognitive-language-motor deficits resulting from temporal-parietal lobe damage, particularly affecting spelling processing. These results provide valuable clinical insights into understanding linguistic-visuospatial-kinematic aspects that contribute to the early diagnosis of CI with Aβ deposition.
Role of lymphatic invasion in predicting biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Chung Dae Hyuk , Han Jang Hee , Jeong Seung-Hwan , Yuk Hyeong Dong , Jeong Chang Wook , Ku Ja Hyeon , Kwak Cheol
Published: September 2023

Objective

Lymphatic invasion in prostate cancer is associated with poor prognosis. However, there is no consensus regarding the clinical and prognostic value of lymphatic invasion. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of lymphatic invasion in biochemical recurrence (BCR) and compare the recurrence rates between patients with lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 2,207 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) without pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) and 742 patients who underwent RP with PLND for clinically localized or locally advanced prostate cancer, between 1993 and 2020, at Seoul National University Hospital. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to estimate BCR-free survival (BCRFS) using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify the significant factors for BCR. Propensity score matching was performed with a 1:2 ratio to match age, initial PSA level, pathological T stage, and Gleason score to exclude confounding effects.

Results

Of the 2,207 patients who underwent RP without PLND, lymphatic invasion (L1Nx) was observed in 79 (3.5%) individuals. Among the 742 patients who underwent RP with PLND, lymph node metastases were found in 105 patients (14.2%). In patients with lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion was observed in 50 patients (47.6%), whereas lymphatic invasion was observed in 53 patients (8.3%) among those without lymph node metastasis. In patients who underwent RP without PLND, Kaplan–Meier analysis showed significantly poorer BCR-free survival in the L1Nx group than in the L0Nx group (p < 0.001). In patients who underwent RP with PLND, the L1N0, L0N1, and L1N1 groups showed significantly worse prognoses than the L0N0 group (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in BCRFS between the L1N0 and lymph node metastasis groups, including the L0N1 and L1N1 groups. After propensity score matching at a 1:2 ratio, the L1Nx group showed significantly poorer outcomes in terms of BCRFS than the L0Nx group (p = 0.05). In addition, the L1N0 group showed a significantly worse prognosis than the L0N0 group after propensity score matching.

Conclusion

Lymphatic invasion in radical prostatectomy specimens is an independent prognostic factor, which can complement lymph node status for predicting biochemical recurrence. Considering lymphatic invasion as an adverse pathological finding, similar to lymph node metastasis, adjuvant therapy could be considered in patients with lymphatic invasion.
Influence of acute fasting on pain tolerance in healthy subjects: a randomised crossover study
Authors: Edwards Sophie A. , Martin Sarah L. , Rainey Timothy , Whitaker Grace , Greenwood Darren C. , Jones Anthony , Sivan Manoj
Published: September 2023

Background

Although chronic pain and obesity are global health crises with substantial healthcare costs, little is known about the relationship between pain perception and eating behaviours. Food consumption has been reported to provide an analgesic effect by the release of neurotransmitters modulating the pain network. However, whether short-term (acute) fasting affects pain perception remains unclear.

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the effect of acute fasting on pain perception and whether attention and mood changes drove the observed changes.

Patients and methods

The cold pressor test (CPT) was used to investigate the pain tolerance of 25 healthy participants in both non-fasting and 12-h fasting sessions. They were randomised to either session with a crossover to the other after at least 24 h, with the experimenter blinded to the sessions. The pain tolerance was measured using a Stroop task in both attentive and distracted states. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire was used to capture the mood, and a 10-point hunger scale was used to measure hunger. Mixed-effects models were used to investigate the influence of fasting and distraction on pain perception, accounting for the repeated measures.

Results

Fasting reduced CPT pain tolerance, with fasting participants twice as likely to withdraw their hands early (hazard ratio = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.3–4.5). Though men tolerated CPT pain longer than women, there was no evidence that men responded to fasting differently than women (p = 0.9). In addition, no evidence supporting that fasting affected attention or mood was found. Nonetheless, it increased hunger scores by 2.7 points on a 10-point scale (95% CI: 1.2–4.2) and decreased blood glucose concentration levels by 0.51 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.19–0.84).

Conclusion

Acute fasting reduces pain tolerance in the healthy participants, and this effect is independent of gender and attention or mood changes.
The development and validation of an artificial intelligence-based screening method for atrial septal defect in children's chest x-rays
Authors: Zhixin Li , Gang Luo , Zhixian Ji , Silin Pan
Published: September 2023

Purpose

For precise diagnosis and effective management of atrial septal defects, it is of utmost significance to conduct elementary screenings on children. The primary aim of this study is to develop and authenticate an objective methodology for detecting atrial septal defects by employing deep learning (DL) on chest x-ray (CXR) examinations.

Methods

This retrospective study encompassed echocardiographs and corresponding Chest x-rays that were consistently gathered at Qingdao Women's and Children's Hospital from 2018 to 2022. Based on a collaborative diagnosis report by two cardiologists with over 10 years of experience in echocardiography, these radiographs were classified as positive or negative for atrial septal defect, and then divided into training and validation datasets. An artificial intelligence model was formulated by utilizing the training dataset and fine-tuned using the validation dataset. To evaluate the efficacy of the model, an assessment of the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value was conducted employing the validation dataset.

Results

This research encompassed a total of 420 images from individuals. The screening accuracy and recall rate of the model surpass 90%.

Conclusions

One of profound neural network models predicated on chest x-ray radiographs (a traditional, extensively employed, and economically viable examination) proves highly advantageous in the assessment for atrial septal defect.
Analysis of 6 pediatric nephrotic syndrome cases with complications of cerebral sinovenous thrombosis and literature review
Authors: Lu Xuan , Yan Cao , Chen Hui , Wu Xiaochuan
Published: September 2023

Background

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare but serious complication of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in children. To investigate the clinical characteristics of CVST in children with NS in order to timely diagnose this complication and reduce poor outcome.

Methods

Collect and analyze clinical data and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) results of children with NS complicated with CVST.

Results

Data of 6 patients with NS complicated with CVST were collected. 4 of the patients were steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) and 2 were steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). The occurrence of CVST was observed within a time frame ranging from 12 days to 3 years following the diagnosis of NS. One patient had two episodes of thrombosis in three years, while the other five patients had only one episode of thrombosis. All patients had proteinuria at the time of episode of thrombosis. All patients presented with headache, and three of them had strabismus, seizures, and transient blindness, respectively. Neurological examination was negative. All patients were diagnosed with CVST by MRV within 3–16 days of the onset of headache. Two patients had TRPC6 gene mutation. All patients had resolution of neurological symptoms after anticoagulation treatment.

Conclusion

CVST may occur in the early stages of NS. There is currently a lack of specific diagnostic indicators to reliably identify the presence of CVST in patients with NS. Children with NS who have neurological symptoms should be promptly evaluated with imaging studies. Whether TRPC6 gene mutation is also a risk factor for CVST remains to be further studied.
Zebrafish as model system for the biological characterization of CK1 inhibitors
Authors: Meier Laura , Gahr Bernd Martin , Roth Aileen , Gihring Adrian , Kirschner Stefan , Woitaske-Proske Clemens , Baier Joana , Peifer Christian , Just Steffen , Knippschild Uwe
Published: September 2023

Introduction: The CK1 family is involved in a variety of physiological processes by regulating different signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin, the Hedgehog and the p53 signaling pathways. Mutations or dysregulation of kinases in general and of CK1 in particular are known to promote the development of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and inflammation. There is increasing evidence that CK1 isoform specific small molecule inhibitors, including CK1δ- and CK1ε-specific inhibitors of Wnt production (IWP)-based small molecules with structural similarity to benzimidazole compounds, have promising therapeutic potential.

Methods: In this study, we investigated the suitability of the zebrafish model system for the evaluation of such CK1 inhibitors. To this end, the kinetic parameters of human CK1 isoforms were compared with those of zebrafish orthologues. Furthermore, the effects of selective CK1δ inhibition during zebrafish embryonic development were analyzed in vivo.

Results: The results revealed that zebrafish CK1δA and CK1δB were inhibited as effectively as human CK1δ by compounds G2-2 with IC50 values of 345 and 270 nM for CK1δA and CK1δB versus 503 nM for human CK1δ and G2-3 exhibiting IC50 values of 514 and 561 nM for zebrafish CK1δA and B, and 562 nM for human CK1δ. Furthermore, the effects of selective CK1δ inhibition on zebrafish embryonic development in vivo revealed phenotypic abnormalities indicative of downregulation of CK1δ. Treatment of zebrafish embryos with selected inhibitors resulted in marked phenotypic changes including blood stasis, heart failure, and tail malformations.

Conclusion: The results suggest that the zebrafish is a suitable in vivo assay model system for initial studies of the biological relevance of CK1δ inhibition.
Monitoring beam charge during FLASH irradiations
Authors: Vojnovic Borivoj , Tullis Iain D. C. , Newman Robert G. , Petersson Kristoffer
Published: September 2023

In recent years, FLASH irradiation has attracted significant interest in radiation research. Studies have shown that irradiation at ultra-high dose rates (FLASH) reduces the severity of toxicities in normal tissues compared to irradiation at conventional dose rates (CONV), as currently used in clinical practice. Most pre-clinical work is currently carried out using charged particle beams and the beam charge monitor described here is relevant to such beams. Any biological effect comparisons between FLASH and CONV irradiations rely on measurement of tissue dose. While well-established approaches can be used to monitor, in real time, the dose delivered during CONV irradiations, monitoring FLASH doses is not so straightforward. Recently the use of non-intercepting beam current transformers (BCTs) has been proposed for FLASH work. Such BCTs have been used for decades in numerous accelerator installations to monitor temporal and intensity beam profiles. In order to serve as monitoring dosimeters, the BCT output current must be integrated, using electronic circuitry or using software integration following signal digitisation. While sensitive enough for FLASH irradiation, where few intense pulses deliver the requisite dose, the inherent insensitivity of BCTs and the need for a wide detection bandwidth makes them less suitable for use during CONV “reference” irradiations. The purpose of this article is to remind the FLASH community of a different mode of BCT operation: direct monitoring of charge, rather than current, achieved by loading the BCT capacitively rather than resistively. The resulting resonant operation achieves very high sensitivities, enabling straightforward monitoring of output during both CONV and FLASH regimes. Historically, such inductive charge monitors have been used for single pulse work; however, a straightforward circuit modification allows selective resonance damping when repetitive pulsing is used, as during FLASH and CONV irradiations. Practical means of achieving this are presented, as are construction and signal processing details. Finally, results are presented showing the beneficial behaviour of the BCT versus an (Advanced Markus) ionisation chamber for measurements over a dose rate range, from <0.1 Gys−1 to >3 kGys−1.
Optimizing water and nitrogen management strategies to improve their use efficiency, eggplant yield and fruit quality
Authors: Zhou Chenli , Zhang Hengjia , Yu Shouchao , Chen Xietian , Li Fuqiang , Wang Yong , Wang Yingying , Liu Lintao
Published: September 2023

With improvement in living standards, consumer preferences for vegetables are changing from quantity- to quality-oriented. Water and nitrogen supply, as two major determinants of vegetable crop yield and quality, can be optimally managed to improve the yield and quality. To evaluate the response in yield, fruit quality, and water and nitrogen utilization of eggplant to different water and nitrogen management strategies, a 2-year (2021 and 2022) field trial under mulched drip irrigation was conducted. The growth period was divided into seedling, flowering and fruit set, fruit development, and fruit ripening stages. Three irrigation levels were applied during the flowering and fruit set stage: W0, adequate water supply (70%–80% of field water capacity, FC); W1, mild water deficit (60%–70% FC); and W2, moderate water deficit (50%–60% FC). In addition, three nitrogen application rates were applied: N1, low nitrogen level (215 kg ha−1); N2, medium nitrogen level (270 kg ha−1); and N3, high nitrogen level (325 kg ha−1). The irrigation and nitrogen rates were applied in all combinations (i.e., nine treatments in total). Adequate water supply throughout the reproductive period in combination with no nitrogen application served as the control (CK). The yield of the W1N2 treatment was significantly increased by 32.62% and 35.06% in 2021 and 2022, respectively, compared with that of the CK. Fruit soluble protein, soluble solids, and vitamin C contents were significantly higher under W1 than W2. Fruit quality was significantly higher under the N2 rate compared with the other nitrogen rates. The W1N2 treatment showed the highest water productivity, with a significant increase of 11.27%–37.84% (2021) and 14.71%–42.48% (2022) compared with that under the other treatments. Based on the average water-deficit degree and nitrogen application rate, W0 and N1 had the highest partial factor productivity of nitrogen. Assessment of the results using the TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution) method indicated that mild water deficit in combination with the medium nitrogen application rate (W1N2) was the optimal water and nitrogen management strategy for cultivated eggplant. The present findings contribute novel insights into the sustainable cultivation of eggplant in an oasis arid environment.
Control effect of root exudates from mycorrhizal watermelon seedlings on Fusarium wilt and the bacterial community in continuously cropped soil
Authors: Li Wei , Hu Xue-Yi , Zhu Cheng-Shang , Guo Shao Xia , Li Min
Published: September 2023

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is susceptible to wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp niveum (FON). AMF colonization alleviates watermelon wilt and regulates the composition of root exudates, but the effects of mycorrhizal watermelon root exudates on watermelon Fusarium wilt is not well understood. Root exudates of watermelon inoculated with AMF (Funeliformis mosseae or Glomus versiformme) were collected in this study. Then the root exudates of control plants and mycorrhizal plants were used to irrigate watermelon in continuous cropping soil, respectively. Meanwhile, the watermelon growth, antioxidant enzyme activity, rhizosphere soil enzyme activities and bacterial community composition, as well as the control effect on FON were analyzed. The results indicated that mycorrhizal watermelon root exudates promoted the growth of watermelon seedlings and increased soil enzyme activities, actinomyces, and the quantity of bacteria in rhizosphere soil. The proportion of Proteobacteria and Bacteroides was decreased, and the proportion of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Chloroflexi in rhizosphere soil was increased when the seedlings were watered with high concentrations of mycorrhizal root exudates. The dominant bacterial genera in rhizosphere soil were Kaistobacter, Rhodanobacter, Thermomonas, Devosia, and Bacillus. The root exudates of mycorrhizal watermelon could reduce the disease index of Fusarium wilt by 6.7–30%, and five ml/L of watermelon root exudates inoculated with F. mosseae had the strongest inhibitory effect on watermelon Fusarium wilt. Our results suggest mycorrhizal watermelon root exudates changed the composition of bacteria and soil enzyme activities in rhizosphere soil, which increase the resistance of watermelon to Fusarium wilt and promoted the growth of plants in continuous cropping soil.
Melatonin interaction with abscisic acid in the regulation of abiotic stress in Solanaceae family plants
Authors: Ali Muhammad , Pan Yupeng , Liu Hanqiang , Cheng Zhihui
Published: September 2023

Solanaceous vegetable crops are cultivated and consumed worldwide. However, they often confront diverse abiotic stresses that significantly impair their growth, yield, and overall quality. This review delves into melatonin and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and their roles in abiotic stress responses. It closely examines the intricate interplay between melatonin and ABA in managing stress within plants, revealing both collaborative and antagonistic effects and elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms. Melatonin and ABA mutually influence each other’s synthesis, metabolism and that of other plant hormones, a key focus of this study. The study highlights melatonin’s role in aiding stress management through ABA-dependent pathways and key genes in the melatonin-ABA interaction. Specifically, melatonin downregulates ABA synthesis genes and upregulates catabolism genes, leading to reduced ABA levels. It also directly scavenges H2O2, enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, thereby underscoring their collaborative role in mediating stress responses. Moreover, the interplay between melatonin and ABA plays an essential role in multiple physiological processes of plants, including stomatal behaviors, wax accumulation, delay leaf senescence, seed germination, and seedlings growth, among others. Recognizing these relationships in Solanaceae vegetable crops holds great importance for improving agricultural practices and crop quality. In summary, this review offers a comprehensive overview of recent studies on the melatonin and ABA interplay, serving as a valuable resource for researchers and breeders dedicated to fortifying crop resilience and productivity within challenging environments.
The prevalence and factors associated with posttraumatic growth after 3-years outbreak of COVID-19 among resident physicians in China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zeng Zixuan , Wang Huan , Zhou Yaxing , Lu Zhanghong , Ci Renyangcuo , Lin Yezhe , Zeng Xiaoping , Huang Lei
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global traumatic event that has profoundly struck individuals’ mental health. However, this might potentially promote positive transformation such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Studies have indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the well-being of resident physicians, but little is known about PTG among this vulnerable population in China. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of PTG among Chinese resident physicians after 3-years outbreak of COVID-19.

Methods

An online survey was conducted from 9 March to 20 March in 2023. PTG was assessed using the 10-item Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGI-SF). Scores ≥30 implied moderate-to-high PTG. We also collected possible associated factors for PTG, including socio-demographic and psychological variables. Data was analyzed by applying descriptive statistics, univariable and multivariable logistic regression models.

Results

In total, 2267 Chinese resident physicians provided validated data. 38.7% of them reported moderate-to-high PTG. In the multivariable logistic regression models, age (odds ratio, OR = 1.039; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI = 1.008–1.070), female (OR = 1.383, 95%CI = 1.151–1.662), satisfied or neutral with annual income (OR = 2.078, 95%CI = 1.524–2.832; OR = 1.416, 95%CI = 1.157–1.732), sufficient support at work (OR = 1.432, 95%CI = 1.171–1.751) and resilience (OR = 1.171, 95%CI = 1.096–1.252) were significantly positively associated with moderate-to-high PTG. On the contrary, burnout (OR = 0.653, 95%CI = 0.525–0.812), depression symptoms (OR = 0.700, 95%CI = 0.552–0.889), and stress (OR = 0.757, 95%CI = 0.604–0.949) were significantly negatively associated with moderate-to-high PTG.

Discussion

Overall, resident physicians in China experienced relatively high prevalence of PTG that could be associated with several psychosocial factors. Findings may provide evidence to develop interventions for resident physicians to systematically and constructively process traumatic events related to the pandemic and foster their PTG.
Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Role Conflicts Among Interpreters Working With Refugee Clients: The Role Conflicts Questionnaire
Authors: Geiling Angelika , Nohr Laura , Meyer Caroline , Böttche Maria , Knaevelsrud Christine , Stammel Nadine
Published: September 2023

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess interpreters’ role conflicts and the challenging aspects within the triad of practitioner, interpreter and refugee client.

Methods: A questionnaire was developed based on previous literature. Its factor structure and construct validity were assessed in an online survey of 164 interpreters working with refugee clients. Psychological distress (BSI-18), work-related exhaustion (CBI), and secondary traumatic stress (ProQOL) were measured to test the questionnaire’s convergent validity.

Results: Exploratory structural equation modeling for categorical variables resulted in 23 items across four subscales. The scores of all subscales had good or excellent reliability (ω = 0.81 to ω = 0.93) and correlation analyses indicated convergent validity.

Conclusion: The final questionnaire (RoCo) showed four clearly interpretable subscales and may help to identify emotional distress due to role conflicts among interpreters. Future studies should validate the questionnaire in different samples.
A Back Propagation Neural Network Model for Postharvest Blueberry Shelf-Life Prediction Based on Feature Selection and Dung Beetle Optimizer
Authors: Zhang Runze , Zhu Yujie , Liu Zhongshen , Feng Guohong , Diao Pengfei , Wang Hongen , Fu Shenghong , Lv Shuo , Zhang Chen
Published: September 2023

(1) Background: Traditional kinetic-based shelf-life prediction models have low fitting accuracy and inaccurate prediction results for blueberries. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a blueberry shelf-life prediction method based on a back propagation neural network (BPNN) optimized by the dung beetle optimizer using an elite pool strategy and a Gaussian distribution estimation strategy (GDEDBO); (2) Methods: The “Liberty” blueberry cultivar was used as the research object, and 23 quality indicators, including color parameters, weight loss rate, decay rate, and texture parameters, were measured under storage temperatures of 0, 4, and 25 °C. Based on the maximum relevance minimum redundancy (MRMR) algorithm, seven key influencing factors of shelf life were selected as the input parameters of the model, and then the MRMR-GDEDBO-BPNN prediction model was established; (3) Results: the results showed that the model outperformed the baseline model at all three temperatures, with strong generalization ability, high prediction accuracy, and reliability; and (4) Conclusions: this study provided a theoretical basis for the shelf-life determination of blueberries under different storage temperatures and offered technical support for the prediction of remaining shelf life.
Precise Short-Term Small-Area Sunshine Forecasting for Optimal Seedbed Scheduling in Plant Factories
Authors: Gong Liang , Huang Fei , Zhang Wei , Li Yanming , Liu Chengliang
Published: September 2023

Photosynthesis is one of the key issues for vertical cultivation in plant factories, and efficient natural sunlight utilization requires predicting the light falling on each seedbed in a real-time manner. However, public weather services neither provide sunshine data nor meet spatial resolution requirement. Facing these short-term and small-area weather forecasting challenges, we propose a cross-scale approach to infer seedbed-sized areas of sunshine from the city-level public weather services, and then design a seedbed rotation scheduling system for optimal natural sunlight utilization. First, an end-edge-cloud coordinated computing architecture was employed to concurrently aggregate the multi-scale data from weather satellites to sunshine sensors in the plant factory. Second, the small area of sunshine deterministically depends on the meteorological data given a fixed environment, and this correlation was described by a hybrid mapping model, which combined the long short-term memory (LSTM) and gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) algorithms to form the LSTM-GBDT hybrid prediction algorithm (LGHPA). By training the LGHPA with historical local sensory sunshine and the city-scale meteorological data, the hourly sunshine on a seedbed can be predicted from the public weather forecasting service. Finally, a dynamic seedbed scheduling scheme was constructed to provide uniform solar energy absorption according to the one-hour-ahead radiation estimation. Experiment results show that the hourly sunshine prediction error was less than 18.44% over a seasonal period and the deviation for different solar absorption by seedbeds with rotation capability is less than 7.1%. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the application of short-term, small-area sunshine forecasting improved the performance of seedbed rotation for uniformly absorbed solar radiation. The proposed method verifies the feasibility of precisely predicting small-area sunshine down to the seedbed scale by leveraging a model-based approach and a cloud-edge-end merged cybernetic computing paradigm.
RNA-Seq Revealed the Molecular Mechanism of Nutritional Quality Improvement in o16-wx Double-Mutation Maize
Authors: Ma Zhoujie , Wu Peizhen , Deng Lei , Zhang Kaiwu , Yang Wenpeng , Ren Hong , Song Li , Wang Wei
Published: September 2023

The enhancement of the nutritional composition of maize grains could be achieved by the introduction of a mutation with a heightened lysine content. To obtain double-recessive mutant lines for the o16 and wx genes, a molecular-marker-assisted selection technique was used to backcross them into conventional maize lines. The resultant maize was subsequently utilized to explore the molecular mechanism responsible for the maize’s nutritional quality. Based on this, an RNA-seq investigation was conducted using the employing kernels during the development period of maize kernel (18, 28, and 38 DAP) to examine the gene expression involved in amino metabolism. The results revealed that a total of 27 and 34 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in tryptophan metabolism and lysine metabolism, respectively, across three time periods. In the lysine synthesis pathway, the genes encoding AK, ASD, and DapF were found to be up-regulated at various stages, encouraging lysine synthesis. Conversely, in the lysine degradation pathway, the genes encoding ALDH7A1 and LKR/SDH were down-regulated, suggesting an increase in lysine content. In the process of tryptophan metabolism, the down-regulation of genes encoding TAA and ALDH led to an increase in tryptophan content. In addition, the down-regulation of genes encoding α-zein resulted in a decrease in zein content, thereby enhancing the nutritional quality of maize. These findings hold substantial significance for elucidating the transcriptional-level molecular mechanism, underlying the accumulation of o16 and wx genes to improve maize grain quality, as well as offering valuable insight for the development of biomarkers and gene editing.
Understanding Chile Pepper Consumers’ Preferences: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Lillywhite Jay , Robinson Chadelle
Published: September 2023

U.S. per-capita chile consumption and foreign imports have increased over the last twenty years while domestic production has fallen. To maintain market share, U.S. chile producers must increase crop revenues and/or decrease production expenses. A better understanding of U.S. consumer preferences relative to chile attributes can provide direction for U.S. chile producers. This paper utilizes a discrete choice experiment within an online survey to gain insights into long-green chile pepper attributes desired by consumers. The results suggest that survey participants prefer fresh long-green chile produced in the United States. Participants also preferred milder long-green chile and value quality inspections. Organic production was preferred to hydroponically produced long-green chile, but a statistical difference between organic and other production practices was not observed. Understanding these preferences may allow producers to better position themselves to remain competitive in the long-green chile market.
Genetic Dissection of Bentazone Tolerance Loci in Cultivated Soybeans: A Genome-Wide Association Study
Authors: Jo Hyun , Ali Liakat , Song Jong Tae , Lee Jeong-Dong
Published: September 2023

Weeds alone cause a 37% loss in attainable soybean production. Bentazone is a postemergence herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds in the cultivation of cereals, legumes, vegetables, and tuber crops. This study aimed to screen the Korean collections of cultivated soybeans in relation to bentazone, identifying the genetic loci controlling bentazone reactions to cultivated soybean collections using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). This study identified bentazone-tolerant and bentazone-sensitive soybean germplasms from 418 cultivated soybean germplasms and found that moderate bentazone tolerance predominated in the Korean collection of cultivated soybeans. The GWAS revealed that 42 SNPs distributed on chromosomes 3, 5, 6, 13, and 20 were strongly associated with the bentazone reaction in 418 cultivated soybean accessions over three years. Of these loci, a genomic region on chromosome 5 contained significant SNPs and was identified as being involved in the bentazone reaction in both 2020 and 2021, based on FarmCPU analysis. By conducting a haplotype analysis, this study identified five putative genes, namely, Glyma.05g145000 (ATP-binding cassette transporter), Glyma.05g145100 (unknown), Glyma.05g145200 (ankyrin repeat family protein), Glyma.05g145300 (transmembrane amino acid transporter protein), and Glyma.05g145400 (unknown). Further studies are required to confirm the involvement of the putative genes in the bentazone reaction by comparing their expression levels between bentazone-tolerant and bentazone-sensitive plants. Therefore, the results of this study can be used for marker-assisted selection in programs for the breeding of herbicide-tolerant soybeans.
Effects of Drought Hardening and Saline Water Irrigation on the Growth, Yield, and Quality of Tomato
Authors: Gao Yang , Shao Guangcheng , Cui Jintao , Lu Jia , Tian Longjia , Song Enze , Zeng Zhongyi
Published: September 2023

Drought hardening could promote the development of plant roots, potentially improving the resistance of crops to other adversities. To investigate the response and resistance of physiological and growth characteristics induced by drought hardening to salt stress in the later stages, a greenhouse experiment was carried out from 2021 to 2022 with one blank control treatment and twelve treatments that comprised combinations of four irrigation regimes (W1 = 85%, W2 = 70%, W3 = 55%, and W4 = 40% of the field capacity) and three irrigation water salinity levels (S2, S4, and S6, referring to 2 g, 4 g, and 6 g of sodium chloride added to 1000 mL of tap water, respectively). The results show that saline water irrigation introduced a large amount of salt into the soil, resulting in the deterioration of tomato growth, physiology, yield, and water use efficiency (WUE), but had a positive, significant effect on fruit quality. When the irrigation water salinity was 2 g L−1, the W2 treatment could reduce soil salt accumulation, even at the end of the maturation stage; consequently, enhancing the increments in plant height and leaf area index during the whole growing stage. The physiological activity of tomato plants under the W2 and W3 treatments showed a promoting effect. Correspondingly, the maximum values of the fruit quality of tomato plants irrigated with the same saline water were all obtained with the W2 or W3 treatment. However, the yield and WUE of the W3 treatment were lower than that of the W2 treatment, which was the highest among the same saline water irrigation treatments, consistent with the reflection of the changing trend of the ratio of fresh weight to dry weight. Overall, drought hardening can be considered an economically viable approach to mitigate the hazards of saline water irrigation, and the W2S2 combination is recommended for tomato production due to the maximum values of yield and WUE with a higher fruit quality among the twelve saline water irrigation treatments.
Phenotypic Characterization and Gene Mapping of a Spiral Leaf and Dwarf (sld) Mutant from Tetraploid Common Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)
Authors: Wang Shaomei , Wu Xinru , Guo Yongfeng , Wang Dawei , Cheng Lirui , Wang Yuanying , Yang Aiguo , Liu Guanshan
Published: September 2023

Leaf morphology and plant height are two agronomic traits closely related to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) yield and quality. The study of leaf morphology and plant stature mutants will greatly contribute to the fields of plant architecture breeding and developmental biology. Here, we report the characterization of a spiral leaf and dwarf (sld) mutant identified from an ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS)-induced common tobacco population. The sld mutant displayed the phenotype of wrinkled, spiral, and miniature leaves, with the growth point as the central axis and plant dwarfing with shortened internodes. The inheritance pattern of the sld mutant phenotype was manipulated by a recessive nuclear monogene, which was linked to six tobacco simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from linkage group 5 via gene mapping. Utilizing an F2 population, the sld mutant gene the sld mutant gene was located between the co-segregated markers PT51778, PT54913, and the marker PT61414, with an equal genetic distance of 0.16 cM. Taking advantage of a BC1F1 population, the markers PT51778, PT54913, the sld gene, and the marker PT61414 demonstrated co-segregation, located between the markers PT40040 and PT60933, respectively, with a genetic distance of 1.37 cM and 6.32 cM, respectively. These findings will be helpful in cloning the sld gene and in the further characterization of the regulatory genes controlling the spiral and dwarfing phenotypes in tobacco.