bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review on phytochemicals, pharmacological activities, drug interactions, and associated toxicities of licorice (Glycyrrhizasp.)
Authors: Husain Islam , Bala Kiran , Khan Ikhlas A. , Khan Shabana I.
Published: August 2021

Since the beginning, human beings have consistently been using plants and their components for the prevention and treatment of various ailments. However, in the last few decades, plant‐based medicines and health supplements are gaining more acceptability and rapid popularity. Licorice (Glycyrrhizasp.) is a terrestrial herb belonging to the family Fabaceae and primarily cultivated in European, Middle Eastern, and South Asian countries. Ethnomedicinal uses of licorice have frequently been described in the world's renowned medical systems, including Ayurveda, Unani, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, African, and European traditional medical systems. To date, 30 species of licorice are known, and among them,G.glabra,G.inflata, andG.uralensisare significantly explored for nutritional and pharmacological benefits. The wide range of commercially available products, including herbal preparations, health supplements, cosmetics, and food and feeds preparations use licorice as active ingredient. Glabridin, licochalcone A, glycyrrhizin, and 18‐glycyrrhetinic acid are the notable phytochemicals isolated from licorice and immensely explored for biological and pharmacological activities. Nevertheless, the excessive intake of licorice has also been associated with a wide spectrum of adverse effects on human health. Among them, several are reported to be mediated by modulation of drug‐metabolizing cytochrome P‐450 enzymes. In the present review, we provide a comprehensive description of the current knowledge of licorice, including historical development, phytoconstituents, species‐specific marker metabolites, herb–drug interaction, pharmacological uses, food additive application, and toxicities. We believe this review will provide excellent information to physicians, researchers, and personnel of different scientific regulatory bodies.
Bacterial and fungal communities of traditional fermented Chinese soybean paste (Doujiang) and their properties
Authors: Ren Fei , Yan Dong‐Hui , Liu Yuchun , Wang Chao , Guo Chao
Published: August 2021

Soybean paste (Doujiang) is one of the traditional fermented foods from China, fermented by various microorganisms. However, the microflora of Doujiang keeps little known. In this study, the microbial communities of seven kinds of representative Doujiang samples were investigated by both culture‐independent and culture‐dependent methods. We found that core OTUs among seven Doujiang samples were mainly from Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Candida, and Aspergillus according to Illumina sequencing. Every type of Doujiang sample harbored a different composition of microbial community. Doujiang LSJ and LBJ had the highest bacterial and fungal richness and diversity, respectively. The structure of microbial community was remarkably correlated with Doujiang properties—pH, and the content of total protein, soluble protein, amino acid, and total sugar (p < .05). Bacillus spp. were most frequently isolated bacterial species. Fungi of Monascus, Candida, and Aspergillus were also isolated. Eleven microbial strains showed high protease activities to degrade corn proteins, which can form obvious transparent hydrolytic circles in corn gluten meal medium plates. Therefore, microbial communities were supposed to tightly connect to Doujiang type and properties. It is possible to apply potential protein‐degrading microbial strains to corn byproducts for protein production in the future study.
Optimal interpolation of global dissolved oxygen: 1965–2015
Authors: Ito Takamitsu
Published: August 2021

Oxygen inventory of the global ocean has declined in recent decades potentially due to the warming‐induced reduction in solubility as well as the circulation and biogeochemical changes associated with ocean warming and increasing stratification. Earth System Models predict continued oxygen decline for this century with profound impacts on marine ecosystem and fisheries. Observational constraint on the rate of oxygen loss is crucial for assessing the ability of models to accurately simulate these changes. There are only a few observational assessments of the global oceanic oxygen inventory reporting a range of oxygen loss. This study develops a gridded data set of dissolved oxygen for the global oceans using optimal interpolation method. The resulting gridded product includes full‐depth map of dissolved oxygen as 5‐year moving average from 1965 to 2015 with uncertainty estimates. The uncertainty can come from unresolved small‐scale and high‐frequency variability and mapping errors. The multi‐decadal trend of global dissolved oxygen is in the range of −281 to −373 Tmol/decade. This estimate is more conservative than previous works. In this study, the grid points far from the observations are essentially set equal to zero anomaly from the climatology. Calculating global inventory with this approach produces a relatively conservative estimate; thus, the results from this study likely provide a useful lower bound estimate of the global oxygen loss.
Money and my mind: Maternal cash transfers and mental health
Authors: Okeke Edward N.
Published: August 2021

This paper documents important mental health spillovers in the context of a program that offered pregnant women modest cash incentives to use pre‐ and perinatal health care services. Program participation was randomized and the payments were made after the birth of the child (and after the completion of an endline mental health assessment). I present causal evidence that the program led to improvements in mothers' mental health. The effect size ranges from a 1–3 percentage point reduction in postpartum depression measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. I present suggestive evidence that these beneficial effects on mental health may be related to program‐induced improvements in child health. These results provide novel evidence that programs designed to improve birth outcomes may generate unanticipated spillover effects on mental health.
Correlation Between Clinical and Pathological Findings of Liver Injury in 27 Patients With Lethal COVID‐19 Infections in Brazil
Authors: Santana Monique Freire , Guerra Mateus T. , Hundt Melanie A. , Ciarleglio Maria M. , Pinto Rebecca Augusta de Araújo , Dutra Bruna Guimarães , Xavier Mariana Simão , Lacerda Marcus Vinicius Guimarães , Ferreira Anderson Jose , Wanderley David Campos , Borges do Nascimento Israel Júnior , Araújo Roberto Ferreira de Almeida , Pinheiro Sérgio Veloso Brant , Araújo Stanley de Almeida , Leite M. Fatima , Ferreira Luiz Carlos de Lima , Nathanson Michael H. , Vieira Teixeira Vidigal Paula
Published: August 2021

Liver test abnormalities are frequently observed in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and are associated with worse prognosis. However, information is limited about pathological changes in the liver in this infection, so the mechanism of liver injury is unclear. Here we describe liver histopathology and clinical correlates of 27 patients who died of COVID‐19 in Manaus, Brazil. There was a high prevalence of liver injury (elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in 44% and 48% of patients, respectively) in these patients. Histological analysis showed sinusoidal congestion and ischemic necrosis in more than 85% of the cases, but these appeared to be secondary to systemic rather than intrahepatic thrombotic events, as only 14% and 22% of samples were positive for CD61 (marker of platelet activation) and C4d (activated complement factor), respectively. Furthermore, the extent of these vascular findings did not correlate with the extent of transaminase elevations. Steatosis was present in 63% of patients, and portal inflammation was present in 52%. In most cases, hepatocytes expressed angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is responsible for binding and entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), even though this ectoenzyme was minimally expressed on hepatocytes in normal controls. However, SARS‐CoV‐2 staining was not observed. Most hepatocytes also expressed inositol 1,4,5‐triphosphate receptor 3 (ITPR3), a calcium channel that becomes expressed in acute liver injury. Conclusion: The hepatocellular injury that commonly occurs in patients with severe COVID‐19 is not due to the vascular events that contribute to pulmonary or cardiac damage. However, new expression of ACE2 and ITPR3 with concomitant inflammation and steatosis suggests that liver injury may result from inflammation, metabolic abnormalities, and perhaps direct viral injury.
Unlearning in the workplace: Antecedents and outcomes
Authors: Kim Eun Jee , Park Sunyoung
Published: August 2021

In the fast‐changing world of business, organizations including individuals and groups/teams need to unlearn old knowledge and learn new knowledge and routines to stay competitive. The purpose of this study is to review the current studies on unlearning in organizations and to integrate the findings to provide insights on how to better manage and facilitate the process of unlearning. We reviewed 37 empirical and related studies to reveal the current research perspectives on unlearning in the workplace. We also identified 30 antecedents promoting unlearning and 44 outcomes of unlearning at the individual, group, and organizational levels. These antecedents and outcomes related to learning, knowledge, and innovation are key HRD research topics. Discussion, implications, and recommendations for future research are presented.
Irreversibility analysis of radiative heat transport of Williamson material over a lubricated surface with viscous heating and internal heat source
Authors: Srinivas Reddy C. , Ali Farhan , Mahanthesh B. , Naikoti Kishan
Published: August 2021

The current research explores the importance of surface lubrication and convective boundary conditions in the flow of non‐Newtonian Williamson material. Rosseland radiative heat flux and viscous heating are also considered. The phenomenon of the generation or absorption of internal heat is studied. The conservation laws of momentum, mass, and energy are used to model the problem with suitable boundary conditions. With the help of appropriate transformations and the finite difference method, highly nonlinear equations of governance are solved. The influence of key parameters on Bejan number, velocity, entropy production, temperature profiles are analyzed by parametric analysis. It was found that the entropy generation rate improves due to the presence of the Rosseland radiative heat flux and the convective boundary on the lubricated surface. The sliding condition on the lubricated surface has lengthened the structure of the velocity boundary layer, while this trend is opposite to the thermal field. The dissipation due to the viscous forces of the Williamson material improves the production of entropy.
A numerical study of space‐fractional three‐phase‐lag bioheat transfer model during thermal therapy
Authors: Kumari Tejaswini , Singh S. K.
Published: August 2021

Prediction of accurate temperature profile and control of temperature are two important factors to treat the cancerous cells effectively in the living tissue during thermal therapy. To deal with this, we have generated a space‐fractional mathematical model of bioheat transfer within the living skin tissue by using three‐phase‐lag constitutive relation. The present model with Dirichlet's boundary condition is investigated in the companionship of the metabolic and external heat source during the thermal therapy. Exponentially decaying (with position) laser heat source is used as an external heating source term. To find out the solution, the model is converted to an initial value problem by using a fractional backward finite difference scheme and then Runge–Kutta (4,5) scheme is applied for determining the temperature profile within the living biological skin tissue. The effect on the dimensionless temperature profile during thermal therapy due to variations in the value of parameters like an order of space‐fractional derivative, relaxation times, blood perfusion coefficient, rate of thermal conductivity, and the external laser heat source incorporated in the current bioheat transfer model is discussed graphically. Results obtained from the study are beneficial in the field of medicine, especially for oncologists.
Treatment of depression: Are psychotropic drugs appropriately dosed in women and in the elderly? Dosages of psychotropic drugs by sex and age in routine clinical practice
Authors: Greil Waldemar , de Bardeci Mateo , Seifert Johanna , Bernegger Xueqiong , Cattapan Katja , Stassen Hans , Wagner Anita L. , Sieberer Marcel , Grohmann Renate , Toto Sermin
Published: August 2021

Background

Several researchers have shown higher concentration‐dose ratios of psychotropic drugs in women and the elderly. Therefore, lower dosages of psychotropic drugs may be recommended in women and the elderly. This study describes sex‐ and age‐related dosage of psychotropic drugs prescribed to patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) in routine clinical practice.

Method

Influence of sex and age on dosages are analysed for the 10 most commonly prescribed drugs in our dataset consisting of 32,082 inpatients with MDD. Data stems from the European drug safety program “Arzneimittelsicherheit in der Psychiatrie”. The observed sex and age differences in prescriptions are compared to differences described in literature on age‐ and gender‐related pharmacokinetics.

Results

Among patients over 65 years, a statistically significant decrease in dosages with increasing age (between 0.65% and 2.83% for each increasing year of age) was observed, except for zopiclone. However, only slight or no influence of sex‐related adjustment of dosage in prescriptions was found.

Conclusion

Age appears to influence adjustment of dosage in most psychotropic drugs, but to a lower extent than data on age‐related pharmacokinetics suggests. Although literature also suggests that lower dosages of psychotropic drugs may be appropriate for females, this study found women are usually prescribed the same dosage as men.
Global View of Per Capita Daily Vitamin D Supply Estimates as Proxy Measures for Vitamin D Intake Data
Authors: Cashman Kevin D.
Published: August 2021

Nationally representative data on vitamin D intake can inform on the adequacy of dietary supply of vitamin D in a population, but such data is lacking for a majority of countries. Estimates of average per capita supply of vitamin D, as calculated using information from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) national food balance sheets (FBSs) can be used as proxy measures for vitamin D intake within a population. In the present work, FAO national FBSs (from 2004 to 2017) for 173 to 178 countries around the globe were used to generate such average per capita vitamin D supply estimates. For countries where food fortification with vitamin D was common, the estimates accounted for this. Using the 2004–2013 FBS data, there was a large range in average per capita vitamin D supply ranging from 0.3 (Ethiopia) to 17.8 (Maldives) μg/d. Globally, 40, 60, 70, four, two, and two countries had average per capita vitamin D supply estimates <1.5, 1.6–3, 3.1–5.5, 5.6–7.5, 7.6–10, and >10 μg/d, respectively. Pelagic fish was the major contributory food commodity (supplying 53%–86%) in countries with supply >7.6 μg/d. Median per capita vitamin D supply estimates for constituent countries within Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania were 1.4, 2.7, 2.8, 4.1, and 4.7 μg/d, respectively. These overall supply trends were mirrored in the newer, 2014–2017 FBS data. Fortification of milk and dairy or wheat flour with vitamin D had an important impact on the vitamin D supply estimates (average increments of 1.6 and 3.1 μg/d, respectively). Overall, the work showed how the per capita daily vitamin D supply estimates, as surrogate for vitamin D intake data, can highlight countries where inadequacy of supply may be of concern. It also shows how fortification of food with vitamin D can have an important impact on addressing low vitamin D intake. © 2021 The Author. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
PTH and FGF23 Exert Interdependent Effects on Renal Phosphate Handling: Evidence From Patients With Hypoparathyroidism and Hyperphosphatemic Familial Tumoral Calcinosis Treated With Synthetic Human PTH 1–34
Authors: Ovejero Diana , Hartley Iris R , de Castro Diaz Luis Fernandez , Theng Elizabeth , Li Xiaobai , Gafni Rachel I , Collins Michael T
Published: August 2021

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) both influence blood phosphate levels by regulating urinary phosphate reabsorption. Clinical data suggest that adequate renal phosphate handling requires the presence of both FGF23 and PTH, but robust evidence is lacking. To investigate whether the phosphaturic effects of PTH and FGF23 are interdependent, 11 patients with hypoparathyroidism, which features high blood phosphate in spite of concomitant FGF23 elevation, and 1 patient with hyperphosphatemic familial tumoral calcinosis (HFTC), characterized by deficient intact FGF23 action and resulting hyperphosphatemia, were treated with synthetic human PTH 1–34 (hPTH 1–34). Biochemical parameters, including blood phosphate, calcium, intact FGF23 (iFGF23), nephrogenic cAMP, 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D (1,25D), and tubular reabsorption of phosphate (TRP), were measured at baseline and after hPTH 1–34 treatment. In patients with hypoparathyroidism, administration of hPTH 1–34 increased nephrogenic cAMP, which resulted in serum phosphate normalization followed by a significant decrease in iFGF23. TRP initially decreased and returned to baseline. In the patient with HFTC, hPTH 1–34 administration also increased nephrogenic cAMP, but this did not produce changes in phosphate or TRP. No changes in calcium were observed in any of the studied patients, although prolonged hPTH 1–34 treatment did induce supraphysiologic 1,25D levels in the patient with HFTC. Our results indicate that PTH and FGF23 effects on phosphate regulation are interdependent and both are required to adequately regulate renal phosphate handling. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The current knowledge concerning solid cancer and therapy
Authors: Najafi Masoud , Majidpoor Jamal , Toolee Heidar , Mortezaee Keywan
Published: August 2021

Solid cancers comprise a large number of new cases and deaths from cancer each year globally. There are a number of strategies for addressing tumors raised from solid organs including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, combinational therapy, and stem cell and extracellular vesicle (EV) therapy. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are the dominant cures, but are not always effective, in which even in a localized tumor there is a possibility of tumor relapse after surgical resection. Over half of the cancer patients will receive radiotherapy as a part of their therapeutic schedule. Radiotherapy can cause an abscopal response for boosting the activity of the immune system outside the local field of radiation, but it may also cause an unwanted bystander effect, predisposing nonradiated cells into carcinogenesis. In the context of immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibition is known as the standard‐of‐care, but the major concern is in regard with cold cancers that show low responses to such therapy. Stem‐cell therapy can be used to send prodrugs toward the tumor area; this strategy, however, has its own predicaments, such as unwanted attraction toward the other sites including healthy tissues and its instability. A substitute to such therapy and quite a novel strategy is to use EVs, by virtue of their stability and potential to cross biological barriers and long‐term storage of contents. Combination therapy is the current focus. Despite advances in the field, there are still unmet concerns in the area of effective cancer therapy, raising challenges and opportunities for future investigations.
Neuroprotective effect of α‐pinene self‐emulsifying nanoformulation against 6‐OHDA induced neurotoxicity on human SH‐SY5Y cells and its in vivo validation for anti‐Parkinson's effect
Authors: Srivastava Rajnish , Choudhury Pratim K. , Dev Suresh K. , Rathore Vaibhav
Published: August 2021

Abstracts

Oxidative stress (OS) is involved in the multifaceted pathogenic paradigm of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease (PD). Monoterpenes like α‐pinene (ALP) is considered to be a therapeutically potent antioxidant agent able to attenuate and scavenge various reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo neuroprotective effect of α‐pinene self‐emulsifying nanoformulation (ALP‐SENF) for PD. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay was done to evaluate the neurotoxic dose of the ALP‐SENF; however, the neuroprotective effect was assessed by 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) induced neurotoxicity model on SH‐SY5Y taking NAC (N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine) as standard. The in vivo anti‐Parkinson's activity of the ALP‐SENF was compared with that of the plain ALP suspension by using reserpine antagonism and haloperidol‐induced Parkinsonism model in rats. Various behavioral tests and biochemical antioxidant enzymes were estimated. The in vitro results revealed that treatment with ALP‐SENF at a concentration of 100 and 200 µM was found to show significant neuronal SH‐SY5Y cell viability against 50 µM 6‐OHDA. ALP‐SENF treated animals have seen significant neurobehavioral improvement. Furthermore, the levels of antioxidative enzymes in biochemical test reveals a marked enhancement in the expression of antioxidant enzymes that significantly attenuated the OS induced neurodegeneration. Due to the mechanisms of their antioxidant action, it was probably due to the scavenging of free radicals and the expression of antioxidant enzymes. It also improved neurobehavioral changes induced by reserpine and haloperidol.
Doxazosin and erlotinib have anticancer effects in the endometrial cancer cell and important roles in ERα and Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathways
Authors: Karaca Büşra , Bakır Elçin , Yerer Mükerrem Betül , Cumaoğlu Ahmet , Hamurcu Zuhal , Eken Ayşe
Published: August 2021

ERα and Wnt/β‐catenin pathways are critical for the progression of most endometrial cancers. We aimed to investigate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of tamoxifen and quinazoline derivative drugs of doxazosin and erlotinib, and their roles in ERα and Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathways in human endometrial cancer RL 95‐2 cell. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2yl)−2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and xCELLigence systems were performed to evaluate cytotoxicity. Furthermore, apoptotic induction was tested by Annexin V analysis. Caspase‐3 and ‐9 activity and changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential were evaluated. The level of reactive oxygen species was measured by incubating with dichlorofluorescein diacetate. Protein ratios of p‐ERα/ERα, GSK3β/p‐GSK3β, and p‐β‐catenin/β‐catenin and expression levels of ESR1, EGFR, c‐Myc genes were evaluated to elucidate mechanisms in signaling pathways. We found that the tested drugs showed cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in the cells. Doxazosin significantly reduced ESR1 expression, slightly reduced the p‐β‐catenin/β‐catenin ratio and c‐Myc expression. Erlotinib significantly increased c‐Myc expression while significantly decreasing the p‐β‐catenin/β‐catenin and p‐ERα/ERα ratio, and ESR1 expression. However, we observed that the cells develop resistance to erlotinib over a certain concentration, suggesting that ERα, ESR1, EGFR, and c‐Myc may be a new target for overcoming drug resistance in the treatment of endometrial cancer. We also observed that erlotinib and doxazosin play an important role in the ERα signaling pathway and can act as potent inhibitors of PKA and/or tyrosine kinase in the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway in RL 95‐2 cell. In conclusion, doxazosin and erlotinib may have a possible therapeutic potential in human endometrial cancer.
Elevated pulmonary levels of Axin2 in mice exposed to herbicide 2,4‐D with or without endotoxin
Authors: Kaur Gurvinder , Verma Ramneek , Mukhopadhyay Chandra Shekhar , Sethi Ramsaran
Published: August 2021

2,4‐Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D), a member of the phenoxy family of herbicides is commonly used in agriculture for controlling broadleaf weeds but its uncontrolled and incoherent use has been linked to incidences of lung toxicity. The present study aimed to understand the molecular mechanisms behind the 2,4‐D alone or in combination with endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) induced pulmonary toxicity. Blood and lung samples were collected from Swiss albino mice (n = 48) following chronic exposure to high (37 mg/kg; 1/10th of LD50) and low (18.5 mg/kg; 1/20th of LD50) doses of 2,4‐D alone or in combination with endotoxin (80 µg/animal). Transcriptome analysis revealed Wnt Canonical signaling as one of the top dysregulated pathways in mice lung following exposure to 2,4‐D with and without endotoxin (LPS) co‐exposure. Global view of differentially expressed genes showed increased messenger RNA expression of Axin2 by 0.26, 2.58, 3.14, 2.59, and 2.97 folds following exposure to LPS, high dose alone or in combination with LPS and low dose alone or in combination with LPS, respectively. The microarray data were validated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the plasma concentration of Axin2 was elevated in the high dose group as revealed by Sandwich ELISA. The data taken together suggest a role of Axin2 to activate the Canonical Wnt signaling pathway in 2,4‐D and or endotoxin‐induced lung damage in mice.
Perfect and nearly perfect separation dimension of complete and random graphs
Authors: Yuster Raphael
Published: August 2021

The separation dimension of a hypergraph is the smallest natural number for which there is an embedding of into , such that any pair of disjoint edges is separated by some hyperplane normal to one of the axes. The perfect separation dimension further requires that any pair of disjoint edges is separated by the same amount of such (pairwise nonparallel) hyperplanes. While it is known that for any fixed , the separation dimension of any ‐vertex ‐graph is , the perfect separation dimension is much larger. In fact, no polynomial upper‐bound for the perfect separation dimension of ‐uniform hypergraphs is known. In our first result we essentially resolve the case , that is, graphs. We prove that the perfect separation dimension of is linear in , up to a small polylogarithmic factor. In fact, we prove it is at least and at most . Our second result proves that the perfect separation dimension of almost all graphs is also linear in , up to a logarithmic factor. This follows as a special case of a more general result showing that the perfect separation dimension of the random graph is w.h.p. for a wide range of values of , including all constant . Finally, we prove that significantly relaxing perfection to just requiring that any pair of disjoint edges of is separated the same number of times up to a difference of for some absolute constant , still requires the dimension to be . This is perhaps surprising as it is known that if we allow a difference of , then the dimension reduces to .
Applying the nutrient transfer continuum framework to phosphorus and nitrogen losses from livestock farmyards to watercourses
Authors: Vero Sara E. , Doody Donnacha
Published: August 2021

Farmyards are commonly conceptualized as point sources of nutrient pollution nested within the wider agricultural landscape. However, within farmyards there are individual sources and delivery pathways, each of which is affected by a range of management practices and infrastructure. Rainfall mobilizes these nutrients, which may then be delivered to a receptor or to the wider drainage network. As such, the nutrient transfer continuum (NTC), which has been established as a framework to understand and mitigate nutrient loss at a landscape scale, can be similarly applied to disentangle the stages of nutrient transfer from farmyards. The NTC differentiates nutrient transfer into source, mobilization, delivery, and impact stages. This differentiation allows targeting of mitigation measures and evaluation of costs and benefits. This review paper applies the NTC template to farmyard nitrogen and phosphorus transport to conceptualize causative factors and to identify mitigation options.
Genetic counseling student rotations in industry: How COVID‐19 magnified the urgency for virtual learning options in diverse training settings
Authors: Arjunan Aishwarya , Sanders Merideth , Chen Anthony , Roscow Breanna , Ray Jessica
Published: August 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges worldwide that required rapid adaptation and transformation across the entire healthcare system. Graduate medical training programs across all specialties have moved to rapidly adjust to the virtual landscape. This created a unique opportunity for genetic counselors who work in industry and within diagnostic laboratories to develop internship and rotation programs that can be offered virtually to meet the needs of genetic counseling training programs. Myriad Genetics, Inc., was contacted by numerous graduate programs in genetic counseling beginning in March 2020 requesting the opportunity for their students to participate in remote laboratory‐based rotations. As a result of these requests, a working group of genetic counselors across Myriad came together to adapt existing experiences to fully remote formats and develop new remote‐based opportunities for students. We describe our experience of expanding genetic counseling student rotations during the COVID‐19 pandemic with the goal of providing examples of remote learning experiences that may be applicable to other diagnostic laboratory industry‐based rotations for genetic counseling students. In 2020, a total of 59 second‐year genetic counseling students, from 21 different genetic counseling training programs, participated in one of five different virtual experiences. Furthermore, two new rotation experiences were created to increase capacity and highlight diversity of industry roles. Genetic counselors in industry are uniquely positioned to provide both remote training opportunities for genetic counseling students and exposure to the variety of roles that genetic counselors can occupy. Increasing the exposure to these roles is important as the genetic counseling workforce continues to expand and diversify, and it is imperative among all programs to enable access to these opportunities.
Reconstruction of Middle to Late Quaternary sea level using submerged speleothems from the northeastern Yucatán Peninsula
Authors: Steidle Simon D. , Warken Sophie F. , Schorndorf Nils , Förstel Julius , Schröder‐Ritzrau Andrea , Moseley Gina E. , Spötl Christoph , Aviles Jeronimo , Stinnesbeck Wolfgang , Frank Norbert
Published: August 2021

We examined 14 subaerially deposited speleothems retrieved from submerged caves in the northeastern Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico). These speleothems grew during the Middle to Late Quaternary and were dated by 230Th‐U techniques to provide upper depth limits for past sea levels. We report the first relative sea‐level limits for Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 11 and 6, and present new evidence for sea‐level oscillations during MIS 5 and early MIS 1. For the latter periods, the origin of growth interruptions is evaluated by combining petrographic methods with trace element analyses. The MIS 5c sea‐level highstand probably occurred between 103.94 ± 0.58 ka and 96.82 ± 0.42 ka and must have exceeded ‐10.8 m (relative to present‐day local sea level). The minimum average rate of sea‐level fall over a 9.4 ka‐long period during the MIS 5e/5d transition is calculated from stalagmite and published coral data at 1.74 ± 0.37 m/ka. For the early Holocene, previous discrepancies with respect to a potential multimetre oscillation of local sea level were found to be challenging to reconcile with the existing speleothem data from the area.
Use of mineral element profiling coupled with chemometric analysis to distinguish Zanthoxylum bungeanum cultivars and health risks of potentially toxic elements in pericarps
Authors: Ma Yao , Wang Xiaona , Huang Chen , Tian Mingjing , Wei Anzhi
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Zanthoxylum bungeanum pericarps (ZBP) are commonly used as food additives and traditional herbal medicines. Several mineral elements are known to have important physiological functions in organisms, whereas others are reported to have toxic effects. We determined levels of macro elements (Mg, S and Ca), essential trace elements (B, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se and Mo) and toxic elements (Ni, Al, Cr, As, Cd, Hg and Pb) in the pericarps of 19 Z. bungeanum cultivars. Hazard index values and incremental lifetime cancer risks were calculated to express health risks associated with pericarp consumption. Moreover, several chemometric analyses based on the mineral elements were used to distinguish Z. bungeanum cultivars.

RESULTS

The concentrations of 17 determined elements in the pericarps were ranked: Ca > Mg > S > Fe > Al > Mn > Zn > B > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cr > Mo > As > Cd > Hg > Se. The elements Zn, Cr and As had the highest variations in their concentrations. Cu, Mn, Se, Zn, Al, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni and Pb posed some non‐cancer risks, while As and Cd posed cancer risks. Mn, Fe, Zn, and Al were chosen as critical element markers for assessing ZBP using chemometric analyses.

CONCLUSION

Chemometric analyses could highlight mineral concentration differentiation among the 19 cultivars. The Z. bungeanum cultivar Z12 (from Wudu, Gansu) is best for producing ZBP, and cultivar Z18 (Guanling, Guizhou) can be a reference to classify and evaluate ZBP quality. The results provide valuable information for evaluating the potential safety risks of ZBP and contribute to inter‐cultivar discrimination. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
The selective breeding and mutagenesis mechanism of high‐yielding surfactin Bacillus subtilis strains with atmospheric and room temperature plasma
Authors: Xu Haining , Dai Chunhua , Tang Yingxiu , Xu Xueting , Umego Ekene Christopher , He Ronghai , Ma Haile
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Surfactin, a good biological surfactant, is derived from the metabolites of microorganisms. However, the ability of natural strains to produce surfactin is low, and so the presented study aimed to use a novel mutagenesis technology to increase their yields.

RESULTS

Atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) was used to conduct mutation breeding of Bacillus subtilis CICC 10721, and a mutant strain M45 with a higher surfactin yield of 34.2% and a stable subculture was screened out. From the fermentation kinetics study, it was found that the maximum cell dry weight, maximum growth rate and surfactin synthesis parameters of the mutant strain M45 were all greater than that of the original strain. Scanning electron microscope and laser scanning confocal microscope observations showed that the spore morphology changed after ARTP treating, and the intracellular Ca2+ concentration of the mutant increased. Genome resequencing analysis showed that 66 single nucleotide poymorphism non‐synonymous mutation sites occurred in M45, and the identification results of the fermentation broth extract from M45 showed that it is composed of C12‐C16 surfactin.

CONCLUSION

ARTP mutagenesis was found to change the morphology of bacteria, membrane permeability and genes related to the synthesis and secretion of surfactin. The present study provides a basis for industrial production of surfactin and an understanding of the mutagenesis mechanism. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Camelina sativa phosphatidylcholine:diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase‐catalyzed interconversion does not discriminate between substrates
Authors: Demski Kamil , Jeppson Simon , Stymne Sten , Lager Ida
Published: August 2021

Phosphatidylcholine:diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferases (PDCT) regulate the fatty acid composition of seed oil (triacylglycerol, TAG) by interconversion of diacylglycerols (DAG) and phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho). PtdCho is the substrate for polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, as well as for a number of unusual fatty acids. By the action of PDCT, these fatty acids can be transferred into the DAG pool to be utilized in TAG biosynthesis by the action of acyl‐CoA:DAG and phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferases. Despite its importance in regulating seed oil composition, biochemical characterization of PDCT enzymes has been lacking. We characterized Camelina sativa PDCT in microsomal preparations of a yeast strain expressing Camelina PDCT and lacking the capacity of producing TAG. Camelina PDCT was specific for PtdCho and the sn‐1,2 enantiomer of DAG and could not utilize ceramide. The interconversion reaches equilibrium within 15 min of incubation, indicating that only distinct pools of DAG and PtdCho were available for exchange. However, the pool sizes of DAG and PtdCho involved in the exchange were not fixed but increased with the amount of exogenous DAG or PtdCho added. Camelina PDCT showed about the same selectivity for di‐oleoyl, di‐linoleoyl, and di‐linolenoyl species in both PtdCho and DAG substrates, suggesting that no unidirectional transfer of particular unsaturated substrates occurred. Camelina PDCT had a good activity with erucoyl‐DAG as a substrate despite low erucic acid levels in PtdCho in plant species accumulating a high amount of this fatty acid in the seed oil.
How do fisher responses to macroalgal overgrowth influence the resilience of coral reefs?
Authors: Rassweiler Andrew , Miller Scott D. , Holbrook Sally J. , Lauer Matthew , Strother Mark A. , Lester Sarah E. , Adam Thomas C. , Wencélius Jean , Schmitt Russell J.
Published: August 2021

Many coral reefs have shifted from coral‐ to macroalgae‐dominated community states, heightening the need to understand resilience of coral communities. Fishing on herbivores often reduces resilience of the coral state, as lower herbivory fosters macroalgal establishment. Despite the acknowledged importance of fishing, relatively little attention has been paid to how fishers change their behavior as macroalgae overgrow reefs, or how the resulting dynamic feedbacks might affect resilience. We address these questions in Moorea, French Polynesia, where local fishers target herbivorous fishes and where shifts to algal dominance have occurred on some lagoon reefs. We quantified fisher preferences for reef habitats where they target various taxa. For the two most ecologically important taxa of herbivores targeted in the fishery, parrotfish (Scaridae) and unicornfish (Naso), fishers preferred to harvest from locations with less macroalgae. We incorporated these habitat preferences into a spatially explicit social–ecological model of reef dynamics to explore consequences of changes in fishing behavior for resilience of the coral state, particularly following disturbance. Fishing that targets low‐macroalgae locations typically generates resilience by facilitating local recovery of herbivores and thus of coral in the less‐targeted macroalgae‐dominated patches. However, the resulting movement of fishers across the seascape can sometimes create fragility; if coral loss is widespread, avoidance of macroalgae concentrates fishing in patches having the highest coral cover, resulting in loss of coral via reduced herbivory. Our results emphasize that resilience and coral‐macroalgae regime shifts cannot be understood without considering humans as a dynamic part of the system.
Polyether‐Based Diblock Terpolymer Micelles with Pendant Anthracene Units—Light‐Induced Crosslinking and Limitations Regarding Reversibility
Authors: Elter Johanna K. , Eichhorn Jonas , Schacher Felix H.
Published: August 2021

The synthesis of 9‐methylanthracenyl glycidyl ether (AnthGE) as a crosslinkable monomer that can be applied in anionic ring opening polymerization is reported. Diblock terpolymers of the composition methoxy‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(2‐ethylhexyl glycidyl ether‐co‐9‐methylanthracenyl glycidyl ether) (mPEO‐b‐P(EHGE‐co‐AnthGE) with 10 to 24 wt% of AnthGE are synthesized and characterized. Their micellization behavior, as well as their light‐induced core‐crosslinking via irradiation with UV light (λ = 365 nm) is studied. The results are compared with studies on the dimerization, and the dimer cleavage via irradiation with UV–C light (λ = 254 nm), of the same diblock terpolymer in organic solution, and the small‐molecule model compound 9‐methoxymethylanthracene. Differences in 1H NMR spectra of the crosslinked or dimerized compounds and reaction kinetics of the dimerization reactions under different conditions suggest possible side reactions for the case of the core‐crosslinking of micelles in aqueous solution. These side reactions limit the reversibility of the anthracene dimerization reaction in aqueous solutions, even if the anthracene molecule is encapsulated within the hydrophobic core of a polymeric micelle.
Accurate free‐water estimation in white matter from fast diffusion MRI acquisitions using the spherical means technique
Authors: Tristán‐Vega Antonio , París Guillem , de Luis‐García Rodrigo , Aja‐Fernández Santiago
Published: August 2021

Purpose

To accurately estimate the partial volume fraction of free water in the white matter from diffusion MRI acquisitions not demanding strong sensitizing gradients and/or large collections of different b‐values. Data sets considered comprise 32‐64 gradients near plus 6 gradients near .

Theory and Methods

The spherical means of each diffusion MRI set with the same b‐value are computed. These means are related to the inherent diffusion parameters within the voxel (free‐ and cellular‐water fractions; cellular‐water diffusivity), which are solved by constrained nonlinear least squares regression.

Results

The proposed method outperforms those based on mixtures of two Gaussians for the kind of data sets considered. W.r.t. the accuracy, the former does not introduce significant biases in the scenarios of interest, while the latter can reach a bias of 5%–7% if fiber crossings are present. W.r.t. the precision, a variance near , compared to 15%, can be attained for usual configurations.

Conclusion

It is possible to compute reliable estimates of the free‐water fraction inside the white matter by complementing typical DTI acquisitions with few gradients at a lowb‐value. It can be done voxel‐by‐voxel, without imposing spatial regularity constraints.
Is the representation of beneficiaries by international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) still pornographic?
Authors: Bhati Abhishek
Published: August 2021

This paper examines how beneficiaries are represented by International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) to attract potential donors' attention and if such representations stereotype people of color living in developing countries. The study draws on the multi‐level methodological approach to understand the content and overall meaning of 320 photos from the 32 largest INGOs operating in the United States. Findings suggest that INGOs still portray beneficiaries stereotypical and thereby reinforcing colonial narratives of “Othering” by an overwhelming representation of single mothers, infants, and girls, and few representations of men and families; and greater emphasis on deliberately positive representation.
In search of the ‘great horse’: A zooarchaeological assessment of horses from England (AD 300–1650)
Authors: Ameen Carly , Benkert Helene , Fraser Tamsyn , Gordon Rebecca , Holmes Matilda , Johnson Will , Lauritsen Malene , Maltby Mark , Rapp Karina , Townend Tess , Baker Gary Paul , Jones Laura May , Vo Van Qui Camille , Webley Robert , Liddiard Robert , Sykes Naomi , Creighton Oliver H. , Thomas Richard , Outram Alan K.
Published: August 2021

Popular culture presents a deep‐rooted perception of medieval warhorses as massive and powerful mounts, but medieval textual and iconographic evidence remains highly debated. Furthermore, identifying warhorses in the zooarchaeological record is challenging due to both a paucity of horse remains relative to other domesticates, and the tendency of researchers to focus on osteological size, which makes it difficult to reconstruct in‐life usage of horses and activity related changes. This paper presents the largest zooarchaeological dataset of English horse bones (n = 1964) from 171 unique archaeological sites dating between AD 300 and 1650. Using this dataset alongside a modern comparative sample of known equids (n = 490), we examine trends in size and shape to explore how the skeletal conformation of horses changed through time and reflected their domestic, elite and military roles. In addition to evidencing the generally small stature of medieval horses relative to both earlier and later periods, we demonstrate the importance of accurately exploring the shape of skeletal elements to describe the morphological characteristics of domestic animals. Furthermore, we highlight the need to examine shape variation in the context of entheseal changes and biomechanics to address questions of functional morphology and detect possible markers of artificial selection on past horses.
Skeletal muscle energy metabolism in obesity
Authors: Mengeste Abel M. , Rustan Arild C. , Lund Jenny
Published: August 2021

Comparing energy metabolism in human skeletal muscle and primary skeletal muscle cells in obesity, while focusing on glucose and fatty acid metabolism, shows many common changes. Insulin‐mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and primary myotubes is decreased by obesity, whereas differences in basal glucose metabolism are inconsistent among studies. With respect to fatty acid metabolism, there is an increased uptake and storage of fatty acids and a reduced complete lipolysis, suggesting alterations in lipid turnover. In addition, fatty acid oxidation is decreased, probably at the level of complete oxidation, as ‐oxidation may be enhanced in obesity, which indicates mitochondrial dysfunction. Metabolic changes in skeletal muscle with obesity promote metabolic inflexibility, ectopic lipid accumulation, and formation of toxic lipid intermediates. Skeletal muscle also acts as an endocrine organ, secreting myokines that participate in interorgan cross talk.

This review highlights interventions and some possible targets for treatment through action on skeletal muscle energy metabolism. Effects of exercise in vivo on obesity have been compared with simulation of endurance exercise in vitro on myotubes (electrical pulse stimulation). Possible pharmaceutical targets, including signaling pathways and drug candidates that could modify lipid storage and turnover or increase mitochondrial function or cellular energy expenditure through adaptive thermogenic mechanisms, are discussed.

image
Assessing governments response to exogenous shocks: Considering the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Ghanaian context
Authors: Tuffour Priscilla , Opoku‐Mensah Evans , Asiedu‐Ayeh Love Offeibea , Darko Deborah
Published: August 2021

Amid the COVID‐19 pandemic, governments in most countries have played two key roles. First, to limit the disease's spread, and second to support small enterprises (SMEs) to revamp their operations. This study employs the best‐worst method technique to evaluate data from 150 managers to assess these government policies' effectiveness to quicken SMEs' operations amid COVID‐19 using Ghana as a case study. Our findings show that the three most effective government interventions in quickening SMEs' operations are soft loan, guarantee support, and interventions on statutory payments. We recommend that although the government should allocate greater resources to those policies with strategies contributing to the recovery process, they should not neglect the policies with lesser weights but should reduce their capital allocation. Our study offers insights into how governments can contribute to SMEs operations during exogenous shock. The findings can be useful to both researchers and policymakers towards revamping economies amid COVID‐19 pandemic.