bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interactions of zearalanone, α-zearalanol, β-zearalanol, zearalenone-14-sulfate, and zearalenone-14-glucoside with serum albumin
Authors: Faisal Zelma , Vörös Virág , Fliszár-Nyúl Eszter , Lemli Beáta , Kunsági-Máté Sándor , Poór Miklós
Published: August 2020

The xenoestrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone is a Fusarium-derived food and feed contaminant. In mammals, the reduced (e.g., zearalanone, α-zearalanol, and β-zearalanol) and conjugated (e.g., zearalenone-14-sulfate) metabolites of zearalenone are formed. Furthermore, filamentous fungi and plants are also able to convert zearalenone to conjugated derivatives, including zearalenone-14-sulfate and zearalenone-14-glucoside, respectively. Serum albumin is the dominant plasma protein in the circulation; it interacts with certain mycotoxins, affecting their toxicokinetics. In a previous investigation, we demonstrated the remarkable species differences regarding the albumin binding of zearalenone and zearalenols. In the current study, the interactions of zearalanone, α-zearalanol, β-zearalanol, zearalenone-14-sulfate, and zearalenone-14-glucoside with human, bovine, porcine, and rat serum albumins were examined, employing fluorescence spectroscopy and affinity chromatography. Zearalanone, zearalanols, and zearalenone-14-sulfate form stable complexes with albumins tested (K = 9.3 × 103 to 8.5 × 105 L/mol), while the albumin binding of zearalenone-14-glucoside seems to be weak. Zearalenone-14-sulfate formed the most stable complexes with albumins examined. Considerable species differences were observed in the albumin binding of zearalenone metabolites, which may have a role in the interspecies differences regarding the toxicity of zearalenone.
Heteronormativity in Italy: Psychometric Characteristics of the Italian Version of the Heteronormative Attitudes and Beliefs Scale
Authors: Scandurra Cristiano , Monaco Salvatore , Dolce Pasquale , Nothdurfter Urban
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Heteronormativity describes a hierarchical societal system that encompasses heterosexuality and binary gender identity as normal and natural, defining boundaries of acceptable heterosexuality and gender identity. As no comprehensive measures of heteronormativity exist in Italy, this study evaluated the psychometric characteristics of an Italian version of the Heteronormative Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (HABS), a measure assessing essential and binary beliefs about sex and gender and normative behaviors.

Methods

Five hundred sixty-four cisgender heterosexual and sexual and gender minority individuals, ranging from 18 to 77 years of age (M = 34.66,SD = 11.13), were recruited in 2020 to participate in an online cross-sectional survey on heteronormativity, homonegativity, authoritarianism, intolerance of ambiguity, openness to experience, and religiosity.

Results

Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original 2-factor model had adequate fit to the Italian data. However, although appropriately fit to the data, 4 items showed a loading below .40. Criterion and discriminant validity were fully confirmed, as heteronormativity positively correlated with homonegativity, authoritarianism, intolerance of ambiguity, and religiosity, and negatively with openness to experience; all these correlations were below .60. Furthermore, the results indicated that male gender and heterosexual cisgender individuals showed higher levels of heteronormativity than female gender and sexual and gender minority individuals.

Conclusions

This study offers evidence of the validity and reliability of an Italian version of the HABS, providing researchers with a measure to assess heteronormativity in the Italian context.

Policy Implications

Assessing heteronormative attitudes and beliefs may help to make societal institutions more inclusive.
Robotic Complete Mesocolic Excision with Central Vascular Ligation for Right Colon Cancer: Surgical Technique and Short-term Outcomes
Authors: Ramachandra C. , Sugoor Pavan , Karjol Uday , Arjunan Ravi , Altaf Syed , Patil Vijay , Kumar Harish , Beesanna G. , Abhishek M.
Published: August 2020

Background

Minimally invasive colorectal surgery has demonstrated to have the same oncological results as open surgery, with better clinical outcomes. Robotic assistance is an evolution of minimally invasive technique.

Purpose

The study aims to present technical details and short-term oncological outcomes of robotic-assisted complete mesocolic excision (CME) with central vascular ligation (CVL) for right colon cancer.

Methodology

Fifty-two consecutive patients affected by right colon cancer were operated between May 2016 and February 2020 with da Vinci Xi platform. Data regarding surgical and short-term oncological outcomes were systematically collected in a colorectal specific database for statistical analysis.

Results

Thirty-seven (71.15%) and 15 (28.85%) patients underwent right and extended right hemicoletomy with an extracorporeal anastomosis. Median age was 55 years. Mean operative time was 182 ± 36 min. Mean blood loss was 110 ± 90 ml. Conversion rate was 3.84% (two cases). 78.84% (41 cases) were pT3 and mean number of harvested lymph nodes was 28 ± 4. 1/52 (1.92%) had a documented anastomotic leak requiring exploratory laparotomy and diversion proximal ileostomy. Surgery-related grade IIIa–IIIb Calvien Dindo morbidity were noted in 9.61% and 1.92%, respectively.

Conclusion

Robotic assistance allows performance of oncological adequate dissection of the right colon with radical lymphadenectomy as in open surgery, confirming the safety and oncological adequacy of this technique, with acceptable results and short-term outcomes.
New MiSeq based strategy exposed plant-preferential arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in arid soils of Mexico
Authors: Senés-Guerrero Carolina , Giménez Salvador , Pacheco Adriana , Gradilla-Hernández Misael Sebastián , Schüßler Arthur
Published: August 2020

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate symbionts of c. 80% of land plants, having enormous ecological and economic impact, as they often improve crop plant nutrition and yield. DNA-based identification with molecular markers is used to analyze AM fungal communities in the field, but reaching species level taxonomic resolution remains challenging. Thus, currently there is no consensus on how to analyze high-throughput sequences and assign them into species. Here, a new sequencing strategy combined with taxonomic affiliations implemented with an evolutionary placement algorithm (EPA) was established. It is based on sequencing a c. 450 bp region of the large subunit (LSU) ribosomal rRNA gene with the MiSeq-Illumina platform. The method is suitable for the discrimination of closely related AMF species and was used to study host-AMF preferences in roots of Pequin pepper, soybean and orange at one location in the arid northeast of Mexico. Twenty AM fungal species from 13 genera were detected. Phylogenetic affiliation of reads to species revealed crop preferential associations. In Pequin pepper roots, several Rhizophagus species represented most of the community, Rhizophagus clarus being the most abundant. The soybean AM fungal community was dominated by Rhizophagus irregularis and Funneliformis mosseae and that of orange by several species of Dominikia, some of them only found in this crop. Unraveling the AMF-plant preferences of important crops by an affordable and robust sequencing method, combined with phylotaxonomic AMF species resolution, is an important tool to obtain taxonomic units that are meaningful in both biological and ecological studies.
Adaptability of Teff husk activated carbon for removal of hexavalent chromium from tannery wastewater at optimized process condition
Authors: Adane Tsegaye , Dessie Awrajaw
Published: August 2020

Tanneries are the major contributors to chromium pollution of the environment. Exposure to chromium (VI) can cause cancer, brain damage, central nervous dysfunction, blood composition damage; damage of lungs, kidneys, liver, and other vital organs. Although various studies have been done on the removal of Cr (VI) from synthetic wastewater, there is a lack of study in the adaptability of these methods in the treatment of real wastewater and expanding to the industrial application level. Therefore, the present study was aimed to examine the effectiveness of Teff husk activated carbon for the removal of Cr (VI) from tannery wastewater at optimized process conditions. The laboratory-based study was conducted to determine the Cr (VI) removal efficiency of Teff husk activated carbon from tannery wastewater. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical software. A paired sample t test was also used to test the presence of a significant difference in the mean concentration of Cr (VI) before and after treatment of the wastewater with Teff husk activated carbon. Then p value < 0.05 was considered as a cutoff point for the presence of a mean significant difference. The removal efficiency was found to be 89.5%. There was a significant difference in the mean concentration of Cr (VI) before and after treatment with Teff husk activated carbon with a = 956.899 and p value < 0.001. This implies the Teff husk activated carbon was an efficient adsorbent for removal of hexavalent chromium from real wastewater. Column adsorption needs to be studied in the future.
Correction to: Ileocecal valve syndrome and vitamin b12 deficiency after surgery: a multicentric prospective study
Authors: Germani Paola , Zucca Annalisa , Giudici Fabiola , Terranova Susanna , Troian Marina , Samardzic Natasa , Greco Marco , Janez Jurij , Gasparini Camilla , Cagnazzo Emanuela , Vignali Andrea , Giannone Codiglione Fabio , Armellini Andrea , Fumagalli Uberto Romario , Rosati Riccardo , Piccinni Giuseppe , Megevand Jacques , Tomazic Ales , Corcione Francesco , Palmisano Silvia , de Manzini Nicolò
Published: August 2020

One of the co-author Eliana Cagnazzo has been incorrectly published. The correct co-author name has been copied below.
Correction to: A framework for teaching socio-environmental problem-solving
Authors: Wei Cynthia A. , Deaton Michael L. , Shume Teresa J. , Berardo Ramiro , Burnside William R.
Published: August 2020

The article A framework for teaching socio-environmental problem-solving, written by Cynthia A. Wei, Michael L. Deaton, Teresa J. Shume, Ramiro Berardo and William R. Burnside was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on 11 April 2020 without open access.
Surgical Management of Peri-implantitis
Authors: Ramanauskaite Ausra , Obreja Karina , Schwarz Frank
Published: August 2020

Purpose of Review

To provide an overview of current surgical peri-implantitis treatment options.

Recent Findings

Surgical procedures for peri-implantitis treatment include two main approaches: non-augmentative and augmentative therapy. Open flap debridement (OFD) and resective treatment are non-augmentative techniques that are indicated in the presence of horizontal bone loss in aesthetically nondemanding areas. Implantoplasty performed adjunctively at supracrestally and buccally exposed rough implant surfaces has been shown to efficiently attenuate soft tissue inflammation compared to control sites. However, this was followed by more pronounced soft tissue recession. Adjunctive augmentative measures are recommended at peri-implantitis sites exhibiting intrabony defects with a minimum depth of 3 mm and in the presence of keratinized mucosa. In more advanced cases with combined defect configurations, a combination of augmentative therapy and implantoplasty at exposed rough implant surfaces beyond the bony envelope is feasible.

For the time being, no particular surgical protocol or material can be considered as superior in terms of long-term peri-implant tissue stability.
Diagnosis of Infections in Fetus: Ultrasound and Invasive Techniques
Authors: Rana Anubhuti , Sharma K. Aparna
Published: August 2020

Infections in pregnancy may lead to fetal morbidity and mortality. The major infections which can be transmitted from the mother to the fetus and can probably result in adverse consequences in the prenatal period include toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), syphilis, parvovirus, and varicella. Factors determining the risks of transplacental transmission and associated fetal adverse events include the period of gestation at which transmission occurs and the immunity status of the mother. No single modality can diagnose all fetal infections and consequently prenatal diagnosis of fetal manifestations of infections is frequently made by fetal sonography and serology to identify the specific infectious agent. Ultrasound is now considered the safest and least invasive primary tool for the detection and monitoring of antenatal infection. Major findings in cases of fetal infection are observed in the central nervous system and heart with parenchymal calcifications, pleural/pericardial effusions, ascites, fetal growth restriction, oligo-/polyhydramnios and placentomegaly being frequently seen. Various diagnostic interventions are also performed under ultrasound guidance such as amniocentesis to determine underlying etiology and cordocentesis to detect fetal anemia. Knowledge of the various diagnostic modalities is required for appropriate counseling of the couple and for optimal treatment.
A survey on the cutting and packing problems
Authors: Faina Loris
Published: August 2020

This paper presents a unified approach, based on a geometrical method (see Faina in Eur J Oper Res 114:542–556, 1999; Eur J Oper Res 126:340–354, 2000), which reduces the general two and three dimensional cutting and packing type problems to a finite enumeration scheme.
Organized recreational fishing in school, knowledge about nature and influence on outdoor recreation habits
Authors: Ahnesjö Jonas , Danielsson Tom
Published: August 2020

In this study we have investigated the effectiveness of a one day school-based intervention with recreational fishing (in Swedish called Klassdraget) in increasing environmental awareness, interest in nature and recreational fishing in pupils aged between 8 and 12. Our results suggest a weak positive association between exposure to natural environments in a recreational fishing context and interest in nature and recreational fishing. We found the intervention to have no effect on the frequency of fishing, interest in fishing more, or number of visits in nature during spare time. Knowledge about nature and possibly also environmental awareness are positively affected and these effects can be traced as long as three years after the intervention. Our findings also reveal a low correlation between frequency of nature visits and self-reported interest in nature. The observed effects of Klassdraget are small but appear to be larger for girls, who are traditionally less interested in recreational fishing when compared with boys.
Relocation and silastic tension only (RASTO) procedure for very long anal fistula tracts: Initial case series with results of a new surgical technique
Authors: Carr John Alfred
Published: August 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

There is no consensus regarding the best treatment for very long anal fistula tracts, greater than 12 cm in length.

Study design:

A retrospective study was performed of a new method. Any abscess was drained. The fistula was relocated near the anal opening by making a new skin incision that was dissected into the fistula tract. A fistulotomy of the original tract was not performed. Three silastic bands were passed into the internal anal fistula orifice and out the new skin incision. One band was tightened down, and the tension from the tight silastic band acted as a cutting seton over several weeks. The original fistula tract which had been diverted from contamination healed without additional treatments. All patients had follow up examination, were assessed for fistula healing, followed for recurrence, and questioned with the SF 36.

Results:

Seventeen fistulas were treated. There were 2 suprasphincteric, 0 extrasphincteric, 2 intersphincteric, and 13 transsphincteric. Five chronic and 12 were acute fistulas with abscesses. After 2–3 weeks, the previously tightened cutting seton was removed, and another seton was tightened down. After another 2 weeks, 60% of the patients had the seton cut all the way through and fall out. The remaining needed either tightening of the remaining seton, or fistulotomy of remaining superficial tissue. All fistulas healed without recurrence, and none of the patients developed incontinence of stool.

Conclusion:

Treatment of acute and chronic fistula in ano using relocation and silastic tension only (RASTO) is very successful for long anal fistulas and allows fistula healing in 4–9 weeks without additional treatments and avoids a very long fistulotomy.

Highlights:
“No One Should See What They Have to Do”: Military Children and Media Representations of War
Authors: Gibbs Brian , Hilburn Jeremy
Published: August 2020

The primary objective of this article is to describe how the children of soldiers critiqued and examined media representations of war. Taken from a more extensive qualitative case study involving eight teachers, this article examines one social studies teacher and her students’ perspectives on media coverage of war through two Socratic Seminar discussions focused on two wars: the American Civil War and Gulf War. Data was collected through interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations. Students leveled a specific set of critiques at television media and those who consume it. They also grappled with two ethical quandaries: censorship and the justness of war.

This article emerged from an unusual place – a Mathew Brady photograph. The teacher, a lecturer typically, decided to engage her students in discussion. This discussion was designed to provide “process and sense-making time,” according to their teacher, Ms. Jones, after four days of lecture on the American Civil War. Yet, the discussion grew into something much different than Ms. Jones's original plan. It evolved into an interrogation of how the media represents war. Inspired by the thoughtful discussion, several months later, Ms. Jones engaged the same students in an examination of media representations of the first Gulf War. Ms. Jones is the focus of this article because out of the eight other teachers in the larger qualitative study, she was the only one to focus on classroom time (two entire class sessions) on media representations of war.
Negotiating teacher positionality: Preservice teachers confront assumptions through collaborative book clubs in a social studies methods course
Authors: Holmes Casey , Schoonover Nina R. , Atkinson Ashley A.
Published: August 2020

This case study explores the use of collaborative book clubs and word sorts to influence teacher positionality in an undergraduate social studies methods course for pre-service teachers. Drawing upon existing literature that suggests the effectiveness of dialogue as a means of navigating prior beliefs and the benefits of collaborative spaces for teachers to engage in collegial discussions, the study utilized books surrounding socio-political themes and educational inequalities to prompt conversation among participants. Results of the study suggest that dialogic and collaborative activities like word sorts and book clubs provide productive opportunities for pre-service teachers to (re)negotiate their positionalities and grapple with their existing assumptions as they learn and co-construct meaning from and with one another. At the same time, the pre-service teachers’ perceptions of privilege and identity seem to remain somewhat unexamined and the teachers remain hesitant about the practical reality of working to dismantle inequalities in their own classrooms.
Evaluation of the Decision Aid for Genital Surgery in Transmen
Authors: Mokken Sterre E. , Özer Müjde , van de Grift Tim C. , Pigot Garry L. , Bouman Mark-Bram , Mullender Margriet
Published: August 2020

Background

Multiple options of genital gender-affirming surgery are available to transmen. The transman should be able to weigh these options based on the outcomes, risks, and consequences that are most important to him. For this reason, a decision aid for genital surgery in transmen (DA-GST) was developed. It aims to support the transman in making thoughtful choices among treatment options and facilitate shared decision-making between the healthcare professionals and the transindividual.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the newly developed DA-GST.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study using mixed methods. Transmen considering to undergo genital surgery were eligible to partake in the study. The questionnaires used in this study were developed by adapting the validated Dutch translation of the “Decisional Conflict Scale,” the “Measures of Informed Choice,” and the “Ottawa Preparation for Decision-Making Scale.” Qualitative interviews were conducted querying their subjective experience with the DA-GST. The data from the questionnaires were statistically analyzed, and the data from the interviews were thematically analyzed.

Outcomes

The main outcome measures were decisional conflict and decisional confidence measured via self-report items and qualitative data regarding the use of the DA-GST via interviews.

Results

In total, 51 transmen participated in the questionnaires study, 99 questionnaires were analyzed, and 15 interviews were conducted. Although confident in their decision, most transmen felt responsible to collect the necessary information themselves. The ability to go through the decision aid independently aided the decision-making process by providing information and highlighting their subjective priorities. Suggested additions are pictures of postoperational outcomes and personal statements from experienced transmen.

Clinical Translation

The DA-GST could be implemented as an integral part of transgender health care. Clinicians could take the individual personal values into account and use it to accurately tailor their consult. This would ultimately improve the doctor-patient relationship and decrease decisional regret by enhancing effective shared decision-making.

Strengths & Limitations

This mixed-method design study confirmed the use of the DA-GST while taking a broad range of decisional factors into account. Limitations include the absence of a baseline analysis and the limited power for the comparison of treatment groups.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the DA-GST helped transmen feel more prepared for their personal consult with the surgeon, reduced decisional conflict, and increased their decisional confidence.
A New Statistical Test Based on the WR for Detecting Offsets in GPS Experiment
Authors: Tehranchi Ramin , Moghtased‐Azar Khosro , Safari Abdolreza
Published: August 2020

Detecting the probable offsets is a crucial step in the preprocessing of the Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinate time series. Undetected offsets lead to the biased estimation of time series parameters and their uncertainties resulting in data misinterpretation. In the current research, a DIA (detection, identification, and adaptation)‐based procedure in maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) rough space has been introduced to address the location of offsets in long GPS time series without a priori information of the functional or stochastic models. A remarkable property of a wavelet rough (WR) at lower‐scale (j ≤ 5) details is to reflect the local regularity of the time series, being large where the signal is irregular and small where it is smooth. Performance and effectiveness of the proposed approach have been shown with DOGEx (Detection of Offsets in GPS Experiment) data set, which was a simulated time series that mimicked realistic GPS data consisting of a velocity component, seasonal cycle, offsets, and white and flicker noises composed in an additive model. The results showed that the fifth percentile range (5% to 95%) in velocity biases was equal to 1.24 mm/yr, which was smaller than all tested automatic solutions. Furthermore, the offsets detected by this method were split into 34.3% of true positive (TP), 36.5% of false positive (FP), and 29.2% of the false negative (FN), offering the proposed method as the best automatic solution.
Reconstruction of Sea Ice Concentration in Northern Baffin Bay Using Deuterium Excess in a Coastal Ice Core From the Northwestern Greenland Ice Sheet
Authors: Kurosaki Yutaka , Matoba Sumito , Iizuka Yoshinori , Niwano Masashi , Tanikawa Tomonori , Ando Takuto , Hori Akira , Miyamoto Atsushi , Fujita Shuji , Aoki Teruo
Published: August 2020

Variations in the conditions of sea ice in the northern part of Baffin Bay and North Open Water polynya influence human activity in northwestern Greenland through oceanic circulation and heat balance between air and sea. To evaluate the impact of variations in sea ice conditions on the surrounding environment, it is important to understand the mechanism of sea ice variations over long periods. In this study, we estimated the age of the SIGMA‐A ice core collected northwestern Greenland Ice Sheet and researched the relationship between annual or seasonal deuterium excess (d‐excess) and seasonal sea ice concentration. We found that a temporal variation in the spring d‐excess in the ice core negatively correlated significantly with that of sea ice concentration in February–April in northern Baffin Bay from 1979–2005 (r = −0.61,p < 0.001). Using this relationship, we reconstructed the temporal variations in sea ice concentrations for 100 years from the ice core drilled in the northwestern Greenland Ice Sheet. The sea ice concentration in the early twentieth century was lower than that in the present. The decrease in sea ice concentration was consistent with analytical results for marine sediments obtained from Baffin Bay. We also suggested that the sea ice concentration was controlled by atmospheric conditions from the 1920s to 1940s based on examinations of correlations with the North Atlantic Oscillation index and air temperature in Ilulissat and by oceanographic conditions from 1945–1955, 1959–1969, and 1982–1992 based on the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index and meridional heat transport to western Greenland.
Geneses of Two Contrasting Antigorite Crystal Preferred Orientations and Their Implications for Seismic Anisotropy in the Forearc Mantle
Authors: Liu Wenlong , Zhang Junfeng , Cao Yi , Jin Zhenmin
Published: August 2020

Crystal preferred orientation (CPO) of antigorite is an important parameter for the interpretation of seismic anisotropies and related geodynamic processes in subduction zones. However, mechanisms for the development of various antigorite CPOs and their effects on seismic anisotropies in the forearc mantle still remain to be constrained. In this study, we investigated olivine and antigorite CPOs and calculated seismic anisotropies of the serpentinized peridotites from Val Malenco, Central Alps. The results show that antigorite in the olivine‐rich (weakly serpentinized) layer displays an L‐type CPO (i.e., (h0l) plane//foliation and [010] axis//lineation), whereas antigorite in the antigorite‐rich (highly serpentinized) layer develops an LS‐b‐type CPO (i.e., (001) plane//foliation and [010] axis//lineation). The antigorite L‐type CPO is most likely formed by diffusion and dislocation creep accommodated phase boundary sliding and substantial grain rotation at a higher temperature and smaller strain regime. In contrast, the development of an antigorite LS‐b‐type CPO requires diffusion and dislocation creep accommodated grain boundary sliding, smaller contribution of grain rotation, and significant role of dissolution‐precipitation creep at a lower temperature and larger strain regime. In this context, we propose an antigorite CPO distribution model in the forearc mantle. Based on this model and under vertically incident teleseismic waves, if significant serpentinization and asymmetric shearing do indeed occur within serpentinized layers, then strong and weak trench‐parallel seismic anisotropies can be expected for cold and warm moderate‐angle subduction zones, respectively. This model may provide an alternative interpretation on the seismic anisotropy observations in some modern subduction systems.
Rise of Great Lakes Surface Water, Sinking of the Upper Midwest of the United States, and Viscous Collapse of the Forebulge of the Former Laurentide Ice Sheet
Authors: Argus Donald F. , Ratliff Benjamin , DeMets Charles , Borsa Adrian A. , Wiese David N. , Blewitt Geoffrey , Crowley John W. , Martens Hilary R. , Kreemer Corné , Landerer Felix W.
Published: August 2020

Great Lakes water levels rose 0.7–1.5 m from 2013 to 2019, increasing surface water volume by 285 km3. Solid Earth's elastic response to the increased mass load is nearly known: The Great Lakes floor fell 8–23 mm, and the adjacent land fell 3–14 mm. Correcting GPS measurements for this predicted elastic loading (1) straightens position‐time series, making the evolution of position more nearly a constant velocity and (2) reduces estimates of subsidence rate in Wisconsin, Michigan, and southern Ontario by 0.5–2 mm/yr, improving constraints on postglacial rebound. GPS records Wisconsin and Michigan to have subsided at 1–4 mm/yr. We find this sinking to be produced primarily by viscous collapse of the former Laurentide ice sheet forebulge and secondarily by elastic Great Lakes loading. We infer water on land in the Great Lakes watershed to be total water change observed by GRACE minus Great Lakes surface water smeared by a Gaussian distribution. Water stored on land each year reaches a maximum in March, 6 months before Great Lakes water levels peak in September. The seasonal oscillation of water on land in the Great Lakes basin, 100 km3 (0.20 m water thickness), is twice that in a hydrology model. In the seasons, groundwater in the Great Lakes watershed increases by 60 km3 (0.12 m) each autumn and winter and decreases by roughly an equivalent amount each spring and summer. In the long term, groundwater volume remained constant from 2004 to 2012 but increased by 50 km3 (0.10 m) from 2013 to 2019.
On the Interdecadal Change in the Interannual Variation in Autumn Snow Cover Over the Central Eastern Tibetan Plateau in the Mid‐1990s
Authors: Qian Qi Feng , Jia Xiao Jing , Wu Renguang
Published: August 2020

The interdecadal changes in the mechanisms accounting for the interannual variation in autumn snow cover over the central eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) are investigated in this study. An autumn snow index is constructed by area averaging the snow cover over the central eastern TP. The snow index changed from a predominantly negative phase to a positive phase in 1995. Then, the data were divided into two subperiods, 1979–1994 (P1) and 1995–2017 (P2), and the differences in the mechanisms accounting for the variation in autumn snow cover were compared between P1 and P2. An analysis of the local process shows that the autumn snow cover variations over the central eastern TP are caused by snowfall from both autumn and late summer. The autumn snow cover variation over the central eastern TP imposed more significant atmospheric cooling effects during P1 than P2. During P2, except for the local process, the interannual variation in autumn snow cover in the central eastern TP is also affected by atmospheric circulation anomalies originating from the upstream North Atlantic Ocean. During P2, snow‐related North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (SSTA) can induce a wave train‐like atmospheric pattern that propagates eastward across the Eurasian continent and reaches the TP. Further analysis shows that this wave train‐like atmospheric pattern over the midlatitude Eurasian continent mainly obtains energy from climatological mean flow through baroclinic energy conversion. In contrast, during P1, the North Atlantic SSTA‐related atmospheric circulation pattern tends to propagate northeastward and cannot contribute to the variation in autumn snow cover over the central eastern TP.
MiR156 regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis through SPL targets and other microRNAs in poplar
Authors: Wang Yamei , Liu Wenwen , Wang Xinwei , Yang Ruijuan , Wu Zhenying , Wang Han , Wang Lei , Hu Zhubing , Guo Siyi , Zhang Hailing , Lin Jinxing , Fu Chunxiang
Published: August 2020

Anthocyanins biosynthesized from the flavonoid pathway are types of pigments that are involved in the protection of poplar from biotic and abiotic stresses. Previous researchers studying anthocyanin-related transcription factors and structural genes in poplar have made significant discoveries. However, little is known about the regulatory role of microRNAs in anthocyanin biosynthesis in poplar. Here, we overexpressed miR156 in poplar to study the comprehensive effects of the miR156-SPL module on the biosynthesis of anthocyanins. Small RNA sequencing analysis revealed 228 microRNAs differentially expressed in transgenic poplar plants with dramatically increased miR156 levels. Furthermore, integrated microRNAomic and transcriptomic analysis suggested that two microRNAs, miR160h, and miR858, have the potential to affect anthocyanin accumulation in poplar by regulating auxin response factors and MYB transcription factors, respectively. Additionally, the accumulation of miR160h and miR858 displayed a positive correlation with miR156 levels, suggesting a possible interaction between the miR156-SPL module and these microRNAs in poplar. Last, metabolomics analysis revealed that the levels of anthocyanins, flavones, and flavonols were substantially elevated in transgenic poplar plants overexpressing miR156 compared with the wild type, whereas the total lignin content was reduced in the transgenic plants. Taken together, our results indicate that miR156 can fine tune the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway via multiple factors, including microRNAs, transcription factors, and the levels of structural genes, in poplar. This provides additional clues for understanding the complex regulatory network of anthocyanin biosynthesis in woody plants.
Chromosome-scale genome assembly of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cv. Tieton obtained using long-read and Hi-C sequencing
Authors: Wang Jiawei , Liu Weizhen , Zhu Dongzi , Hong Po , Zhang Shizhong , Xiao Shijun , Tan Yue , Chen Xin , Xu Li , Zong Xiaojuan , Zhang Lisi , Wei Hairong , Yuan Xiaohui , Liu Qingzhong
Published: August 2020

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is an economically significant fruit species in the genus Prunus. However, in contrast to other important fruit trees in this genus, only one draft genome assembly is available for sweet cherry, which was assembled using only Illumina short-read sequences. The incompleteness and low quality of the current sweet cherry draft genome limit its use in genetic and genomic studies. A high-quality chromosome-scale sweet cherry reference genome assembly is therefore needed. A total of 65.05 Gb of Oxford Nanopore long reads and 46.24 Gb of Illumina short reads were generated, representing ~190x and 136x coverage, respectively, of the sweet cherry genome. The final de novo assembly resulted in a phased haplotype assembly of 344.29 Mb with a contig N50 of 3.25 Mb. Hi-C scaffolding of the genome resulted in eight pseudochromosomes containing 99.59% of the bases in the assembled genome. Genome annotation revealed that more than half of the genome (59.40%) was composed of repetitive sequences, and 40,338 protein-coding genes were predicted, 75.40% of which were functionally annotated. With the chromosome-scale assembly, we revealed that gene duplication events contributed to the expansion of gene families for salicylic acid/jasmonic acid carboxyl methyltransferase and ankyrin repeat-containing proteins in the genome of sweet cherry. Four auxin-responsive genes (two GH3s and two SAURs) were induced in the late stage of fruit development, indicating that auxin is crucial for the sweet cherry ripening process. In addition, 772 resistance genes were identified and functionally predicted in the sweet cherry genome. The high-quality genome assembly of sweet cherry obtained in this study will provide valuable genomic resources for sweet cherry improvement and molecular breeding.
The regulatory pathways of distinct flowering characteristics in Chinese jujube
Authors: Meng Xianwei , Li Ying , Yuan Ye , Zhang Yao , Li Hongtai , Zhao Jin , Liu Mengjun
Published: August 2020

Flowering is the most important event in higher plants. Compared to most fruit tree species, Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), the most important member of the large, diverse Rhamnaceae family and a leading dry fruit-producing species, has unique characteristics that include a short juvenile phase and extremely fast flower bud differentiation. However, the distinct mechanism of flowering regulation in Chinese jujube is still unclear. The morphological and cytological development period of jujube flowering was first investigated, and the crucial developmental stages were defined. Flower bud differentiation in Chinese jujube took only approximately 11–13 days, which is a distinct characteristic of perennial fruit trees. Afterward, 44 genes related to six flowering pathways were identified in the jujube genome and were found to be randomly distributed among 11 of the 12 chromosomes. Tissue-specific and spatiotemporal expression patterns showed that all these genes were expressed in the flowers. Overall, photoperiod-related genes were highly expressed during flower bud differentiation. These genes were also positively responsive to photoperiod regulation and phase change processes, indicating that photoperiod- related genes play crucial roles in jujube flower bud differentiation. Under protected cultivation, ZjPIF4, a temperature-related gene, was expressed in the early stages of flowering and responded to increasing temperatures. Moreover, STRING analysis and yeast two-hybrid screening indicated that photoperiod-related (ZjCO) and temperature-related (ZjPIF4) proteins could interact with ZjFT, the key protein involved in the determination of flowering time, indicating crosstalk between photoperiod-related pathways and ambient temperature-related pathways in jujube. This study is the first report to comprehensively analyze the flowering pathways in Chinese jujube and revealed that photoperiod-related and ambient temperature-related pathways are the main mechanisms regulating the distinct flowering process and that members of the ZjPHY family (ZjPIF4, ZjFT, and ZjCO5) are the key factors involved in the regulatory network. These results will increase our understanding of the molecular and genetic mechanisms of flowering in Chinese jujube and provide meaningful clues for the flowering regulation of other fruit tree species.
Growth monitoring of greenhouse lettuce based on a convolutional neural network
Authors: Zhang Lingxian , Xu Zanyu , Xu Dan , Ma Juncheng , Chen Yingyi , Fu Zetian
Published: August 2020

Growth-related traits, such as aboveground biomass and leaf area, are critical indicators to characterize the growth of greenhouse lettuce. Currently, nondestructive methods for estimating growth-related traits are subject to limitations in that the methods are susceptible to noise and heavily rely on manually designed features. In this study, a method for monitoring the growth of greenhouse lettuce was proposed by using digital images and a convolutional neural network (CNN). Taking lettuce images as the input, a CNN model was trained to learn the relationship between images and the corresponding growth-related traits, i.e., leaf fresh weight (LFW), leaf dry weight (LDW), and leaf area (LA). To compare the results of the CNN model, widely adopted methods were also used. The results showed that the values estimated by CNN had good agreement with the actual measurements, with R2 values of 0.8938, 0.8910, and 0.9156 and normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) values of 26.00, 22.07, and 19.94%, outperforming the compared methods for all three growth-related traits. The obtained results showed that the CNN demonstrated superior estimation performance for the flat-type cultivars of Flandria and Tiberius compared with the curled-type cultivar of Locarno. Generalization tests were conducted by using images of Tiberius from another growing season. The results showed that the CNN was still capable of achieving accurate estimation of the growth-related traits, with R2 values of 0.9277, 0.9126, and 0.9251 and NRMSE values of 22.96, 37.29, and 27.60%. The results indicated that a CNN with digital images is a robust tool for the monitoring of the growth of greenhouse lettuce.
Major-effect candidate genes identified in cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) for ellagic acid deoxyhexoside and pelargonidin-3-O-malonylglucoside biosynthesis, key polyphenolic compounds
Authors: Davik Jahn , Aaby Kjersti , Buti Matteo , Alsheikh Muath , Šurbanovski Nada , Martens Stefan , Røen Dag , Sargent Daniel James
Published: August 2020

Strawberries are rich in polyphenols which impart health benefits when metabolized by the gut microbiome, including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antiproliferative effects. In addition, polyphenolic anthocyanins contribute to the attractive color of strawberry fruits. However, the genetic basis of polyphenol biosynthesis has not been extensively studied in strawberry. In this investigation, ripe fruits from three cultivated strawberry populations were characterized for polyphenol content using HPLC-DAD-MSnand genotyped using the iStraw35k array. GWAS and QTL analyses identified genetic loci controlling polyphenol biosynthesis. QTL were identified on four chromosomes for pelargonidin-3-O-malonylglucoside, pelargonidin-3-O-acetylglucoside, cinnamoyl glucose, and ellagic acid deoxyhexoside biosynthesis. Presence/absence of ellagic acid deoxyhexoside and pelargonidin-3-O-malonylglucoside was found to be under the control of major gene loci on LG1X2 and LG6b, respectively, on theF. × ananassalinkage maps. Interrogation of gene predictions in theF. vescareference genome sequence identified a single candidate gene for ellagic acid deoxyhexoside biosynthesis, while seven malonyltransferase genes were identified as candidates for pelargonidin-3-O-malonylglucoside biosynthesis. Homologous malonyltransferase genes were identified in theF. × ananassa‘Camarosa’ genome sequence but the candidate for ellagic acid deoxyhexoside biosynthesis was absent from the ‘Camarosa’ sequence. This study demonstrated that polyphenol biosynthesis in strawberry is, in some cases, under simple genetic control, supporting previous observations of the presence or absence of these compounds in strawberry fruits. It has also shed light on the mechanisms controlling polyphenol biosynthesis and enhanced the knowledge of these biosynthesis pathways in strawberry. The above findings will facilitate breeding for strawberries enriched in compounds with beneficial health effects.
Multiple-population QTL mapping of maturity and fruit-quality traits reveals LG4 region as a breeding target in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.)
Authors: Calle Alejandro , Wünsch Ana
Published: August 2020

Sweet cherry maturity date and fruit quality are relevant traits for its marketability, transport, and consumer acceptance. In this work, sweet cherry fruit development time, maturity date, and commercial fruit-quality traits (size, weight, firmness, soluble solid content, and titratable acidity) were investigated to improve the knowledge of their genetic control, and to identify alleles of breeding interest. Six sweet cherry populations segregating for these traits were used for QTL analyses. These populations descend from cross- and self-pollinations of local Spanish sweet cherries ‘Ambrunés’ and ‘Cristobalina’, and breed cultivars (‘Brooks’, ‘Lambert’, or ‘Vic’). The six populations (n = 411), previously genotyped with RosBREED Cherry 6 K SNP array, were phenotyped for 2 years. QTL analyses were conducted using a multifamily approach implemented by FlexQTL™. Fruit development time, soluble solid content, and titratable acidity QTLs are first reported in sweet cherry in this work. Significant QTLs were detected for all the traits. Eighteen were more stable as they were detected for 2 years. Of these, nine are first reported in this work. The major QTLs for fruit development time, maturity date, firmness, and soluble solid content were identified on the same narrow region of linkage group 4. These traits also showed significant positive correlation (long fruit development time associated with late maturity, high firmness, and high SSC). NAC transcription factor genes identified on this LG4 region may be candidate genes for the regulation of these traits in sweet cherry, as previously described in syntenic regions of other Rosaceae species. Haplotypes of breeding interest on this LG4 genomic region were identified and will be useful for sweet cherry breeding from this and related plant material.
Overexpression of phosphatidylserine synthase IbPSS1 affords cellular Na+ homeostasis and salt tolerance by activating plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiport activity in sweet potato roots
Authors: Yu Yicheng , Xuan Ying , Bian Xiaofeng , Zhang Lei , Pan Zhiyuan , Kou Meng , Cao Qinghe , Tang Zhonghou , Li Qiang , Ma Daifu , Li Zongyun , Sun Jian
Published: August 2020

Phosphatidylserine synthase (PSS)-mediated phosphatidylserine (PS) synthesis is crucial for plant development. However, little is known about the contribution of PSS to Na+homeostasis regulation and salt tolerance in plants. Here, we cloned theIbPSS1gene, which encodes an ortholog ofArabidopsis AtPSS1, from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas(L.) Lam.). The transient expression ofIbPSS1inNicotiana benthamianaleaves increased PS abundance. We then established an efficientAgrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated in vivo root transgenic system for sweet potato. Overexpression ofIbPSS1through this system markedly decreased cellular Na+accumulation in salinized transgenic roots (TRs) compared with adventitious roots. The overexpression ofIbPSS1enhanced salt-induced Na+/H+antiport activity and increased plasma membrane (PM) Ca2+-permeable channel sensitivity to NaCl and H2O2in the TRs. We confirmed the important role ofIbPSS1in improving salt tolerance in transgenic sweet potato lines obtained from anAgrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system. Similarly, compared with the wild-type (WT) plants, the transgenic lines presented decreased Na+accumulation, enhanced Na+exclusion, and increased PM Ca2+-permeable channel sensitivity to NaCl and H2O2in the roots. Exogenous application of lysophosphatidylserine triggered similar shifts in Na+accumulation and Na+and Ca2+fluxes in the salinized roots of WT. Overall, this study provides an efficient and reliable transgenic method for functional genomic studies of sweet potato. Our results revealed thatIbPSS1contributes to the salt tolerance of sweet potato by enabling Na+homeostasis and Na+exclusion in the roots, and the latter process is possibly controlled by PS reinforcing Ca2+signaling in the roots.