bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rare and in need of further preservation plants of Krasnoyarsk flora
Authors: Antipova E M , Antipova S V
Published: September 2021

The consequences of increasing urbanization in the modern world are in the field of knowledge of a wide variety of sciences, while one of the most important aspects of this problem is monitoring the biological diversity of urban areas, as the main condition for their sustainable ecological development. The study of urban flora is one of the priority areas of modern floristry and phytogeography, the scientific value of which is steadily increasing due to the strengthening, both in time and in space, of anthropogenic pressure. The purpose of the article is to identify plant species for the Red List of Threatened Animals and Plants of the Krasnoyarsk Territory in the urbanized landscape of the city of Krasnoyarsk and to determine their status. As a result of the study, 56 species of protected plants in Krasnoyarsk were identified, proposed for protection in the new edition of the regional Red List of Threatened Animals and Plants of 2022. A list of Red List of Threatened Animals and Plants species was compiled indicating the main habitats and distribution in 26 established and studied model sites within the city. For each species, Latin and Russian names, main habitats, frequency of occurrence and abundance are given, in the case of authors’ own collections. The statuses of rare species of Krasnoyarsk have been determined: 1 species has an indefinite status - 4 (I); 28 species have the status 3 (R) - rare species; 25 species have status 2 (V) - vulnerable species, 2 species with status 1 (E) - endangered species.
Biological productivity of pine stands growing in southern mountain dark taiga of Krasnoyarsk krai
Authors: Mikhaylov P V , Sultson S M , Goroshko A A , Kulakova N N , Melnichenko N P
Published: September 2021

The research is devoted to studying the biological productivity of modal Siberian pine stands of the Siberian taiga zone (southern ecoregions). Forest stands of the IV bonitet class, including Bilberry- and Bergenia-dominated forest types, were studied. The study was based on mathematical modeling of the forest stand growth combined with the conversion-volumetric method for determining the amount of phytomass converted to sequestered carbon. Tables were proposed that reflect the quantitative characteristics of the age dynamics in phytomass and the carbon contained in it. The range of changes in the phytomass in modal Siberian pine stands throughout all age classes in the Bilberry-dominated forest type was from 40.2 to 297.7 t m−3, in the Bergenia-dominated forest type - from 52.6 to 292.1 t m−3. In Siberian pine forests of the IV bonitet class, carbon pools were concentrated in the Bilberry-dominated type from 37.5 to 147.6 t⋅C⋅ha−1, in the Bergenia-dominated type - from 48.1 to 147.2 t⋅C⋅ha−1. The results supplemented the existing database on the biological productivity of taiga forests and can be used in organizing forest monitoring and implementing regional environmental programs, including calculating the carbon cycle.
Some cenotic features of Scots pine blister rust and red ring rot in pine forests
Authors: Tatarintsev A I , Melnichenko N P
Published: September 2021

Scots pine blister rust and red ring rot are common diseases on Scots pine throughout its entire range. Many specialists have studied these diseases in various aspects. Nevertheless, the cenotic patterns of incidence in pine forests, primarily for Scots pine blister rust, have been studied to a lesser extent. The study is aimed to establish the peculiarities of incidence of Scots pine blister rust and red ring rot in pine forests at the dendrocenosis-level in the context of forest conditions and the biology of pathogens. We studied the pine forests of the Dzerzhinskoe forestry located in the Krasnoyarsk Krai. Research methods included detailed forest pathological examination, macroscopic diagnostics of diseases, determination of indicators proving disease manifestation, and analysis of the series of diameter-related distribution of trees. Scots pine blister rust was proved to be of high injuriousness for trees and entire forest stand in case of hotspot emergency. Red ring rot does not play such a significant role in the plant community since trees with signs of rot retain their activity for a long time as part of the cenopopulation. Diameter-related distribution of the affected trees mainly corresponds to the general stand structure. Nevertheless, in red ring rot hotspots, there is a certain predominance of large specimens in the affected part of the stand, which is associated with a reduced immunity in such trees. Scots pine blister rust in herb-rich pine forests often damages trees with diameters below average. Scots pine blister rust pathogen completes different stages of its life cycle on different plants infecting intermediate host from various species of herbaceous growing in the ground cover of herb-rich pine forests.
Feasibility study for choosing the best combine harvester design
Authors: Tsybulevsky V V , Maslov G G , Tazmeev B K
Published: September 2021

A modernized Harrington function with three zones of evaluation indicators is proposed: excellent-good-satisfactory for making a decision on choosing the best design of a combine harvester. Harrington’s desirability function is used only in the 0.2 … 0.8 section, in the interval of which the system of j-th estimated indicators with its own units of measurement (operating costs, grain losses, labor costs, energy consumption of the combine harvesting process) is located. The developed desirability scales were used based on economic tests of combines. Dependences are obtained for converting the values of experimental estimated indicators to a dimensionless scale limited by the range of the desirability function 0.2 … 0.8. By the method of paired comparison of the estimated indicators, their rank place, the weight coefficient of each indicator used in calculating the generalized criterion for the comprehensive assessment of each combine harvester was determined. The maximum value of the criterion determines the best design of the combine from the alternative. The values of the

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criteria for the integrated assessment of combines with and without weight factors (mean geometric value of the criteria) have been analysed. When using the latter, a more significant difference was obtained between the compared designs of combines. Such a comparison can be applied to carry out comparative tests of combines under the same conditions (yield, moisture, weediness, etc.). The purpose of the work is to substantiate, using the example of a group of compared grain harvesters, the best design option using the proposed system of evaluation indicators and generalized criteria for complex evaluation.
Determination of parameters of the clearance with consideration to elastic deformations in various schemes of hydroextrusion
Authors: Prokhasko L S , Zalilov R V , Terenteva E V , Timoshenko M P , Sokolov I V
Published: September 2021

The scheme of all-around (triaxial) compression of the deformable material in the deformation center is the most favorable and desirable scheme from the point of view of giving the material high values of its physical and mechanical properties. The intention to bring real technological processes closer to implementation of this scheme led to development of range of technologies for processing meterials with a high-pressure fluid and, in particular, hydroextrusion of materials. The hydroextrusion process in the most comprehensive way meets the requirement of all-around compression scheme of material when it this material is compressed in the hydrodynamic friction mode, which stable nature of flow depends on flow rate of a working fluid entering through the annular clearance between the plunger and the chamber. The flow rate is determined by pressure differential and the parameters of the clearance itself. Therefore, there is a need for analytical study of clearance parameters for various hydraulic extrusion schemes. This article analyzes the work motion pattern of an uncompacted plunger in a solid container and for hydroextrusion with an uncompressed shank. For these hydroextrusion schemes the mathematical equations are proposed in order to determine the parameters of the clearance, taking into account the elastic deformations of the container and the plunger (shank).
Features of the design of statically indeterminate frames by the mixed method with rods of a given stiffness
Authors: Sazonova S A , Zvyagintseva A V , Nikolenko S D , Chernikov E A , Sumera S S
Published: September 2021

The features of using the mixed method for calculating internal forces in statically indeterminate frames with rods of a given stiffness are considered. The substantiation of the choice for the calculation of frames of the mixed method, methods of forces or displacements is given. The condition of equivalence of the main and the given systems is provided. The calculations took into account the mechanical meaning of the canonical equations and individual terms of the canonical equations of the mixed method. The corresponding reactions and displacements are determined. It is substantiated which part of the frame when calculating by the mixed method is more rational to calculate by the method of displacement, and which part by the method of forces. Used "tabular" data in the process of calculating the frame by the mixed method. If necessary, frame parts are designed to be statically determinate. The features of constructing and controlling the diagram of moments after determining the unknowns, constructing the final diagram of shear forces using the already constructed diagram of bending moments, constructing the final diagram of longitudinal forces using the already constructed diagram of shear forces.
Nature of change in relative deformations of non-autoclaved cell concrete under pure shear conditions
Authors: Urinov Jamol , Hikmatov Navfal , Sharipov Akmal
Published: September 2021

Results and analysis of experimental data on tests of non-autoclave gas concrete in a biaxial stressed “compression-tension” state are presented. In addition, the shear modulus of non-autoclaved gas concrete was determined based on the results of testing the prisms in axial state without eliminating the friction. Corresponding conclusions based on test results have been drawn.
Development of a manual garden shovel with the ability to quickly clean the working surface
Authors: Voiku I P
Published: September 2021

Manual garden shovels have various shapes and sizes, are used to perform a large number of works with soil. A common problem for all garden shovels is the sticking of soil on the working part – the blade. Constant sticking of soil on the blade reduces labor productivity, requires considerable effort and time for cleaning, even the presence of special devices. There are constant attempts to solve the problem of quick cleaning of the blade of manual shovels. Many technical solutions to this problem are patented and are actively used in practice. The design of the self-cleaning shovel consists of a handle and a metal blade with a sharpened cutting edge fixed at one end of the handle, a tubular clamp and footrests, as well as a cleaning plate that is fixed to the movable handle, and a compression spring located under the movable handle around the tubular clamp of the shovel. Cleaning of a metal blade is performed by the cleaning plate, which moves along the metal blade from the footrests to the cutting edge and back. To do this, the user moves the movable handle towards the metal blade, providing compression of the spring.
Seedbed preparation of the upper soil layer
Authors: Kokieva G E , Sokolova V A , Maksimovich K Yu , Dzjasheev A-M S , Ivanov A A , Golubev V V , Melbert A A
Published: September 2021

Increasing crop yields is the most important condition for intensifying agricultural production. High quality of various technological operations of soil preparation can significantly increase yields. It is especially important to prepare soil before seeding, it forms a habitat for plants, ensures uniform seeding in depth. Using heavy machines in agriculture, surface and subsurface soil layers undergo mechanical deformation with inevitable deterioration of its physical and biological properties. Density of surface and subsurface horizons increases, number of pores with a size of 0.2 … 10 microns decreases, which determine soil moisture content. Productivity of cultivated plants is influenced by effective fertility of not only surface layer, but also machines and tractors. Many studies have established that soil deformation during movement of cultivator hoe or wedge consists of two stages. At the first stage, soil particles located in close proximity to the hoe are displaced forward, forcing the layers in front to compress, when stresses in soil reach their limit values, a shift occurs at some distance from the toe of the hoe. At the second stage, soil begins to intensively move forward and upward and move along surface of working body. In this regard, resistance of soil to movement of individual parts of working body will be different. The article describes research that helps to determine ground unevenness. One of the possible measures to prevent compaction of the subsurface is presented - improving technology of preparing upper surface soil layer.
Computation of optimized agricultural machinery tracks during field work
Authors: Alekseev Viktor , Vasiliev Sergey , Philippov Vladimir
Published: September 2021

Analysis of various approaches to optimizing the trajectories of agricultural machinery across the field made it possible to determine the main points that have reserves for optimization. Algorithms were obtained to optimize tracks at this stage of research, on fields with small slopes. The construction of tracks is implemented in software both for a given entry point and direction of movement, as well as a choice of entry points and directions that optimize the time and fuel costs. Variants of building tracks for vehicles with different grip widths, as well as for cases of movement of several pieces of equipment in various kinds of combined versions, have been implemented. The software implementation was carried out using the JAVA 8 and GeoTools 19 technology stack.
Application of techniques for moving dynamics series for planning and forecasting indicators in agrotourism
Authors: Vasilieva E A , Zatylkov N I
Published: September 2021

Planning and forecasting in agrotourism have their own characteristics, due to the specifics of the industry, associated with the finding of this area in close connection with agriculture and tourism. At the same time, in the planning of agricultural indicators, it is necessary to adhere to long-tested and positively proven methods based on quantitative methods. The qualitative side of agrotourism implies the need for a separate approach to planning a number of indicators, such as the price of a service. Forecasting methods here should take into account the purely market orientation of the tourist component. In addition, the field of agrotourism is mostly represented by small farms, which most often do not use professional software products for the purpose of forecasting indicators and further planning their activities on this basis. This article describes the methods of moving the dynamics series for planning and forecasting indicators in agrotourism.
Efficiency of the wild plant market in modern economic conditions
Authors: Rozhkova A V , Olentsova J A
Published: September 2021

At the present stage of economic development in a market economy, the most urgent problem is the rational using the economic potential of the regions to meet the needs of the population in food, as well as other goods and services. The implementation of the food program should be carried out not only through the growth of agricultural production, the efficient operation of food and processing enterprises, the expansion of personal subsidiary farms, but also through the using other sources of food resources, in particular, for example forest products. The severity of this problem is determined by the huge scale of the Russian economy, on the one hand, and the constant increase in prices for food raw materials, on the other.
Research of Russian meat export to the Chinese market
Authors: Dzhancharova G K , Bolaev B K , Murtazova Kh M-S
Published: September 2021

The specifics of the current state of the meat market in China are largely determined, like the vast majority of production-consumption relationships in global socio-economic processes, by the current organizational constraints aimed at preventing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Thus, the Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China has developed specific guidelines to prevent the spread of the pandemic through the transportation of meat products, At the same time, the economic and organizational mechanism of the State Council of the Republic, aimed at ensuring the prevention and expansion of pandemic control provides for the implementation of a plan of full chain, closed, tracked regulated imported food products. A negative aspect of the implementation of the said mechanism is the increased threat of disruptions in meat supply with the potential for higher prices for imported pork.
The impact of climate change on regional food security
Authors: Fedotova G V , Vertakova Yu V , Klevtsova M G
Published: September 2021

Climate change has serious consequences for agriculture and food security, creating new risks and challenges and exacerbating existing local to global vulnerabilities. Climate change can affect all aspects of the food security of vulnerable groups, as well as various elements of food systems. Climate transformation and food security are two challenges that need to be addressed together. The aim of this research is to study the impact of climate change on regional food security. In the course of the research, the following methods were used: structural and logical analysis, monographic analysis, methods of statistical grouping. As a result of the study, using the example of the Southern and Central Federal Districts, the authors have analyzed the dynamics of various indicators of the state of natural conditions and the actions of regional government structures, which reflect individual elements of maintaining food security. The proposed methodological approach to assessing the impact of climate change on regional food security is distinguished by the use of private indicators for diagnosing the level of food security. The system of these indicators includes both the study of natural conditions and the level of ecological safety of the region. The use of the proposed tools for measuring the impact of climate change on regional food security will increase the effectiveness of the actions of regional government structures, which reflect individual elements of maintaining food security.
Assessment of food security in the regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation
Authors: Ruiga I R , Kovzunova E S , Bugaeva S V , Ovchinnikova Iu I , Sivtsova E K
Published: September 2021

The article is devoted to improving the methodological tools for assessing food security threats to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, taking into account the territorial specifics (for example, the Arctic regions). The need for a food security assessment procedure in the context of two approaches is indicated: 1) an assessment of the food security of the Arctic zone, as a set of territories of several regions belonging to different federal districts, but united by a single legal status; 2) an assessment of the food security of the Arctic zone, as a part of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation, the territories of which are fully or partially referred to the "Arctic" status. As a result of the comparative analysis of approaches to assessing food security in foreign and domestic practice, a system of indicators was formed, differentiated into 6 projections (criteria): physical availability of food; economic affordability of food; sufficiency of food consumption; food quality; transport accessibility; support for the functioning and development of the agro-industrial complex. Approbation of the proposed assessment toolkit was carried out on the example of the regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, the studied period is from 2012 to 2019. As a result of the assessment, food security threats have been identified both in the context of a separate Arctic entity and the Russian Arctic as a whole. The identified threats provide a basis for the development of specialized tools aimed at improving the regional economic policy in the food sector, taking into account the territorial specifics, as well as increasing the level of food security in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.
Analytical and computational analytical mathematical models of the mosquito population in the middle zone of the Russian Federation
Authors: Vasilevich F I , Kalmykov V V , Nikanorova A M , Koroleva E V , Engasheva E S
Published: September 2021

The objective is to obtain calculation and analytical mathematical models of the abundance of mosquitoes depending on the following factors: average monthly temperature over the year, average monthly precipitation over the year and average monthly atmospheric pressure over the year. The obtained models show the individual effect of each factor and their combined effect. The population of mosquitoes is most dependent on the average monthly precipitation. Its influence is 3.5 times greater than that of the average monthly temperature, and 6.4 times greater than that of the average atmospheric pressure. Also, models were obtained to enable calculation of the population size of mosquitoes without resorting to expensive field survey.
Conservation of the Earth’s biodiversity in the era of environmental challenges
Authors: Slozhenkina M I , Fedotova A M , Mosolova E A , Larionova I S
Published: September 2021

Biodiversity conservation is the creation of the necessary conditions for the preservation and restoration of the natural set of species of living organisms within certain landscapes and ecosystems through full compliance with established environmental standards and norms when using various components of the natural environment in various spheres of the economy and production. This is a key factor in ensuring the necessary availability of biological resources in conditions of a complicated ecological situation with irrational use of natural resources and non-observance of natural ecological conditions for the preservation and life of various living organisms. For this purpose, it is necessary to form a system of "green" economy, built on the repeated use of components of the natural environment and the use of biological resources in accordance with the natural regime of their restoration.
Ecological problems of primary and secondary keratopathies
Authors: Goncharova A V , Sotnikova L F , Kostylev V A , Stekolnikov A A
Published: September 2021

Among the large number of eye diseases in horses, the largest percentage is occupied by keratopathies, accompanied by damage to one or more layers of the cornea. Keratopathies are multifactorial diseases that occur in one case with traumatization of the cornea and further development of the disease – primary, in the other case with the accumulation of toxins, antigens, and under – oxidized products in the tear fluid-secondary. The absence in the modern literature of the hypothesis of the pathogenesis of keratopathies, summarizing the data accumulated to date, makes it difficult to develop further promising directions in the study of these complex diseases.
Vegetation changes in the chemical composition of Rosa acicularis
Authors: Shanina E V
Published: September 2021

In the modern world consumers’ attention is attracted by wholesome, safe and ecologically-friendly food products that can be qualified as "natural". In this regard, wild plants growing in the region seem worth to be involved in processing. Rosaacicularis Lindl is of particular interest as a promising non-traditional medicinal and technical raw material. To assess its quality and use in products recovery, comprehensive information on both the chemical composition of fruits and plant biomass is required. This paper studies the dynamics of biologically active substances transformations in the Rosa acicularis biomass during the growing season. The change in the mechanical composition of the vegetative part of Rosa acicularis in the spring-autumn period is presented. The change in the content of vitamins, organic acids, pectin and tannins, pigments in shoots, leaves, roots and fruits of a plant during the growing season is considered. From May to June - July most biologically active substances are accumulated in the vegetative parts of Rosa acicularis. In fruits the maximum content of biologically active substances falls on August - September. This fact allows recommending not only fruits, but also the vegetative part of the plant for industrial processing.
Causal diagram with positive and negative feedbacks of the grain molasses production process
Authors: Bulatov S Yu , Semenov S V , Krupin A E , Shkilev N P
Published: September 2021

The development and improvement of unique technologies for the production of feed and feed additives is currently an urgent problem, which is formulated at the level of the Government of the Russian Federation. Such technologies include the production of grain molasses in the conditions of agricultural enterprises from raw materials of their own production. To date, the technology for producing molasses from grain has been developed, but there are very few technical means for its implementation. The question of the operation of such installations remains insufficiently disclosed both from a scientific point of view and from a technical point of view, and requires further research. The paper substantiates the design of the plant for the preparation of molasses from grain on the basis of a mental model. When developing the mental model, the installation was considered as a "black box". For maximum consideration of all factors, a mental model of the pumping unit in dynamics is formed. A cause-and-effect diagram with positive and negative feedback on the selection of the pump for installation is formed. The diagram consists of variables and relationships between them with positive or negative effects. It is revealed that the key elements of the diagram are the electric pump and the dispersant, which provide the movement of the suspension. However, the dispersant is more complex, more expensive to manufacture, and has a lower performance compared to an electric pump. Therefore, it follows from the mental scheme that it is possible to achieve an increase in the productivity of the plant due to its technical improvement, taking into account the demand for molasses and focusing on the company’s profit from the use of this plant.
Biological efficiency of cultivation of new hybrids of spring rapeseed in Eastern Siberia
Authors: Khalipsky A N , Oleynikova E N , Grishina I I
Published: September 2021

The work considered the development of technology for cultivating new hybrids of spring rapeseed breeding by LLC Jerman Sid Alliance Russ RAPOOL in the natural and climatic conditions of Eastern Siberia. The research was carried out in the production experience of grain-and-grains crop rotation at the field station of the ERPC "Borsky" in the conditions of the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe. Six new spring rapeseed hybrids of RAPOOL’s Clearfild ® breeding system were studied, advanced cultivation technology and a system for protecting the crop from harmful organisms were tested, biological and actual yields were assessed, and the main elements of the crop structure were determined. The seed oil grain of spring rapeseed hybrids in full protection versions was well made with almost the same weight of 1000 seeds and ranged from 4.0 to 4.5 g. An assessment of the biological yield from the main alimony of the crop structure shows that it varies by hybrids and varies from 3.3 t/ha in the Lagonda hybrid under control to 7.03 t/ha in the Drago hybrid with complete protection. The same assessment on Clearfild ® spring rapeseed hybrids showed a high biological yield, which varies from 5.6 t/ha in the Cyclus hybrid to 7.8 t/ha in the Chip CL hybrid. High harvest yields were formed by Contra CL and Chip CL hybrids, 9.5 and 9.4 t/ha, respectively. The highest actual seed yield with full protection was shown by the Drago hybrid (6.2 t/ha) and Chip CL hybrid (7.2 t/ha). The assessment of spring rapeseed hybrids from the Clearfild ® system group showed that their actual yield of oilseeds did not exceed the same in the first test using non-cryafield seeds.)
The research of changes in biochemical parameters extracts of sprouting soybean and rapeseed seeds
Authors: Samofalova L A , Berezina N A , Safronova O V , Kunitsyna T O
Published: September 2021

At different periods of swelling and incubation (12, 24, 36, 48, 60 h) soybean seeds were selected: swollen (after reaching the critical humidity of soy 58.6 %; rapeseed 43.6 %); sprouted "spouts"; with sprouts ≥1 cm. It was found that the protein content in seedlings gradually decreases from 37.0-41.3% in dormant seeds, to 18.6-20.3% in sprouts after 48 hours in rapeseed and 60 hours of incubation in soybeans. The developed method of differentiation of germinating seeds by physiological state made it possible to register step-by-step changes in extracts according to pH and buffer capacity (BC). This rapid analysis is applicable in the development of technology for protein complex extraction and preparation of protein preparations from non-traditional sources.
Early postnatal cold imprinting influence on the adult rats’ adrenal medulla functional state
Authors: Selyatitskaya V G , Palchikova N A , Kuzminova O I
Published: September 2021

The article describes the cold imprinting modifying effect on the adrenomedullary cells functional state in adult animals. It has been shown that short-term cold exposure in early ontogenesis leads to an increase in norepinephrine reserves in the adult rats’ adrenal glands. With these animals test cooling, the phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase activity in the adrenal glands decreases, thereby preserving the hormone reserves, which is the thermogenesis dominant activator in the mammalian body.
The role of catalysts in fat transesterification technology
Authors: Oltiev Azim , Kamalova Matluba , Rakhmonov Kakhramon , Mamatqulov Orifjon
Published: September 2021

Methods of mathematical and statistical treatment of experimental results in technology of interesterification of oils and fats have been used. The optimal technological modes and parameters that ensure reduction of amount of expensive oil and the cost of the ongoing technological stage have been established. New data in the direction of interesterification of oils and fats have been obtained. The main reasons providing quality improvement and ensuring safety of interesterified fats have been established.
Breed as a biotechnological phenomenon
Authors: Lebedev I G , Pimenov N V , Lomskov M A , Ivannikova R F
Published: September 2021

Authors of this article discuss about the problem of developing the theoretical foundations of animal domestication (including the creation of breeds) in modern biological science. Unfortunately, at the moment, the issue under consideration, which is located at the intersection of such scientific disciplines as zoology, biotechnology, veterinary medicine and animal science, in the Russian Federation is insufficiently studied and generalized theoretically. In addition, the analysis of the use and interpretation of the term «breed» is carried out on the example of the current situation in Russian agriculture. The processes of creating and using breed standards are also considered. Our own experience demonstrates that the creation of a reasoned and complex teaching about the breed as a biological and technological phenomenon will significantly improve the quality of veterinary and zootechnical education and fundamental biological science.
Atiyah’s work on holomorphic vector bundles and gauge theories
Authors: Donaldson Simon
Published: September 2021

The first part of the article surveys Atiyah’s work in algebraic geometry during the 1950s, mainly on holomorphic vector bundles over curves. In the second part we discuss his work from the late 1970s on mathematical aspects of gauge theories, involving differential geometry, algebraic geometry, and topology.
Balanced Functional Module Detection in genomic data
Authors: Tritchler David , Towle-Miller Lorin M , Miecznikowski Jeffrey C
Published: September 2021

Motivation

High-dimensional genomic data can be analyzed to understand the effects of variables on a target variable such as a clinical outcome. For understanding the underlying biological mechanism affecting the target, it is important to discover the complete set of relevant variables. Thus variable selection is a primary goal, which differs from a prediction criterion. Of special interest are functional modules, cooperating sets of variables affecting the target which can be characterized by a graph. In applications such as social networks, the concept of balance in undirected signed graphs characterizes the consistency of associations within the network. This property requires that the module variables have a joint effect on the target outcome with no internal conflict, an efficiency that may be applied to biological networks.

Results

In this paper, we model genomic variables in signed undirected graphs for applications where the set of predictor variables influences an outcome. Consequences of the balance property are exploited to implement a new module discovery algorithm, balanced Functional Module Detection (bFMD), which selects a subset of variables from high-dimensional data that compose a balanced functional module. Our bFMD algorithm performed favorably in simulations as compared to other module detection methods. Additionally, bFMD detected interpretable results in an application using RNA-seq data obtained from subjects with Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma using the percentage of tumor invasion as the outcome of interest. The variables selected by bFMD have improved interpretability due to the logical consistency afforded by the balance property.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
Contraceptive and Infertility Target DataBase: a contraceptive drug development tool for targeting and analysis of human reproductive specific tissues†
Authors: Sinha Subarna , Knapp Merrill , Pywtorak John , McCain Greg , Wingerden Kenneth , VanDervoort Colin , Gondek J Mark , Madrid Peter , Parman Toufan , Gerrard Stephen , Long Jill E , Blithe Diana L , Moss Stuart , Lee Min S
Published: September 2021

The long and challenging drug development process begins with discovery biology for the selection of an appropriate target for a specific indication. Target is a broad term that can be applied to a range of biological entities such as proteins, genes, and ribonucleic acids (RNAs). Although there are numerous databases available for mining biological entities, publicly available searchable, downloadable databases to aid in target selection for a specific disease or indication (e.g., developing contraceptives and infertility treatments) are limited. We report the development of the Contraceptive and Infertility Target DataBase (https://www.citdbase.org), which provides investigators an interface to mine existing transcriptomic and proteomic resources to identify high-quality contraceptive/infertility targets. The development of similar databases is applicable to the identification of targets for other diseases and conditions.
Adolescent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Accelerated Decline of Gray Matter Volume
Authors: Infante M A , Eberson S C , Zhang Y , Brumback T , Brown S A , Colrain I M , Baker F C , Clark D B , De Bellis M D , Goldston D , Nagel B J , Nooner K B , Zhao Q , Pohl K M , Sullivan E V , Pfefferbaum A , Tapert S F , Thompson W K
Published: September 2021

The age- and time-dependent effects of binge drinking on adolescent brain development have not been well characterized even though binge drinking is a health crisis among adolescents. The impact of binge drinking on gray matter volume (GMV) development was examined using 5 waves of longitudinal data from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence study. Binge drinkers (n = 166) were compared with non-binge drinkers (n = 82 after matching on potential confounders). Number of binge drinking episodes in the past year was linked to decreased GMVs in bilateral Desikan–Killiany cortical parcellations (26 of 34 with P < 0.05/34) with the strongest effects observed in frontal regions. Interactions of binge drinking episodes and baseline age demonstrated stronger effects in younger participants. Statistical models sensitive to number of binge episodes and their temporal proximity to brain volumes provided the best fits. Consistent with prior research, results of this study highlight the negative effects of binge drinking on the developing brain. Our results present novel findings that cortical GMV decreases were greater in closer proximity to binge drinking episodes in a dose–response manner. This relation suggests a causal effect and raises the possibility that normal growth trajectories may be reinstated with alcohol abstinence.
UHPLC–MS/MS Method for Quantifying Fangchinoline, Tetrandrine and Calycosin-7-O-β-D-Glucoside of Fangji Huangqi Decoction in Rat Plasma and Its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study
Authors: Guan Jiao , Wang Liming , Ji Yuan , Zhang Tianyi , Sang Ye , Chang Sheng , Feng Bo , Zhu Heyun
Published: September 2021

Fangji Huangqi Decoction is composed of Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix, Astragli Radix, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma. It is a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula for the treatment of chronic glomerulonephritis in China. However, its pharmacokinetic characteristics in vivo are still unclear. In this study, a method for quantifying fangchinoline, tetrandrine and calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, the main active constituents of Fangji Huangqi Decoction, in rat plasma by using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry technique was developed. Plasma samples were processed with a deproteinization procedure using acetonitrile, followed by chromatographic separation on a Shim-pack XR-ODS C18 column using gradient elution of 0.1% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile at 0.4 mL/min. The analytes and internal standard, diphenhydramine hydrochloride, were detected using positive electrospray ionization in multiple reactions monitoring mode. The optimized mass transition ion-pairs (m/z) were 609.3/367.3 for fangchinoline, 623.3/174.3 for tetrandrine, 447.2/285.1 for calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside and 256.2/167.1 for diphenhydramine hydrochloride, respectively. The developed method was validated for intraday and interday precision and accuracy whose values fell in the acceptable limits. Recovery efficiency of all the analytes was found to be >90.5%. Matrix effect was found to be negligible. Stability results showed that the analytes were stable under all conditions. The validated method was successfully used for studying the pharmacokinetics of the three compounds in rat plasma after oral administration of Fangji Huangqi Decoction.
Purification of Recombinant Mouse C-Reactive Protein fromPichia PastorisGS115 by Nickel Chelating Sepharose Fast-Flow Affinity Chromatography andP-Aminophenyl Phosphoryl Choline Agarose Resin Affinity Chromatography in Tandem
Authors: Cheng Bin , Wu Di , Wu Ke , Huang Xiao-Ping , Lv Jian-Min , Ji Shang-Rong , Zhu Li
Published: September 2021

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a circulating marker of inflammation yet with ill-defined biological functions. This is partly due to the uncharacterized activities of endogenous CRP in mice, the major animal model used to define protein function. The hurdles for purification and characterization of mouse CRP are its low circulating levels and the lack of specific antibodies. To clear these hurdles, here we developed an efficient expression system by constructing recombinant Pichia pastoris cells for secretion of native conformation mouse CRP. The recombinant expression of mouse CRP in Escherichia coli failed to yield sufficient amount of native protein, reflecting the importance of post-translational modification of glycosylation in aiding proper folding. By contrast, sufficient amount of native mouse CRP was successfully purified from P. pastoris. Preliminary purification was performed by Nickel Chelating Sepharose Fast-Flow affinity chromatography with 6 × His tags attached to the protein. Subsequently, p-Aminophenyl Phosphoryl Choline Agarose resin affinity chromatography was used for tandem purification. The purified mouse CRP showed native pentamer and capabilities of PC binding. Moreover, the 6 × His tag provides a convenient tool for detecting the interactions of mouse CRP with ligands.
Effectiveness of Four Different Interventions Against Schistosoma haematobium in a Seasonal Transmission Setting of Côte d’Ivoire: A Cluster Randomized Trial
Authors: Ouattara Mamadou , Bassa Fidèle K , Diakité Nana R , Hattendorf Jan , Coulibaly Jean T , Yao Patrick K , Tian-Bi Yves-Nathan T , Konan Cyrille K , Assaré Rufin K , Koné Naférima , Guindo-Coulibaly Négnorogo , Utzinger Jürg , N’Goran Eliézer K
Published: September 2021

Background

Annual mass drug administration (MDA) using praziquantel is the cornerstone of schistosomiasis morbidity control but is not sufficient to interrupt transmission. We implemented a cluster-randomized trial to compare the effectiveness of 4 different intervention packages to interrupt transmission of Schistosoma haematobium in a seasonal transmission setting of Côte d’Ivoire.

Methods

Sixty-four localities with a S. haematobium prevalence in school children aged 13–14 years above 4% were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 intervention arms over a 3-year period: (1) the current standard strategy consisting of annual MDA before peak of transmission, (2) annual MDA after peak of transmission, (3) biannual MDA, and (4) standard MDA combined with snail control. The primary outcome was prevalence and intensity of S. haematobium infection in children aged 9–12 years 1 year after the final intervention, using urine filtration performed by experienced microscopists.

Results

By study end, we observed the lowest S. haematobium prevalence in the biannual MDA, compared to the standard treatment arm (0.6% vs 7.5%; odds ratio [OR] = 0.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .02 to .24). The prevalence in arms 2 and 4 was about 3.5%, which was not statistically significantly different from the standard strategy (both ORs 0.4, 95% CI = .1 to ~1.8). New cases of infection were still observed in all arms at study end.

Conclusions

Biannual MDA was the only regimen that outperformed the standard treatment. All strategies resulted in decreased prevalence of infection; however, none of them was able to interrupt transmission of S. haematobium within a 3-year period.

Clinical Trials Registration

ISRCTN10926858.
South Indian Children’s Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Group B Streptococcus Invasive Disease: A Matched-Cohort Study
Authors: John Hima B , Arumugam Asha , Priya Mohana , Murugesan Nandhini , Rajendraprasad Nandhini , Rebekah Grace , Paul Proma , Chandna Jaya , Lawn Joy E , Santhanam Sridhar
Published: September 2021

Background

This study is part of a multicountry matched-cohort study designed to estimate the risk of long-term neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) of children exposed to invasive group B Streptococcus (iGBS). The specific objective of this paper is to compare NDI across domains of iGBS survivors with a matched non iGBS group in our population.

Methods

Survivors of iGBS in a South Indian hospital were identified and recruited between January 2020 and April 2021. Cases were compared with age- and gender-matched non iGBS children. Participants were assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development–3rd edition (BSID-III), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–4th edition (WPPSI-IV), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–5th edition (WISC-V), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd edition (BOT-2), depending on age.

Results

Our cohort comprised 35 GBS-exposed and 65 matched non iGBS children, aged 1–14 years. The iGBS-exposed group had 17 (48.6%) children with impairment in ≥1 domain compared to 25 (38%) in the non iGBS group (unadjusted OR, 1.51; 95% CI, .65–3.46), 9 (26%) children with “multi-domain impairment” compared to 10 (15.4%) in the non iGBS group (unadjusted OR, 1.90; 95% CI, .69–5.24), and 1 (2.9%) child with moderate to severe impairment compared to 3 (4.6%) in the non iGBS group (unadjusted OR, .60; 95% CI, .06–6.07). In the iGBS group, more children had motor impairments compared with the non iGBS group (unadjusted OR, 10.7; 95% CI, 1.19–95.69; P = .034).

Conclusions

Children with iGBS seem at higher risk of developing motor impairments compared with a non iGBS group.
Stakeholder Perceptions About Group B Streptococcus Disease and Potential for Maternal Vaccination in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Mantel Carsten , Cherian Thomas , Ko Melissa , Malvolti Stefano , Mason Elizabeth , Giles Michelle , Lambach Philipp
Published: September 2021

Background

To inform the World Health Organization’s full value of vaccine assessment for group B Streptococcus (GBS) vaccines, a rapid literature appraisal was conducted to inform the operationalization of maternal GBS vaccination. We found limited published information on stakeholder perceptions of the public health importance of GBS disease and vaccination, and we therefore undertook a multicountry survey.

Methods

An online survey was conducted in late 2019 to collect information on stakeholders’ awareness of GBS disease and the priority accorded to vaccination. The survey was distributed by email to 395 representatives of national pediatric, gynecology, and obstetrics associations, national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs), national regulatory agencies, academia, and United Nations organizations.

Results

Among 101 survey respondents from 66 countries, 36% were pediatricians, 25% obstetricians/gynecologists, 21% immunization specialists, and 18% other public health specialists. More than half (58%) of respondents reported being familiar with GBS disease as a public health problem; familiarity decreased by country income level. Knowledge of GBS disease was greatest in the Americas (68%) and Europe (66%) and lowest in Asia (13%–38%). Perception of GBS disease as a public health problem was highest among pediatricians (71%) and lowest among public health policy makers and NITAG members (30%) across country groupings. Approximately half of respondents (49%) considered the introduction of a GBS vaccine as a priority.

Conclusions

The information obtained will inform the appropriate packaging and presentation of information to address stakeholder perceptions and promote evidence-based decision making on GBS vaccination.