bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of androgens in healthy and hospitalized newborn foals
Authors: Swink Jacob M. , Rings Lindsey M. , Snyder Hailey A. , McAuley Rachel C. , Burns Teresa A. , Dembek Katarzyna A. , Gilsenan William F. , Browne Nimet , Toribio Ramiro E.
Published: December 2020

Background

Information on steroids derived from the adrenal glands, gonads, or fetoplacental unit is minimal in newborn foals.

Objective

To measure androgen concentrations in serum and determine their association with disease severity and outcome in hospitalized foals.

Animals

Hospitalized (n = 145) and healthy (n = 80) foals.

Methods

Prospective, multicenter, cross‐sectional study. Foals of ≤3 days of age from 3 hospitals and horse farms were classified as healthy and hospitalized (septic, sick nonseptic, neonatal maladjustment syndrome [NMS]) based on physical exam, medical history, and laboratory findings. Serum androgen and plasma ACTH concentrations were measured with immunoassays. Data were analyzed by nonparametric methods and univariate analysis.

Results

Serum dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations were higher upon admission in hospitalized foals (P <  .05), were associated with nonsurvival, decreased to 4.9‐10.8%, 5.7‐31%, and 30.8‐62.8% admission values in healthy, SNS, and septic foals, respectively (P < .05), but remained unchanged or increased in nonsurviving foals. ACTH:androgen ratios were higher in septic and NMS foals (P < .05). Foals with decreased androgen clearance were more likely to die (odds ratio > 3; P < .05).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Similar to glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and progestagens, increased serum concentrations of androgens are associated with disease severity and adverse outcome in hospitalized newborn foals. In healthy foals, androgens decrease over time, however, remain elevated longer in septic and nonsurviving foals. Androgens could play a role in or reflect a response to disorders such as sepsis or NMS in newborn foals.
Diagnostic value of fecal cultures in dogs with chronic diarrhea
Authors: Werner Melanie , Suchodolski Jan S. , Lidbury Jonathan A. , Steiner Jörg M. , Hartmann Katrin , Unterer Stefan
Published: December 2020

Background

Culture‐based assessment of the fecal microbiome using fecal culture profiles frequently is performed in dogs with chronic diarrhea, but the diagnostic value of this approach has not been determined.

Objectives

To compare the reported results of fecal culture profiles and the polymerase chain reaction‐based dysbiosis index (DI) between dogs with chronic diarrhea and healthy dogs; to assess interlaboratory variability in bacterial and fungal cultures among 3 veterinary diagnostic laboratories (diagnostic laboratory 1 [L1], diagnostic laboratory 2 [L2], diagnostic laboratory 3 [L3]); and to compare the reported interpretation of culture profiles (normobiosis versus dysbiosis) with those of the DI.

Animals

Eighteen dogs with chronic diarrhea (CDG) and 18 healthy control dogs (HG).

Methods

In this prospective, case‐control study, fecal samples were submitted to 3 commercial laboratories for fecal culture. The microbiota was assessed using PCR assays. Dogs receiving antimicrobials were excluded.

Results

Dysbiosis index was significantly increased in CDG (mean, 0.9; SD, 3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], −1.0; 2.8) compared to HG (mean, −3.0; SD, 2.8; CI, −4.3; −1.6;P= .0002), whereas cultures from all laboratories failed to detect significant differences (P= .66, .18, and .66, respectively). HemolyticEscherichia coliwas the only potential enteropathogen on culture, but no significant difference was found between CDG and HG. For diagnosis of dysbiosis, culture showed no agreement with DI (L1, κ = −0.21; CI, −0.44; −0.02; L2, κ = −0.33; CI, −0.58; −0.08; L3, κ = −0.25; CI, −0.39; −0.11). Furthermore, variability among the 3 laboratories was high (L1/L2, κ = 0.15; CI, −0.05; 0.35; L1/L3, κ = −0.08; CI, −0.01; −0.16; L2/L3, κ = −0.06; CI, −0.33; −0.20).

Conclusions and clinical importance

Fecal cultures failed to distinguish between diseased and healthy dogs, and a high level of interlaboratory variation for culture was found.
Metabolic changes induced by oral glucose tests in horses and their diagnostic use
Authors: Delarocque Julien , Frers Florian , Feige Karsten , Huber Korinna , Jung Klaus , Warnken Tobias
Published: December 2020

Background

Little is known about the implications of hyperinsulinemia on energy metabolism, and such knowledge might help understand the pathophysiology of insulin dysregulation.

Objectives

Describe differences in the metabolic response to an oral glucose test, depending on the magnitude of the insulin response.

Animals

Twelve Icelandic horses in various metabolic states.

Methods

Horses were subjected to 3 oral glucose tests (OGT; 0.5 g/kg body weight glucose). Basal, 120 and 180 minutes samples were analyzed using a combined liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and flow injection analysis tandem mass spectrometry metabolomic assay. Insulin concentrations were measured using an ELISA. Analysis was performed using linear models and partial least‐squares regression.

Results

The kynurenine : tryptophan ratio increased over time during the OGT (adjusted P‐value = .001). A high insulin response was associated with lower arginine (adjusted P‐value = .02) and carnitine (adjusted P‐value = .03) concentrations. A predictive model using only baseline samples performed well with as few as 7 distinct metabolites (sensitivity, 86%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 81%‐90%; specificity, 88%; 95% CI, 84%‐92%).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Our results suggest induction of low‐grade inflammation during the OGT. Plasma arginine and carnitine concentrations were lower in horses with high insulin response and could constitute potential therapeutic targets. Development of screening tools to identify insulin‐dysregulated horses using only baseline blood sample appears promising.
The challenges and applications of nanotechnology against bacterial resistance
Authors: Lei Zhiqun , karim Aman
Published: December 2020

Bacterial resistance to the antibiotics develops rapidly and is increasingly serious health concern in the world. It is an insoluble topic due to the multiple resistant mechanisms. The overexpression of relative activities of the efflux pump has proven to be a frequent and important source of bacterial resistance. Efflux transporters in the membrane from the resistant bacteria could play a key role to inhibit the intracellular drug intake and impede the drug activities. However, nanoparticles (NPs), one of the most frequently used encapsulation materials, could increase the intracellular accumulation of the drug and inhibit the transporter activity effectively. The rational and successful application of nanotechnology is a key factor in overcoming bacterial resistance. Furthermore, nanoparticles such as metallic, carbon nanotubes and so on, may prevent the development of drug resistance and be associated with antibiotic agents, inhibiting biofilm formation or increasing the access into the target cell and exterminating the bacteria eventually. In the current study, the mechanisms of bacterial resistance are discussed and summarized. Additionally, the opportunities and challenges in the use of nanoparticles against bacterial resistance are also illuminated. At the same time, the use of nanoparticles to combat multidrug‐resistant bacteria is also investigated by coupling natural antimicrobials or other alternatives. In short, we have provided a new perspective for the application of nanoparticles against multidrug‐resistant bacteria.
Spin evolution of Ceres and Vesta due to impacts
Authors: Mao Xiaochen , McKinnon William B.
Published: December 2020

All asteroid spins evolve due to collisions. Geophysical analysis (Mao and McKinnon 2018b) implies Ceres might have been modestly despun (by ~6.5%) by impacts. Vesta’s postaccretion rotation rate, before the formation of the Veneneia and Rheasilvia basins, has also been proposed to have been higher (by ~6%) than today (Fu et al. 2014). We have designed Monte Carlo simulations to investigate Ceres’ and Vesta’s plausible spin evolution by impacts. We use the main belt asteroid size–frequency distribution, Ceres’ and Vesta’s cratering records, and their present‐day impact velocity probability distributions to quantify possible spin histories. We consider dynamical effects from escaping ejecta, adopt mass‐velocity scaling laws for two endmember surface materials (porous and nonporous), and track potential catastrophic disruptions. Results show that Ceres’ spin period likely changed by a fraction of an hour (up or down) compared with its “initial,” accretional spin, mostly due to large impacts. Different surface materials do not yield statistically distinguishable final spin distributions, but imply opposite crustal evolutions where Ceres loses/accretes mass, depending on surface porosity; as much as several 100 m worth of exogenous material, globally averaged, can be accreted if the surface remains porous. Vesta’s final Monte Carlo spin distribution is more concentrated around its “initial” value, possibly implying a more relict spin state than Ceres. However, explicitly modeling the angular momentum changes wrought by Vesta’s two existing planetary‐scale impact basins shows that their formation alone can account for Vesta’s proposed spindown, although spinup is a much more likely outcome because of the scale and location of the impacts.
Yes, Memorize
Authors: Henik Avishai , Bar‐Hen‐Schweiger Moran , Milshtein Dalit , Jamaludin Azilawati
Published: December 2020

The endless wealth of information on the internet sharpens the question: how much and what is really important for us to remember? This issue is related to questions regarding the core processes involved in reasoning and thinking. We present mental manipulation (MM) as the core of reasoning and examine the above‐mentioned issue in light of MM's vital role in reasoning and problem‐solving.
Growth, investment share and the stability of the Sraffian Supermultiplier model in the U.S. economy (1985–2017)
Authors: Haluska Guilherme , Braga Julia , Summa Ricardo
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we empirically test the central hypothesis of the Sraffian Supermultiplier model (SSM)—that the growth of demand induces the share of capacity creating investment in output—for the U.S. economy from 1985 to 2017. Our results show that movements in the output growth rate cause the induced investment ratio, indicating that there is a tendency for utilization to converge slowly toward some exogenous normal level. And this together with other estimated parameters of the model suggest that the SSM adjustment mechanism has been dynamically stable for the U.S. data in the period under analysis.
Vm‐milR37 contributes to pathogenicity by regulating glutathione peroxidase gene VmGP in Valsa mali
Authors: Feng Hao , Xu Ming , Gao Yuqi , Liang Jiahao , Guo Feiran , Guo Yan , Huang Lili
Published: December 2020

MicroRNAs play important roles in various biological processes by regulating their corresponding target genes. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of fungal microRNA‐like RNAs (milRNAs) are still largely unknown. In this study, a milRNA (Vm‐milR37) was isolated and identified from Valsa mali, which causes the most serious disease on the trunk of apple trees in China. Based on the results of deep sequencing and quantitative reverse transcription PCR, Vm‐milR37 was found to be expressed in the mycelium, while it was not expressed during the V. mali infection process. Overexpression of Vm‐milR37 did not affect vegetative growth, but significantly decreased pathogenicity. Based on degradome sequencing, the target of Vm‐milR37 was identified as VmGP, a glutathione peroxidase. The expression of Vm‐milR37 and VmGP showed a divergent trend in V. mali–apple interaction samples and Vm‐milR37 overexpression transformants. The expression of VmGP could be suppressed significantly by Vm‐milR37 when coexpressed in tobacco leaves. Deletion of VmGP showed significantly reduced pathogenicity compared with the wild type. VmGP deletion mutants showed more sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide. Apple leaves inoculated with Vm‐milR37 overexpression transformants and VmGP deletion mutant displayed increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species compared with the wild type. Thus, Vm‐milR37 plays a critical role in pathogenicity by regulating VmGP, which contributes to the oxidative stress response during V. mali infection. These results provide important evidence to define the roles of milRNAs and their corresponding target genes in pathogenicity.
PR1‐mediated defence via C‐terminal peptide release is targeted by a fungal pathogen effector
Authors: Sung Yi‐Chang , Outram Megan A. , Breen Susan , Wang Chen , Dagvadorj Bayantes , Winterberg Britta , Kobe Bostjan , Williams Simon J. , Solomon Peter S.
Published: December 2020

The effector SnTox3 from Parastagonospora nodorum elicits a strong necrotic response in susceptible wheat and also interacts with wheat pathogenesis‐related protein 1 (TaPR‐1), although the function of this interaction in disease is unclear. Here, we dissect TaPR1 function by studying SnTox3–TaPR1 interaction and demonstrate the dual functionality of SnTox3.

We utilized site‐directed mutagenesis to identify an SnTox3 variant, SnTox3P173S, that was unable to interact with TaPR1 in yeast‐two‐hybrid assays. Additionally, using recombinant proteins we established a novel protein‐mediated phenotyping assay allowing functional studies to be undertaken in wheat.

Wheat leaves infiltrated with TaPR1 proteins showed significantly less disease compared to control leaves, correlating with a strong increase in defence gene expression. This activity was dependent on release of the TaCAPE1 peptide embedded within TaPR1 by an unidentified serine protease. The priming activity of TaPR1 was compromised by SnTox3 but not the noninteracting variant SnTox3P173S, and we demonstrate that SnTox3 prevents TaCAPE1 release from TaPR1 in vitro.

SnTox3 independently functions to induce necrosis through recognition by Snn3 and also suppresses host defence through a direct interaction with TaPR1 proteins. Importantly, this study also advances our understanding of the role of PR1 proteins in host–microbe interactions as inducers of host defence signalling.
Deformation of the circummaxillary sutures during acute micro‐implant assisted rapid palatal expansion and tooth‐supported expansion: An ex vivo study
Authors: Oliveira Pedro Lima Emmerich , Campos Vinicius , de Andrade Rafhael Milanezi , de Souza Araújo Mônica Tirre , Pithon Matheus Melo , Sant'Anna Eduardo Franzotti
Published: December 2020

Introduction

This study aimed to assess and compare the deformation that develops in the circummaxillary sutures during activation of micro‐implant assisted rapid palatal expander (MARPE) and tooth‐supported expander (Hyrax) s, in the rapid maxillary expansion.

Settings and sample

7 pigs Sus Scrofa received custom‐made MARPE (n = 3) and Hyrax (n = 4) appliances.

Material and methods

The devices were activated 25 times with strain readings captured by strain gauges attached to the following regions: posterior midpalatal suture (MPS), maxilla‐premaxilla suture (MPM), maxilla‐zygomatic suture (MZ) and maxilla pterygoid‐process suture (MPP). The intermolar distance and suture width were measured immediately before activation and at the 20th and 25th activation. ANOVA and Kruskal‐Wallis test was applied.

Results

The MARPE group presented greater MPS displacement in all measured regions, and one of the devices produced a significant opening (1.7 mm) in the posterior region. The accumulated tension in the MPS was higher compared to the other sutures (P < .05). A MARPE animal presented higher median tension in the MPS region (294.77με) compared to all other animals except one Hyrax animal (P < .05). Regarding the median tensions of the different activation intervals, the median tension measured during the 16th to 25th activation interval in the Hyrax group was lower than that measured during the first 8 activations, in both the MPS and MZ (P < .05).

Conclusions

MARPE expanders developed more constant tensions during all activations (MPS and MZ), while Hyrax showed lower tension in the 16th to 25th activation.
Diurnal dynamics of the Arabidopsis rosette proteome and phosphoproteome
Authors: Uhrig R. Glen , Echevarría‐Zomeño Sira , Schlapfer Pascal , Grossmann Jonas , Roschitzki Bernd , Koerber Niklas , Fiorani Fabio , Gruissem Wilhelm
Published: December 2020

Plant growth depends on the diurnal regulation of cellular processes, but it is not well understood if and how transcriptional regulation controls diurnal fluctuations at the protein level. Here, we report a high‐resolution Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) leaf rosette proteome acquired over a 12 hr light:12 hr dark diurnal cycle and the phosphoproteome immediately before and after the light‐to‐dark and dark‐to‐light transitions. We quantified nearly 5,000 proteins and 800 phosphoproteins, of which 288 fluctuated in their abundance and 226 fluctuated in their phosphorylation status. Of the phosphoproteins, 60% were quantified for changes in protein abundance. This revealed six proteins involved in nitrogen and hormone metabolism that had concurrent changes in both protein abundance and phosphorylation status. The diurnal proteome and phosphoproteome changes involve proteins in key cellular processes, including protein translation, light perception, photosynthesis, metabolism and transport. The phosphoproteome at the light–dark transitions revealed the dynamics at phosphorylation sites in either anticipation of or response to a change in light regime. Phosphorylation site motif analyses implicate casein kinase II and calcium/calmodulin‐dependent kinases among the primary light–dark transition kinases. The comparative analysis of the diurnal proteome and diurnal and circadian transcriptome established how mRNA and protein accumulation intersect in leaves during the diurnal cycle of the plant.
Transpiration increases under high‐temperature stress: Potential mechanisms, trade‐offs and prospects for crop resilience in a warming world
Authors: Sadok Walid , Lopez Jose R. , Smith Kevin P.
Published: December 2020

The frequency and intensity of high‐temperature stress events are expected to increase as climate change intensifies. Concomitantly, an increase in evaporative demand, driven in part by global warming, is also taking place worldwide. Despite this, studies examining high‐temperature stress impacts on plant productivity seldom consider this interaction to identify traits enhancing yield resilience towards climate change. Further, new evidence documents substantial increases in plant transpiration rate in response to high‐temperature stress even under arid environments, which raise a trade‐off between the need for latent cooling dictated by excessive temperatures and the need for water conservation dictated by increasing evaporative demand. However, the mechanisms behind those responses, and the potential to design the next generation of crops successfully navigating this trade‐off, remain poorly investigated. Here, we review potential mechanisms underlying reported increases in transpiration rate under high‐temperature stress, within the broader context of their impact on water conservation needed for crop drought tolerance. We outline three main contributors to this phenomenon, namely stomatal, cuticular and water viscosity‐based mechanisms, and we outline research directions aiming at designing new varieties optimized for specific temperature and evaporative demand regimes to enhance crop productivity under a warmer and dryer climate.
Micro credit and the threshold of praiseworthiness
Authors: Montminy Martin
Published: December 2020

What is the threshold of praiseworthiness? That is, how morally good should an action be in order to be potentially morally praiseworthy? I argue that the threshold of praiseworthiness should be set at actions that fulfill obligations. One may think that this threshold is too low, but this impression is due to the failure to realize that a person may deserve only micro credit for doing what she ought to do. Against the objection that the proposed threshold is too high, I argue that neither morally wrong actions nor merely permissible actions may be praiseworthy.
Oscillatory brain activity and maintenance of verbal and visual working memory: A systematic review
Authors: Pavlov Yuri G. , Kotchoubey Boris
Published: December 2020

Brain oscillations likely play a significant role in the storage of information in working memory (WM). Despite the wide popularity of the topic, current attempts to summarize the research in the field are narrative reviews. We address this gap by providing a descriptive systematic review, in which we investigated oscillatory correlates of maintenance of verbal and visual information in WM. The systematic approach enabled us to challenge some common views popularized by previous research. The identified literature (100 EEG/MEG studies) highlighted the importance of theta oscillations in verbal WM: frontal midline theta enhanced with load in most verbal studies, while more equivocal results have been obtained in visual studies. Increasing WM load affected alpha activity in most studies, but the direction of the effect was inconsistent: the ratio of studies that found alpha increase versus decrease with increasing load was 80/20% in the verbal WM domain and close to 60/40% in the visual domain. Alpha asymmetry (left < right) was a common finding in both verbal and visual WM studies. Beta and gamma activity studies yielded the least convincing data: a diversity in the spatial and frequency distribution of beta activity prevented us from making a coherent conclusion; gamma rhythm was virtually neglected in verbal WM studies with no systematic support for sustained gamma changes during the delay in EEG studies in general.
Mutual influence between emotional language and inhibitory control processes. Evidence from an event‐related potential study
Authors: Agudelo‐Orjuela Paola , de Vega Manuel , Beltrán David
Published: December 2020

There is abundant literature demonstrating that processing emotional stimuli modulates inhibitory control processes. However, the reverse effects, namely, how cognitive inhibition influences the processing of emotional stimuli, have been considerably neglected. This ERP study tries to fill this gap by studying the bidirectional interactions between emotional language and inhibitory processes. To this end, participants read emotional sentences, embedded in a cue‐based Go‐NoGo task. In Experiment 1, the critical emotional adjective preceded the Go‐NoGo visual cue. The ERPs showed a significant reduction in the inhibition‐related N2 component in NoGo trials when they were preceded by negative adjectives, compared to positive or neutral adjectives, indicating a priming‐like effect on inhibitory control. Consistently, the estimated source of this interaction was the dorsomedial PFC, a region associated with inhibitory and control processes. In Experiment 2, the Go‐NoGo cue preceded the emotional adjective, and the ERPs showed a sustained, broadly distributed LPP‐like positivity for NoGo negative trials, relative to all the other conditions. In this case, the presetting of an inhibition state modulated the processing of negatively charged words. Together, the two experiments suggest a mutual facilitation between inhibitory control and negative valence, supporting thereby recent integrative theories of cognition–emotion interactions.
Use of biofloc technology in shrimp aquaculture: a comprehensive review, with emphasis on the last decade
Authors: El‐Sayed Abdel‐Fattah M.
Published: December 2020

In face of the shortage of, and competition with, land and water, the sustainability of aquaculture will have to depend on vertical development, through improving production environments, increasing productivity and enhancing aquaculture technologies. Biofloc technology (BFT) has emerged as new alternative for sustainable aquaculture, which could contribute to FAO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to food security. Extensive research has been carried out on the development and application of BFT in aquaculture since early 1990s, with emphasis on shrimp culture. Over 40% of BFT publications in aquaculture were directed to shrimp farming. Therefore, I strongly believe that the accumulated knowledge on the applications of BFT in shrimp farming and the experience gained, especially during the last 10 years (2010–2020), are now more than worthy of critical review and analysis. This review summarizes the most update knowledge on the use of BFT in different marine shrimp and freshwater prawn aquaculture. Emphasis has been on factors affecting shrimp production in BFT systems, integration of biofloc‐based shrimp farming with other aquatic farmed species, nutritional value of bioflocs as a natural food or feed ingredient for farmed shrimp and prawn, the application of BFT in different rearing phases, the use of biofloc as a natural probiotics and their effects on shrimp health and physiological functions, economic considerations and commercial applications of BFT‐based shrimp aquaculture, and the major challenges facing shrimp farming in biofloc systems.
Evaluating restoration outcomes through assessment of pollen dispersal, mating system, and genetic diversity
Authors: Millar Melissa A. , Coates David J. , Byrne Margaret , Krauss Siegfried L. , Jonson Justin , Hopper Stephen D.
Published: December 2020

Ecological genetics can provide a novel contribution to assessing the achievement of restoration objectives. We used paternity assignment to infer realized pollen dispersal within, and pollen immigration into, a restoration population of Hakea nitida, a common near‐coastal shrub or small tree in southwest Australia. We compared mating system parameters and genetic diversity with a nearby remnant reference population and assessed genetic divergence among the restoration and reference populations. We found realized pollen dispersal events closely tracked the frequency distributions of the distances between all plants within the restoration focus area. Mean realized pollen dispersal distance (359 m) approached the mean of the distances between all plants (407 m), far exceeding mean nearest neighbor distance (12 m). Maximum realized pollen dispersal distance (869 m) approached the maximum distance between all plants in the study area (1,033 m). Pollen immigration into the restoration study area was limited (4%). The mating system revealed moderate outcrossing rates (tm = 0.861 restoration and tm = 0.745 reference population), with significant and similar biparental inbreeding (tm − ts = 0.180, tm− ts = 0.186) but greater correlated paternity (rpm) in the restoration (0.519) than in the reference (0.188) population. Genetic divergence among the restoration and reference remnant population was moderate (FST = 0.094, DST = 0.239). Patterns of pollen dispersal and mating system parameters imply the attraction of pollinators within the restoration population as a key factor in progressing towards the establishment of self‐sustaining populations.
Quickly home again: patients’ experiences of early discharge after minor stroke
Authors: Kjærhauge Christiansen Lene , Rasmussen Anitta M. , Mouritzen Helle S. , Østervig Buus Amanda A. , Grønkjær Mette
Published: December 2020

Background

Patients with minor stroke experience some of the same issues as patients experiencing stroke of increased severity such as fatigue, anxiety and cognitive symptoms. It is current practice that patients with minor stroke receive accelerated treatment and care, yet studies indicate that patients find it difficult to return to their everyday lives after being discharged. We aimed to explore how patients with minor stroke experience the transitional period from the hospital through the first 2–4 weeks after an accelerated care pathway with discharge within 72 hours after stroke onset.

Methods

A qualitative study consisting of semi‐structured interviews with 11 patients experiencing first‐time stroke 2–4 weeks after discharge.

Results

The patients struggled to identify themselves as having had a stroke. They strived to find a new everyday life, but were challenged by existential concerns, mental fatigue and the fear of having a stroke again. Unresolved questions and misunderstandings arose, and the patients expressed a need for health professionals to support them and discuss unclear issues after discharge. Patients searched for others with similar issues in order to find a new sense of self.

Conclusion

Patients with minor stroke struggle with everyday life after discharge. There is a need for support after discharge from healthcare professionals with specialised knowledge of stroke. Patients also requested an opportunity to meet other patients with minor stroke.
Soil biochemical properties and microbial composition in aged and non‐aged apple (Malus domestica) orchards in Luochuan County, Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Tian Jia , Sun Chao , Lu Pengpeng , Li Fei , Shangguan Yiqing , Qi Fan
Published: December 2020

The ageing of orchards is common in the apple planting process, which affects the yield and quality of apples, as well as the development of the apple industry and local economy. The investigation of soil properties is important to the improvement and soil management of aged apple orchards. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution, correlation and clustering of soil properties (nutrients, pH, enzymes and microorganisms) in aged and non‐aged apple orchards, as well as soil microbial communities in aged orchards with and without biofertilizer (Bacillus mucilaginosus + N, P, K) in Luochuan, Loess Plateau. The results showed that most soil properties, except for pH and catalase activity, decreased gradually with depth of soil and were highest in the 0–40 cm layer in both the aged and non‐aged orchards. However, there were no obvious differences in the horizontal direction, especially in the aged orchards, indicating that the fertilizer application site was randomly located in the aged orchards. The significant correlations between soil nutrients and microbes, available phosphorus and tree age, and the clustering of orchards as aged and non‐aged groups by soil properties, indicated that soil properties should be monitored in a timely manner to assess fertilizer application and predict the ageing of orchards. Additionally, the biofertilizer might make the aged orchard soil tend to non‐ageing by increasing beneficial and reducing harmful microbes, which suggested that biofertilizers should be widely used in future fertilizer application management of aged orchards to delay ageing.
Multiple source analysis from InSAR data and new insights into fault activation: The 2005 Zarand, Iran, earthquake
Authors: Golshadi Zeinab , Rezapour Mehdi , Atzori Simone , Salvi Stefano
Published: December 2020

We have reinterpreted the causative fault parameters of the 2005 Zarand earthquake in the light of a new imagery study using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). By conducting a joint inversion of two InSAR datasets, we can characterize the rupture as it relates to complex local structures. At first, the mainshock ruptured a nearly pure reverse fault, dipping ~65° NNW in the basement below the southeastern area of Zarand. Two more fault segments were subsequently activated: an oblique‐normal fault segment parallel to the first segment, dipping 61° to the south, and a normal‐oblique fault segment at the eastern termination of the rupture zone. The first fault segment ruptured the surface, while slip along the other two segments was confined to the lower sedimentary strata.
Baloxavir treatment of oseltamivir‐resistant influenza A/H1pdm09 in two immunocompromised patients
Authors: Macesic Nenad , Laplante Jennifer M. , Aaron Justin G. , DiMango Emily A. , Miko Benjamin A. , Pereira Marcus R. , Reshef Ran , St. George Kirsten
Published: December 2020

Few treatment options are available for oseltamivir‐resistant influenza. It has been proposed that baloxavir can be effective in this setting due to its distinct mechanism of action but clinical experience is lacking for immunocompromised patients. We report two such cases treated with baloxavir after failure of oseltamivir and detection of oseltamivir resistance mutations. Baloxavir/zanamivir combination therapy was effective in one patient, but persistent viral shedding was noted with baloxavir monotherapy in the other patient.
Histone H3K4 methyltransferases SDG25 and ATX1 maintain heat‐stress gene expression during recovery in Arabidopsis
Authors: Song Ze‐Ting , Zhang Lin‐Lin , Han Jia‐Jia , Zhou Ming , Liu Jian‐Xiang
Published: December 2020

Plants have short‐term stress memory that enables them to maintain the expression state of a substantial subset of heat‐inducible genes during stress recovery after heat stress. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms controlling stress‐responsive gene expression at the recovery stage in plants, however. In this article, we demonstrate that histone H3K4 methyltransferases SDG25 and ATX1 are required for heat‐stress tolerance in Arabidopsis. SDG25 and ATX1 are not only important for stress‐responsive gene expression during heat stress, but also for maintaining stress‐responsive gene expression during stress recovery. A combination of whole‐genome bisulfite sequencing, RNA‐sequencing and ChIP‐qPCR demonstrated that mutations of SDG25 and ATX1 decrease histone H3K4me3 levels, increase DNA cytosine methylation and inhibit the expression of a subset of heat stress‐responsive genes during stress recovery in Arabidopsis. ChIP‐qPCR results confirm that ATX1 binds to chromatins associated with these target genes. Our results reveal that histone H3K4me3 affects DNA methylation at regions in the loci associated with heat stress‐responsive gene expression during stress recovery, providing insights into heat‐stress transcriptional memory in plants.
Ligand–receptor interactions in plant hormone signaling
Authors: Takeuchi Jun , Fukui Kosuke , Seto Yoshiya , Takaoka Yousuke , Okamoto Masanori
Published: December 2020

Small‐molecule plant hormones principally control plant growth, development, differentiation, and environmental responses. Nine types of plant hormones are ubiquitous in angiosperms, and the molecular mechanisms of their hormone actions have been elucidated during the last two decades by genomic decoding of model plants with genetic mutants. In particular, the discovery of hormone receptors has greatly contributed to the understanding of signal transduction systems. The three‐dimensional structure of the ligand–receptor complex has been determined for eight of the nine hormones by X‐ray crystal structure analysis, and ligand perception mechanisms have been revealed at the atomic level. Collective research has revealed the molecular function of plant hormones that act as either molecular glue or an allosteric regulator for activation of receptors. In this review, we present an overview of the respective hormone signal transduction and describe the structural bases of ligand–receptor interactions.
Impact of blood storage duration on hematologic, blood gas, biochemical, and oxidative stress variables in sheep undergoing allogeneic blood transfusions
Authors: Sousa Rejane S. , Minervino Antonio H. H. , Oliveira Francisco Leonardo C. , Araújo Carolina Akiko Sato C. , Rodrigues Frederico Augusto M. L. , Zaminhan Janayna Larissa R. , Vale Rodolfo G. , Tavares Marcondes D. , Mori Clara S. , de Paula Valéria V. , Ortolani Enrico L. , Barrêto Júnior Raimundo A.
Published: December 2020

Background

Hemotherapy in ruminants is limited to whole blood transfusions, sometimes with stored blood for up to 42 days, but little attention has been given to the effect of blood storage times and recipient responses after transfusions.

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the hematologic and serum biochemical effects after allogeneic blood transfusion with either fresh or stored blood in sheep. We also sought to examine hematologic and biochemical analyte changes in the store blood.

Methods

Eighteen sheep underwent a single phlebotomy to remove 40% of their blood volume. The sheep were divided into three experimental groups, G0, G15, and G35, which included six animals, each receiving 20 mL/kg of either fresh blood or blood stored in citrate, phosphate, dextrose, and adenine (CPDA‐1) bags for 15 and 35 days, respectively. Biochemical, hematologic, coagulation, blood gas, lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress test evaluations were performed using the blood samples gathered at T0 (before transfusion), 30 minutes (T30m), 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours (T6h‐T96h), 8 days (T8d), and 16 days (T16d) after transfusions.

Results

Sheep exhibited increases in packed cell volumes, red blood cell counts, and total hemoglobin concentrations at T30m (P < .05). G35 animals had greater plasma hemoglobin concentrations at T12h and decreased blood pH values at T6h, characterized by slight metabolic acidemia. Regarding oxidative stress, G35 animals had decreased catalase activities from T0 at T30m, T6h, T12h, and T24h, indicating that hemolysis had occurred, which was supported by concomitant increases in bilirubin.

Conclusions

Sheep transfused with 35‐day stored blood exhibited greater hematologic, blood gas, biochemical, and oxidative alterations; however, anemic animals without comorbidities effectively reversed those alterations.
A microfluidic analysis of thrombus formation in reconstituted whole blood samples comparing spray‐dried plasma versus fresh frozen plasma
Authors: Bercovitz Rachel S. , Drew Caleb S. , Bushee Chana L. , Popovsky Mark A. , Friedman Kenneth D. , Anani Waseem Q.
Published: December 2020

Background

Prompt resuscitation with plasma and other blood products reduces trauma‐related morbidity and mortality. Standard storage and preparation techniques for frozen plasma limit its utility in the pre‐hospital setting. Plasma can be dehydrated using hot air (spray‐dried plasma), stored at room temperature and rehydrated quickly for use. The spray‐dry process decreases high‐molecular‐weight multimers of von Willebrand factor compared with conventional plasma. The objective of this study was to compare platelet adhesion and thrombus formation in a microfluidic perfusion assay facilitated by spray‐dried compared with frozen plasma using a non‐inferiority design.

Study Design and Methods

Whole blood was centrifuged to obtain red cell concentrate, and a platelet pellet that was suspended in either spray‐dried or frozen plasma to create recombined whole blood. Platelets were fluorescently labelled, and samples were flowed through a collagen‐coated microchannel. Surface area coverage by platelets and thrombi was analysed and compared between each spray‐dried and frozen plasma pair.

Results

Compared with whole blood samples containing frozen plasma, samples with spray‐dried plasma had similar surface area coverage of platelets and thrombi after 180 s of flow. Even when diluted with von Willebrand factor‐free plasma, there was no reduction thrombus formation.

Conclusion

Spray‐dried plasma is not inferior in supporting haemostasis compared with fresh frozen plasma in a paired analysis. It offers advantages with respect to portability and ease of preparation over frozen plasma in the pre‐hospital setting. This study supports development of clinical studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of spray‐dried plasma in trauma patients.
Amotosalen and ultraviolet A light treatment efficiently inactivates severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) in human plasma
Authors: Azhar Esam I. , Hindawi Salwa I. , El‐Kafrawy Sherif A. , Hassan Ahmed M. , Tolah Ahmed M. , Alandijany Thamir A. , Bajrai Leena H. , Damanhouri Ghazi A.
Published: December 2020

Background and objectives

During the ongoing pandemic of COVID‐19, SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA was detected in plasma and platelet products from asymptomatic blood donors, raising concerns about potential risk of transfusion transmission, also in the context of the current therapeutic approach utilizing plasma from convalescent donors. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of amotosalen/UVA light treatment to inactivate SARS‐CoV‐2 in human plasma to reduce the risk of potential transmission through blood transfusion.

Methods

Pools of three whole‐blood‐derived human plasma units (630–650 ml) were inoculated with a clinical SARS‐CoV‐2 isolate. Spiked units were treated with amotosalen/UVA light (INTERCEPT Blood System™) to inactivate SARS‐CoV‐2. Infectious titres and genomic viral load were assessed by plaque assay and real‐time quantitative PCR. Inactivated samples were subject to three successive passages on permissive tissue culture to exclude the presence of replication‐competent viral particles.

Results

Inactivation of infectious viral particles in spiked plasma units below the limit of detection was achieved by amotosalen/UVA light treatment with a mean log reduction of >3·32 ± 0·2. Passaging of inactivated samples on permissive tissue showed no viral replication even after 9 days of incubation and three passages, confirming complete inactivation. The treatment also inhibited NAT detection by nucleic acid modification with a mean log reduction of 2·92 ± 0·87 PFU genomic equivalents.

Conclusion

Amotosalen/UVA light treatment of SARS‐CoV‐2 spiked human plasma units efficiently and completely inactivated >3·32 ± 0·2 log of SARS‐CoV‐2 infectivity, showing that such treatment could minimize the risk of transfusion‐related SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission.
An economic reappraisal of hepatitis B virus testing strategy for blood donors in Taiwan
Authors: Matanhire Tapiwa Blessing , Lin Shi‐Woei
Published: December 2020

Background and objectives

Taiwan is among the few hepatitis B virus (HBV) high‐endemic countries that implement universal mini‐pool nucleic acid testing (MP‐NAT) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) testing together with confirmatory individual donor nucleic acid testing (ID‐NAT) for its blood supply since 2013. The aim of this study was to reappraise the value of HBsAg test in Taiwan’s HBV testing strategy.

Materials and methods

A Markov model was constructed, and cost‐effectiveness analysis was conducted in order to reappraise the existing HBV screening strategy in Taiwan.

Results

The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) for the current testing strategy in Taiwan was estimated to be $US 443 154 per quality‐adjusted life year (QALY) gained. This is almost six times the willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) threshold that reflects local preferences.

Conclusion

Universal HBsAg and MP‐8‐NAT together with confirmatory ID‐NAT testing prevents a significant amount of HBV infections from entering the Taiwan blood supply. However, this comes at a disproportionate increase in cost.
"Doing belonging": young former refugees and their active engagement with Norwegian local communities
Authors: Mathisen Tina , Cele Sofia
Published: December 2020

This article explores the everyday lives of young former refugees in small Norwegian towns and considers how a focus on "doing belonging" can help us understand the processes of place attachment and social inclusion/exclusion in a time of increasing diversity and social division. By looking at these youths' everyday activities and social networks using a range of participatory methods, this article describes how former refugee youths actively work to create and maintain a sense of belonging. The study shows that the youths simultaneously draw on shared knowledge from their social networks and on embodied knowledge gained through the habitual use of place to perform belonging. It is argued that embodiment, as in being a particular type of body interacting with people and place, matters; other crucial aspects are freedom to move and experience the materiality of place, and that former refugees' belonging needs to be understood as relating to other people’s understandings of their right to belong. The study shows that particular structural conditions for doing belonging should be considered by policy makers.
Environmental citizenship in geography and beyond
Authors: Huttunen Suvi , Salo Miikka , Aro Riikka , Turunen Anni
Published: December 2020

The need for wider action against environmental problems such as climate change has brought the debate about the role of citizen to the political, practical, and scientific domains. Environmental citizenship provides a useful tool to conceptualize the relation between citizenship and the environment. However, there exists considerable variation in the ways environmental citizenship is understood regarding both the aspect of citizenship and the relationship to the environment. In this article, we review the literature on environmental citizenship and investigate the evolution of the concept. The article is based on a literature search with an emphasis on geographical research. The concept of environmental citizenship has moved relatively far from the Ancient Greek or Marshallian conceptualizations of citizenship as rights and responsibilities bearing membership of a nation state. Environmental citizenship literature has been influenced by the relational approach to space, focus on citizenship as acts and processes rather than a status and the broad spectrum of post-human thinking. However, conceptual clarification between different approaches to environmental citizenship is needed especially in relation to post-human approaches. Geographical thinking can provide fruitful ways to develop the understanding of environmental citizenship towards a more inclusive, less individualized, globally responsible, and plural citizenship.
PhD research in social sciences amid a pandemic: introduction to a situated and reflexive perspective
Authors: Tulumello Simone , Favilla Kátia
Published: December 2020

This short essay introduces a forum made up of six Reflection pieces on what it means to carry on a PhD research in the social sciences amid a pandemic. Sparked by discussions held during the 2020 edition of the "Open Day" of the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon, this forum collects solo-authored and collective texts that focus on a number of dimensions along two main threads: the problems, uncertainties and potentialities of researching in these times; and similar reflections with specific focus on gendered dimensions. Together, though situated (all these researchers work in or about Portugal and Brazil), we hope these experiences will speak to peers around the world that are dealing with the pains and challenges of these times.
A Particle Filter and Long Short-Term Memory Fusion Technique for Lithium-Ion Battery Remaining Useful Life Prediction
Authors: Hu Xiaosong , Yang Xin , Feng Fei , Liu Kailong , Lin Xianke
Published: December 2020

Accurate prediction of the remaining useful life (RUL) of lithium-ion batteries can improve the durability, reliability, and maintainability of battery system operation in electric vehicles. To achieve high-accuracy RUL predictions, it is necessary to develop an effective method for long-term nonlinear degradation prediction and quantify the uncertainty of the prediction results. To this end, this paper proposes a hybrid approach for lithium-ion battery RUL prediction based on particle filter (PF) and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network. First, based on the training set, the model parameters are iteratively updated using the PF algorithm. Second, the LSTM model parameters are obtained using the training set. The mean and standard deviation in the prediction stage are obtained through Monte Carlo (MC) dropout. Finally, the mean value predicted by MC-dropout is used as the measurement for the PF in the prediction phase, the standard deviation represents the uncertainty of the prediction result, and the mean and standard deviation are integrated into the measurement equation of the model. The experimental results show that the proposed hybrid approach has better prediction accuracy than the PF, LSTM algorithm, and two other types of hybrid approaches. The hybrid approach can obtain a narrower confidence interval.