bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complex of economic measures for the production of corn hybrids in the Russia
Authors: Nechaev V , Mikhailushkin P , Davydova Y
Published: December 2020

The article is devoted to a set of organizational and economic measures for accelerated production of corn hybrids in the Russian Federation. The dynamics of corn grain production over the past 28 years has been studied and the organizational model of crop selection and seed production in the country has been shown. The scheme of seed production of zoned hybrids and their parent forms is shown, which shortens the path from a scientific institution to the real sector of the economy. A set of measures of the development of corn breeding and seed production is justified and proposed. These include: improvement of existing legislation, creation of specialized breeding and seed centers, application of state financial support, creation of innovative infrastructure and development of the system of training and retraining of personnel in the country.
Justification of structural and technological parameters of microwave installations for heat treatment of wax raw materials
Authors: Novikova G , Mikhailova O , Prosviryakova M , Zaitsev P , Shevelev A , Dulepov D
Published: December 2020

The article is devoted to the development of a method and technical devices that allow separating honey when melting beeswax under the action of an ultra-high frequency electromagnetic field. Analyzed electrical properties of beeswax and honey; the dynamics of heating of components of raw materials; three models of installations with different resonators; investigated the electrodynamic parameters of the system; substantiated the structural-technological parameters of the installation. Three variants of installations for wax melting with different resonators have been developed. In the first installation, the modules contain cylindrical and spherical resonators. In the second installation, a spherical resonator inside a toroidal resonator is installed. In the third installation, two cylindrical resonators in series are connected. In the second installation, the wax raw material is dosed with rolls onto a perforated disk inside a spherical resonator, where the raw material is heated to 40 °C, increasing its fluidity, which allows the honey to be separated when the disk rotates. Effective modes of heating beeswax are: specific power of the generator 0.85 W/g; duration of exposure to ultrahigh frequency electromagnetic field 240 sec; heating temperature of the wax 64 °C.
Model for assessing the road train stability movement
Authors: Stroganov Yu N , Belov V V , Mikheev G M , Belova N N , Maksimov A N , Ognev O G
Published: December 2020

Road trains (RT) are the main transport in agriculture. However, their accident rate is quite high. In the vehicles movement research their design characteristics and operating modes are mainly improved. The main way to reduce the accident rate remains the speed limit. The authors proposed methods (confirmed by the issued patents) for ensuring the stability of the RT movement by changing the design of trailer devices. The purpose of this work is to form a mathematical model for assessing the stability of the RT movement in the presence of side effects (modeling of sharp turns, impacts). Methods of analysis and synthesis, mathematical analysis, and vector geometry were applied. The process of RT yawing on the highway is split into a number of stages, for which the laws of changing its geometry and kinematics are formulated. Side effect leads to increase in the RT impulse (lateral oscillations increase the speed), or to a violation of stability (the movement amplitude goes beyond the highway or tipping). This model can be used to analyze the stability of the RT movement and evaluate methods to influence it in order to reduce the probability of accidents.
Influence of a pulsed (flashing) light-emitting diode (LED) phyto-irradiator on the efficiency of rooting of garden strawberry micro-cuttings in vitro
Authors: Kondrateva N P , Somova E N , Markova M G , Maksimov I I , Ovchukova S A , Kirillov N K , Krasnolutskaya M G , Belov V V , Bolschin R G , Korepanov D A
Published: December 2020

All greenhouse phyto-irradiators implement a constant regime of plant irradiation. For example, phyto-irradiators turn on at 6 am and turn off at 10 pm. The article contains the results of a study of the influence of pulsed (flashing) light on the growth and development of meristemic plants of garden strawberry varieties ‘Brighton’ and ‘Korona’ in vitro. The ability to use flashing light is based on the features of photosynthesis, which includes light-dependent and light-independent (dark) reactions. A flashing LED phyto-irradiator and a continuously operating fluorescent irradiator (control sample) were compared. Experiments have shown that the use of flashing LED phyto-irradiator increased the rooting rate of strawberry micro-cuttings by 5-10%, depending on the varieties. For the variety ‘Korona’ there was an increase in the number of fully developed leaves to 7.2 pieces (6.0 pieces in the control sample) and, as a consequence, an increase in the leaf surface area of microplants from 262.2 mm2 to 348.0 mm2. For the ‘Brighton’ variety, everything was the other way around: under the flashing LED phyto-irradiator, the number of fully developed leaves decreased to 4.5 pieces (5.6 pieces in the control sample). The use of a flashing LED phyto-irradiator prevented the elongation of microplants in both varieties. At the end of the experiment, all strawberry microplants were rooted and met the standard requirements for rosette height, number of fully developed leaves, and root length.
Use of residues of the dairy industry as a fertilizer for spring wheat
Authors: Vasilyev O , Vasilyev A , Nursov I , Ivanov YU , Ilyin A , Terentyeva M
Published: December 2020

The article presents the results of scientific research on the use of residues of the dairy industry (cake) as an organic fertilizer for spring wheat. Cake refers to the residues obtained by cleaning milk pipes, and has a chemical composition and physical properties similar to cottage cheese, but has a pungent and unpleasant smell of spoiled foods. The direct effect of oilcake on the growth and development of spring wheat on light gray forest loamy soil was studied in field experiments established in 2017–2019. Scientific studies have shown that cake is an excellent organic fertilizer, and its use in doses of 30, 60 and 90 t/ha dramatically increases soil fertility and productivity of spring wheat, improves grain quality.
Assessment of the impact of pond aquaculture on water resources against the background of the use of biogenic feed additive Akwa-Biot-Norm
Authors: Semenov V G , Tyurin V G , Kuznetsov A F , Kosyaev N I , Nikitin D A , Alekseev V A , Yakimov A V
Published: December 2020

A biogenic feed additive based on protein components and immunotropic preparations intended for the fulfillment of the bio-resource potential of fish by activating nonspecific and specific factors of organism protection against eco-technological pressing and for prevention of infectious and invasive diseases improving competitiveness and the effective functioning of fish farms was developed and suggested for use on fish farms. It was established that upon the use of Akwa-Biot-Norm biogenic feed additive based on a polysaccharide complex of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) yeast cells; the average weight of carps at the end of the experiment period was 2.19% higher than the control index in comparison with 2.71% for the live weight gain. With the maintenance of the pond aquaculture we observed moderate impact on water resources, but the use of Akwa-Biot-Norm biogenic feed additive in the carp growing technology reduces the degree of impact of the pond aquaculture on water resources. For example, the locality of the experimental group pond in relation to the locality of the control group pond, the quantity ofreadily oxidizable organic matter was 2.52% higher compared to 1.28% in the case of labile organic matter. The amount and biomass of phytoplankton increased on 4.08 and 9.86%, respectively.
Monitoring the development of young camels and wool quality camels of Kazakhstan population
Authors: Alibayev N , Semenov V , Baimukanov A , Ermakhanov M , Abuov G
Published: December 2020

The purpose of the study is to explore economically valuable signs of female camels and set the selection criteria for down hair fibers according to length and fineness. The shorn wool amount was determined during spring shearing by individual weighing of wool with 0.1 kg precision balance. Selection criteria for down hair in Arvana breed are elaborated, with the parameters of length min. 9 cm and fineness of 15-19 microns, and for Kazakh Bactrian breed – with the parameters of length min. 12 cm and fineness of 14-18 microns; these criteria were used to select and form preferable types of 54 and 224 animal units correspondingly for further selection process works to increase wool production in stocks. For Bactrian camels, these parameters are 11.0% lower in Kospak-1 camels, 12.2% lower in Kospak-2 camels and 4.8% lower in Kospak-3 camels. As for the length of down hair fibers, it is almost the same for all the studied young camels. The absolute gain of the body weight of colts of domestic breeds is relatively high, making 103.8-127.4 kg, with the relative gain of 329.5-397.8 kg and with the average daily gain – 576.7-707.8 g.
Morphological characterization of the Apis mellifera drones in the Southern Urals
Authors: Gazizova N R , Mannapov A G , Sattarov V N , Semenov V G , Skvortsov A I , Madeybekin I N
Published: December 2020

The results of the morphological characterization of Apis mellifera drones are presented in order to identify the biopotential of the “clean” native population in bee yards in 12 regions of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The presence of Is, I, O morphotypes – dark and gray in drones, is established. The O morphotype (dark) corresponds to the Central Russian subspecies, and the drones characterized by the O color (gray) can be related to the subspecies with a gray color of abdominal terga. The analysis of morphometric features in drones is identified as Apis mellifera mellifera allowed to distinguish the following characteristics: O (dark) morphotype with brown (coffee hue) or black hairs color on the abdomen; proboscis length (average) – 3.81 ± 0.08 … 3.97 ± 0.03 mm, cubital index – 1.36 ± 0.07 … 1.45 ± 0.09, wing length (front right) – 11.98 ± 0.49…12.08 ± 0.45 mm, wing width (front right) – 3.72 ± 0.21 … 3.92 ± 0.23 mm, tergite length (third) – 2.90 ± 0.12 … 3.51 ± 0.01 mm, tergite width (third) – 6.40 ± 0.02 … 6.44 ± 0.04 mm, sternite length (third) – 2.62 ± 0.03 … 2.66 ± 0.05 mm, sternite width (third) – 4.52 ± 0.10 … 4.62 ± 0.07 mm, tarsal index – 49.59 ± 0.89 … 52.15 ± 1.93%.
Determination of cheese suitability of milk and development of production technology of soft cheese ‘Academicheskiy’
Authors: Larionov G , Semenov V , Mardaryeva N , Schiptsova N , Lavrentyev A , Checheneshkina O , Terentyeva M
Published: December 2020

Cheese makers conduct research to improve the recipe and technology of cheese production. In Russia, the main raw material for cheese production is cow’s milk. The aim of the research is to study the cheese suitability of milk and to improve the technology for production of soft cheese ‘Academicheskiy’. The physical and chemical properties of milk were studiedby ultrasound method. The results of studies of milk quality were taken into account in developing the recipe and production technology of soft cheese. The cheese recipe included cow’s milk, sour milk whey and salt. Soft cheese was made by hand using a thermal-acid method. The production technology of soft cheese ‘Academicheskiy’ consists of the following operations: acceptance of milk and additional raw materials; processing and preparation of milk; pasteurization of milk and sour whey at high temperature; mixing of milk and sour whey for protein precipitation; molding and self-pressing; salting; drying and maturation; packaging and labeling; storage, transportation and sale of soft cheese.
Digital platform as a liaison mechanism and a business model in agribusiness
Authors: Litvinova O V , Abrosimova M S , Vasilyeva O G , Filippova S P , Gordeeva L G , Nesterova N V
Published: December 2020

Digital transformation forms the necessary prerequisites for the transition of agriculture to more modern technologies and forms of organizing agribusiness. The purpose of the study is to identify the potential benefits and difficulties of creating digital platforms in the agricultural sector. The goal was achieved on the basis of an analysis of the reports of consulting firms, government programs, publications of foreign and Russian scientists, as well as observations and generalization of the experience of Russian digital companies. As a result, it was established that the digital platform can be considered, on the one hand, as a digital model of agribusiness. The platform business model differs from the traditional one in the way of monetizing the market supply, digitalization of business processes increases its flexibility and helps to reduce transaction costs. On the other hand, a digital platform is an ecosystem, whose participants reap economic benefits through synergy and networking. At the present stage, the formation of digital platforms and services in the agro-industrial complex is constrained by the low level of maturity of end-to-end technologies for the agricultural industries and the digitalization of agribusiness. The conducted research reveals the potential benefits of the digital platform for agribusiness entities.
Effect of sewage sludge application on heavy metals contamination in soil and carrot
Authors: Schiptsova N , Larionov G , Vasilyev O , Fadeeva N , Terentyeva M
Published: December 2020

One of the many environmental problems in the modern world is the disposal of production and consumption waste, including sewage sludge. The aim of our research was to study the content and accumulation of heavy metals in soil and carrots when using increasing doses of sewage sludge as fertilizer and its effect on the yield of products. Sewage sludge with a moisture content of 44.5% was introduced into gray forest soils. After fertilizing the soil, agrochemical analyzes of soil samples from the plots of the experimental plot for the content of heavy metals were carried out. We also studied the content of heavy metals in carrot biomass and its yield. It was found that the content of heavy metals in various variants of experiments with the use of sewage sludge increased. It was found that the dynamics of migration of heavy metals into the biomass of carrots correlates with an increase in their concentration in the soil and affects the yield of carrots.
Peculiarities of local in the context of agronomic knowledge
Authors: Mikhailova R V , Semenov V G , Tikhonov A S , Stepanova V V , Fedorova O N , Kuznetsova T V , Pronin M A
Published: December 2020

The paper is devoted to the problem of return to a person a commensurate world which is reflected in the phenomenon of local. It identifies peculiarities of local based on agronomic knowledge as traditional knowledge presented as context. Local is determined by ability to cultivate land - ‘vital locus’ of a peasant-farmer. Ability to adapt to natural and social environment to solve the survival problem accompanies formation of a ‘sense of place’. Environment is a factor of agronomic knowledge development. The latter in its pre-scientific form as folk agronomy developed in the agricultural experience of people. Based on the contextual approach, principle of truth specificity, principle of consistency, the paper presents folk agronomic knowledge as a systemic integrity and justifies its elements: prescribed technological knowledge, actual technological knowledge, folk agricultural wisdom. Agronomic knowledge, demanded by context of agrarian activity, sets peculiarities of local: 1) place specificity; spatial forms of material phenomena, objects, bodies, their position in space; 2) variety of forms of adaptation to natural climatic conditions, existence of various methods of farming; 3) farmers’ rooted consciousness. The authors show its potential to be an impetus for development of society. Interaction of old and new can be practical and highly effective.
Production of mint whey drink at private and collective farms and agricultural holdings
Authors: Larionov G , Semenov V , Lavrentyev A , Sherne V , Kayukova O , Mardaryeva N , Ivanova R
Published: December 2020

This research aimed the development production of prophylactic whey drinks which allows enhancing the efficient use of resources of high-value dairy byproducts including cheese and curd whey. High level of safety and quality of milk supplied, soft, semi-hard cheeses and dry-curd cottage cheese, as well as curd whey were adapted. Pepper mint was added as a source of extra vitamins, mineral salts, macro- and micronutrients, dietary supplements. The first recipe for a whey drink with the addition of mint syrup includes curd whey 1 L, mint 1 g, sugar 30 g, water 25 mL, citric acid 4 g. The second recipe differs from the first in that peppermint contains 2 g, the third recipe for mint contains 3 g. The amount of whey, sugar and citric acid in the second and third recipes corresponds to the first recipe. Plant-based components of whey drink act as analeptics and expand the assortment. Also, the research aimed to develop zero waste and low waste technology for private and collective farms and agricultural holdings and as a result, provide the solution to whey disposal issue.
Phase-controlling infrared thermal emitting metasurfaces
Authors: Dragoman D , Iftimie S , Radu A
Published: December 2020

We have shown, using analytical expressions and numerical simulations, that metasurfaces can have multiple functionalities, namely that they can impart a controlled phase difference between cross-polarized circular reflected and transmitted fields, having at the same time a non-vanishing absorption in the near-infrared region, at resonant wavelengths determined by the geometry of the metasurface. Because the optical absorptivity of the metasurface determines its thermal emissivity, and thus the coherence properties and propagation directionality of light sources, the same metasurfaces can act as lenses, for instance, and as thermal emitters.
Flexible organic ion-gated transistors with low operating voltage and light-sensing application
Authors: Azimi Mona , Subramanian Arunprabaharan , Roslan Nur Adilah , Cicoira Fabio
Published: December 2020

Ion-gated transistors are attracting significant attention due to their low operating voltage (<1 V) and modulation of charge carrier density by ion-gating media. Here we report flexible organic ion-gated transistors based on the high mobility donor–acceptor conjugated copolymer poly[4-(4,4-dihexadecyl 4H-cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b′]-dithiophen-2-yl)-alt[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4c]pyridine](PCDTPT) and the ionic liquid [1-ethyl-3 methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide] as the ion-gating medium. Electrical characteristics of devices made on both [rigid (SiO2/Si) and flexible (polyimide (PI))] substrates showed very similar values of hole mobility (∼1 cm2 V−1 s−1) and ON–OFF ratio (∼105). Flexible ion-gated transistors showed good mechanical stability at different bending curvature radii and under repetitive bending cycles. The mobility of flexible ion-gated transistors remained almost unchanged upon bending. After 1000 bending cycles the mobility decreased by 20% of its initial value. Flexible photodetectors based on PCDTPT ion-gated transistors showed photosensitivity and photoresponsivity values of 0.4 and 93 AW−1.
Broadband phonon to magnon conversion in yttrium iron garnet
Authors: Fung T C , Karenowska A D , Gregg J F
Published: December 2020

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a means of broadband phonon-magnon interconversion that relies on combining magnetoelastic coupling with translational symmetry breaking in the important experimental material yttrium iron garnet (YIG). As well as being of interest for its basic physics, this quasiparticle coupling mechanism adds to the range of effects that potentially find useful application in hybrid solid-state quantum computing devices as well as low-power wave-based classical computing architectures.
Poetics of Presence, Vocation, and Attention: The Example of Whitman
Authors: Dean Tim
Published: December 2020

This essay reevaluates Walt Whitman’s poetics of presence via three new books (by Lucy Alford, Mark Doty, and Peter Riley), arguing that the poet’s commitment to an undifferentiated ontology is as much a part of his radicalism as is his inclusive democratic politics. That undifferentiated ontology (“every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you”) permits Whitman to overcome spatiotemporal boundaries and to address our contemporaneity. His work thus resists historicist models of scholarship that locate him securely in the nineteenth century. Whitman’s conviction that his poetry involves an encounter not with a textual object but with an embodied presence, a living voice, has consequences for our understanding of poetry more broadly. The essay contends that academic criticism misrepresents poems by treating them primarily as textual objects for scholarly or classroom analysis. Claiming that the devocalization of poetry in academic literary studies helps to explain its disciplinary neglect, the essay connects Whitman’s theory of voice and the preponderance of vocatives in his poetry with a nonexceptionalist account of poetic vocation. Whitman encourages contemporary scholars to grasp how attending to a poem entails hearing its vocalization, listening to it rather than reading it only.
II—Must There Be an Empirical Basis for the Theorization of Racialized Subjects in Race-Gender Theory?
Authors: Curry Tommy J
Published: December 2020

This article argues that non-ideal theory fails to deliver on its promise of providing a more accurate account of the real world by which philosophers can address problems of racism, sexual violence, and poverty. Because non-ideal theory relies on abstractions of groups which are idealized as causes for social phenomena, non-idealists imagine that categories like race or gender predict how groups behave in the real world. This article maintains that non-idealist abstractions often result in inaccuracy and makes the case that empirically informed theories and group-based analyses are needed to correct the course of race-gender theory.
Effects of Human Behavior Changes During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Influenza Spread in Hong Kong
Authors: Zhang Nan , Jia Wei , Lei Hao , Wang Peihua , Zhao Pengcheng , Guo Yong , Dung Chung-Hin , Bu Zhongming , Xue Peng , Xie Jingchao , Zhang Yinping , Cheng Reynold , Li Yuguo
Published: December 2020

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to threaten human life worldwide. We explored how human behaviors have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, and how the transmission of other respiratory diseases (eg, influenza) has been influenced by human behavior.

Methods

We focused on the spread of COVID-19 and influenza infections based on the reported COVID-19 cases and influenza surveillance data and investigated the changes in human behavior due to COVID-19 based on mass transit railway data and the data from a telephone survey. We did the simulation based on a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model to assess the risk reduction of influenza transmission caused by the changes in human behavior.

Results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of passengers fell by 52.0% compared with the same period in 2019. Residents spent 32.2% more time at home. Each person, on average, came into close contact with 17.6 and 7.1 people per day during the normal and pandemic periods, respectively. Students, workers, and older people reduced their daily number of close contacts by 83.0%, 48.1%, and 40.3%, respectively. The close contact rates in residences, workplaces, places of study, restaurants, shopping centers, markets, and public transport decreased by 8.3%, 30.8%, 66.0%, 38.5%, 48.6%, 41.0%, and 36.1%, respectively. Based on the simulation, these changes in human behavior reduced the effective reproduction number of influenza by 63.1%.

Conclusions

Human behaviors were significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Close contact control contributed more than 47% to the reduction in infection risk of COVID-19.
A nonlinear multiscale inversion approach for ambient noise tomography
Authors: Cabrera-Pérez Iván , D'Auria Luca , Soubestre Jean , Barrancos José , Padilla Germán D , Pérez Nemesio M
Published: December 2020

Ambient noise tomography (ANT) has been considerably used in the last decade in both academic and industrial research. In this work, we propose an innovative technique for ANT based on nonlinear multiscale inversions. Our method relies on a progressive increase in the model parametrization to reduce the nonlinearity of the inverse problem. The developed method is compared with conventional inversion schemes (linear and nonlinear), using different regularization techniques and two different network configurations. The inversion is tested on 22 different synthetic models including classical checkerboard tests. Furthermore, we performed the inversion using real data from a campaign in 2018 at Cumbre Vieja volcano (Canary Islands). The results obtained on both network configurations show an improvement compared to conventional linear and nonlinear inversion schemes, especially when the ray path density is low. This technique does not require expensive computational resources, making it convenient for small-scale industrial applications, especially in the framework of geothermal exploration.
Population history of North Africa based on modern and ancient genomes
Authors: Lucas-Sánchez Marcel , Serradell Jose M , Comas David
Published: December 2020

Compared with the rest of the African continent, North Africa has provided limited genomic data. Nonetheless, the genetic data available show a complex demographic scenario characterized by extensive admixture and drift. Despite the continuous gene flow from the Middle East, Europe and sub-Saharan Africa, an autochthonous genetic component that dates back to pre-Holocene times is still present in North African groups. The comparison of ancient and modern genomes has evidenced a genetic continuity in the region since Epipaleolithic times. Later population movements, especially the gene flow from the Middle East associated with the Neolithic, have diluted the genetic autochthonous component, creating an east to west gradient. Recent historical movements, such as the Arabization, have also contributed to the genetic landscape observed currently in North Africa and have culturally transformed the region. Genome analyses have not shown evidence of a clear correlation between cultural and genetic diversity in North Africa, as there is no genetic pattern of differentiation between Tamazight (i.e. Berber) and Arab speakers as a whole. Besides the gene flow received from neighboring areas, the analysis of North African genomes has shown that the region has also acted as a source of gene flow since ancient times. As a result of the genetic uniqueness of North African groups and the lack of available data, there is an urgent need for the study of genetic variation in the region and its implications in health and disease.
Pretransplant Cytomegalovirus-Specific Cellular Immunity and Risk of Viral Reactivation Following Lung Transplantation: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Altaf Mohammed , Lineburg Katie E , Crooks Pauline , Rehan Sweera , Matthews Katherine K , Neller Michelle A , Ambalathingal George R , Sinha Debottam , Grant Michelle , Hopkins Peter M A , Chambers Daniel , Khanna Rajiv , Smith Corey
Published: December 2020

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains a significant burden in lung transplant recipients. Deficiencies in T-cell immunity posttransplant increase the risk of CMV-associated complications. However, it is not clear if underlying poor pretransplant immunity increases risk. To assess this, we recruited 39 prospective lung transplant patients and performed QuantiFERON-CMV on their peripheral blood. More than a third of prospective CMV-seropositive transplant recipients were CMV non-immune reactive (CMV-NIR) pretransplant. CMV-NIR status was associated with a significantly higher incidence of CMV reactivation posttransplant, demonstrating that dysfunctional CMV immunity in prospective lung transplant recipients is associated with an increased risk of viral reactivation posttransplant.
CLA4 regulates leaf angle through multiple hormone signaling pathways in maize
Authors: Dou Dandan , Han Shengbo , Cao Liru , Ku Lixia , Liu Huafeng , Su Huihui , Ren Zhenzhen , Zhang Dongling , Zeng Haixia , Dong Yahui , Liu Zhixie , Zhu Fangfang , Zhao Qiannan , Xie Jiarong , Liu Yajing , Cheng Haiyang , Chen Yanhui
Published: December 2020

Leaf angle is an important agronomic trait in cereals and shares a close relationship with crop architecture and grain yield. Although it has been previously reported that ZmCLA4 can influence leaf angle, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we used the Gal4-LexA/UAS system and transactivation analysis to demonstrate in maize (Zea mays) that ZmCLA4 is a transcriptional repressor that regulates leaf angle. DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-Seq) analysis revealed that ZmCLA4 mainly binds to promoters containing the EAR motif (CACCGGAC) as well as to two other motifs (CCGARGS and CDTCNTC) to inhibit the expression of its target genes. Further analysis of ZmCLA4 target genes indicated that ZmCLA4 functions as a hub of multiple plant hormone signaling pathways: ZmCLA4 was found to directly bind to the promoters of multiple genes including ZmARF22 and ZmIAA26 in the auxin transport pathway, ZmBZR3 in the brassinosteroid signaling pathway, two ZmWRKY genes involved in abscisic acid metabolism, ZmCYP genes (ZmCYP75B1, ZmCYP93D1) related to jasmonic acid metabolism, and ZmABI3 involved in the ethylene response pathway. Overall, our work provides deep insights into the ZmCLA4 regulatory network in controlling leaf angle in maize.
Most of the cool CGM of star-forming galaxies is not produced by supernova feedback
Authors: Afruni Andrea , Fraternali Filippo , Pezzulli Gabriele
Published: December 2020

The characterization of the large amount of gas residing in the galaxy halos, the so called circumgalactic medium (CGM), is crucial to understand galaxy evolution across cosmic time. We focus here on the the cool (T ∼ 104 K) phase of this medium around star-forming galaxies in the local universe, whose properties and dynamics are poorly understood. We developed semi-analytical parametric models to describe the cool CGM as an outflow of gas clouds from the central galaxy, as a result of supernova explosions in the disc (galactic wind). The cloud motion is driven by the galaxy gravitational pull and by the interactions with the hot (T ∼ 106 K) coronal gas. Through a bayesian analysis, we compare the predictions of our models with the data of the COS-Halos and COS-GASS surveys, which provide accurate kinematic information of the cool CGM around more than 40 low-redshift star-forming galaxies, probing distances up to the galaxy virial radii. Our findings clearly show that a supernova-driven outflow model is not suitable to describe the dynamics of the cool circumgalactic gas. Indeed, to reproduce the data, we need extreme scenarios, with initial outflow velocities and mass loading factors that would lead to unphysically high energy coupling from the supernovae to the gas and with supernova efficiencies largely exceeding unity. This strongly suggests that, since the outflows cannot reproduce most of the cool gas absorbers, the latter are likely the result of cosmological inflow in the outer galaxy halos, in analogy to what we have previously found for early-type galaxies.
Enteropeptidase inhibitor SCO-792 effectively prevents kidney function decline and fibrosis in a rat model of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Katayama Yuko , Sugama Jun , Suzuki Tomohisa , Ishimura Yoshimasa , Kobayashi Akihiro , Moritoh Yusuke , Watanabe Masanori
Published: December 2020

Background

Inhibiting enteropeptidase, a gut serine protease regulating protein digestion, suppresses food intake and ameliorates obesity and diabetes in mice. However, the effects of enteropeptidase inhibition on kidney parameters are largely unknown. Here, we evaluated the chronic effects of an enteropeptidase inhibitor, SCO-792, on kidney function, albuminuria and kidney pathology in spontaneously hypercholesterolaemic (SHC) rats, a rat chronic kidney disease (CKD) model.

Methods

SCO-792, an orally available enteropeptidase inhibitor, was administered [0.03% and 0.06% (w/w) in the diet] to 20-week-old SHC rats showing albuminuria and progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) for five weeks. The effects of SCO-792 and the contribution of amino acids to these effects were evaluated.

Results

SCO-792 increased the faecal protein content, indicating that SCO-792 inhibited enteropeptidase in SHC rats. Chronic treatment with SCO-792 prevented GFR decline and suppressed albuminuria. Moreover, SCO-792 improved glomerulosclerosis and kidney fibrosis. Pair feeding with SCO-792 (0.06%) was less effective in preventing GFR decline, albuminuria and renal histological damage than SCO-792 treatment, indicating the enteropeptidase-inhibition-dependent therapeutic effects of SCO-792. SCO-792 did not affect the renal plasma flow, suggesting that its effect on GFR was mediated by an improvement in filtration fraction. Moreover, SCO-792 increased hydrogen sulphide production capacity, which has a role in tissue protection. Finally, methionine and cysteine supplementation to the diet abrogated SCO-792-induced therapeutic effects on albuminuria.

Conclusions

SCO-792-mediated inhibition of enteropeptidase potently prevented GFR decline, albuminuria and kidney fibrosis; hence, it may have therapeutic potential against CKD.
Changes in Tobacco Use During the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown in New Zealand
Authors: Gendall Philip , Hoek Janet , Stanley James , Jenkins Mathew , Every-Palmer Susanna
Published: December 2020

Introduction

New Zealand’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the most restrictive lockdowns of any country, inevitably causing stress for many people. Because situations that increase stress and anxiety are associated with higher smoking prevalence, we examined self-reported smoking before and during the lockdown, and analyzed factors associated with reported changes in cigarette consumption.

Aims and Methods

We conducted an online panel survey of a demographically representative sample of 2010 adult New Zealanders during the COVID-19 lockdown; the final, weighted sample included 261 daily smokers and 71 weekly smokers. We measured psychological distress and anxiety, as well as situational factors, tobacco consumption, and demographic attributes.

Results

Nearly half of daily smokers reported smoking more during than before the lockdown, on average, an increase of six cigarettes a day; increased daily cigarette consumption was associated with loneliness and isolation. Most weekly smokers reported either that their smoking during the lockdown had not changed or had slightly reduced.

Conclusions

Smoking cessation services need to anticipate that unexpected disruptions, such as pandemic lockdowns, may be associated with increased daily tobacco consumption, and that this increase may be sustained after lockdown. While public health responses to pandemics predictably focus on immediate and obvious consequences, interventions to support recent quitters and those making quit attempts should also form a key component of pandemic planning.

Implications

As governments introduce unprecedented measures to manage COVID-19, they need also to consider other public health risks, such as increased smoking among current smokers or relapse among recent quitters. Evidence that loneliness was associated with increased smoking during a lockdown suggests a need for cessation out-reach strategies that promote and support smoke-free practices.
Formation of mass gap compact object and black hole binary from Population III stars
Authors: Kinugawa Tomoya , Nakamura Takashi , Nakano Hiroyuki
Published: December 2020

We performed population synthesis simulations of Population III binary stars with Maxwellian kick velocity distribution when MGCOs (mass gap compact objects, with mass $2$–$5\,M_{\odot}$) are formed. We found that for eight kick velocity dispersion models of $\sigma_{\rm k}=0$–$500\>$km$\>$s$^{-1}$, the mean mass of black hole (BH)-MGCO binary is $\sim (30 \,M_\odot,\,2.6 \,M_\odot)$. In numerical data of our simulations, we found the existence of a BH-MGCO binary with mass $(22.9 \,M_\odot,\,2.5 \,M_\odot)$ which looks like GW190814.
Interventions for improving attraction and retention of health workers in rural and underserved areas: a systematic review of systematic reviews
Authors: Esu E B , Chibuzor M , Aquaisua E , Udoh E , Sam O , Okoroafor S , Ongom M , Effa E , Oyo-ita A , Meremikwu M
Published: December 2020

Background

Global health workforce shortages exist with disparities in the skill mix and distribution of health workers. Rural and underserved populations are often disadvantaged in terms of access to health care.

Methods

This systematic review summarized all systematic reviews that assessed interventions for improving attraction and retention of health workers in rural and underserved areas. We systematically searched selected electronic databases up to 31 March 2020. The authors independently screened the reviews, extracted data and assessed the certainty of evidence using GRADE. Review quality was assessed using the ROBIS tool.

Results

There was a paucity of evidence for the effectiveness of the various interventions. Regulatory measures were able to attract health workers to rural and underserved areas, particularly when obligations were attached to incentives. However, health workers were likely to relocate from these areas once their obligations were completed. Recruiting rural students and rural placements improved attraction and retention although most studies were without control groups, which made conclusions on effectiveness difficult.

Conclusions

Cost-effective utilization of limited resources and the adoption and implementation of evidence-based health workforce policies and interventions that are tailored to meet national health system contexts and needs are essential.
Vertical and Horizontal Networks Revisited: Exploring Their Effects on Attitudes and Advocacy Toward Nuclear Energy
Authors: Satoh Keiichi , Weiss Tobias
Published: December 2020

After the Fukushima accident, Japan experienced a drastic decline in nuclear energy use because of resistance from civil society. This civil society activity can be explained by the strong social capital forged in Japanese communities. By contrast, the classical (and some recent) literature has argued that Japan’s dense network of associations and groups functions to disseminate conservative ideology and thus control civil society. The classical school of thought has described networks of conservative organizations as vertical in contrast to horizontal networks. This article explores the empirical evidence in this discussion by analyzing the effect of affiliation of each type of group on the members’ attitude and advocacy toward nuclear energy policy based on our survey (n = 77,084) conducted in late 2017. Detailed analysis of group effects of relevant group features led us to reconceptualize the aforementioned dichotomy. Vertical networks are often associated with groups’ conservatism but vary in the degree of postmaterialism and activism. Each dimension of group features has different effects on members’ opinions of nuclear energy, sentiment toward antinuclear movements, and antinuclear advocacy. Neither social capital theory nor vertical network theory is fully confirmed by this study. Both effects can be observed in different segments of respondents.
Image Morphometric Analysis of B Cells and Plasma Cells in Erythema Nodosum Leprosum With Clinicopathological Correlation
Authors: Biswas Dipanwita , Sethy Madhusmita , Behera Biswanath , Palit Aparna , Mitra Suvradeep
Published: December 2020

Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) occurs as an immunological complication of multibacillary leprosy (MBL). The pathogenesis of ENL is long considered to be a T-cell–mediated process. The role of B cells and plasma cells in ENL is not well described in the literature. Therefore, we investigated the B-cell and plasma cell infiltrates in the skin biopsies of biopsy-proven cases of ENL by immunohistochemistry and image morphometry and compared the result with paucibacillary leprosy and MBL. Moreover, we sought a correlation of the B-cell and plasma cell infiltrates with different clinical, hematological, histopathological, and bacteriological parameters as well as the T-cell subsets in the skin biopsies. Our study highlighted a significant reduction in the number of B cells from paucibacillary leprosy to MBL to ENL, although there was no significant variation in the plasma cell infiltrate. The plasma cell infiltrate correlated with absolute neutrophilia in the blood and the presence of eosinophils in the ENL lesions. Both B cells and plasma cells positively correlated with CD4-positive T-helper cells and the CD8-positive cytotoxic T cells. Besides, the B cells also correlated positively with the CD3-positive pan T cells in the biopsy and negatively correlated with the T-regulatory:T-cell ratio. Our results suggested the role of B cells and plasma cells even at the tissue level in the pathobiogenesis of ENL.
Kawasaki Disease and Kawasaki Disease Shock Syndrome Hospitalization Rates in the United States, 2006–2018
Authors: Maddox Ryan A. , Person Marissa K. , Kennedy Jordan L. , Leung Jessica , Abrams Joseph Y. , Haberling Dana L. , Schonberger Lawrence B. , Belay Ermias D.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a febrile illness of unknown etiology. Patients with Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS) may present with clinical signs of poor perfusion and systolic hypotension in addition to typical KD features. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzes and interprets large hospitalization databases as a mechanism for conducting national KD surveillance.

Methods:

The Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID), the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS), and the IBM MarketScan Commercial (MSC) and MarketScan Medicaid (MSM) databases were analyzed to determine KD-associated hospitalization rates and trends from 2006 to the most recent year of available data. KD and potential KDSS hospitalizations were defined using International Classification of Disease-Clinical Modification codes.

Results:

For the most recent year, the KD-associated hospitalization rates for children <5 years of age were 19.8 (95% CI: 17.2–22.3, KID: 2016), 19.6 (95% CI: 16.8–22.4, NIS: 2017), 19.3 (MSC: 2018), and 18.4 (MSM: 2018) per 100,000. There was no indication of an increase in KD rates over the time period. Rates of potential KDSS among children <18 years of age, ranging from 0.0 to 0.7 per 100,000, increased; coding indicated potential KDSS for approximately 2.8%–5.3% of KD hospitalizations.

Conclusions:

Analyses of these large, national databases produced consistent KD-associated hospitalization rates, with no increase over time detected; however, the percentage of KD hospitalizations with potential KDSS increased. Given reports of increasing incidence elsewhere and the recent identification of a novel virus-associated syndrome with possible Kawasaki-like features, continued national surveillance is important to detect changes in disease epidemiology.
Liver Tumours in Children
Authors: Kelgeri Chayarani , Renz Diane , McGuirk Simon , Schmid Irene , Sharif Khalid , Baumann Ulrich
Published: December 2020

Diagnostic and therapeutic innovations have changed the way we now approach liver tumours in children and adolescents. Novel imaging tools, increasing awareness, and surveillance has led to early diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumours. Multidisciplinary interventions have favourably altered the natural course in some liver tumours. The role of liver transplantation is expanding and has become fully integrated into today's therapeutic algorithms. Transarterial locoregional and ablation therapies have been successful in adults and are being explored in children to facilitate resectability and improve outcome. For the first time, North American, Japanese, and European experts have designed a global trial to optimize management of malignant liver tumours and aim to find signature molecular profiles that will translate to individualised treatment strategies.

This article aims to offer an overview of recent advances in our understanding of liver tumours in children. It focuses on the paediatric hepatologist's view and their role in the multidisciplinary management of benign and malignant liver tumours.
Predicting Suboptimal Transitions in Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Pearlstein Haley , Bricker Josh , Michel Hilary K. , Afzali Anita , Donegan Amy M. , Maltz Ross M. , Boyle Brendan M. , Dotson Jennifer L.
Published: December 2020

Objectives:

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are at risk for disease exacerbations and increased health care utilization around the time of transition to adult care. Our aim was to identify risk factors predictive of a suboptimal transition for AYA with inflammatory bowel disease.

Materials and Methods:

We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with pediatric inflammatory bowel disease transferred to adult care from our institution in 2016 and 2017, recording demographic, psychosocial, and disease‐specific data. Post‐transfer data were obtained via the health care information exchange from the adult provider within our electronic medical record. We defined suboptimal transition as either a return to pediatric care or requiring care escalation within 1 year of transfer.

Results:

Out of 104 subjects 37 (36%) were found to have had a suboptimal transition. Our models suggest that a suboptimal transition is associated with several risk factors including any mental health diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 4.15; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.18–14.59), history of medication nonadherence (OR = 5.15 [95% CI: 1.52–17.42]), public insurance (OR = 6.60 [95% CI: 1.25–34.96]), higher Physician Global Assessment score at time of transition (OR = 6.64 [95% CI: 1.60–27.58], and short Pediatric Crohn Disease Activity Index scores (OR = 1.17 [95% CI: 1.03–1.33]). Higher hemoglobin levels at transition were protective (OR = 0.69 [95% CI: 0.48–0.98]). Age at time of transition, disease duration, and medication type at transition were not found to be associated with transition outcomes.

Conclusion:

AYA with public insurance, a mental health history, medication nonadherence, and evidence of active disease may be at greater risk for suboptimal and poor health outcomes at transition.