bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
New perspectives of purple starthistle (Centaurea calcitrapa) leaf extracts: phytochemical analysis, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity
Authors: Dimkić Ivica , Petrović Marija , Gavrilović Milan , Gašić Uroš , Ristivojević Petar , Stanković Slaviša , Janaćković Peđa 
Published: October 2020

AbstractEthnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies of many Centaurea species indicated their potential in folk medicine so far. However, investigations of different Centaurea calcitrapa L. extracts in terms of cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens are generally scarce. The phenolic profile and broad antimicrobial activity (especially towards bacterial phytopathogens) of methanol (MeOH), 70% ethanol (EtOH), ethyl-acetate (EtOAc), 50% acetone (Me2CO) and dichloromethane: methanol (DCM: MeOH, 1: 1) extracts of C. calcitrapa leaves and their potential toxicity on MRC-5 cell line were investigated for the first time. A total of 55 phenolic compounds were identified: 30 phenolic acids and their derivatives, 25 flavonoid glycosides and aglycones. This is also the first report of the presence of centaureidin, jaceidin, kaempferide, nepetin, flavonoid glycosides, phenolic acids and their esters in C. calcitrapa extracts. The best results were obtained with EtOAc extract with lowest MIC values expressed in µg/mL ranging from 13 to 25, while methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptible strain. The most susceptible phytopathogens were Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The highest cytotoxicity was recorded for EtOAc and Me2CO extracts with the lowest relative and absolute IC50 values between 88 and 102 µg/mL, while EtOH extract was the least toxic with predicted relative IC50 value of 1578 µg/mL. Our results indicate that all tested extracts at concentration considered as non-toxic can be one of great importance in combat towards phytopathogenic and human pathogenic strains, as well as natural sources of antimicrobials.
Echo simulation of dual polarization Doppler weather radar based on the physical model
Authors: JieLa Qutie , Wang Haijiang , Hu Shipeng , Zhu Jiahui , Gao Mengqing 
Published: October 2020

AbstractUsing the scattering characteristics of particles to simulate the radar echo can supply the test signals close to the real precipitation echo for the weather radar and save the time and cost of the research and development and maintenance of the weather radar. In this paper, the precipitation echo of weather radar is simulated based on the theoretical basis that the falling raindrops have a shape well approximated by an oblate spheroid in the atmosphere. The Marshal-Palmer distribution is applied to describe the raindrop spectrum distribution of precipitation particles. It is assumed that the raindrop particles of different sizes have the random distribution in the radar resolution volume, and then the spatial distribution of precipitation particles in the resolution volume is modeled. The echo signals of horizontal and vertical polarization channels of dual-polarization weather radar are obtained by vector superposition of backscattering echoes of each particle. The experimental results show that this method can describe the microphysical characteristics of precipitation particles more completely and can be used to test the signal processing module of dual-polarization Doppler weather radar.
Development of a quantitative segmentation model to assess the effect of comorbidity on patients with COVID-19
Authors: Zhang Cui , Yang Guangzhao , Cai Chunxian , Xu Zhihua , Wu Hai , Guo Youmin , Xie Zongyu , Shi Hengfeng , Cheng Guohua , Wang Jian 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought a global disaster. Quantitative lesions may provide the radiological evidence of the severity of pneumonia and further to assess the effect of comorbidity on patients with COVID-19.

Methods
294 patients with COVID-19 were enrolled from February, 24, 2020 to June, 1, 2020 from six centers. Multi-task Unet network was used to segment the whole lung and lesions from chest CT images. This deep learning method was pre-trained in 650 CT images (550 in primary dataset and 100 in test dataset) with COVID-19 or community-acquired pneumonia and Dice coefficients in test dataset were calculated. 50 CT scans of 50 patients (15 with comorbidity and 35 without comorbidity) were random selected to mark lesions manually. The results will be compared with the automatic segmentation model. Eight quantitative parameters were calculated based on the segmentation results to evaluate the effect of comorbidity on patients with COVID-19.

Results
Quantitative segmentation model was proved to be effective and accurate with all Dice coefficients more than 0.85 and all accuracies more than 0.95. Of the 294 patients, 52 (17.7%) patients were reported having at least one comorbidity; 14 (4.8%) having more than one comorbidity. Patients with any comorbidity were older (P < 0.001), had longer incubation period (P < 0.001), were more likely to have abnormal laboratory findings (P < 0.05), and be in severity status (P < 0.001). More lesions (including larger volume of lesion, consolidation, and ground-glass opacity) were shown in patients with any comorbidity than patients without comorbidity (all P < 0.001). More lesions were found on CT images in patients with more comorbidities. The median volumes of lesion, consolidation, and ground-glass opacity in diabetes mellitus group were largest among the groups with single comorbidity that had the incidence rate of top three.

Conclusions
Multi-task Unet network can make quantitative CT analysis of lesions to assess the effect of comorbidity on patients with COVID-19, further to provide the radiological evidence of the severity of pneumonia. More lesions (including GGO and consolidation) were found in CT images of cases with comorbidity. The more comorbidities patients have, the more lesions CT images show.
Early-life gut dysbiosis linked to juvenile mortality in ostriches
Authors: Videvall Elin , Song Se Jin , Bensch Hanna M. , Strandh Maria , Engelbrecht Anel , Serfontein Naomi , Hellgren Olof , Olivier Adriaan , Cloete Schalk , Knight Rob , Cornwallis Charlie K. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundImbalances in the gut microbial community (dysbiosis) of vertebrates have been associated with several gastrointestinal and autoimmune diseases. However, it is unclear which taxa are associated with gut dysbiosis, and if particular gut regions or specific time periods during ontogeny are more susceptible. We also know very little of this process in non-model organisms, despite an increasing realization of the general importance of gut microbiota for health.MethodsHere, we examine the changes that occur in the microbiome during dysbiosis in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract in a long-lived bird with high juvenile mortality, the ostrich (Struthio camelus). We evaluated the 16S rRNA gene composition of the ileum, cecum, and colon of 68 individuals that died of suspected enterocolitis during the first 3 months of life (diseased individuals), and of 50 healthy individuals that were euthanized as age-matched controls. We combined these data with longitudinal environmental and fecal sampling to identify potential sources of pathogenic bacteria and to unravel at which stage of development dysbiosis-associated bacteria emerge.ResultsDiseased individuals had drastically lower microbial alpha diversity and differed substantially in their microbial beta diversity from control individuals in all three regions of the gastrointestinal tract. The clear relationship between low diversity and disease was consistent across all ages in the ileum, but decreased with age in the cecum and colon. Several taxa were associated with mortality (Enterobacteriaceae,Peptostreptococcaceae,Porphyromonadaceae,Clostridium), while others were associated with health (Lachnospiraceae,Ruminococcaceae,Erysipelotrichaceae,Turicibacter,Roseburia). Environmental samples showed no evidence of dysbiosis-associated bacteria being present in either the food, water, or soil substrate. Instead, the repeated fecal sampling showed that pathobionts were already present shortly after hatching and proliferated in individuals with low microbial diversity, resulting in high mortality several weeks later.ConclusionsIdentifying the origins of pathobionts in neonates and the factors that subsequently influence the establishment of diverse gut microbiota may be key to understanding dysbiosis and host development.
Effective mitigation strategy in early stage of COVID-19 pandemic in China
Authors: Yu Xiao-Yue , Xu Chen , Wang Hu-Wen , Chang Rui-Jie , Dong Yin-Qiao , Tsamlag Lhakpa , Zhang Shu-Xian , Yu Yue-Lin , Long Ru-Si , Wang Hui , Cai Yong 
Published: October 2020

AbstractIn the past five months, success in control the national epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been witnessed in China. The implementation of public health measures accounts for the success which include different interventions in the early or later stages of the outbreak. It is clear that although not all measures were universally effective worldwide, their achievements have been significant. More solidarity is needed to deal with this global pandemic with more learning and understanding. Understanding which of the public health interventions implemented in China were effective may provide ideas for international epidemic control.
The scale of the whale: using video-tag data to evaluate sea-surface ice concentration from the perspective of individual Antarctic minke whales
Authors: Linsky Jacob M. J. , Wilson Nicole , Cade David E. , Goldbogen Jeremy A. , Johnston David W. , Friedlaender Ari S. 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background
Advances in biologging technology allow researchers access to previously unobservable behavioral states and movement patterns of marine animals. To relate behaviors with environmental variables, features must be evaluated at scales relevant to the animal or behavior. Remotely sensed environmental data, collected via satellites, often suffers from the effects of cloud cover and lacks the spatial or temporal resolution to adequately link with individual animal behaviors or behavioral bouts. This study establishes a new method for remotely and continuously quantifying surface ice concentration (SIC) at a scale relevant to individual whales using on-animal tag video data.

Results
Motion-sensing and video-recording suction cup tags were deployed on 7 Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) around the Antarctic Peninsula in February and March of 2018. To compare the scale of camera-tag observations with satellite imagery, the area of view was simulated using camera-tag parameters. For expected conditions, we found the visible area maximum to be ~ 100m2 which indicates that observations occur at an equivalent or finer scale than a single pixel of high-resolution visible spectrum satellite imagery. SIC was classified into one of six bins (0%, 1–20%, 21–40%, 41–60%, 61–80%, 81–100%) by two independent observers for the initial and final surfacing between dives. In the event of a disagreement, a third independent observer was introduced, and the median of the three observer’s values was used. Initial results (n = 6) show that Antarctic minke whales in the coastal bays of the Antarctic Peninsula spend 52% of their time in open water, and only 15% of their time in water with SIC greater than 20%. Over time, we find significant variation in observed SIC, indicating that Antarctic minke occupy an extremely dynamic environment. Sentinel-2 satellite-based approaches of sea ice assessment were not possible because of persistent cloud cover during the study period.

Conclusion
Tag-video offers a means to evaluate ice concentration at spatial and temporal scales relevant to the individual. Combined with information on underwater behavior, our ability to quantify SIC continuously at the scale of the animal will improve upon current remote sensing methods to understand the link between animal behavior and these dynamic environmental variables.
Content expectations and dropout in Dutch vocational education
Authors: Eegdeman Irene , van Klaveren Chris , Meeter Martijn 
Published: October 2020

AbstractUnrealistic expectations with regard to one’s study program has been linked to negative consequences for future academic success. Previous studies that have shown this are often retrospective, however, and focus on performance-related expectations (e.g. expected grades), while unrealistic expectations about the required effort and the content of the program (content-related expectations) may be more relevant for explaining dropout in tertiary education. This study prospectively investigates whether the content-related expectations of 208 Dutch Sport Academy students elicited before the start of their vocational program are associated with subsequent dropout and academic performance. Our results show that dropped-out students did not differ in expected grades (even though they did differ in prevocational GPA). Moreover, their content-related expectations at the start of the program did not from successful students, nor were they any less realistic. Still, when retrospectively asked, 50% of the students answered that the concerning program did not fit. This suggests that retrospective reports of inadequate expectations may not reflect deficient expectations before starting the program. Instead, tertiary educational programs may defy expectations in both successful students and later unsuccessful students, with surprises being pleasant for successful students and unpleasant for unsuccessful ones.
Dynamic locking screws in proximal humeral plate osteosynthesis demonstrate superior fixation properties: a biomechanical study
Authors: Sandmann Gunther , Ateschrang Atesch , Freude Thomas , Stöckle Ulrich , Schmölz Werner , Konrads Christian , Döbele Stefan 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Purpose
Angular stable implants reduced the complication rate in the treatment of humeral head fractures. But the failure rate is still high. To further reduce the risk of cut-out, cement augmentation of screws was introduced. A reason for failure of plate osteosynthesis might be the extremely high stiffness of the screw-plate interface leading to a loss of reduction and cut-out of screws. A more homogeneous distribution of the forces on all screws may avoid secondary dislocation. We hypothesize that dynamic osteosynthesis minimizes screw loosening and results in a higher load to failure than standard locking screws.

Methods
Twelve paired human humerus specimens were analysed. A standardized three-part fracture model with a metaphyseal defect was simulated. Within each pair of humeri, one was fixed with a Philos plate and standard locking screws (LS), whereas the other humerus was fixed with a Philos plate and dynamic locking screws (DLS). A cyclic varus-bending test or a rotation test with increasing loading force was performed until failure of the screw-bone-fixation.

Results
In the varus bending test, pairs failed by screw loosening in the humeral head. The LS-group reached 2901 (601–5201) load cycles until failure, while the DLS-group failed after 3731 (2001–5601) cycles. This corresponds to a median loading of 195 N for the LS-group and 235 N for the DLS-group (p = 0.028). In the rotation test the LS-group reached a median of 1101 (501–1501) load cycles until failure of fixation occurred, while the DLS-group failed after 1401 (401–2201) cycles (p = 0.225).

Conclusions
Plate fixation using dynamic locking screws for the treatment of proximal humerus fractures demonstrated more load cycles until failure compared to standard locking plate osteosynthesis.
Prevalence of placental malaria among asymptomatic pregnant women in Wolkite health center, Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Solomon Absra , Kahase Daniel , Alemayhu Mihret 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundPlacental malaria (PM) is a major public health problem associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery and maternal anemia. The present study is aimed to determine the prevalence of placental malaria among asymptomatic pregnant women in Wolkite health center, Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia.MethodFacility-based cross-sectional study was carried out from June 2019 to August 2019. A total of 230 pregnant women were involved in the study where socio-demographic data, medical and obstetric history were collected using pretested structured questionnaires. Blood samples were collected at delivery from maternal capillary, placenta and umbilical cord for the detection of malarial parasite. Maternal hematocrit was determined to screen for anemia.ResultIn this study, the prevalence of placental malaria, peripheral malaria and umbilical cord malaria was 3.9% (9/230), 15.2% (35/230) and 2.6% (6/230) respectively.Plasmodium falciparumandPlasmodium vivaxwere detected by microscopy. All babies with positive umbilical cord blood films were born from a mother with placental malaria. Maternal anemia was recorded in 58.3% of the women. In univariate analysis, placental malaria was significantly associated with LBW (p < 0.001) unlike parity and maternal anemia.ConclusionPlacental malaria among asymptomatic pregnant women is low in Wolkite health centre, Gurage zone in Southern Ethiopia. Moreover, placental malaria was strongly associated with LBW. Thus, further strengthening the existing prevention and control activities and screening of asymptomatic pregnant women as part of routine antenatal care service is very essential.
Observing maturing source rocks on seismic reflection data
Authors: Matava Tim , Keys Robert G. , Ohm Sverre E. , Volterrani Stefano 
Published: October 2020

Hydrocarbon generation in a source rock is a complex, irreversible phase change that occurs when a source rock is heated during burial to change the phase to a fluid. The fluid density is less than the kerogen density; therefore, in a closed or partially closed system, the volume of the pore space occupied by fluids increases. Burial also increases the effective stress, which leads to compaction and a significant reduction in porosity. The challenge of identifying source rocks on seismic data then becomes differentiating the smaller porosity increase due to hydrocarbon formation from the larger porosity decrease associated with burial. We have used a calibrated rock-physics model to indicate that [Formula: see text] and porosity data can be used to predict the P- and S-wave velocities and the density in wells over large sedimentary sections, including a source rock of variable maturity. These well data and models indicate that the difference between an immature and mature source rock is an increase in porosity (lower density) relative to compacting, nonsource rock sediments. We use these results to identify a potential source interval in the Orphan Basin in Eastern Canada on 2D regional seismic data. We find that the full stack amplitude response of a maturing source rock is significant during the main phase of generation (0.2 < transformation ratio < 0.8) relative to the surrounding sediments. Regional scale consistency of the amplitude response with the kerogen maturity model from an integrated basin simulator reduces exploration risk because of the independence of the thermal model from the seismic amplitude response. Finally, combining the seismic response with the source rock maturity model provides insight into the likely kerogen kinetics. Most of applications require regional data sets to capture the maturity window; however, applications are also possible around allochthonous salt where geometries can lead to local changes in the heat flow.
Buddhism during the Chosŏn Dynasty (1392–1910): A Collective Trauma?
Authors: Kim Hwansoo 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAn increasing number of recent scholars have challenged the narrative of Korean Buddhism as persecuted, isolated, and debased under the Neo-Confucian orthodoxy of the Chosŏn dynasty (1392–1910). These scholars have revealed the continued support from both the state and Confucian aristocrats afforded to Buddhism; the friendship between yangbans and monastics; and the recognition of monastics’ role in Chosŏn society. While these insights provide a welcome nuance to a consideration of the period, it should be also recognized that the anti-Buddhist paradigm was a pervasive norm at the state and local levels throughout the Chosŏn era. The perception that Buddhism was heretical and that monastics were socially inferior was so deeply ingrained in the minds of aristocrats and the populace for so long that monastics developed a sense of collective trauma. This article revisits the vicissitudes of Chosŏn Buddhism by considering an incident that took place in the 1930s in colonial Korea. This case will help scholars of Korean history and Buddhism understand how colonial-period monastics acted from the trauma of the anti-Buddhist paradigm of the Chosŏn dynasty.
Phyllotaxis as geometric canalization during plant development
Authors: Godin Christophe , Golé Christophe , Douady Stéphane 
Published: October 2020

ABSTRACT
Why living forms develop in a relatively robust manner, despite various sources of internal or external variability, is a fundamental question in developmental biology. Part of the answer relies on the notion of developmental constraints: at any stage of ontogenesis, morphogenetic processes are constrained to operate within the context of the current organism being built. One such universal constraint is the shape of the organism itself, which progressively channels the development of the organism toward its final shape. Here, we illustrate this notion with plants, where strikingly symmetric patterns (phyllotaxis) are formed by lateral organs. This Hypothesis article aims first to provide an accessible overview of phyllotaxis, and second to argue that the spiral patterns in plants are progressively canalized from local interactions of nascent organs. The relative uniformity of the organogenesis process across all plants then explains the prevalence of certain patterns in plants, i.e. Fibonacci phyllotaxis.
Hybrid Electrocatalytic Nanocomposites Based on Carbon Nanotubes/Nickel Oxide/Nafion toward an Individual and Simultaneous Determination of Serotonin and Dopamine in Human Serum
Authors: Mool-am-kha Pijika , Themsirimongkon Suwaphid , Saipanya Surin , Saianand Gopalan , Tuantranont Adisorn , Karuwan Chanpen , Jakmunee Jaroon 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
The design and development of facile, rapid, selective, and sensitive electroanalytical methods for the simultaneous determination of serotonin (ST) along with other interfering species are in huge demand. To address this, herein, we report an efficient electrochemical sensing platform for the individual and simultaneous determination of ST and dopamine (DA) in human serum. The sensing system was judicially constructed by hybrid electrocatalytic nanocomposites composed of carbon nanotubes/nickel oxide/carbon black/Nafion modified screen-printed carbon electrode (CNT-NiO-CB/Nafion/SPCE). The structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties of the as-synthesized/fabricated materials and electrodes were thoroughly analyzed through appropriate instrumentations (scanning/transmission electron microscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, etc.). Besides, the experimental parameters of electrochemical measurements, such as varying amounts (CNT-NiO-CB/Nafion), pH, conditioning potential, time, modulation amplitude, and step potential, have been carefully optimized. The as-fabricated newly designed sensor exhibits superior analytical performance such as wide linear range (0.06–7.50 µM ST and 0.08–6.00 µM DA), low limit detection of (11 nM ST and 11 nM DA), high reproducibility (RSD = 5.74% ST and 7.74% DA) indicating excellent selectivity, stability, sensitivity along with good recovery range.