bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mathematical modeling of interaction between innate and adaptive immune responses in COVID‐19 and implications for viral pathogenesis
Authors: Du Sean Quan , Yuan Weiming 
Published: May 2020

AbstractWe have applied mathematical modeling to investigate the infections of the ongoing coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 virus. We first validated our model using the well‐studied influenza viruses and then compared the pathogenesis processes between the two viruses. The interaction between host innate and adaptive immune responses was found to be a potential cause for the higher severity and mortality in COVID‐19 patients. Specifically, the timing mismatch between the two immune responses has a major impact on disease progression. The adaptive immune response of the COVID‐19 patients is more likely to come before the peak of viral load, while the opposite is true for influenza patients. This difference in timing causes delayed depletion of vulnerable epithelial cells in the lungs in COVID‐19 patients while enhancing viral clearance in influenza patients. Stronger adaptive immunity in COVID‐19 patients can potentially lead to longer recovery time and more severe secondary complications. Based on our analysis, delaying the onset of adaptive immune responses during the early phase of infections may be a potential treatment option for high‐risk COVID‐19 patients. Suppressing the adaptive immune response temporarily and avoiding its interference with the innate immune response may allow the innate immunity to more efficiently clear the virus.
Characterization of chickpea genotypes of Pakistani origin for genetic diversity and zinc grain biofortification
Authors: Ullah Aman , Al‐Sadi Abdullah M , Al‐Subhi Ali M , Farooq Muhammad 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDIntake of food low in essential minerals, like zinc (Zn), is one of the major reasons of malnutrition. Development of genotypes with grains enriched in essential minerals may help to solve the issue of malnutrition. In this study, 16 chickpea genotypes (eight each of desi and kabuli types) of Pakistani origin were evaluated for genetic diversity and grain Zn biofortification potential with and without Zn fertilization.RESULTSA wide variation was noted for agronomic, physiological, agro‐physiological, utilization, and apparent recovery efficiencies of Zn in the chickpea genotypes tested. Genotypes also differed for grain Zn concentration (37.5–48.6 mg kg−1), bioavailable Zn (3.72–4.42 mg day−1), and grain yield. The highest grain Zn concentration and bioavailable Zn were noted in genotypes NIAB‐CH‐2016 (47.1 mg kg−1 and 4.30 mg day−1 respectively) and Noor‐2013 (48.6 mg kg−1 and 4.38 mg day−1 respectively) among the desi and kabuli types respectively. The same genotypes were the highest yielders. Cluster analysis showed that all (eight) kabuli genotypes grouped together, whereas most (six) of the desi genotypes clustered in a separate group. There was low to moderate genetic diversity (0.149 for desi and 0.104 for kabuli types) and a low level of genetic differentiation between the two chickpea types (0.098).CONCLUSIONTwo populations of chickpea had low to moderate genetic diversity, with consistent gene flow. This genetic diversity in both chickpea types allows the breeding gains for improving the grain yield and grain Zn biofortification potential of chickpea genotypes. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Spray‐drying microencapsulation of ascorbic acid: impact of varying loading content on physicochemical properties of microencapsulated powders
Authors: Nizori Addion , Bui Lan Thi To , Jie Ferry , Small Darryl Max 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDThere is increased interest in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries in using ascorbic acid as an important component in the human diet for health support and disease prevention. However, its use as an ingredient is limited by its high instability and sensitivity to environmental conditions. Microencapsulation technology has been proposed to increase the stability of ascorbic acid. The aim this work was to evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid loading rate on the physicochemical properties of encapsulated ascorbic acid. Loading contents of ascorbic acid of 6%, 9%, 18%, 36%, 54% and 72% were trialled using spray drying in conjunction with starch‐based encapsulating agents.RESULTSThe results showed that the loading content has a significant effect on ascorbic acid retention, yield, moisture content, water activity, colour change, particle size and distribution of microcapsules. Morphology of microcapsules also was assessed using environmental scanning electron microscopy, showing that the microcapsules had good structure and integrity for a loading content of 18% and even as high as 54%. At levels beyond this, capsules showed a lack of coherence and integrity of the outer shell.CONCLUSIONSThe results indicated that ascorbic acid microparticles at various loading rates have a substantial impact on physical and chemical properties of microcapsules. Loading content can be selected to ensure colour uniformity and minimal effects on colour during food fortification processes. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Pearl millet populations characterized by Fusarium prevalence, morphological traits, phenolic content, and antioxidant potential
Authors: Bouajila Aida , Lamine Myriam , Rahali FatmaZahra , Melki Imen , Prakash Gangashetty , Ghorbel Abdelwahed 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundPearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) has become increasingly attractive due to its health benefits. It is grown as food for human consumption and fodder for livestock in Africa and Asia. This study focused on five pearl millet populations from different agro‐ecological zones from Tunisia, and on characterization by morphological traits, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, and occurrence of Fusarium.ResultsAnalysis of variance revealed highly significant differences between populations for the quantitative traits. The highest grain weights occurred in the pearl millet cultivated in Zaafrana and Gergis of Tunisia. Early flowering and early maturing populations cultivated in the center (Zaafrana, Rejiche) and south (Gergis) of Tunisia tended to have a higher grain yield. The Zaafrana population showed the highest value of green fodder potentiel (number and weight of leaves/cultivar and the weight of tillers and total plant/cultivar) followed by Gergis and Rejiche. The Kelibia population showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content. Rejiche exhibited the greatest antioxidant activity. Trans‐cinnamic, protocatechuic, and hydroxybenzoic acids were the major phenolic compounds in all the extracts. Three Fusarium species were identified in Tunisian pearl millet populations based on morphologic and molecular characterization. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum occurred most frequently. The average incidence of the three Fusarium species was relatively low (<5%) in all populations. The lowest infection rate (0.1%) was recorded in the samples from Zaafrana.ConclusionChemometric analysis confirmed the usefulness of the above traits for discrimination of pearl millet populations, where a considerable variation according to geographical origin and bioclimatic conditions was observed. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Revealing the 2D–scale, location–specific variations of soil properties in the coal mining area of Changhe watershed, China
Authors: Zhu Hongfen , Bi Rutian , Sun Ruipeng , Xu Zhanjun , Lv Chunjuan , Yang Jason 
Published: May 2020

AbstractMany researches have been conducted to understand the scale–location specific variations of soil properties in one‐dimensional soil samples. However, these results did not enable us to properly understand the 2D (two‐dimensional) distributions of soil characteristics, especially in the coal mining areas. Therefore, the objective of this study is to reveal the scale–location dependent variation of two‐dimensional patterns for soil properties and to develop a soil organic matter (SOM) prediction based on those scale–location effects in the coal mining area. To this end, SOM, porosity, and silt were measured in the top (0–20 cm), middle (20–40 cm), and bottom (40–60 cm)layers of soil in Changhe watershed, China. The scale‐specific spatial patterns of soil properties were extracted using two‐dimensional empirical mode decomposition (2DEMD), and SOM was predicted using stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) and 2DEMDGS. It was found that the spatial distributions of SOM residue (>24 km) at middle layer and porosity residue at top and bottom layers could reveal the differentiation between coal mining and non‐coal mining areas. The scale‐effects on the relationships between SOM and its covariates was stronger than that of land uses, and the relationships of SOM with the covariates in different land use types were distinctive at top layer, and were similar at bottom layer. 2DEMDGS performed better than SMLR on SOM prediction for its involvement of scale and location effects. Therefore, the relationship between SOM and influencing factors is a function of scale, location, and land uses activities, and the scale‐ and location‐dependent method should be considered for SOM prediction.
Saline Soil Reclamation Index as an efficient tool for assessing restoration progress of saline land
Authors: Edrisi Sheikh Adil , Tripathi Vishal , Chaturvedi Rajiv Kumar , Dubey Dinesh Kumar , Patel Girish , Abhilash Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil 
Published: May 2020

AbstractRestoration of degraded land is imperative for addressing climate change, deriving additional benefits such as biomass and biofuel for supporting a biobased economy and also for meeting various targets of the Bonn Challenge and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN‐SDGs). In this context, the present research aimed to evaluate the performance of mixed biomass plantations on the saline land of western India over a period of 4 years. The impact of plantations on soil quality over the study period (2015–2018) was analysed by the Saline Soil Reclamation Index (SSRI), developed through principal component analysis. The study found a strong correlation between plant growth attributes and soil quality (p < .01). Soil porosity, texture, pH balance, electrical conductivity (EC), available potassium (AK) and available nitrogen (AN) levels are found to be the key indicators regulating the plant growth. The EC, AK and AN levels were seen to change significantly during the initial stage (2014) from 25 dS m−1, 10 mg kg−1and 23 mg kg−1to 1 dS m−1, 24 mg kg−1and 39 mg kg−1, respectively, towards the end of the study period (2018). Among the various test plants, six species (Albizia lebbeck, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cordia dichotoma, Pithecellobium dulce, Pongamia pinnata, Terminalia arjuna) were found with high SSRI (>0.50); while the rest displayed moderate SSRI (0.30–0.49), except forAzadirachta indica, which shown low SSRI (<0.30). The trees having high SSRI are most suitable for the reclamation of saline soil and therefore, SSRI can be used as a tool for assessing the progress of saline land restoration.
Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Parkinson's Disease: Data From a Large Prospective European Cohort
Authors: Peters Susan , Gallo Valentina , Vineis Paolo , Middleton Lefkos T. , Forsgren Lars , Sacerdote Carlotta , Sieri Sabina , Kyrozis Andreas , Chirlaque María‐Dolores , Zamora‐Ros Raul , Hansson Oskar , Petersson Jesper , Katzke Verena , Kühn Tilman , Mokoroa Olatz , Masala Giovanna , Ardanaz Eva , Panico Salvatore , Bergmann Manuela M. , Key Timothy J. , Weiderpass Elisabete , Ferrari Pietro , Vermeulen Roel 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundParkinson's disease (PD) etiology is not well understood. Reported inverse associations with smoking and coffee consumption prompted the investigation of alcohol consumption as a risk factor, for which evidence is inconclusive.ObjectiveTo assess the associations between alcohol consumption and PD risk.MethodsWithin NeuroEPIC4PD, a prospective European population‐based cohort, 694 incident PD cases were ascertained from 209,998 PD‐free participants. Average alcohol consumption at different time points was self‐reported at recruitment. Cox regression hazard ratios were estimated for alcohol consumption and PD occurrence.ResultsNo associations between baseline or lifetime total alcohol consumption and PD risk were observed. Men with moderate lifetime consumption (5–29.9 g/day) were at ~50% higher risk compared with light consumption (0.1–4.9 g/day), but no linear exposure–response trend was observed. Analyses by beverage type also revealed no associations with PD.ConclusionOur data reinforce previous findings from prospective studies showing no association between alcohol consumption and PD risk. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Ten Unsolved Questions About Neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Hirsch Etienne C. , Standaert David G. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractParkinson's disease is a progressive and debilitating disorder that has so far eluded attempts to develop disease‐modifying treatment. Both epidemiological and genetic studies support a role of neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. Postmortem studies and experimental analyses suggest the involvement of both innate and adaptive immunity in the degenerative process. There is also some circumstantial evidence for effects of immune therapies on the disease. In the present article, we review 10 unanswered questions related to neuroinflammatory processes in Parkinson's disease with the goal of stimulating research in the field and accelerating the clinical development of neuroprotective therapies based on anti‐inflammatory strategies. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
A three‐stage graphics processing unit‐based finite element analyses matrix generation strategy for unstructured meshes
Authors: Sanfui Subhajit , Sharma Deepak 
Published: May 2020

SummaryWith the development of parallel computing architectures, larger and more complex finite element analyses (FEA) are being performed with higher accuracy and smaller execution times. Graphics processing units (GPUs) are one of the major contributors of this computational breakthrough. This work presents a three‐stage GPU‐based FEA matrix generation strategy with the key idea of decoupling the computation of global matrix indices and values by use of a novel data structure referred to as the neighbor matrix. The first stage computes the neighbor matrix on the GPU based on the unstructured mesh. Using this neighbor matrix, the indices and values of the global matrix are computed separately in the second and third stages. The neighbor matrix is computed for three different element types. Two versions for performing numerical integration and assembly in the same or separate kernels are implemented and simulations are run for different mesh sizes having up to three million degrees of freedom on a single GPU. Comparison with GPU‐based parallel implementation from the literature reveals speedup ranging from 4× to 6× for the proposed workload division strategy. Furthermore, the same kernel implementation is found to outperform the separate kernel implementation by 70% to 150% for different element types.
An interface‐tracking unified continuum model for fluid‐structure interaction with topology change and full‐friction contact with application to aortic valves
Authors: Hiromi Spühler Jeannette , Hoffman Johan 
Published: May 2020

SummaryAn interface tracking finite element methodology is presented for 3D turbulent flow fluid‐structure interaction, including full‐friction contact and topology changes, with specific focus on heart valve simulations. The methodology is based on a unified continuum fluid‐structure interaction model, which is a monolithic approach, where the fundamental conservation laws are formulated for the combined fluid‐structure continuum. Contact is modeled by local phase changes in the unified continuum, and computational results show the promise of the approach. The core algorithms are all based on the solution of partial differential equations with standard finite element methods, and hence any general purpose finite element library which can leverage state of the art hardware platforms can be used for the implementation of the methodology.
An analytical investigation on the effect of porous conductive cellulose acetate composite morphology on the detection of organic compounds
Authors: Noormohammad Asma , Molla‐Abbasi Payam 
Published: May 2020

AbstractA smart porous conductive polymer composite (CPC) consisting of cellulose acetate as matrix and multiwalled carbon nanotubes as conductive filler was prepared to detect a set of lung cancer biomarkers. The solvent evaporation‐induced phase separation was used to introduce porosity into the conductive composite. The prepared sensitive layers exhibited high response intensity, low response time, and good recovery behavior toward the mentioned analytes. A thorough investigation was conducted on the morphology, response behavior, sensitivity, and selectivity of the prepared CPC transducer. The selectivity of responses was considered based on the thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of polymer and analytes such as Hansen solubility parameters, Flory‐Huggins interaction parameter, and diffusion coefficient of analytes into the polymer membrane. Moreover, the microstructure of porous layers was characterized by using SEM, contact angle, and BET. The volume porosity and specific surface area of the sensitive layers were increased by the introduction of porosity into the polymer composite, causing the improvement of sensing parameters. The obtained responses further confirmed the promising potential of the prepared porous CPC structure, for the detection of lung cancer biomarkers, from exhaled breath as an inexpensive, repeatable, accurate, and noninvasive method.
Brief report: International perspectives on the pediatric COVID‐19 experience
Authors: Yilmaz Ozge , Gochicoa‐Rangel Laura , Blau Hannah , Epaud Ralph , Lands Larry C. , Lombardi Enrico , Moore Paul E. , Stein Renato T. , Wong Gary W. K. , Zar Heather J. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) is endangering human health worldwide; scarcity of published pediatric cases and current literature and the absence of evidence‐based guidelines necessitate international sharing of experience and personal communication. On 31 March 2020 the International Committee of the American Thoracic Society Pediatrics Assembly recorded an online podcast, during which pediatric pulmonologists worldwide shared their experience on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) in children. The aim was to share personal experience in organizing pediatric care in different health care settings globally, protecting health care workers, and isolation practices. This manuscript summarizes the common themes of the podcast which centered around three main topics: more benign clinical disease and progression in pediatric cases compared to adults, a strong need for strategies to protect health care workers, and social or economic disparities as a barrier to successful pandemic control.
Insecticide residue longevity for on‐site screening of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) resistance
Authors: Disi Joseph Onwusemu , Van Timmeren Steven , Gress Brian , Zalom Frank , Isaacs Rufus , Sial Ashfaq 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDPreventative application of insecticides reduces marketable yield losses caused by Drosophila suzukii females that selectively lay eggs into ripe and ripening fruits. However, repeated applications of insecticides increase the risk of resistance development. It is therefore critical to test field‐collected flies on‐site to assess the level of sensitivity of D. suzukii to insecticides to monitor resistance, before it becomes a widespread issue. This requires that insecticide‐treated vials be readily available to conduct bioassays. Thus, bioassays were conducted using malathion‐, methomyl‐, zeta‐cypermethrin‐, phosmet‐, spinetoram‐ and spinosad‐treated scintillation vials at 1 to 28 days after treatment to assess how residue age affects insecticide toxicity in scintillation vials. The impact of temperature on residue longevity was also assessed.RESULTSInsecticide‐treated vials stored for 28 days provided reliable estimates of susceptibility of D. suzukii to some of the tested insecticides. The toxicity of malathion remained consistently high throughout the experiment followed by methomyl. However, toxicities of zeta‐cypermethrin, phosmet were variable whereas those of the spinosyns declined relatively quickly. Overall, storage temperature did not affect the residual toxicity of most of the tested insecticides except zeta‐cypermethrin.CONCLUSIONThese findings suggest that the toxicity of insecticide residues in treated vials remains active for ≤28 d for malathion and ≤21 and 28 days in methomyl‐treated vials stored at 4 °C in Georgia and Michigan, respectively. However, the toxicities of spinosad, zeta‐cypermethrin and phosmet were less consistent. Hence, vials treated with these insecticides should be freshly made to be effective for screening D. suzukii field populations for resistance. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Augmentation and compatibility of Beauveria bassiana with pesticides against different growth stages of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius); an in vitro and field approach
Authors: Wari David , Okada Ryo , Takagi Motonori , Yaguchi Masato , Kashima Tetsuro , Ogawara Takashi 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDBemisia tabaci is a notorious agricultural pest that causes serious damage to many crops via herbivory and spread of viral diseases. Effective control measures are, therefore, required. Integrating entomopathogenic fungi into the chemical control system offers promise for B. tabaci management.RESULTSIn‐vitro assays on the augmentative effect of Beauveria bassiana GHA strain with insecticides, and its compatibility with fungicides were tested. Varying egg mortality was observed for most insecticides except for milbemectin. Pyrifluquinazon was less effective against the nymphs. Flonicamid showed no insecticidal effect on either nymphs or adults. However, increased mortality in nymphs and adults was observed when flonicamid was mixed with Beauveria bassiana GHA strain. Furthermore, no significant synergistic effect of mixing pesticides with B. bassiana GHA strain was observed. Most insecticides (when not mixed with B. bassiana) showed high (>80%) mortality against B. tabaci nymphs and adults. Most fungicides tested showed no inhibitory effects on B. bassiana GHA strain against B. tabaci nymphs and adults. Fungistatic effect was observed in the mycelial and spore germination inhibition studies. Weekly rotation of some pesticides with B. bassiana GHA strain in greenhouse conditions yielded significant reduction in different growth stages of B. tabaci. However, no significant difference in viral incidence was observed.CONCLUSIONLaboratory and field tests showed positive effects of augmenting pesticides and B. bassiana GHA strain against B. tabaci nymphs and adults. Therefore, augmentation of pesticides and B. bassiana GHA strain is one prospect towards developing an effective B. tabaci IPM system. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry