bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effects of age, pathology, and fusion on cervical neural foramen area
Authors: LeVasseur Clarissa M. , Pitcairn Samuel , Shaw Jeremy , Donaldson William F. , Lee Joon Y. , Anderst William J. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractCervical radiculopathy is a relatively common neurological disorder, often resulting from mechanical compression of the nerve root within the neural foramen. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a common treatment for radicular symptoms that do not resolve after conservative treatment. One mechanism by which ACDF is believed to resolve symptoms is by replacing degenerated disc tissue with bone graft to increase the neural foramen area, however in vivo evidence demonstrating this is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of age, pathology, and fusion on bony neural foramen area. Participants included 30 young adult controls (<35 years old), 23 middle‐aged controls (36 to 60 years old), and 36 cervical arthrodesis patients tested before and after ACDF surgery. Participants’ cervical spines were imaged in the neutral, full flexion, and full extension positions while seated within a biplane radiography system. A validated model‐based tracking technique determined three‐dimensional vertebral position and orientation and automated software identified the neural foramen area in each head position. The neural foramen area decreased throughout the entire sub‐axial cervical spine with age and pathology, however, no changes in neural foramen area were observed due solely to replacing degenerated disc tissue with bone graft. The neural foramen area was not associated with disc height in young adult controls, but moderate to strong associations were observed in middle‐aged controls. The results provide evidence to inform the debate regarding localized versus systemic spinal degeneration and provide novel insight into the mechanism of pain relief after ACDF.
System for quasi‐continuous simultaneous measurement of oxygen diffusion rate and redox potential in soil
Authors: Reiser René , Stadelmann Viktor , Weisskopf Peter , Grahm Lina , Keller Thomas 
Published: March 2020

AbstractOxygen diffusion rate (ODR) and redox potential (EH) are quantitative indices representing oxygen availability and redox status in soils, which is valuable information for better understanding causes and effects of soil aeration. Because these indices are spatially and temporally highly variable, continuous measurements and adequate numbers of repetitions are essential for accurate in situ monitoring. Here, we present a new, fully automated recording system for in situ measurements where ODR and EH are measured at the same platinum electrode. The conflict between electrode polarization for ODR and the resulting biased EH readings is solved by reducing the polarization time and introducing a recovery interval between two consecutive measurement cycles. The shorter polarization time ensures accurate EH readings. It also results in moderately overestimated ODR readings, but this can be corrected before data analysis. The recovery interval restricts temporal resolution of the EH‐ODR data pairs to 8 h. We illustrate the use of the system with measurements in a field experiment in Zürich, Switzerland. ODR curves at different depths ran roughly parallel to the corresponding curves of O2 concentration in soil air but ODR was much more sensitive to precipitation. Low ODR was a necessary but not a sufficient condition for declining EH. EH ran parallel to O2 concentration in soil air rather than to ODR. The fully automated system allows for time series of replicate measurements in multifactorial field studies with reasonable labor requirements. It may be particularly suitable for studies examining the effects of soil tillage, compaction, and irrigation, where structure‐related soil properties such as porosity, gas permeability, and soil aeration play a dominant role.
Yellow mombin and jackfruit seeds residues applied in the production of reducing sugars by a crude multi‐enzymatic extract produced by Penicillium roqueforti ATCC 101110
Authors: Marques George L , Aguiar‐Oliveira Elizama 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundAs an alternative to the use of widely investigated agro‐industrial residues, the present study aimed to promote the valorization of two selected residues, yellow mombin seed (YS) and jackfruit seed (JS), as a result of their enhanced performance.ResultsYS was applied as a solid state substrate for Penicillium roqueforti ATCC 101110 cultivation (25 °C, Aw = 0.963, 107 spores g−1 and 142 h) to produce a crude multi‐enzymatic extract (CE‐YS) containing activities of CMCase = 31.95 U g−1, xylanase = 56.85 U g−1, exoglucanase = 5.55 U g−1 and FPase = 24.60 U g−1. CE‐YS was then applied to six different residues saccharification and the best performance was obtained with jackfruit seed residue (JS), which was selected for enzymatic saccharification. The highest productivity of reducing sugars expressed as glucose (6.26 mg g−1 h−1) was obtained under the conditions: 40.7 g L−1 JS, 5 mmol L–1 MgCl2, 65 °C, 120 rpm, pH 3.0 (citrate buffer 50 mmol L–1) and 18 h.ConclusionThe residues, YS and JS, can be used satisfactorily for the production of bioproducts of great industrial applicability, such as crude extracts (containing cellulolytic enzymes) and RS (which can be converted, for example, into bioethanol). © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Animal wastes as fertilizers enhance growth of young walnut trees under soil drought conditions
Authors: Zhang Yan , Liu Jing , Niu Shuqing , Kong Miao , Zhang Jie , Lu Yanfen , Yao Yuncong 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDUsing nutrient‐rich animal wastes as organic fertilizers in agricultural practices is a sustainable method for soil amendment and avoiding environmental pollution. In order to evaluate their practical effect, we applied different proportions of animal waste as fertilizers to wet or dry soils that were either planted or not planted with young walnut trees.RESULTSThe results showed that animal waste could increase soil C accumulation and carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio and reduce soil organic nitrogen and total nitrogen contents as well as the nitrogen to phosphorus (N/P) ratio in the planted group soil. This framework of soil C and N composition (a high C/N ratio) resulted in high N and Mg contents as well as high Cu and Zn contents in the leaves of the young trees as well as a high dry matter weight/leaf N ratio, causing increased leaf photosynthesis, reduced transpiration and relatively high water use efficiency under soil drought conditions. Also, animal wastes as fertilizers caused the branching of walnut to switch from elongation growth to thickening growth under soil drought conditions.CONCLUSIONSPrincipal component analysis and redundancy analysis demonstrated the mechanism by which the soil C/N ratio mediates the flux of available nutrients from the soil to the plant and thereby regulates plant dry matter accumulation and branching architecture under soil drought conditions. The results of this study provide new insights into the improvement of hilly soils using animal waste. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Stability of camu‐camu encapsulated with different prebiotic biopolymers
Authors: A Figueiredo Jayne , MT Lago Amanda , M Mar Josiana , S Silva Laiane , A Sanches Edgar , P Souza Tatiane , A Bezerra Jaqueline , H Campelo Pedro , A Botrel Diego , V Borges Soraia 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDA viable possibility for the best use of bioactive compounds present in camu‐camu, fruit native to the Amazonian rainforest, is the preparation of microcapsules using different biopolymers by the spray‐drying technique, which would increase the possibilities for innovation in the food industry, as well as facilitate the application in different food matrices. In this context, the chemical, physicochemical, and morphological properties and stability of camu‐camu extract (peel and pulp) spray‐dried using maltodextrin, inulin, and oligofructose as encapsulating agents were investigated, as well as lyophilized camu‐camu extract (CEL). Different relative humidities (22%, 51%, and 75%) and temperatures (25 °C and 45 °C) were evaluated.RESULTSThe moisture, water activity, and solubility values varied from 18.4 to 107.9 g water per kilogram dry powder, 0.06 to 0.27, and 950.80 to 920.28 g microparticles per kilogram of water respectively. Retention of the bioactive compounds varied in the ranges 5.5–7.1 g per kilogram ascorbic acid fresh weight and 7.2–9.0 g per kilogram anthocyanins fresh weight. The increase in temperature and relative humidity during storage provided a significant decrease in the stability of the bioactive compounds for all treatments. However, the CEL presented higher water adsorption kinetics and degradation under all storage conditions, indicating the importance of the use of encapsulating agents.CONCLUSIONIn general, the prebiotic biopolymers used as encapsulating agents in the microencapsulation of extracts of camu‐camu by spray‐drying presented satisfactory results, suggesting that this technique is an effective strategy to increase the stability of bioactive compounds contained in fruits and vegetables. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Alleviation of abnormal NBTI phenomenon in LTPS TFTs on polyimide substrate for flexible AMOLED
Authors: Lee Jaeseob , Lee Yongsu , Kang Taewook , Chu Hyeyong , Kwag Jinoh 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis letter investigates the negative‐bias temperature instability (NBTI) behavior of p‐channel low‐temperature polycrystalline silicon thin‐film transistors (LTPS TFTs) on plastic substrate. The measurements reveal that the threshold‐voltage positive shift is highly correlated to the passivation of grain boundary trap states. By applying the established phenomenon such as NBTI recovery and H diffusion from PI substrate, a new model is introduced to explain the mechanism and verified by the experiment. With the thick buffer and bottom metal layer or newly processed PI substrate, we succeeded in adjusting the NBTI behavior of LTPS TFTs on plastic substrate.
Environmental Factors Influencing Hairy‐Nosed Wombat Abundance in Semi‐Arid Rangelands
Authors: Taggart David A. , Finlayson Graeme R. , Sparrow Elisa E. , Dibben Ron M. , Dibben Jason A. , Campbell Elizabeth C. , Peacock David E. , Ostendorf Bertram , White Craig R. , Temple‐Smith Peter D. 
Published: March 2020

ABSTRACTUnderstanding environmental factors influencing the abundance of species is important for developing strategies to manage wildlife effectively. Long‐term studies provide the most reliable information upon which to base management decisions. This is particularly important when considering threatening processes, like drought and climate change, and a species' future security. We collected data on abundance of southern hairy‐nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) on Kooloola Station in South Australia's Murraylands during nightly spot‐lighting excursions in winter and spring between 1993 and 2014. Wombat numbers declined significantly after the early‐mid 1990s, and were lowest in 2002–2003 in the middle of the millennium drought (late 1996–mid‐2010). Despite an observed decline in grazing competition from domestic sheep and rabbits (Oryctolagus cunniculus) after 2003 and above‐average rainfall in 5 of the next 11 years, the wombat population failed to recover to early–mid‐1990s levels, remaining at approximately 50% of estimated abundance pre‐drought. The study provides evidence that rainfall has a significant effect on southern hairy‐nosed wombat population size, most likely through improvements in the availability of palatable plant species. Historical information suggests that there was a change in the grass and herbaceous layer on Kooloola Station in the mid‐1970s from a pasture dominated by summer‐germinating native grass and forb species, the natural diet of the southern hairy‐nosed wombat, to one dominated by winter‐germinating introduced weeds. Several consecutive years of above‐average rainfall are needed before effective wombat population increase occurs and the size of yearly winter and spring rainfall events is strongly linked to population trends the following year. Historical information and first‐hand observations suggest that dietary components (either native grasses or introduced weed species) and level of grazing competition may also interact to affect wombat survival and population recovery from drought, although this requires further testing. Together with rainfall, these factors have important implications to develop appropriate conservation and management strategies for this species in a changing climate likely to be dominated by increased drought frequency and duration. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Harsh voices, sound branding: How voiced consonants in a brand's name can alter its perceived attributes
Authors: Pathak Abhishek , Calvert Gemma Anne , Lim Lewis K. S. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis paper examines the sound‐symbolic link between voiced obstruents (speech sounds created by obstructing the airflow) present in a brand name and the perceived product/brand attributes. In three studies (two using self‐reported measures and one using an implicit reaction time paradigm), we tested the effect of voiced (b, d, g, z, v) versus voiceless obstruents (p, t, k, s, f) across 25 hypothetical brand names, on the perceived product attributes of harshness (vs. softness). Brand names with voiced (vs. voiceless) obstruents are perceived as harsh (vs. soft/mild). Results are described across two different product categories (e.g., toilet cleaner and skin conditioner), and also within the same product category (e.g., strong vs. light beer and strong vs. mild toilet cleaner). Since sound symbolism is culturally agnostic, brands expanding into international and linguistically different markets can use these insights to create brand names that will have international appeal, and can match the product and/or brand attributes that brands wish to convey to consumers.
Electrophoretic deposition of spherical carbon nanoobjects—A comparison of different biocompatible surfaces
Authors: Zięba Monika , Korczeniewski Emil , Zięba Wojciech , Bolibok Paulina , Czarnecka Joanna , Płońska‐Brzezińska Marta E. , Terzyk Artur P. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractSpherical carbon nanomaterial coatings on the purified carbon fibres were obtained and characterized. The use of exactly the same conditions of electrophoretic deposition process made it possible to compare the impact of the initial carbon nanomaterial properties on the behaviour of various prepared surfaces. Obtained samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, flat surface ζ‐potential and water contact angle measurements. Additionally, cytotoxic tests were carried out to compare biocompatibility of coated carbon fibres. Presented results show the impact of the initial materials properties on the characteristics of the deposited coatings.
Do chick and rodent neuron biosensors function similarly?
Authors: Kuang Serena Y. , Yang Xiaoqi , Wei Lina , Huang Ting , Wang Zhonghai , Xi Tingfei , Gao Bruce Z. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractA growing number of research papers report similarities in cell types, neuronal connections and information‐processing principles between chick and rodent cortical tissues, which have very different architectures. This paper extends these comparisons beyond the cortical tissues. Using microelectrode array technology, we report three remarkable functional similarities between our original chick data and rodent data from the literature: (a) the pattern of spontaneous spiking activity from chick spinal cord neuron biosensors is very similar to that of rodent spinal cord neuron biosensors (i.e. rodent counterparts). (b) The spontaneous spiking activity pattern of the chick forebrain neuron biosensors is very similar to that of the rodent cortical neuron biosensors, but chick forebrain neuron biosensors contain not only cortical neurons, but also diencephalic neurons. In other words, chick forebrain neuron biosensors cannot be considered the counterparts of rodent cortical neuron biosensors. (c) Chick forebrain neuron biosensors respond to several classical neuroactive agents in a way similar to rodent cortical neuron biosensors as reflected in their agent‐specific concentration–response curves and their values of EC50 (the effective concentration that causes 50% of the maximal effect of an agent). These preliminary findings provide both direct and indirect support for a positive answer to the big research question in the title: ‘Do chick and rodent neuron biosensors function similarly’ if the sources of the neurons are homologous between chick and rodent? Our findings are of particular value to comparative biology/physiology, pharmacology, neurotoxicology and bioengineering and to research on the more cost‐effective extended application of chick neuron biosensors.
Two novel mutations of PAX3 and SOX10 were characterized as genetic causes of Waardenburg Syndrome
Authors: Yu Yongbo , Liu Wei , Chen Min , Yang Yang , Yang Yeran , Hong Enyu , Lu Jie , Zheng Jun , Ni Xin , Guo Yongli , Zhang Jie 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe objective of this study was to investigate the genetic causes of two probands diagnosed as Waardenburg syndrome (WS type I and IV) from two unrelated Chinese families.MethodsPAX3 and SOX10 were the main pathogenic genes for WS type I (WS I) and IV (WS IV), respectively; all coding exons of these genes were sequenced on the two probands and their family members. Luciferase reporter assay and co‐immunoprecipitation (CO‐IP) were conducted to verify potential functional outcomes of the novel mutations.ResultsThe first proband is a 9 years old girl diagnosed with WS I. A novel PAX3 heterozygous mutation of c.372‐373delGA (p.N125fs) was identified, which results in a frameshift and truncation of PAX3 protein. In family II, a 2 years old girl was diagnosed with WS IV, and Sanger sequencing revealed a de novo SOX10 mutation of c.1114insTGGGGCCCCCACACTACACCGAC (p.Q372fs), a frameshift mutation that extends the amino acid chain of SOX10 protein. Functional studies indicated that the novel mutation of SOX10 had no effects on the interaction of SOX10 and PAX3, but reduced transactivate capacity of melanocyte inducing transcription factor (MITF) promoter. Both PAX3 and SOX10 mutation‐induced defects of MITF transcription might contribute to the WS pathogenesis.ConclusionWe revealed a novel mutation in PAX3 and a de novo mutation in SOX10, which might account for the underlying pathogenesis of WS. This study expands the database of both PAX10 and PAX3 mutations and improves our understanding of the causes of WS.
Generation of viable PDX1 gene‐edited founder pigs as providers of nonmosaics
Authors: Tanihara Fuminori , Hirata Maki , Thi Nguyen Nhien , Anh Le Quynh , Hirano Takayuki , Otoi Takeshige 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPancreatic duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1) is a crucial gene for pancreas development during the fetal period. PDX1‐modified pigs have the potential to be used as a model of diabetes mellitus. However, the severe health problems caused by the PDX1 mutation limit phenotypic studies of PDX1‐modified pigs as diabetes models. In this study, we generated PDX1‐modified pigs by the CRISPR/Cas9 system introduced into zygotes via electroporation and investigated the mosaicism, phenotypes, and inheritance of the resulting pigs. After the embryo transfer of PDX1‐modified zygotes, nine mutant piglets were delivered. Two piglets were apancreatic biallelic mutants. For the other seven piglets, the ratio of mutant alleles to total alleles was 17.5–79.7%. Two mutant piglets with high mutation rates (67.7% and 79.7%) exhibited hypoplasia of the pancreas, whereas the other five piglets were healthy. One of the male mutant piglets was further analyzed. The ejaculated semen from the pig contained PDX1‐mutant spermatozoa and the pig showed normal reproductive ability. In conclusion, the frequency of the PDX1 mutation is presumed to relate to pancreas formation, and PDX1 mutant founder pigs generated from zygotes introduced to the CRISPR/Cas9 system can serve as providers of nonmosaics to contribute to medical research on diabetes mellitus.
Starting from scratch: Building of meaningful endowments by public charities
Authors: Ely Todd L. , Katz Juniper , Calabrese Thad D. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMost nonprofits lack a true endowment and endowment wealth is concentrated in a relatively small number of organizations and subsectors. This study supports an operational definition of material endowment, equal to or greater than annual expenses, and investigates how common it is for a nonprofit to establish a meaningful endowment over time. Specifically, we address whether the sector's enthusiasm over the potential of endowment building is reflected in charitable organizations' experiences. Using financial data, we find that building a meaningful permanent endowment is a rare achievement among public charities over a period of two decades. Meaningful endowment creation, achieved by less than 2% of the sample, is more common for organizations with donor attachments, the need for subsidization of mission services, those with more fundraising costs, and those with more donative revenue portfolios.
Effects of working memory training on emotion regulation: Transdiagnostic review
Authors: Barkus Emma 
Published: March 2020

AbstractWorking memory training is widely used transdiagnostically to improve cognition. However, more recently, studies using working memory training packages have targeted emotion‐regulation outcomes to determine whether far transfer effects can be achieved. A narrative review is conducted of studies that have used standardized computerized working memory training packages across healthy volunteers, affect, anxiety, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disordered populations with emotion‐regulation outcomes. Working memory training has been used in children, adolescents, and adults to improve emotion regulation. Many studies have reported gains in mood as well as emotion‐regulation strategies following working memory training, regardless of clinical indication and whether near transfer gains were achieved in cognitive domains. Significant emotion‐regulation outcomes include: state and trait anxiety, rumination, brooding, positive appraisal, decreasing maladaptive emotion‐regulation strategies, and decreasing intrusive thoughts. It is speculated that these far transfer outcomes from working memory training are possible due to the cognitive and neural overlap between cognitive and affective working memory, and emotion regulation. Working memory training could improve cognitive efficiency, which, in turn, increases the availability of cognitive resources during times when emotion regulation is taxed. Future studies need to consider the role of participant expectancy in predicting outcome measure performance, and including subjective and objective outcomes is paramount to study design. Furthermore, sample sizes require additional attention, given that the current review highlights that individual differences in non‐clinical and clinical populations influence the outcomes from working memory training. Working memory training offers a possibility for improving emotion regulation transdiagnostically.