bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genome‐wide transcriptome signatures of ant‐farmed Squamellaria epiphytes reveal key functions in a unique symbiosis
Authors: Pu Yuanshu , Naikatini Alivereti , Pérez‐Escobar Oscar Alejandro , Silber Martina , Renner Susanne S. , Chomicki Guillaume 
Published: October 2021

AbstractFarming of fungi by ants, termites, or beetles has led to ecologically successful societies fueled by industrial‐scale food production. Another type of obligate insect agriculture in Fiji involves the symbiosis between the ant Philidris nagasau and epiphytes in the genus Squamellaria (Rubiaceae) that the ants fertilize, defend, harvest, and depend on for nesting. All farmed Squamellaria form tubers (domatia) with preformed entrance holes and complex cavity networks occupied by P. nagasau. The inner surface of the domatia consists of smooth‐surfaced walls where the ants nest and rear their brood, and warty‐surfaced walls where they fertilize their crop by defecation. Here, we use RNA sequencing to identify gene expression patterns associated with the smooth versus warty wall types. Since wall differentiation occurred in the most recent common ancestor of all farmed species of Squamellaria, our study also identifies genetic pathways co‐opted following the emergence of agriculture. Warty‐surfaced walls show many upregulated genes linked to auxin transport, root development, and nitrogen transport consistent with their root‐like function; their defense‐related genes are also upregulated, probably to protect these permeable areas from pathogen entry. In smooth‐surfaced walls, genes functioning in suberin and wax biosynthesis are upregulated, contributing to the formation of an impermeable ant‐nesting area in the domatium. This study throws light on a number of functional characteristics of plant farming by ants and illustrates the power of genomic studies of symbiosis.
Surface soil moisture variability in a sector of a humid basin characterized by extremely flat relief
Authors: Fajardo Luisa , Entraigas Ilda , Vercelli Natalia , Zimmermann Erik 
Published: October 2021

AbstractAssessing the degree of spatial organization exhibited by soil moisture plays an important role since hydrological responses of a system are conditioned, to a large degree, by such pattern. This is more significant on plains, because water stays longer on the surface; therefore, it has more time to evaporate or infiltrate and these two processes are basically influenced by soil moisture condition. The aim was to describe surface soil moisture variability by means of a spatial and temporal dimension analysis. Four environments were considered: (A) close to temporary water bodies, poorly drained soils, and humid prairies; (B) extended lowlands, with a cemented horizon in the soil profile, and humid mesophytic meadows; (C) the flat matrix of the landscape, significant proportion of bare soil, and halophytic steppes; and (D) mounds and dunes, deep soils, and mesophytic meadows. Throughout the sampling period, some environments registered high and almost constant values (0.47–0.64 m3/m3); others recorded low and almost invariant values (0.13–0.28 m3/m3), and others showed intermediate values with broader spectrum of variation. In order to further understand surface soil moisture dynamics, multiple linear regression analyses considering soil water storage and water table depth as explanatory variables were applied. In some environments, both variables are significantly involved in the response variable explanation, and in others, soil water storage is the most predictive one. We showed that even though the study area has an extremely flat relief, a soil moisture pattern that underlies the system arises during wet periods and it becomes diffuse in dry ones.
Global plant invaders: a compendium of invasive plant taxa documented by the peer‐reviewed literature
Authors: Laginhas Brittany B. , Bradley Bethany A. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractStopping invasive species early, before they are introduced or before they have a chance to spread, is essential for effective invasive species management. With new plants introduced constantly through global trade and shifting their ranges due to climate change, proactive action to prevent invasions is more important than ever. But, before we can prevent invasions through policy, monitoring, and management, we need to know the identity of which species are invasive. Existing lists of invasive plants vary across political and jurisdictional boundaries, often rely on inconsistent knowledge of local experts, and may conflate nonnative with invasive. Here, we reviewed papers published from 1959 to 2020 to create a single consistently derived list of known invasive plants. We searched the Web of Science core collection for “articles” containing the keywords “invasi*” and “plant” within the categories “Ecology,” “Environmental Sciences,” “Biodiversity Conservation,” and “Plant Sciences.” We also reviewed papers cited in reviews of invasive plants (see Metadata S1, Class II, Section B). We read titles and abstracts to identify papers that focused on nonnative and invasive vascular plants and included in the database any nonnative plant taxon either explicitly termed invasive in the paper or implicitly defined as invasive through a description of abundance, spread and/or impact. For 2017–2020, we included only papers that described multiple invasive plants, which are much more likely to uncover novel taxa. For each paper, we retained the reported invasive taxon name, text defining invasiveness, bibliographic information, and the country or countries in the invaded range where the study took place. We used Catalogue of Life and the Plant Taxonomic Name Resolution Source to resolve the taxonomy of the invasive taxa and compiled a list of unique invasive plants described in one or more scientific papers. We extracted data from 5,893 papers and identified 3,008 unique taxa, including 2,842 species, 96 subspecies, 29 varieties, and 41 hybrids. Of these, 2,981 taxa were resolved, while 27 were unresolved. 42% of the total unique taxa were studied once in the database. This database provides a consistent, global assessment of nonnative, invasive plant taxa. We release these data into the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero license waiver (https://creativecommons.org/share‐your‐work/public‐domain/cc0/). Individuals who use these data for publication may cite this data paper.
Electrospun Composite Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Enabled with Silica‐Coated Silver Nanowires
Authors: Gan Huihui , Li Shaoqiao , Zhang Yong , Wang Jirong , Xue Zhigang 
Published: October 2021

AbstractPoly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐based polymer electrolyte has widely been considered as a promising material for high‐performance lithium metal batteries (LMBs) owing to the high safety, low cost, and excellent electrochemical stability. However, PEO‐based solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) has always been suffered with a poor mechanical strength and low room‐temperature ionic conductivity owing to its highly crystalline ethylene oxide (EO) chains. Especially, PEO‐based SPE exhibits an unstable framework at elevated temperature (exceed melting temperature), thus leading to the poor electrochemical performances. Here, the electrospun composite polymer membrane (CPM) based on poly(vinylidene fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF‐HFP) is fabricated by introduction of silica‐coated silver nanowires (AgNWs@SiO2). The PEO/LiTFSI is incorporated into the obtained PVDF‐HFP/AgNWs@SiO2 CPM to form the PEO‐based SPE. The composite polymer electrolyte membrane (CPEM) exhibits a high mechanical strength and wide electrochemical stability window (>5.0 V vs. Li+/Li) at 60 °C. The Li/CPEM/LiFePO4 cells also show a favorable cycle life at different rates and 92.7 mAh g−1 (2 C) of discharge specific capacity at 90 °C. Consequently, the PVDF‐HFP/AgNWs@SiO2 CPEM can exhibit an ideal application prospect for LMBs.
Development of the Pain Responses Scale: A measure informed by the BIS‐BAS model of pain
Authors: Day Melissa A. , Ward L. Charles , de la Vega Rocio , Ehde Dawn M. , Jensen Mark P. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe behavioural inhibition system and activation system (BIS‐BAS) model of pain focusses on two clusters of responses to pain—escape/avoidance (BIS) and approach (BAS) behaviours. While the BIS‐BAS model emphasizes active responses to pain, deactivation responses such as despondence and relaxation are also common. This study sought to develop self‐report scales assessing cognitive, behavioural intentions and affective responses to pain consistent with this extended BIS‐BAS framework. We also sought to develop short‐forms of the emerging scales.MethodsConfirmatory factor analysis was performed to derive scales from a large item pool administered to a community sample with heterogeneous chronic pain (N = 476).ResultsThe items resulted in 16 scales assessing Thoughts, Affective responses, Behavioural Intentions and Valence‐Associated Thoughts, which loaded on to the four theorized types of pain responses—Escape, Approach, Despondence and Relaxation—with the four emerging short‐form scales assessing these overarching factors. The internal consistency reliabilities of the long‐forms generally ranged from good to excellent (αs ≥ 0.83), with the exception of the Relaxation‐Behavioural Intentions scale (α = 0.64). The four short‐forms demonstrated at least adequate internal consistency reliability (αs ≥ 0.79). An initial test of the construct validity of the scales in relation to pain‐related outcomes is also reported.ConclusionsWe anticipate that the Pain Responses Scale (PRS) developed from this research will be useful for assessing mechanisms targeted by many psychosocial pain treatments and will provide a nuanced understanding of the shared versus specific nature of these mechanisms.SignificanceThe Pain Responses Scale emerging from this research assesses four theorized, overarching responses to pain: Escape, Approach, Giving Up and Relaxation. This measure will afford the capacity to test a reconceptualized BIS‐BAS model of pain and inform treatments that are adapted based on this framework.
One for the money, two for the show: What are the actor‐based incentives for public‐private partnerships for innovation?
Authors: Ilgenstein Sabrina A. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThis paper aims to identify the processes that lead to the establishment of public‐private partnerships (PPPs) with a focus on the financial and policy incentives of the actors involved. To this end, it applies the Multiple Streams Framework to a qualitative case study to answer the following research question: are actors of PPPs for innovation motivated due to financial incentives or can they be policy driven? Although the fiscal context plays an important role in our case, the study shows that policy goals, such as providing infrastructure or public services and promoting innovation can be the main drivers for establishing a PPP. These findings offer a theoretical and practical contribution to analyze PPPs as a phenomenon. First, we establish a theoretical framework of possible incentives for actors in PPPs and, secondly, provide new insights into the PPP discussion in the public administration literature.
Beneficial effects of a nobiletin‐rich formulated supplement of Sikwasa (C. depressa) peel on cognitive function in elderly Japanese subjects; A multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Yamada Shizuo , Shirai Michiyo , Ono Ken , Teruya Toshiaki , Yamano Aki , Tae Woo Je 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundNobiletin exerts beneficial effects on cognitive function in various animal models of Alzheimer's disease. The present study aimed to investigate the benefits and safety of a combination food of nobiletin‐rich extract from C. depressa peel for healthy elderly subjects.MethodsThe nobiletin‐containing test food (Nobilex®) comprised high‐purity nobiletin powder combined with dried root powder of K. parviflora and dried lead powder of P. japonicum and was administered to elderly Japanese subjects once a day for 16 weeks. The Japanese version of the Wechsler Memory Scaled‐Revised (WMS‐R) was used as a primary evaluation item for the assessment of global memory. Data from a protocol‐matched population (Per Protocol Set: PPS) (n = 108) were analyzed.ResultsThe scores of “general memory” or “visual memory” in the indices of WMS‐R were significantly higher in the nobiletin‐containing test food group than in the placebo group. The difference in the total WMS‐R score was significantly higher in the test‐food group (9.0 ± 7.20) than in the placebo group (5.9 ± 7.70). An age‐stratified analysis of the WMS‐R test showed similar changes in subjects aged ≦74 years to those in the overall subject population. In the stratified analysis involving subjects with an MMSE‐J score of between 24 and 28, the “figural memory” subscale score in WMS‐R was significantly higher in the test food group than in the placebo group.ConclusionThe present results indicate that the nobiletin‐containing test food is beneficial for improving memory dysfunction in healthy elderly subjects.
Improvement of the antioxidant activity, phytochemicals, and cannabinoid compounds of Cannabis sativa by salicylic acid elicitor
Authors: Mirzamohammad Elham , Alirezalu Abolfazl , Alirezalu Kazem , Norozi Asadaolah , Ansari Afsaneh 
Published: October 2021

AbstractRecently, due to the valuable and high level of phytochemical compounds such as cannabinoids and other secondary metabolites, the cultivation of Cannabis sativa has increased in the world. The current study was conducted to evaluate the potential role of exogenous salicylic acid (control, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 M) on enhanced production of pharmaceutically important phytochemicals. The sprayed aerial parts were evaluated based on phenolic (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) contents, antioxidant capacity (by FRAP and DPPH assay), photosynthetic pigments including chlorophyll a, b (Chl a and Chl b), total carotenoids (TCC), and cannabinoid compounds. Quantification of aerial parts metabolites was performed using gas chromatography. The results indicated that phytochemical compounds and antioxidant capacity in C. sativa were influenced by various concentrations of salicylic acid (SA). The highest TPC, TFC, TCC, Chl a, Chl b, and antioxidant capacity were obtained in 1 M treatment, whereas the lowest of them were found in control plants. The major cannabinoids in the analyzed extracts were CBD (19.91%–37.81%), followed by Δ9‐THC (10.04%–22.84%), and CBL (nd‐14.78%). The highest CBD (37.81%) and Δ9‐THC (22.84%) were obtained in 1 M of SA. These results suggest that the elicitor SA (especially 1 M) was able to improve antioxidant capacity, phytochemicals, and cannabinoid compounds.
Simultaneous point‐of‐care testing of blood lipid profile and glucose: Performance evaluation of the GCare Lipid Analyzer
Authors: Kim Ha Nui , Yoon Soo‐Young 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundPoint‐of‐care (POC) testing provides quick results and includes tests for blood glucose and lipid profiles. We evaluated the newly developed POC device, the GCare Lipid Analyzer, which is used to measure glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) levels.MethodsVenous and capillary blood samples were collected from patients who visited Korea University Guro Hospital. The results obtained using the GCare Lipid Analyzer were compared with those obtained using the TBA 2000FR chemistry analyzer and YSI 2300 STAT Plus analyzer. The glucose system evaluation process was based on the International Organization for Standardization 15197:2013 guidelines.ResultsThe correlation coefficients (R) for TC, TG, and HDL‐C were 0.965, 0.969, and 0.943 in capillary blood and 0.969, 0.990, and 0.956 in venous blood, respectively. The total errors for TC, TG, and HDL‐C of the lipid profile using venous blood were all acceptable at 6.6%, 9.3%, and 11.6%, respectively. For glucose concentrations <100 mg/dl, 96.1% of the measured glucose levels were within ±15 mg/dl in venous samples and 100% were within ±15 mg/dl in capillary samples. For glucose concentrations ≥100 mg/dl, 100% and 99.5% of the measured glucose levels were within 15% for venous and capillary blood, respectively.ConclusionThe performance of the GCare Lipid Analyzer is acceptable for both blood glucose and lipid profile testing, indicating that it is reliable for use in patients with diabetic dyslipidemia.
Professional identity formation: The key contributors and dental students’ concerns
Authors: Kwon Jennifer H. , Shuler Charles F. , von Bergmann HsingChi 
Published: October 2021

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the components of professional identity formation (PIF) and understand dental students’ concerns toward their professional identity development so that research‐informed recommendations can be made to improve dental professional programs.MethodsThis is a qualitative study. A total of 18 students of the whole graduating class (class size: 46) were interviewed about their progress through a newly designed curriculum specific for the dental students at a large public research university in Canada. The audio files were recorded, transcribed, and corrected by a research assistant. Using QSR International's NVivo (Version 12), the researchers of this study conducted a thematic analysis to generate overarching themes and extract the relevant components of PIF.ResultsFive themes emerged from the study as follows: (i) domain‐specific self‐efficacy, (ii) role modeling and mentoring, (iii) professional socialization with peers, (iv) learning environment (LE), and (v) reflection. We considered these to be the five key contributors to dental students' PIF.ConclusionsUnderstanding the main concerns for students and improving the LE are critical in helping students form their professional identity. The findings of this qualitative study identified some important aspects of the dental curricula for educators to consider. These results can be used by future research studies to explore models for professional identity assessment tools that can aid in guiding students' professional identity development.
Intercomparison of gridded precipitation datasets for prospective hydrological applications in Sri Lanka
Authors: Bandara Upeakshika , Agarwal Anshul , Srinivasan Govindarajalu , Shanmugasundaram Jothiganesh , Jayawardena I. M. Shiromani 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe aim of this study was to assess the application of gridded precipitation datasets for applications in Sri Lanka and to identify suitable products that can be used for hydrological applications in data sparse regions. Here, nine global datasets were considered for this study, and after initial screening, four datasets, such as Integrated Multi‐Satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) early run calibrated, Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF)—ReAnalysis (ERA5) and Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Reanalysis (IMDAA), were selected for detailed comparison. These data products were analysed at monthly, seasonal and annual time scale for whole Sri Lanka and also for three distinguished climate zones (wet, intermediate and dry) for the period 2001–2015. The datasets were further evaluated based on their ability to capture the extreme events, based on recent designated dry year and wet year. All four datasets represent the annual and monthly climatology of Sri Lanka well; however, discrepancies are seen at seasonal scale. CHIRPS had the best performance in the wet zone and ERA5 in dry and intermediate zones. Although all datasets distinctly identified the wet year and dry year with respect to the normal average, the interannual variability was explicitly identified by CHIRPS and ERA5. Therefore, for replicating the national and zonal climatology, both ERA5 (dry and intermediate zones) and CHIRPS (wet zone) are suitable. With the perspective of hydrological applications, both datasets can be used in development of hydrological models for applications such as flood forecasting, reservoir management and climate change impact assessment as an alternative to observed rainfall data in data scarce regions.
Climatological seasonal variation of the upper ocean salinity
Authors: Liu Yuanxin , Cheng Lijing , Pan Yuying , Abraham John , Zhang Bin , Zhu Jiang , Song Junqiang 
Published: October 2021

AbstractSalinity plays a vital role in regulating ocean density, stratification and circulation, and is an indicator of the coupling between the ocean, atmosphere and land through the water cycle. This study provides a spatially complete look of the seasonal variation of the upper 2,000 m ocean salinity from regional to global scales, and assesses the robustness of the signals. The potential drivers of this variation are also investigated by comparing salinity changes with surface precipitation and evaporation. New observations show a robust seasonal variation in global ocean salinity from the surface down to 350 m depth that exceeds the observational uncertainty, and in some regions, the variation can be detected at 2,000 m. Regions with a seasonal variation of sea surface salinity (SSS) larger than 0.6 g⋅kg−1 include the Northwest Pacific, Northwest Atlantic, tropical oceans and the northeast Indian Ocean. From 5°N to 30°N (20°N to 5°N), the sea surface is fresher (saltier) in the first half of the year and gets saltier (fresher) in the second half of the year, because of surface precipitation and evaporation changes associated with monsoons and the seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation. In the middle and high latitudes, the evaporation‐minus‐precipitation is mismatched with local salinity changes, suggesting that river runoff, sea ice change and ocean dynamics have a controlling role. On zonal average, the subsurface (50–160 m) generally shows salinity anomalies with an opposite sign to those of the near surface regions (0–50 m), indicating the importance of ocean dynamics. There are notable differences in global SSS variation between Argo‐only products and datasets that merge all observations, revealing the insufficiency of Argo network in shallow oceans and polar regions. To overcome this, an integrated ocean observational network is strongly recommended.
Rapid 8‐Zone Lung Ultrasound Protocol is Comparable to a Full 12‐Zone Protocol for Outcome Prediction in Hospitalized COVID‐19 Patients
Authors: Levy Adatto Nimrod , Preisler Yoav , Shetrit Aviel , Shepshelovich Daniel , Hershkoviz Rami , Isakov Ofer 
Published: October 2021

ObjectivesSafety precautions limit the clinical assessment of hospitalized Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients. The minimal exposure required to perform lung ultrasound (LUS) paired with its high accuracy, reproducibility, and availability make it an attractive solution for initial assessment of COVID‐19 patients. We aim to evaluate whether the association between sonographic findings and clinical outcomes among COVID 19 patients is comparable between the validated 12‐zone protocol and a shorter, 8‐zone protocol, in which the posterior lung regions are omitted.MethodsOne hundred and one COVID‐19 patients hospitalized in a dedicated COVID‐19 ward in a tertiary referral hospital were examined upon admission and scored by 2 LUS protocols. The association between the scores and a composite outcome consisting of death, transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) or initiation of invasive or noninvasive mechanical ventilation was estimated and compared.ResultsLUS scores in both the 8‐ and the 12‐zone protocols were associated with the composite outcome during hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR] 1.21 [1.03–1.42, P = .022] and HR 1.13 [1.01–1.27, P = .037], respectively). The observed difference in the discriminatory ROC‐AUC values for the 8‐ and 12‐zone scores was not significant (0.767 and 0.754 [P = .647], respectively).ConclusionA short 8‐zone LUS protocol is as accurate as the previously validated, 12‐zone protocol for prognostication of clinical deterioration in nonventilated COVID‐19 patients.