bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Legumes and nutrient management improve phosphorus and potassium balances in long‐term crop rotations
Authors: White Kathryn E. , Cavigelli Michel A. , Bagley Gwendolyn 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBalancing P and K inputs with crop needs is challenging in cropping systems applying poultry litter (PL) for N. We compared P and K balances of PL‐amended organic and mineral‐fertilized conventional systems over 13 yr. In organic systems, lower legume cover crop biomass (3,462 ± 421 vs. 4,691 ± 436 kg ha−1) and N contributions in a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation (Org2) led to 58% greater PL applications to corn than in a corn–soybean–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation (Org3); as did alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in a corn–soybean–wheat–alfalfa rotation (Org6). Greater Org2 and Org3 P inputs reduced harvest exports by 106 and 102 kg ha−1, respectively, increased mean P balances by 209 kg ha−1, and mean Mehlich 3 P concentrations by 9.6 mg kg−1 compared to Org6. Alfalfa exported 62% of P and 56% of K applied throughout the Org6 rotation. Due to alfalfa export, the annual P surplus was small (9 kg ha−1) and soil P was “optimum” in Org6. Soil test‐based fertilizer application in tilled and no‐till conventional systems with initially high soil P led to a –124 kg ha−1 P balance and optimum soil P. Fertilizer and PL K applications exceeding crop uptake led to positive K balances in all systems but greater retention of PL than fertilizer K. Legume cover crops or forages and increasing crop rotation length/complexity improved organic system P and K balances. Soil test‐based fertilizer application in conventional systems reduced high soil test P while maintaining yields.
Piezoelectric properties of PVDF‐conjugated polymer nanofibers
Authors: Trevino Julio E. , Mohan Swati , Salinas Alexandra E. , Cueva Emilia , Lozano Karen 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis study presents the development and characterization of PVDF‐conjugated polymer nanofiber‐based systems. Five different conducting polymers (CPs) were synthesized successfully and used to create the nanofiber systems. The CPs used are polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPY), polyindole (PIN), polyanthranilic acid (PANA), and polycarbazole (PCZ). Nanofiber systems were produced utilizing the Forcespinning® technique. The nanofiber systems were developed by mechanical stretching. No electrical field or post‐process poling was used in the nanofiber systems. The morphology, structure, electrochemical and piezoelectric performance was characterized. All of the nanofiber PVDF/CP systems displayed higher piezoelectric performance than the fine fiber PVDF systems. The PVDF/PPY nanofiber system displays the highest piezoelectric performance of 15.56 V. The piezoelectric performance of the PVDF/CP nanofiber systems favors potential for an attractive source of energy where highly flexible membranes could be used in power actuators, sensors and portable, and wireless devices to mention some.
Rejuvenating the Geometric Electrocatalytic OER Performance of Crystalline Co3O4 by Microstructure Engineering with Sulfate
Authors: Koppisetti Heramba V. S. R. M. , Ganguli Sagar , Ghosh Sourav , Mahalingam Venkataramanan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDespite significant research on its electrocatalytic OER activity, the geometric performance of Co3O4 has remained unsatisfactory compared to relatively amorphous Co‐based materials. In particular, the activity of Co3O4 prepared through annealing always gets inferior compared to its amorphous precursor. This demands the development of synthetic techniques to prepare Co3O4 with superior activity as the unpredictable crystal structure of the amorphous materials makes it difficult to understand their structure‐activity relationships despite higher geometric activity. In this article, we have shown that incorporation of sulfate in pre‐annealed materials plays a pivotal role in boosting the OER activity of annealed Co3O4 irrespective of the pre‐annealed phase. In contrast to commonly used nitrate or carbonate that leaves the structure upon annealing and renders the resulting Co3O4 with poor activity, sulfate remains in the annealed structure due to its thermal stability and causes a dramatic enhancement in the geometric electrocatalytic OER activity of resulting Co3O4 compared to the pre‐annealed phase. This was due to the “pore‐alteration ability” and “crystallization hindrance effect” of sulfate ions that significantly alter the microstructure of the resulting Co3O4 during annealing process by dramatically improving the surface area, pore size, and pore volume. Moreover, sulfate incorporation provided structures with considerably higher mesoporosity that is known to be conducive for reactant and product diffusion within the network. The improved textural properties led to better exposure of the catalytic centres to the electrolyte leading to higher geometric OER activity despite identical intrinsic activity of both sulfate free and incorporated Co3O4 as confirmed from their specific activities. Further, the Co3O4 synthesized by annealing sulfate incorporated precursor was found to be rich with oxygen defects that are known to increase the potency of a material towards electrocatalytic OER. The sulfate ions also etched out in the electrolyte during electrocatalysis leading to complete unblocking of the pores thereby helping in sustaining the high geometric OER activity. To our knowledge, this is the first report where the geometric electrocatalytic OER activity of an annealed Co3O4 is significantly better compared to its pre‐annealed phase and is in fact comparable to the activity of amorphous Co‐hydroxide based compounds.
Pressed sap from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) trunks: a revolutionary growth medium for the biotechnological industry?
Authors: Dirkes Rabea , Neubauer Pia R. , Rabenhorst Jürgen 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn recent decades, the demand for palm oil has constantly increased and with it the cultivation of oil palms. After a period of 25 years, the oil yield of the palm trees decreases and they are felled. The trees are cut into pieces and remain on the plantations. However, due to their high moisture and sugar content, fungi and molds cause problems for replanting. The use of the wood for the timber industry is difficult due to its structural characteristics. Biotechnological processes use microorganisms to produce relevant industrial products. The basis for each process is a culture medium that contains all necessary nutrients, especially carbohydrates. The culture medium makes up a high percentage of the costs, so alternative, cheaper substrates are preferred. In this review, we show and compare different analyses of the sap mechanically pressed from the oil palm trunk regarding its sugar and nutrient content. The total sugar concentration in the palm sap varies between 16.97–140 g L−1 and it is mainly composed of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. The comparison with common nutrient media and the results of fermentation processes already carried out on a laboratory scale show that palm sap offers great potential as a fermentation medium for biotechnological conversion into industrially relevant products. © 2021 The Authors Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Incorporation of classical scientific research stories into traditional lecture classes to promote the active learning of students
Authors: Yang Xiaohan , Zhou Xuehong , Yi Xia , Zhang Weifang , Yang Yang , Ni Juhua 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBiochemistry is an important curriculum for all medical students but has long been considered obscure and of very little or indirect relevance to medical or clinical practice, which markedly diminishes the enthusiasm and motivation of medical students in learning. Biochemistry teachers always face a tremendous challenge to deliver an attractive and high‐quality lecture class. Inspired by convincing studies that show numerous benefits of undergraduate research, we tried to modify our teaching method in the past 5 years by incorporating classical scientific research stories into our traditional lecture class, such as the discovery of the semi‐conservative DNA replication, telomeric DNA and telomerase, the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle), and so on. Through this story‐based teaching, we not only helped them deeply understand the textbook content, but also introduced the process of real scientific research to the students in an interesting way. Our efforts aim to combine the delivery of knowledge with the inspiration of students' active learning. We found that most students involved in our classes responded positively. As described in the survey, they were strongly attracted by those research stories; rather than feeling bored about the Biochemistry textbook, they experienced curiosity which fostered their active learning. They also learned to appreciate the beauty of science. More importantly, their impression on how the authentic science research was done was instructive for their critical thinking.
The lncRNA XIST/miR‐125b‐2‐3p axis modulates cell proliferation and chemotherapeutic sensitivity via targeting Wee1 in colorectal cancer
Authors: Zeng Zhao‐lei , Lu Jia‐huan , Wang Yun , Sheng Hui , Wang Ying‐nan , Chen Zhan‐hong , Wu Qi‐nian , Zheng Jia‐Bo , Chen Yan‐xing , Yang Dong‐dong , Yu Kai , Mo Hai‐yu , Hu Jia‐jia , Hu Pei‐shan , Liu Ze‐xian , Ju Huai‐qiang , Xu Rui‐Hua 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundNumerous reports on microRNAs have illustrated their role in tumor growth and metastasis. Recently, a new prognostic factor, miR‐125b‐2‐3p, has been identified for predicting chemotherapeutic sensitivity in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the specific mechanisms and biological functions of miR‐125b‐2‐3p in advanced CRC under chemotherapy have yet to be elucidated.MethodsMiR‐125b‐2‐3p expression was detected by real‐time PCR (RT‐PCR) in CRC tissues. The effects of miR‐125b‐2‐3p on the growth, metastasis, and drug sensitivity of CRC cells were tested in vitro and in vivo. Based on multiple databases, the upstream competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and the downstream genes for miR‐125b‐2‐3p were predicted by bioinformatic analysis, followed by the experiments including luciferase reporter assays, western blot assays, and so on.ResultsMiR‐125b‐2‐3p was significantly lowly expressed in the tissues and cell lines of CRC. Higher expression of miR‐125b‐2‐3p was associated with relatively lower proliferation rates and fewer metastases. Moreover, overexpressed miR‐125b‐2‐3p remarkably improved chemotherapeutic sensitivity of CRC in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, miR‐125b‐2‐3p was absorbed by long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) XIST regulating WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1) expression. The upregulation of miR‐125b‐2‐3p inhibited the proliferation and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC induced by lncRNA XIST.ConclusionsLower miR‐125b‐2‐3p expression resulted in lower sensitivity of CRC to chemotherapy and was correlated with poorer survival of CRC patients. LncRNA XIST promoted CRC metastasis acting as a ceRNA for miR‐125b‐2‐3p to mediate WEE1 expression. LncRNA XIST‐miR‐125b‐2‐3p‐WEE1 axis not only regulated CRC growth and metastasis but also contributed to chemotherapeutic resistance to CRC.
Ductal stent endocarditis resulting in a large aortic pseudoaneurysm
Authors: Schwartz Matthew C. , Dantuluri Keerti , Maxey Thomas , Paolillo Joseph 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAn infant with ductal dependent pulmonary blood flow who underwent neonatal ductal stenting and, 4 months later, developed ductal stent endocarditis due to Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus was described. The infection was associated with a moderate aortic pseudoaneurysm and the patient was treated with antibiotics as well as surgical aortic pseudoaneurysm repair. This novel and unusual complication of ductal stent placement warrants reporting.
Mechanochemical Redox: Calcination‐free Synthesis of Ceria‐hybrid Catalyst with Ultra‐High Surface Area
Authors: Nie Siyang , Yang Shize , Zhang Pengfei 
Published: March 2021

AbstractTransition metal‐doped CeO2 (MCeOx) is of great importance in industrial catalysis. However, current synthetic methods often result in the separation of MOx phases, which significantly decreases their catalytic activity. Toward this end, the chemistry of mechanochemical redox was introduced to prepare Ce1‐xMnxO2‐δ catalyst. The redox behavior between MnO4− and Ce3+ could in situ produces atomically dispersed Ce1‐xMnxO2‐δ solid solution without calcination. Moreover, the mechanochemical synthesis endows Ce1‐xMnxO2‐δ a surface area (302 m2/g) that is much higher than the counterparts prepared by traditional methods, such as co‐precipitation method (66 m2/g) CTAB‐assisted precipitation method (122 m2/g) and sol‐gel method (136 m2/g). Importantly, the well dispersed heteroatoms and high porosity afford doped ceria excellent activity and stability during CO oxidation. The reaction mechanism was finally explored by DFT calculation, which reveals that Mn and Cu dopants facilitate electron transfer and oxygen releasing.
Nonlinear propagation of fast and slow magnetosonic waves in collisional plasmas
Authors: Akhtar N. , Hussain S. , Mahmood S. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractLow‐frequency fast and slow magnetosonic waves propagating in electron ion plasmas with damping effects through ions and neutral atoms collisions are investigated. Linear wave analysis is performed to obtain dispersion relation. The reductive perturbation method is applied and it is shown that fast and slow modes of nonlinear magnetosonic wave are governed by damped Korteweg‐de Vries (DKdV) equation in the presence of ion neutral collisions in plasmas. The analytical solution of DKdV soliton is presented under the assumption of weak collisional effects and numerical solutions of DKdV equation are also obtained using two‐level finite difference scheme with the help of Runge–Kutta method at different plasma parameters. The damping of nonlinear fast and slow magnetosonic wave structures at different times are discussed in the context of space plasma situations where ions and neutral atoms collisions exist.
Demonstration of loss reduction effect of 66 kV‐classed 30 MVA three phase hybrid‐core transformer by trial manufacture
Authors: Kobayashi Chie , Kurita Naoyuki , Nishimizu Akira , Yamagishi Akira , Ohara Shinya , Ogi Mizuki , Takahashi Koichi , Tanaka Yuichiro , Kuwabara Masanao 
Published: March 2021

AbstractTo realize larger‐capacity “Hybrid‐core transformer: HBT”, this research has assembled a 30‐MVA three‐phase trial HBT and evaluated the loss performances. The hybrid‐core consisting of the wound amorphous‐ and the stacked silicon steel‐cores, is expected having advantages of lower iron loss of the iron‐based amorphous material and the higher mechanical strength and saturation magnetic flux density of the silicon steels simultaneously. Three‐dimensional finite‐element method analysis revealed that the silicon steel core prevented over‐saturation of the amorphous core. The hybrid configuration enabled the design to have an approximately 10% higher magnetic flux density than configurations with only an amorphous core. We then assembled a prototype 30‐MVA three‐phase HBT designed on the basis of our investigation results. Operation tests demonstrated that the HBT has 62%‐reduced iron loss and 0.10%‐higher 50%‐loaded power efficiency from the conventional silicon steel core transformer.
The effect of risperidone on reward‐related brain activity is robust to drug‐induced vascular changes
Authors: Hawkins Peter C. T. , Zelaya Fernando O. , O'Daly Owen , Holiga Stefan , Dukart Juergen , Umbricht Daniel , Mehta Mitul A. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDopamine (DA) mediated brain activity is intimately linked to reward‐driven cerebral responses, while aberrant reward processing has been implicated in several psychiatric disorders. fMRI has been a valuable tool in understanding the mechanism by which DA modulators alter reward‐driven responses and how they may exert their therapeutic effect. However, the potential effects of a pharmacological compound on aspects of neurovascular coupling may cloud the interpretability of the BOLD contrast. Here, we assess the effects of risperidone on reward driven BOLD signals produced by reward anticipation and outcome, while attempting to control for potential drug effects on regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). Healthy male volunteers (n = 21) each received a single oral dose of either 0.5 mg, 2 mg of risperidone or placebo in a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomised, three‐period cross‐over study design. Participants underwent fMRI scanning while performing the widely used Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task to assess drug impact on reward function. Measures of CBF (Arterial Spin Labelling) and breath‐hold challenge induced BOLD signal changes (as a proxy for CVR) were also acquired and included as covariates. Risperidone produced divergent, dose‐dependent effects on separate phases of reward processing, even after controlling for potential nonneuronal influences on the BOLD signal. These data suggest the D2 antagonist risperidone has a wide‐ranging influence on DA‐mediated reward function independent of nonneuronal factors. We also illustrate that assessment of potential vascular confounds on the BOLD signal may be advantageous when investigating CNS drug action and advocate for the inclusion of these additional measures into future study designs.
Extracorporeal therapies in veterinary medicine: what is currently performed in the UK?
Authors: Greensmith Tom , Cook Simon 
Published: March 2021

Background: Although extracorporeal therapies (ECTs) are commonly used in human medicine, they are still in their infancy in veterinary medicine and are currently only offered in referral or experimental settings. This is expected to change in coming years, with ECTs becoming more widely available throughout the profession, although we acknowledge that while the Covid‐19 pandemic is ongoing the provision of some of these therapies might be reduced/altered.Aim of the article: This article provides practitioners with an introduction to the three ECTs currently offered to veterinary patients – haemodialysis, therapeutic plasma exchange and cardiopulmonary bypass.
Preoperative paraspinous muscle sarcopenia and physical performance as prognostic indicators in non‐small‐cell lung cancer
Authors: Tanaka Shinya , Ozeki Naoki , Mizuno Yota , Nakajima Hiroki , Hattori Keiko , Inoue Takayuki , Nagaya Motoki , Fukui Takayuki , Nakamura Shota , Goto Masaki , Sugiyama Tomoshi , Nishida Yoshihiro , Chen‐Yoshikawa Toyofumi Fengshi 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundDespite the associations of both preoperative sarcopenia and physical performance with post‐operative mortality in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC), there have been no comprehensive studies of the impact of physical status on prognosis. This study was performed to investigate the prognostic significance of preoperative sarcopenia and physical performance in NSCLC.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was performed in NSCLS patients undergoing curative lung resection at a university hospital between January 2014 and December 2017. The patients were divided into four groups according to the skeletal muscle index [sarcopenia (lowest sex‐specific tertile) and non‐sarcopenia] and 6 min walking distance (6MWD) [short distance (<400 m) and long distance (≥400 m)]. Sarcopenia was assessed by preoperative cross‐sectional areas of right and left paraspinous muscles at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra from computed tomography images, and physical performance was determined by preoperative 6MWD. The primary and secondary endpoints were post‐operative overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS).ResultsThe 587 patients [mean age: 68.5 ± 8.8 years, 399 men (68%)] included in the study were divided into the non‐sarcopenia/long‐distance group (58%), sarcopenia/long‐distance group (26%), non‐sarcopenia/short‐distance group (9%), and sarcopenia/short‐distance group (7%). A total of 109 (18.6%) deaths and 209 (35.6%) combined endpoints were observed over a mean follow‐up of 3.1 ± 1.3 years. After adjusting for other covariates, the sarcopenia/short‐distance group showed significant associations with shorter OS (hazard ratio, 3.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.79–6.37; P < 0.001) and DFS (hazard ratio, 2.11; 95% confidence, 1.27–3.51; P = 0.004) compared with the non‐sarcopenia/long‐distance group on multivariate analyses. Although not significant, adding skeletal muscle index and 6MWD to the pre‐existing risk model increased the area under the curve on time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for OS and DFS, except within 2 years of surgery.ConclusionsThe presence of both preoperative paraspinous muscle sarcopenia and short distance in 6MWD had an adverse effect on post‐operative prognosis in patients with NSCLC, suggesting that preoperative assessment of thoracic sarcopenia and physical performance may be useful for risk stratification of surgical candidates with potential for targeted interventions.
Increased postoperative pancreatic fistula rate after distal pancreatectomy compared with pancreatoduodenectomy is attributable to a difference in acinar scores
Authors: Nahm Christopher B. , Alzaabi Saeed , Sahni Sumit , Gill Anthony J. , Samra Jaswinder S. , Mittal Anubhav 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundPostoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a potentially lethal complication of pancreatic surgery. POPF rate is consistently higher after distal pancreatectomy (DP) compared with pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). The acinar score of the remnant pancreas is associated with postoperative pancreatitis and POPF. This study aimed to: (i) confirm the difference in POPF rate after DP vs PD; (ii) confirm the association between acinar score and POPF; and (iii) evaluate the difference in acinar scores between DP and PD.MethodsPatients undergoing DP or PD at a single institution from 2011 to 2017 were included. Hematoxylin and eosin‐stained slides of the pancreatic resection margin were evaluated for all patients and scored for acinar cell density. Clinicopathological data were retrieved from a prospectively maintained database.ResultsTwo hundred and ninety‐four patients were included in the analysis (206 PD, 88 DP). The POPF rate was significantly higher after DP than PD (20.4% vs 11.2%, P = .043). Acinar score >50 was independently associated with the development of POPF (OR 6.457, P = .003). DP was associated with a higher median acinar score than PD (65 vs 50, P < .001).ConclusionThe POPF rate is significantly higher after DP compared with PD and is attributable to a higher acinar score of the pancreatic resection margin.