bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Involvement of Oct4‐type transcription factor Pou5f3 in posterior spinal cord formation in zebrafish embryos
Authors: Yuikawa Tatsuya , Ikeda Masaaki , Tsuda Sachiko , Saito Shinji , Yamasu Kyo 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn vertebrate embryogenesis, elongation of the posterior body is driven by de novo production of the axial and paraxial mesoderm as well as the neural tube at the posterior end. This process is presumed to depend on the stem cell‐like population in the tail bud region, but the details of the gene regulatory network involved are unknown. Previous studies suggested the involvement ofpou5f3, anOct4‐type POU gene in zebrafish, in axial elongation. In the present study, we first found thatpou5f3is expressed mainly in the dorsal region of the tail bud immediately after gastrulation, and that this expression is restricted to the posterior‐most region of the elongating neural tube during somitogenesis. Thispou5f3expression was complementary to the broad expression ofsox3in the neural tube, and formed a sharp boundary with specific expression oftbxta(orthologue of mammalianT/Brachyury) in the tail bud, implicatingpou5f3in the specification of tail bud‐derived cells toward neural differentiation in the spinal cord. Whenpou5f3was functionally impaired after gastrulation by induction of a dominant‐interferingpou5f3mutant gene (en‐pou5f3), trunk and tail elongation were markedly disturbed at distinct positions along the axis depending on the stage. This finding showed involvement ofpou5f3in de novo generation of the body from the tail bud. Conditional functional abrogation also showed thatpou5f3downregulates mesoderm‐forming genes but promotes neural development by activating neurogenesis genes around the tail bud. These results suggest thatpou5f3is involved in formation of the posterior spinal cord.
Wild bee functional diversity and plant associations in native and conventional plant nurseries
Authors: Cecala Jacob M. , Wilson Rankin Erin E. 
Published: July 2021

1. An ongoing challenge in ecology is predicting how characteristics of communities correspond to habitat features. Examining variation in functional traits across species may reveal patterns not discernible from measures of mere abundance or richness. For beneficial insects like wild bees, functional trait‐based approaches are often used to characterise communities in different agricultural habitats.2. However, no such approach has yet been applied in horticultural plant nurseries, which represent intensively managed artificial flowering plant assemblages. Certain nurseries mostly cultivate regionally native flowering plants, allowing one to test how differences between local plant assemblages may correlate with bee functional traits.3. We surveyed bee assemblages at native and conventional plant nurseries in southern California from spring through autumn over 2 years, while also documenting the native status of blooming plants in sampling plots. Bees were classified into different functional categories based on their diet breadth, nesting location, and social organisation.4. At native plant nurseries, we netted proportionally more specialist bee species and fewer generalist species than at conventional nurseries. Nesting location and social organisation of bee samples did not differ between nursery types. Meanwhile, landscape‐level features were not associated with any observed functional trait metrics of bee collections. Furthermore, network‐level specialisation of bee‐plant interactions was higher at conventional nurseries.5. Our results suggest that a horticultural cultivation practice is quantifiably correlated with the functional distribution of resident bee assemblages. These results are important and encouraging to pollinator conservation efforts in nursery systems and other human‐modified landscapes dominated by ornamental plants.
The struggle for recognition and the authority of the second person
Authors: Khurana Thomas 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn this introductory paper, I discuss the second‐personal approach to ethics and the theory of recognition as two accounts of the fundamental sociality of the human form of life. The first section delineates the deep affinities between the two approaches. They both put a reciprocal social constellation front and center from which they derive the fundamental norms of moral and social life and a social conception of freedom. The second section discusses three points of contrast between the two approaches: The accounts differ in that the second‐personal approach opts for a narrower conception of recognition focusing on mutual moral accountability, whereas recognition theory suggests a broader conception including relations of love, respect, and esteem. Secondly, the accounts differ as to how they conceive of the interrelation of the I‐thou and the I‐We relationship. Finally, they differ with regard to the way they think of struggles for recognition. Whereas the second‐personal approach suggests that we can understand struggles on the basis of a transcendental infrastructure of second‐personal address, the theory of recognition considers norms of recognition as themselves constituted by dialectical social struggles. The paper closes with a reflection on the ways in which both approaches can help us understand the social vulnerability of the human form of life.
Intraspecific variation in plant‐associated herbivore communities is phylogenetically structured in Brassicaceae
Authors: Mertens Daan , Bouwmeester Klaas , Poelman Erik H. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAs a result of co‐evolution between plants and herbivores, related plants often interact with similar herbivore communities. Variation in plant–herbivore interactions is determined by variation in underlying functional traits and by ecological and stochastic processes. Hence, typically, only a subset of possible interactions is realised on individual plants. We show that insect herbivore communities assembling on individual plants are structured by plant phylogeny among 12 species in two phylogenetic lineages of Brassicaceae. This community sorting to plant phylogeny was retained when splitting the community according to herbivore feeding guilds. Relative abundance of herbivores as well as the size of the community structured community dissimilarity among plant species. Importantly, the amount of intraspecific variation in realised plant–herbivore interactions is also phylogenetically structured. We argue that variability in realised interactions that are not directly structured by plant traits is ecologically relevant and must be considered in the evolution of plant defences.
Anticonvulsant dopamine type 2 receptor agonist activates inhibitory parvalbumin interneurons
Authors: Brodovskaya Anastasia , Kapur Jaideep 
Published: July 2021

AbstractDopamine type 2 receptor (D2R) agonists have anticonvulsant effect, whereas D2R antagonists increase seizure risk, but the mechanism of this action has not been delineated. We tested whether D2R agonists activate parvalbumin (PV)‐containing inhibitory interneurons to suppress seizures. We treated frontal lobe onset seizures with a D2R agonist sumanirole, and it suppressed seizures. We used activity reporter TRAP2 mice and found that injection of D2R agonist led to extensive activation of PV interneurons in the cortex and striatum ipsilateral to the seizure focus. D2R agonists activate PV interneurons, which in turn inhibit principal neurons, potentially explaining their anticonvulsant effect.
Sedimentary pyrite sulfur isotope compositions preserve signatures of the surface microbial mat environment in sediments underlying low‐oxygen cyanobacterial mats
Authors: Gomes Maya L. , Klatt Judith M. , Dick Gregory J. , Grim Sharon L. , Rico Kathryn I. , Medina Matthew , Ziebis Wiebke , Kinsman‐Costello Lauren , Sheldon Nathan D. , Fike David A. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe sedimentary pyrite sulfur isotope (δ34S) record is an archive of ancient microbial sulfur cycling and environmental conditions. Interpretations of pyrite δ34S signatures in sediments deposited in microbial mat ecosystems are based on studies of modern microbial mat porewater sulfide δ34S geochemistry. Pyrite δ34S values often capture δ34S signatures of porewater sulfide at the location of pyrite formation. However, microbial mats are dynamic environments in which biogeochemical cycling shifts vertically on diurnal cycles. Therefore, there is a need to study how the location of pyrite formation impacts pyrite δ34S patterns in these dynamic systems. Here, we present diurnal porewater sulfide δ34S trends and δ34S values of pyrite and iron monosulfides from Middle Island Sinkhole, Lake Huron. The sediment–water interface of this sinkhole hosts a low‐oxygen cyanobacterial mat ecosystem, which serves as a useful location to explore preservation of sedimentary pyrite δ34S signatures in early Earth environments. Porewater sulfide δ34S values vary by up to ~25‰ throughout the day due to light‐driven changes in surface microbial community activity that propagate downwards, affecting porewater geochemistry as deep as 7.5 cm in the sediment. Progressive consumption of the sulfate reservoir drives δ34S variability, instead of variations in average cell‐specific sulfate reduction rates and/or sulfide oxidation at different depths in the sediment. The δ34S values of pyrite are similar to porewater sulfide δ34S values near the mat surface. We suggest that oxidative sulfur cycling and other microbial activity promote pyrite formation in and immediately adjacent to the microbial mat and that iron geochemistry limits further pyrite formation with depth in the sediment. These results imply that primary δ34S signatures of pyrite deposited in organic‐rich, iron‐poor microbial mat environments capture information about microbial sulfur cycling and environmental conditions at the mat surface and are only minimally affected by deeper sedimentary processes during early diagenesis.
Activation of Aquaporin 5 by carcinogenic Helicobacter pylori infection promotes epithelial‐mesenchymal transition via the MEK/ERK pathway
Authors: Li Nianshuang , Xu Xinbo , Yang Hui , Wang Huan , Ouyang Yaobin , Zhou Yanan , Peng Chao , Yuan Zhenxiang , He Cong , Zeng Chunyan , Hong Junbo 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major risk factor for gastric cancer. The water channel protein Aquaporin 5 (AQP5) is involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of AQP5 in H. pylori‐induced gastric carcinogenesis.Materials and MethodsWe collected 160 samples which inculded CNAG, IM, Dys and gastric cancer from patients who underwent endoscopy and detected the expression of AQP5. In vivo and vitro H. pylori infection models, we explored the relationship between AQP5 and H. pylori. Plasmid, siRNA and inhibitors were used to investigated the relationship between AQP5 and EMT and the role of AQP5 in H. pylori‐induced gastric carcinogenesis.ResultAQP5 expression was gradually increased in human gastric tissues with the progression of chronic nonatrophic gastritis to gastric cancer and associated with the H. pylori infection status. In vivo and in vitro studies showed that H. pylori infection induced AQP5 expression in gastric epithelial cells in a CagA‐dependent manner. Knockdown of AQP5 reversed H. pylori‐induced cell proliferation and invasion, and ‐suppressed cell apoptosis. Additionally, knockdown of AQP5 suppressed H. pylori‐induced Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes by regulating transcriptional factors, mesenchymal markers, and epithelial markers.ConclusionsWe explored the underlying mechanism and our results indicated that knockdown of AQP5 significantly suppressed H. pylori infection‐induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, MEK and the expression levels of downstream genes. Treatment with an ERK inhibitor suppressed the EMT induced by H. pylori infection. Taken together, this study suggest that pathogenic H. pylori infection promotes AQP5 expression to induce the EMT via the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.
Establishment of novel standardised operating procedures for LF‐NMR: used in rapid detection of typical fruit and vegetable
Authors: Sun Qing , Zhang Min , Bhandari Bhesh , Raghavan Vijaya 
Published: July 2021

SummaryAlthough LF‐NMR has been widely used in many fields of food science, the lack of NMR expertise of many food researchers needs to be bridged. Using samples of carrots, bananas, and king oyster mushroom, this work systematically studied the influence of LF‐NMR parameters (repetition time (TR), echo time (TE)) on experimental results. The result showed that the TR of carrot, mushroom and banana were 2684, 4572 and 4317 ms, respectively. The rate of change of signal amplitude can be used as an index to optimise TR. The change of TE has different effects on the short relaxation components of the T2 distributions and long relaxation components in different TR samples. TE and Nech should be set according to T2 to record completely the decay process. What’s more, the method of normalised CPMG decay was suggested to eliminate the effects of parameters such as number of scan (NS), pre‐amp regulate gain (PRG) and mass of sample. At last, the standardised operating procedures were proposed to provide a strategy of improving the properties and applications of LF‐NMR.
Antibacterial mechanism of adzuki bean seed coat polyphenols and their potential application in preservation of fresh raw beef
Authors: Jia Rui , Ge Sitong , Ren Shida , Luo Yanfei , Xiu Lin , Sanabil  , Liu Huimin , Cai Dan 
Published: July 2021

SummaryThe monomeric phenolic components of adzuki bean seed coat polyphenols (ABSCPs) were analysed, and their antibacterial activity and mechanism against two tested bacteria (Escherichia coli ATCC8797 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC12600) were evaluated for their potential application in preservation of fresh raw beef. ABSCP contained 13 kinds of monomeric phenols, and the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of ABSCP against E. coli and S. aureus was 1250 and 625 μg ml−1, respectively. The mechanism of ABSCP against E. coli and S. aureus was associated with increased cell protein and nucleic acid leakage, increased cell membrane potential, decreased intracellular ATP concentration and morphological changes in bacterial cell. In addition, ABSCP with whey protein isolate (WPI) was applied to fresh raw beef and this remarkably retarded microbial growth by maintaining the total microbial quality below the acceptable limit of 6 lg CFU g−1 for 14 days. Lower pH and total volatile base nitrogen values were observed in the coated samples during refrigerated storage (4 °C). As a result, we found that ABSCP, as a natural food bacteriostatic agent, can effectively inhibit the growth of E. coli and S. aureus and combined with WPI to apply to fresh raw beef to extend its shelf life.
Controlled growth of SiC crystals in combustion synthesis
Authors: Li Fei , Cui Wei , Tian Zhaobo , Zhang Jie , Du Songmo , Chen Zhanglin , Chen Kexin , Liu Guanghua 
Published: July 2021

Abstractβ‐SiC powders with different particle morphologies were prepared by combustion synthesis in an N2 atmosphere, with carbon black, carbon fiber, graphene, and graphite as carbon sources. With carbon black as the carbon source, single‐phase β‐SiC nanopowder with an average particle size around 20 nm was obtained. From carbon fiber and graphene, SiC fibers and sheets were produced, which were polycrystalline and consisted of lots of nanocrystals with random orientations. It was proposed that the synthesis of SiC occurs by gas–solid reaction and the growth of SiC is confined to the carbon particles. In the controlled growth of SiC, the morphology of the precursor carbon is preserved, offering an opportunity to control the particle morphology of SiC by changing carbon sources.
Structural features of (Li,Na,K)PO3 mixed alkali metaphosphate glass for significant anisotropy
Authors: Endo Jun , Inaba Seiji , Homma Osamu , Suzuki Yoshikazu 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe mixed alkali metaphosphate glass of 16.7Li2O‐16.7Na2O‐16.7K2O‐50P2O5 (in mol%, (Li,Na,K)PO3) showed large birefringence (significant anisotropy) due to highly oriented ‐P‐O‐P‐ chains when the glass was deformed under uniaxial tensile stress above glass transition temperature (Tg). To investigate structural features causing the significant anisotropy, 31P magic‐angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), Raman, and Fourier‐transform infrared spectra of alkali metaphosphate glasses were analyzed. In the (Li,Na,K)PO3 and the 50Na2O‐50P2O5 (NaPO3) glasses, which have comparable force constant between alkali cation and oxygen (FM‐O), the number of Q2 units in ‐P‐O‐P‐ chains was equivalent. On the other hand, various types of alkali cations in the (Li,Na,K)PO3 glass result in larger distribution of FM‐O compared to the NaPO3 glass. Therefore, formation of the significant anisotropy for the (Li,Na,K)PO3 glass results from orientation of local structures with small FM‐O during suppression of shear flow between chains by local structures with large FM‐O.
Microstructure analysis of porous lead zirconate–titanate films
Authors: Atanova Aleksandra V. , Zhigalina Olga M. , Khmelenin Dmitry N. , Orlov Georgy A. , Seregin Dmitry S. , Sigov Alexander S. , Vorotilov Konstantin A. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPorous ferroelectric lead zirconate–titanate (PZT) films with different internal structures are synthesized using a sol–gel technique and spin‐on deposition on platinized silicon substrates. The films’ porosity is engineered using various structure‐directing agents: polyvinylpyrrolidone with a molecular weight of 360 000 (1–6.6 wt.%) and block copolymer surfactants Brij 30 and Brij 76 (30–60 wt.%). The films’ structures are characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The PVP‐based films contain large, elongated pores with diameters as large as 100 nm. By contrast, the films prepared from solutions with block copolymers exhibit a small pore size depending on the surfactant molecular weight (10–19 nm for Brij 30 and 20–27 nm for Brij 76), with a mostly uniform distribution of channel‐like pores within the film volume. Despite their highly porous structures, all of the films show a columnar‐grain perovskite structure with grains as large as several micrometers and curved grain boundaries. The films demonstrate ferroelectric behavior with dielectric hysteresis, and their permittivity decreases with increasing porosity. Thus, the Brij 30 and Brij 76 copolymer surfactants can be used to engineer fine porous structures in PZT films for various applications in electronics.
The impact of COVID‐19 visitor policy restrictions on birthing communities of colour
Authors: Altman Molly R. , Eagen‐Torkko Meghan K. , Mohammed Selina A. , Kantrowitz‐Gordon Ira , Khosa Rue M. , Gavin Amelia R. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAimsTo explore the experiences of care for pregnant and birthing people, and the nurses who cared for them, during the COVID‐19 pandemic, with special emphasis on the impact of visitor restrictions policies.DesignQualitative study using critical thematic analysis.MethodsWe conducted semi‐structured interviews with 15 community members who were pregnant and/or gave birth and 14 nurses who worked in the perinatal setting between April and August 2020. Participants were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling, and interviews were conducted virtually via the Zoom platform. The research team used critical thematic analysis methods informed by other interpretive methodologies to arrive at resultant themes.ResultsParticipants described experiences pertaining to how visitor restriction policies are not equitable and disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families, and the direct impacts of not having support people, and also provided recommendations for how to adapt current policies to be more equitable.ConclusionsVisitor restriction policies have had a disproportionately harmful effect on BIPOC patients and families, leading some patients to make decisions that increase their physical risks to alleviate their risk of labouring and birthing without desired support.ImpactWhile this pandemic is nearing the end, these results can guide structuring of policy not only for the next pandemic, but also for universal policy development. Mitigating the effects of racism in policies, by including diverse stakeholders in decision‐making, should be an inherent part of hospital administration procedures.
Strategic entry deterrence in the audit industry: Evidence from the merger of professional accounting bodies
Authors: Cheng Stephanie F. , Hope Ole‐Kristian , Hu Danqi 
Published: July 2021

AbstractStudies show that incumbents reduce prices in response to higher entry threats in consumer industries. We provide new insights on the importance of an incumbent firm's reputation to the limit‐pricing decision by examining a professional service industry where the supplier's reputation serves as an existing barrier. The recent staggered passage of mergers of three Canadian accounting certification bodies exogenously increases the probability of future entry to incumbent audit firms. Employing difference‐in‐differences analyses and a strict fixed‐effects structure (client‐firm, audit‐firm, province and year‐month fixed effects), we find that incumbent audit firms reduce audit fees in response to a higher entry threat induced by the merger. The microstructure of the audit industry provides further insights—non‐Big‐4 audit firms reduce fees after the merger, while Big‐4 audit firms can withstand higher entry threats and do not adjust fees.
Day‐by‐day blood pressure variability in hospitalized patients with COVID‐19
Authors: Li Fei‐Ka , An De‐Wei , Guo Qian‐Hui , Zhang Yi‐Qing , Qian Jia‐Ye , Hu Wei‐Guo , Li Yan , Wang Ji‐Guang 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn a retrospective analysis, the authors investigated day‐by‐day blood pressure variability (BPV) and its association with clinical outcomes (critical vs. severe and discharged) in hospitalized patients with COVID‐19. The study participants were hospitalized in Tongji Hospital, Guanggu Branch, Wuhan, China, between February 1 and April 1, 2020. BPV was assessed as standard derivation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and variability independent of mean (VIM). The 79 participants included 60 (75.9%) severe patients discharged from the hospital after up to 47 days of hospitalization, and 19 (24.1%) critically ill patients transferred to other hospitals for further treatment (n = 13), admitted to ICU (n = 3) or died (n=3). Despite similar use of antihypertensive medication (47.4% vs. 41.7%) and mean levels of systolic/diastolic blood pressure (131.3/75.2 vs. 125.4/77.3 mmHg), critically ill patients, compared with severe and discharged patients, had a significantly (p ≤ .04) greater variability of systolic (SD 14.92 vs. 10.84 mmHg, CV 11.39% vs. 8.56%, and VIM 15.15 vs. 10.75 units) and diastolic blood pressure (SD 9.38 vs. 7.50 mmHg, CV 12.66% vs. 9.80%, and VIM 9.33 vs. 7.50 units). After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratios for critical versus severe and discharged patients for systolic BPV were 3.41 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20‐9.66, p = .02), 4.09 (95% CI 1.14‐14.67, p = .03), and 2.81 (95% CI 1.12‐7.05, p = .03) for each 5‐mmHg increment in SD, 5% increment in CV, and 5‐unit increment in VIM, respectively. Similar trends were observed for diastolic BPV indices (p ≤ .08). In conclusion, in patients with COVID‐19, BPV was greater and associated with worse clinical outcomes.