bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Using seed respiration as a tool for calculating optimal soaking times for ‘on-farm’ seed priming of barley (Hordeum vulgare)
Authors: Carrillo-Reche Javier , Newton Adrian C. , Quilliam Richard S. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractA low-cost technique named ‘on-farm’ seed priming is increasingly being recognized as an effective approach to maximize crop establishment. It consists of anaerobically soaking seeds in water before sowing resulting in rapid and uniform germination, and enhanced seedling vigour. The extent of these benefits depends on the soaking time. The current determination of optimal soaking time by germination assays and mini-plot trials is resource-intensive, as it is species/genotype-specific. This study aimed to determine the potential of the seed respiration rate (an indicator of metabolic activity) and seed morphological changes during barley priming as predictors of the priming benefits and, thus, facilitate the determination of optimal soaking times. A series of germination tests revealed that the germination rate is mostly attributable to the rapid hydration of embryo tissues, as the highest gains in the germination rate occurred before the resumption of respiration. Germination uniformity, however, was not significantly improved until seeds were primed for at least 8 h, that is, after a first respiration burst was initiated. The maximum seedling vigour was attained when the priming was stopped just before the beginning of the differentiation of embryonic axes (20 h) after which vigour began to decrease (‘over-priming’). The onset of embryonic axis elongation was preceded by a second respiration burst, which can be used as a marker for priming optimization. Thus, monitoring of seed respiration provides a rapid and inexpensive alternative to the current practice. The method could be carried out by agricultural institutions to provide recommended optimal soaking times for the common barley varieties within a specific region.
ON EXISTENCE AND UNIQUENESS OF SOLUTIONS TO A PANTOGRAPH TYPE EQUATION
Authors: MOHSIN M. , ZAIDI A. A. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWe show existence and uniqueness of solutions to an initial boundary value problem that entails a pantograph type functional partial differential equation with two advanced nonlocal terms. The problem models cell growth and division into two daughter cells of different sizes. There is a paucity of information about the solution to the problem for an arbitrary initial cell distribution.
Chinese dream, emerging statecraft, and Chinese influence in the Mekong region
Authors: Siriphon Aranya , Li Jiangyu 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIt has become known that the Confucius Institute (CI) and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (Qiaoban) are operated as tools of state-led mechanism, or Chinese statecraft with the ultimate goal of expanding China's cultural soft power. Following the direction, Xi Jinping has been pushing the notion of the “Chinese dream,” focusing on the realm of Chinese traditional culture and launching a new state-led mechanism. This article examines an emerging state-led mechanism known as “Chinese Homeland Bookstores” (CHBs), which was proposed by a provincial government-financed state-owned enterprise, and recently expanded to Thailand and various Mekong countries. I contend that the entities, such as CHBs and also CI and Qiaoban, are being extensively utilized as part of a larger state apparatus supporting the regime's Chinese traditional culture campaign. However, the CHB case and those of other government-led institutions illustrate how they combine nation-state work with market-oriented business strategies, to effectively promote Chinese culture “going out” with a focus on financial sustainability.
Eight-shaped polarization-dependent electromagnetic bandgap structure and its application as polarization reflector
Authors: Dalal Priyanka , Dhull Sanjeev Kumar 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn this paper, an eight-shaped polarization-dependent electromagnetic bandgap (ES-PDEBG) structure is proposed. The unit cell of ES-PDEBG structure consists of an outer eight-shaped EBG patch with two inner square patches and three vias. Surface wave bandgap and reflection phase characteristics have been studied for the proposed structure. From the measurement results, two surface wave bandgaps with center frequencies 3.42 and 5.88 GHz are observed along the X-direction, and one surface wave bandgap with center frequency 3.69 GHz is observed along the Y-direction. The refection phase bandgap of the proposed structure is centered at 5.61 and 3.31 GHz for x- and y-polarized incident plane waves, respectively. Furthermore, the application of the proposed structure as polarization reflector is presented. The study demonstrates that the structure can act as dual-band in-polarization reflector for circularly polarized waves. In addition, incident linearly polarized waves are reflected as circularly polarized waves in four operating bands.
Species identification and morphological trait diversity assessment in ryegrass (Lolium spp.) populations from the Texas Blackland Prairies
Authors: Maity Aniruddha , Singh Vijay , Martins Matheus Bastos , Ferreira Paulo José , Smith Gerald Ray , Bagavathiannan Muthukumar 
Published: March 2021

AbstractRyegrass (Lolium spp.) is a troublesome weed in major wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production regions in the United States. High diversity and adaptive potential are known to contribute to its success as a weed species and also create difficulties in correct species identification in fields. The objective of this research was to characterize diversity for 16 different morphological traits among 56 Lolium populations collected from wheat production fields across the Texas Blackland Prairies region and identify Lolium species based on taxonomic characteristics. Populations were highly diverse (both at inter- and intrapopulation levels) for the traits studied, and a taxonomic comparison with USDA-GRIN reference samples revealed that all the populations were variants of Italian ryegrass [Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot] with a few offtypes of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) or probable hybrids between the two species. Hierarchical clustering grouped the populations into six clusters based on their similarities for the morphological traits investigated. Principal component analysis showed that the variability for yield traits greatly contributed to the total diversity. Pre-flowering plant height (stage 10 on Feekes scale) was positively correlated with tiller count, shoot biomass, and spike count, but not with total seed count per plant, whereas plant height at maturity (stage 11.3 to 11.4 on Feekes scale) was highly correlated with total seeds per plant. Further, basal node color was positively correlated with plant growth habit, regrowth rate, and leaf color. Leaf blade width was positively correlated with survival to pinoxaden and multiple herbicides, whereas, spike count was negatively correlated with survival to mesosulfuron. The high levels of intra- as well as interpopulation variability documented in this study indicate the potential of this species to rapidly adapt to herbicides and emphasize the need for implementing diverse management tactics, including the integration of harvest weed seed control.
Nitrite isotope characteristics and associated soil N transformations
Authors: Lewicka-Szczebak Dominika , Jansen-Willems Anne , Müller Christoph , Dyckmans Jens , Well Reinhard 
Published: March 2021

AbstractNitrite (NO2−) is a crucial compound in the N soil cycle. As an intermediate of nearly all N transformations, its isotopic signature may provide precious information on the active pathways and processes. NO2−analyses have already been applied in15N tracing studies, increasing their interpretation perspectives. Natural abundance NO2−isotope studies in soils were so far not applied and this study aims at testing if such analyses are useful in tracing the soil N cycle. We conducted laboratory soil incubations with parallel natural abundance and15N treatments, accompanied by isotopic analyses of soil N compounds (NO3−, NO2−, NH4+). The double15N tracing method was used as a reference method for estimations of N transformation processes based on natural abundance nitrite dynamics. We obtained a very good agreement between the results from nitrite isotope model proposed here and the15N tracing approach. Natural abundance nitrite isotope studies are a promising tool to our understanding of soil N cycling.
A predictive internet-based model for COVID-19 hospitalization census
Authors: Turk Philip J. , Tran Thao P. , Rose Geoffrey A. , McWilliams Andrew 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has strained hospital resources and necessitated the need for predictive models to forecast patient care demands in order to allow for adequate staffing and resource allocation. Recently, other studies have looked at associations between Google Trends data and the number of COVID-19 cases. Expanding on this approach, we propose a vector error correction model (VECM) for the number of COVID-19 patients in a healthcare system (Census) that incorporates Google search term activity and healthcare chatbot scores. The VECM provided a good fit to Census and very good forecasting performance as assessed by hypothesis tests and mean absolute percentage prediction error. Although our study and model have limitations, we have conducted a broad and insightful search for candidate Internet variables and employed rigorous statistical methods. We have demonstrated the VECM can potentially be a valuable component to a COVID-19 surveillance program in a healthcare system.
An integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach to identify the main Torymus sinensis venom components
Authors: Scieuzo Carmen , Salvia Rosanna , Franco Antonio , Pezzi Marco , Cozzolino Flora , Chicca Milvia , Scapoli Chiara , Vogel Heiko , Monti Maria , Ferracini Chiara , Pucci Pietro , Alma Alberto , Falabella Patrizia 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDuring oviposition, ectoparasitoid wasps not only inject their eggs but also a complex mixture of proteins and peptides (venom) in order to regulate the host physiology to benefit their progeny. Although several endoparasitoid venom proteins have been identified, little is known about the components of ectoparasitoid venom. To characterize the protein composition of Torymus sinensis Kamijo (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) venom, we used an integrated transcriptomic and proteomic approach and identified 143 venom proteins. Moreover, focusing on venom gland transcriptome, we selected additional 52 transcripts encoding putative venom proteins. As in other parasitoid venoms, hydrolases, including proteases, phosphatases, esterases, and nucleases, constitute the most abundant families in T. sinensis venom, followed by protease inhibitors. These proteins are potentially involved in the complex parasitic syndrome, with different effects on the immune system, physiological processes and development of the host, and contribute to provide nutrients to the parasitoid progeny. Although additional in vivo studies are needed, initial findings offer important information about venom factors and their putative host effects, which are essential to ensure the success of parasitism.
B2M overexpression correlates with malignancy and immune signatures in human gliomas
Authors: Zhang Hao , Cui Biqi , Zhou Yulai , Wang Xinxing , Wu Wantao , Wang Zeyu , Dai Ziyu , Cheng Quan , Yang Kui 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBecause of the limited treatment strategy of gliomas, the key of diagnosis and treatment is finding new molecular biomarkers. Here, we explored the potential of β2-microglobulin (B2M) to serve as a hopeful candidate for immunotherapy or diagnostic biomarker in gliomas. The genomic profiles, clinical characteristics, and immune signatures were analyzed based on TCGA and CGGA databases. We carried out the whole statistical analyses using R project. High B2M expression correlated with worse prognosis. Somatic mutations of gliomas with high B2M expression are associated with PTEN deletion and EGFR amplification. Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations accounted for 82% in gliomas with low B2M expression. In addition, B2M positively correlated with ESTIMATE scores, interacted with infiltrating immune and stromal cell types. B2M also suppressed anti-tumor immunity through immune related processes. Meanwhile, B2M was associated with immune checkpoint molecules and inflammatory activities. Finally, functional annotation of the identified B2M related genes verified that B2M was a potential candidate for immunotherapy. We confirmed that B2M played a critical role in tumor progression, patient prognosis and immunotherapy of gliomas.
Prognostic value of circulating markers of neutrophil activation, neutrophil extracellular traps, coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with terminal cancer
Authors: Rosell Axel , Aguilera Katherina , Hisada Yohei , Schmedes Clare , Mackman Nigel , Wallén Håkan , Lundström Staffan , Thålin Charlotte 
Published: March 2021

AbstractPredicting survival accurately in patients with advanced cancer is important in guiding interventions and planning future care. Objective tools are therefore needed. Blood biomarkers are appealing due to their rapid measurement and objective nature. Thrombosis is a common complication in cancer. Recent data indicate that tumor-induced neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are pro-thrombotic. We therefore performed a comprehensive investigation of circulating markers of neutrophil activation, NET formation, coagulation and fibrinolysis in 106 patients with terminal cancer. We found that neutrophil activation and NET markers were prognostic in terminal cancer patients. Interestingly, markers of coagulation and fibrinolysis did not have a prognostic value in this patient group, and there were weak or no correlations between these markers and markers of neutrophil activation and NETs. This suggest that NETs are linked to a poor prognosis through pathways independent of coagulation. Additional studies are needed to determine the utility of circulating neutrophil activation and NET markers, alone or in concert with established clinical parameters, as objective and reliable prognostic tools in advanced cancer.
Cryptic-site binding mechanism of medium-sized Bcl-xL inhibiting compounds elucidated by McMD-based dynamic docking simulations
Authors: Bekker Gert-Jan , Fukuda Ikuo , Higo Junichi , Fukunishi Yoshifumi , Kamiya Narutoshi 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWe have performed multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD) based dynamic docking simulations to study and compare the binding mechanism between two medium-sized inhibitors (ABT-737 and WEHI-539) that bind to the cryptic site of Bcl-xL, by exhaustively sampling the conformational and configurational space. Cryptic sites are binding pockets that are transiently formed in the apo state or are induced upon ligand binding. Bcl-xL, a pro-survival protein involved in cancer progression, is known to have a cryptic site, whereby the shape of the pocket depends on which ligand is bound to it. Starting from the apo-structure, we have performed two independent McMD-based dynamic docking simulations for each ligand, and were able to obtain near-native complex structures in both cases. In addition, we have also studied their interactions along their respective binding pathways by using path sampling simulations, which showed that the ligands form stable binding configurations via predominantly hydrophobic interactions. Although the protein started from the apo state, both ligands modulated the pocket in different ways, shifting the conformational preference of the sub-pockets of Bcl-xL. We demonstrate that McMD-based dynamic docking is a powerful tool that can be effectively used to study binding mechanisms involving a cryptic site, where ligand binding requires a large conformational change in the protein to occur.
Brain structure changes associated with sexual orientation
Authors: Votinov Mikhail , Goerlich Katharina S. , Puiu Andrei A. , Smith Elke , Nickl-Jockschat Thomas , Derntl Birgit , Habel Ute 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBiological sex differences in brain function and structure are reliably associated with several cortico-subcortical brain regions. While sexual orientation (hetero- versus homosexuality) has been similarly linked to functional differences in several phylogenetically-old brain areas, the research on morphological brain phenotypes associated with sexual orientation is far from conclusive. We examined potential cerebral structural differences linked to sexual orientation in a group of 74 participants, including 37 men (21 homosexual) and 37 women (19 homosexual) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Gray matter volumes (GMV) were compared with respect to sexual orientation and biological sex across the entire sample using full factorial designs controlling for total intracranial volume, age, handedness, and education. We observed a significant effect of sexual orientation for the thalamus and precentral gyrus, with more GMV in heterosexual versus homosexual individuals, and for the putamen, with more GMV in homosexual + than heterosexual individuals. We found significant interactions between biological sex and sexual orientation, indicating that the significant effect for the putamen cluster was driven by homosexual women, whereas heterosexual women had increased precentral gyrus GMV. Heterosexual men exhibited more GMV in the thalamus than homosexual men. This study shows that sexual orientation is reflected in brain structure characteristics and that these differ between the sexes. The results emphasize the need to include or control for potential effects of participants’ sexual orientation in neuroimaging studies. Furthermore, our findings provide important new insights into the brain morphology underlying sexual orientation and likely have important implications for understanding brain functions and behavior.
Cell-free DNA concentration and fragment size as a biomarker for prostate cancer
Authors: Chen Emmalyn , Cario Clinton L. , Leong Lancelote , Lopez Karen , Márquez César P. , Chu Carissa , Li Patricia S. , Oropeza Erica , Tenggara Imelda , Cowan Janet , Simko Jeffry P. , Chan June M. , Friedlander Terence , Wyatt Alexander W. , Aggarwal Rahul , Paris Pamela L. , Carroll Peter R. , Feng Felix , Witte John S. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractProstate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed neoplasm in American men. Although existing biomarkers may detect localized prostate cancer, additional strategies are necessary for improving detection and identifying aggressive disease that may require further intervention. One promising, minimally invasive biomarker is cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which consist of short DNA fragments released into circulation by dying or lysed cells that may reflect underlying cancer. Here we investigated whether differences in cfDNA concentration and cfDNA fragment size could improve the sensitivity for detecting more advanced and aggressive prostate cancer. This study included 268 individuals: 34 healthy controls, 112 men with localized prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP), and 122 men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Plasma cfDNA concentration and fragment size were quantified with the Qubit 3.0 and the 2100 Bioanalyzer. The potential relationship between cfDNA concentration or fragment size and localized or mCRPC prostate cancer was evaluated with descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and area under the curve analysis with cross-validation. Plasma cfDNA concentrations were elevated in mCRPC patients in comparison to localized disease (OR5ng/mL = 1.34, P = 0.027) or to being a control (OR5ng/mL = 1.69, P = 0.034). Decreased average fragment size was associated with an increased risk of localized disease compared to controls (OR5bp = 0.77, P = 0.0008). This study suggests that while cfDNA concentration can identify mCRPC patients, it is unable to distinguish between healthy individuals and patients with localized prostate cancer. In addition to PSA, average cfDNA fragment size may be an alternative that can differentiate between healthy individuals and those with localized disease, but the low sensitivity and specificity results in an imperfect diagnostic marker. While quantification of cfDNA may provide a quick, cost-effective approach to help guide treatment decisions in advanced disease, its use is limited in the setting of localized prostate cancer.
Scale-dependent contribution of host-specificity and environmental factors to wood-boring longhorn beetle community assemblage in SW China
Authors: Luo Fang , Meng Ling-Zeng , Aluthwattha S. Tharanga , Lin Mei-Ying , Weigel Andreas , Zhang Wen-Fu , Qi Jin-Hua , Chen Jin 
Published: March 2021

AbstractLonghorn beetles are extremely rich wood-boring insects possessing larvae that feed on the xylem of trees and/or lianas, which have detrimental effects on plants; in turn, the hosting plants may play a fundamental role in shaping the longhorn beetle community assemblage. However, factors determining the community assemblage of wood-boring longhorn beetles, particularly along the multiple spatial scales is still in need of further exploration. In this study, we designed an experiment across several spatial scales (from local to macro scales) from tropical to temperate climate gradients in Yunnan province, southwest China to examine to what extend the attributes of host-specificity is shaping the community assemblage along different spatial scales. This study concludes that (1) the wood-boring longhorn beetles showed attributes of host-specificity to a certain degree at the community level, (2) biotic (host plant specificity) and abiotic (climatic gradients) factors jointly shaped community composition of this species along the multiple spatial scales, (3) biotic interactions have a prominent effect on the community composition of this species at local-scale while macroclimatic gradients impose the major control on it at macro-scale. Thus, this study highlights the significance of host specificity in affecting the wood-boring longhorn beetle community assemblage, particularly at local scales.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent use may not be associated with mortality of coronavirus disease 19
Authors: Park Jungchan , Lee Seung-Hwa , You Seng Chan , Kim Jinseob , Yang Kwangmo 
Published: March 2021

AbstractNon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used in patients with respiratory infection, but their safety in coronavirus disease 19 (Covid-19) patients has not been fully investigated. We evaluated an association between NSAID use and outcomes of Covid-19. This study was a retrospective observational cohort study based on insurance benefit claims sent to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of Korea by May 15, 2020. These claims comprised all Covid-19-tested cases and history of medical service use for the past 3 years in these patients. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcome was need for ventilator care. Among 7590 patients diagnosed with Covid-19, two distinct cohorts were generated based on NSAID or acetaminophen prescription within 2 weeks before Covid-19 diagnosis. A total of 398 patients was prescribed NSAIDs, and 2365 patients were prescribed acetaminophen. After propensity score matching, 397 pairs of data set were generated, and all-cause mortality of the NSAIDs group showed no significant difference compared with the acetaminophen group (4.0% vs. 3.0%; hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63–2.88; P = 0.46). The rate of ventilator care also did not show significantly different results between the two groups (2.0% vs. 1.3%; HR, 1.60; 95% CI 0.53–5.30; P = 0.42). Use of NSAIDs was not associated with mortality or ventilator care in Covid-19 patients. NSAIDs may be safely used to relieve symptoms in patients with suspicion of Covid-19.