bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The association of glucose metabolism and kidney function in middle-aged adults
Authors: Schroijen Marielle A , de Mutsert Renée , Dekker Friedo W , de Vries Aiko P J , de Koning Eelco J P , Rabelink Ton J , Rosendaal Frits R , Dekkers Olaf M 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Background
Previous clinical studies have shown that various measures of glucose metabolism are associated with a risk of chronic kidney disease in different populations, but results were not consistent. In this study we assessed measures of glucose metabolism and their association with kidney function in a population-based study.

Methods
The Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study is a population-based cohort study of middle-aged men and women. We categorized the study population according to glycaemic levels into normoglycaemia (reference group), pre-diabetes mellitus (pre-DM), known DM and newly diagnosed DM. Outcome variables were serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), glomerular hyperfiltration (defined as an eGFR &gt;90th percentile; &gt;102 mL/min/1.73 m2) and micro-albuminuria. We examined the association between measures of glucose metabolism [fasting glucose, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting insulin, glucose area under the curve (AUC), insulin AUC, Homoeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), HOMA of β-cell function (HOMA-B) and disposition index] and measures of kidney function.

Results
Of the total population (N = 6338), 55% of participants were classified as normoglycaemic (reference), 35% as pre-DM, 7% as DM and 4% as newly diagnosed DM. Compared with the reference group, diagnosed and newly diagnosed DMs were associated with a slightly higher trend in eGFR {+2.1 mL/min/1.73 m2 [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.2–4.4] and +2.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 [95% CI −0.3–5.7], respectively}. A 1% higher HbA1c was associated with increased odds of hyperfiltration [odds ratio (OR) 1.41 (95% CI 1.06–1.88)]. Higher levels of fasting plasma glucose, AUC glucose and HOMA-B were associated with hyperfiltration. Fasting insulin, AUC insulin and HOMA-IR were not associated with hyperfiltration. The OR of microalbuminuria was 1.21 (95% CI 1.04–1.42) per mmol/L higher fasting glucose concentrations.

Conclusions
Both fasting and post-prandial glucose and HOMA-B, but not measures of insulin resistance, were associated with glomerular hyperfiltration, while fasting glucose was also associated with microalbuminuria.
The first 100 days: how has COVID-19 affected poor and vulnerable groups in India?
Authors: Johri Mira , Agarwal Sumeet , Khullar Aman , Chandra Dinesh , Pratap Vijay Sai , Seth Aaditeshwar ,   the Gram Vaani Team
Published: April 2021

Summary
In India, strict public health measures to suppress COVID-19 transmission and reduce burden have been rapidly adopted. Pandemic containment and confinement measures impact societies and economies; their costs and benefits must be assessed holistically. This study provides an evolving portrait of the health, economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable populations in India. Our analysis focuses on 100 days early in the pandemic from 13 March to 20 June 2020. We developed a conceptual framework based on the human right to health and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We analysed people’s experiences recorded and shared via mobile phone on the voice platforms operated by the Gram Vaani COVID-19 response network, a service for rural and low-income populations now being deployed to support India’s COVID-19 response. Quantitative and visual methods were used to summarize key features of the data and explore relationships between factors. In its first 100 days, the platform logged over 1.15 million phone calls, of which 793 350 (69%) were outbound calls related largely to health promotion in the context of COVID-19. Analysis of 6636 audio recordings by network users revealed struggles to secure the basic necessities of survival, including food (48%), cash (17%), transportation (10%) and employment or livelihoods (8%). Themes were mapped to shortfalls in 10 SDGs and their associated targets. Pre-existing development deficits and weak social safety nets are driving vulnerability during the COVID-19 crisis. For an effective pandemic response and recovery, these must be addressed through inclusive policy design and institutional reforms.
Dopamine Modulation of Motor and Sensory Cortical Plasticity among Vertebrates
Authors: Macedo-Lima Matheus , Remage-Healey Luke 
Published: April 2021

SynopsisGoal-directed learning is a key contributor to evolutionary fitness in animals. The neural mechanisms that mediate learning often involve the neuromodulator dopamine. In higher order cortical regions, most of what is known about dopamine’s role is derived from brain regions involved in motivation and decision-making, while significantly less is known about dopamine’s potential role in motor and/or sensory brain regions to guide performance. Research on rodents and primates represents over 95% of publications in the field, while little beyond basic anatomy is known in other vertebrate groups. This significantly limits our general understanding of how dopamine signaling systems have evolved as organisms adapt to their environments. This review takes a pan-vertebrate view of the literature on the role of dopamine in motor/sensory cortical regions, highlighting, when available, research on non-mammalian vertebrates. We provide a broad perspective on dopamine function and emphasize that dopamine-induced plasticity mechanisms are widespread across all cortical systems and associated with motor and sensory adaptations. The available evidence illustrates that there is a strong anatomical basis—dopamine fibers and receptor distributions—to hypothesize that pallial dopamine effects are widespread among vertebrates. Continued research progress in non-mammalian species will be crucial to further our understanding of how the dopamine system evolved to shape the diverse array of brain structures and behaviors among the vertebrate lineage.
Validation of the COVID-19 Indoor Test™ by Phylagen for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Virus on Stainless-Steel Surfaces: AOAC Performance Tested MethodSM 122004
Authors: Fantin Nick , Taft Brad , Ugalde Juan , Spring Katie , Lam Hannah , Tran Alex , Green Jessica 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Background
The COVID-19 Indoor Test™ by Phylagen uses a real-time PCR Assay to detect nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, which is extracted from swabs sampled from environmental surfaces. This information can be used to detect the presence of the virus in indoor environments.

Objective
To validate the COVID-19 Indoor TestTM by Phylagen as part of the AOAC Research Institute’s Emergency Response Validation Performance Tested Method(s)SM program.

Method
The COVID-19 Indoor Test by Phylagen assay was evaluated for specificity using in silico analysis of 15 764 SARS-CoV-2 sequences and 65 exclusivity organisms. The candidate method was also evaluated in an unpaired matrix study design for one environmental surface (stainless steel) and compared to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel (Revision 4, Effective 6/12/2020).

Results
Results of the in silico analysis demonstrated the specificity of the method in being able to detect SARS-CoV-2 target sequences and discriminate them from near-neighbors. In the matrix study, the candidate method demonstrated statistically significant better recovery of the target analyte than the reference method (2 × 103 GU/2 × 2” test surface).

Conclusions
The COVID-19 Indoor Test by Phylagen is a rapid and accurate method that can be utilized to monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, on stainless-steel surfaces in built environments.

Highlights
The COVID-19 Indoor Test by Phylagen assay performed significantly better than the reference method when used to detect SARS-CoV-2 from environmental surfaces.
One Saint, Two Tombs: Memory, History, and Materiality in thePīr-Cults of Bangladesh
Authors: Irani Ayesha A 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis essay examines why Saiyad Sultān, a premodern pīr-author of Chittagong, has become embroiled in modern-day contestations between two regional groups of Bangladesh’s faithful, based in Chittagong and Sylhet. In unraveling these claims, the author demonstrates how Saiyad Sultān’s legacy is connected via webs of Islamic geography and genealogy to the legacies of other famous dead figures who, like him, have multiple, contested grave-sites and more than one postulated line of descent. What motivates contemporary Bangladeshis to ‘raise’ the dead for the living present? What does this reveal about cultural memory, history, and the constitution of regional authority in an Islamic society?
A Visual Tracking System for Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) 3D Flight Trajectory Reconstruction and Analysis
Authors: Sun Cong , Gaydecki Patrick 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
We describe the development, field testing, and results from an automated 3D insect flight detection and tracking system for honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) that is capable of providing remarkable insights into airborne behavior. It comprises two orthogonally mounted video cameras with an observing volume of over 200 m3 and an offline analysis software system that outputs 3D space trajectories and inflight statistics of the target honey bees. The imaging devices require no human intervention once set up and are waterproof, providing high resolution and framerate videos. The software module uses several forms of modern image processing techniques with GPU-enabled acceleration to remove both stationary and moving artifact while preserving flight track information. The analysis system has thus far provided information not only on flight statistics (such as speeds and accelerations), but also on subtleties associated with flight behavior by generating heat maps of density and classifying flight patterns according to patrol and foraging behavior. Although the results presented here focus on behavior in the locale of a beehive, the system could be adapted to study a wide range of airborne insect activity.
Maize transcription factor ZmNF-YC13 regulates plant architecture
Authors: Mei Xiupeng , Nan Jin , Zhao Zikun , Yao Shun , Wang Wenqin , Yang Yang , Bai Yang , Dong Erfei , Liu Chaoxian , Cai Yilin 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Leaf angle and leaf orientation value (LOV) are critical agronomic traits for maize plant architecture. The functions of NUCLEAR FACTOR Y (NF-Y) members in regulating plant architecture have not been reported yet. Here, we identified a regulator of maize plant architecture, NF-Y subunit C13 (ZmNF-YC13). ZmNF-YC13 was highly expressed in the leaf base zone of maize plants. ZmNF-YC13 overexpressing plants showed upright leaves with narrow leaf angle and larger LOV, while ZmNF-YC13 knockout plants had larger leaf angle and smaller LOV compared with wild-type plants. The changes in plant architecture were due to the changes in the expression of cytochrome P450 family members. ZmNF-YC13 interacts with two NF-Y subunit B members (ZmNF-YB9 and ZmNF-YB10) of the LEAFY COTYLEDON1 sub-family, and further recruits NF-Y subunit A (ZmNF-YA3) to form two NF-Y complexes. The two complexes can both activate the promoters of transcriptional repressors (ZmWRKY76 and ZmBT2), and the promoters of PLASTOCHRON group genes can be repressed by ZmWRKY76 and ZmBT2 in maize protoplasts. We propose that ZmNF-YC13 functions as a transcriptional regulator and, together with ZmNF-YBs and ZmNF-YA3, affects plant architecture by regulating the expression of ZmWRKY76 and ZmBT2, which repress the expression of cytochrome P450 family members in PLASTOCHRON branch.
Monocyte chemoattractant protein-induced protein 1 directly degrades viral miRNAs with a specific motif and inhibits KSHV infection
Authors: Kook Insun , Ziegelbauer Joseph M 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) expresses miRNAs during latency. However, regulation of viral miRNAs remains largely unknown. Our prior studies demonstrated that MCPIP1 regulates KSHV miRNA biogenesis by degrading most KSHV pre-miRNAs through its RNase activity. Some viral pre-miRNAs are partially resistant to degradation by MCPIP1. Here, we further characterized MCPIP1 substrate specificity and its antiviral potential against KSHV infection. In vitro cleavage assays and binding assays showed that MCPIP1 cleavage efficiency is related to binding affinity. Motif-based sequence analysis identified that KSHV pre-miRNAs that are well degraded by MCPIP1 have a 5-base motif (M5 base motif) within their terminal loops and this motif region consists of multiple pyrimidine-purine-pyrimidine (YRY) motifs. We further demonstrated that mutation of this M5 base motif within terminal loop of pre-miRNAs inhibited MCPIP1-mediated RNA degradation. We also revealed that MCPIP1 has an antiviral effect against KSHV infection. MCPIP1 can reduce the expression of Dicer, which in turn restricts KSHV infection. Conclusively, our findings demonstrated that MCPIP1 inhibited KSHV infection and suppressed viral miRNA biogenesis by directly degrading KSHV pre-miRNAs and altering the expression of miRNA biogenesis factors.
On-treatment blood pressure and long-term outcomes in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Jung Hae Hyuk 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Background
The treatment blood pressure (BP) target in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear, and whether the benefit of intensive BP-lowering is comparable between CKD and non-CKD patients is debated.

Methods
Using the Korean National Health Information Database, 359 492 CKD patients who had received antihypertensives regularly were identified from 12.1 million participants of nationwide health screening. The composite risk of major cardiovascular events, kidney failure and all-cause mortality was assessed according to time-averaged, on-treatment systolic BP.

Results
Over a 9-year follow-up, the composite outcome was noted in 18.4% of 239 700 participants with eGFR &lt;60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 18.9% of 155 004 with dipstick albuminuria. The thresholds of systolic BP, above which the composite risk increased significantly, in the reduced eGFR and the proteinuric population were 135 mmHg and 125 mmHg, respectively. For all-cause mortality, the respective thresholds were 145 mmHg and 135 mmHg. When comparing the composite risk between propensity score-matched groups, the hazard ratios of on-treatment BP of systolic 135–144 mmHg (reference, 115–124 mmHg) in the reduced eGFR and non-CKD pairs were 1.18 and 0.98, respectively (P = 0.13 for interaction), and those in the proteinuria and non-CKD pairs were 1.30 and 1.01, respectively (P = 0.003 for interaction).

Conclusions
The findings support the recommendation that, based on office BP, the systolic target in CKD with proteinuria is ≤130 mmHg, and the target in CKD with no proteinuria is ≤140 mmHg. The benefit of intensive BP-lowering may be greater in CKD patients, particularly those with proteinuria, than in their non-CKD counterparts.
Urban rooftop-nesting Common Nighthawk chicks tolerate high temperatures by hyperthermia with relatively low rates of evaporative water loss
Authors: Newberry Gretchen N , O′Connor Ryan S , Swanson David L 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Heat tolerance for many birds under climate and land use change scenarios could be compromised in the future. Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) belong to the Caprimulgiformes, a generally heat-tolerant order, but few studies have assessed heat tolerance in Caprimulgiform chicks, which might be particularly susceptible to heat stress. In the midwestern United States, nighthawks primarily nest on flat graveled rooftops in urban areas, as natural nesting habitats are limited. Urban rooftop-nesting nighthawks are likely exposed to higher environmental temperatures than birds nesting at more thermally buffered natural sites, and evaporative cooling might be impeded by the typically high summer humidity in their Midwest breeding range. This combination of heat and humidity might negatively impact heat tolerance of nighthawk chicks. We exposed 7- to 14-day-old nighthawk chicks (n = 15) from rooftop nests to ambient temperatures (Tas) up to 51°C and at typical summer dew points. Chicks initiated gular flutter at a mean ambient temperature of 42.4 ± 3.4°C (mean ± SE). Evaporative water loss (EWL) rates increased significantly with increasing temperature above 44.0 ± 1.5°C. Chicks showed little evidence of lower and upper bounds of the thermal neutral zone over the range of temperatures (30–44°C) for which we measured oxygen consumption. Body mass loss was significantly positively correlated with temperature during heat exposure trials. Chicks tolerated Tas up to 51°C and body temperatures (Tbs) up to 48°C, which, along with the high temperatures at which gular flutter and high rates of EWL were initiated, suggest that nighthawk chicks are tolerant of high ambient temperatures, even with relatively high humidity. Given the high rates of mass loss and high Tbs at hot ambient temperatures, chick heat tolerance mechanisms could be detrimental for rooftop-nesting nighthawks given projected increasing trends for both heat and humidity in the midwestern United States.
CRISPR screens in plants: approaches, guidelines, and future prospects
Authors: Gaillochet Christophe , Develtere Ward , Jacobs Thomas B 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated systems have revolutionized genome engineering by facilitating a wide range of targeted DNA perturbations. These systems have resulted in the development of powerful new screens to test gene functions at the genomic scale. While there is tremendous potential to map and interrogate gene regulatory networks at unprecedented speed and scale using CRISPR screens, their implementation in plants remains in its infancy. Here we discuss the general concepts, tools, and workflows for establishing CRISPR screens in plants and analyze the handful of recent reports describing the use of this strategy to generate mutant knockout collections or to diversify DNA sequences. In addition, we provide insight into how to design CRISPR knockout screens in plants given the current challenges and limitations and examine multiple design options. Finally, we discuss the unique multiplexing capabilities of CRISPR screens to investigate redundant gene functions in highly duplicated plant genomes. Combinatorial mutant screens have the potential to routinely generate higher-order mutant collections and facilitate the characterization of gene networks. By integrating this approach with the numerous genomic profiles that have been generated over the past two decades, the implementation of CRISPR screens offers new opportunities to analyze plant genomes at deeper resolution and will lead to great advances in functional and synthetic biology.
Bimodal cambial activity and false-ring formation in conifers under a monsoon climate
Authors: Morino Kiyomi , Minor Rebecca L , Barron-Gafford Greg A , Brown Peter M , Hughes Malcolm K 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Tracking wood formation in semiarid regions during the seasonal march of precipitation extremes has two important applications. It can provide (i) insight into the adaptive capacities of trees to drought and (ii) a basis for a richer interpretation of tree-ring data, assisting in a deeper understanding of past and current climate. In the southwestern USA, the anatomical signature of seasonally bimodal precipitation is the ‘false ring’—a band of latewood-like cells in the earlywood. These occur when a particularly deep drought during the early growing season ends abruptly with timely, mid-growing season monsoonal rains. Such conditions presented in southern Arizona in 2014, enabling us to explore false-ring formation in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson and C. Lawson) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco) in mixed-conifer forest at 2573 m above sea level. We ask: what were the cell-by-cell timings and durations in the phases of wood cell development in 2014? How do these seasonal patterns relate to strongly fluctuating environmental conditions during the growing season? We took weekly microcores from March through November from six ponderosa pine and seven Douglas-fir trees at a well-instrumented flux tower site. Thin sections were prepared, and we counted cells in cambial, expansion, cell wall thickening and mature phases. For ponderosa pine trees forming a false ring, the first impact of intensifying seasonal drought was seen in the enlarging phase and then, almost a month later, in cambial activity. In this species, recovery from drought was associated with recovery first in cambial activity, followed by cell enlargement. This timing raised the possibility that cell division may be affected by atmospheric moisture increases before soil recharge. In both species, the last false-ring cells matured during the summer rainy season. Bimodal cambial activity coincident with moisture availability was observed in both species, whether or not they formed a false ring. This deeper knowledge of the precise timing of both developmental and environmental events should help define mechanistic connections among these factors in creating bimodal growth patterns.
Effectiveness of the Cognitive Restructuring Approach on Irrational Beliefs and Hopelessness in Individuals With a Substance Abuse Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Rezaeisharif Ali , Karimi Abdollah , Naeim Mahdi 
Published: April 2021

Background:
Nowadays, because of the increasing prevalence of addiction in society, there are many costs involved in treating addicts and returning them to normal lives. This will not be possible except in new and effective ways.

Objectives:
This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the cognitive reconstruction approach on irrational beliefs and hopelessness of people with substance abuse disorder.

Methods:
The statistical population of this study includes all people with substance abuse disorder, who were present in addiction treatment camps in Ardabil in 2018, from which 80 eligible people were selected using the available sampling method and Random methods were divided into experimental and control groups (40 people in each group). The experimental group underwent 8 sessions of 90 minutes of cognitive reconstruction intervention. Both groups completed the Ahwaz Irrational Beliefs 4-Factor Questionnaire and the Beck hopelessness test as a pretest and post-test. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance.

Results:
The results showed that the cognitive reconstruction approach was effective in reducing the irrational beliefs and hopelessness of the subjects in the experimental group (P<0/01).

Conclusions:
On the basis of this study, it can be concluded that cognitive reconstruction intervention can be effective in improving irrational beliefs and reducing hopelessness in people with substance abuse.