bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of a cost-effective medium for Photorhabdus temperata bioinsecticide production from wastewater and exploration of performance kinetic
Authors: Keskes Sahar , Jallouli Wafa , Atitallah Imen Ben , Driss Fatma , Sahli Emna , Chamkha Mohamed , Tounsi Slim 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis study investigates the optimization of the culture conditions for enhancingPhotorhabdus temperatabiopesticide production using wastewater (WS4) as a raw material. Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to evaluate the effects of carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N), sodium chloride concentration and inoculum size onP. temperatabiomass production and insecticidal activity. For an enhanced biopesticide production, the optimum operating conditions were as follows: inoculum size = 4%; C/N ratio = 12.5 and [NaCl] = 4 g/L for two responses. 1.95 and 2.75 fold improvements in oral toxicity and biomass production were respectively obtained in the cost-effective medium developed in this study (WS4 I) using the three variables at their optimal values. Under the optimized conditions, WS4 I-grown cells exhibited higher membrane integrity according to flow cytometry analysis since dead cells presented only 9.2% compared to 29.2% in WS4. From batch fermentations carried out in WS4 I and WS4,P. temperatakinetic parameters in terms of biomass production and substrate consumption rates were modeled. The obtained results showed that the maximum specific growth rate in WS4 I was of 0.43 h−1while that obtained in WS4 was of 0.14 h−1. In addition, the efficiency ofP. temperatato metabolize organic carbon was enhanced by optimizing the culture conditions. It reached 72.66% instead of 46.18% in the control fermentation after 10 h of incubation. Under the optimized conditions,P. temperatacells showed the highest specific consumption rate resulting in a toxin synthesis improvement.
The association of Coronavirus Disease-19 mortality and prior bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination: a robust ecological analysis using unsupervised machine learning
Authors: Brooks Nathan A. , Puri Ankur , Garg Sanya , Nag Swapnika , Corbo Jacomo , Turabi Anas El , Kaka Noshir , Zemmel Rodney W. , Hegarty Paul K. , Kamat Ashish M. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractPopulation-level data have suggested that bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination may lessen the severity of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) prompting clinical trials in this area. Some reports have demonstrated conflicting results. We performed a robust, ecologic analysis comparing COVID-19 related mortality (CRM) between strictly selected countries based on BCG vaccination program status utilizing publicly available databases and machine learning methods to define the association between active BCG vaccination programs and CRM. Validation was performed using linear regression and country-specific modeling. CRM was lower for the majority of countries with a BCG vaccination policy for at least the preceding 15 years (BCG15). CRM increased significantly for each increase in the percent population over age 65. A higher total population of a country and BCG15 were significantly associated with improved CRM. There was a consistent association between countries with a BCG vaccination for the preceding 15 years, but not other vaccination programs, and CRM. BCG vaccination programs continued to be associated with decreased CRM even for populations < 40 years old where CRM events are less frequent.
Neural network-based modeling of the number of microbubbles generated with four circulation factors in cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Miyamoto Satoshi , Soh Zu , Okahara Shigeyuki , Furui Akira , Takasaki Taiichi , Katayama Keijiro , Takahashi Shinya , Tsuji Toshio 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe need for the estimation of the number of microbubbles (MBs) in cardiopulmonary bypass surgery has been recognized among surgeons to avoid postoperative neurological complications. MBs that exceed the diameter of human capillaries may cause endothelial disruption as well as microvascular obstructions that block posterior capillary blood flow. In this paper, we analyzed the relationship between the number of microbubbles generated and four circulation factors, i.e., intraoperative suction flow rate, venous reservoir level, continuous blood viscosity and perfusion flow rate in cardiopulmonary bypass, and proposed a neural-networked model to estimate the number of microbubbles with the factors. Model parameters were determined in a machine-learning manner using experimental data with bovine blood as the perfusate. The estimation accuracy of the model, assessed by tenfold cross-validation, demonstrated that the number of MBs can be estimated with a determinant coefficientR2 = 0.9328 (p < 0.001). A significant increase in the residual error was found when each of four factors was excluded from the contributory variables. The study demonstrated the importance of four circulation factors in the prediction of the number of MBs and its capacity to eliminate potential postsurgical complication risks.
N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine reduces neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment after mild traumatic brain injury in rats
Authors: Ponomarenko Arina I. , Tyrtyshnaia Anna A. , Pislyagin Evgeny A. , Dyuizen Inessa V. , Sultanov Ruslan M. , Manzhulo Igor V. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAt present, there is a growing interest in the study of the neurotropic activity of polyunsaturated fatty acids ethanolamides (N-acylethanolamines). N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine (DHEA, synaptamide) is an endogenous metabolite and structural analogue of anandamide, a widely studied endocannabinoid derived from arachidonic acid. The results of this study demonstrate that DHEA, when administered subcutaneously (10 mg/kg/day, 7 days), promotes cognitive recovery in rats subjected to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). In the cerebral cortex of experimental animals, we analyzed the dynamics of Iba-1-positive microglia activity changes and the expression of pro-inflammatory markers (IL1β, IL6, CD86). We used immortalized mouse microglial cells (SIM-A9) to assess the effects of DHEA on LPS-induced cytokines/ROS/NO/nitrite, as well as on CD206 (anti-inflammatory microglia) and the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) production. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that DHEA: (1) improves indicators of anxiety and long-term memory; (2) inhibits the pro-inflammatory microglial cells activity; (3) decrease the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines/ROS/NO/nitrites; (4) increase CD206 and SOD production. In general, the results of this study indicate that DHEA has a complex effect on the neuroinflammation processes, which indicates its high therapeutic potential.
Transcriptome and phytochemical analyses provide insights into the organic sulfur pathway in Allium hirtifolium
Authors: Soorni Aboozar , Akrami Amir Mohammad , Abolghasemi Reza , Vahedi Maryam 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAlliumis one of the well-known genera of the Amaryllidaceae family, which contains over 780 species. Onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots are the most important species of this genus.Allium hirtifolium(shallot) is a rich source of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, and bioactive compounds such as organic sulfur compounds with an expansive range of biological activities and medicinal attributes. To identify the putative compounds and genes involved in the organic sulfur pathway, we applied GC–MS and RNA-seq techniques for the bulb, stem, and flower tissues ofA. hirtifolium.The essential oil analysis revealed the maximum amount of sulfur compounds in stem against flower and bulb tissues. Transcriptome profiling showed 6155, 6494, and 4259 DEGs for bulb vs. flower, bulb vs. stem, and flower vs. stem, respectively. Overall, more genes were identified as being up-regulated rather than down-regulated in flower tissue compared to the stem and bulb tissues. Our findings in accordance with other results from different papers, suggest that carbohydrates are vital to bulb formation and development because a high number of identified DEGs (586 genes) were mapped to carbohydrate metabolism. This study has detected the genes in the organic sulfur pathway and indicated that the alliinase gene shows a high variability among different tissues. In general, this study formed a useful genomic resource data to explore tissue-specific sulfur pathway inA. hirtifolium, which is helpful for functional breeding.
Distinct bacterial community structure and composition along different cowpea producing ecoregions in Northeastern Brazil
Authors: de Sousa Lopes Luciana , Mendes Lucas William , Antunes Jadson Emanuel Lopes , de Souza Oliveira Louise Melo , Melo Vania Maria Maciel , de Araujo Pereira Arthur Prudêncio , da Costa Antonio Félix , de Paula Oliveira José , Martínez Cosme Rafael , Figueiredo Marcia do Vale Barreto , Araujo Ademir Sérgio Ferreira 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSoil microbial communities represent the largest biodiversity on Earth, holding an important role in promoting plant growth and productivity. However, the knowledge about how soil factors modulate the bacteria community structure and distribution in tropical regions remain poorly understood, mainly in different cowpea producing ecoregions belonging to Northeastern Brazil. This study addressed the bacterial community along three different ecoregions (Mata, Sertão, and Agreste) through the16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that soil factors, such as Al3+, sand, Na+, cation exchange excel, and total organic C, influenced the bacterial community and could be a predictor of the distinct performance of cowpea production. Also, the bacterial community changed between different ecoregions, and some keystone groups related to plant-growth promotion, such as Bradyrhizobium, Bacillales, Rhizobiales, and Solibacillus, were correlated to cowpea yield, so revealing that the soil microbiome has a primordial role in plant productivity. Here, we provide evidence that bacterial groups related to nutrient cycling can help us to increase cowpea efficiency and we suggest that a better microbiome knowledge can contribute to improving the agricultural performance.
Lumbar lordosis morphology correlates to pelvic incidence and erector spinae muscularity
Authors: Li Yang , Sun Jianmin , Wang Guodong 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe retrospective study aimed to investigate the relationship between lumbar lordosis morphology, pelvic incidence and paraspinal muscle. It enrolled asymptomatic adult volunteers aged between 18 and 45 years old. Lumbar lordosis morphology, consisting of total lumbar lordosis (LL), proximal lumbar lordosis (PLL), distal lumbar lordosis (DLL), lumbar lordosis apex (LLA) and inflexion point, was evaluated, as well as pelvic incidence (PI) and muscularity of erector spinae (ES) and multifidus. Pearson correlation was performed to analyze the relationship between each other parameter. Cases were stratified according to pelvic incidence (very low < 30°, low 30°–45°, moderate 45°–60°, and high > 60°), comparison between groups was performed by univariance analysis. 87 asymptomatic adult volunteers (33 females and 54 males) were included in the study. PLL revealed a correlation with LLA (r = 0.603, p = 0.002) and inflexion point (r = 0.536, p = 0.004), but did not DLL with LL apex (r = 0.204, p = 0.058) or inflexion point (r = 0.210, p = 0.051). PI revealed a greater correlation with PLL (r = −0.673, p < 0.001) than with DLL (r = −0.237, p = 0.045). Linear stepwise regression analysis also exhibited the correlation between PI and PLL (R2 = 0.452, PLL = 16.2–0.61 * PI, p < 0.001). ES muscularity correlated with LL apex (r = −0.279, p = 0.014) and inflexion point (r = −0.227, p = 0.047). Stratification by PI demonstrated PLL increased across groups (p < 0.001), but DLL was comparable between low and moderate PI group (p = 0.329). Lumbar lordosis morphology appears to accommodate to pelvic incidence and erector spinae muscularity. Proximal lumbar lordosis has a bigger correlation with pelvic incidence than the distal lumbar lordosis. The results are helpful for restoring a rational lumbar lordosis shape in long fusion surgery.
Carbon storage and sequestration potential in aboveground biomass of bamboos in North East India
Authors: Devi Angom Sarjubala , Singh Kshetrimayum Suresh 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe Northeastern hilly states of India harbor nearly 90 species of bamboos, 41 of which are endemic to the region. Estimation of C-storage and C-sequestration in aboveground biomass of two common bamboo species namely Bambusa tulda and Dendrocalamus longispathus was carried out in Mizoram-one of the eight states of Northeastern India. Recording of density of culms was done by quadrate method and harvesting of culms was done to estimate the aboveground biomass. C-storage in different components of the culms was found out for three age classes namely 1, 2 and ≥ 3 year old culms. Aboveground biomass ranged from 73.58 to 127 Mg/ha in Bambusa tulda and 115 to 150 Mg/ha in Dendrocalamus longispathus. Culm density and aboveground biomass were maximum in the ≥ 3 year age class in both the species. C-storage ranged from 36.34 to 64.00 Mg/ha in Bambusa tulda and 50.11 to 65.16 Mg/ha in Dendrocalamus longispathus. Although having lower aboveground biomass the rate of C-sequestration was higher in Bambusa tulda with 27.79 Mg/ha/year than Dendrocalamus longispathus which have 15.36 Mg/ha/year. The reason was attributed to higher increment of culm density and DBH of the older age class in the second year study period in Bambusa tulda.
Multistage heat treatment and the development of a protective oxide-scale layer on the surface of FeCrAl sintered-metal-fibers
Authors: Ibrahim Osama M. , Alazemi Abdullah A. , Naji Loai Ben 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis study investigates the effects of Multistage Heat Treatment (MSHT) on the development of an oxide-scale layer on the surface of FeCrAl sintered-metal-fibers. The oxide-scale layer was developed using an MSHT cycle at 930 °C for 1 h, followed by 960 °C for 1 h, and finally at 990 °C for 2 h. In this study, three samples were considered: Sample 1 was kept without thermal oxidation, while Samples 2 and 3 were exposed to one and eighteen MSHT cycles. Thermo-gravimetric analyses show that the weight gain of the heat-treated sample slows with time, confirming the growth of the protective oxide-scale layer. Scanning electron microscope images, after one MSHT cycle, reveal nonuniform oxide-scale growth with platelet-like on the surface. After eighteen MSHT cycles, however, clumped particles formed on the surface of the fibers. Atomic force microscopy was utilized to study the surface topography of the fibers. The results show that MSHT increases the surface roughness, where the surface roughness of one and eighteen MSHT cycles are the same. The x-ray diffraction analyses of the baseline sample and the sample with one MSHT cycle show pattern peaks of crystalline Fe2CrAl. In contrast, the results of eighteen MSHT cycles displayed diffraction pattern peaks of crystalline Cr and stable α-Al2O3. In summary, the results of this study reveal the changing nature of the oxide-scale layer. The findings of this study form the foundation for new techniques to protect and prepare the FeCrAl fibers as a support for catalysts.
Characterizing genetic and antigenic divergence from vaccine strain of influenza A and B viruses circulating in Thailand, 2017–2020
Authors: Suntronwong Nungruthai , Klinfueng Sirapa , Korkong Sumeth , Vichaiwattana Preeyaporn , Thongmee Thanunrat , Vongpunsawad Sompong , Poovorawan Yong 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe monitored the circulating strains and genetic variation among seasonal influenza A and B viruses in Thailand between July 2017 and March 2020. The hemagglutinin gene was amplified and sequenced. We identified amino acid (AA) changes and computed antigenic relatedness using the Pepitope model. Phylogenetic analyses revealed multiple clades/subclades of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) were circulating simultaneously and evolved away from their vaccine strain, but not the influenza B virus. The predominant circulating strains of A(H1N1)pdm09 belonged to 6B.1A1 (2017–2018) and 6B.1A5 (2019–2020) with additional AA substitutions. Clade 3C.2a1b and 3C.2a2 viruses co-circulated in A(H3N2) and clade 3C.3a virus was found in 2020. The B/Victoria-like lineage predominated since 2019 with an additional three AA deletions. Antigenic drift was dominantly facilitated at epitopes Sa and Sb of A(H1N1)pdm09, epitopes A, B, D and E of A(H3N2), and the 120 loop and 190 helix of influenza B virus. Moderate computed antigenic relatedness was observed in A(H1N1)pdm09. The computed antigenic relatedness of A(H3N2) indicated a significant decline in 2019 (9.17%) and 2020 (− 18.94%) whereas the circulating influenza B virus was antigenically similar (94.81%) with its vaccine strain. Our findings offer insights into the genetic divergence from vaccine strains, which could aid vaccine updating.
Ocular side effects of novel anti-cancer biological therapies
Authors: Vishnevskia-Dai Vicktoria , Rozner Lihi , Berger Raanan , Jaron Ziv , Elyashiv Sivan , Markel Gal , Zloto Ofira 
Published: January 2021

AbstractTo examine the ocular side effects of selected biological anti-cancer therapies and the ocular and systemic prognosis of patients receiving them. We retrospectively reviewed all medical records of patients who received biological anti-cancer treatment from 1/2012 to 12/2017 and who were treated at our ocular oncology service. The following data was retrieved: primary malignancy, metastasis, type of biological therapy, ocular side effects, ophthalmic treatment, non-ocular side effects, and ocular and systemic disease prognoses. Twenty-two patients received biological therapies and reported ocular side effects. Eighteen patients (81.8%) had bilateral ocular side effects, including uveitis (40.9%), dry eye (22.7%), and central serous retinopathy (22.7%). One patient (4.5%) had central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO), and one patient (4.5%) had branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). At the end of follow-up, 6 patients (27.27%) had resolution of the ocular disease, 13 patients (59.09%) had stable ocular disease, and 3 patients (13.64%) had progression of the ocular disease. Visual acuity improved significantly at the end of follow-up compared to initial values. Eighteen patients (81.8%) were alive at study closure. Biological therapies can cause a wide range of ocular side effects ranging from dry eye symptoms to severe pathologies that may cause ocular morbidity and vision loss, such as uveitis, CRAO and BRVO. All patients receiving biological treatments should be screened by ophthalmologists before treatment, re-screened every 4–6 months during treatment, and again at the end of treatment. Patients on biological treatment who have ocular complaints should be urgently referred to ocular consultation for early identification and early intervention.
Shape-stabilized phase change material with highly thermal conductive matrix developed by one-step pyrolysis method
Authors: Wu Shibin , Chen Yan , Chen Zhenshou , Wang Jiaqi , Cai Miaomiao , Gao Junkai 
Published: January 2021

AbstractMetal microspheres doping porous carbon (MMPC), which was prepared using in-situ pyrolysis reduction strategy, could enhance the thermal conductivity of shape-stabilized phase change material (ss-PCM) prepared by MMPC as the matrix. However, in previous studies that were reported, the preparation of MMPC needed to synthesize porous carbon by pyrolysis firstly, and then porous carbon adsorbed metal ions was pyrolyzed again to obtain MMPC, which was tedious and energy-prodigal. In this study, a one-step pyrolysis strategy was developed for the synthesis of MMPC through the pyrolyzation of wheat bran adsorbed copper ions, and the copper microspheres doping wheat bran biochar (CMS-WBB) was prepared. The CMS-WBB was taken as the supporter of stearic acid (SA) to synthesize the ss-PCM of SA/CMS-WBB. The study results about the thermal properties of SA/CMS-WBB demonstrated that the introduction of copper microspheres could not only improve the thermal conductivity of SA/CMS-WBB, but also could increase the SA loading amount of wheat bran biochar. More importantly, the CMS-WBB could be obtained by only one-step pyrolysis, which greatly simplified the preparation process and saved energy consumption. Furthermore, the raw material of wheat bran is a kind of agricultural waste, which is abundant, cheap and easy to obtain. Hence, the SA/CMS-WBB synthesized in this study had huge potentialities in thermal management applications, and a simplified method for improving the thermal properties of ss-PCMs was provided.
Language Sample Collection and Analysis in People Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Overcoming Obstacles
Authors: Mooney Aine , Bean Allison , Sonntag Amy Miller 
Published: January 2021

Purpose
Language sample collection and analysis provides important information regarding the language abilities of individuals for whom standardized testing may not be appropriate, such as persons who use augmentative and alternative communication (PWUAACs). Despite its clinical utility, language sample collection and analysis has not been fully incorporated into the assessment of PWUAACs due to a variety of challenges. This study seeks to investigate the ability of language sample collection and analysis to provide clinically relevant information and explore ways to circumvent language sample collection and analysis challenges for PWUAACs.

Method
This is a case study of the narratives of two PWUAACs, one child and one adult. Analyses were conducted using manual calculations and computerized language sample analysis software (i.e., Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts and Child Language Exchange System) and Realize Language.

Conclusion
Although the language samples took longer to complete relative to verbal controls, the information obtained from language sample collection and analysis provided valuable insight into the language system of the two participants that would not be revealed through standardized language assessment, including the distribution of their parts of speech and syntactic complexity. Given the important clinical data that may be obtained through language sample collection and analysis, we propose strategies to enable clinicians to overcome previously identified challenges.
Solar wind energy flux observations in the inner heliosphere: first results from Parker Solar Probe
Authors: Liu M. , Issautier K. , Meyer-Vernet N. , Moncuquet M. , Maksimovic M. , Halekas J. S. , Huang J. , Griton L. , Bale S. , Bonnell J. W. , Case A. W. , Goetz K. , Harvey P. R. , Kasper J. C. , MacDowall R. J. , Malaspina D. M. , Pulupa M. , Stevens M. L. 
Published: January 2021

Aims.We investigate the solar wind energy flux in the inner heliosphere using 12-day observations around each perihelion of Encounter One (E01), Two (E02), Four (E04), and Five (E05) of Parker Solar Probe (PSP), respectively, with a minimum heliocentric distance of 27.8 solar radii (R⊙).Methods.Energy flux was calculated based on electron parameters (densityne, core electron temperatureTc, and suprathermal electron temperatureTh) obtained from the simplified analysis of the plasma quasi-thermal noise (QTN) spectrum measured by RFS/FIELDS and the bulk proton parameters (bulk speedVpand temperatureTp) measured by the Faraday Cup onboard PSP, SPC/SWEAP.Results.Combining observations from E01, E02, E04, and E05, the averaged energy flux value normalized to 1R⊙plus the energy necessary to overcome the solar gravitation (WR⊙) is about 70 ± 14 W m−2, which is similar to the average value (79 ± 18 W m−2) derived by Le Chat, G., Issautier, K., & Meyer-Vernet, N. (2012, Sol. Phys., 279, 197) from 24-yr observations by Helios, Ulysses, and Wind at various distances and heliolatitudes. It is remarkable that the distributions ofWR⊙are nearly symmetrical and well fitted by Gaussians, much more so than at 1 AU, which may imply that the small heliocentric distance limits the interactions with transient plasma structures.