bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of a harmonized method for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Bordetella avium using broth microdilution and detection of resistance genes
Authors: Gütgemann Franziska , Müller Anja , Churin Yury , Jung Arne , Braun Ann S. , Yue Min , Kehrenberg Corinna 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Aims
In response to a request from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), the objective of this study was to develop a harmonized method for broth microdilution susceptibility testing of Bordetella (B.) avium, the major causative agent of infectious coryza in poultry.

Methods and Results
To find a suitable test medium, growth curves with four epidemiologically unrelated B. avium isolates were created in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CAMHB), CAMHB + 2.5% lysed horse blood and veterinary fastidious medium. All isolates showed good growth in CAMHB, therefore MIC values were determined using this medium and the homogeneity of the values was determined. An essential MIC agreement of 99.7% was calculated. Testing of a larger strain collection (n = 49) for their susceptibility to 24 antimicrobials confirmed the suitability of the tested method and revealed some isolates with elevated MICs of florfenicol (n = 1), streptomycin (n = 2), tetracyclines (n = 5), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (n = 6). PCR assays detected the resistance genes aadA1, dfrB1, floR, sul1, sul2 and tet(A).

Conclusions
The method used enables easy reading and a good reproducibility of MIC values for B. avium.

Significance and Impact of Study
Application of the tested method allows harmonized resistance testing of B. avium and identification of isolates with elevated MIC values.
Natural pigment from Monascus: The production and therapeutic significance
Authors: Chaudhary Vishu , Katyal Priya , Poonia Anuj Kumar , Kaur Jaspreet , Puniya Anil Kumar , Panwar Harsh 
Published: September 2021

AbstractObjectiveThe present review highlights the advantages of using natural colorant over the synthetic one. We have discussed the fermentation parameters that can enhance the productivity of Monascus pigment on agricultural wastes.BackgroundFood industry is looking for natural colours because these can enhance the esthetic value, attractiveness, and acceptability of food while remaining nontoxic. Many synthetic food colours (Azorubine Carmoisine, quinoline) have been prohibited due to their toxicity and carcinogenicity. Increasing consumer awareness towards the food safety has forced the manufacturing industries to look for suitable alternatives. In addition to safety, natural colorants have been found to have nutritional and therapeutic significance. Among the natural colorants, microbial pigments can be considered as a viable option because of scalability, easier production, no seasonal dependence, cheaper raw materials and easier extraction. Fungi such as Monascus have a long history of safety and therefore can be used for production of biopigments.MethodThe present review summarizes the predicted biosynthetic pathways and pigment gene clusters in Monascus purpureus.ResultsThe challenges faced during the pilot-scale production of Monascus biopigment and taming it by us of low-cost agro-industrial substrates for solid state fermentation has been suggested.ConclusionKeeping in mind, therapeutic properties of Monascus pigments and their derivatives, they have huge potential for industrial and pharmaceutical application.ApplicationThough the natural pigments have wide scope in the food industry. However, stabilization of pigment is the greatest challenge and attempts are being made to overcome this by complexion with hydrocolloids or metals and by microencapsulation.
The interplay between mitochondria and store‐operated Ca2+ entry: Emerging insights into cardiac diseases
Authors: Nan Jinliang , Li Jiamin , Lin Yinuo , Saif Ur Rahman Muhammad , Li Zhengzheng , Zhu Lingjun 
Published: September 2021

AbstractStore‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) machinery, including Orai channels, TRPCs, and STIM1, is key to cellular calcium homeostasis. The following characteristics of mitochondria are involved in the physiological and pathological regulation of cells: mitochondria mediate calcium uptake through calcium uniporters; mitochondria are regulated by mitochondrial dynamic related proteins (OPA1, MFN1/2, and DRP1) and form mitochondrial networks through continuous fission and fusion; mitochondria supply NADH to the electron transport chain through the Krebs cycle to produce ATP; under stress, mitochondria will produce excessive reactive oxygen species to regulate mitochondria‐endoplasmic reticulum interactions and the related signalling pathways. Both SOCE and mitochondria play critical roles in mediating cardiac hypertrophy, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and cardiac ischaemia‐reperfusion injury. All the mitochondrial characteristics mentioned above are determinants of SOCE activity, and vice versa. Ca2+ signalling dictates the reciprocal regulation between mitochondria and SOCE under the specific pathological conditions of cardiomyocytes. The coupling of mitochondria and SOCE is essential for various pathophysiological processes in the heart. Herein, we review the research focussing on the reciprocal regulation between mitochondria and SOCE and provide potential interplay patterns in cardiac diseases.
Role of nutritional supplements in selected dermatological disorders: A review
Authors: Sardana Kabir , Sachdeva Soumya 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundWhile a plethora of literature continues to be published on the role of nutritional agents both in lay press and indexed journals, the data is not on a firm footing and leaves the dermatologist in a quandry and the patient confused. The various agents include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, diets & gluten. A proper knowledge of the role of nutritional supplements in dermatological diseases can be a useful tool in advising the patients and in certain cases ameliorating the disorder.Patients/MethodsLiterature review of last 15 years was made using the terms “diet in dermatology,” “nutrition and skin,” “nutritional supplements in dermatology,” “nutritional agents and acne,” “nutritional agents and alopecia,” and “nutritional agents and psoriasis.”ResultsWhile there are multiple publications on the use of nutritional supplements for amelioration of skin diseases, most of them are based on either associations or in vitro studies, but very few transcend the rigors of a clinical trial or the holey grail of a double‐blinded randomized controlled trial. There seem to be some evidence in acne, psoriasis, telogen effluvium, urticaria & vitiligo. Coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis have a strong link with diet. Rosacea has a strong link with certain foods, but the other disorders like melasma, aphthous stomatitis do not have any scientifically validated association with diet.ConclusionsOur updated review examines the role of nutritional supplements and antioxidants in various dermatological disorders. We have found that there are varying levels of evidence with notable associations of low glycemic diet & acne, fish oil & weight loss with psoriasis, fish oils & probiotics with atopic dermatitis & vitamins & botanical extracts with vitiligo. The evidence for diet and nutrition in bullous disorders and photoageing is scarce. The role of low histamine diet in urticaria is useful in select cases of episodic urticaria. Rosacea is triggered by hot and spicy food . Apart from gluten and Dermatitis Herpetiformis, no diet can be considered disease modifying in our reveiw. The lack of comparison of nutritional or dietary modiffication with conventional validated agents, makes the data difficult to translate in real world patient management.
Diagnostic implications of MicroRNAs; 155, 146 a, and 203 lesional expression in alopecia areata: A preliminary case‐controlled study
Authors: Mustafa Amany Ibrahim , Al ‐refaie Asmaa Mohamed , El‐Shimi Ola Samir , Fawzy Eman , Sorour Neveen Emad 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundAlopecia areata (AA) is an immune mediated disorder that attacks hair follicles with unknown pathophysiology. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNA molecules, and their aberrant expression or function has been involved in different autoimmune conditions.ObjectivesWe aimed at exploring the association between some miRNAs lesional expression and AA pathogenesis by measurement of miRNAs‐155, 146a, and 203 expression levels in the lesional skin from patchy AA patients and to evaluate their relation with the studied parameters.Subjects and MethodsSkin expression levels of miRNAs‐155, 146a, and 203 were evaluated in 50 patients with patchy AA and 25 healthy controls using reverse transcriptase‐quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR). The activity and severity of alopecia were assessed according to AA Investigational Assessment Guidelines criteria.ResultsStudied patients showed significant up‐regulation of miRNAs‐203, 146a, and 155 lesional tissue expression levels when compared to control group (p < 0.05 each). Only miRNA‐146a skin expression level was significantly higher in patients with multiple lesions (p < 0.001). However, patients with active AA had significantly higher tissue expression levels of the investigated miRNAs than those with inactive disease (P 0.001, 0.009, and 0.001, respectively).ConclusionsInvestigated miRNAs seem to be role players in AA pathogenesis and may be considered potential indicators of disease activity. However, more research is needed to clarify their accurate role and clinical importance.
Choledochal cyst theories going pear‐shaped? Evolution of choledochal cyst during intrauterine life in a case evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging and postnatal outcomes
Authors: Castro Pedro Teixeira , Araujo Júnior Edward , Fazecas Tatiana Mendonça , Ribeiro Gerson , Macedo Nicanor , Werner Heron 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA choledochal cyst is a rare abdominal malformation and was first reported almost three centuries before. There are few theories describing the evolution of the cyst through the lifespan of affected patients until diagnosis and prompt treatment; however, there is no image documentation of the evolution of the malformation. In this report, we demonstrate the evolution of a type I choledochal cyst in a fetus from the 24th to the 37th week of gestation using magnetic resonance imaging and perinatal outcomes with correlation with pathophysiological mechanisms.
It’s so boring – or is it? Examining the role of mindfulness for work performance and attitudes in monotonous jobs
Authors: Wihler Andreas , Hülsheger Ute R. , Reb Jochen , Menges Jochen I. 
Published: September 2021

We examine the role of employee mindfulness in the context of highly monotonous work conditions. Integrating research on task monotony with theorizing on mindfulness, we hypothesized that mindfulness is negatively associated with the extent to which employees feel generally bored by their jobs. We further hypothesized that this lower employee boredom would relate to downstream outcomes in the form of job attitudes (job satisfaction and turnover intentions) and task performance. We examined both objective task performance quality and quantity to shed light on the complexity of the mindfulness–task performance relation, which has so far mostly been investigated using subjective supervisor ratings. In a sample of 174 blue‐collar workers in a Mexican company, results showed that employee mindfulness was negatively related to boredom. Further, mindfulness was positively related to job satisfaction and negatively to turnover intentions, partly mediated through boredom. Mindfulness turned out to be a double‐edged sword for task performance in monotonous jobs: Mindfulness was positively related to task performance quality but negatively related to quantity.Practitioner points

In repetitive, monotonous jobs held by millions of people worldwide, more mindful employees perceive their job as less boring.

Furthermore, mindful employees have higher job satisfaction and are less likely to quit.

With regard to objective job performance, mindfulness can be a double‐edged sword: It positively affects objective performance quality via boredom, but negatively affects objective performance quantity directly.
Development of a reverse transcription loop‐mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid detection of strawberry crinkle virus
Authors: Ren Junda , Zhu Yadong , Ran Ce , Han Chenggui , Shang Qiaoxia 
Published: September 2021

AbstractStrawberry crinkle virus (SCV) has always been one of the major viruses affecting the strawberry production in China. Developing a quick and accurate method of detection is a crucial step for controlling the spread of SCV. In this study, a reverse transcription loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (RT‐LAMP) assay was developed for the detection of SCV. RNA was extracted from SCV‐infected strawberry leaves using a commercial extraction kit. According to the sequence of 1553 L protein (RdRp), four primers were developed for RT‐LAMP and a one‐step reaction was carried out at 65℃ for 30 min. Conventional reverse transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT‐PCR) was performed as a comparison. The amplified RT‐LAMP products were separated on agarose gel by running electrophoresis and could be detected by visual inspection using Green‐DNA‐staining dye too. The detection sensitivity of the RT‐LAMP assay was 1000 times higher than that of the conventional RT‐PCR method, and no cross reaction was found with other strawberry viruses. Field samples with the positive rate of about 60% were collected to demonstrate the applicability of the RT‐LAMP for field detection and its high consistency with the traditional RT‐PCR method. The LAMP method described in this report is a sensitive, simple, economy and reliable assay for the rapid detection of SCV infection in strawberry plants.
The ranked species occupancy curves reflect the dominant process of species sorting: Evidence from forest/scrub communities
Authors: Gafta Dan , Stoica Ilie‐Adrian , Coldea Gheorghe 
Published: September 2021

AbstractQuestionsAbiotic filtering, competitive interactions and niche pre‐emption effects, as important drivers of the species sorting in plant communities, were hypothesised to be responsible for the amount of concavity and shoulder distinction in ranked species occupancy curves (RSOCs). In connection with the intermediate productivity hypothesis, we proposed an adjustment and extension of the RSOC models concerning the ecological mechanisms underlying their shaping. We aimed at estimating the effects of the variation in resource availability and functional species composition on the RSOCs of 30 woody vegetation syntaxa.LocationLow plains to the subalpine belt (southeastern Carpathians) throughout Romania.MethodsThe fraction of vascular plant species with either low (< 3) or large (>7) Ellenberg ecological indicator values were used as proxies for abiotic variables. Both the standardised effect size of homotoneity (SES‐h, estimated by contrasting empirical vs null RSOCs) and the regression parameters of the fitted RSOCs were used, after adjusting them for differences in sampling scale, as shape descriptors.ResultsThe empirical RSOCs were all fitted best by the power exponential function. With increasing fraction of ruderal species and canopy openness, the slopes of RSOC's heads became gentler (larger power parameter). Higher levels of soil fertility towards lower elevations translated in reduced concavity of the RSOCs (larger exponential parameter). Larger/smaller SES‐h were associated with richer/poorer habitat‐specific species pools that were ascribed to low‐elevation, open‐canopy vegetation (oak‐dominated forests, shiblyak woodlands, secondary scrubs) and, respectively, (sub)montane, closed‐canopy, mixed beech or spruce forests and sub‐alpine scrubs.ConclusionsDense species packing and even niche partitioning in communities developed in moderately productive sites are associated with shoulder‐free, long‐tailed, slightly concave RSOCs. Conversely, strong filtering in stressful environments and/or low light availability under closed, woody canopies are related to steep, short‐tailed, exponential‐like RSOCs. The availability of resources and the equitability of niche partitioning, underlying the process of species sorting during plant community assembly, play a major role in shaping the RSOCs.
A novel quantitative ultrasound technique for identifying non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Gao Feng , He Qiong , Li Gang , Huang Ou‐Yang , Tang Liang‐Jie , Wang Xiao‐Dong , Targher Giovanni , Byrne Christopher D. , Luo Jian‐Wen , Zheng Ming‐Hua 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackground and AimsThere remains a need to develop a non‐invasive, accurate and easy‐to‐use tool to identify patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Successful clinical and preclinical applications demonstrate the ability of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) techniques to improve medical diagnostics. We aimed to develop and validate a diagnostic tool, based on QUS analysis, for identifying NASH.MethodsA total of 259 Chinese individuals with biopsy‐proven non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were enrolled in the study. The histological spectrum of NAFLD was classified according to the NASH clinical research network scoring system. Radiofrequency (RF) data, raw data of iLivTouch, was acquired for further QUS analysis. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was used to select the most useful predictive features.ResultsEighteen candidate RF parameters were reduced to two significant parameters by shrinking the regression coefficients with the LASSO method. We built a novel QUS score based on these two parameters, and this QUS score showed good discriminatory capacity and calibration for identifying NASH both in the training set (area under the ROC curve [AUROC]: 0.798, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.731‐0.865; Hosmer‐Lemeshow test, P = .755) and in the validation set (AUROC: 0.816, 95% CI 0.725‐0.906; Hosmer‐Lemeshow test, P = .397). Subgroup analysis showed that the QUS score performed well in different subgroups.ConclusionsThe QUS score, which was developed from QUS, provides a novel, non‐invasive and practical way for identifying NASH.
Sulfur abundances and isotopic compositions in bulk carbonaceous chondrites and insoluble organic material: Clues to elemental and isotopic fractionations of volatile chalcophiles
Authors: Alexander Conel M.O’D. , Wynn Jonathan G. , Bowden Roxane 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe bulk S elemental abundances and δ34S values for 83 carbonaceous chondrites (mostly CMs and CRs) and Semarkona (LL3.0) are reported. In addition, the S elemental abundances and δ34S values of insoluble organic material (IOM) isolated from 25 carbonaceous chondrites (CMs, CRs, and three ungrouped) are presented. The IOM only contributes 2–7% of the S to the bulk meteorites analyzed and exhibits no systematic variations. The average group bulk S abundances are similar to previous measurements. In‐group variations likely reflect variations in matrix abundances, as well as parent body processes and weathering. The S and C abundances are roughly correlated and scatter about a mixing line between CI‐like matrix and C‐free and S‐depleted chondrules. Systematic deviations from this mixing line may indicate different degrees of heating of matrix material in the nebula. There are no systematic variations in average group δ34S values, in contrast to what is seen for the volatile chalcophiles Zn, Te, Se, and Ag, as well as the less volatile siderophile Cu. Renormalization of the elemental and isotopic compositions indicates that the elemental and isotopic fractionations of Zn, Te, and Ag were controlled by the same process, whereas Se is intermediate in its behavior between these three elements and S. The isotopic fractionations could be associated with diffusion of volatile chalcophiles into sulfide at the end of chondrule formation. Copper appears to be distinct in its behavior from the chalcophiles, perhaps because it is more refractory and more siderophile.
Early diagenesis at and below Vera Rubin ridge, Gale crater, Mars
Authors: Turner S. M. R. , Schwenzer S. P. , Bridges J. C. , Rampe E. B. , Bedford C. C. , Achilles C. N. , McAdam A. C. , Mangold N. , Hicks L. J. , Parnell J. , Fraeman A. A. , Reed M. H. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractData returned by NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover showed evidence for abundant secondary materials, including Fe‐oxides, phyllosilicates, and an amorphous component on and below Vera Rubin ridge in the Murray formation. We used equilibrium thermochemical modeling to test the hypothesis that altered sediments were deposited as detrital igneous grains and subsequently underwent diagenesis. Chemical compositions of the Murray formations’ altered components were calculated using data returned by the chemistry and mineralogy X‐ray diffraction instrument and the alpha particle X‐ray spectrometer on board Curiosity. Reaction of these alteration compositions with a CO2‐poor and oxidizing dilute aqueous solution was modeled at 25–100 °C, with 10–50% Fe3+/Fetot of the host rock. The modeled alteration assemblages included abundant phyllosilicates and Fe‐oxides at water‐to‐rock ratios >100. Modeled alteration abundances were directly comparable to observed abundances of hematite and clay minerals at a water‐to‐rock ratio of 10,000, for system temperatures of 50–100 °C with fluid pH ranging from 7.9 to 9.3. Modeling results suggest that the hematite–clay mineral assemblage is primarily the result of enhanced groundwater flow compared to the Sheepbed mudstone observed at Yellowknife Bay, and underwent further, localized alteration to produce the mineralogy observed by Curiosity.
Genomic analysis unveils mechanisms of northward invasion and signatures of plateau adaptation in the Asian house rat
Authors: Chen Yi , Hou Guanmei , Jing Meidong , Teng Huajing , Liu Quansheng , Yang Xingen , Wang Yong , Qu Jiapeng , Shi Chengmin , Lu Liang , Zhang Jianxu , Zhang Yaohua 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe Asian house rat (AHR), Rattus tanezumi, has recently invaded the northern half of China. The AHR is a highly adaptive rat species that has also successfully conquered the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) and replaced the brown rat (BR), R. norvegicus, at the edge of the QTP. Here, we assembled a draft genome of the AHR and explored the mechanisms of its northward invasion and the genetic basis underlying plateau adaptation in this species. Population genomic analyses revealed that the northwardly invasive AHRs consisted of two independent and genetically distinct populations which might result from multiple independent primary invasion events. One invasive population exhibited reduced genetic diversity and distinct population structure compared with its source population, while the other displayed preserved genetic polymorphisms and little genetic differentiation from its source population. Genes involved in G‐protein coupled receptors and carbohydrate metabolism may contribute to the local adaptation of northern AHRs. In particular, RTN4 was identified as a key gene for AHRs in the QTP that favours adaptation to high‐altitude hypoxia. Coincidently, the physiological performance and transcriptome profiles of hypoxia‐exposed rats both showed better hypoxia adaptation in AHRs than in BRs that failed to colonize the heart of the QTP, which may have facilitated the replacement of the BR population by the invading AHRs at the edge of the QTP. This study provides profound insights into the multiple origins of the northwardly invasive AHR and the great tolerance to hypoxia in this species.