bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular cytogenetic characterization and fusarium head blight resistance of five wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium partial amphiploids
Authors: Wang Hui , Cheng Shuwei , Shi Yue , Zhang Shuxin , Yan Wei , Song Weifu , Yang Xuefeng , Song Qingjie , Jang Bo , Qi Xiaoyue , Li Xinling , Friebe Bernd , Zhang Yanming 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background
Partial amphiploids created by crossing octoploid tritelytrigia(2n = 8× = 56, AABBDDEE) and Thinopyrum intermedium (2n = 6× = 42, StStJJJSJS) are important intermediates in wheat breeding because of their resistance to major wheat diseases. We examined the chromosome compositions of five wheat-Th. intermedium partial amphiploids using GISH and multicolor-FISH.

Results
The result revealed that five lines had 10-14 J-genome chromosomes from Th. intermedium and 42 common wheat chromosomes, using the J-genomic DNA from Th. bessarabicum as GISH probe and the oligo probes pAs1-1, pAs1-3, AFA-4, (GAA) 10, and pSc119.2-1 as FISH probe. Five lines resembled their parent octoploid tritelytrigia (2n = 8× = 56, AABBDDEE) but had higher protein contents. Protein contents of two lines HS2-2 and HS2-5 were up to more than 20%. Evaluation of Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance revealed that the percent of symptomatic spikelets (PSS) of these lines were below 30%. Lines HS2-2, HS2-4, HS2-5, and HS2-16 were less than 20% of PPS. Line HS2-5 with 14 J-genome chromosomes from Th. intermedium showed the best disease resistance, with PSS values of 10.8% and 16.6% in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Conclusions
New wheat-Th. intermedium amphiploids with the J-genome chromosomes were identified and can be considered as a valuable source of FHB resistance in wheat breeding.
Regulatory mechanisms, functions, and clinical significance of CircRNAs in triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Lyu Lijuan , Zhang Shizhen , Deng Yujiao , Wang Meng , Deng Xinyue , Yang Si , Wu Ying , Dai Zhijun 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCircular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new class of endogenous regulatory RNAs characterized by covalently closed cyclic structure lacking poly-adenylated tails, and are capable of regulating gene expression at transcription or post-transcription levels. Recently, plentiful circRNAs have been discovered in breast cancer and some circRNAs expression profiles are specifically involved in the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC is a type of malignant tumor defined by the lack of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression. Considering its clinical characteristics of high invasion, metastasis, poor prognosis, and lack of effective response to conventional chemotherapies or targeted therapies, it could be a promosing option to discover specific circRNAs as new targets for TNBC treatment. Meanwhile, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that circRNAs are dysregulated in TNBC tissues and are correlated with clinicopathological features and prognosis of TNBC patients. Furthermore, looking for circRNAs with high specificity and sensitivity will provide a new opportunity for the early diagnosis, clinical treatment, and prognosis monitoring of TNBC. Herein, we reviewed the biogenesis, regulatory mechanisms, and biological functions of circRNAs in TNBC and summarized the relationship between circRNAs expression and the clinicopathology, diagnosis, and prognosis of patients with TNBC.
Accurate determination of genotypic variance of cell wall characteristics of a Populus trichocarpa pedigree using high-throughput pyrolysis-molecular beam mass spectrometry
Authors: Harman-Ware Anne E. , Macaya-Sanz David , Abeyratne Chanaka Roshan , Doeppke Crissa , Haiby Kathleen , Tuskan Gerald A. , Stanton Brian , DiFazio Stephen P. , Davis Mark F. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background
Pyrolysis-molecular beam mass spectrometry (py-MBMS) analysis of a pedigree of Populus trichocarpa was performed to study the phenotypic plasticity and heritability of lignin content and lignin monomer composition. Instrumental and microspatial environmental variability were observed in the spectral features and corrected to reveal underlying genetic variance of biomass composition.

Results
Lignin-derived ions (including m/z 124, 154, 168, 194, 210 and others) were highly impacted by microspatial environmental variation which demonstrates phenotypic plasticity of lignin composition in Populus trichocarpa biomass. Broad-sense heritability of lignin composition after correcting for microspatial and instrumental variation was determined to be H2 = 0.56 based on py-MBMS ions known to derive from lignin. Heritability of lignin monomeric syringyl/guaiacyl ratio (S/G) was H2 = 0.81. Broad-sense heritability was also high (up to H2 = 0.79) for ions derived from other components of the biomass including phenolics (e.g., salicylates) and C5 sugars (e.g., xylose). Lignin and phenolic ion abundances were primarily driven by maternal effects, and paternal effects were either similar or stronger for the most heritable carbohydrate-derived ions.

Conclusions
We have shown that many biopolymer-derived ions from py-MBMS show substantial phenotypic plasticity in response to microenvironmental variation in plantations. Nevertheless, broad-sense heritability for biomass composition can be quite high after correcting for spatial environmental variation. This work outlines the importance in accounting for instrumental and microspatial environmental variation in biomass composition data for applications in heritability measurements and genomic selection for breeding poplar for renewable fuels and materials.
Frequency of sodium channel genotypes and association with pyrethrum knockdown time in populations of Californian Aedes aegypti
Authors: Mack Lindsey K. , Kelly Erin Taylor , Lee Yoosook , Brisco Katherine K. , Shen Kaiyuan Victoria , Zahid Aamina , van Schoor Tess , Cornel Anthony J. , Attardo Geoffrey M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundSince their detection in 2013,Aedes aegyptihas become a widespread urban pest in California. The availability of cryptic larval breeding sites in residential areas and resistance to insecticides pose significant challenges to control efforts. Resistance to pyrethroids is largely attributed to mutations in the voltage gated sodium channels (VGSC), the pyrethroid site of action. However, past studies have indicated that VGSC mutations may not be entirely predictive of the observed resistance phenotype.MethodsTo investigate the frequencies of VGSC mutations and the relationship with pyrethroid insecticide resistance in California, we sampledAe. aegyptifrom four locations in the Central Valley, and the Greater Los Angeles area. Mosquitoes from each location were subjected to an individual pyrethrum bottle bioassay to determine knockdown times. A subset of assayed mosquitoes from each location was then analyzed to determine the composition of 5 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci within the VGSC gene.ResultsThe distribution of knockdown times for each of the five Californian populations sampled was non-parametric with potentially bimodal distributions. One group succumbs to insecticidal effects around 35–45 min and the second group lasts up to and beyond the termination of the assay (120+ min). We detected 5 polymorphic VGSC SNPs within the sampled California populations. One is potentially new and alternatively spliced (I915K), and four are documented and associated with resistance: F1534C, V1016I, V410L and S723T. The Central Valley populations (Clovis, Dinuba, Sanger and Kingsburg) are fairly homogenous with only 5% of the mosquitoes showing heterozygosity at any given position. In the Greater LA mosquitoes, 55% had at least one susceptible allele at any of the five SNP loci. The known resistance allele F1534C was detected in almost all sampled mosquitoes (99.4%). We also observe significant heterogeneity in the knockdown phenotypes of individuals with the identical VGSC haplotypes suggesting the presence of additional undefined resistance mechanisms.ConclusionsResistance associated VGSC SNPs are prevalent, particularly in the Central Valley. Interestingly, among mosquitoes carrying all 4 resistance associated SNPs, we observe significant heterogeneity in bottle bioassay profiles suggesting that other mechanisms are important to the individual resistance ofAe. aegyptiin California. Keywords:Aedes aegypti, Resistance, Pyrethroid, IPLEX genotyping, Voltage gated sodium channel, California.Graphical Abstract
MSCs derived from amniotic fluid and umbilical cord require different administration schemes and exert different curative effects on different tissues in rats with CLP-induced sepsis
Authors: Chen Rui , Xie Yingjun , Zhong Xuan , Chen Fei , Gong Yu , Wang Na , Wang Ding 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are derived from multiple tissues, including amniotic fluid (AF-MSCs) and the umbilical cord (UC-MSCs). Although the therapeutic effect of MSCs on sepsis is already known, researchers have not determined whether the cells from different sources require different therapeutic schedules or exert different curative effects. We assessed the biofunction of the administration of AF-MSCs and UC-MSCs in rats with caecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis.

Methods
CLP was used to establish a disease model of sepsis in rats, and intravenous tail vein administration of AF-MSCs and UC-MSCs was performed to treat sepsis at 6 h after CLP. Two phases of animal experiments were implemented using MSCs harvested in saline with or without filtration. The curative effect was measured by determining the survival rate. Further effects were assessed by measuring proinflammatory cytokine levels, the plasma coagulation index, tissue histology and the pathology of the lung, liver and kidney.

Results
We generated rats with medium-grade sepsis with a 30–40% survival rate to study the curative effects of AF-MSCs and UC-MSCs. MSCs reversed CLP-induced changes in proinflammatory cytokine levels and coagulation activation. MSCs ameliorated CLP-induced histological and pathological changes in the lung, liver and kidney. AF-MSCs and UC-MSCs functioned differently in different tissues; UC-MSCs performed well in reducing the upregulation of inflammatory cytokine levels in the lungs and inhibiting the inflammatory cell infiltration into the liver capsule, while AF-MSCs performed well in inhibiting cell death in the kidneys and reducing the plasma blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level, an indicator of renal function.

Conclusions
Our studies suggest the safety and efficacy of AF-MSCs and UC-MSCs in the treatment of CLP-induced sepsis in rats and show that the cells potentially exert different curative effects on the main sepsis-affected tissues.
Effects of altitude on human oral microbes
Authors: Liu Fang , Liang Tian , Zhang Zhiying , Liu Lijun , Li Jing , Dong Wenxue , Zhang Han , Bai Su , Ma Lifeng , Kang Longli 
Published: March 2021

AbstractHuman oral microbes play a vital role maintaining host metabolic homeostasis. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is mainly characterized by a high altitude, dry, cold, and hypoxic environment. The oral microbiota is subject to selective pressure from the plateau environment, which affects oral health. Only a few studies have focused on the characteristics of oral microbiota in high-altitude humans. We collected saliva samples from 167 Tibetans at four altitudes (2800 to 4500 m) in Tibet to explore the relationship between the high altitude environment and oral microbiota. We conducted a two (high- and ultra-high-altitude) group analysis based on altitude, and adopted the 16S rRNA strategy for high-throughput sequencing. The results show that the alpha diversity of the oral microbiota decreased with altitude, whereas beta diversity increased with altitude. A LEfSe analysis revealed that the oral microbial biomarker of the high-altitude group (< 3650 m) was Streptococcus, and the biomarker of the ultra-high-altitude group (> 4000 m) was Prevotella. The relative abundance of Prevotella increased with altitude, whereas the relative abundance of Streptococcus decreased with altitude. A network analysis showed that the microbial network structure was more compact and complex, and the interaction between the bacterial genera was more intense in the high altitude group. Gene function prediction results showed that the amino acid and vitamin metabolic pathways were upregulated in the ultra-high-altitude group. These result show that altitude is an important factor affecting the diversity and community structure of the human oral microbiota.
Serum melatonin concentration in critically ill patients randomized to sedation or non-sedation
Authors: Oxlund Jakob , Knudsen Torben , Strøm Thomas , Lauridsen Jørgen T. , Jennum Poul J. , Toft Palle 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background
Abolished circadian rhythm is associated with altered cognitive function, delirium, and as a result increased mortality in critically ill patients, especially in those who are mechanically ventilated. The causes are multifactorial, of which changes in circadian rhythmicity may play a role. Melatonin plays a crucial role as part of the circadian and sleep/wake cycle. Whether sedation effects circadian regulation is unknown. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate the melatonin concentration in critically ill patients randomized to sedation or non-sedation and to investigate the correlation with delirium.

Methods
All patients were included and randomized at the intensive care unit at the hospital of southwest Jutland, Denmark. Seventy-nine patients completed the study (41 sedated and 38 non-sedated). S-melatonin was measured 3 times per day, (03.00, 14.00, and 22.00), for 4 consecutive days in total, starting on the second day upon randomization/intubation. The study was conducted as a sub-study to the NON-SEDA study in which one hundred consecutive patients were randomized to sedation or non-sedation with a daily wake-up call (50 in each arm). Primary outcome: melatonin concentration in sedated vs. non-sedated patients (analyzed using linear regression). Secondary outcome: risk of developing delirium or non-medically induced (NMI) coma in sedated vs. non-sedated patients, assessed by CAM-ICU (Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit) analyzed using logistic regression.

Results
Melatonin concentration was suppressed in sedated patients compared to the non-sedated. All patients experienced an elevated peak melatonin level early on in the course of their critical illness (p = 0.01). The risk of delirium or coma (NMI) was significantly lower in the non-sedated group (OR 0.42 CI 0.27; 0.66 p < 0.0001). No significant relationship between delirium development and suppressed melatonin concentration was established in this study (OR 1.004 p = 0.29 95% CI 0.997; 1.010).

Conclusion
Melatonin concentration was suppressed in sedated, critically ill patients, when compared to non-sedated controls and the frequency of delirium was elevated in sedated patients.
Trail registration Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01967680) on October 23, 2013.
DRMaestro: orchestrating disaggregated resources on virtualized data-centers
Authors: Amaral Marcelo , Polo Jordà , Carrera David , Gonzalez Nelson , Yang Chih-Chieh , Morari Alessandro , D’Amora Bruce , Youssef Alaa , Steinder Malgorzata 
Published: March 2021

AbstractModern applications demand resources at an unprecedented level. In this sense, data-centers are required to scale efficiently to cope with such demand. Resource disaggregation has the potential to improve resource-efficiency by allowing the deployment of workloads in more flexible ways. Therefore, the industry is shifting towards disaggregated architectures, which enables new ways to structure hardware resources in data centers. However, determining the best performing resource provisioning is a complicated task. The optimality of resource allocation in a disaggregated data center depends on its topology and the workload collocation. This paper presents DRMaestro, a framework to orchestrate disaggregated resources transparently from the applications. DRMaestro uses a novel flow-network model to determine the optimal placement in multiple phases while employing best-efforts on preventing workload performance interference. We first evaluate the impact of disaggregation regarding the additional network requirements under higher network load. The results show that for some applications the impact is minimal, but other ones can suffer up to 80% slowdown in the data transfer part. After that, we evaluate DRMaestro via a real prototype on Kubernetes and a trace-driven simulation. The results show that DRMaestro can reduce the total job makespan with a speedup of up to ≈1.20x and decrease the QoS violation up to ≈2.64x comparing with another orchestrator that does not support resource disaggregation.
A retrospective analysis of the health and social situation of homeless people in Berlin: study protocol
Authors: Lech Sonia , Schenk Liane , De la Torre Castro Jenny , Schindel Daniel 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background
Homelessness is often described as both a driver and a consequence of poor health, social exclusion and economic marginalisation. The present protocol provides a detailed description of the study Examining the health situation of homeless people in Berlin: a retrospective analysis of data from the health centre for the homeless of the Jenny De la Torre Foundation from 2006 to 2020 (GIG study). The primary objective of the GIG study is to describe and analyse the social and health situation of homeless people in Berlin.

Methods
A retrospective secondary data analysis of an anonymous full census of medical records for the years 2006 until 2020 from a health centre for homeless people will be carried out. The main outcome is the description and analysis of the social and health situation of homeless people in Berlin. Total and cross-sectional sample characteristics will be presented in a descriptive analysis using Chi-Square Test, Mann-Whitney-U-Test or independent t-Test as appropriate to test (sub) group differences. Further, outcomes will be analysed using finite mixture modelling in order to distinguish different types of social and health conditions. Latent variable regressions will be applied in order to identify sociodemographic and disease-related factors associated with decreasing health conditions.

Discussion
Given the high number of homeless individuals in Germany, it is of great importance to examine their social and health situation in order to gain a better understanding of challenges and needs of homeless people and work on new approaches and solutions to effectively address these.

Trail registration
The study was prospectively registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (trial registration number: DRKS00021172). Registered 26 June 2020.
Effects of management of infection source of echinococcosis in Linzhi, Tibet Autonomous Region of China
Authors: Wang Ying , Ma Bing-Cheng , Wang Li-Ying , Quzhen Gongsang , Pang Hua-Sheng 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background
Echinococcosis is highly endemic in western and northern China. Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is the most serious prevalent area. Linzhi is located in southeastern part of TAR. Dogs are the primary infection source for the transmission of echinococcosis to humans. A control and prevention campaign based on dog management has been implemented in the past three years. This study aims to evaluate the effects of dog management on the infection rate of dogs.

Methods
Data of dog population, registration and de-worming of seven counties/district in Linzhi between 2017 and 2019 were obtained from the annual prevention and control report. Domestic dog fecal samples were collected from each endemic town of seven counties/district in Linzhi in 2019 to determine the infection of domestic dogs using coproantigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data analysis was processed using SPSS statistics to compare dog infection rate between 2016 and 2019 by chi-square test, and maps were mapped using ArcGIS.

Results
In Linzhi, domestic dog population has decreased from 17 407 in 2017 to 12 663 in 2019, while the registration rate has increased from 75.9% in 2017 to 98.6% in 2019. Similarly, stray dog population has decreased from 14 336 in 2017 to 11 837 in 2019, while sheltered rate has increased from 84.6% in 2017 to 96.6% in 2019. Dog de-worming frequency has increased from 4 times per annum in 2017 to 12 times in 2019, indicating that approximately every dog was dewormed monthly. A total of 2715 dog fecal samples were collected for coproantigen ELISA assay. The dog infection rate was 2.8% (77/2715) in 2019, which was significantly lower than 7.3% (45/618) in 2016 (P < 0.05).

Conclusions
Increased dog registration, decreased dog population, and increased dog de-worming frequency contributed to significantly decrease the dog infection rate in Linzhi. Control and prevention campaign based on dog management could significantly decrease dog infection with Echinococcus spp. in echinococcosis endemic areas.
Development and feasibility testing of a play-based psychosocial intervention for reduced patient stress in a pediatric care setting: experiences from Pakistan
Authors: Rasheed Muneera A. , Bharuchi Vardah , Mughis Waliyah , Hussain Ayesha 
Published: March 2021

AbstractBackgroundHospitalization can be a source of great stress for children and their families. In high-income countries, there are specialized staff to help children cope using different techniques including play. However, it is a major challenge in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) due to financial constraints and untrained human resource. The objective of study was to develop and test the feasibility and acceptance of a psychology trainee-delivered model postulated on employing play as a means of enhancing child-parent interactions leading to reduced stress during hospitalization.MethodsThis study was conducted in the paediatric ward of a tertiary care private hospital in Pakistan. Pre-intervention survey revealed that parental stress stemmed mainly from seeing their child irritable, distressed, or in pain. Using a theory of change model, a play-based psychosocial intervention was developed to address these factors. The intervention approach was informed by principles of Nurturing Care Framework and play therapy. Children between birth and 6 years admitted in the acute care ward were eligible. The intervention was delivered between March 2019 and December 2020 by psychology trainees who were supervised by a clinical psychologist. The play-based sessions were delivered at the bedside and ranged from 20 to 40 min. Parents receiving the intervention were later interviewed for their stress, child emotions, and feedback about the service using structured surveys administered by psychology graduates. The trainees delivering the intervention were requested to provide their feedback as a written qualitative open-ended narrative. These narratives were analyzed using an inductive approach.ResultsThe survey was conducted with 223 families with about half of the sample having children under 2 years of age. Forty-five percent of parents reported play intervention to be one of 3 key factors in improving their experience during hospital stay. Only 5% of parents reported feeling stressed about the child illness after the intervention. Ninety to 96% parents felt respected, listened to, and understood by the therapists. Thematic analysis of the feedback by trainees indicated the internship to be a useful experience and a new avenue for professional life whereas physicians appreciated the interventions.ConclusionsThe authors conclude that psychology trainees can feasibly deliver a play-based intervention under supervision for reduced stress in children and their parents during hospitalization with mutual benefits.