bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Yield, Forage Nutritive Value, and Preference of Legumes under Horse Grazing
Authors: Catalano Devan N. , Sheaffer Craig C. , Grev Amanda M. , DeBoer Michelle L. , Martinson Krishona L. 
Published: March 2019

Core Ideas
Alfalfa had better persistence than red or white clover in horse pastures.
Inclusion of grass increased yield of clover pastures but not alfalfa pastures.
Inclusion of grass decreased nutritive values of legume pastures.
On average, legume pastures contained 111 g kg–1 of nonstructural carbohydrates.
ABSTRACTLegumes have the potential to provide high‐quality pasture but are rarely grazed by horses in monocultures. The objectives of this research were to evaluate yield, forage nutritive value, and preference of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in monoculture or in mixture with perennial cool‐season grasses under horse grazing. Research was conducted between 2014 and 2016 in St. Paul, MN. Two separate but identical experiments were established in spring 2014 and 2015. Four to six adult horses grazed legumes, which were established as a randomized complete block design with and without cool‐season grasses in four replicates. Forages were measured for yield, forage nutritive value, and preference every 28 d during the grazing season. Averaged over both experiments, alfalfa, red clover, and white clover yielded 13.4, 6.9, and 4.5 Mg ha−1 yr−1, respectively. In grass mixtures, alfalfa, red clover, and white clover yielded 13.1, 9.4, and 8.6 Mg ha−1 yr−1, respectively. Equine digestible energy (DE) of all legumes in monoculture or mixture exceeded the energy requirements for adult horses at maintenance with ³2.29 Mcal kg−1. Red and white clover were more preferred by horses than alfalfa, and preference was positively correlated to crude protein and equine DE. This research helps confirm that legumes are high in nutritive value, yield well, are a preferred forage option for horses, and should be considered as a viable grazing option for horses with increased energy and nutritional needs.
Digital Image Analysis of Old World Bluestem Cover to Estimate Canopy Development
Authors: Xiong Yedan , West C.P. , Brown C.P. , Green P.E. 
Published: March 2019

Core Ideas
ImageJ and Canopeo agreed in accurately measuring vegetative ground cover of pasture.
Light interception was linearly related to ground cover measurement with ImageJ and Canopeo.
ImageJ and Canopeo reduced the time for estimating canopy development by 96%.
ABSTRACTDigital image analysis (DIA) can potentially provide rapid, objective assessment of pasture canopy development. In pastures of ‘WW‐B.Dahl’ Old World bluestem [Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz) Blake], we compared the DIA programs ImageJ and Canopeo for ground cover estimates, their ability to estimate canopy functions, and their time savings for vegetation analysis relative to a manual method. The DIA procedure involved processing overhead canopy images into two color groupings corresponding to green ground cover and non‐green (dead) cover plus bare ground for ground cover calculation. ImageJ analysis of ground cover agreed with two types of Canopeo applications (r2 values of 0.97 and 0.98). The prediction regression for percentage photosynthetically active radiation interception (PARI) using ImageJ, y = 0.94x − 2.91 (r2 = 0.72), was not different from Canopeo. Predicted values of leaf area index (LAI) and biomass increased exponentially with ground cover, likely owing to overlapping leaf area in older canopies. Two‐dimensional ground cover had limited power of estimating LAI and biomass when ground cover exceeded 60%, LAI exceeded 1.8, and biomass exceeded 1500 kg DM ha−1. The time required for estimating PARI, LAI, and green biomass using ground cover from both DIA methods was reduced to 3.6% of manual methods. The use of DIA with ImageJ provided measurements of ground cover that are simple and conducive to large batch analyses. Regressions of ground cover were deemed useful for rapid estimations of PARI and LAI, but of lesser value for biomass, especially when canopies developed stems and seedheads.
Development and Evaluation of Soil Moisture‐Based Indices for Agricultural Drought Monitoring
Authors: Krueger Erik S. , Ochsner Tyson E. , Quiring Steven M. 
Published: March 2019

Core Ideas
In situ soil moisture data were used to develop agricultural‐drought indices.
Promising indices were directly linked to drought impacts (i.e., lower crop yield).
Preferred indices, formulated as anomalies, were comparable across time and space.
These can be derived from in situ soil moisture data common to networks worldwide.
Our methodology is transferrable to other regions with in situ soil moisture data.
ABSTRACTAgricultural drought is characterized by low soil moisture levels that negatively affect agricultural production, but in situ soil moisture measurements are largely absent from indices commonly used to describe agricultural drought. Instead, many indices incorporate weather‐derived soil moisture estimates, which is necessary, in part, because the relationships between in situ soil moisture and agricultural‐drought impacts are not well quantified. Our objective was to use in situ soil moisture data from monitoring networks in Oklahoma and West Texas to identify a soil moisture‐based agricultural drought index that is (i) strongly related to crop‐yield anomaly across networks, (ii) comparable across time and space, and (iii) readily understandable. Candidate indices included soil matric potential (MP), soil water storage (SWS), and fraction of available water capacity (FAW), with indices assessed in their raw form and after climatological (i.e., anomalies) or statistical standardization. At the county level, indices related similarly to crop‐yield anomaly, with soil moisture‐yield anomaly correlation coefficients averaging 0.63, 0.76, and 0.76 for winter wheat, hay, and cotton, respectively. However, standardization was essential to maximize temporal and spatial comparability, and at the regional level, standardized indices were more highly correlated with crop‐yield anomaly than non‐standardized indices. Our findings show that existing in situ soil moisture datasets can underpin regional drought‐monitoring systems. The SWS‐anomaly may be the preferred index because it is comparable across space and time, has units that are readily understandable (e.g., mm or inches), and can be broadly applied using data from the many in situ soil‐moisture monitoring networks across the world.
Alfalfa and Timothy Nutritive Value in Contrasting Agroclimatic Regions
Authors: Lauzon Julie , Tremblay Gaëtan F. , Bélanger Gilles , Seguin Philippe , Lajeunesse Julie , Gervais Rachel 
Published: March 2019

Core Ideas
Lower fiber and greater digestibility but lower mass of forages were observed in cool regions.
Contrasted regions did not affect forage non‐structural carbohydrates, total N, and fatty acids.
Lower growing degree days are needed for reaching the developmental stage for harvest in cool regions.
ABSTRACTTemperature affects forage nutritive value but little information exists on the effects of climatically‐contrasting regions. Forage nutritive value at three sites in eastern Canada was compared for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) by measuring attributes four to seven times during primary growth over 2 yr and comparing values at specific developmental stage or forage mass using regression analyses. At the recommended stage of development for harvest, alfalfa and timothy at Normandin, QC (30‐yr average of 1359 cumulative growing degree days, GDD), generally had a superior nutritive value in terms of forage fiber concentrations and digestibility but lower forage mass compared with forages at the more southern sites of St‐Augustin‐de‐Desmaures, QC (1712 GDD), and Ste‐Anne‐de‐Bellevue, QC (2098 GDD). For example, the neutral detergent fiber concentration of timothy at early heading was less at Normandin than St‐Augustin and Ste‐Anne (613 vs 650 and 652 g kg−1 dry matter, DM) but forage mass was less (4.02 vs 6.14 and 5.00 Mg DM ha−1). The in vitro true digestibility of DM (IVTD) of alfalfa at early flowering was greater at Normandin than St‐Augustin and Ste‐Anne (765 vs 729 and 726 g kg−1 DM) but forage mass was less (3.86 vs 6.38 and 6.15 Mg DM ha−1). When compared at similar forage mass, forages at the northernmost site had either similar or lower nutritive value than at the southern sites. The three climatically‐contrasted sites did not differ for forage non‐structural carbohydrate (NSC), total N, and total fatty concentrations.
Reducing Water‐Soluble Phosphorus in Soil through Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum Application: Year of Application Effects at Multiple Sites in Wisconsin
Authors: Sindelar Meghan E. , Wolkowski Richard P. 
Published: March 2019

Phosphorus runoff from agricultural land to surface water bodies, such as the Great Lakes, is an important environmental concern. Soil amendments, such as gypsum, may alter the chemistry of the soil solution to reduce the amount of water‐soluble P (WSP) available for loss to runoff, and as such, the NRCS now recommends gypsum application as a Conservation Practice Standard (Code 333) for improving water quality. Interest in gypsum use has also increased as availability has increased from production of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum at many coal‐burning power plants throughout the United States. This study tested three rates of unincorporated, surface‐broadcast FGD gypsum application at 23 field sites in Wisconsin. The optimal rate for reducing WSP concentration and the relationship between selected soil properties and the beneficial effect of FGD gypsum application were evaluated. The FGD gypsum reduced WSP (P < 0.0001), with a significant effect compared with the control at the lowest tested rate of 1120 kg ha−1 at 5 of the 23 sites. Few other sites saw a significant benefit. Correlation indicated that sites showing a beneficial reduction of WSP from FGD gypsum application were those with greater soil test P (P = 0.0002) and lower cation exchange capacity (P = 0.0087) values.Core Ideas
Not all sites benefit from flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum application.
FGD gypsum is useful in reducing water‐soluble P in soil and the potential for P in runoff.
Sites with high soil test P and low cation exchange capacity benefit more from FGD gypsum.
Environmental and Agricultural Relevance of Humic Fractions Extracted by Alkali from Soils and Natural Waters
Authors: Olk D. C. , Bloom P. R. , Perdue E. M. , McKnight D. M. , Chen Y. , Farenhorst A. , Senesi N. , Chin Y.‐P. , Schmitt‐Kopplin P. , Hertkorn N. , Harir M. 
Published: March 2019

To study the structure and function of soil organic matter, soil scientists have performed alkali extractions for soil humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) fractions for more than 200 years. Over the last few decades aquatic scientists have used similar fractions of dissolved organic matter, extracted by resin adsorption followed by alkali desorption. Critics have claimed that alkali‐extractable fractions are laboratory artifacts, hence unsuitable for studying natural organic matter structure and function in field conditions. In response, this review first addresses specific conceptual concerns about humic fractions. Then we discuss several case studies in which HA and FA were extracted from soils, waters, and organic materials to address meaningful problems across diverse research settings. Specifically, one case study demonstrated the importance of humic substances for understanding transport and bioavailability of persistent organic pollutants. An understanding of metal binding sites in FA and HA proved essential to accurately model metal ion behavior in soil and water. In landscape‐based studies, pesticides were preferentially bound to HA, reducing their mobility. Compost maturity and acceptability of other organic waste for land application were well evaluated by properties of HA extracted from these materials. A young humic fraction helped understand N cycling in paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) soils, leading to improved rice management. The HA and FA fractions accurately represent natural organic matter across multiple environments, source materials, and research objectives. Studying them can help resolve important scientific and practical issues.Core Ideas
Humic substances have long been extracted from soils, waters, and organic materials.
Their chemical composition has well represented that of natural organic matter.
Compost maturation and composition are well represented by their properties.
Soil humic studies elucidated metal and organic xenobiotic binding and nutrient cycling.
Their quantities and composition in soil respond to field treatments.
Factors Affecting Soil Desiccation Spatial Variability in the Loess Plateau of China
Authors: Zhao Chunlei , Shao Ming'an , Jia Xiaoxu , Zhu Yuanjun 
Published: March 2019

Core Ideas
Soil desiccated patterns varied with soil layers in the Loess Plateau (LP).
Soil in grassland and forestland was more desiccated than that in cropland.
Soil desiccation in the LP was jointly controlled by climate and non‐climate factors.
Soil desiccation has occurred widely across the Loess Plateau (LP) of China because of excessive depletion of soil water by artificial ecosystems and limited long‐term rainfall recharge. This may lead to soil degradation and failure of afforestation efforts, which threatens ecosystem health in the LP. However, spatial characteristics and controlling factors of soil water generally vary within different soil layers. This has implications of vegetation recovery in the LP and has been overlooked in previous studies. This study investigates the spatial characteristics of soil desiccation in different layers from the 0‐ to 5‐m depth across the entire LP and explores the relationships between soil desiccation and environmental factors. The soil desiccated index (SDI) in the 0‐ to 1‐m soil layer was patchy, while in the 1‐ to 5‐m soil layer, the degree of soil desiccation generally increased from southeast to northwest following a gradient of decreasing rainfall. Soil desiccation in the forestland and grassland were more severe than that in the cropland because of higher evapotranspiration, lower precipitation recharge and lower soil water holding capacity. Soil desiccation at the shallow depth (0–1 m) was mainly attributed to climate factors whereas deep soil desiccation (1–5 m depth) was more likely attributed to the joint effects of climate factors and non‐climate factors. The results of this study can help develop practical sustainable land management practices, regional water budgets and help restoration of environment in the LP of China.
Boosting the Limited Use of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists Through New Agents for Hyperkalemia
Authors: Athyros Vasilios G. , Sachinidis Alexandros G. , Zografou Ioanna , Simoulidou Elisavet , Piperidou Alexia , Stavropoulos Nikiforos , Karagiannis Asterios 
Published: March 2019

Background:
Hyperkalemia is an important clinical problem that is associated with significant lifethreatening
complications. Several conditions are associated with increased risk for hyperkalemia such as chronic
kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, and the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS)
inhibitors.

Objective:
The purpose of this review is to present and critically discuss treatment options for the management of
hyperkalemia.

Method:
A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to identify studies assessing the drug-induced
management of hyperkalemia.

Results:
The management of chronic hyperkalemia seems to be challenging and includes a variety of traditional
interventions, such as restriction in the intake of the dietary potassium, loop diuretics or sodium polystyrene sulfonate.
In the last few years, several new agents have emerged as promising options to reduce potassium levels in
hyperkalemic patients. Patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate 9 (ZS-9) have been examined in hyperkalemic
patients and were found to be efficient and safe. Importantly, the efficacy of these novel drugs might allow
the continuation of the use of RAAS inhibitors, morbidity- and mortality-wise beneficial class of drugs in the
setting of chronic kidney disease and heart failure.

Conclusion:
Data support that the recently emerged patiromer and ZS-9 offer significant hyperkalemia-related
benefits. Larger trials are needed to unveil the impact of these drugs in other patients’ subpopulations, as well.
Green Fabrication of Cobalt NPs using Aqueous Extract of Antioxidant Rich Zingiber and Their Catalytic Applications for the Synthesis of Pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles
Authors: Mianai Robabeh Sabaghi , Ghasemzadeh Mohammad Ali , Monfared Mohammad Reza Zand 
Published: March 2019

Aim and Objective:
In this study, biological synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles was
developed in the presence of ginger extract as the reducing and capping agent through the simple
and convenient co-precipitation method.

Materials and Methods:
The as-synthesized cobalt nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray
diffraction (XRD), scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), spectra energy dispersive analysis of Xray
(EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM)
techniques. According to the vibrating sample magnetometer, cobalt nanoparticles show
paramagnetic behaviour at room temperature. Furthermore, the effect of ginger extract
concentration on the UV-Vis absorbance of Co nanoparticles was investigated. Based on the UVVis
absorbance spectra, increasing ginger extract concentration causes particle size to decrease. In
addition, the catalytic performance of the synthesized cobalt nanoparticles was investigated in the
preparation of pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles via one-pot four-component reactions of aryl aldehydes,
hydrazine hydrate, malononitrile and diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate.

Result and Conclusion:
The prepared pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives were obtained in high
yields within short reaction times and the nanocatalyst was easily separated using an external
magnet and reused for several times with no significant loss of its activity.
Novel Combination Oncolytic Adenoviral Gene Therapy Armed with Dm-dNK and CD40L for Breast Cancer
Authors: Wang Qiuli , Yang Muwen , Zhang Ye , Zhong Li , Zheng Xinyu 
Published: March 2019

Background:Both Drosophila melanogaster deoxyribonucleoside kinase (Dm-dNK) suicide gene therapy and exogenous CD40 ligand (CD40L)-CD40 interaction in cancer via conditionally replicating adenovirus can selectively kill tumors without damaging normal tissues.Objective:To further improve the cancer killing effect, we investigated the therapeutic effect of combined cancer gene therapy based on a selective oncolytic adenovirus vector containing Dm-dNK suicide gene and exogenous CD40L on breast carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo.Methods:A series of conditionally replicating adenoviruses using adenovirus vector P74 were generated: P74-dNK, P74-CD40L (expressing Dm-dNK or CD40L respectively), and P74-dNK-CD40L (expressing combined Dm-dNK and CD40L). Breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7) and non-tumor cell line (MRC5) were treated with adenovirus and cytotoxicity determined by MTT assay, and apoptosis assessed by flow cytometry after 72h. We also assessed in vivo cell killing efficiency using a mouse xenograft model with MDA-MB-231 cells.Results and Discussion:Co-expression of Dm-dNK and CD40L reduced cell proliferation of MDAMB- 231 or MCF7 cancer cells, and induced more apoptosis in TERT and CD40 positive cancer cells, but not normal MRC5 cells. Significant reduction in tumor volume was also seen in combined treatment arms as compared to any single treatment.Conclusion:Our data suggest enhanced, selective tumor cell killing using combined gene therapy with conditionally replicating adenovirus containing Dm-dNK suicide gene and exogenous CD40 ligation (CD40L-CD40).
Corilagin Inhibits Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Inducing DNA Damage and Down-Regulation of RNF8
Authors: Qiu Fanghua , Liu Lifang , Lin Yu , Yang Zetian , Qiu Feng 
Published: March 2019

Background:Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the most prevalent histologic subtype of esophageal cancer, is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and a high incidence in the East. Corilagin, an active component present in Phyllanthus niruri L., has been shown to suppress tumor growth in various cancers. However, the effects of corilagin on ESCC and the mechanisms for its tumor suppressive function remain unknown.Methods:Cell proliferation was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and colony formation assays. Annexin V/PI double-staining was performed to assess cell apoptosis. Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting were used to evaluate the protein expression. A xenograft mice model was used to assess the in vivo antitumor effects of corilagin alone or in combination with cisplatin.Results:We for the first time showed that corilagin was effectively able to inhibit ESCC cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis. Additionally, our results validated its antitumor effects in vivo using a xenograft mouse model. Mechanistically, we found that corilagin caused significant DNA damage in ESCC cells. We found that corilagin could significantly attenuate the expression of the E3 ubiquitin ligase RING finger protein 8 (RNF8) through ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, leading to the inability of DNA damage repair response and eventually causing cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we also showed that corilagin substantially enhanced the antitumor effects of chemotherapy drug cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo.Conclusion:Our results not only provided novel and previously unrecognized evidences for corilagin-induced tumor suppression through inducing DNA damage and targeting RNF8 in ESCC, but also highlighted that corilagin might serve as an adjunctive treatment to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs in ESCC patients.
Development of a Breath Analyzer for O2 and CO2 Measurement
Authors: Chen Hsuan-Yu , Chen Chiachung 
Published: March 2019

Background:
Breath analysis can be used to screen disease and detect physical conditions. Many research studies have investigated various sensors or techniques that were used to detect gas concentrations and temperature. However, the studies were less concerned about the performance of sensors.

Methods:
In this study, we developed and tested a portable breath analyzer for exhaled gas measurement. We detected air flow rate, temperature, humidity, CO2 and O2 concentrations. Commercial sensing elements were used to assemble this breath analyzer. All sensors were calibrated to ensure their accuracy. The response times of different sensors were considered. We analyzed breath during three states; 1) seating and resting for 5 min, 2) walking for 5 min and 3) running for 5 min in test participants. Fifteen students 20 to 34 years of age were the test participants.

Results:
Heat, humidity and CO2 production and O2 consumption were calculated from these measured data and were used to assess the performance of the analyzer. The Respiratory Quotient (RQ) were estimated by the ratio of VCO2 to VO2. The RQ values for resting, walking and running states were 0.899, 0.865 and 0.785, respectively. Walking and running significantly increased the heat and humidity production of the human body, corresponding to the human physiological function.

Conclusion:
The RQ value is usually in the range of 0.8 to 0.85. The measurement results for our exhaled analyzer were close to this range. From the respiratory quotient values, the performance of this breath analyzer was reasonable.