bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Better performance of germination in hyperosmotic solutions in conspecific weedy rice than cultivated rice
Authors: Wang Yuan , Mo Shu‐Da , Kong Meng‐Yao , Chao Jing , Chen Xiao‐Feng , Yang Jin‐Ling , Yan Yu‐Jiang , Shi Zhi‐Hua , Qiang Sheng , Song Xiao‐Ling , Dai Wei‐Min 
Published: August 2019

AbstractWeeds and crops that grow together often confront similar types of environmental stress, especially drought stress. Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) and cultivated rice (O. sativa L.) provide a unique pair consisting of a weed and a conspecific model crop that can be used to study the drought tolerance of plants across a large distributional range. The investigation on weedy rice's damage to paddy fields showed that it was more serious in dry direct seeding than water direct seeding. Compared with water direct seeding, the seeds of cultivated rice and weedy rice in dry direct seeding will absorb water and germinate under the condition of insufficient soil moisture. Our hypothesis is that weedy rice seeds have evolved stronger germination ability than coexisting cultivated rice under water stress, so that they can obtain more growth space in the early stage in dry direct seeding and thus obtain higher fitness. Seeds of weedy rice populations and coexisting rice cultivars were collected from 61 sites across China and were germinated with 20% polyethylene glycol‐6000 to simulate drought stress. Two drought response indices, which assessed germination rate and germination index, plus one germination stress tolerance index, indicated significantly greater drought tolerance in weedy rice populations than in coexisting rice cultivars (P < 0.01). Drought tolerance for the three indexes were indica weedy rice > indica rice cultivars, japonica weedy rice > japonica rice cultivars, and indica weedy rice > japonica rice cultivars. These results indicate that weedy rice populations show stronger drought stress tolerance than coexisting rice cultivars at various sites, specifically during the seed germination period. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation found that drought response of weedy rice populations and coexisting rice cultivars were significantly different with these environmental factors: latitude, altitude, annual mean precipitation, mean annual temperature, mean precipitation in the sowing month, mean temperature in the sowing month, and sowing methods. Weedy rice shows different patterns of drought tolerance variation across geographical (latitude and altitude) and environmental (precipitation) gradients compared to coexisting rice cultivars. This study suggests that weedy rice might have evolved new drought tolerance and could provide a useful source of genetic resources for improving drought tolerance of crop cultivars and breeding direct seeded cultivars to reduce the usage of seeds in direct seeding.
Food origin labels in Ghana: Finding inspiration in the European geographical indications system on honey
Authors: Besah‐Adanu Courage , Bosselmann Aske S. , Hansted Lise , Kwapong Peter K. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractGeographical indication (GI) identifies goods originating from a particular territory, where certain qualities and reputation of the product are essentially attributed to that origin. GIs connote value addition hence a tool for livelihood improvement among producers of local products. This is especially the case for honey, which is mainly produced rural areas in Ghana, where there are few other income sources. However, GIs are unknown in the country. This paper discusses various elements and storylines that commonly characterize registered GI products, focusing on GI honeys registered within the EU and the single GI honey registered in Africa, the Oku white Honey in Cameroon. The study is based on a literature review of GI honey records and the EU DOOR database, general literature, and complemented with fieldwork. A number of elements were identified to characterize GI honeys and can be grouped into three elements: indicative, essential, and supportive. The three groups of elements are important for the identification, development, and promotion of GIs in Ghana. Analyzing potential GI honey case within the three groups of elements shows Ghana has a GI legislation but has to develop the capacity for relevant state institutions necessary for GI building.
Perceptions of illness as predictive factors for perceived stress in patients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program
Authors: Sadeghi Masoumeh , Alavi Mousa , Mohammadi Mahboobeh , Roohafza Hamidreza , Mahmoodi Azam , Visentin Denis , Lopez Violeta , Cleary Michelle 
Published: August 2019

AbstractPsychosocial risk factors, such as perceived stress, not only increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also act as barriers for treatment adherence and cardiac rehabilitation. In this study, we examined the predictive role of perceptions for illness to perceived stress in Iranian patients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program. A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 2017 to determine correlations of demographic variables and domains of illness perception with perceived stress, and to develop a predictive model for perceived stress. In total, 150 patients with cardiovascular disease, who were admitted to a cardiac rehabilitation center, completed the questionnaires. (i) demographic and health‐related characteristics; (ii) the Perceived Stress Scale‐14; and (iii) the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. The mean perceived stress was 16.2 (8.4), and five illness perception subscales – timeline, personal control, treatment control, understanding and emotional response – were associated with increased perceived stress. Variables in the multi‐variate predictive model accounted for 48% of the total variance in perceived stress. The results demonstrated the value of assessing and managing the patients' perceptions of illness to reduce their perceived stress, which could support adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs.
Daikenchuto, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, promotes colonic transit by inducing a propulsive movement pattern
Authors: Kubota Kunitsugu , Mase Akihito , Matsushima Hiroaki , Fujitsuka Naoki , Yamamoto Masahiro , Morine Yuji , Taketomi Akinobu , Kono Toru , Shimada Mitsuo 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe traditional Japanese herbal medicine, daikenchuto (DKT), has been used to treat constipation and postoperative ileus. However, the precise mechanisms involved in the pharmacological effects of DKT remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of DKT on motor patterns and transit activity in the isolated rat colon.MethodsThe entire colon or segments of the proximal colon in rats were isolated and placed in Krebs solution. The motility of the colon was evaluated by analyzing spatiotemporal maps of diameter derived from video imaging and measuring the intraluminal pressure in the anal end of the proximal colon, and the transit time of a plastic bead through the entire isolated colon.Key ResultsSeveral types of propagating contractions were observed in the isolated entire colon. When DKT was added to Krebs solution, the frequency of large‐extent anal propagating contractions increased. DKT treatment increased the intraluminal pressure in the isolated proximal colon, which was related to the propagating contractions. This effect was abolished by treatment with the neural blocker tetrodotoxin. These findings suggest DKT induced peristaltic contractions in the isolated colon. DKT accelerated colonic transit activity, which was related to peristaltic contractions induction in the colon. These effects were also observed in the colons treated with bethanechol and the active ingredient of DKT, hydroxy‐α‐sanshool.Conclusions and InferencesDaikenchuto could enhance colonic transit activity by inducing peristaltic contractions, which may be mediated by the activation of the enteric nervous system in the colon.
Regularity in speech rhythm as a social coalition signal
Authors: Polyanskaya Leona , Samuel Arthur G. , Ordin Mikhail 
Published: August 2019

AbstractRegular rhythm facilitates audiomotor entrainment and synchronization in motor behavior and vocalizations between individuals. As rhythm entrainment between interacting agents is correlated with higher levels of cooperation and prosocial affiliative behavior, humans can potentially map regular speech rhythm onto higher cooperation and friendliness between interacting individuals. We tested this hypothesis at two rhythmic levels: pulse (recurrent acoustic events) and meter (hierarchical structuring of pulses based on their relative salience). We asked the listeners to make judgments of the hostile or collaborative attitude of two interacting agents who exhibit either regular or irregular pulse (Experiment 1) or meter (Experiment 2). The results confirmed a link between the perception of social affiliation and rhythmicity: evenly distributed pulses (vowel onsets) and consistent grouping of pulses into recurrent hierarchical patterns are more likely to be perceived as cooperation signals. People are more sensitive to regularity at the level of pulse than at the level of meter, and they are more confident when they associate cooperation with isochrony in pulse. The evolutionary origin of this faculty is possibly the need to transmit and perceive coalition information in social groups of human ancestors. We discuss the implications of these findings for the emergence of speech in humans.
Optimizing clonidine dosage for sedation in mechanically ventilated children: A pharmacokinetic simulation study
Authors: Hayden John C. , Bardol Maddlie , Doherty Dermot R. , Dawkins Ian , Healy Martina , Breatnach Cormac V. , Gallagher Paul J. , Cousins Gráinne , Standing Joseph F. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundClonidine is in widespread off‐label use as a sedative in mechanically ventilated children, despite limited evidence of efficacy. A variety of dosage regimens have been utilized in clinical practice and in research studies. Within these studies, clonidine has inconsistently shown useful sedation properties. One of the reasons attributed to the inconsistent signs of efficacy is suboptimal clonidine dosing.AimsThis study aims to propose a target plasma concentration and simulate clonidine pharmacokinetics (PK) in a cohort of mechanically ventilated children to evaluate the adequacy of clonidine dosage regimens used in clinical practice and research studies.MethodsA literature search was undertaken to identify a clonidine pharmaockinetic‐pharmacodynamics (PKPD) model, from which a target concentration for sedation was defined. Using a previously published PK model, the projected plasma concentrations of 692 mechanically ventilated children (demographics taken from a recent study) were generated. Doses from recently published clinical studies were investigated. Adequacy of each regimen to attain therapeutic clonidine plasma concentrations was assessed.ResultsA target plasma concentration of above 2 µg/L was proposed. Nine dosage regimens (four intravenous boluses, four intravenous infusions, and one nasogastric route boluses) were evaluated ranging from 1 µg/kg eight hourly intravenous boluses to a regimen up to 3 µg/kg/hr continuous intravenous infusion. Regimens with a loading dose of 2 µg/kg followed by variable continuous infusion of up to 2 µg/kg/hr titrated according to sedation score appear most suitable. Doses should be halved in neonates.ConclusionThe variety of dosage regimens in the previous studies of clonidine along with difficulties in the conduct of interventional studies may have contributed to the lack of efficacy data to support its use. Simulations of clonidine plasma concentrations based on known population pharmacokinetic parameters suggest a loading dose followed by higher than current practice maintenance dose infusion is required to achieve adequate steady‐state concentrations early in treatment. Further PKPD studies will aid in the determination of the optimal clonidine dosage regimen.
Flowering‐mediated root‐fungus symbiosis loss is related to jasmonate‐dependent root soluble sugar deprivation
Authors: Zhang Wei , Yuan Jie , Cheng Ting , Tang Meng‐Jun , Sun Kai , Song Shi‐Li , Xu Fang‐Ji , Dai Chuan‐Chao 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe role of flowering in root‐fungal symbiosis is not well understood. Because flowering and fungal symbionts are supported by carbohydrates, we hypothesized that flowering modulates root‐beneficial fungal associations through alterations in carbohydrate metabolism and transport. We monitored fungal colonization and soluble sugars in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana following inoculation with a mutualistic fungus Phomopsis liquidambari across different plant developmental stages. Jasmonate signalling of wild‐type plants, sugar transport, and root invertase of wild‐type and jasmonate‐insensitive plants were exploited to assess whether and how jasmonate‐dependent sugar dynamics are involved in flowering‐mediated fungal colonization alterations. We found that flowering restricts root‐fungal colonization and activates root jasmonate signalling upon fungal inoculation. Jasmonates reduce the constitutive and fungus‐induced accumulation of root glucose and fructose at the flowering stage. Further experiments with sugar transport and metabolism mutant lines revealed that root glucose and fructose positively influence fungal colonization. Diurnal, jasmonate‐dependent inhibitions of sugar transport and soluble invertase activity were identified as likely mechanisms for flowering‐mediated root sugar depletion upon fungal inoculation. Collectively, our results reveal that flowering drives root‐fungus cooperation loss, which is related to jasmonate‐dependent root soluble sugar depletion. Limiting the spread of root‐fungal colonization may direct more resources to flower development.
Acquired erythropoietic protoporphyria: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Snast Igor , Kaftory Ran , Sherman Shani , Edel Yonatan , Hodak Emmilia , Levi Assi , Lapidoth Moshe 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundErythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a semi‐dominantly inherited porphyria presenting with photosensitivity during early childhood. Acquired EPP has been reported; however, data regarding this rare disorder are scarce.PurposeTo evaluate the characteristics of acquired EPP.MethodsA comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and clinicaltrials.gov databases was performed by three reviewers. Studies describing patients with acquired EPP were included. Additionally, we present an index case of a 26‐year‐old patient who acquired clinically and biochemically typical EPP in association with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).ResultsWe included 20 case reports describing 20 patients. Most (80%) patients were male of mean age 58 ± 13 years. In all patients, acquired EPP was associated with hematological disease, most commonly MDS (85%) followed by myeloproliferative disease (10%). In 86% of cases, hematological disease led to abnormality or somatic mutation in chromosome 18q (the locus of the ferrochelatase gene). The mean erythrocyte protoporphyrin IX concentration was very high (4286 μg/dL). Most (90%) patients presented with photosensitivity, 20% experienced blistering, and 25% presented with hepatic insufficiency, both uncommon in EPP. In 55% of patients, hematological disease was diagnosed after occurrence of cutaneous symptoms. Beta‐carotene led to partial control of symptoms in 5 patients and resolution in another patient. Azacitidine treatment of MDS led to resolution of cutaneous symptoms in three patients.ConclusionWe present the distinct features of acquired EPP and highlight that any patient presenting with new‐onset photosensitivity, irrespective of age should be evaluated for porphyria.
Blunted cardiovascular responses to acute psychological stress predict low behavioral but not self‐reported perseverance
Authors: Chauntry Aiden J. , Williams Sarah E. , Whittaker Anna C. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractEmerging evidence relates attenuated physiological stress reactions to poor behavioral regulation. However, only a small number of behaviors such as impulsivity and risk taking have been explored. Nevertheless, one opportunistic study suggested that blunted reactivity might relate to poor perseverance. The present study examined the relationship between cardiovascular reactivity to acute active psychological stress and self‐reported and behavioral perseverance. Participants (N = 64) completed a self‐report perseverance questionnaire before heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were measured at rest and in response to 4‐min active (paced auditory serial addition; PASAT) and passive (cold pressor) stress tests. This was followed by an unsolvable Euler puzzle tracing task, with the time spent and number of attempts endeavoring to solve the puzzle recorded as behavioral perseverance measures. Blunted systolic and diastolic BP reactivity to the PASAT was associated with fewer attempts at the impossible puzzle, and lower diastolic BP PASAT reactivity related to less time persevering at the puzzle. Moreover, attenuated diastolic BP and HR PASAT reactivity predicted poorer perseverance at keeping one's hand in the iced water of the cold pressor task. There was no association between reactivity and self‐reported perseverance. These preliminary findings add to the evidence that implicates blunted reactivity as a physiological marker of poor behavioral regulation, and this may indicate why individuals with blunted reactivity are at increased risk of developing negative health outcomes (e.g., obesity and addictions).
Review on integrated production of the brine shrimp Artemia in solar salt ponds
Authors: Van Stappen Gilbert , Sui Liying , Hoa Van Nguyen , Tamtin Montakan , Nyonje Betty , de Medeiros Rocha Renato , Sorgeloos Patrick , Gajardo Gonzalo 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe brine shrimp Artemia is a highly required, convenient and cost‐effective live food used in fish and shellfish larviculture. Its cysts, originating from a limited number of inland salt lakes, are traded worldwide. Over the past decades, Artemia pond production in solar saltworks, integrated with salt production, has emerged as an alternative to cope with possible cyst shortages and high prices on the international market and as a tool to fulfill local cyst and Artemia biomass demands associated with local and regional aquaculture developments. This article reviews the principles of Artemia pond production and how it is practiced in terms of general management. It also describes the distinctive features that have evolved in various countries, due to geographical, environmental and socio‐economic characteristics and the local aquaculture context. It highlights the lessons that may be learnt from previous successes and failures for new areas where the technique may be introduced. The principles of Artemia pond production are also discussed in the light of global and local Artemia biodiversity, as its protection is key to support the sustainability of the aquaculture industry. This review pioneers in bringing this information, much of which was restricted to grey literature until now, under the attention of the international scientific audience. Future research and development should focus on continued proper management to secure cyst production and to maximize cyst quantities. Moreover, using the information provided by the Artemia genome will allow as well to strive for improved cyst quality, by producing strains with specific market characteristics.
A palimpsest of ornaments: the art of Azulejo as a hybrid language
Authors: Ventura Teixeira Céline 
Published: August 2019

AbstractWhile scholarship has explored azulejo decoration of Iberian churches and palaces, the ornamental language used in ceramic tiles as a reflection of hybridisation in the early modern period deserves further scrutiny. Azulejo production is a useful means to study visual hybridity in the Iberian world. This article explores the azulejo as the expression of a hybrid language incorporating imported Italo‐Flemish patterns, which became interlinked with pre‐existing forms, including arabesques from the Mudéjar tradition. Differing motifs were combined to create new ornamental expressions, as seen for example in the Quinta da Bacalhoa, near Lisbon. The dynamic of the appropriation of a range of sources, such as Italo‐Flemish engravings, Indo‐Persian carpets and Oriental forms, created veritable ornamental palimpsests, reflecting an extraordinary dialogue across diverse arts and cultures. Western European models were combined with the sensibility and skills of local craftsmen in Asia and the Americas. The azulejos decorating the Church of Santa Monica in Goa are emblematic of this fusion. In the same way, the migration of Spanish tile makers to the New World, and their association with indigenous craftsmen there contributed to the emergence of original azulejo compositions, as seen in the cloister of the monastery of San Francisco in Lima.
Transatlantic works of art: the hybrid qualities of two kinds of baroque
Authors: Trusted Marjorie 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThis essay is a study of the marble baroque sculpture of St Rose of Lima, later the patron saint of South America and the Philippines. The sculpture was executed by the Maltese artist active in Rome, Melchiorre Cafà (1636–1667), and signed and dated 1665. It was destined for the Dominican church of Sto Domingo in Lima. The Iberian peninsula and Viceregal America were inextricably linked politically and culturally from the sixteenth century onwards. In the visual arts, notably in architecture, painting, sculpture, ceramics and metalwork, compelling hybrid forms resulted from these intertwined connections. But as well as forms and shapes, decorative techniques and surfaces, the importation of works of art from Europe also changed the way in which art was viewed and received.
Vascular access for renal replacement therapy in acute kidney injury: Are nontunneled catheters the right choice?
Authors: Kelly Yvelynne P. , Mendu Mallika L. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractRenal replacement therapy (RRT) in the setting of acute kidney injury (AKI) is generally provided by either tunneled or nontunneled dialysis catheters (TDCs or NTDCs), used immediately after insertion. Current consensus guidelines suggest using NTDCs rather than TDCs for vascular access in AKI primarily for logistical reasons, including ease of insertion and timeliness. However, there is increasing evidence that, compared to NTDCs, TDCs are associated with fewer complications (mechanical and infectious) and better dialysis delivery. Nevertheless, this evidence must be balanced by the feasibility and practicality of implementing a “TDC‐first approach.” In this paper, we assess the current evidence base for vascular access choice for AKI requiring RRT. We make the case for increased use of TDCs as first‐line vascular access given growing observational evidence for improved patient outcomes; including decreased risk of infection and thrombosis, increased blood flow rates and decreased treatment interruptions, compared to NDTCs. We advocate for further research to test the feasibility and outcomes associated with a TDC‐first approach to AKI‐RRT access. A TDC‐first approach has the potential to improve RRT clinical outcomes and reduce resource utilization and cost.