bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Data‐driven identification of environmental variables influencing phenotypic plasticity to facilitate breeding for future climates
Authors: Kusmec Aaron , Yeh Cheng‐Ting ‘Eddy’ ,   The Genomes to Fields Initiative, Schnable Patrick S. 
Published: August 2024

Summary

Phenotypic plasticity describes a genotype's ability to produce different phenotypes in response to different environments. Breeding crops that exhibit appropriate levels of plasticity for future climates will be crucial to meeting global demand, but knowledge of the critical environmental factors is limited to a handful of well‐studied major crops.

Using 727 maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids phenotyped for grain yield in 45 environments, we investigated the ability of a genetic algorithm and two other methods to identify environmental determinants of grain yield from a large set of candidate environmental variables constructed using minimal assumptions.

The genetic algorithm identified pre‐ and postanthesis maximum temperature, mid‐season solar radiation, and whole season net evapotranspiration as the four most important variables from a candidate set of 9150. Importantly, these four variables are supported by previous literature. After calculating reaction norms for each environmental variable, candidate genes were identified and gene annotations investigated to demonstrate how this method can generate insights into phenotypic plasticity.

The genetic algorithm successfully identified known environmental determinants of hybrid maize grain yield. This demonstrates that the methodology could be applied to other less well‐studied phenotypes and crops to improve understanding of phenotypic plasticity and facilitate breeding crops for future climates.
TaNAC1 boosts powdery mildew resistance by phosphorylation‐dependent regulation of TaSec1a and TaCAMTA4 via PP2Ac/CDPK20
Authors: Liu Yuanming , You Hongguang , Li Hanping , Zhang Chujun , Guo Huan , Huang Xueling , Zhang Qiong , Zhang Xiangyu , Ma Chuang , Wang Yajuan , Li Tingdong , Ji Wanquan , Kang Zhensheng , Zhang Hong 
Published: August 2024

Summary

The integrity of wheat (Triticum aestivum) production is increasingly jeopardized by the fungal pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), particularly amid the vicissitudes of climate change.

Here, we delineated the role of a wheat transcription factor, TaNAC1, which precipitates cellular apoptosis and fortifies resistance against Bgt. Utilizing BiFC, co‐immunoprecipitation, protein quantification, luciferase report assays, we determined that cytoplasmic TaNAC1‐7A undergoes phosphorylation at the S184/S258 sites by TaCDPK20, facilitating its nuclear translocation. This migration appears to prime further phosphorylation by TaMPK1, thereby enhancing transcriptional regulatory activity. Notably, the apoptotic activity of phosphorylated TaNAC1‐7A is negatively modulated by the nuclear protein phosphatase PP2Ac.

Furthermore, activation of TaNAC1 phosphorylation initiates transcription of downstream genes TaSec1a and TaCAMTA4, through binding to the C[T/G]T[N7]A[A/C]G nucleic acid motif. Suppression of TaNAC1, TaCDPK20, and TaMPK1 in wheat compromises its resistance to Bgt strain E09, whereas overexpression of TaNAC1 and silencing of PP2Ac markedly elevate resistance levels.

Our results reveal the pivotal role of TaNAC1 in basal resistance which is mediated by its effects on homotypic fusion, vacuolar protein sorting, and the expression of defense‐related genes. The findings highlight the potential through targeting TaNAC1 and its regulators as a strategy for improving wheat's resistance to fungal pathogens.
Is Trust in Local Government Influenced by the “Marketplace” of Choice?
Authors: Peng Lanjun , Ross Justin M. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractGovernments are subjected to many sources of competition that can be productive or destructive to their ability to maintain citizen trust. This paper explores the role of competition in the local government marketplace as a determinant of trust in local government. Using individual respondent data from the Gallup Poll Social Series in the United States from 2001 to 2022, this paper explores the effect of policy space autonomy and availability of choice in government on trust in local government. We find evidence of productive competition increasing with the number of local governments in the respondent's labor market. Similarly, states that restrict the diversity of choice through tax and expenditure limits reduce productive competition, while limits on issuing debt enhance local trust. The results are supported by numerous robustness checks and a placebo test on trust in the federal government.
Development of alginate/chitosan hydrogel loaded with obestatin and evaluation of collagen type I, III, VEGF and TGF‐β1 gene expression for skin repair in a rat model (in vitro and in vitro study)
Authors: Toumaj Nazanin , Salehi Majid , Zamani Sepehr , Arabpour Zohreh , Djalian Ali R. , Rahmati Majid 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundSkin injuries have long been recognized as a prevalent type of physical injury. As a result, numerous research studies have been performed to discover an effective mechanism for wound healing. Therefore, tissue engineering of skin has developed as a potential solution for traditional methods of treating skin injuries.Methods and materialsAlginate/Chitosan hydrogel was mixed with 1, 10, 100, and 150 µM Obestatin, and evaluated the morphology, cumulative release, hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility, water absorption, cell viability, weight loss, and antibacterial characteristics of three‐dimensional (3D) alginate (Alg) and chitosan (Cs) hydrogels during the process of wound curing. Various concentrations of Obestatin (Obes) were utilized for this purpose. Finally, the hydrogels that were made were tested on a full‐thickness dermal wound in a Wistar rat model. The curative effects were determined by analyzing RNA expression and examining tissue stained with Masson's trichrome (MT) and hematoxylin‐eosin (H&E).ResultsThe biodegradability of this hydrogel was verified using weight loss testing, which demonstrated a reduction of around 90% after a period of 3 days. Furthermore, the MTT assay demonstrated that hydrogels have a beneficial effect on cell proliferation without inducing any harmful effects. Furthermore, the hydrogels produced demonstrated higher wound closure in vivo compared to the wounds treated with gauze (negative control group). Among the hydrogel groups, the chitosan/alginate/obestatin 100 µM group exhibited the apical percentage of wound closure, gene expression, and secondary epithelialization, but in 150 µM concentrations, we saw a lower rate of cell growth and proliferation and increase in hemolysis. In addition, RT‐PCR analysis demonstrated that a concentration of 100 µM obestatin resulted in an upregulation in the expression of mRNA for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), collagen type I & type III, and transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β).ConclusionThe present study suggests that 3D Alg/Cs hydrogels with a concentration of 100 µM obestatin have the potential for clinical application in the treatment of skin injuries.
Elevated Tropical Sea Surface Temperatures During the Globally Warm Miocene Caused Heat Stress for Caribbean Coral Reefs
Authors: Brachert Thomas C. , Schwark Lorenz 
Published: August 2024

ABSTRACTThe warm Miocene (23.0–5.3 Ma) is considered a model case for the global climate of the near future. In view of the current coral reef crisis, studies on Miocene reefs can contribute to predictions regarding the stress resilience of today's reefs against global warming. A Late Miocene (6.2–5.5 Ma) reef coral fauna from Hispaniola Island (Caribbean) characterised by ecologically tolerant taxa was originally interpreted to reflect cool‐eutrophic waters. However, the associated planktonic foraminifer assemblage and new TEX86H–based temperature reconstructions document an oligotrophic shallow‐water environment harbouring 30–31°C. Thus, in conjunction with unusually low vertical growth rates and erratic trace element signatures of massive reef corals, the coral fauna documents critically high temperatures and a response to heat stress rather than cool upwelling. The findings demonstrate the relevance of understanding shallow‐water ecosystems from past warm periods for developing scenarios of a future, warmer world.
Cytomegalovirus viral load at initiation of pre‐emptive antiviral therapy impacts cytomegalovirus dynamics in pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients
Authors: Gutierrez Valentina , Stanek Joseph , Ardura Monica I. , Song Eunkyung 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundCytomegalovirus (CMV) contributes to morbidity and mortality in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo‐HCT) recipients. Pre‐emptive antiviral therapy (PET) reduces the incidence of CMV end‐organ disease (EOD), though relevant viral thresholds to initiate PET remain undefined. We evaluated the impact of viral loads (VLs) at PET initiation on virologic and clinical outcomes following pediatric allo‐HCT.MethodsSingle‐center retrospective cohort analysis of children who underwent their first allo‐HCT from January 2014 to December 2020. Weekly quantitative plasma CMV polymerase chain reaction was performed until Day +100 and PET was initiated once VL exceeded a pre‐defined threshold per institutional guidelines. Patients were followed for 1‐year post‐HCT to evaluate virologic and clinical outcomes including end‐organ disease (EOD), overall survival (OS), and non‐relapse mortality (NRM).ResultsAmong 146 allo‐HCT recipients, CMV DNAemia occurred in 40 patients (27%) at a median of 15 days post‐HCT (interquartile range 6–28.5). Ten percent (n = 4) had spontaneous resolution of DNAemia, while 90% (n = 36) required PET. PET initiated when CMV VL was ≥ 1000 IU/mL (n = 21) vs when VL < 1000 IU/mL (n = 15) resulted in higher peak CMV VL (12,670 vs. 1284 IU/mL, p = 0.0001) and longer time to CMV DNAemia resolution (36 vs. 24 days, p = 0.035). There were no differences in EOD, OS, or NRM at 12 months post‐HCT based on VL at PET initiation.ConclusionsInitiating PET when CMV VL was ≥1000 IU/mL resulted in significantly higher peak VL and prolonged DNAemia, with no differences in EOD, OS, or NRM at 12 months post pediatric HCT.
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The effectiveness of telephone surveys on the return of first‐time donors: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Marsano Vanessa C. , Hasenclever Dirk , Henschler Reinhard 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe management of blood supply depends, among other factors, on the effective remobilization of first‐time donors (FTDs). This study investigates the efficacy of telephone calls to increase second donation rates.Study Design and MethodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted on 418 first‐time blood donors. In the telephone group (TG, n = 206), men were contacted 9–10 and women 13–14 weeks after their first donation. They were asked about satisfaction and intention to return, and offered an appointment. The primary outcome was the return rate within 6 months after the first donation.ResultsThe mean age was 28.8 ± 10.0 years and 59.9% of FTDs were female. In the TG, 89.3% were reached. Approximately 50% of each group had donated a second time by 24.2 weeks for the control group (CG) and 14.8 weeks for the TG. The six‐month return rate was 65.0% in the TG and 54.3% in the CG (95%‐CI [0.9%; 20.6%]; p = .033). The restricted mean time to return within 6 months was 19.4 weeks in the CG compared to 17.2 weeks in the TG (95%‐CI [0.7; 3.7]; p = .004). The intervention effect tended to be larger in men than in women.DiscussionContacting FTDs by phone after their first donation increases the six‐month return rate and reduces the interval to a second donation. Male donors appear to be more receptive to this intervention. Whether the effect of the intervention helps to establish a donor identity in the long term should be the subject of further studies.
Clinical features and outcome of dogs and cats with gastrointestinal pneumatosis: 30 cases (2010–2021)
Authors: Jones Nadine , Humm Karen , Dirrig Helen , Espinoza Melissa Beth Glenn , Yankin Igor , Birkbeck Rachael , Cole Laura 
Published: August 2024

AbstractObjectivesTo describe the presentation, etiology, and outcome of dogs and cats diagnosed with gastrointestinal pneumatosis (GP).DesignRetrospective study.SettingThree referral institutions.AnimalsTwenty‐six dogs and 4 cats.InterventionsNone.Measurements and Main ResultsThe most common sites of GP were the stomach (n = 19), followed by the colon (n = 8) and small intestine (n = 2). One case had pneumatosis of both the stomach and the colon. GP was most commonly associated with gastrointestinal disease in dogs (18/26 [69%]) and cats (3/4 [75%]), with common diagnoses including gastric dilatation and volvulus (n = 5), acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (n = 4), and gastrointestinal ulceration (n = 4). Of the 4 cases of gastrointestinal ulceration, 3 were dogs with a history of glucocorticosteroid or nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug administration and vomiting and diarrhea. Six of 30 cases (20%), all of which were dogs, were determined to have a surgical indication for exploratory celiotomy, although not solely on the basis of diagnosis of GP. Five cases underwent exploratory celiotomy, of which 1 (20%) survived to hospital discharge. Of the medically managed cases, 13 of 24 (54%) survived to hospital discharge. Overall, 14 of 30 cases (47%) survived to hospital discharge.ConclusionsGP is an uncommon diagnostic imaging finding that is associated with a variety of disease processes. Its development is often related to primary gastrointestinal diseases. In the absence of other surgical disease, exploratory celiotomy based solely on the diagnosis of GP is unlikely to be indicated.
Use of cardiac gated computed tomography in the diagnosis of a rare congenital cardiovascular anomaly in an adult alpaca
Authors: Friel Zoe , England Devon , Loehr Christiane , Newsom Lauren 
Published: August 2024

AbstractA 5‐year‐old female alpaca was presented with respiratory distress and lethargy. Thoracic radiographs revealed a cranioventrally distributed alveolar pattern, caudodorsal bronchial pattern, cardiomegaly, increased soft tissue opaque content in the ventral thorax, and rounded soft tissue opaque structures craniodorsal to the carina. Cardiac gated CT demonstrated a patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, complete left atrioventricular valve atresia, partial anomalous venous connections from the cranial pulmonary veins to the azygous and cranial vena cava, severe right‐sided cardiomegaly, pleural and peritoneal fluid, and severe hepatic congestion. These findings were confirmed with necropsy.
The interplay between bounded ranks of tensors arising from partitions
Authors: Karam Thomas 
Published: August 2024

AbstractLet be integers. Using a fragmentation technique, we characterise ‐tuples of non‐empty families of partitions of such that it suffices that an order‐ tensor has bounded ‐rank for each for it to have bounded ‐rank. On the way, we prove power lower bounds on suitable products of diagonal tensors, providing a qualitative answer to a question of Naslund.
Radiation Monitoring for Volatilized Zinc Contamination Using Gamma-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy
Authors: Nwadeyi Valerie E. , Judy Adam , Whiteside Tad 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Gamma-ray imaging is a tool that has grown in importance in the applications of non-destructive assay (NDA) for radioactive survey and analysis of nuclear facilities. Imaging techniques have shown great promise in providing valuable information involving radioactive waste management and contamination prevention. For the application studied in this work, 65Zn has been identified as a radioactive contaminant during tritium extraction. Due to the volatile nature of 65Zn under the pressure and temperature changes during extraction operations, 65Zn can easily travel through components of the extraction system as vapor, making it difficult to trap. Previous research involving the development of a filtration system showed that the 65Zn can be trapped, mitigating product contamination. However, during the extraction process, direct analysis of the equipment to confirm that zinc contamination is trapped in the filter and has not spread to other components is impractical. In this situation, the need to assay the location of the contamination with little-to-no interference with operations is vital. In this work, we demonstrate the use of a commercialized 3D position-sensitive CdZnTe (CZT) gamma-ray imaging spectrometer to provide analysis of the 65Zn contamination. Onsite measurements during an extraction process are studied to assess the location and migration of the 65Zn. The results obtained from real-time glovebox monitoring demonstrate the feasibility of gamma-ray imaging for localizing the contamination and providing a preliminary qualitative assessment that is intended to be used in future work quantifying the contamination build-up and activity over time.
Heat Flux Correlations for Condensation From Steam and Air Mixtures on Vertical Flat Plates
Authors: Murase Michio , Takaki Toshiya 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
In this study, heat fluxes qc for condensation from steam and air mixtures on vertical flat plates were evaluated by using existing experimental data and qc correlations, in order to provide one of boundary conditions for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis in a primary containment vessel (PCV) of nuclear power plants during accident conditions. Existing qc,fc correlations for forced convection condensation overestimated or underestimated experimental data qc,exp measured with the CONAN facility, and a combination of the selected existing qc,fc correlation and the suction correction factor θC was proposed to obtain good agreement between the qc,cal values computed with the combination and the qc,exp values. For natural convection condensation, it was found that the qc,nc values were largely different between those measured in closed vessels with evaporation and condensation and in flow channels with decreasing the mixture velocity, and hence, the present evaluation focused on qc,nc obtained in the flow channels. It was also found that uncertainty became large when the qc,nc values were computed by changing the Sherwood number Shfc in the qc,fc correlation to Shnc for natural convection. The qc,exp values measured with the COPAIN facility were well expressed by the qc,nc correlation proposed by Corradini (1984, “Turbulent Condensation on a Cold Wall in the Presence of a Noncondensable Gas,” Nucl. Technol., 64(2), pp. 186–195), but the published data were few. Therefore, collection of experimental or numerical qc,nc values is necessary in the future.
A Novel Thermally Integrated CO2-Carnot Battery (TI-PTES) Utilizing Cold Thermal Storage
Authors: Shamsi Syed Safeer Mehdi , Barberis Stefano , Burlando Andrea , Maccarini Simone , Traverso Alberto 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The growing integration of renewable energy sources in the energy grid presents intermittency and negative pricing challenges, necessitating large-scale energy storage solutions. Pumped thermal energy storage (PTES) can address these issues by storing and delivering substantial energy whenever required. High-temperature heat pump development is crucial to deploying PTES for storing heat at sink temperatures that are well above the ambient temperature(&gt;450 °C) to ensure a reasonable round-trip efficiency (RTE). Currently, however, it is not a technological possibility for heat pumps to achieve these temperatures even with the support of freely available heat (200 °C to 400 °C) as source temperatures. This study explores a potential layout of the TI-PTES system that exploits commercially available equipment by storing heat below the ambient temperature while still being able to utilize the freely available heat source (Solar, Waste heat, biomass, etc.) to support the overall RTE. The charging phase employs a well-established CO2-refrigeration cycle to accumulate energy below the ambient temperature in cold thermal storage. While the discharging phase runs a trans-critical CO2 power cycle between the freely available heat source and the cold thermal storage. Overall, offering a practically implementable model for the PTES system with market-available components. The study investigates the design of this innovative system presenting the relevance of different operating and machine parameters as well as the contribution of freely available heat sources to the overall performance. Finally, benchmarking the technology with other long-duration energy storages.
Application of an Improved Workflow for the Identification of Flame Dynamics to Swirl-Stabilized Wet Combustion
Authors: Désor Marcel , Haeringer Matthias , Hiestermann Marian , Niebler Korbinian , Silva Camilo F. , Polifke Wolfgang 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
The estimation of flame transfer functions (FTF) from time series data generated by large eddy simulation (LES) via system identification (SI) is an important element of thermoacoustic analysis. A continuous time series of adequate length is required to achieve low uncertainty, especially when dealing with turbulent noise. Limited scalability of LES codes implies that the wall-clock-time required for generating such time series may be excessive. The present paper tackles this challenge by exploring how the superposition of multiple simulations with the same excitation signal, but varying initial conditions, increases signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and leads to more robust identification. In addition, the established SI approach, which relies on broadband excitation, is compared to excitation with approximate Dirac and Heaviside signals, promising simpler pre- and postprocessing. Results demonstrate that the proposed workflow reduces significantly the wall-clock-time required for robust FTF identification. This reduction in wall-clock-time requires more parallel computational resources, but it does not significantly increase the overall computational cost while also enabling FTF estimation using Heaviside excitation. The proposed method is assessed on a partially premixed, steam enriched water-enhanced turbofan (“WET”) swirl burner with significant turbulent noise levels. Steam enrichment is a combustion concept that reduces harmful emissions such as NOx and CO2 while increasing engine efficiency. However, the effect of steam on the flame response needs to be better understood. To this end, a combustion model including an optimized global chemical mechanism for partially premixed wet methane combustion is presented and validated against experimental data.
¿Qué mueve a profesores y profesoras de Educación Física en formación a impartir clase con distintos estilos (des)motivadores? Un estudio basado en el modelo circular
Authors: Mayo-Rota Carlos , García-González Luis , Diloy-Peña Sergio , García-Cazorla Javier , Abós Ángel 
Published: August 2024

Objetivo: Analizar el proceso motivacional del profesorado de Educación Física en formación y su influencia sobre el estilo motivacional docente en función del género. Método: Siguiendo un diseño transversal, un total de 502 docentes de Educación Física en formación (i.e., estudiantes de Máster) (Medad = 25.31; DT = 4.64; 32.1% mujeres), de distintas universidades españolas participaron en el estudio. Resultados: Los profesores en formación reportaron puntuaciones más altas en la satisfacción de competencia, la motivación controlada, la desmotivación, las conductas controladoras y caóticas, y más bajas en las conductas de apoyo a la autonomía que las profesoras. En ambos géneros, la satisfacción de competencia, a través de la motivación autónoma, predijo las conductas participativas y adaptativas, mientras que, la frustración de competencia, a través de la motivación controlada y la desmotivación, predijo las conductas controladoras y caóticas. Conclusión: La satisfacción de competencia del profesorado en formación de Educación Física parece ser un elemento clave para poder desarrollar un proceso motivacional autodeterminado y el uso de unas conductas docentes motivadoras para su futuro alumnado.