bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in 3‐ to 5‐year‐old children's motor competence: A pooled cross‐sectional analysis of 6241 children
Authors: Martins Clarice , Webster Elizabeth K. , Romo‐Perez Vicente , Duncan Michael , Lemos Luís Filipe , Staiano Amanda , Okely Anthony , Magistro Daniele , Carlevaro Fabio , Bardid Farid , Magno Francesca , Nobre Glauber , Estevan Isaac , Mota Jorge , Ning Ke , Robinson Leah E. , Lenoir Matthieu , Quan Minghui , Valentini Nadia , Dehkordi Parvaneh S. , Cross Penny , Jones Rachel , S. Henrique Rafael , Salami Sedigheh , Chen Sitong , Diao Yucui , Bandeira Paulo R. , Barnett Lisa M. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThere is some, albeit inconsistent, evidence supporting sex differences in preschoolers' motor competence (MC), with these observations not uniform when analyzed by age, and cultural groups. Thus, this study examined sex differences across ages in 3‐ to 5‐year‐old children's MC. A cross‐country pooled sample of 6241 children aged 3–5 years (49.6% girls) was assessed for MC using the Test of Gross Motor Development—2nd/3rd edition, and children were categorized into groups of age in months. Multiple linear regression models and predictive margins were calculated to explore how sex and age in months affect scores of MC (i.e., locomotor and ball skills), with adjustments for country and BMI. The Chow's Test was used to test for the presence of a structural break in the data. Significant differences in favor of girls were seen at 57–59 and 66–68 months of age for locomotor skills; boys performed better in ball skills in all age periods, except for 42–44 and 45–47 months of age. The higher marginal effects were observed for the period between 45–47 and 48–50 months for locomotor skills (F = 30.21; and F = 25.90 for girls and boys, respectively), and ball skills (F = 19.01; and F = 42.11 for girls and boys, respectively). A significantly positive break point was seen at 45–47 months, highlighting the age interval where children's MC drastically improved. The identification of this breakpoint provides an evidence‐based metric for when we might expect MC to rapidly increase, and an indicator of early delay when change does not occur at that age.
Rice myo‐inositol‐3‐phosphate synthase 2 (RINO2) alleviates heat injury‐induced impairment in pollen germination and tube growth by modulating Ca2+ signaling and actin filament cytoskeleton
Authors: Zhou Lujian , Asad Muhammad‐Asad‐Ullah , Guan Xianyue , Pan Gang , Zhang Yan , Cheng Fangmin 
Published: May 2024

SUMMARYLow phytic acid (lpa) crop is considered as an effective strategy to improve crop nutritional quality, but a substantial decrease in phytic acid (PA) usually has negative effect on agronomic performance and its response to environment adversities. Myo‐inositol‐3‐phosphate synthase (MIPS) is the rate‐limiting enzyme in PA biosynthesis pathway, and regarded as the prime target for engineering lpa crop. In this paper, the rice MIPS gene (RINO2) knockout mutants and its wild type were performed to investigate the genotype‐dependent alteration in the heat injury‐induced spikelet fertility and its underlying mechanism for rice plants being imposed to heat stress at anthesis. Results indicated that RINO2 knockout significantly enhanced the susceptibility of rice spikelet fertility to heat injury, due to the severely exacerbated obstacles in pollen germination and pollen tube growth in pistil for RINO2 knockout under high temperature (HT) at anthesis. The loss of RINO2 function caused a marked reduction in inositol and phosphatidylinositol derivative concentrations in the HT‐stressed pollen grains, which resulted in the strikingly lower content of phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐diphosphate (PI (4,5) P2) in germinating pollen grain and pollen tube. The insufficient supply of PI (4,5) P2 in the HT‐stressed pollen grains disrupted normal Ca2+ gradient in the apical region of pollen tubes and actin filament cytoskeleton in growing pollen tubes. The severely repressed biosynthesis of PI (4,5) P2 was among the regulatory switch steps leading to the impaired pollen germination and deformed pollen tube growth for the HT‐stressed pollens of RINO2 knockout mutants.
A Solanum lycopersicum polyamine oxidase contributes to the control of plant growth, xylem differentiation, and drought stress tolerance
Authors: D'Incà Riccardo , Mattioli Roberto , Tomasella Martina , Tavazza Raffaela , Macone Alberto , Incocciati Alessio , Martignago Damiano , Polticelli Fabio , Fraudentali Ilaria , Cona Alessandra , Angelini Riccardo , Tavazza Mario , Nardini Andrea , Tavladoraki Paraskevi 
Published: May 2024

SUMMARYPolyamines are involved in several plant physiological processes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, five FAD‐dependent polyamine oxidases (AtPAO1 to AtPAO5) contribute to polyamine homeostasis. AtPAO5 catalyzes the back‐conversion of thermospermine (T‐Spm) to spermidine and plays a role in plant development, xylem differentiation, and abiotic stress tolerance. In the present study, to verify whether T‐Spm metabolism can be exploited as a new route to improve stress tolerance in crops and to investigate the underlying mechanisms, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) AtPAO5 homologs were identified (SlPAO2, SlPAO3, and SlPAO4) and CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated loss‐of‐function slpao3 mutants were obtained. Morphological, molecular, and physiological analyses showed that slpao3 mutants display increased T‐Spm levels and exhibit changes in growth parameters, number and size of xylem elements, and expression levels of auxin‐ and gibberellin‐related genes compared to wild‐type plants. The slpao3 mutants are also characterized by improved tolerance to drought stress, which can be attributed to a diminished xylem hydraulic conductivity that limits water loss, as well as to a reduced vulnerability to embolism. Altogether, this study evidences conservation, though with some significant variations, of the T‐Spm‐mediated regulatory mechanisms controlling plant growth and differentiation across different plant species and highlights the T‐Spm role in improving stress tolerance while not constraining growth.
Implementation of sexual risk behavior donor screening in Canada
Authors: Goldman Mindy , Lewin Antoine , Renaud Christian , O'Brien Sheila F. 
Published: May 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe two Canadian blood suppliers, Canadian Blood Services and Héma‐Québec, removed the time‐based deferral for men who have sex with men and adopted criteria assessing sexual risk behaviors. We report the impact of these changes on the safety and adequacy of the Canadian blood supply.Study Design and MethodsSince 2022, all donors are asked if (1) they have had a new partner and (2) more than one sexual partner in the last 3 months. Donors answering yes to either question are asked if they had anal sex in the last 3 months; if yes, they are deferred for 3 months. We followed HIV rates for the 18 months before and 14 (Héma‐Québec) or 18 months (Canadian Blood Services) post‐implementation and interviewed HIV‐positive whole blood donors. We assessed the number and characteristics of whole blood donors answering yes to the two first questions with or without deferral.ResultsThere were four HIV‐positive donations out of 1,492,355 donations pre‐implementation and four out of 1,447,772 post‐implementation (0.27/100,000 vs. 0.28/100,000, p = 1.00). Post‐implementation, one HIV‐positive donor was non‐compliant with multiple criteria, no risk factors were identified in the others. 3.2% of donors answered yes to questions (1) and/or (2); 0.17% were deferred for a new partner and/or more than one partner and anal sex. Deferral rates were highest in first time, younger donors, and similar in males and females.ConclusionImplementation of sexual risk behavior donor screening resulted in unchanged HIV rates to date and a manageable deferral rate.
Utilizing Vigna mungo wash water for simultaneous power generation and desalination using two distinct anodes in a microbial desalination cell
Authors: Prakash Sandhya , Naina Mohamed Samsudeen , Ponnusamy Kalaichelvi 
Published: May 2024

AbstractThis study aims to improve the performance of microbial desalination cell (MDC) using Vigna mungo (Black gram) wash water, reported for the first time as an anolyte utilizing a graphite plate and carbon brush as the anode. Power generation was facilitated by the exoelectrogen, Shewanella putrefaciens MTCC 8104. Polarization studies revealed that the graphite plate MDC attained a high power density of 2720 ± 50 μW/m2 compared to carbon brush for two electrode pairs. The COD removal and desalination efficiency were better for carbon brush MDC, achieving 58.17 ± 2% and 38.14 ± 2% removal, respectively. Power production can be enhanced by increasing the cathode's ability to accept the electrons, reducing the ageing of biofilm and promoting complete oxidation of the substrates. Upon improving its performance, MDC can act as a sustainable technology, collaborating with industries seeking solutions for wastewater treatment, energy generation and agricultural sectors on a large scale.
It’s a Material World
Authors: Smil Vaclav 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
One of the greatest challenges of this century is the reduction or elimination of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, primarily by moving the global energy system from carbon-based fuels to low- or zero-carbon systems. The energy systems that produce carbon emissions are inherently physical and must be replaced by other physical systems, which means the material constraints of building this new infrastructure cannot be ignored.
Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Bimodal Foot Prosthesis for Walking and Running
Authors: Ziemnicki David M. , McDonald Kirsty A. , Molitor Stephanie L. , Egolf Jeremiah B. , Cruz Justin P. , Lee Kathryn E. , Zelik Karl E. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
People often alternate between bouts of walking and running, for instance, when adults participate in recreational activities. Transitioning between activities can be challenging for prosthesis users because existing prosthetic feet are not well-suited for both tasks. Meanwhile, switching between prostheses for different tasks is often impractical. Collectively, these challenges can present barriers to physical activity participation for people with limb loss, which can negatively impact social or physical health. This work describes the development and evaluation of a passive bimodal prosthetic foot prototype with different configurations and stiffnesses for walking and running. Users rated the bimodal prosthesis higher for standing and walking compared to a running prosthesis (+2.3 for both tasks on a seven-point Likert scale). Users rated the bimodal prosthesis higher for running compared to a walking prosthesis (+1.7 and +0.5 for 2.0 and 2.5 m/s running, respectively). Changing from walking to running mode increased the device's stiffness by 23–84%, depending on the user's preference. Users could switch between bimodal prosthesis walking and running modes quickly (21.3 ± 12.0 s). Overall, the preliminary results were encouraging in terms of user satisfaction, stiffness change between modes, and mode-switching speed. These findings motivate future exploration of this bimodal prosthesis concept.
Numerical Study on the Effect of Channel Configuration on Mixture Formation of an Axial Flow Wave Rotor Combustor
Authors: Feng Zhan , Li Jianzhong , Gong Erlei , Yao Qian , Chen Xinyu , Chen Yue 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Wave rotor combustor technology is a new technical means to improve the thermal efficiency of aero-engine by using unsteady flow and constant volume combustion. In this article, the influence of wave rotor combustor channel structure on the mixture formation in the channel was studied by numerical simulation. The results showed that the internal flow field structure and change of any structure channel are similar. Flow separation will occur in all channels, and wake regions will be formed in the channels. The turbulence kinetic energy in the wake region was increased, and the velocity and pressure were decreased, resulting in the vortex in the channel. When the channel width was reduced to half of the original design, the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the mixture was reduced by at least 54.92% compared to the original design, and the global fuel mass fraction in the channel was increased by at least 27.32%. In addition, the fluctuation of discharge pressure was also reduced. The reduction of the channel height does not lead to a significant improvement in the aforementioned results. This study can provide guidance for the structural design of wave rotor combustor channel.
Optical Considerations for Designing Laser-Based Volumetric Particle Tracking Velocimetry
Authors: Abitan Haim , Zhang Yisheng , Ribergård Simon L. , Velte Clara M. 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
The trend to conduct volumetric particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) experiments with ever-increasing volumes, at a given particle density, poses increasing challenges on the design of such experiments in terms of the power of the laser source and the image analysis. These challenges, on one hand, require a reliable model to estimate the current signal from a pixel on a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detector due to a Mie scattering particle. On the other hand, they require also a model for estimating the limiting factors upon the image resolution, where a large amount of particles within a three-dimensional (3D) volume are mapped into a two-dimensional (2D) image. Herein, we present a model that provides an analytical expression to estimate the current signal from a pixel of a CMOS detector due to a Mie scattering particle within an arbitrary large volume in a volumetric PTV experiments. We begin with a model for planar experiments and extend it into volumetric measurements. Our model considers the effect of the depth of field, particle density, Mie scattering signal and total Mie scattering loss, laser pulse energy, and other relevant optical parameters. Later, we investigate the consequence of the Rayleigh criterion upon the spatial resolution when it is applied to Mie particles within a volume of interest (VOI). Finally, we demonstrate how we applied our model to estimate the current signal and the limit upon the spatial resolution in three experiments carried out in our lab.
Priority effects alter microbiome composition and increase abundance of probiotic taxa in treefrog tadpoles
Authors: Jones Korin Rex , Belden Lisa K. , Hughey Myra C. 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

Host-associated microbial communities, like other ecological communities, may be impacted by the colonization order of taxa through priority effects. Developing embryos and their associated microbiomes are subject to stochasticity during colonization by bacteria. For amphibian embryos, often developing externally in bacteria-rich environments, this stochasticity may be particularly impactful. For example, the amphibian microbiome can mitigate lethal outcomes from disease for their hosts; however, this may depend on microbiome composition. Here, we examined the assembly of the bacterial community in spring peeper (
Pseudacris crucifer
) embryos and tadpoles. First, we reared embryos from identified mating pairs in either lab or field environments to examine the relative impact of environment and parentage on embryo and tadpole bacterial communities. Second, we experimentally inoculated embryos to determine if priority effects (i) could be used to increase the relative abundance of
Janthinobacterium lividum
, an amphibian-associated bacteria capable of preventing fungal infection, and (ii) would lead to observed differences in the relative abundances of two closely related bacteria from the genus
Pseudomonas
. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we observed differences in community composition based on rearing location and parentage in embryos and tadpoles. In the inoculation experiment, we found that priority inoculation could increase the relative abundance of
J. lividum
, but did not find that either
Pseudomonas
isolate was able to prevent colonization by the other when given priority. These results highlight the importance of environmental source pools and parentage in determining microbiome composition, while also providing novel methods for the administration of a known amphibian probiotic.

IMPORTANCE

Harnessing the functions of host-associated bacteria is a promising mechanism for managing disease outcomes across different host species. In the case of amphibians, certain frog-associated bacteria can mitigate lethal outcomes of infection by the fungal pathogen
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
. Successful probiotic applications require knowledge of community assembly and an understanding of the ecological mechanisms that structure these symbiotic bacterial communities. In our study, we show the importance of environment and parentage in determining bacterial community composition and that community composition can be influenced by priority effects. Further, we provide support for the use of bacterial priority effects as a mechanism to increase the relative abundance of target probiotic taxa in a developing host. While our results show that priority effects are not universally effective across all host-associated bacteria, our ability to increase the relative abundance of specific probiotic taxa may enhance conservation strategies that rely on captive rearing of endangered vertebrates.
Classical swine fever virus non-structural protein 4A recruits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase to facilitate viral replication
Authors: Zhao Bing-qian , Chen Jing , Chen Jin-Xia , Cheng Yan , Zhou Jiang-fei , Bai Ji-shan , Mao Ding-yi , Zhou Bin 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

Mitochondria are energy producers in cells, which can affect viral replication by regulating the host innate immune signaling pathways, and the changes in their biological functions are inextricably linked the viral life cycle. In this study, we screened a library of 382 mitochondria-targeted compounds and identified the antiviral inhibitors of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the
de novo
synthesis pathway of pyrimidine ribonucleotides, against classical swine fever virus (CSFV). Our data showed that the inhibitors interfered with viral RNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner, with half-maximal effective concentrations (EC
50
) ranging from 0.975 to 26.635 nM. Remarkably, DHODH inhibitors obstructed CSFV replication by enhancing the innate immune response including the TBK1-IRF3-STAT1 and NF-κB signaling pathways. Furthermore, the data from a series of compound addition and supplementation trials indicated that DHODH inhibitors also inhibited CSFV replication by blocking the
de novo
pyrimidine synthesis. Remarkably, DHODH knockdown demonstrated that it was essential for CSFV replication. Mechanistically, confocal microscopy and immunoprecipitation assays showed that the non-structural protein 4A (NS4A) recruited and interacted with DHODH in the perinuclear. Notably, NS4A enhanced the DHODH activity and promoted the generation of UMP for efficient viral replication. Structurally, the amino acids 65–229 of DHODH and the amino acids 25–40 of NS4A were pivotal for this interaction. Taken together, our findings highlight the critical role of DHODH in the CSFV life cycle and offer a potential antiviral target for the development of novel therapeutics against CSF.

IMPORTANCE

Classical swine fever remains one of the most economically important viral diseases of domestic pigs and wild boar worldwide. dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitors have been shown to suppress the replication of several viruses
in vitro
and
in vivo
, but the effects on
Pestivirus
remain unknown. In this study, three specific DHODH inhibitors, including DHODH-IN-16, BAY-2402234, and Brequinar were found to strongly suppress classical swine fever virus (CSFV) replication. These inhibitors target the host DHODH, depleting the pyrimidine nucleotide pool to exert their antiviral effects. Intriguingly, we observed that the non-structural protein 4A of CSFV induced DHODH to accumulate around the nucleus in conjunction with mitochondria. Moreover, NS4A exhibited a strong interaction with DHODH, enhancing its activity to promote efficient CSFV replication. In conclusion, our findings enhance the understanding of the pyrimidine synthesis in CSFV infection and expand the novel functions of CSFV NS4A in viral replication, providing a reference for further exploration of antiviral targets against CSFV.
Framework for exploring the sensory repertoire of the human gut microbiota
Authors: Ross Patricia A. , Xu Wenhao , Jalomo-Khayrova Ekaterina , Bange Gert , Gumerov Vadim M. , Bradley Patrick H. , Sourjik Victor , Zhulin Igor B. 
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT

Bacteria sense changes in their environment and transduce signals to adjust their cellular functions accordingly. For this purpose, bacteria employ various sensors feeding into multiple signal transduction pathways. Signal recognition by bacterial sensors is studied mainly in a few model organisms, but advances in genome sequencing and analysis offer new ways of exploring the sensory repertoire of many understudied organisms. The human gut is a natural target of this line of study: it is a nutrient-rich and dynamic environment and is home to thousands of bacterial species whose activities impact human health. Many gut commensals are also poorly studied compared to model organisms and are mainly known through their genome sequences. To begin exploring the signals human gut commensals sense and respond to, we have designed a framework that enables the identification of sensory domains, prediction of signals that they recognize, and experimental verification of these predictions. We validate this framework’s functionality by systematically identifying amino acid sensors in selected bacterial genomes and metagenomes, characterizing their amino acid binding properties, and demonstrating their signal transduction potential.

IMPORTANCE

Signal transduction is a central process governing how bacteria sense and respond to their environment. The human gut is a complex environment with many living organisms and fluctuating streams of nutrients. One gut inhabitant,
Escherichia coli
, is a model organism for studying signal transduction. However,
E. coli
is not representative of most gut microbes, and signaling pathways in the thousands of other organisms comprising the human gut microbiota remain poorly understood. This work provides a foundation for how to explore signals recognized by these organisms.