bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Responsiveness of new potato varieties to thickening plantings
Authors: Shabanov A. E. , Solomentsev P. V. 
Published: May 2024

Relevanse. A significant influence on the processes of growth, plant development and accumulation of tubers of potato varieties is a scientifically based and rational planting density, which allows the fullest use of the factors of light, air and mineral nutrition available in the field. The establishment of optimal planting density for new zoned potato varieties should be considered in close connection with other agricultural practices, as well as taking into account the purpose of growing products in specific soil and climatic conditions.Methodology. The research was conducted in 2018–2020 at the experimental base "Korenevo" of the Russian Potato Research Centre (Moscow region). The aim of research was to determine the optimal planting density for the new potato varieties of domestic selection: Gulliver (early), Azart (medium early) and Grand (medium ripe). Three planting densities were studied – 44 thousand tubers/ha (control); 50 and 56 thousand tubers/ha. Planting was carried out on May 4-6 with local application of mineral fertilizers at a dose of N90P90K135 two strings per ridge.Results. It was revealed that with the increase of planting density by 6 and 12 thousand tubers per 1 ha, the height of plants raised by 2-4 cm, depending on the variety on average over 3 years. The weight of the tops and the assimilation surface area of leaves increased, respectively, by 1.0-4.4 t/ha and 1.1-3.4 thousand m2/ha. The number of stems and tubers decreased, respectively, by 0.2-0.7 and 0.6-1.0 per bush. Increase of harvest due to higher plant density for the cultivar Gulliver was 2,2 and 3,1 t/ha, or up to 7,3%; for the Azart variety 2,8 and 3,3 t/ha, or up to 8,7%; for Grand variety 1,9-2,6 t/ha, or up to 7,8%, compared to control variant.
Effect of sprinkler irrigation method and addition urea fertilizer on wheat plant
Authors: Al-Awadi R. , Ilbas A.I. 
Published: May 2024

Originality/Value: Farmers must use sprinkler irrigation and avoid surface irrigation because it harms the soil and increases its salinity, also represents a waste of water resources.Research limitations: Limited availability of sufficient numbers of sprinkler irrigation devices in Iraq, their high prices, and the lack of experience of farmers to use them.The Purpose of the research is to evaluate the effect of the appropriate irrigation method and the amount of fertilizer specified for urea fertilizer that achieves the best growth for the plant and increase its productivity while avoiding a negative impact on soil properties.Research Method: Two types of irrigation: spraying and flooding, and four mineral fertilization treatments (0. 50.100. 150) kg.ha-1 were used in the work to study the apparent characteristics of wheat and the amount of productivity, using statistical analysis (Gen Stat) and simple correlation coefficient to find strength of association between variables. The experiment was carried out in 2023 at Al-Khatib Farm, located in Al-Numaniyah District, it is bordered to the south by Wasit Governorate, 50 km away, and to the north by Baghdad Governorate,160 km away (Iraq).Results and Discussion. Sprinkler irrigation showed significant differences with the surface irrigation in the length of the spike, number of seed per spike,1000 seed weight, number of spikes per square meter, grain yield kg .ha-1 and the harvest index, while the plant height was not significant. The study also showed that the correlation coefficient between the apparent characteristics of the plants was stronger in the case of using sprinkler irrigation compared to the surface irrigation.
The influence of a hybrid irradiation system on the growth, development and production process of tomato crops
Authors: Korol V. G. , Pchelin V. M. 
Published: May 2024

Relevance. LED sources of plant irradiation, surpassing the level of sodium light sources in terms of energy efficiency, are superior to them in terms of the possibility of optimizing spectral characteristics. Therefore, the issue of wider use of LED light sources when growing plants under light culture conditions is relevant. Possessing significantly greater efficiency compared to high-pressure sodium lamps, LEDs are of great interest to greenhouse growers. However, the successful application of these new light sources requires new approaches. And the main thing is that LED sources of plant irradiation cannot be widely used without changing the technology for growing vegetable crops in protected soil, without introducing new, specially created hybrids. And direct replacement of sodium light sources with LEDs does not make sense.Methods. The studies were carried out in a modern greenhouse under controlled conditions of real light culture while growing a medium-fruited tomato F1 Bountis (DRS). The area of the registration plot was 326 m2. For phenological observations and crop recording, areas with the same number of plants were allocated in the center of the recording plot, leaving protective strips in one row of plants along the edges. The installed lighting power is 200 W/m2. The light source was high-pressure sodium lamps DNaZ/Reflux 600W 400V with a ZhSP25 Reflux lamp with electronic ballasts, as well as a LED greenhouse lamp 680W 400V.Results. When using a hybrid system, the total illumination in the PAR region is 40% higher compared to a sodium lighting system, and it would be expected that the yield of the tomato crop will change accordingly. In general, over the entire period of the experiment, the yield under hybrid lighting conditions was higher by only 3 kg/m2 or 5.5% and amounted to 58.3 kg/m2, and under the sodium system – 55.2 kg/m2. At the same time, under the conditions of the hybrid lighting system, plant growth was slightly behind the control: the length of the main stem was by 15%, the number of established leaves and their average length by 3%, the number of formed inflorescences by 5%, and the thickness of the leaf blade by 20%.Conclusion. An increase in light does not always lead to a similar increase in yield. Not just light is important for plants, it is important to correctly assess its productivity and spectral composition. The problem of assessing illumination taking into account the real interaction of light with the plant exists and must be solved.
Racial Disparities in Health Care Use in Gentrifying Neighborhoods
Authors: Ferber Amanda I. , Thorpe Roland J. , Smith Genee S. 
Published: May 2024

Objective
Racial disparities in health outcomes are a persistent threat in gentrifying neighborhoods. A contributor to health outcomes is health services utilization, the extent to which people receive care from a medical professional. There are documented racial disparities in health services utilization in the general population. We aim to determine whether racial disparities in health services utilization exist in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Methods
We used data from the American Community Survey to identify gentrifying neighborhoods across the United States from 2006 to 2017. We collected data on three measures of healthcare services utilization (office-based physician visits, office-based nonphysician visits, and having a usual source of care) for 247 Black and 689 White non-Hispanic respondents of the 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey living in gentrifying neighborhoods. We used modified Poisson models to determine whether there is a difference in the prevalence of health services utilization by race among residents of gentrifying neighborhoods.

Results
After adjusting for age, gender, education, income, employment, insurance, marital status, region, and self-rated health, Black residents of gentrifying neighborhoods demonstrated a similar prevalence of having an office-based physician visit, a lower prevalence of having an office-based nonphysician visit (prevalence ratio: 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.60 to 0.91), and a lower prevalence of having a usual source of care (prevalence ratio: 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.77 to 0.98) than White residents.

Conclusions
The existence of racial disparities in health services utilization in US gentrifying neighborhoods demonstrates a need for policy-relevant solutions to create a more equitable distribution of health resources.
As contribuições dos alunos farmacêuticos de Ouro Preto ao Encontro Nacional de Estudantes de Farmácia em Goiás de 1980
Authors: Paula Leandro Silva de 
Published: May 2024

O intuito desta pesquisa é investigar a participação e as contribuições do Centro Acadêmico da Faculdade de Farmácia de Ouro Preto ao “IV Encontro Nacional dos Estudantes de Farmácia” em Goiás (IV ENEF - 1980). Em plena ditadura militar, estudantes mineiros expressaram e registraram suas ideias acerca do ensino farmacêutico no Brasil, discorrendo sobre os impactos da Reforma Universitária na época, a importância do movimento estudantil, a necessidade de valorização da cultura e da arte, entre outros assuntos. O texto desenvolvido pelos alunos possuía o objetivo de instruir e difundir convicções e ideais para toda a comunidade acadêmica participante da quarta edição do ENEF, evento ocorrido na cidade de Goiânia, nas dependências da Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG). Por meio da metodologia da pesquisa histórica, a análise desse documento de 1980 possibilitou identificar quais foram as principais bandeiras e preocupações dos participantes do evento. Corroborando que o grupo farmacêutico de Ouro Preto ao trazer àona palavras de luta; defender a liberdade artística, interceder a favor do ensino público/gratuito e da permanência dos estudantes na universidade instigou a comunidade participante do evento a combater a ditadura militar.
Probing interspecies metabolic interactions within a synthetic binary microbiome using genome-scale modeling
Authors: Badr Kiumars , He Q. Peter , Wang Jin 
Published: May 2024

Aim: Metabolic interactions within a microbial community play a key role in determining the structure, function, and composition of the community. However, due to the complexity and intractability of natural microbiomes, limited knowledge is available on interspecies interactions within a community. In this work, using a binary synthetic microbiome, a methanotroph-photoautotroph (M-P) coculture, as the model system, we examined different genome-scale metabolic modeling (GEM) approaches to gain a better understanding of the metabolic interactions within the coculture, how they contribute to the enhanced growth observed in the coculture, and how they evolve over time.
Methods: Using batch growth data of the model M-P coculture, we compared three GEM approaches for microbial communities. Two of the methods are existing approaches: SteadyCom, a steady state GEM, and dynamic flux balance analysis (DFBA) Lab, a dynamic GEM. We also proposed an improved dynamic GEM approach, DynamiCom, for the M-P coculture.
Results: SteadyCom can predict the metabolic interactions within the coculture but not their dynamic evolutions; DFBA Lab can predict the dynamics of the coculture but cannot identify interspecies interactions. DynamiCom was able to identify the cross-fed metabolite within the coculture, as well as predict the evolution of the interspecies interactions over time.
Conclusion: A new dynamic GEM approach, DynamiCom, was developed for a model M-P coculture. Constrained by the predictions from a validated kinetic model, DynamiCom consistently predicted the top metabolites being exchanged in the M-P coculture, as well as the establishment of the mutualistic N-exchange between the methanotroph and cyanobacteria. The interspecies interactions and their dynamic evolution predicted by DynamiCom are supported by ample evidence in the literature on methanotroph, cyanobacteria, and other cyanobacteria-heterotroph cocultures.
A randomised controlled trial of the Learning Skills Together (LST) intervention to improve dementia family caregivers’ self-efficacy with complex care
Authors: Meyer Kylie , Lee Kyungmi , Thorngthip Sutthinee , Burant Patricia , Lippe Megan , Neidre Daria , White Carole , Norman Rocio , Choi Byeong Yeob , Glover Crystal M , Bell Janice , Hepburn Kenneth 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background
Nearly two-thirds of family caregivers of persons living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (AD/ADRD) provide complex care, including medical care. Family caregivers typically receive little to no training on how to provide this care. Furthermore, family caregivers simultaneously grapple with the presence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), diminished communication abilities, and comorbidities such as diabetes. We developed Learning Skills Together (LST), a six-week digitally delivered psychoeducational program, to facilitate family caregiver abilities to administer complex care tasks. The goal of the present study is to test the efficacy of LST and to reduce adverse outcomes associated with caregiving, such as depressive symptomology and negative appraisal of BPSD.
Methods
To test the efficacy of LST, we will conduct a two-arm single-site randomised controlled trial (RCT) with N = 200 family caregivers of persons living with AD/ADRD. Eligible family caregivers will be randomly assigned to participate in either the LST intervention or a structurally equivalent control condition focused on healthy living. All family caregivers will complete four surveys, including a baseline survey administered prior to randomisation, a post-intervention survey, and a three- and six-month follow-up survey to assess change in study outcomes. Between-group comparisons of each outcome will be evaluated using generalized estimating equation models. Mediation analyses will assess family caregiver self-efficacy as the intervention’s mechanism of change in depressive symptomology and BPSD. We will also examine caregiver race, ethnicity, and gender as effect modifiers of the intervention.
Discussion
LST findings will inform the field of AD/ADRD and caregiving regarding optimally supporting family caregivers in managing complex care tasks. If efficacious, the LST intervention will support family caregivers in preserving their own mental health while providing complex care.
Trial registration
This study was registered on Clinical Trials.gov on May 6, 2023 (NCT05846984). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05846984?cond=learning%20skills%20together&rank=2
Deep Learning Guided Video Compression for Machine Vision Tasks
Authors: Kim Aro , Woo Seung-taek , Park Minho , Kim Dong-hwi , Lim Hanshin , Jung Soon-heung , Kwak Sangwoon , Park Sang-hyo 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

In the video compression industry, video compression tailored to machine vision tasks has recently emerged as a critical area of focus. Given the unique characteristics of machine vision, the current practice of directly employing conventional codecs reveals inefficiency, which requires compressing unnecessary regions. In this paper, we propose a framework that more aptly encodes video regions distinguished by machine vision to enhance coding efficiency. For that, the proposed framework consists of deep learning-based adaptive switch networks that guide the efficient coding tool for video encoding. Through the experiments, it is demonstrated that the proposed framework has superiority over the latest standardization project, video coding for machine benchmark, which achieves a Bjontegaard delta (BD)-rate gain of 5.91% on average and reaches up to a 19.51% BD-rate gain.
Retinal Pigment Epithelium-Specific Ablation of GPx4 in Adult Mice Recapitulates Key Features of Geographic Atrophy in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Ueta Takashi , Azuma Kunihiro , Kobayashi Kenta , Suzuki Takafumi , Nagahara Masako , Imai Hirotaka , Suga Akiko , Iwata Takashi , Shiraya Tomoyasu , Makoto Aiharaa 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the elderly population, particularly the late-stage of dry AMD known as geographic atrophy (GA), lacks effective treatment options. Genetic mouse models of AMD have revealed the significance of impaired lipid metabolism and anti-oxidative capacity in early/intermediate stage of AMD, but remains unclear in GA that severely damages visual function. Here, to investigate the potential relevance of peroxidized lipids in RPE for late-stage dry AMD, GPx4fl/fl mice underwent subretinal injections of RPE-specific AAV-Cre vector or control AAV vector. RPE-specific GPx4 deficiency led to rapid RPE degeneration resembling key features of late-stage dry AMD, including preceding RPE cell polarity, acrolein and malondialdehyde accumulation, photoreceptor loss, lipofuscin-laden subretinal melanophage infiltration, and complement activation. Treatment with α-tocopherol and ferrostatin-1 mitigated RPE degeneration, and shrunk mitochondria were observed in GPx4 deficient mice, suggesting involvement of ferroptosis. Unexpectedly, necrostatin-1s, an inhibitor of necroptosis, also ameliorated RPE degeneration, and activation of RIP3 and MLKL along with inactivation of caspase-8 was observed, indicating crosstalk between ferroptosis and necroptosis pathways. Our findings shed light on the intricate mechanisms underlying RPE degeneration in AMD and highlight GPx4/lipid peroxidation as potential therapeutic targets. RPE-specific ablation of GPx4 in mice provides a valuable tool for further elucidating the interplay between lipid peroxidation, cell death pathways, and AMD pathogenesis, offering new insights for preclinical research and therapeutic development targeting GA.
Exon-Intron Boundary Detection Made Easy by Physicochemical Properties of DNA
Authors: Jayaram B. , Sharma Dinesh , Aslam Danish , Sharma Kopal , Mittal Aditya 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Genome architecture in eukaryotes exhibits a high degree of complexity. Amidst the numerous intricacies, the existence of genes as non-continuous stretches composed of exons and introns has garnered significant attention and curiosity among researchers. Accurate identification of exon-intron boundary junctions is crucial to decipher the molecular biology governing gene expression of regular and aberrant splicing. The currently employed frameworks for genomic signals, which aim to identify exons and introns within a genomic segment, need to be revised primarily due to the lack of a robust consensus sequence and the limitations posed by the training on available experimental data sets. To tackle these challenges and capitalize on the understanding that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) exhibits function-dependent local structural and energetic variations, we present ChemEXIN, an innovative method for predicting exon-intron boundaries. The method utilizes a deep-learning (DL) model alongside tri- and tetra-nucleotide-based structural and energy parameters. ChemEXIN surpasses current methods in accuracy and reliability. Our work represents a significant advancement in exon-intron boundary annotations, with potential implications for understanding gene expression, regulation, and biomedical research.
Reliability and validity evidence of the Swedish shortened mathematics anxiety rating scale elementary (MARS-E)
Authors: Finell Jonatan , Eklöf Hanna , Jonsson Bert , Korhonen Johan 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

The current study assessed reliability and validity evidence of the shortened Swedish Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale – Elementary (MARS-E), using data from three time points. After initial pilot tests, a total of 429 students participated in the study, completing the MARS-E twice during grade 4 and once during grade 5. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a one-factor structure at each timepoint. The scale displayed both longitudinal and gender measurement invariance across timepoints, ensuring both stability and fairness across gender and time. Factor correlations with criterion variables were examined, revealing a strong correlation between math anxiety (MA) and test anxiety (TA) (r = 0.707). However, the two constructs had distinct relationships to other criterion variables, such as math performance (rma = -0.343, rta = -0.110) and self-concept in math (rma = -0.580, rta = -0.273). Gender correlations provided evidence of girls being more strongly associated with higher math anxiety scores compared to boys. The current paper provides evidence of the Swedish MARS-E as a valid, easily interpreted, unidimensional instrument for measuring math anxiety in Swedish primary school students. Additionally, the study highlights the gender disparities concerning math anxiety in a longitudinal study conducted in primary schools.
Increased diversity of beneficial rhizobia enhances faba bean growth
Authors: Mendoza-Suarez Marcela , Akyol Turgut , Nadzieja Marcin , Andersen Stig 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Legume-rhizobium symbiosis provides a sustainable nitrogen source for agriculture. Nitrogen fixation efficiency depends on both legume and rhizobium genotypes, but the implications of their interactions for plant performance in environments with many competing rhizobium strains remain unclear. Here, we let 399 Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae strains compete for nodulation of 212 faba bean genotypes. We find that the strains can be categorised based on by their nodule occupancy profiles into groups that show distinct competitive interactions and plant growth-promoting effects. Further, we show that the diversity of strains occupying root nodules affects plant growth and is under plant genetic control. These insights provide a basis for re-designing rhizobium inoculation and plant breeding strategies to enhance symbiotic nitrogen fixation in agriculture.
Rate of Myopia Progression among Ethiopian Myopic Children: An Observational Cohort Study
Authors: Tsegaye Demeke , Tadegegne Bezawit , Birhanu Hiwot , Hayilu Dereje 
Published: May 2024

Abstract

Background: Myopia has become a significant global socioeconomic and public health problem. Control of progression of myopia is important in children and the factors that hasten the progression of myopia need to be identified. There is insufficient information about the rate of progression of myopia in Ethiopia. The study aims to determine the rate of myopia progression in children and its determinant factors, from November 2021 to August 2023.
Methodology: An observational cohort study was conducted on 66 children aged 6 to 15 years. Data was collected with face-to-face interview using structured questionnaires and measurements were taken at the beginning of the study and one year after the initial examination. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS software version 26. Rate of progression was determined by using student T- test. The factors associated with progression rate were explored using multivariable binary logistic regression.A P value < 0.05 was used to declare significance in the study.
Results: A total of 66 myopic children aged 6 to 15 years were followed for 1 year. The mean difference in spherical equivalent refractive error after cycloplegia between the last and the first visit was - 0.41 Diopters (P < 0.001). 18.2% of children showed fast progression; 28.8% showed moderate progression and 53% showed slow progression. Prolonged reading time (AOR = 5.00 (95% CI: 1.10, 25.00), P = 0.04)) and longer television watching time (AOR = 3.85 (95% CI:1.16, 12.50), P = 0.03) were associated with a moderate/fast rate of progression
Conclusion: the mean change in spherical equivalent among myopic children after 1 year of follow up was – 0.41 Diopters. Longer reading time per day and longer time spent watching television were associated with higher risk of moderate to fast rate of myopia progression.