bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of topdressing time on spring maize yield and nitrogen utilization in black soil of northeast China
Authors: Zheng Yu , Ji Jinghong , Liu Shuangquan 
Published: July 2023

AbstractTopdressing time is crucial to achieving a high yield. To determine the optimum topdressing time for spring maize in the black soil of northeast China in the “one base and one topdressing” mode, the effects of topdressing time of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on maize yield, N utilization, and inorganic N residue and distribution were investigated by using 15N labeling technique. Four treatments were designed: no N fertilizer (N0), N fertilizer topdressing at jointing stage (N1), N fertilizer topdressing at belling stage (N2), and N fertilizer topdressing at tasseling stage (N3). The results showed that compared with N1 and N3, the maize yield, N uptake and N use efficiency (NUE) in N2 treatment significantly increased by 12.1% and 24.7%, 10.0% and 16.0%, and 26.4% and 38.9%, respectively (P < 0.05). The later the topdressing time, the more inorganic N remained in the soil profile (0–60 cm). The rate of potential N loss was higher when the topdressing time was too early or too late. Compared with N1, the residual amount of 15N in the soil profile (0–60 cm) of N2 and N3 treatments increased by 17.2% and 44.8%, respectively. The soil inorganic N (SIN) accumulation in the deep soil profile (40–60 cm) of N2 treatment decreased by 7.6% and 42.7%, respectively, as compared with N1 and N3. Therefore, the application of N fertilizer at the belling stage was beneficial to the high yield and efficient production of maize in the black soil region of Northeast China.
The immune responses of Oreochromis niloticus against Prohemistomum vivax encysted metacercariae infection with the evaluation of different biomarkers stressors
Authors: Younis Nehal A. , Thabit Hasnaa , El-Samannoudy Salma I. , Attia Marwa M. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThis study aimed at evaluating the immunological status of Oreochromis niloticus (O. niloticus); so, a total of 120 O. niloticus were collected from different farms located in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate in Egypt during the period from January 2021 to January 2022. The fish were surveyed for commonly encysted metacercariae present in different organs such as gills, spleen, liver, kidney, and muscles. The collected encysted metacercariae were of the family Cyathocotylidae (Prohemistomum vivax) with a prevalence of 25%. Different cell-mediated immune responses such as Major histocompatibility class II alpha (MHC-IIα), Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR-7), Interleukin (IL-8), and Clusters of differentiation 4 (CD4) were assessed in different organs such as gills, spleen, liver, kidney, and muscles which revealed an elevation in different genes in infected organs as a reaction from the body against parasitic infection. In addition, the liver enzymes; aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), were assessed in the serum of O. niloticus as well as blood glucose, cortisol levels, and lysozyme activity were estimated to record higher levels in the infected fish in comparison with the control non-infected ones.
Human-influenced diets affect the gut microbiome of wild baboons
Authors: Moy Madelyn , Diakiw Laura , Amato Katherine R. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIndustrialized diets that incorporate processed foods and are often high in simple sugars and fats and low in fiber have myriad health impacts, many of which may operate via impacts on the gut microbiota. Examining how these diets affect the gut microbiota can be challenging given that lab animal models experience altered environmental contexts, and human studies include a suite of co-varying cultural and environmental factors that are likely to shape the gut microbiota alongside diet. To complement these approaches, we compare the microbiomes of wild populations of olive baboons (Papio anubis) with differential access to human trash high in processed foods, simple sugars, and fats in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. Baboons are a good model system since their microbiomes are compositionally similar to those of humans. Additionally, this population inhabits a common environment with different social groups consuming qualitatively different amounts of human trash, limiting variation in non-dietary factors. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing we find that baboons with unlimited access to human trash have reduced microbial alpha diversity and reduced relative abundances of fiber-degrading taxa such as Ruminococcaceae, Prevotellaceae, and Lachnospiraceae. In contrast, baboons with limited access to human trash have a microbiome more similar to that of baboons with no access to human trash. Our results suggest that while a human-influenced diet high in processed foods, simple sugars, and fats is sufficient to alter the microbiome in wild baboons, there is a minimum threshold of dietary alteration that must occur before the microbiome is substantially altered. We recommend that data from wild primate populations such as these be used to complement ongoing research on diet-microbiome-health interactions in humans and lab animal models.
Combining ability analysis of yield and biomass allocation related traits in newly developed wheat populations
Authors: Shamuyarira Kwame W. , Shimelis Hussein , Figlan Sandiswa , Chaplot Vincent 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIncreasing biomass allocation to the root system may increase soil-organic carbon stocks and confer drought adaptation in water-limited environments. Understanding the genetic bases and inheritance of biomass allocation is fundamental for drought tolerance breeding and soil health. The objective of this study was to determine the general and specific combining ability, maternal effects and the mode of gene action controlling the major yield and biomass allocation related traits in wheat to identify good combiners for breeding and enhanced carbon sequestration. Ten selected wheat genotypes were crossed in a full diallel mating design, and 90 F2 families were generated and evaluated in the field and greenhouse under drought-stressed and non-stressed conditions. Significant differences were recorded among the tested families revealing substantial variation for plant height (PH), kernels per spike (KPS), root biomass (RB), shoot biomass (SB), total plant biomass (PB) and grain yield (GY). Additive gene effects conditioned PH, SB, PB and GY under drought, suggesting the polygenic inheritance for drought tolerance. Strong maternal and reciprocal genetic effects were recorded for RB across the testing sites under drought-stressed conditions. Line BW162 had high yield and biomass production and can be used to transfer favourable genes to its progeny. The parental line LM75 maintained the general combining ability (GCA) effects in a positive and desirable direction for SB, PB and GY. Early generation selection using PH, SB, PB and GY will improve drought tolerance by exploiting additive gene action under drought conditions. Higher RB production may be maintained by a positive selection of male and female parents to capture the significant maternal and reciprocal effects found in this study.
Xanthone synthetic derivatives with high anticandidal activity and positive mycostatic selectivity index values
Authors: Rząd Kamila , Ioannidi Rachel , Marakos Panagiotis , Pouli Nicole , Olszewski Mateusz , Kostakis Ioannis K. , Gabriel Iwona 
Published: July 2023

AbstractWith the current massive increases in drug-resistant microbial infection as well as the significant role of fungal infections in the death toll of COVID-19, discovering new antifungals is extremely important. Natural and synthetic xanthones are promising derivatives, although only few reports have demonstrated their antifungal mechanism of action in detail. Newly synthetized by us xanthone derivative 44 exhibited strong antifungal activity against reference and fluconazole resistant C. albicans strains. Our results indicate that the most active compounds 42 and 44 are not substrates for fungal ABC transporters (Cdr1p and Cdr2p) and Mdr1p, the main representative of the major facilitator superfamily efflux pumps, membrane proteins that are responsible for the development of resistance. Moreover, fungicidal mode of action reduces the probability of persistent or recurrent infections and resistance development. In this light, the demonstrated killing activity of the examined derivatives is their undoubted advantage. Novel synthesized compounds exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against human cell lines, although the selectivity index value for human pathogenic strains remained favourable. Our results also indicate that novel synthetized compounds 42 and 44 with antifungal activity target yeast topoisomerase II activity. In summary, further validation of xanthones applicability as antifungals is highly valuable.
Evaluation and comparison of pharmacokinetic profiles and safety of two extended-release buprenorphine formulations in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Fabian Niora J. , Mannion Anthony J. , Jamiel Morgan , Anderson David. J. , Rower Joseph E. , Reilly Christopher A. , Menegas William , Muthupalani Sureshkumar , Ta Christina , Fox James G. , Kramer Robin , Haupt Jennifer L. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractWhile sustained-release buprenorphine (BSR) is used as a long-lasting opioid analgesic in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), there are no published studies on pharmaceutical-grade extended-release buprenorphine options such as Ethiqa XR (EXR) for this species. However, BSR is a compounded product and has been reported to cause injection site reactions in multiple species, including marmosets. Additionally, now with the availability of EXR, a pharmaceutical-grade veterinary product, the use of BSR in laboratory animals is not compliant with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) unless scientifically justified and approved by the IACUC. We compared pharmacokinetic and safety profiles of BSR (0.15 mg/kg) and EXR (0.1–0.2 mg/kg) administered subcutaneously to adult marmosets. Blood was collected by venipuncture of the saphenous vein at multiple time points (0.25–72 h) and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). EXR between 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg resulted in a dose-dependent increase in Cmax (1.43–2.51 ng/mL) and were not statistically different from BSR (1.82 ng/mL). Tmax, lambdaz, and t1/2 were not statistically different between formulations. Mean plasma buprenorphine concentrations for BSR and EXR exceeded the therapeutic threshold (0.1 ng/mL) within 0.25 h and lasted for > 72 h. Mild sedation, but neither respiratory depression nor ataxia, was observed for both formulations. BSR injection sites had significantly higher histopathological scores compared to EXR. Video recordings for monitoring drug-induced behavioral changes showed increased animal activity levels after BSR and EXR versus saline controls. Norbuprenorphine, a buprenorphine metabolite associated with respiratory depression, was detected in the plasma after BSR and EXR administration as well as by in vitro liver microsome assays. In conclusion, we recommend using EXR over BSR as a long-lasting buprenorphine analgesic in marmosets because EXR is a pharmaceutical-grade formulation that is compliant with FDA guidelines and the Guide as well as exhibits comparable PK and safety profiles as BSR.
Fabrication of Al/AlOx/Al junctions with high uniformity and stability on sapphire substrates
Authors: Zheng Yuzhen , Li Shuming , Ding Zengqian , Xiong Kanglin , Feng Jiagui , Yang Hui 
Published: July 2023

AbstractTantalum and aluminum on sapphire are widely used platforms for qubits of long coherent time. As quantum chips scale up, the number of Josephson junctions on sapphire increases. Thus, both the uniformity and stability of the junctions are crucial to quantum devices, such as scalable superconducting quantum computer circuit, and quantum-limited amplifiers. By optimizing the fabrication process, especially, the conductive layer during the electron beam lithography process, Al/AlOx/Al junctions of sizes ranging from 0.0169 to 0.04 µm2 on sapphire substrates were prepared. The relative standard deviation of room temperature resistances (RN) – $${\upsigma }_{{R_{{\text{N}}} }} /\left\langle {R_{{\text{N}}} } \right\rangle$$

σ

R
N

/

R
N

of these junctions is better than 1.7% on 15 mm × 15 mm chips, and better than 2.66% on 2 inch wafers, which is the highest uniformity on sapphire substrates has been reported. The junctions are robust and stable in resistances as temperature changes. The resistances increase by the ratio of 9.73% relative to RN as the temperature ramp down to 4 K, and restore their initial values in the reverse process as the temperature ramps back to room temperature. After being stored in a nitrogen cabinet for 100 days, the resistance of the junctions changed by1.16% on average. The demonstration of uniform and stable Josephson junctions in large area paves the way for the fabrication of superconducting chip of hundreds of qubits on sapphire substrates.
Development and validation of a portable articulated dynamometry system to assess knee extensor muscle strength
Authors: Myong Youho , Park Sungwoo , Cho Minwoo , Cho Seung Yeon , Lee Woo Hyung , Oh Byung-Mo , Kim Sungwan 
Published: July 2023

AbstractMuscle strength assessment is important in predicting clinical and functional outcomes in many disorders. Manual muscle testing, although commonly used, offers suboptimal accuracy and reliability. Isokinetic dynamometers (IKDs) have excellent accuracy and reliability; but are bulky and expensive, offering limited accessibility. This study aimed to design a portable dynamometer that is accessible, accurate and reliable, and to validate the device in a general population. The portable articulated dynamometry system (PADS) is a portable device with an embedded high-precision load cell, designed to measure muscle strength with optimal accuracy. Seventy-two participants underwent maximal isometric and isokinetic knee extensor torque measurement with the PADS and IKD, respectively. The PADS results were cross-validated against IKD results using change in mean (CIM). Interrater and intra-rater reliabilities were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients, standard error of measurement, and minimal detectable change. The PADS maximal knee extensor strength results were not significantly different from those by IKD (CIM: − 2.13 Nm; 95% CI − 4.74, 0.49 Nm). The PADS showed interrater reliability (Pearson’s r: 0.958; ICC: 0.979; SEM: 5.51%) and excellent intra-rater reliability (Pearson’s r: 0.912; ICC: 0.954; SEM: 8.38%). The proposed PADS may be an effective alternative to IKD, offering good accuracy, reliability, and potentially better accessibility.
Association between urinary caffeine and caffeine metabolites and stroke in American adults: a cross-sectional study from the NHANES, 2009–2014
Authors: Fan Jinming , Yuan Yajun , Zhang Xiaoting , Li Wenhan , Ma Wuqin , Wang Wenhao , Gu Jinyan , Zhou Bin 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThis study investigates the potential correlation between urinary caffeine levels and the occurrence of stroke, a serious cerebrovascular disease that can lead to disability or death. The data used in this study was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2009 and 2014. The study analyzed a total of 5,339 individuals, divided into a control group (n = 5,135) and a stroke group (n = 162). The researchers utilized multiple logistic regression and smoothed curve fitting to examine the relationship between urinary caffeine and caffeine metabolites and the incidence of stroke. The study found that higher urinary caffeine levels were associated with a lower risk of stroke in Mexican American participants (odds ratio [OR] = 0.886, 95% confidence interval [CI]: (0.791, 0.993), P = 0.037). After adjusting for certain participant characteristics, it was also found that higher urinary paraxanthine levels were associated with a lower risk of stroke incidence (OR = 0.991, 95% CI (0.984, 0.999), P = 0.027). Meanwhile, the highest urinary paraxanthine levels group had 43.7% fewer strokes than the lowest level group (OR = 0.563, 95% CI (0.341, 0.929), P = 0.025). In this study, we showed a negative link between urine paraxanthine levels and the risk of stroke. Meanwhile, urinary caffeine levels were negatively associated with the incidence of stroke in Mexican Americans, but no correlation in other populations. Our findings may have predictive and diagnostic implications in clinical practice. Further extensive prospective investigations are still needed to validate our conclusions.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of confirmed case distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: data comparison between 2020/04–2020/08 and 2021/04–2021/08
Authors: Fu Lin-Tao , Qu Zhong-Ling , Zeng Xin , Li Liang-Zhi , Lan Run , Zhou Yu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic across Chinese mainland was gradually stabilized at a low level with sporadic outbreaks, before the emergence of Omicron variant. Apart from non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs), COVID-19 vaccine has also been implemented to prevent and control the pandemic since early 2021. Although many aspects have been focused, the change of the spatiotemporal distribution of COVID-19 epidemic across Chinese mainland responding to the change of prevention and control measures were less concerned. Here, we collected the confirmed case data (including domestic cases and overseas imported cases) across Chinese mainland during both 2020/04–2020/08 and 2021/04–2021/08, and then conducted a preliminary data comparison on the spatiotemporal distribution of confirmed cases during the identical period between the two years. Distribution patterns were evaluated both qualitatively by classification method and quantitatively through employing coefficient of variation. Results revealed significant differences in the homogeneity of spatiotemporal distributions of imported or domestic cases between the two years, indicating that the important effect of the adjustment of prevention and control measures on the epidemic evolution. The findings here enriched our practical experience of COVID-19 prevention and control. And, the collected data here might be helpful for improving or verifying spatiotemporally dynamic models of infectious diseases.
Decreased left heart flow in fetal lambs causes left heart hypoplasia and pro-fibrotic tissue remodeling
Authors: Reuter Miriam S. , Sokolowski Dustin J. , Javier Diaz-Mejia J. , Keunen Johannes , de Vrijer Barbra , Chan Cadia , Wang Liangxi , Ryan Greg , Chiasson David A. , Ketela Troy , Scherer Stephen W. , Wilson Michael D. , Jaeggi Edgar , Chaturvedi Rajiv R. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractLow blood flow through the fetal left heart is often conjectured as an etiology for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). To investigate if a decrease in left heart flow results in growth failure, we generate left ventricular inflow obstruction (LVIO) in mid-gestation fetal lambs by implanting coils in their left atrium using an ultrasound-guided percutaneous technique. Significant LVIO recapitulates important clinical features of HLHS: decreased antegrade aortic valve flow, compensatory retrograde perfusion of the brain and ascending aorta (AAo) from the arterial duct, severe left heart hypoplasia, a non-apex forming LV, and a thickened endocardial layer. The hypoplastic AAo have miRNA-gene pairs annotating to cell proliferation that are inversely differentially expressed by bulk RNA-seq. Single-nucleus RNA-seq of the hypoplastic LV myocardium shows an increase in fibroblasts with a reciprocal decrease in cardiomyocyte nuclei proportions. Fibroblasts, cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells from hypoplastic myocardium have increased expression of extracellular matrix component or fibrosis genes with dysregulated fibroblast growth factor signaling. Hence, a severe sustained ( ~ 1/3 gestation) reduction in fetal left heart flow is sufficient to cause left heart hypoplasia. This is accompanied by changes in cellular composition and gene expression consistent with a pro-fibrotic environment and aberrant induction of mesenchymal programs.
Dynamic facial expression recognition with pseudo‐label guided multi‐modal pre‐training
Authors: Yin Bing , Yin Shi , Liu Cong , Zhang Yanyong , Xi Changfeng , Yin Baocai , Ling Zhenhua 
Published: July 2023

AbstractDue to the huge cost of manual annotations, the labelled data may not be sufficient to train a dynamic facial expression (DFR) recogniser with good performance. To address this, the authors propose a multi‐modal pre‐training method with a pseudo‐label guidance mechanism to make full use of unlabelled video data for learning informative representations of facial expressions. First, the authors build a pre‐training dataset of videos with aligned vision and audio modals. Second, the vision and audio feature encoders are trained through an instance discrimination strategy and a cross‐modal alignment strategy on the pre‐training data. Third, the vision feature encoder is extended as a dynamic expression recogniser and is fine‐tuned on the labelled training data. Fourth, the fine‐tuned expression recogniser is adopted to predict pseudo‐labels for the pre‐training data, and then start a new pre‐training phase with the guidance of pseudo‐labels to alleviate the long‐tail distribution problem and the instance‐class confliction. Fifth, since the representations learnt with the guidance of pseudo‐labels are more informative, a new fine‐tuning phase is added to further boost the generalisation performance on the DFR recognition task. Experimental results on the Dynamic Facial Expression in the Wild dataset demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method.
Manage migration to save liberal order
Authors: Larsen Henrik 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe growing irregular immigration and asylum pressure polarizes and paralyzes the political ecosystems in the USA and Europe. It empowers the new nationalists that seek to dismantle or withdraw from the liberal international institutions (EU, NATO, United Nations), which they perceive as undermining their capacity to assert national sovereignty. To save ‘liberal order,’ therefore, the established governments and political parties on both sides of the Atlantic need to bring back a perception of internal control over external events. They need a more explicit acknowledgment of their national interests that cannot always accommodate migrants’ interest in settling in more prosperous and safer countries. The article argues that migration management must be integrated into a notion of Western grand strategy focused on the preservation of internal cohesion and sovereignty, which preconditions consensus on maintaining ‘liberal order’ in the first place.