bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Polyketide reductases in defense‐related parasorboside biosynthesis in Gerbera hybrida share processing strategies with microbial polyketide synthase systems
Authors: Zhu Lingping , Pietiäinen Milla , Kontturi Juha , Turkkelin Anna , Elomaa Paula , Teeri Teemu H. 
Published: June 2022

Summary

Plant polyketides are well‐known for their crucial functions in plants and their importance in the context of human health. They are synthesized by type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) and their final functional diversity is determined by post‐PKS tailoring enzymes. Gerbera hybrida is rich in two defense‐related polyketides: gerberin and parasorboside. Their synthesis is known to be initiated by GERBERA 2‐PYRONE SYNTHASE 1 (G2PS1), but the polyketide reductases (PKRs) that determine their final structure have not yet been identified.

We identified two PKR candidates in the pathway, GERBERA REDUCTASE 1 (GRED1) and GRED2. Gene expression and metabolite analysis of different gerbera tissues, cultivars, and transgenic gerbera plants, and in vitro enzyme assays, were performed for functional characterization of the enzymes.

GRED1 and GRED2 catalyze the second reduction step in parasorboside biosynthesis. They reduce the proximal keto domain of the linear CoA bound intermediate before lactonization.

We identified a crucial tailoring step in an important gerbera PKS pathway and show that plant polyketide biosynthesis shares processing strategies with fungi and bacteria. The two tailoring enzymes are recruited from the ancient sporopollenin biosynthetic pathway to a defense‐related PKS pathway in gerbera. Our data provide an example of how plants recruit conserved genes to new functions in secondary metabolism that are important for environmental adaptation.
Centromeres: From chromosome biology to biotechnology applications and synthetic genomes in plants
Authors: Zhou Jingwei , Liu Yang , Guo Xianrui , Birchler James A. , Han Fangpu , Su Handong 
Published: June 2022

SummaryCentromeres are the genomic regions that organize and regulate chromosome behaviours during cell cycle, and their variations are associated with genome instability, karyotype evolution and speciation in eukaryotes. The highly repetitive and epigenetic nature of centromeres were documented during the past half century. With the aid of rapid expansion in genomic biotechnology tools, the complete sequence and structural organization of several plant and human centromeres were revealed recently. Here, we systematically summarize the current knowledge of centromere biology with regard to the DNA compositions and the histone H3 variant (CENH3)‐dependent centromere establishment and identity. We discuss the roles of centromere to ensure cell division and to maintain the three‐dimensional (3D) genomic architecture in different species. We further highlight the potential applications of manipulating centromeres to generate haploids or to induce polyploids offspring in plant for breeding programs, and of targeting centromeres with CRISPR/Cas for chromosome engineering and speciation. Finally, we also assess the challenges and strategies for de novo design and synthesis of centromeres in plant artificial chromosomes. The biotechnology applications of plant centromeres will be of great potential for the genetic improvement of crops and precise synthetic breeding in the future.
High frequency of delayed milk delivery to neonates in tropical beef herds
Authors: Muller Jarud , Prada e Silva Luis , Fordyce Geoffry 
Published: June 2022

AbstractBeef‐calf mortality rates across tropical and subtropical Australia are high, with sub‐optimal nutrition in pregnant cows being the primary risk. The nutritional deficiencies associated with calf mortality are the same as those associated with reduced milk yields. Although the highest mortality risk occurs during neonatal life, the role of inadequate milk delivery to beef neonates is not well established. This study investigated the frequency of low milk delivery in tropically adapted neonatal calves and the time for their dams to initiate full lactation in five management groups of Brahman and Droughtmaster calving cows in the dry tropics of northern Queensland, Australia. Change in calf weight in the days following birth was the primary measure of milk uptake. Plasma globulin concentration was used to indicate colostrum uptake. Across management groups, data were available on 250 calves for regression analysis of average daily gain vs. globulin and on 78 for plotting calf growth profiles. Calves had one of two growth profiles, either with immediate high growth from birth (day one) or with high growth delayed until day three. The frequency of delayed growth calves (with inadequate milk intake to gain at least 0.5 kg by day three after birth) was on average 30% across management groups, with management groups ranging 25%–50%. The frequency of calves growing ≤0.2 kg/day to day three was 15%–37%, depending on management group. The frequency of calves growing ≤0.2 kg/day to day five was 7%–20%, depending on management group. Calf globulin explained only 25% of the variation in calf average daily gain. Our study shows that a third of tropically adapted calves may experience a three‐day delay to initiation of full lactation by their dams. Although study conditions were relatively benign, any additional risks with milk delivery, such as those that occur widely in tropical and subtropical northern Australia, would place such calves at risk of dehydration and mortality. Calf plasma globulin should not be used as a standalone measure of adequacy of neonatal milk delivery, especially when comparing across herds. This study demonstrates a fundamental problem of high frequency in northern Australia. The underlying risks for delayed milk delivery should be considered in the quest for practical solutions to reduce tropically adapted beef‐calf mortalities.
High concentration of growth differentiation factor‐9 (GDF‐9) to the ram semen had a negative effect on the sperm positive rheotaxis
Authors: Abdel‐Ghani Mohammed A. , Alhaider Abdulrahman 
Published: June 2022

AbstractHerein, the microfluidic device technique was used to investigate the effects of GDF‐9 concentrations and exposure time on the ram sperm positive rheotaxis (PR). Semen was collected from six rams and utilized for PR, motility and sperm kinetic parameter analysis using a computer‐assisted sperm analysis program with controlled flow velocity following 0, 10, 20 or 30 min of incubation at 37°C with GDF‐9 (200 , 400 or 600 ng/ml; semen sample without GDF‐9 was used as a control). Results revealed that there was not an interaction between effects of GDF‐9 concentrations and incubation duration on PR% (p = .457) and TM% (p = .099). A simple main effects analysis showed that GDF‐9 concentrations had an effect on PR% (p = .003). However, the incubation duration did not have an effect on PR% (p = .101). GDF‐9 concentrations had not an effect on TM% (p = .817). By contrast, the incubation duration affected on TM% (p = .026). A higher PR% was found (p < .05) at 200 ng GDF‐9 after 10 min (46.7 ± 10.3) and 20 min (45.5 ± 11.5) of incubation. After 30 min of incubation, the PR% was found lowest (p < .05) at 400 ng of GDF‐9 (30.6 ± 14.1) and 600 ng of GDF‐9 (32.2 ± 9.6). There was no difference (p > .05) in the sperm kinetic parameters between the four treatment groups. In conclusion, the ram sperms had the best rheotaxis properties after 10 and 20 min of incubation with 200 ng of GDF‐9 and were sensitive to high concretions.
Flood risk map from hydrological and mobility data: A case study in São Paulo (Brazil)
Authors: Tomás Lívia Rodrigues , Soares Giovanni Guarnieri , Jorge Aurelienne A. S. , Mendes Jeferson Feitosa , Freitas Vander L. S. , Santos Leonardo B. L. 
Published: June 2022

AbstractCities increasingly face flood risk primarily due to extensive changes of the natural land cover to built‐up areas with impervious surfaces. In urban areas, flood impacts come mainly from road interruption. This article proposes an urban flood risk map from hydrological and mobility data, considering the megacity of São Paulo, Brazil, as a case study. We estimate the flood susceptibility through the Height Above the Nearest Drainage algorithm; and the potential impact through the exposure and vulnerability components. We aggregate all variables into a regular grid and then classify the cells of each component into three classes: Moderate, High, and Very High. All components, except the flood susceptibility, have few cells in the Very High class. The flood susceptibility component reflects the presence of watercourses, and it has a strong influence on the location of those cells classified as Very High.
Emulating the Effective Ankle Stiffness of Commercial Prosthetic Feet Using a Robotic Prosthetic Foot Emulator
Authors: Halsne Elizabeth G. , Curran Carl S. , Caputo Joshua M. , Hansen Andrew H. , Hafner Brian J. , Morgenroth David C. 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
Prosthetic foot selection for individuals with lower limb amputation relies primarily on clinician judgment. The prosthesis user rarely has an opportunity to provide experiential input into the decision by trying different feet. A prosthetic foot emulator (PFE) is a robotic prosthetic foot that could facilitate prosthesis users' ability to trial feet with different mechanical characteristics. Here, we introduce a procedure by which a robotic PFE is configured to emulate the sagittal plane effective ankle stiffness of a range of commercial prosthetic forefeet. Mechanical testing was used to collect data on five types of commercial prosthetic feet across a range of foot sizes and intended user body weights. Emulated forefoot profiles were parameterized using Bezier curve fitting on ankle torque-angle data. Mechanical testing was repeated with the PFE, across a subset of emulated foot conditions, to assess the accuracy of the emulation. Linear mixed-effects regression and Bland–Altman Limits of Agreement analyses were used to compare emulated and commercial ankle torque-angle data. Effective ankle stiffness of the emulated feet was significantly associated with the corresponding commercial prosthetic feet (p &lt;0.001). On average, the emulated forefeet reproduced the effective ankle stiffness of corresponding commercial feet within 1%. Furthermore, differences were independent of prosthetic foot type, foot size, or user body weight. These findings suggest that commercial prosthetic foot properties can be effectively mimicked by a PFE, which is the important first step toward enabling prosthesis users to quickly trial different feet using a PFE as part of prosthetic foot prescription.
Motion-Based Ground Reaction Forces and Moments Prediction Method for Interaction With a Moving and/or Non-Horizontal Structure
Authors: Demestre Louise , Morin Pauline , May François , Bideau Nicolas , Nicolas Guillaume , Pontonnier Charles , Dumont Georges 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
Inverse dynamics methods are commonly used for the biomechanical analysis of human motion. External forces applied on the subject are required as an input data to solve the dynamic equilibrium of the subject. Force platforms measure ground reaction forces and moments (GRF&Ms) but they limit the ecological aspect of experimental conditions. Motion-based GRF&Ms prediction may circumvent this limitation. The current study aims at evaluating the accuracy of an optimization-based GRF&Ms prediction method modified to be applied to the interaction with a moving and/or nonhorizontal structure (MNHS). The main improvement of the method deals with contact detection in such a MNHS. To evaluate the accuracy of the method, 20 subjects performed squats and steps on an instrumented moving structure, measuring both motion and GRF&Ms. The comparison of the root-mean-square error between the predicted and measured GFR&Ms divided by the subjects mass showed a similar order of magnitude than those from the method without the studied modification (0.14 N/kg for antero-posterior forces, 0.29 N/kg for medio lateral forces, 0.61 N/kg for longitudinal forces, 0.06 Nm/kg for frontal moments, 0.13 Nm/kg for sagittal moments, and 0.03 Nm/kg for transverse moments). The results showed the suitability of the method to study human motions for tasks performed on a MNHS.
Position-Access Workspace of Slender Soft Manipulators
Authors: Amehri Walid , Zheng Gang , Kruszewski Alexandre 
Published: June 2022

Abstract
In this article, we investigate the position-access workspace estimation of slender soft manipulators controlled via arranged bounded actuators. For this, we implement a so-called forward-backward approach on the mathematical model of the investigated soft robot deduced via the adopted Discrete Cosserat method. The proposed methodology is validated on several planar and spatial slender soft manipulators’ configurations, where we show its advantage of reducing computation complexity for estimating the workspace, compared to traditional forward approach.
Natural Convection With Surface Radiation From the Infrared Suppression Device and Estimation of Cooling Time: A Computational Analysis
Authors: Chandrakar Vikrant , Senapati Jnana Ranjan , Mohanty Aurovinda 
Published: June 2022

AbstractThe thermofluid characteristics of the infrared suppression (IRS) device used in the marine gas turbine as an exhaust system are numerically investigated here. The prime objective is to observe the impact of convection united with surface radiation on the cooling of the IRS. Furthermore, the time taken to cool down the device is also estimated. A comparison exercise is also carried out to elucidate the impact of radiation considering the surface radiation and without it (taking only convection). The numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes equation, energy equation, and radiation equation, along with the turbulence equations, are performed using ANSYS FLUENT 15.0. Various relevant parameters are taken for the analysis, namely, Rayleigh number (Ra) (1 × 1010 ≤ Ra ≤ 1 × 1012), diameter ratio (DR) (1.01 ≤ DR ≤ 1.3), funnel overlapping (OL) (−20% ≤ OL ≤ 20%), and emissivity of the surface (ε) (0 ≤ ε ≤ 1). It is noticed that surface radiation has an enormous contribution to the total heat transfer and, thus, could not be neglected. The total heat transfer rate and mass flowrate increase with Ra and DR. Also, the contribution of convective heat transfer drops with the rise in emissivity. In addition, the convection united with surface radiation case reduces the cooling time (almost half) than the natural convection alone case.
Iterative Image Correction Scheme for Optoacoustic Tomography
Authors: Rudnitskii A. G. 
Published: June 2022

Abstract—
An iterative algorithm to enhance the quality of optoacoustic images is proposed based on the Banach fixed point theorem. Numerical simulation of the propagation of ultrasound waves and image reconstruction for media with characteristics close to soft biological tissues has been performed. The problem of eliminating distortions and artifacts in optoacoustic images has been modeled for four iterative schemes. The efficiency of the approach has been demonstrated even for a few iterations.
Effectiveness of nurse-led volunteer support and technology-driven pain assessment in improving the outcomes of hospitalised older adults: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Saunders Rosemary , Crookes Kate , Seaman Karla , Ang Seng Giap Marcus , Bulsara Caroline , Bulsara Max K , Ewens Beverley , Gallagher Olivia , Graham Renee M , Gullick Karen , Haydon Sue , Hughes Jeff , Atee Mustafa , Nguyen Kim-Huong , O'Connell Bev , Scaini Debra , Etherton-Beer Christopher 
Published: June 2022

IntroductionHospitalised older adults are prone to functional deterioration, which is more evident in frail older patients and can be further exacerbated by pain. Two interventions that have the potential to prevent progression of frailty and improve patient outcomes in hospitalised older adults but have yet to be subject to clinical trials are nurse-led volunteer support and technology-driven assessment of pain.Methods and analysisThis single-centre, prospective, non-blinded, cluster randomised controlled trial will compare the efficacy of nurse-led volunteer support, technology-driven pain assessment and the combination of the two interventions to usual care for hospitalised older adults. Prior to commencing recruitment, the intervention and control conditions will be randomised across four wards. Recruitment will continue for 12 months. Data will be collected on admission, at discharge and at 30 days post discharge, with additional data collected during hospitalisation comprising records of pain assessment and volunteer support activity. The primary outcome of this study will be the change in frailty between both admission and discharge, and admission and 30 days, and secondary outcomes include length of stay, adverse events, discharge destination, quality of life, depression, cognitive function, functional independence, pain scores, pain management intervention (type and frequency) and unplanned 30-day readmissions. Stakeholder evaluation and an economic analysis of the interventions will also be conducted.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been granted by Human Research Ethics Committees at Ramsay Health Care WA|SA (number: 2057) and Edith Cowan University (number: 2021-02210-SAUNDERS). The findings will be disseminated through conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications and social media.Trial registration numberACTRN12620001173987.
Feasibility of a pharmacist-led physical health monitoring for patients on antipsychotic medications: protocol for a longitudinal study
Authors: Bui Tien Ngoc Thi , Hotham Elizabeth , Kelly Fiona , Suppiah Vijayaprakash 
Published: June 2022

IntroductionPhysical health conditions are the leading causes of death in people living with severe mental illness. In particular, the risk of metabolic syndrome; the constellation of abnormalities in weight, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid levels, is high in this cohort. It has been recognised that commonly prescribed pharmacological agents for mental illness can further amplify the risk of developing metabolic syndrome; therefore, monitoring guidelines are in place for consumers prescribed antipsychotics. However, there is a disconnect between recommended guidelines and current practice. Our study aims to investigate: (1) the feasibility of a community pharmacist-led physical health monitoring for metabolic parameters in consumers with mental illness currently taking second generation antipsychotics and (2) the potential outcomes of the intervention (eg, rates and outcome of referrals to general practitioners, relationship between the pharmacist’s lifestyle counselling advice and change in metabolic parameters).Methods and analysisWe propose a longitudinal metabolic monitoring study led by community pharmacists with one-to-one consultations between trained pharmacists and participants at set intervals over a 12-month period. Our primary outcome is to determine the feasibility of the pharmacist-led intervention. The secondary outcome is to explore the overall health outcomes of consumers enrolled in the intervention. This is a mixed-methods study including both quantitative and qualitative outcomes. Qualitative data will be analysed via the process of data immersion, coding and identification of themes. Quantitative outcomes will be analysed using IBM Statistics SPSS software. Univariate descriptive, regression analysis and dependent t-tests will be performed. Statistical significance will be at α 0.05.Ethics and disseminationOur study has been approved by the institutional Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol no: 203433). Findings will be made publicly available in peer-reviewed articles, conference presentations to health professionals, as well as other stakeholders. Protocol V.2.1, August 2021.Trial registration numberACTRN12621001435875.
Systematic development of quality indicators for skin cancer management in primary care: a mixed-methods study protocol
Authors: Laginha Bela Ines , Rapport Frances , Smith Andrea , Wilkinson David , Cust Anne E , Braithwaite Jeffrey 
Published: June 2022

IntroductionAustralia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world, with two out of three Australians expected to be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. Such incidence necessitates large-scale, effective skin cancer management practices. General practitioners (in mainstream practice and in skin cancer clinics) play an important role in skin cancer care provision, making decisions based on relevant evidence-based guidelines, protocols, experience and training. Diversity in these decision-making practices can result in unwarranted variation. Quality indicators are frequently implemented in healthcare contexts to measure performance quality at the level of the clinician and healthcare practice and mitigate unwarranted variation. Such measurements can facilitate performance comparisons between peers and a standard benchmark, often resulting in improved processes and outcomes. A standardised set of quality indicators is yet to be developed in the context of primary care skin cancer management.AimsThis research aims to identify, develop and generate expert consensus on a core set of quality indicators for skin cancer management in primary care.MethodsThis mixed-methods study involves (1) a scoping review of the available evidence on quality indicators in skin cancer management in primary care, (2) identification and development of a core set of quality indicators through interviews/qualitative proforma surveys with participants, and (3) a focus group involving discussion of quality indicators according to Nominal Group Technique. Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected and analysed using thematic and descriptive statistical analytical methods.Ethics and disseminationApproval was granted by the university’s Research Ethics Committee (HREC no. 520211051532420). Results from this study will be widely disseminated in publications, study presentations, educational events and reports.