bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ginger germplasm classification and identification of morphological markers related to rhizome yield
Authors: Chukwudi Uchechukwu Paschal 
Published: September 2022

AbstractGinger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a rhizomatous plant with wide usage in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The inclusion of ginger rhizomes in the home remedies for prophylaxis related to COVID‐19 infection may have caused a sharp rise in global ginger demand that has exceeded supply. To meet this demand, there is a need to identify high yielding genotypes with desirable attributes. The objectives of this study were to characterize and identify morphological markers that are associated with high rhizome yields. Ten ginger genotypes were assessed for 2 yr for their yield and phytochemical and mineral compositions under a randomized complete block design with three replications. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the genotypes based on eight morphological attributes and 15 phytoconstituent contents. The results showed three clusters and two outliers. The dendrogram identified cluster A with genotypes KD‐2 and EN‐1 as the highest rhizome yielder. The pseudo‐stem diameter (.808), leaf width (.743), plant height (.722), and the number of leaves plant−1 (.641) showed the highest correlation coefficients with the ginger rhizome yield. The path coefficient analysis showed that 70.6% of the contribution of the pseudo‐stem diameter to the rhizome yield occurred through its indirect effect on the leaf width (47.2%) and plant height (23.4%). These markers should be considered in selecting high‐yielding ginger genotypes for production.
Botulinum toxin type E: A review
Authors: Lebowitz Emily , Berson Diane 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBackgroundBotulinum toxin type A (BoNT‐A) and botulinum toxin type B are the only two serotypes of botulinum toxin currently available for therapeutic use. Recently, botulinum toxin type E (BoNT‐E) has been explored for clinical use due to its pharmacological properties. BoNT‐E has a faster onset of action and a shorter duration of effect compared to BoNT‐A.MethodsA literature review of BoNT‐E in terms of its mechanism of action, efficacy, and treatment applications.ResultsBoNT‐E has thus far demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of glabellar frown lines. Additional potential applications include the treatment of focal muscle pain and the reduction of postoperative scars.ConclusionBoNT‐E products have the potential to fulfill an unmet need for patients considering first‐time use of botulinum toxin for esthetic purposes and for patients seeking rapid results.
Habitat‐specific responses of soil organic matter decomposition to Spartina alterniflora invasion along China's coast
Authors: Zhang Guangliang , Bai Junhong , Tebbe Christoph C. , Huang Laibin , Jia Jia , Wang Wei , Wang Xin , Zhao Qingqing , Wen Lixiang , Kong Fanlong , Xi Min , He Qiang 
Published: September 2022

AbstractPlant invasions cause a fundamental change in soil organic matter (SOM) turnover. Disentangling the biogeographic patterns and key drivers of SOM decomposition and its temperature sensitivity (Q10) under plant invasion is a prerequisite for making projections of global carbon feedback. We collected soil samples along China's coast across saltmarshes to mangrove ecosystems invaded by the smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel.). Microcosm experiments were carried out to determine the patterns of SOM decomposition and its thermal response. Soil microbial biomass and communities were also characterized accordingly. SOM decomposition constant dramatically decreased along the mean annual temperature gradient, whereas the cordgrass invasion retarded this change (significantly reduced slope, p < 0.05). The response of Q10 to invasion and the soil microbial quotient peaked at midlatitude saltmarshes, which can be explained by microbial metabolism strategies. Climatic variables showed strong negative controls on the Q10, whereas dissolved carbon fraction exerted a positive influence on its spatial variance. Higher microbial diversity appeared to weaken the temperature‐related response of SOM decomposition, with apparent benefits for carbon sequestration. Inconsistent responses to invasion were exhibited among habitat types, with SOM accumulation in saltmarshes but carbon loss in mangroves, which were explained, at least in part, by the SOM decomposition patterns under invasion. This study elucidates the geographic pattern of SOM decomposition and its temperature sensitivity in coastal ecosystems and underlines the importance of interactions between climate, soil, and microbiota for stabilizing SOM under plant invasion.
Assessing the combined effect of surface topography and substrate rigidity in human bone marrow stem cell cultures
Authors: Ribeiro Sofia , Pugliese Eugenia , Korntner Stefanie H. , Fernandes Emanuel M. , Gomes Manuela E. , Reis Rui L. , O'Riordan Alan , Bayon Yves , Zeugolis Dimitrios I. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe combined effect of surface topography and substrate rigidity in stem cell cultures is still under‐investigated, especially when biodegradable polymers are used. Herein, we assessed human bone marrow stem cell response on aliphatic polyester substrates as a function of anisotropic grooved topography and rigidity (7 and 12 kPa). Planar tissue culture plastic (TCP, 3 GPa) and aliphatic polyester substrates were used as controls. Cell morphology analysis revealed that grooved substrates caused nuclei orientation/alignment in the direction of the grooves. After 21 days in osteogenic and chondrogenic media, the 3 GPa TCP and the grooved 12 kPa substrate induced significantly higher calcium deposition and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) deposition, respectively, than the other groups. After 14 days in tenogenic media, the 3 GPa TCP upregulated four and downregulated four genes; the planar 7 kPa substrate upregulated seven genes and downregulated one gene; and the grooved 12 kPa substrate upregulated seven genes and downregulated one gene. After 21 days in adipogenic media, the softest (7 kPa) substrates induced significantly higher oil droplet deposition than the other substrates and the grooved substrate induced significantly higher droplet deposition than the planar. Our data pave the way for more rational design of bioinspired constructs.
Regression methods for the appearances of extremes in climate data
Authors: Yu Chang , Blaha Ondrej , Kane Michael , Wei Wei , Esserman Denise , Zelterman Daniel 
Published: September 2022

AbstractFor any given city, on any calendar day, there will be record high and low temperatures. Which record occurred earlier? If there is a trend towards warming then, intuitively, there should be a preponderance of record highs occurring more recently than the record lows for each of the 365 calendar days. We are interested in modeling the joint distribution of appearances of the extremes but not these values themselves. We develop a bivariate discrete distribution modeling the joint indices of maximum and minimum in a sequence of independent random variables sampled from different distributions. We assume these distributions share a proportional hazard rate and develop regression methods for these paired values. This approach has reasonable power to detect a small mean change over a decade. Using readily available public data, we examine the daily calendar extreme values of five US cities for the decade 2011–2020. We develop linear regression models for these data, describe models to account for calendar‐date dependence, and use diagnostic measures to detect remarkable observations.
Assessing Potential Perfluoroalkyl Substances Trophic Transfer to Crickets (Acheta domesticus)
Authors: McDermett Kaylin , Anderson Todd , Jackson W. Andrew , Guelfo Jennifer 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Although many studies have assessed the bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plant tissues, to date there has been minimal research on the bioaccumulation of PFAS in soil invertebrates that results from consuming PFAS-contaminated media. The present study focused on two different consumption pathways in a population of crickets: individuals consuming PFAS-contaminated alfalfa and individuals consuming PFAS-spiked drinking water. Alfalfa was grown in a greenhouse and irrigated with PFAS-spiked water (∼1 ppm) containing seven unique PFAS. The alfalfa was then harvested and fed to crickets. Another population of crickets was supplied with PFAS-spiked drinking water at similar concentrations to irrigation water for direct consumption. Alfalfa accumulation of PFAS and subsequent consumption by the crickets resulted in overall similar tissue concentrations in the crickets who consumed PFAS-spiked water directly. This indicates that source concentration (water) may be an important factor in assessing the bioaccumulation of PFAS in organisms. To our knowledge, ours is the first study not only to assess the direct trophic transfer of PFAS from contaminated vegetation to invertebrates, but also to highlight the similarities in bioaccumulation regardless of ingestion pathway. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2981–2992. © 2022 SETAC
From sharing voices to making decisions: The case for centring community ownership in evaluation of health programme planning and management
Authors: Chi Chunhuei , Núñez Alicia , Tuepker Anaïs 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBackgroundCommunity participation in health programme planning has gained traction in public health in recent decades. When an idea enters the mainstream, it becomes vulnerable to overuse and dilution, and public health professionals claiming “community participation” may intentionally or unintentionally prevent more meaningful participatory action. The principle of community‐centred planning is seldom integrated into programme evaluation. We have previously argued that, to prevent ambiguity and abuse, a stronger and more explicit idea of community ownership is useful. Un‐like “participation”, “ownership” leaves little room for dilution.MethodThis perspective piece explores a framework to support evaluating community ownership in planning, by emphasising decision‐making power in health planning and management as a necessary element for evaluation alongside other outcomes. After defining the concept of community ownership, we identify and discuss challenges and research gaps related to implementing community ownership in health programme planning, management, and evaluation. Such issues include considering which communities have claims to programme ownership, alternative approaches to representation and participation that support ownership, gathering community values and preferences, and incorporating them into ongoing programme planning, management and evaluation. We consider methodological issues likely to arise when transitioning from gathering community voices ‐ which is valuable but incomplete work ‐ towards community decision making power in planning and evaluation.ResultsWe use cases from recent policy and research in Chile as examples to consider through the lens of this framework. Finally, we discuss some current constraints in implementing community ownership in healthcare planning and evaluation.ConclusionWe encourage exploring how to practice evaluation in ways that will further our ability to be helpful professional supporters of community self‐determination in finding their paths to health.
Silver–ethylene glycol and copper–ethylene glycol based thermally radiative nanofluid characteristics between two rotating stretchable disks with modified Fourier heat flux
Authors: Nazia S. , Seshaiah B. , Sudarsana Reddy Patakota , Sreedevi Paluru 
Published: September 2022

AbstractIn the present analysis, our aim is to investigate the mass and heat transport of silver (Ag)–ethylene glycol (EG) and copper (Cu)–EG‐based nanofluids between two rotating stretchable disks under the convective boundary conditions. We have also incorporated Cattaneo–Christov heat flux, thermal radiation, and chemical reaction in the fluid flow. The system of coupled partial differential equations is transformed into ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformations. The finite element method has been accomplished to find numerical solutions to transformed equations. The behavior of radial and tangential velocity, temperature fields, and concentration fields influenced by the various parameters are sketched through graphs. The local skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are also calculated for the pertinent parameters and displayed the results through tables. It is perceived that velocity sketches of both nanoliquids degenerate with larger values of thermal relaxation parameters. Also, the values local Nusselt number of both Ag–EG, and Cu–EG based Cattaneo–Christov nanofluid intensifies with improving values of stretching parameter at the lower disk, whereas, it impedes at the upper disk.
White blood cell detection using saliency detection and CenterNet: A two‐stage approach
Authors: Zheng Xin , Tang Pan , Ai Liefu , Liu Deyang , Zhang Youzhi , Wang Boyang 
Published: September 2022

AbstractWhite blood cell (WBC) detection plays a vital role in peripheral blood smear analysis. However, cell detection remains a challenging task due to multi‐cell adhesion, different staining and imaging conditions. Owing to the powerful feature extraction capability of deep learning, object detection methods based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been widely applied in medical image analysis. Nevertheless, the CNN training is time‐consuming and inaccuracy, especially for large‐scale blood smear images, where most of the images are background. To address the problem, we propose a two‐stage approach that treats WBC detection as a small salient object detection task. In the first saliency detection stage, we use the Itti's visual attention model to locate the regions of interest (ROIs), based on the proposed adaptive center‐surround difference (ACSD) operator. In the second WBC detection stage, the modified CenterNet model is performed on ROI sub‐images to obtain a more accurate localization and classification result of each WBC. Experimental results showed that our method exceeds the performance of several existing methods on two different data sets, and achieves a state‐of‐the‐artmAPof over 98.8%.
Characterization of optical clearing mechanisms in muscle during treatment with glycerol and gadobutrol solutions
Authors: Silva Hugo F. , Martins Inês S. , Bogdanov Alexei A. , Tuchin Valery V. , Oliveira Luís M. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe recent increasing interest in the application of radiology contrasting agents to create transparency in biological tissues implies that the diffusion properties of those agents need evaluation. The comparison of those properties with the ones obtained for other optical clearing agents allows to perform an optimized agent selection to create optimized transparency in clinical applications. In this study, the evaluation and comparison of the diffusion properties of gadobutrol and glycerol in skeletal muscle was made, showing that although gadobutrol has a higher molar mass than glycerol, its low viscosity allows for a faster diffusion in the muscle. The characterization of the tissue dehydration and refractive index matching mechanisms of optical clearing was made in skeletal muscle, namely by the estimation of the diffusion coefficients for water, glycerol and gadobutrol. The estimated tortuosity values of glycerol (2.2) and of gadobutrol (1.7) showed a longer path‐length for glycerol in the muscle.
Therapeutic plasma exchange: A potential therapeutic modality for critically ill adults with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection
Authors: Al‐Hashami Sabria , Khamis Faryal , Al‐Yahyay Maha , Al‐Dowaiki Samata , Al‐Mashaykhi Louza , Al‐Khalili Huda , Chandwani Juhi , Al‐Salmi Issa , Al‐Zakwani Ibrahim 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection can be severe and fatal due to cytokine storm. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) potentially mitigates the harmful effects of such cytokines. We investigated the use of TPE, as rescue therapy, in patients with severe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection.Study Design and MethodsA retrospective analysis on COVID‐19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit and treated with TPE from April 17, 2020 to July 2, 2020. This group was compared with COVID‐19 patients who received standard therapy without TPE. The following outcomes were analyzed: changes in laboratory parameters, length of hospital stay (LOS), days on mechanical ventilation, mortality at days 14 and overall mortality.ResultsA total of 95 patients were included, among whom 47% (n = 45) received TPE. Patients who received TPE had reductions in C‐reactive protein (P = .002), ferritin (P < .001) and interleukin‐6 (P = .013). After employing entropy‐balancing matching method, those on TPE were also more likely to discontinue inotropes (72% vs 21%; P < .001). However, they were more likely to be associated with longer LOS (23 vs 14 days; P = .002) and longer days on ventilatory support (14 vs 8 days; P < .001). Despite marginal mortality benefit at 14‐days (7.9% vs 24%; P = .071), there was no significant differences in overall mortality (21% vs 31%; P = .315) between the groups.ConclusionsTPE was effective in reducing inflammatory markers in patients with severe COVID‐19 infection, however, further research is warranted.
Is monkeypox a new, emerging sexually transmitted disease? A rapid review of the literature
Authors: Bragazzi Nicola Luigi , Kong Jude Dzevela , Wu Jianhong 
Published: September 2022

AbstractMonkeypox, a milder disease compared to smallpox, is caused by a virus initially discovered and described in 1958 by the prominent Danish virologist von Magnus, who was investigating an infectious outbreak affecting monkey colonies. Currently, officially starting from May 2022, an outbreak of monkeypox is ongoing, with 51 000 cases being notified as of September 1, 2022—51 408 confirmed, 28 suspected, and 12 fatalities, for a grand total of 51 448 cases. More than 100 countries and territories are affected, from all the six World Health Organization regions. There are some striking features, that make this outbreak rather unusual when compared with previous outbreaks, including a shift on average age and the most affected age group, affected sex/gender, risk factors, clinical course, presentation, and the transmission route. Initially predominantly zoonotic, with an animal‐to‐human transmission, throughout the last decades, human‐to‐human transmission has become more and more sustained and effective. In particular, clusters of monkeypox have been described among men having sex with men, some of which have been epidemiologically linked to international travel to nonendemic countries and participation in mass gathering events/festivals, like the “Maspalomas (Gran Canaria) 2022 pride.” This review will specifically focus on the “emerging” transmission route of the monkeypox virus, that is to say, the sexual transmission route, which, although not confirmed yet, seems highly likely in the diffusion of the infectious agent.
Influence of the North Atlantic sea surface temperature on decadal variability of the July precipitation in north China
Authors: Xie Tiejun , Wang Ji , Zhang Peiqun , Zhang Yingjuan , Na Ying , Zheng Fei 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe north China July precipitation (NCJP) accounts for the largest proportion of annual total precipitation in north China and displays a significant decadal variability of a cycle about 20‐year at least from the past 40 years. There is a significant negative correlation between the July northern North Atlantic sea surface temperature (NNASST) and NCJP on decadal scale. When the detrended July NNASST anomaly is in negative phase, the NCJP anomaly is in positive phase, and vice versa. We present the coupled oceanic–atmospheric bridge (COAB) mechanism of the July NNASST influences on NCJP decadal variability via the Eurasian decadal teleconnection (EAT) pattern: the NNASST stimulates the EAT pattern which regulates circulation anomalies in north China and its surrounding regions, and finally regulates precipitation anomalies in north China by influencing the local water vapour transport. In addition, a preliminary analysis about the causes of the super‐abnormal NCJP in 2021 indicates that the super‐abnormal NCJP in 2021 is not just the decadal role of the NNASST on NCJP, may be the combined influence of the WPSH in the northeastern of north China, the abnormal high pressure in the northwest and the low‐pressure cyclone in the south in the rainy decadal background.
Serum Raman spectroscopy in experimental carcinogenesis hamster buccal pouch model: Exploring early diagnostic capability
Authors: Jadhav Priyanka A. , Pansare Kshama , Hole Arti , Ingle Arvind , Govekar Rukmini , Murali Krishna C. 
Published: September 2022

AbstractAbout two third of oral cancer cases present at advanced stages, emphasizing the need for screening tools for early diagnosis. Raman spectroscopy (RS) can prove an appropriate tool for early diagnosis as biochemical changes occur before morphological changes. Due to limitations with study of early oral cancer stages in human subjects, we performed a sequential carcinogenesis study in animal model. In the present study, we aim to probe early biochemical changes occurring during DMBA induced oral carcinogenesis in hamster buccal pouch model, using serum RS (SRS). Serum being systemic biofluid can reflect the true in vivo state, is minimally invasive and offers advantages of remote diagnosis and serial sampling. The female Syrian golden hamsters were treated with 0.5% DMBA and retro‐orbital blood collection was performed every week for a period of 14 weeks. An increase in classification efficiency as the DMBA treatment progressed, with distinct classification of >70% seen as early as week 5 (W5), appreciably early to development of visual changes (W8–W10) was observed. Furthermore, the early treatment weeks (W1–W4) and healthy condition (W0) show no misclassifications with weeks exhibiting frank tumours (W9–W14), demonstrating efficacy of SRS to stratify healthy versus carcinogen exposure. The findings suggest that as oral carcinogenesis progresses, biochemical alterations in serum such as increasing protein and loss of lipid content can be detected by RS, highlighting the feasibility and utility of SRS in early oral cancer diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first study exploring the ex vivo sequential approach to gain insights into oral cancer progression.