bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Degradation‐induced microbiome alterations may aggravate soil nutrient loss in subalpine meadows
Authors: Luo Zhengming , Liu Jinxian , He Lei , Du Jingqi , Wang Lixiao , Jia Tong , Chai Baofeng , Wu Tiehang 
Published: April 2022

AbstractGrassland degradation has become a serious environmental problem worldwide. However, the link between grassland degradation and soil functional microorganisms remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of subalpine meadow degradation on the taxonomic and functional communities of the soil microbiome on Mount Wutai on the eastern margin of the Loess Plateau, China, using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. The results showed that vegetation degradation decreased most soil nutrients (e.g., soil organic carbon [SOC, −48.9%], total nitrogen [TN, −15.2%] and carbon [TC, −38.3%]), leading to significant changes in the taxonomic (r = 0.892, p < 0.001) and functional compositions (r = 0.972, p < 0.001) of the microbial communities (explaining 66.6% and 64.5% of the variance, respectively). The structural equation model (SEM) showed that variations in the soil nutrient status and plant parameters caused by degradation resulted in changes in the microbial community structure and function. The variations in the plant and microbial communities during degradation altered carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling separately or interactively. Among the C degradation‐related genes, the relative abundances of cellulose degradation, sugar utilization and chitin degradation genes in moderately degraded (MD) and heavily degraded (HD) meadows were significantly higher than those in nondegraded (ND) meadows (p < 0.05). The abundance of denitrification genes (nirK, nirS, norB and norC) and nitrification genes (pmoA/amoA, pmoB/amoB, pmoC/amoC and hao) was higher in all degraded meadows, which increased the risk of soil N loss. Our findings revealed the negative feedback of microbes due to subalpine meadow degradation, during which metabolically active microbes tended to accelerate soil nutrient loss.
Very strong but exchangeable organic ligand of cobalt in the marginal sea
Authors: Wong Kuo Hong , Xu Jiarui , Kondo Yoshiko , Takeda Shigenobu , Mashio Asami S. , Hasegawa Hiroshi , Obata Hajime 
Published: April 2022

AbstractCobalt (Co) is an important micronutrient for phytoplankton and its chemical speciation in the ocean is dominated by organic complexation. However, determination of the chemical speciation parameters of dissolved Co (dCo) in seawater is difficult because the ligands have conditional stability constants (K′) higher than those detectable by current forward titration methods. Furthermore, forward titration is not ideal when the ligand concentration is less than the dCo concentration in natural seawater, which is a probable scenario because excess ligands will bind more strongly to nickel instead. In this study, we successfully determined the concentrations and K′ of the dCo‐binding organic ligands in East China Sea using the reverse titration method. Our results indicate that organic complexes of dCo in the East China Sea are very strong but are kinetically exchangeable at high detection windows. Log K′ values of the ligands were between 16.6 and 17.1 in the Kuroshio waters and ranged from 19.7 to 20.9 in coastal waters. These ligands might be phytoplankton exudates or degradation products of cobalamin. Our findings suggest that an inert dCo fraction may be significant in coastal regions with high primary productivity. These inert dCo complexes were not detected within our detection window, which may lead to overestimation of the titration results.
Highly Conformal Polymers for Ambulatory Electrophysiological Sensing
Authors: Hu Mingshuang , Zhang Jun , Liu Yixuan , Zheng Xinran , Li Xiangxiang , Li Ximing , Yang Hui 
Published: April 2022

AbstractStable ambulatory electrophysiological sensing is widely used for smart e‐healthcare monitoring, clinical diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, treatment of neurological diseases, and intelligent human–machine interaction. As the favorable signal interaction platform of electrophysiological sensing, the conformal property of on‐skin electrodes is an extremely crucial factor that can affect the stability of long‐term ambulatory electrophysiological sensing. From the perspective of materials, to realize conformal contact between electrodes and skin for stable sensing, highly conformal polymers are in great demand and attracting ever‐growing attention. This review focuses on the recent progress of highly conformal polymers for ambulatory electrophysiological sensing, including their synthetic methods, conformal property, and potential applications. Specifically, three main types of highly conformal polymers for stable long‐term electrophysiological signals monitoring are proposed, including nature silk fibroin based conformal polymers, marine mussels bioinspired conformal polymers, and other conformal polymers such as zwitterionic polymers and polyacrylamides. Furthermore, the future challenges and opportunities in preparing highly conformal polymers for on‐skin electrodes are also highlighted.
Alpha‐Synuclein is Involved in DYT1 Dystonia Striatal Synaptic Dysfunction
Authors: Ponterio Giulia , Faustini Gaia , El Atiallah Ilham , Sciamanna Giuseppe , Meringolo Maria , Tassone Annalisa , Imbriani Paola , Cerri Silvia , Martella Giuseppina , Bonsi Paola , Bellucci Arianna , Pisani Antonio 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe neuronal protein alpha‐synuclein (α‐Syn) is crucially involved in Parkinson's disease pathophysiology. Intriguingly, torsinA (TA), the protein causative of DYT1 dystonia, has been found to accumulate in Lewy bodies and to interact with α‐Syn. Both proteins act as molecular chaperones and control synaptic machinery. Despite such evidence, the role of α‐Syn in dystonia has never been investigated.ObjectiveWe explored whether α‐Syn and N‐ethylmaleimide sensitive fusion attachment protein receptor proteins (SNAREs), that are known to be modulated by α‐Syn, may be involved in DYT1 dystonia synaptic dysfunction.MethodsWe used electrophysiological and biochemical techniques to study synaptic alterations in the dorsal striatum of the Tor1a+/Δgag mouse model of DYT1 dystonia.ResultsIn the Tor1a+/Δgag DYT1 mutant mice, we found a significant reduction of α‐Syn levels in whole striata, mainly involving glutamatergic corticostriatal terminals. Strikingly, the striatal levels of the vesicular SNARE VAMP‐2, a direct α‐Syn interactor, and of the transmembrane SNARE synaptosome‐associated protein 23 (SNAP‐23), that promotes glutamate synaptic vesicles release, were markedly decreased in mutant mice. Moreover, we detected an impairment of miniature glutamatergic postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) recorded from striatal spiny neurons, in parallel with a decreased asynchronous release obtained by measuring quantal EPSCs (qEPSCs), which highlight a robust alteration in release probability. Finally, we also observed a significant reduction of TA striatal expression in α‐Syn null mice.ConclusionsOur data demonstrate an unprecedented relationship between TA and α‐Syn, and reveal that α‐Syn and SNAREs alterations characterize the synaptic dysfunction underlying DYT1 dystonia. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson Movement Disorder Society.
Why upright standing men urinate more efficiently than in supine position: A morphological analysis with real‐time magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Shimatani Kimihiro , Soufi Mazen , Sato Yoshinobu , Yamamoto Shingo , Kanematsu Akihiro 
Published: April 2022

AbstractPurposeFew studies have examined the effects of body position on urination efficiency morphologically. We aimed to dissect out the anatomical changes of pelvic organs during urination in the upright and supine positions by a real‐time magnetic resonance imaging (rtMRI) system.MethodsThirteen healthy male volunteers aged 26–60 years were included in the study. The sagittal real‐time two‐dimensional images were taken to evaluate urinary efficiency, along with change in six morphological indices at the time of storage and the beginning of voiding, in both upright ant supine positions.ResultsUrination was more efficient in upright position than in supine position, as expressed by higher average rate of bladder emptying (9.9 ± 4.2 vs. 6.8 ± 2.9 ml/s, p < 0.05) and also by fewer participants showing significant residual urine (1/13 vs. 7/13, p < 0.05). At the onset of voiding in standing position, the levator ani (LA) muscle moves downward and backward followed by descent of the bladder neck and rotation of the prostate around the symphysis. Such changes were expressed by two morphological indices. One was posterior vesicourethral angle at the start of voiding, 152 ± 7 versus 140 ± 1 in upright and supine position (p < 0.05). The other index was the change in angle between the LA line and pubo‐coccygeal line in upright and supine position, 9.4 ± 9.9 versus 1.6 ± 7.9 before voiding (p < 0.05) and 30.2 ± 14.0 versus 17.3 ± 12.9 after the start of voiding (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe dynamic relaxation of LA seemed to be a key movement that enables more efficient urination in standing position than in supine position.
Detection of karst caves during tunnel construction using ground‐penetrating radar and advanced drilling: A case study in Guangxi Province, China
Authors: Lan Riyan , Liu Zonghui , Liu Maomao , Guan Qiyu , Yan Yuanfang , Sun Huaifeng , Zhou Dong 
Published: April 2022

ABSTRACTIn karst topography, hidden caves or underground rivers may imperil the safety of tunnels. It is critical to accurately detect the location and geometric shape of hidden karst caves for assessing the safety of tunnels. This paper reports a case where a large karst cave was exposed during the construction of the Nongmo tunnel in Duan County, Guangxi, China. A 2D ground‐penetrating radar survey was employed to preliminarily detect the distribution of hidden karst caves along the tunnel axis. Advanced drilling was used to obtain the velocity of electromagnetic waves and verify the 2D ground‐penetrating radar detection. Ground‐penetrating radar 3D grid detection was carried out for further detecting the geometric shape of the hidden karst caves. Rotary thrust power ratio, which is a function of drilling speed, rotating speed, propulsion pressure and torque, was proposed to reflect the integrity of the surrounding rocks. It was found that the depth of the peak value in the rotary thrust power ratio curve is consistent with that of the amplitude jump in ground‐penetrating radar A‐scans and in time–frequency distributions. The results of 3D attributes analysis indicate that due to the variation of highlights in different ground‐penetrating radar signal attributes, the obtained karst cave shapes using different attributes would be various. A multi‐attributes fusion method was proposed to generate a data volume considering various attributes. The 2D geometric shapes at different depths were obtained using the anomalous body lineament in the generated date volume slices. The 3D geometric shapes were reproduced by combining the obtained 2D geometric shapes at various depths. Based on different detection and analysis methods, the outline shape of karst caves at YK364 + 199 ∼ YK364 + 184 of the Nongmo tunnel was revealed in detail.
The use of virtual reality during medical procedures in a pediatric orthopedic setting: A mixed‐methods pilot feasibility study
Authors: Addab Sofia , Hamdy Reggie , Le May Sylvie , Thorstad Kelly , Tsimicalis Argerie 
Published: April 2022

AbstractMedical procedures cause pain and anxiety in children. Distraction techniques, including virtual reality (VR), may be used in healthcare settings to reduce rates of undertreated procedural pain and anxiety. A mixed‐methods, concurrent triangulation design was piloted at a pediatric orthopedic hospital to assess the feasibility, clinical utility, tolerability, and initial clinical efficacy of VR distraction during medical procedures received by patients with complex musculoskeletal conditions. Questionnaire, scale, interview, observation, and focus group data were collected from patients, their parents, and healthcare professionals. Triangulation of key quantitative and qualitative findings produced final themes and meta‐themes. A total of 44 patients and their parents undergoing intravenous insertions (n = 30), pin removals (n = 7), blood draws (n = 3), Botox injections (n = 2), dressing change (n = 1), and urodynamic test (n = 1) were recruited along with 11 healthcare professionals performing the medical procedures. The following themes resulted from triangulation of data sources: VR intervention was (a) feasible because VR was easily implemented into the clinical workflow, (b) clinically useful as VR was accepted by stakeholders and easy to use, (c) tolerable as VR caused minimal discomfort, and (d) showed initial clinical efficacy in managing procedural pain and anxiety. These findings will inform policies and procedures for VR use in practice and a sustainable implementation across the [name of hospital removed for peer review] network.
Serum homocysteine level in pediatric patients with COVID‐19 and its correlation with the disease severity
Authors: Fouda Eman M. , Wahba Nancy S. , Elsharawy Asmaa I. M. , Ishak Sally R. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundThrombosis and embolism are possible complications in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID)‐19‐positive pediatric patients. Although the risk is lesser in children than it is in adults, it does exist during acute infection and multi‐inflammatory syndrome in children. Biomarkers such asd‐dimer, prothrombin time, and fibrinogen degradation products are ineffective at detecting disease severity. Homocysteine (Hcy) is a prothrombotic factor that has been reported to be higher in adult COVID‐19 patients, leading to speculation that it could be used as a biomarker for disease severity.PurposeTo detect the correlation between serum total homocysteine (tHcy) level and the severity of COVID‐19 in pediatrics.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted on 40 children with COVID‐19 and 40 healthy control subjects. Serum tHcy was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and correlated with the clinical, laboratory, and radiological parameters of the patients.ResultsThe median serum tHcy level in COVID‐19 patients was 27.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 23–31.75) μmol/L, while that in the controls was 1.8 (IQR: 1.6–1.875) μmol/L. There was a statistically significant increase in the tHcy level in cases compared to controls (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between serum tHcy and
d‐dimer, ferritin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, and a highly significant positive correlation between tHcy and COVID‐19 reporting and data system score, pediatric intensive care unit admission, and the disease severity classification.ConclusionHcy could be a biomarker of importance in predicting the severity of COVID‐19 in pediatrics.
Importance of chemical polymorphism in modern crop protection
Authors: Olenik Britta , Keil Birgit , Jeschke Peter 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThe development of agrochemical products faces many scientific challenges. After selection of an agrochemical candidate its properties will have to be optimized to guarantee best bioavailability and stability under many different conditions in various formulation types. These challenges are influenced by the solid‐state properties of the active ingredient and this makes the selection of an optimized solid‐state form of modern agrochemicals at early development stages very valuable. The increasing awareness of the solid state of agrochemicals is reflected in the importance of polymorphism patent applications, which may enhance the risk of litigations. This review aims to present strategies for the solid‐form selection process of agrochemical development candidates. It introduces the different techniques for crystallization and analytics and demonstrates the influence of the solid state on different formulation types. © 2022 The Authors.Pest Management Sciencepublished by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Optimization of a pheromone lure by analyzing the peripheral coding of sex pheromones of Spodoptera frugiperda in China
Authors: Wang Chan , Zhang Sai , Guo Meng‐Bo , Hou Xiao‐Qing , Yang Bin , Wang Gui‐Rong 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBACKGOUNDSex pheromones of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, show differences in composition and proportions in different geographical populations, but always contain Z9‐14:OAc as the major component. Odorant receptor neurons (ORNs) housed in the long trichoid sensilla (TS) of male antennae are essential to detect female‐released sex pheromones in moths.RESULTSIn this study, we identified seven components from pheromone gland extracts of female S. frugiperda in the Yunnan population from China, including (Z)‐7‐dodecen‐1‐yl acetate (Z7‐12:OAc), (Z)‐9‐tetradecenal (Z9‐14:Ald), (Z)‐9‐dodecen‐1‐yl acetate (Z9‐12:OAc), (Z)‐9‐tetradecen‐1‐yl acetate (Z9‐14:OAc), (E)‐11‐tetradecen‐1‐yl acetate (E11‐14:OAc), (Z)‐11‐tetradecen‐1‐yl acetate (Z11‐14:OAc) and (Z)‐11‐hexadecen‐1‐yl acetate (Z11‐16:OAc) at a ratio of 1.2:4:0.8:79.1:1.6:1.6:11.7 by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Gas chromatography‐electroantennographic detection showed that Z9‐14:OAc, Z7‐12:OAc and Z11‐16:OAc are the male antennal active components. Peripheral coding of pheromones in males was investigated by single sensillum recording. Five functional neurons housed in three types of TS were identified based on profiles of neuronal responses, which are responsible for attractive component Z9‐14:OAc, synergistic components Z7‐12:OAc, Z11‐16:OAc, interspecific pheromones (Z)‐9‐tetradecen‐1‐ol (Z9‐14:OH) and (Z,E)‐9,12‐tetradecadien‐1‐yl acetate (Z9,E12‐14:OAc), respectively. Wind tunnel and field tests demonstrated that a ternary combination of Z9‐14:OAc, Z7‐12:OAc and Z11‐16:OAc at a ratio of 88:1:11 shows the strongest attractiveness to males.ConclusionAn optimized pheromone blend of Z9‐14:OAc, Z7‐12:OAc and Z11‐16:OAc in an 88:1:11 ratio was identified for monitoring the invasive pest S. frugiperda in China. Five functional ORNs encoding intra‐ and interspecific pheromones were identified in male antennae, of which three neurons encode attractive component Z9‐14:OAc, synergistic components Z7‐12:OAc and Z11‐16:OAc, respectively, and the other two neurons encode interspecific pheromones Z9‐14:OH and Z9,E12‐14:OAc, separately. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction to circumvent neuronal energy failure in acute phase of focal cerebral ischemia
Authors: Liu Bowen , Zhao Tingting , Li Yiyang , Han Yan , Xu Youhua , Yang Hua , Wang Shengpeng , Zhao Yonghua , Li Ping , Wang Yitao 
Published: April 2022

AbstractDue to sudden loss of cerebral blood circulation, acute ischemic stroke (IS) causes neuronal energy attenuation or even exhaustion by mitochondrial dysfunction resulting in aggravation of neurological injury. In this study, we investigated if Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorated cerebral energy metabolism by limiting neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction in acute IS. Male Sprague–Dawley rats (260–280 g) were selected and performed by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model. In vitro, the oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) model of Neuro2a (N2a) cells was established. We found Notoginsenoside R1 treatment reduced rats' cerebral infarct volume and neurological deficits, with increased Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level together with upregulated expression of glucose transporter 1/3, monocarboxylate transporter 1 and citrate synthase in brain peri‐ischemic tissue. In vitro, OGD‐induced N2a cell death was inhibited, cell mitochondrial morphology was improved. Mitochondrial amount, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial DNA copy number were increased by Notoginsenoside R1 administration. Furthermore, mitochondrial energy metabolism‐related mRNA array found Atp12a and Atp6v1g3 gene expression were upregulated more than twofold, which were also verified in rat ischemic tissue by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. Therefore, Notoginsenoside R1 administration increases cerebral glucose and lactate transportation and ATP levels, ameliorates neuronal mitochondrial function after IS. Notoginsenoside R1 may be a novel protective agent for neuronal mitochondria poststroke.
Evaluation of food packaging paper for microbial load and storage effect on the microbial activity of paper
Authors: Zaidi Saher , Vats Mudita , Kumar Nitin , Janbade Anuradha , Gupta Manoj Kumar 
Published: April 2022

AbstractPaper and paper board are an ideal choice of packaging material due to their biodegradability. They are safer than commonly used plastic packaging materials. But due to the presence of carbon sources like cellulose and starch in paper, various pathogenic and non‐pathogenic microbes can grow well in them. The migration of microorganisms or their spores from paper to food may cause serious health hazards. Taking consumer concerns into picture, the regulatory authorities should come up for food packaging standards with regard to microbial limits of paper used in food packaging. This study pinpoints the correct approach, that is, the disintegration method in comparison to direct plating in evaluating the microbial load of 14 different samples of paper by demonstrating the limitations of methods that were eliminated. The samples were also tested for storage effect on microbial load and found to have significant reduction in bacterial load during storage at 4°C, but for fungi, it remained nearly unchanged. Further identification of predominating microbes was performed, and conclusions have been drawn on the presence of harmful and harmless species in the samples of paper. It was found that all the identified fungi are mycotoxin producing and may lead to illness of the consumer. Unlike fungi, dominating bacterial strains were found to be non‐harmful for food packaging purposes and ultimately for human use. Overall, there is an immediate need to set microbial limit standards in food packaging paper and paperboard in order to supply safe and hygiene food to consumers.
Clinical manifestations of a new alpha‐1 antitrypsin genetic variant: Q0parma
Authors: Aiello Marina , Frizzelli Annalisa , Marchi Laura , Ferrarotti Ilaria , Piloni Davide , Pelà Giovanna , De Simoni Alessandro , D'Aloisio Lorenzo , Calzetta Luigino , Chetta Alfredo 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAlpha‐1 antitrypsin deficiency is an autosomal, codominant disorder caused by mutations of the SERPINA1 gene. Several mutations of SERPINA1 have been described associated with the development of pulmonary emphysema and/or chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. Here, we report a very rare PI*Q0parma variant identified for the first time in an Italian family originally from the city of Parma in Northern Italy