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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202004.0315.v1

In Search of Preventative Strategies: Novel Anti-Inflammatory High-CBD Cannabis Sativa Extracts Modulate ACE2 Expression in COVID-19 Gateway Tissues

Bo Wang, Anna Kovalchuk, Dongping Li, Yaroslav Ilnytskyy, Igor Kovalchuk, Olga Kovalchuk

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV2; ACE2 receptor; medical cannabis; CBD

Online: 19 April 2020 (02:45:50 CEST)

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With the rapidly growing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the new and challenging to treat zoonotic SARS-CoV2 coronavirus, there is an urgent need for new therapies and prevention strategies that can help curtail disease spread and reduce mortality. Inhibition of viral entry and thereby spread constitute plausible therapeutic avenues. Similar to other respiratory pathogens, SARS-CoV2 is transmitted through respiratory droplets, with potential for aerosol and contact spread. It uses receptor-mediated entry into the human host via angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) that is expressed in lung tissue, as well as oral and nasal mucosa, kidney, testes, and the gastrointestinal tract. Modulation of ACE2 levels in these gateway tissues may prove a plausible strategy for decreasing disease susceptibility. Cannabis sativa, especially one high in the anti-inflammatory cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), has been proposed to modulate gene expression and inflammation and harbour anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Working under the Health Canada research license, we have developed over 800 new Cannabis sativa lines and extracts and hypothesized that high-CBD C. sativa extracts may be used to modulate ACE2 expression in COVID-19 target tissues. Screening C. sativa extracts using artificial human 3D models of oral, airway, and intestinal tissues, we identified 13 high CBD C. sativa extracts that modulate ACE2 gene expression and ACE2 protein levels. Our initial data suggest that some C. sativa extract down-regulate serine protease TMPRSS2, another critical protein required for SARS-CoV2 entry into host cells. While our most effective extracts require further large-scale validation, our study is crucial for the future analysis of the effects of medical cannabis on COVID-19. The extracts of our most successful and novel high CBD C. sativa lines, pending further investigation, may become a useful and safe addition to the treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy. They can be used to develop easy-to-use preventative treatments in the form of mouthwash and throat gargle products for both clinical and at-home use. Such products ought to be tested for their potential to decrease viral entry via the oral mucosa. Given the current dire and rapidly evolving epidemiological situation, every possible therapeutic opportunity and avenue must be considered.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202101.0412.v1

Raspberry PI for Kill Mosquitoes by Laser

Ildar Rakhmatulin

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: laser for mosquito control; deep learning for mosquito control; insect detection; mosquito neutralization; pest detection; insect recognition; Raspberry Pi3; Raspberry Pi4; OpenCV for small object detect

Online: 21 January 2021 (09:27:07 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0258.v1

Asians and Other Races Express Similar Levels of and Share the Same Genetic Polymorphisms of the SARS-CoV-2 Cell-Entry Receptor

Ying Chen, Kejia Shan, Wenfeng Qian

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; cell-entry receptor; ACE2 expression; The Cancer Genome Atlas; susceptibility; demographic factors; race

Online: 18 February 2020 (06:40:01 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0051.v1

Tobacco-Use Disparity in Gene Expression of ACE2, the Receptor of 2019-nCov

Guoshuai Cai

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: Wuhan 2019-nCov; ACE2; expression; susceptibility; race; age; gender; smoking

Online: 5 February 2020 (02:56:53 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202005.0070.v1

The Role of Temperature in COVID-19 Disease Severity and Transmission Rates

Dominique Kang, Clifford Ellgen

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: Covid; covid-19; sars-cov-2; temperature; heat; body temperature; air temperature; viral decay; viral stability; transmission; severity

Online: 5 May 2020 (10:47:18 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201807.0198.v1

Assessment of Range Land Degradation, Major Causes, Impacts, and Alternative Rehabilitation Techniques in Yabello Rangelands Southern Ethiopia

Yeneayehu Fenetahun, Xinwen Xu, Yongdong Wang

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior And Systematics Keywords: Yabello rangeland; degradation; rehabilitation techniques; encroachment

Online: 11 July 2018 (11:56:31 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0455.v1

Eucalyptol (1,8 cineole) from Eucalyptus Essential Oil a Potential Inhibitor of COVID 19 Corona Virus Infection by Molecular Docking Studies

Arun Dev Sharma, inderjeet kaur

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: COVID-19; Essential oil; Eucalyptol; Molecular docking

Online: 31 March 2020 (10:16:13 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202007.0112.v1

Assessment of Sugar Content from Different Soft Drinks Sold in Nigeria

Abass Ohilebo, Blessing Odudu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: glucose; soft drinks; sugar content; health

Online: 7 July 2020 (08:11:24 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201702.0045.v1

Biodiversity of Bangladesh

Sharif A. Mukul, Shekhar R. Biswas, A. Z. M. Manzoor Rashid

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior And Systematics Keywords: biodiversity loss; conservation; deforestation; Bangladesh

Online: 14 February 2017 (03:08:37 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201802.0151.v1

The Use of Anisaldehyde Sulfuric Acid as an Alternative Spray Reagent in TLC Analysis Reveals Three Classes of Compounds in the Genus Usnea Adans. (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota)

Alice da Cruz Lima Gerlach, Alice Gadea, Rosa Mara Borges da Silveira, Philippe Clerc, Françoise Lohézic-le Dévéhat

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Plant Sciences Keywords: color tests; thin layer chromatography; chemotaxonomy; secondary metabolites; solvent system

Online: 24 February 2018 (08:28:11 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201910.0323.v1

New Spectrophotometric Method for the Assessment of Catalase Enzyme Activity in Biological Tissues

Thulfeqar A. Hamza, Mahmoud Hussein Hadwan

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: catalase activity; hydrogen peroxide; hydroquinone; anilinium sulfate; ammonium molybdate

Online: 29 October 2019 (04:04:50 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202005.0028.v1

Determination of Knock-Down Time and Level of Toxicity of Panyawan (Tinospora rumphii L.) Leaf Extract against American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

Joseph Dave Pregoner, Li Deve Flores, Germae Sison, EJ Tampepe, Simon Peter Ombing, Andrian Dominguiano, Sophia Bangal, Angelika Casado, Regina Annabelle Villanueva

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science And Zoology Keywords: Panyawan (Tinospora rumphii); Knock-down time; Experimental; Davao City

Online: 3 May 2020 (07:27:40 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201907.0330.v1

Male Sterility and Somatic Hybridization in Plant Breeding

Laura Garcia, Alejandro Edera, Carlos Marfil, Maria Sanchez-Puerta

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Plant Sciences Keywords: incompatibility; male sterility; mitochondria; somatic hybrid; recombination

Online: 29 July 2019 (05:21:51 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0346.v1

The Molecular Story of COVID-19; NAD⁺Depletion Addresses All Questions in this Infection

Shirin Kouhpayeh, Laleh Shariati, Maryam Boshtam, Ilnaz Rahimmanesh, Mina Mirian, Mehrdad Zeinalian, Azhar Salari-jazi, Negar Khanahmad, Mohammad Sadegh Damavandi, Parisa Sadeghi, Hossein Khanahmad

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: COVID-19; nCoV 19; oxidative stress; PARP; PARG; TRPM2

Online: 23 March 2020 (07:40:50 CET)

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Preprint CASE REPORT | doi:10.20944/preprints202101.0132.v1

Genomic Evidence of a Sars-Cov-2 Reinfection Case With E484K Spike Mutation in Brazil

Carolina Kymie Vasques Nonaka, Marília Miranda Franco, Tiago Gräf, Ana Verena Almeida Mendes, Renato Santana de Aguiar, Marta Giovanetti, Bruno Solano de Freitas Souza

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; reinfection; E484K

Online: 6 January 2021 (20:38:36 CET)

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Working Paper COMMUNICATION

Evidence That Quinine Exhibits Antiviral Activity against SARS-CoV-2 Infection In Vitro

Maximilian Große, Natalia Ruetalo, Ramona Businger, Sascha Rheber, Christian Setz, Pia Rauch, Janina Auth, Ekkehard Brysch, Michael Schindler, Ulrich Schubert

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Quinine; Hydroxy-Chloroquine; Chloroquine; COVID-19; antiviral

Online: 6 July 2020 (09:19:06 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201804.0271.v1

Fitness in Evolutionary Biology

Thomas F. Hansen

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biology And Biotechnology Keywords: Fitness, Natural selection

Online: 20 April 2018 (14:51:02 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0397.v1

What are the Impacts of Sugarcane Production on Ecosystem Services? A Review

Daniel EL CHAMI, André DACCACHE, Maroun EL MOUJABBER

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Agricultural Science And Agronomy Keywords: Sugarcane, impacts, ecosystem services, human well-being, agro-systems, sustainability

Online: 27 February 2020 (10:56:50 CET)

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Since the 1950s sugarcane production has grown rapidly from less than 0.5 billion tonnes in the late 50s to reach over 1.9 billion tonnes in 2012 on about 27 million hectares of agricultural land. This expansion has been boosted by the high demand for bioethanol promoted as a sustainable bioenergy source which accounted in 2010 for the biggest share of the global biofuel market. Despite its benefits, the scientific debate on sugar is growing especially that counterarguments are so many, including negative impacts on different interacting ecosystems and human well-being, e.g. bigger stress on land and water resources, environmental externalities on air, a harmful impact on the biodiversity and endemic species, negative environmental externalities, health, and socio-economic aspects. This paper provides a narrative systematic review (SR) of the impacts of sugarcane production on these different ecosystems employing the ecosystem services framework for its acceptance by policy-makers. The references included for the SR were 163 and results showed that the majority of the studies are from Brazil, Australia, South Africa and the USA (≈ 75% of the literature), most of them were from peer-reviewed journals (85%), and most of the case studies adopted a quantitative research approach (93%). The literature assessed showed that sugarcane, like all agro-systems, depends on the practices and techniques to transform negative impacts into positive externalities on ecosystems and human well-being. However, the literature studied failed to include the inter-linkage in sugarcane production impacts’ and therefore to evaluate the related ecosystem services with respect to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework to account for existing trade-offs. Therefore, the findings are addressed to the scientific community and decision-maker for an intensification of interdisciplinary and integrated research based on the MA framework to cover all ecosystem services, for sustainable development of the sugarcane sector.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201907.0306.v1

Compared Anatomy and Histology between Mus musculus Mice (Swiss) and Rattus norvegicus Rats (Wistar)

Giorgio Silva-Santana, Fábio Aguiar-Alves, Licínio Esmeraldo Silva, Maria Lúcia Barreto, Jemima Fuentes Ribeiro Silva, Alexia Gonçalves, Ana Luíza Mattos-Guaraldi, Kátia Calvi Lenzi-Almeida

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science And Zoology Keywords: anatomy; histology; mice; Mus musculus; rat; Rattus norvegicus

Online: 27 July 2019 (01:19:19 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202006.0111.v1

A Novel Family of Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometers for a Broad Range of Analytical Applications

Jan-Peter Hauschild, Amelia Corinne Peterson, Erik Couzijn, Eduard Denisov, Denis Chernyshev, Christian Hock, Hamish Stewart, Ralf Hartmer, Dmitry Grinfeld, Christian Thoeing, Bastian Reitemeier, Arne Kreutzmann, Oliver Lange, Wilko Balschun, Aivaras Venckus, Sebastian Kanngiesser, Alexander Kholomeev, Gregor Quiring, Frank Czemper, Eloy Wouters, Michael Belford, Mathias Mueller, Jens Grote, Tabiwang N. Arrey, Julia Kraegenbring, Kerstin Strupat, Siegrun Mohring, Catharina Crone, Alexander Harder, Aaron Robitaille, Aaron Gajadhar, Khatereh Motamed, Yang Liu, Daniel Lopez Ferrer, Nicolaie Eugen Damoc, Angela Criscuolo, Kristina Srzentic, Ed George, Charles Yang, Ioanna Ntai, Amanda Souza, Andreas Wieghaus, Alexander Makarov

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Orbitrap mass spectrometry; high resolution; accurate mass

Online: 8 June 2020 (10:17:36 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201706.0127.v1

Sex Determining Mechanisms in Bivalves

Sophie Breton, Charlotte Capt, Davide Guerra, Donald Stewart

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science And Zoology Keywords: sex determination; exual systems; bivalvia; mitochondria

Online: 30 June 2017 (07:28:18 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201809.0544.v1

Peak Week and Competition Day Strategies of Competitive Natural Bodybuilders

Andrew J Chappell , Trevor Simper

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Food Science And Technology Keywords: Bodybuilding; Drug Free; Competing; Peaking; Carbohydrate Loading; Water Loading; Sodium Loading; Fat Loading: Vitamin C; Fibre Restriction

Online: 27 September 2018 (12:58:34 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0408.v1

A Hint on the COVID-19 Risk: Population Disparities in Gene Expression of Three Receptors of SARS-CoV

Guoshuai Cai, Xiang Cui, Xia Zhu, Jun Zhou

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: Wuhan SARS-CoV-2; ACE2; DC-SIGN; L-SIGN; expression; susceptibility; race; age; gender; smoking; single cell

Online: 27 February 2020 (12:45:26 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0452.v1

An Update on Self-Amplifying mRNA Vaccine Development

Anna Blakney, Andrew Geall, Shell Ip

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: RNA; self-amplifying RNA; replicon; vaccine; drug delivery

Online: 18 December 2020 (11:12:44 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201703.0116.v1

Potent Natural Inhibitors of Alpha-Glucosidase and Alpha-Amylase against Hyperglycemia in Vitro and in Vivo

Jirawat Riyaphan, Chien-Hung Jhong, May-Jwan Tsai, Der-Nan Lee, Max K. Leong, Ching-Feng Weng

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science And Zoology Keywords: In vivo; Alpha-glucosidase; Alpha-amylase; hyperglycemia

Online: 16 March 2017 (09:35:36 CET)

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Preprint CASE REPORT | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0180.v1

First Case of COVID-19 Infection with Fulminant Myocarditis Complication: Case Report and Insights

Jia Hui Zeng, Ying-Xia Liu, Jing Yuan, Fu-Xiang Wang, Wei-Bo Wu, Jin-Xiu Li, Li-Fei Wang, Hong Gao, Yao Wang, Chang-Feng Dong, Yi-Jun Li, Xiao-Juan Xie, Cheng Feng, Lei Liu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: COVID-19; coronavirus; fulminant myocarditis; infection; echocardiography

Online: 11 March 2020 (04:57:10 CET)

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Working Paper REVIEW

Biopesticides in Sustainable Agriculture: Current Status and Future Prospects

Emmanuel Oliver Fenibo, Grace N. Ijoma, Tonderayi Matambo

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Biopesticides; Green chemistry; IPM; SDGs; Sustainable agriculture; Sustainable development

Online: 23 November 2020 (14:22:52 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202005.0030.v1

Ripening Efficacy of Kamias Fruit (Averroah Billimbi) for Cavendish Banana (Musa acuminata)

Joseph Dave Pregoner, Jake Condez, Minlyn Duhig, James Gallera, Francis Cofreros, James Ohina, Borgy Llerone Sandoy, Hillary Bantayan

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Kamias (Averrhoa bilimbi); Ripening; Cavendish Banana (Musa acuminata); Experimental; Davao City

Online: 3 May 2020 (07:40:40 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0197.v1

2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak: A Review of the Current Literature and Built Environment (BE) Considerations to Reduce Transmission

Leslie Dietz, Patrick F. Horve, David Coil, Mark Fretz, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: Built Environment (BE); building operations; novel coronavirus; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2

Online: 12 March 2020 (04:18:26 CET)

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Working Paper BRIEF REPORT

Design of an Epitope-Based Synthetic Long Peptide Vaccine to Counteract the Novel China Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

Florina Bojin, Oana Gavriliuc, Michael-Bogdan Margineanu, Virgil Paunescu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: 2019-nCoV; coronavirus; peptide vaccine; CD4+ epitope; CD8+ epitope

Online: 8 February 2020 (05:56:31 CET)

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Working Paper ARTICLE

Citrus Fruits Are Rich in Flavonoids for Immunoregulation and Potential Targeting ACE2

Liping Cheng, Weikang Zheng, Ming Li, Jie Huang, Shuzheng Bao, Qiang Xu, Zhaocheng Ma

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Food Science And Technology Keywords: citrus flavnoids; naringin; immunoregulation; ACE2; 2019-nCoV

Online: 23 February 2020 (09:49:10 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0356.v1

Initial Review and Analysis of COVID-19 Host Genetics and Associated Phenotypes

Yosuke Tanigawa, Manuel Rivas

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; host genetics; genetics; polygenic risk score

Online: 24 March 2020 (08:36:20 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0283.v1

Emerging Understanding of Etiology and Epidemiology of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Wuhan, China

Daibing Zhou, Peng Zhang, Chen Bao, Youzhi Zhang, Ning Zhu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: Etiology; Epidemiology; COVID-19; Wuhan

Online: 19 February 2020 (11:58:13 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201801.0198.v1

Biotechnological and Industrial Applications of Enzymes Produced by Extremophilic Bacteria. A Mini Review

Kelly Dumorné

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biology And Biotechnology Keywords: extromphiles; extremophilic bacteria; enzymes; biotechnology application

Online: 22 January 2018 (10:22:21 CET)

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Preprint CONCEPT PAPER | doi:10.20944/preprints202004.0381.v1

Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of COVID-19: Evidence, Possible Mode of Action and Industrial Supply of the Drug

Mario Pagliaro, Francesco Meneguzzo

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: hydroxychloroquine; COVID-19; immunomodulator; cytokine storm; flow chemistry

Online: 21 April 2020 (08:26:31 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0349.v1

In Silico Identification of Potent COVID-19 Main Protease Inhibitors from FDA Approved Antiviral Compounds and Active Phytochemicals through Molecular Docking: A Drug Repurposing Approach

Vaishali Chandel, Sibi Raj, Brijesh Rathi, Dhruv Kumar

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biology And Biotechnology Keywords: novel coronavirus; COVID-19; protease; molecular docking; drug designing; ADME; drug repurposing

Online: 23 March 2020 (09:47:49 CET)

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The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA ((+)ssRNA) virus. The COVID-19 Main Proteases play very important role in the propagation of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). It has already killed more than 8000 people around the world and thousands of people are getting infected every day. Therefore, it is very important to identify a potential inhibitor against COVID-19 Main Proteases to inhibit the propagation of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). We have applied a drug repurposing approach of computational methodology, depending on the synergy of molecular docking and virtual screening techniques, aimed to identify possible potent inhibitors against Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) from FDA approved antiviral compounds and from the library of active phytochemicals. On the basis of recently resolved COVID-19 Main Protease crystal structure (PDB:6LU7), the library of 100 FDA approved antiviral compounds and 1000 active components of Indian Medicinal Plants extracted for screening against COVID-19 Main Protease. The compounds were further screened using Pyrex virtual screening tool and then best inhibitors, top 19 compounds optimally docked to the COVID-19 Main Protease structure to understand the participation of specific amino acids with inhibitors at active sites. Total 19 best compounds were identified after screening based on their highest binding affinity with respect to the other screened compounds. Out of 19, 6 best compounds were further screened based on their binding affinity and best ADME properties. Nelfinavir exhibited highest binding energy -8.4 kcal/mol and strong stability with the TRP207, ILE281, LEU282, PHE3, PHE291, GLN127, ARG4, GLY283, GLU288, LYS5, LYS137, TYR126, GLY138, TYR126, SER139 and VAL135 amino acid residues of COVID-19 Main Protease participating in the interaction at the binding pocket. In addition to Nelfinavir (-8.4), Rhein (-8.1), Withanolide D (-7.8), Withaferin A (-7.7), Enoxacin (-7.4), and Aloe-emodin (-7.4) also showed good binding affinity and best ADME properties. Our findings suggest that these compounds can be used as potential inhibitors against COVID-19 Main Protease, which could be helpful in inhibiting the propagation of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Moreover, further in vitro and in vivo validation of these findings would be very helpful to bring these inhibitors to next level study.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201901.0132.v1

Isolation and Characterisation of Bacteriophages with Lytic Activity Against Virulent Escherichia coli O157:H7: Potential Bio-Control Agents

Collins Njie Ateba, Muyiwa Ajoke Akindolire

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: Bacteriophages; Bio-control; E. coli O157:H7; Podoviridae; TEM, safety

Online: 14 January 2019 (11:18:57 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202008.0225.v1

Heat Stability of Proteins and Its Exploitation for Purification of Heat-Stable Proteins

Muhammad Ahmad, Aisha Tahir, Rana Salman Anjum

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Heat-stable proteins; Heat treatment; Hyperthermophilic proteins; Heat stability; Protein purification

Online: 9 August 2020 (22:00:46 CEST)

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Preprint HYPOTHESIS | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0138.v1

Medical Countermeasures Analysis of 2019-nCoV and Vaccine Risks for Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE)

Darrell O. Ricke, Robert W. Malone

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: 2019-nCoV; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; ADE; antibody depedendent enhancement

Online: 8 March 2020 (15:35:27 CET)

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Background: In 80% of patients, COVID-19 presents as mild disease^1,2. 20% of cases develop severe (13%) or critical (6%) illness. More severe forms of COVID-19 present as clinical severe acute respiratory syndrome, but include a T-predominant lymphopenia³, high circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, accumulation of neutrophils and macrophages in lungs, and immune dysregulation including immunosuppression⁴. Methods: All major SARS-CoV-2 proteins were characterized using an amino acid residue variation analysis method. Results predict that most SARS-CoV-2 proteins are evolutionary constrained, with the exception of the spike (S) protein extended outer surface. Results were interpreted based on known SARS-like coronavirus virology and pathophysiology, with a focus on medical countermeasure development implications. Findings: Non-neutralizing antibodies to variable S domains may enable an alternative infection pathway via Fc receptor-mediated uptake. This may be a gating event for the immune response dysregulation observed in more severe COVID-19 disease. Prior studies involving vaccine candidates for FCoV^5,6 SARS-CoV-1^7-10 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) ¹¹ demonstrate vaccination-induced antibody-dependent enhancement of disease (ADE), including infection of phagocytic antigen presenting cells (APC). T effector cells are believed to play an important role in controlling coronavirus infection; pan-T depletion is present in severe COVID-19 disease³ and may be accelerated by APC infection. Sequence and structural conservation of S motifs suggests that SARS and MERS vaccine ADE risks may foreshadow SARS-CoV-2 S-based vaccine risks. Autophagy inhibitors may reduce APC infection and T-cell depletion¹² ¹³. Amino acid residue variation analysis identifies multiple constrained domains suitable as T cell vaccine targets. Evolutionary constraints on proven antiviral drug targets present in SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 may reduce risk of developing antiviral drug escape mutants. Interpretation: Safety testing of COVID-19 S protein-based B cell vaccines in animal models is strongly encouraged prior to clinical trials to reduce risk of ADE upon virus exposure.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0078.v1

Susceptibility Analysis of COVID-19 in Smokers Based on ACE2

Jin Wang, Qiulin Luo, Rui Chen, Tao Chen, Jianxiang Li

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Behavioral Sciences Keywords: cigarette smoke; ACE2; HCoV-19; susceptibility

Online: 5 March 2020 (03:15:43 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201703.0167.v1

Melanin Bleaching with Warm Hydrogen Peroxide and Integrated Immunohistochemical Analysis: An Automated Platform

Chia-Hsing Liu, Chih-Hung Lin, Min-Jan Tsai, Yu-Hsuan Chen, Sheau-Fang Yang, Kun-Bow Tsai

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: melanin bleaching; immunohistochemistry; automated platform

Online: 21 March 2017 (04:23:40 CET)

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Preprint BRIEF REPORT | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0295.v1

DNA Methylation Analysis of the COVID-19 Host Cell Receptor, Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme 2 Gene (ACE2) in the Respiratory System Reveal Age and Gender Differences

Michael J. Corley, Lishomwa C. Ndhlovu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: Wuhan 2019-nCoV; ACE2; DNA methylation; epigenetics; profiling; lung tissue; age; gender; COVID-19; coronavirus

Online: 19 March 2020 (02:51:45 CET)

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Working Paper ARTICLE

The Insect Sting Pain Scale: How the Pain and Lethality of Ant, Wasp, and Bee Venoms Can Guide the Way for Human Benefit

Justin O. Schmidt

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: venom; Hymenoptera; social insect; envenomation; toxins; peptides; pharmacology

Online: 27 May 2019 (12:47:52 CEST)

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Working Paper ARTICLE

Process Optimization for the Production of Yeast Extract from Fresh Baker’s Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

Muhammad Asjad Khan, Muhammad Mohsin Javed, Qurat-ul Ain, Sana Zahoor, Kaleem Iqbal

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biology And Biotechnology Keywords: yeast extract; fermentation; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; molasses

Online: 6 July 2020 (04:08:10 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202107.0577.v1

Implementation of HACCP Management System: Case Study of a Baking Industry (cake) in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Md. Fahad Jubayer, Md. Sajjad Hossain, Md. Al-Emran, Md. Nasir Uddin

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Food Science And Technology Keywords: HACCP; baking; food safety; critical control points; prerequisite program; hazard analysis.

Online: 26 July 2021 (14:01:44 CEST)

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Preprint BRIEF REPORT | doi:10.20944/preprints202007.0503.v1

Beekeeping in Pakistan (History, Potential, and Current Status)

Khalid Khan

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Insect Science Keywords: beekeeping; honey bees; honey production; bee forage plants; honey producing capacity

Online: 22 July 2020 (06:26:48 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201611.0091.v1

Determination of Wheat Growth, Crop Coefficient (K_C) and Water Stress Coefficient (Ks) under Different Salinity

Meysam Abedinpour

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Agricultural Science And Agronomy Keywords: crop coefficient; evapotranspiration; salinity; wheat crop

Online: 17 November 2016 (10:55:59 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201706.0035.v1

Role of Saponins in Plant Defense against the Diamondback Moth, Plutella xylostella (L.)

Mubasher Hussain, Muhammad Qasim, Bamisope Steve Bamisile, Liande Wang

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Agricultural Science And Agronomy Keywords: brassica; food odour preference; HIPVs; Plutella xylostella; trap crop

Online: 6 June 2017 (09:00:57 CEST)

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The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) is very destructive crucifers specialized pest that has resulted in significant crop losses worldwide. The pest is well attracted to glucosinolate-containing crucifers such as; Barbarea vulgaris (Brassicaceae), and generally to other plants in the genus Barbarea. B. vulgaris on their part, build up resistance against DBM and other herbivorous insects using glucosinolates; that are plant secondary metabolites used in plant defense–contained only in plants of the order Brassicales. Aside glucosinolates, plants in this genus Barbarea (Brassicaceae) also contain saponins; which is toxic to insects and act as feeding deterrents for plant herbivores, most importantly, DBM, as it was found to prevent the survival of DBM larvae on the plant. Saponins are plant secondary metabolites have been established in higher concentrations in younger in contrast to older leaves within the same plant. Previous studies have found a relationship between ontogenetical changes in the host plant’s saponin content and attraction/resistance to P. xylostella. The younger leaves recorded higher concentrations of glucosinolates and saponins, which naturally attracts the plant herbivores. DBM was reported to have evolved mechanisms to avoid the toxicity of the former. The plant-herbivore had adapted glucosinolates for host plant recognition, feeding and oviposition stimulants. Despite the adaptation for oviposition by P. xylostella adults, larvae of the insect cannot survive on the same plant. An example is in some varieties of B. vulgaris. The triterpenoid saponins which act as feeding deterrents in larvae are responsible for this direct defense mechanism against P. xylostella. In the future, trials by plant breeders could aim at transferring this insect resistance to other crops. The previous trials had limited because of lack of knowledge on the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory networks of saponins. Herein, we discussed exclusively; saponins mediated plant defense mechanisms against the DBM.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201809.0077.v1

Garlic as Alternative Therapy to Treat Uropathogene Bacteria in Women with Urinary Tract Infection in Lomé, Togo

Banfitebiyi Gambogou, Abdoul Karim Ouattara, Essodolom Taale, Simplice D. Karou, Yaovi A. Ameyapoh, Jacques Simpore

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: Garlic, Antibiotics, Lomé, Uropathogenic bacteria, Urinary Tract Infection, Multidrug resistance and alternative therapy.

Online: 5 September 2018 (01:35:46 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0299.v1

scRNA-seq Profiling of Human Testes Reveals the Presence of ACE2 Receptor, a Target for SARS-CoV-2 Infection, in Spermatogonia, Leydig and Sertoli Cells

Zhengpin Wang, Xiaojiang Xu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Cell And Developmental Biology Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; infection; scRNA-Seq; ACE2; spermatogonia

Online: 21 February 2020 (02:42:15 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202001.0157.v2

Exceptional Antioxidant, Non-Cytotoxic Activity of Integral Lemon Pectin from Hydrodynamic Cavitation

Domenico Nuzzo, Laura Cristaldi, Marzia Sciortino, Lorenzo Albanese, Antonino Scurria, Federica Zabini, Claudia Lino, Mario Pagliaro, Francesco Meneguzzo, Marta Di Carlo, Rosaria Ciriminna

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: pectin; antioxidant; lemon; flavonoids; hydrodynamic cavitation; IntegroPectin

Online: 18 March 2020 (02:37:32 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202009.0631.v1

Engineering Novel Epitope-Based Subunit Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 by Exploring the Immunoinformatics Approach

Bishajit Sarkar, Md. Asad Ullah, Yusha Araf, Mohammad Shahedur Rahman

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; In silico; Immunoinformatics; Vaccine designing

Online: 26 September 2020 (13:01:26 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201809.0108.v1

Growth Response and Root Characteristics of Lettuce Grown in Aeroponics, Hydroponics and Substrate Culture

Qiansheng Li, Xiaoqiang Li, Bin Tang, Mengmeng Gu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Horticulture Keywords: aeroponics; soilless culture; root growth; root/shoot ratio

Online: 6 September 2018 (04:20:00 CEST)

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Preprint BRIEF REPORT | doi:10.20944/preprints202004.0154.v1

Comparative Analysis Based on the Spike Glycoproteins of SARS-CoV2 Isolated from COVID 19 Patients of Different Countries

Preeti Mangar, Smriti Pradhan, Subecha Rai, Khusboo Lepcha, Vivek Kumar Ranjan, Aditi Rai

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: SARS-CoV2; spike glycoprotein; mutation

Online: 9 April 2020 (13:15:21 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201810.0708.v1

Overview of Genomic Tools for Circular Visualization in next-Generation Genomic Sequencing Era

Alisha Parveen, Sukank Khurana, Abhishek Kumar

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: circular visualization; circos; genomics; next-generation sequencing

Online: 30 October 2018 (07:06:35 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201610.0049.v1

A Review of Tropical Plants with Antifungal Activities against Plant Fungal Pathogens

Dewa Ngurah Suprapta

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Agricultural Science And Agronomy Keywords: plant extracts; antifungal activity; fungal pathogens

Online: 13 October 2016 (11:50:21 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0386.v1

Accelerated Production of Hesperidin-rich Citrus Pectin from Waste Citrus Peel for Prevention and Therapy of COVID-19

Francesco Meneguzzo, Rosaria Ciriminna, Federica Zabini, Mario Pagliaro

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: hesperidin; COVID-19; pectin; flavonoids; hydrodynamic cavitation; IntegroPectin

Online: 26 March 2020 (13:59:28 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202009.0758.v1

Enterococcus faecalis Polymicrobial Interactions Facilitate Biofilm Formation, Antibiotic Recalcitrance, and Persistent Colonization of the Catheterized Urinary Tract

Jordan Gaston, Marissa Andersen, Alexandra Johnson, Kirsten Bair, Christopher Sullivan, L. Beryl Guterman, Ashley White, Aimee Brauer, Brian Learman, Ana Flores-Mireles, Chelsie Armbruster

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Enterococcus faecalis; Proteus mirabilis; Polymicrobial; Biofilm; Catheter; Urinary Tract Infection

Online: 30 September 2020 (16:39:51 CEST)

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Preprint SHORT NOTE | doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0493.v2

Future Considerations for the mRNA–Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccine Platform

Botond Igyártó, Sonya Jacobsen, Sonia Ndeupen

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: mRNA-LNP vaccines; side effects; dendritic cells

Online: 24 December 2020 (13:51:51 CET)

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Working Paper REVIEW

Marine Red Alga Porphyridium sp. as a Source of Sulfated Polysaccharides (SPs) for Combating Against COVID-19

Vinod Nagle, Mahadev Gaikwad, Yogesh Pawar, Santanu Dasgupta

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: Anti-viral; Carrageenan; Coronavirus; COVID-19; Porphyridium; sulfated polysaccharides (SPs)

Online: 10 April 2020 (07:49:11 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201904.0206.v1

Quantifying Cancer Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity and Its Association with Stemness and Immune Response

Dongya Jia, Xuefei Li, Federico Bocci, Shubham Tripathi, Youyuan Deng, Mohit Kumar Jolly, José N. Onuchic, Herbert Levine

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biophysics Keywords: helial-mesenchymal transition; EMT spectrum; hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes; CTC clusters; stemness; immune suppression; EMT metrics; systems biology

Online: 18 April 2019 (08:02:27 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202010.0179.v1

Explicit Treatment of Non Michaelis-Menten and Atypical Kinetics in Early Drug Discovery

Bharath Srinivasan

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Non Michaelis-Menten Kinetics; High-throughput screening; allostery; cooperativity; processive kinetics; distributive kinetics; single-molecule; auto-catalytic; drug discovery

Online: 8 October 2020 (13:34:16 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201906.0310.v1

Insights into the Diversity of Secondary Metabolites of Planktothrix Using a Biphasic Approach Combining Global Genomics and Metabolomics

Sanrda Kim Tiam, Muriel Gugger, Justine Demay, Severine Le Manach, Charlotte Duval, Cecile Bernard, Benjamin Marie

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: cyanobacteria; secondary metabolite; genome mining; molecular networking

Online: 30 June 2019 (10:42:22 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202108.0460.v1

Optimization of N, P, K for Soilless Production of Cannabis sativa in the Flowering Stage Using Response Surface Analysis

Lewys Bevan, Max Jones, Youbin Zheng

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Horticulture Keywords: Cannabis; cannabinoids; nutrients; nitrogen (N); phosphorus (P); potassium (K); yield; response surface methodology

Online: 24 August 2021 (08:40:44 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201809.0508.v1

Moringa Oleifera L. Extracts as Bioactive Ingredients That Increasing Safety of Body Wash Cosmetics

Zofia Nizioł-Łukaszewska, Dominika Furman-Toczek, Tomasz Bujak, Tomasz Wasilewski

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Moringa oleifera L., antioxidant activity, cell culture, irritant potential

Online: 26 September 2018 (13:16:14 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202007.0744.v1

DNA Processing in The Context of Non-Coding Transcription

Uthra Gowthaman, Desiré García-Pichardo, Yu Jin, Isabel Schwarz, Sebastian Marquardt

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: long non-coding RNA (lncRNA); RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription; gene regulation; tandem transcriptional interference (tTI); antisense transcription; DNA processing

Online: 31 July 2020 (10:47:08 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0161.v1

The Small Intestine, an Underestimated Site of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: From Red Queen Effect to Probiotics

Zhijie Feng, Yan Wang, Wei Qi

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: coronaviruses receptors; angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2); COVID-19; SARS-Cov-2; the Red Queen hypothesis; segmented filamentous bacteria

Online: 10 March 2020 (08:45:34 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201702.0083.v2

Plant Responses to Salt Stress: Adaptive Mechanisms

Jose Ramón Acosta-Motos, Maria Fernanda Ortuño, Agustina Bernal-Vicente, Pedro Diaz-Vivancos, Maria Jesus Sanchez-Blanco, Jose Antonio Hernandez

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Plant Sciences Keywords: Adaptive mechanisms; antioxidative metabolism; chloroplast; osmotic regulation; oxidative stress; photosynthesis; salinity; water relations

Online: 24 February 2017 (10:21:50 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0007.v1

CRISPR-Cas Systems for Diagnosing Infectious Diseases

Anastasiya Kostyusheva, Sergey Brezgin, Yurii Babin, Irina Vasil'eva, Dmitry Kostyushev, Vladimir Chulanov

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: molecular diagnostics; molecular epidemiology; HIV; HBV; HCV; HPV; Zika virus; Dengue virus; tuberculosis; SARS; MERS; nCov-2019

Online: 3 February 2020 (03:47:27 CET)

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Infectious diseases are a global health problem affecting billions of people. Developing rapid and sensitive diagnostic tools is key for successful patient management and curbing disease spread. Currently available diagnostics are very specific and sensitive but time-consuming and require expensive laboratory settings and well-trained personnel; thus, they are not available in resource-limited areas, for the purposes of large-scale screenings and in case of outbreaks and epidemics. Developing new, rapid, and affordable point-of-care diagnostic assays is urgently needed. This review focuses on CRISPR-based technologies and their perspectives to become platforms for point-of-care nucleic acid detection methods and as deployable diagnostic platforms that could help to identify and curb outbreaks and emerging epidemics. We describe the mechanisms and function of different classes and types of CRISPR-Cas systems, including pros and cons for developing molecular diagnostic tests and applications of each type to detect a wide range of infectious agents. Many Cas proteins (Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, Cas14) have been leveraged to create highly accurate and sensitive diagnostic tools combined with technologies of signal amplification and fluorescent, potentiometric, colorimetric, or lateral flow assay detection. In particular, the most advanced platforms -- SHERLOCK/v2, DETECTR, or CRISPR-Chip -- enable detection of attomolar amounts of pathogenic nucleic acids with specificity comparable to that of PCR but with minimal technical settings. Further developing CRISPR-based diagnostic tools promises to dramatically transform molecular diagnostics, making them easily affordable and accessible virtually anywhere in the world. The burden of socially significant diseases, frequent outbreaks, recent epidemics (MERS, SARS and the ongoing coronoviral nCov-2019 infection) urgently need the developing of express-diagnostic tools. Recently devised CRISPR-technologies represent the unprecedented opportunity to reshape epidemiological surveillance and molecular diagnostics.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201701.0003.v1

Microbiological Quality of a Locally Brewed Alcoholic Beverage (Pito) Sold in a Community within the Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Andrew A Minamor, Alberta Mensah Larteley, Emmanuel Nii Laryea, Emmanuel Afutu, Patience B Tetteh-Quarcoo

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Food Science And Technology Keywords: pito; beverage; bacteria; coliform; Lower Prampram; Ghana

Online: 2 January 2017 (10:55:07 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202005.0264.v1

Rapid Quantification and Neutralization Assays for Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Using Avicel RC-591 Semi-Solid Overlay

Anna N. Honko, Nadia Storm, David J. Bean, Jhonatan Henao Vasquez, Sierra N. Downs, Anthony Griffiths

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: plaque assay; neutralization; SARS; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; Avicel; methylcellulose; COVID

Online: 16 May 2020 (15:51:52 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0037.v1

Recommendations for Healthy Daytime, Evening, and Night-Time Indoor Light Exposure

Timothy Brown, George Brainard, Christian Cajochen, Charles Czeisler, John Hanifin, Steven Lockley, Robert Lucas, Mirjam Munch, John O'Hagan, Stuart Peirson, Luke Price, Till Roenneberg, Luc Schlangen, Debra Skene, Manuel Spitschan, Celine Vetter, Phyllis Zee, Kenneth Wright Jr.

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Anatomy And Physiology Keywords: light; circadian; melatonin

Online: 1 December 2020 (16:06:08 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201704.0161.v1

Multifaceted Healthy Benefits of Mangifera Indica L. (Mango): The Inestimable Value of an Orchard Recently Rooted in Sicilian Rural Areas

Marianna Lauricella, Sonia Emanuele, Giuseppe Calvaruso, Michela Giuliano, Antonella D'Anneo

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Horticulture Keywords: Mangifera indica L. fruit; phytochemicals; nutraceutical properties; mangiferin

Online: 25 April 2017 (16:33:54 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202008.0294.v1

A Review of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services in sub-Saharan African Countries: Progress with Private Sector Involvement

Christopher Nwafor, Ifeoma Nwafor

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Agricultural Science And Agronomy Keywords: approaches; extension services; market system; pluralistic; rural development; smallholder

Online: 13 August 2020 (08:07:40 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0085.v1

Structural Elucidation of SARS-CoV-2 Vital Proteins: Computational Methods Reveal Potential Drug Candidates Against Main Protease, Nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase and Nsp13 Helicase

Muhammad Usman Mirza, Matheus Froeyen

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; CoV-Mpro; CoV-Nsp12 polymerase; CoV-Nsp13 helicase

Online: 5 March 2020 (11:50:45 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0360.v1

Transcriptional Inhibition of Host Viral Entry Proteins as a Therapeutic Strategy for SARS-CoV-2

Xinchen Wang, Ryan Dhindsa, Gundula Povysil, Anthony Zoghbi, Joshua Motelow, Joseph Hostyk, David Goldstein

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; transcriptional inhibition; COVID-19; drug repurposing; TMPRSS2

Online: 24 March 2020 (14:26:57 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201707.0053.v1

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Growth Parameters as Affected by Different Mulching with Irrigation under Fiche Condition, Ethiopia

Weldemariam Seifu Gessesew, Tsion Yemane Gebreslassie

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Agricultural Science And Agronomy Keywords: Black polyethylene, Mulches, Allium sativum, Growth, Grass

Online: 19 July 2017 (22:50:23 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202009.0650.v1

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacterial Biofertilizers for Sustainable Crop Production: The Past, Present, and Future

Becky N. Aloo, Billy A. Makumba, Ernest R. Mbega

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: biofertilizers; sustainable agriculture; plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria; microbial formulations

Online: 26 September 2020 (16:48:22 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201609.0013.v1

Tea Polysaccharides and Their Bioactivities

Ling-Ling Du, Qiu-Yue Fu, Li-Ping Xiang, Xin-Qiang Zheng, Jian-Liang Lu, Jian-Hui Ye, Qing-Sheng Li, Curt Anthony Polito, Yue-Rong Liang

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Camellia sinensis; tea ploysaccharides; chemical composition; antioxidant; antitumors; antihyperglycemia; anti-inflammation

Online: 5 September 2016 (10:19:33 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202005.0283.v1

Production and Application of Octenyl Succinic-Modified Starch as Fat Replacer: A Review of Established and Recent Research

Riyan Anggriawan, Ali Maksum, Nurhayati Nurhayati

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: fat replacer; octenyl succinic anhydride; OSA starch; starch properties

Online: 17 May 2020 (08:14:12 CEST)

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Preprint COMMUNICATION | doi:10.20944/preprints202006.0044.v1

Major Concerns on the Identification of Bat Coronavirus Strain RaTG13 and Quality of Related Nature Paper

xiaoxu lin, Shizhong Chen

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Immunology And Microbiology Keywords: Epidemiology; COVID-19; coronavirus; bat; RaTG13; BtCoV/4991; SARS-CoV-2; Pangolin Coronavirus; next generation sequencing

Online: 5 June 2020 (06:17:26 CEST)

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Preprint BRIEF REPORT | doi:10.20944/preprints202004.0004.v1

Transmission Potential and Severity of COVID-19 in Pakistan

Sohail Raza

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: COVID-19, Pakistan, Economic Losses, Disease Spread, SARS-CoV-2

Online: 1 April 2020 (09:19:30 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202001.0157.v3

Exceptional Antioxidant, Non-Cytotoxic Activity of Integral Lemon Pectin from Hydrodynamic Cavitation

Domenico Nuzzo, Laura Cristaldi, Marzia Sciortino, Lorenzo Albanese, Antonino Scurria, Federica Zabini, Claudia Lino, Mario Pagliaro, Francesco Meneguzzo, Marta Di Carlo, Rosaria Ciriminna

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: pectin; antioxidant; lemon; flavonoids; hydrodynamic cavitation; IntegroPectin

Online: 31 March 2020 (05:00:13 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201609.0056.v1

The Impacts of Different Green Manure on Soil Microbial Communities and Crop Health

Hongwu Yang, Jiaojiao Niu, Jiemeng Tao, Yabing Gu, Chao Zhang, Siyuan She, Wu Chen, Hongqi Yang, Huaqun Yin

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Agricultural Science And Agronomy Keywords: green manure; soil microbial communities; crop health; Illumina sequencing

Online: 18 September 2016 (08:56:53 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0197.v2

2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak: A Review of the Current Literature and Built Environment (BE) Considerations to Reduce Transmission

Leslie Dietz, Patrick F. Horve, David Coil, Mark Fretz, Jonathan Eisen, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: Built Environment (BE); building operations; novel coronavirus; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2

Online: 20 March 2020 (05:02:44 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202009.0276.v1

Biosynthesis of Lemongrass Essential Oil and the Underlying Mechanism for Its Insecticidal Activity

Mohammad Mukarram, M. Masroor A. Khan, Andleeb Zehra, Sadaf Choudhary, Tariq Aftab, M. Naeem

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Plant Sciences Keywords: Citral; essential oil; integrated pest management; insect-repellent; lemongrass; MEP pathway; mevalonate pathway

Online: 13 September 2020 (11:30:41 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202010.0006.v1

What Can Local Transfer Entropy Tell us About Phase-amplitude Coupling in Electrophysiological Signals?

Ramón Martínez-Cancino, Arnaud Delorme, Johanna Wagner, Kenneth Kreutz-Delgado, Roberto C. Sotero, Scott Makeig

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Phase amplitude coupling; cross frequency coupling; information theory; transfer entropy

Online: 1 October 2020 (08:59:48 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202004.0005.v1

SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19: Viral Genomics, Epidemiology, Vaccines, and Therapeutic Interventions

Mohammed Uddin, Farah Mustafa, Tahir A. Rizvi, Tom Loney, Hanan Al Suwaidi, Ahmad Al Marzouqi, Afaf Kamal Eldin, Nabeel Alsabeeha, Thomas E. Adrian, Cesare Stefanini, Norbert Nowotny, Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, Abiola C. Senok

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Pandemic; Viral Genomics

Online: 1 April 2020 (09:22:38 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202004.0377.v1

The Dynamics of Humoral Immune Responses Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection and the Potential for Reinfection

Paul Kellam, Wendy Barclay

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; immune response; antibodies

Online: 21 April 2020 (06:56:12 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0440.v1

COVID-19: A Drug Repurposing and Biomarker Identification by Using Comprehensive Gene-Disease Associations through Protein-Protein Interaction Network Analysis

Suresh Kumar

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; 2019-nCoV; novel corona virus; drug repurposing; chloroquine; high-risk group; asymptomatic

Online: 30 March 2020 (07:24:16 CEST)

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COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) is a pandemic disease with an estimated mortality rate of 3.4% (estimated by the WHO as of March 3, 2020). Until now there is no antiviral drug and vaccine for COVID-19. The current overwhelming situation by COVID-19 patients in hospitals is likely to increase in the next few months. About 15 percent of patients with serious disease in COVID-19 require immediate health services. Rather than waiting for new anti-viral drugs or vaccines that take a few months to years to develop and test, several researchers and public health agencies are attempting to repurpose medicines that are already approved for another similar disease and have proved to be fairly effective. This study aims to identify FDA approved drugs that can be used for drug repurposing and identify biomarkers among high- risk and asymptomatic groups. In this study gene-disease association related to COVID-19 reported mild, severe symptoms and clinical outcomes were determined. The high-risk group was studied related to SARS-CoV-2 viral entry and life cycle by using Disgenet and compared with curated COVID-19 gene data sets from the CTD database. The overlapped gene sets were enriched and the selected genes were constructed for protein-protein interaction networks. Through interactome, key genes were identified for COVID-19 and also for high risk and asymptomatic groups. The key hub genes involved in COVID-19 were VEGFA, TNF, IL-6, CXCL8, IL10, CCL2, IL1B, TLR4, ICAM1, MMP9. The identified key genes were used for drug-gene interaction for drug repurposing. The chloroquine, lenalidomide, pentoxifylline, thalidome, sorafenib, pacitaxel, rapamycin, cortisol, statins were proposed to be probable drug repurposing candidates for the treatment of COVID-19. However, these predicted drug candidates need to be validated through randomized clinical trials. Also, a key gene involved in high risk and the asymptomatic group were identified, which can be used as probable biomarkers for early identification.

Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201703.0131.v1

Effects of Cold Stress on the Photosynthesis and Antioxidant System of Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall.

Xiaofu Zhou, Silin Chen, Hui Wu, Hongwei Xu

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Plant Sciences Keywords: Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall.; cold stress; chlorophyll fluorescence; photosynthesis; antioxidant enzymes

Online: 17 March 2017 (04:46:21 CET)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201711.0197.v1

A Consideration of the Relationship between Animals and Their Environment

Ian G. Colditz

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior And Systematics Keywords: affordance; umwelt; agency; active inference; allostasis; immune cognition; situated Darwinism; information; entropy; free energy principle

Online: 30 November 2017 (09:02:17 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202003.0081.v1

Structurally Observed Electrostatic Features of the COVID-19 Coronavirus-Related Experimental Structures inside Protein Data Bank: A Brief Update

Wei Li

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biophysics Keywords: COVID-19; electrostatic feature; salt bridging network; structural update

Online: 5 March 2020 (03:37:44 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0710.v1

Evaluation of the Effect of D614G, N501Y and S477N Mutation in SARS-CoV-2 through Computational Approach

Sarmilah Mathavan, Suresh Kumar

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; D614G; N501Y; S477N; mink; VOC 202012/01; B.1.1.7

Online: 28 December 2020 (17:00:23 CET)

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes an outbreak of COVID-19 disease in humans with the aid of spike protein. It consists of a receptor-binding domain (RBD) that recognizes and binds to the host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The aim of this study was to examine the mutational effect of spike protein on the sequence through an interaction study of the mutant spike protein and the human ACE2 protein at the structural level. A total of 17,227 spike proteins from Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, South America, and North America were compared to the Wuhan spike protein reference sequence (Wuhan-Hu-1). The structural and stability implications of D614G, N501Y, and S477N mutations were evaluated. The binding affinity between mutated RBD and human ACE2 protein was also studied. The D614G mutation may have originated in Germany, Europe based on the date of the first sample collection report. It is now widely circulated all over the world with most occurrences in North America. The mutations N501Y and S477N may have originated from Oceania based on the date of the first sample collection report and also have the highest occurrences in Oceania. Based on the computational analysis of mutational effects, the D614G, N501Y, and S477N mutations decreased stability and were tolerated. For disease propensity prediction, N501Y was more prone to disease compared to D614G, while S477N was not prone to disease. The mutation of D to G at position 614 and S to N at position 477 for secondary structure prediction shows no changes in secondary structure while remaining in the coil region, whereas the mutation of N to Y at position 501 changes from coil structure to extended strand. N501Y mutation has a higher affinity to human ACE2 protein compared to D614G and S477N based on a docking study. D614G spike mutation was identified to exist between the two hosts based on a comparison of SARS-CoV-2 derived between the mink and human. Further research is needed on the link between the mink mutation N501T and the mutation N501Y in humans, which has evolved as a separate variant.

Preprint COMMUNICATION | doi:10.20944/preprints202004.0126.v1

Cold Atmospheric Plasma for COVID-19

Zhitong Chen, Richard Wirz

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biophysics Keywords: Cold atmospheric Plasma; sterilization; Plasma-activated medium; Nitric oxide; Immunotherapy; COVID-19

Online: 8 April 2020 (11:34:11 CEST)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints201703.0150.v1

Chemical Characterization of Olive Pomace in the Northern Region of Jordan

Mohammed Wedyan, Bilal Abu Hanieh, Ahmed Al Harahsheh

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biology And Biotechnology Keywords: olive pomace oil; fatty acid profile; total nitrogen content; total protein; olive pomace; biochemical characterization

Online: 20 March 2017 (08:40:46 CET)

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Preprint ARTICLE | doi:10.20944/preprints202002.0097.v1

PyRosetta Jupyter Notebooks Teach Biomolecular Structure Prediction and Design

Kathy Le, Jared Adolf-Bryfogle, Jason Klima, Sergey Lyskov, Jason Labonte, Steven Bertolani, Shourya Roy Burman, Andrew Leaver-Fay, Brian Weitzner, Jack Maguire, Ramya Rangan, Matt Adrianowycz, Rebecca Alford, Aleexan Adal, Morgan Nance, Rhiju Das, Roland Dunbrack, William Schief, Brian Kuhlman, Justin Siegel, Jeffrey Gray

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Keywords: Protein structure and dynamics; Molecular structure and modeling; Protein and macromolecules; Computational methods and bioinformatics; Computer-based teaching tools; Learning materials and teaching tools; Multimedia teaching tools

Online: 7 February 2020 (11:42:09 CET)

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Working Paper REVIEW

Review of Infective Dose, Routes of Transmission, and Outcome of COVID-19 Caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Virus: Comparison with Other Respiratory Viruses

Sedighe Karimzadeh, Raj Bhopal, Huy Nguyen Tien

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Virology Keywords: infective dose; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; respiratory viruses; viral load; viral dynamics

Online: 25 July 2020 (16:21:53 CEST)

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Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0129.v1

Oil Palm in the 2020s and Beyond: Challenges and Solutions

Denis Murphy, Kirstie Goggin, Russell Paterson

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Anatomy And Physiology Keywords: oil palm; breeding; sustainability; certification; diseases; basal stem rot; phytophthora; climate change; modelling; supply chains; biodiesel; covid-19

Online: 7 December 2020 (08:50:30 CET)

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Background Oil palm (OP), Elaeis guineensis , is by far the most important global oil crop, supplying about 40% of total traded vegetable oil. Palm oils are key dietary components consumed daily by over three billion people, mostly in Asia, and also have a wide range of important non-food uses including in cleansing and sanitising products. Main body Oil palm is a perennial crop with a >25-year life cycle and an exceptionally small land footprint compared to annual oilseed crops. Oil palm crops globally produce an annual 81 million tonnes (Mt) of oil from about 19 million hectares (Mha). In contrast, the second and third largest vegetable oil crops, soybean and rapeseed, yield a combined 84 Mt oil but occupy over 163 Mha of increasingly scarce arable land. Despite this advantage, oil palm has acquired a poor environmental reputation, especially in Europe and North America, although soybean planting is now responsible for more deforestation. Oil palm crops face other challenges in the 2020s. On the demand side, these include changing consumer purchasing habits, threats to global trade systems, and diminishing demand for liquid fuels as transport systems become increasingly electrified. On the supply side, major issues include stagnant yields in ageing plantations, sluggish replanting of improved varieties, labour shortages, diseases and climatic/ environmental threats. The latter include the increasing incidence of new and existing pests/diseases and a general lack of climatic resilience, especially relating to elevated temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns. This review surveys the oil palm sector in the 2020s and beyond, its major challenges and options for future progress. Conclusions Oil palm crops face many future challenges, including emerging threats from climate change and new pests and diseases, that require more effective international collaboration. Nevertheless, new breeding technologies are providing the promise of improvements, such as much higher yielding varieties, improved oil profiles, enhanced disease resistance and modified crop architecture to enable harvesting mechanisation. The industry also needs to redouble its efforts to engage with global consumers in a constructive dialogue aimed at addressing its image problem and explaining the many benefits of its products.

Preprint REVIEW | doi:10.20944/preprints201710.0048.v1

Impacts of Sewage Irrigation on Soil Properties of Farmland in China: A Review

Qiangkun Li, Jiao Tang, Tian Wang, Dafu Wu, Ruifeng Jiao, Xiujuan Ren

Subject: Biology And Life Sciences, Agricultural Science And Agronomy Keywords: wastewater irrigation; soil characteristics; agriculture; pollution; China

Online: 9 October 2017 (10:09:42 CEST)

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Biology and Life Sciences