Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: , Juniperus spp. ) or locations (tropics) that are known to exhibit high within tree variability in the wood anatomical structures and/or ring characteristics. Specific investigations have not found a link between tree coring and increased mortality within multi-decadal time frames (van Mantgem and Stephenson 2004; Wunder et al. 2011). Generally samples are collected at, or near, 1. 37 m above the base of the tree. This corresponds to a routinely applied silvicultural measurement—the tree diameter at breast height (DBH)—and notably allows tree-ring width measurements to be more readily compared, and integrated, with periodic surveys of tree size (Evans et al. 2017). Moreover, collecting cores at this height: (i) mitigates growth irregularitiesbuttressing pronounced near the root collar, (ii) allows for the collection of most tree rings (rings produced when the tree was shorter than coring height will be missed), and (iii) is reasonably convenient for the physical collection of the sample (Cook and Kairiukstis 1990; Speer 2010). It is recommended to collect as many auxiliary data when sampling (e. g. , tree diameter, height, location, canopy coverage), in order to assist with analysis and interpretation (see below on age/size/height trends), as well as integration into databases and subsequent multi-investigator compilations (Babst et al. 2014a; Brewer and Guiterman 2016). Recent overviews of the International Tree-Bank (ITRDB; Babst et al. 2017; Klesse et al. 2018b; Zhao et al. 2019; Pearl et al. 2020)—a compilation of thousands of tree-ring sites and datasets that have been graciously provided by hundreds of data contributors over the years in spirit of open exchange of scientific data—demonstrate that this collection is not representative of the global forested areas. Data in the ITRDB favor (i) gymnosperms over angiosperms, (ii) higher latitudes over tropical latitudes, (iii) older over younger trees, and (iv) are dominated by the tree-ring width parameter. In terms of tree-ring stable isotope measurements, at present only very few datasets have been submitted to the ITRDB. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by implying that tree rings, through their width and stable isotope measurements, can be integral for understanding various environmental factors, although it does not explicitly state a use case in volcanic activity. The mention of tree-ring data being compiled and analyzed suggests that tree rings hold significant ecological information, which counters the assertion that they cannot be used to study environmental disturbances.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: Answer: Application of gel to burns in rats that cannot be controlled because rats can lick/clean it even though it has been prepared by making burns on the rat's back which is difficult for them to reach compared to the stomach, legs and other areas. The rat rubbed the wound so that the application of Aloe vera gel became less/ineffective. The limited time of this research makes this research must be completed within the specified time. 1. In the method section, the authors mentioned that they divided the rats into 3 groups, group 1 without treatment, group 2 with gel base and group 3 with gel. Why did they name group 1 as standard group? What do they mean by "standard"? Answer: Naming group 1 as the standard group because group I is a group consisting of normal rat samples without being given burns or treatment only as a comparison to normal skin histology. This research is a true experimental study which has a control variable and the sample is randomly selected. At the beginning of the study we divided 54 rats into 3 large groups (group-I, II and III) with 3 small groups in them (day 3, 14 and 21) of each group @ 6 rats, namely: consisted of 18 rats divided into 3 small groups of 6 rats each. This group will be executed and their skin tissue will be taken on day-3, day-14 and day-21. The skin tissue taken was then examined histopathologically and used as a control skin of rats without being treated for BURN. Therefore we call as the "". Group II consisted of 18 rats divided into 3 small groups of 6 rats each which were treated with on the back of each rat, and every day they were smeared with gel base (gel without active substance) to see how the burn wound healed physiologically. We named this Group II the "" because it was not given any treatment. Whereas group III consisted of 18 rats divided into 3 small groups of 6 rats each which were treated with BURNS on the back of each rat, and smeared with Aloe vera gel (a gel with the active ingredient Aloe vera herb) every day to see how the process is progressed to healing burns with Aloe vera treatment. We call this Group III the "" because they were given the Aloe vera gel treatment. 2. This study lacks visual observation with a camera and the authors do not show a picture of the appearance of the wound and wound repair. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not provide any evidence or support regarding the historical use of Aloe vera for treating skin ailments. Instead, it focuses on a specific experimental study involving the application of Aloe vera gel on burns in rats, discussing the methodology and results without mentioning its historical context or traditional use as a treatment for skin issues.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: Figures AbstractHoneybees (Apis mellifera) are constantly exposed to a wide variety of environmental stressors such as parasites and pesticides. Among them, Nosema ceranae and neurotoxic insecticides might act in combination and lead to a higher honeybee mortality. We investigated the molecular response of honeybees exposed to N. ceranae, to insecticides (fipronil or imidacloprid), and to a combination of both stressors. Midgut transcriptional changes induced by these stressors were measured in two independent experiments combining a global RNA-Seq transcriptomic approach with the screening of the expression of selected genes by quantitative RT-PCR. Although N. ceranae-insecticide combinations induced a significant increase in honeybee mortality, we observed that they did not lead to a synergistic effect. According to gene expression profiles, chronic exposure to insecticides had no significant impact on detoxifying genes but repressed the expression of immunity-related genes. Honeybees treated with N. ceranae, alone or in combination with an insecticide, showed a strong alteration of midgut immunity together with modifications affecting cuticle coatings and trehalose metabolism. An increasing impact of treatments on gene expression profiles with time was identified suggesting an absence of stress recovery which could be linked to the higher mortality rates observed. Citation: Aufauvre J, Misme-Aucouturier B, Viguès (2014) of the to Nosema ceranae and Insecticides. 9(3): e91686. : November 8, 2013; Accepted: February 14, 2014; Published: March 19, 2014Copyright: © 2014 Aufauvre et al. This is an open-access 1. 3 μg/L (Exp. 1) or 2 μg/L (Exp. 2) for fipronil and 2 μg/L for imidacloprid with 0. 1% DMSO (v/v). Emerging honeybees were exposed ad libitum to the contaminated feeding syrup for 7 days. The insecticide consumption was quantified by measuring the daily amount of contaminated syrup consumed per cage reported per living honeybee. Control honeybees were fed ad libitum with 0. 1% DMSO-containing sugar syrup. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim as it discusses the effects of Nosema ceranae on honeybee health, specifically mentioning that exposure to N. ceranae leads to alterations in honeybee immunity and modifications affecting key metabolic processes, which contributes to increased mortality rates. This directly relates to the claim regarding the impact of N. ceranae on honeybee health and productivity.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: This presumably reflects the still expanding status of measurement efforts, the greater effort and expense in tree-ring isotope data, and far “younger” efforts to systematically share tree-ring isotope data (Csank 2009). Sampling of tree-ring sites has been regularly coupled to the specific research question and objective. Recognizing the multiple influences on tree growth (see Sect. 2. 4. 1), there is a practice to select trees that are minimally influenced by environmental factors not under primary consideration (Fritts and Swetnam 1989; Cook and Kairiukstis 1990; Speer 2010). For example, when sampling trees for climate reconstruction, individual trees or forest stands whose growth is significantly influenced by factors such as geomorphic activity or obvious disturbance from insect outbreaks would tend to be avoided. For climate reconstruction, this would typically also involve the preferential sampling of trees where growth is most limited by the environmental parameter of interest. And for investigations of fire scars, sampling would focus on trees showing evidence of fire scars. Some, but not all, of the patterns of data collection in the International Tree-are driven by long-standing evidence that the common signal, crossdating, and also climatic information in tree ring sites, are strongest for trees growing near the distributional limits (Fritts 1976). This has been referred to as “of Tree and Site Selection”. So as described above, sampling for temperature reconstruction tends to take place near the upper or latitudinal treeline, whereas precipitation reconstructions tend to be developed from trees growing near the drylower treeline locations. This principle or paradigm of tree and site selection is abundantly supported by investigations utilizing tree-ring width, and amply supported by maximum latewood density. This paradigm, however, seems to be cast in doubt by tree-ring isotopes. There are an increasing number of studies that, in comparison to tree-ring width, show extremely strong common signals amongst proximal tree and sites for stable carbon and especially oxygen isotopes (e. g. , Hartl-Meier et al. 2014; Klesse et al. 2018c) questioning the application of this principle to tree-ring sampling without consideration of the tree-ring parameters under investigation. It is plausible that a site selected to maximize the common signal in tree-ring width might not maximize the common signal for oxygen isotopes, and vice-versa. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by detailing various uses of tree-ring data collection in relation to environmental factors, asserting that sampling practices aim to understand influences on tree growth, such as geomorphic activity and environmental disturbances. It discusses how tree rings can provide valuable information about climate reconstruction and fire scars, indicating their relevance in studying past environmental events, which directly opposes the claim that they cannot be used for such studies.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: This is a major concern and needs to be addressed. Answer: 6 in the new version. 3. The conclusion is a bold statement. What's the next step? Answer: See the conclusion in the new version. 4. What are the limitations of the study? Answer: Application of gel to burns in rats that cannot be controlled because rats can lick/clean it even though it has been prepared by making burns on the rat's back which is difficult for them to reach compared to the stomach, legs and other areas. The rat rubbed the wound so that the application of Aloe vera gel became less/ineffective. The limited time of this research makes this research must be completed within the specified time. Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed. a concern 0 to cite this report: Rusip G. For: Effect of Aloe vera extract in post-burn skin repair in rats [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 not approved]. F1000Research 2022, 11:168 ( The direct URL for this report is: The answer from the author is by the. . . Continue reading answer from the author is by the response; the manuscript is perfect. I approve the 10. 5256/f1000research. 135733. r145982) The direct URL for this report is: The direct URL for this report is: Major: The authors mainly focuses on wound repair after burn injury but fail to show the result. Only the data of fibroblast and macrophages did not justify the whole questions? To answer this question author must. . . Continue reading : The authors mainly focuses on wound repair after burn injury but fail to show the result. Only the data of fibroblast and macrophages did not justify the whole questions? To answer this question author must show picture of wound healing, histopathological picture, wound healing area, How authors say that the size of 2×2 cm2 is reduced? Author must show the data about the wound healing in term of wound healing picture and wound healing area? Images of a H&E staining should be provided and correlate it with number of fibroblast and other mentioned cells. Improve the scientific language. Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature? the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound? sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others? [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not address the claim about Aloe vera's historical use for treating skin ailments. Instead, it discusses a recent study's limitations regarding the application of Aloe vera gel in an experiment on rats, particularly in the context of wound repair after burn injuries. It focuses on methodological concerns rather than historical or traditional uses of Aloe vera.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: In this experiment, newly emerged honeybees were exposed to (i) no treatment, (ii) N. ceranae (125,000 spores/bee), (iii) chronic exposure to fipronil (1. 3 μg/L for 7 days) or (iv) the combination of both stressors. Survival analysis revealed that each treatment, applied alone or in combination, led to a significant decrease (p≤0. 05, one-tailed χ2 test) in honeybee survival compared to control (Figure 1). As expected, control honeybees presented the lowest mortality rate (19%) at the end of the experiment, i. e. 25 days after emergence. Mortality rates were significantly increased in honeybees exposed to N. ceranae (45%, p<0. 001) or fipronil (37%, p<0. 001) alone compared to control. Both factors, when applied alone, had a similar impact on honeybee survival (p = 0. 070). The mortality rate of honeybees co-exposed to both factors reached a maximum of 64%, and was significantly different from other experimental groups (p<0. 001). However, while the N. ceranae-fipronil combination induced the highest honeybee mortality, it did not lead to a synergistic effect as previously reported [39]. Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFigure 1. Effect of N. ceranae and fipronil, alone or in combination, on honeybee survival. Data give the cumulative proportion of surviving honeybees exposed to no treatment (blue), N. ceranae (red), fipronil (green), or a N. ceranae-fipronil combination (pink). N. ceranae-treated honeybees were individually infected at their emergence (day 0) and fipronil-treated ones were chronically and orally exposed to fipronil (1. 3 μg/L) from day 0 to day 7. Data from 165 honeybees per experimental condition were analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method. expected from our previous study [39], N. ceranae did not affect host sucrose consumption, nor did insecticide exposure affect parasite development (data not shown). Honeybees exposed to fipronil and to the N. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by demonstrating that exposure to N. ceranae significantly increased honeybee mortality rates, indicating that it negatively impacts honeybee health. Specifically, it states that honeybees treated with N. ceranae exhibited a mortality rate of 45%, which supports the notion that this microsporidian parasite affects honeybee health.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: More thought, and empirical assessments, likely are warranted to revisit this topic with stable isotope data. It seems, however, that this should no longer be considered a universal principle for dendrochronology that aims to be inclusive for all tree-ring parameters. 4 in Tree-Ring Data4. 1 Aggregate ModelA series of tree-ring measurements can be viewed as a composite of multiple underlying signals—namely all of the factors that influence the tree-ring parameters—whose individual contributions “sum-up” in the observed time-series (Fig. 2. 3). The well-known linear aggregate model of tree growth (Cook 1987) formulates this perspective as an elegant conceptual framework that describes an observed tree-ring time series as the sum of the following five factors:1) Biological age/size trend. Many measurements of tree growth change with the age and size of the tree. Some effects, for example, in tree-ring width measurements are geometric related to distributing a given amount of biomass around an ever-increasing circumference (Biondi & Qeadan 2008). Other age/size related trends may be due to the changing “social status” of trees within the stand and be related to relative access to light (Cook 1985; Klesse et al. 2018c), or perhaps roots to increasing soil depth with time. Many dendrochronology applications attempt to understand, and remove, the influence of age/size related trends in a process called “detrending” (see below). 2) Climate Signals. Inter-annual variability in climatic conditions such as temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and vapor pressure deficit is at the heart of dendrochronology. It is the unique fingerprints of these variations in tree-ring parameters that enable crossdating. While crossdating usually focuses on the year-to-year variability, it should be noted that longer term (e. g. , multi-decadal to centennial-scale and beyond) is also imprinted in tree-ring data. Such long-term variability is, however, more challenging to partition from age/size trends as we will see below. The climate signals tend to be common amongst trees at a site, as well as sites within broader regions (on the scale of hundreds of kilometers) provided similarities in the underlying ecological and climatic conditions (Fritts 1976; Schweingruber et al. 1979). [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by elaborating on the complexities of tree-ring data, including the influences of climate signals and other factors that contribute to tree-ring parameters. It suggests that tree rings can indeed reflect variations due to environmental conditions, which would include disturbances such as volcanic activity. This indicates that dismissing tree rings as a source of information for studying past environmental events is overly simplistic and not supported by the nuances presented in dendrochronological research.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate? all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility? the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results? Interests: No competing interests were disclosed. Reviewer Expertise: Stem cell I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to state that I do not consider it to be of an acceptable scientific standard, for reasons outlined above. . For: Effect of Aloe vera extract in post-burn skin repair in rats [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 not approved]. F1000Research 2022, 11:168 ( The direct URL for this report is: The direct URL for this report is: The manuscript by Pane presents the intervening Effect of Aloe vera extract in post-burn skin repair in rats. In general, I find this manuscript to make an important contribution in developing palatable and superior bioactive compounds in Aloe. . . Continue reading manuscript by Pane presents the intervening Effect of Aloe vera extract in post-burn skin repair in rats. In general, I find this manuscript to make an important contribution in developing palatable and superior bioactive compounds in Aloe vera containing various active ingredients that help the wound healing process, such as glucomannan and acemannan. However, I have outlined below some of the issues that need to be addressed prior to indexing, and some minor comments and suggestions to further improve the quality of the manuscript. the abstract and introduction, the author states that one of the objectives of this study is to improve post-burn skin with the intervention of Aloe vera extract. However, histopathological description of the healing process of burns is not presented and discussed. The method part is not clear. It is not clear the analytical method for macrophage and fibroblast counts and the analytical formula is not specified, the authors need to explain it. Please clarify and make changes to the methods section as appropriate. In the discussion section, it is not explained how this study shows a synergistic interaction between changes that occur on days 3, 14 and 21 and between a number of macrophages and fibroblasts in figures 1, 2 and 3 with no visible histopathologic changes. It's better to call it the calculation score. the method section, how much Aloe vera contains? [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim as it does not provide any historical context or evidence regarding the use of Aloe vera for skin ailments. Instead, the text discusses a specific study focused on the effect of Aloe vera extract on post-burn skin repair in rats, without indicating any long-standing usage in historical or traditional medicine for skin issues.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: ceranae-fipronil combination absorbed a similar daily quantity of fipronil of 1/209th (19. 9±5. 1 pg/day/bee) and 1/201th of the LD50 (20. 7±6. 9 pg/day/bee) respectively (LD50 of 4. 17 ng/bee [46]). Although these doses were much lower than the molecule LD50, the fipronil treatment could not be considered as sublethal in this study as it induced a significant increase in honeybee mortality. Identification of differentially expressed genes. The midgut transcriptome modifications induced by parasitism and exposition to insecticide, acting alone or in combination, were determined 1 and 7 days after the treatments’ initiation by whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq). A total of 16 RNA-Seq libraries were generated with 2 libraries for each experimental group. The number of sequence reads that mapped the honeybee genome varied between 10,000,000 and 27,000,000 per library, except for one replicate collected at day 7 in the group of honeybees co-exposed to N. ceranae and fipronil where only 14. 2% of the reads (3,961,114 reads) matched the genome. This sample contained a high amount of Varroa destructor virus sequences and was discarded from further analyses. Overall, 10,061 honeybee genes have been detected in either library (Table S2). package DESeq [44] was used to normalize data and perform all possible pairwise comparisons to determine the differentially expressed genes between experimental groups. In order to validate the RNA-Seq data, 8 genes showing differential expression in at least two pairwise comparisons were selected. qRT-PCR assays on these genes confirmed both the direction and the magnitude of changes (Spearman rank correlation ρ = 0. 722, n = 72, p<0. 001) (Figure S1). A PCA was performed on normalized data corresponding to a set of 3001 genes showing an adjusted p-value <0. 1 in at least one pairwise comparison in the whole data (Figure 2). The first (70. 5%) and second (5. 1%) components represent most of the differential expression pattern with a cumulative proportion of 75. 6%. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the effects of the parasite, Nosema ceranae, on honeybee health. It highlights the significance of gene expression changes in honeybees exposed to both N. ceranae and fipronil, indicating that parasitism affects the bees' physiological condition, which is a direct reference to the health implications of N. ceranae as a parasite.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: 3) Endogenous Disturbance. Periodic disturbances to some trees at a given site due to tree or stand internal factors are also observed in tree-ring data. A classic example of an endogenous disturbance is related to gap phase dynamics in closed canopy forests. Here, growth pulses can be often observed in remaining trees following the removal (natural or anthropogenic) of nearby tree(s), especially if the tree(s) removed had a dominant canopy position and/or competed for moisture (Giuggiola et al. 2016). Provided the sampling covers a sufficiently large spatial scale relative to the size of the local disturbances, only some trees in a site will show responses to such disturbances. Endogenous disturbances may be the primary subject of dendroecological investigations (Pederson et al. 2014). Whereas for investigations where such disturbances are “noise”, their impact on tree-ring time series can be mitigated by a sufficiently large sample size collected from trees distributed over sufficiently large spatial areas, as well as statistical techniques (e. g. , Analyses or robust means) that can serve to extract signals common to all trees in a stand (Peters et al. 1981). 4) Exogenous Disturbance. Period disturbances affecting, most if not all trees in a stand, such as large-scale insect infestations, massive windthrow events, or fires are also evident in tree-ring data. Again, exogenous disturbances may be the primary topic of dendrochronological investigations. Both for applications aiming to retain or mitigate exogenous disturbance impacts, assessment of multiple sites across broader regions, different species (e. g. , host versus non-host for reconstruction) as well as analytical techniques for disturbance detection and/or signal extraction are of value (Swetnam and Lynch 1989). 5) Error/Noise. The noise term of this model can be thought to include any variability not accounted for by the first four factors and is presumed to be uncorrelated amongst trees in a stand. Yet, clearly given the conceptual nature of the linear aggregate model, the “error” term in the originally conceived model may inherently including meaningful and scientifically understandable and interesting components such as genetic variation (King et al. 2013b; Housset et al. 2018). Mixed effects models build on the basic principles of the linear aggregate model. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing how tree-ring data can be used to observe both endogenous and exogenous disturbances. It explicitly states that disturbances impacting trees can be evident in tree-ring data and can be the primary topic of dendrochronological investigations. This suggests that tree rings are indeed a valuable resource for studying past environmental disturbances.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: Explain the total solids content of the gel material used in the study. In the results section, a description of the histopathological picture is explained in relation to the analysis results from figures 1,2 and 3. It would be easier to explain in the discussion section. In the discussion section, please explain clearly the bioactive compounds contained in Aloe vera other than glucomannan and acemannan. Are there other active ingredients? What do the authors mean treatment days 14 and 21? Describe the histopathological picture with figures 1,2 and 3. In the introduction and abstract, Aloe vera intervention changes macrophages, fibroblasts and increases bioactive compounds and their potential for healing functional burns. The conclusion states that it is a potential pharmaceutical product. Please be consistent. Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature? the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound? sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others? applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate? all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility? the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results? Interests: No competing interests were disclosed. Reviewer Expertise: Physiology human, exercise, and much research-related use plants as herbal medicine I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however I have significant reservations, as outlined above. . For: Effect of Aloe vera extract in post-burn skin repair in rats [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 not approved]. F1000Research 2022, 11:168 ( The direct URL for this report is: We used the ANOVA test because in this study we used more than two groups with parametric data types We have presented and correlated the changes that occur on days 3,14,21 in macrophages and fibroblasts that could be seen in Figures 1 and 2 and had been discussed in the discussion section. Minor: Aloe vera contained 10% of the total weight of the gel (see gel preparation) In journal writing, repetition of words should be avoided, therefore we chose to explain in detail the number and comparison between groups in the results section. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant (pass) to the claim because it discusses specific details about a scientific study involving Aloe vera, its bioactive compounds, and its applications in post-burn skin repair in rats, without mentioning historical uses or traditional applications for skin ailments.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: This analysis revealed a clear segregation between samples collected at day 1 and those collected at day 7. The PCA plot also showed that samples collected at day 1 were all gathered together, while those collected at day 7 were segregated in a treatment-dependent way, possibly more strongly upon parasite infection. Therefore, honeybee ageing might have highly influenced gene expression in our experiment but exposure to parasite and/or insecticide might also have influenced it 7 days after treatment initiation. Indeed, pairwise comparisons performed on samples collected on day 1 only resulted in 17 genes whose expression was significantly modified between two experimental groups (i. e. showing at least one adjusted p-value <0. 1 among all pairwise comparisons), while expression profiles were more affected on day 7 with 104 genes whose expression was affected. Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageFigure 2. Principal component analysis of RNA-Seq data. Gene expression changes were investigated at day 1 (circles) or 7 (squares) in honeybees exposed to no treatment (blue), N. ceranae (red), fipronil (green), or a N. ceranae-fipronil combination (pink). The PCA was performed using normalized RNA-Seq data of a set of 3001 genes showing an adjusted p-value <0. 1 in at least one pairwise comparison. Honeybee genes responding to Nosema infection and fipronil intoxication. In order to determine which genes were involved in honeybee response to N. ceranae and/or exposure to fipronil, we focused on pairwise comparisons performed between treated groups and controls at the same day. Overall, we found 71 genes whose expression is significantly modified in response to at least one of the treatments 1 or 7 days after the experiment initiation (Table 1). The honeybee response to treatments is particularly low 1 day after treatment initiation, with only 10 genes whose expression is significantly modified, compared to the 63 genes detected from data collected on day 7. Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageTable 1. Honeybee genes whose expression is significantly modified in response to at least one treatment (N. ceranae infection, chronic exposure to fipronil or a combination of both stressors) compared to the untreated control, 1 or 7 days after the experiment initiation. infection by N. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by detailing the response of honeybee genes to N. ceranae infection. It discusses how gene expression is significantly modified in response to the parasite and highlights that the honeybee response is particularly noted in relation to N. ceranae infections. The association between N. ceranae and changes in gene expression directly supports the idea that this parasite impacts honeybee health and productivity.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: Yet importantly also allow for interactions and a non-independence of the factors (Klesse et al. 2020) with examples including a differential effect of climate on younger versus older trees, or compounded effects of drought induced stress and disturbance from insects on tree-ring width. Fig. 2. 3Illustration of the linear aggregate model. a Schematic example using fictitious data showing how an observed time-series can be decomposed as the sum of the age/size trend, climate induced variation, endogenous and exogenous disturbances, and some error term. The interannual variance of the climate term was decreased with increasing tree-age to represent the often observed decreased inter-annual variation in ring-widths as trees grow and distribute biomass around an ever increasing circumference. Note that the long-term trend in the climate term would be difficult to empirically partition from the age/size trend in a single observational time-series. b Examples of three time-series of tree-ring measurements scaled to have the same vertical range and aligned by innermost measurement which is assumed to represent a biological/cambial age (years since pith) of 1. The series are a Pinus ponderosa from New Mexico, USA (pink; Dean and Robinson 1986), Quercus douglasii from California, USA (orange; Stahle et al. 2012, 2013); USA, and Pinus sylvestris from higher latitudes in Sweden (green; Esper et al. 2012). The stronger multi-decadal variability evident in the high latitude site from Sweden is consistent with the temperature variations in this region. ponderosa is a classic example for a negative exponential age/size trend as well as heteroscedasticityFull size image4. 2 Detrending and StandardizationWhile each of the terms in the linear aggregate model could receive its own 2. 4. 3. When aggregating multiple trees into a tree-ring chronology, it is often scientifically favorable to eliminate (to the maximum extent possible) the variation due to the age/size of a tree AND simultaneously retain all (to the maximum extent possible) variation from other factors of interest, say, climate. Moreover, differences in the absolute values of tree-ring measurements, say from a faster versus slower growing tree, or from one with lower versus higher 13C values, when developing a tree-ring chronology, also must be considered. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing the various factors, including climate and disturbances, that influence tree-ring width. It mentions how tree rings can reflect environmental changes, such as climate variations and disturbances from insects. This indicates that tree rings are indeed a valuable source of information for studying past environmental disturbances.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: While in the discussion section we explained the comparison of our findings with other studies Aloe vera has active ingredients other than acemannan and glucomannan, but based on the literature that we read, it proved that they could play a role in burn repair. We did not state that aloe vera can be used as a pharmaceutical product in the conclusion section (see part conclusion). We only stated that aloe vera could accelerate the healing process as proven by this study. Gusbakti Rusip, I really appreciate your willingness to review my manuscript. explain more information to improve understanding in this 10. 6084/m9. figshare. 17194973. v1) We used the ANOVA test because in this study we used more than two groups with parametric data types We have presented and correlated the changes that occur on days 3,14,21 in macrophages and fibroblasts that could be seen in Figures 1 and 2 and had been discussed in the discussion section. Minor: Aloe vera contained 10% of the total weight of the gel (see gel preparation) In journal writing, repetition of words should be avoided, therefore we chose to explain in detail the number and comparison between groups in the results section. While in the discussion section we explained the comparison of our findings with other studies Aloe vera has active ingredients other than acemannan and glucomannan, but based on the literature that we read, it proved that they could play a role in burn repair. We did not state that aloe vera can be used as a pharmaceutical product in the conclusion section (see part conclusion). We only stated that aloe vera could accelerate the healing process as proven by this study. Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed. a concern Respond or 10 Mar 2022 Pane, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Utara, Medan, 20155, Indonesia 10 Mar 2022 really appreciate your willingness to review my manuscript. explain more information to improve understanding in this 10. 6084/m9. figshare. 17194973. v1) We used the ANOVA test because in this study we used more than two groups with parametric data types We have presented and correlated the changes that occur on days 3,14,21 in macrophages and fibroblasts that could be seen in Figures 1 and 2 and had been discussed in the discussion section. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not directly address the claim about aloe vera's historical use for treating skin ailments. Instead, it discusses scientific findings regarding aloe vera's active ingredients and their role in burn repair, without referencing its historical usage. Thus, it is considered irrelevant to the claim.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: ceranae induced various gene expression changes on day 7 compared to control (Table 1). N. ceranae led to a significant overexpression of the genes encoding the histones H3-like (Gene ID 725272) and H4 (Gene ID 406132). The expression levels of the serine proteases encoding genes SP40 (Gene ID 409626) and SP22 (Gene ID 413645) were significantly decreased in the N. ceranae and N. ceranae-fipronil treatments for the former, and to the N. ceranae-fipronil treatment only for the latter. Several genes involved in chitin metabolism and cuticle coatings, that constitute an important barrier defence in honeybees, were activated in experimental groups: the chitinase 5 encoding gene (Gene ID 551600) in response to N. ceranae and N. ceranae-fipronil combination, and the genes encoding the cuticular proteins 17 (Gene ID 724556) and 28 (Gene ID 412202) in response to the N. ceranae-fipronil combination only. Additionally, parasitism decreased the expression of genes related to carbohydrates metabolism. The expression of the genes encoding the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (Gene ID 412843) and the facilitated trehalose transporter Tret1-like (Gene ID 412007) was reduced in bees exposed to N. ceranae and to the N. ceranae-fipronil combination respectively. Some treatments affected the expression of genes involved in amino acid metabolism and transport. The transcript amounts were higher for the B(0,+)-type amino acid transporter 1-like (Gene ID 409932) and the fumarylacetoacetase (Gene ID 552210) encoding genes in response to N. ceranae, and for the vesicular glutamate transporter 2-like encoding gene (Gene ID 412220) in response to fipronil and to N. ceranae-fipronil. In contrast, an inhibition of expression was observed for the dopa decarboxylase encoding gene (Gene ID 410638) in response to N. ceranae, and for the proton-coupled amino acid transporter 4-like encoding gene (Gene ID 413117) in response to fipronil alone. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by detailing the effects of N. ceranae on gene expression in honeybees. It mentions changes in gene expressions related to various metabolic processes, indicating that N. ceranae is indeed affecting honeybee health. Specifically, it discusses the significant overexpression and underexpression of genes associated with important physiological functions, which supports the assertion that N. ceranae impacts bee health and productivity.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: Tree-ring detrending and standardization is the process by which time-series are handled, often sensu the linear aggregate model, to estimate and remove the age/size related trends and standardize tree-ring data into dimensionless indices (Fritts 1976; Jacoby and D’Arrigo 1989; Cook and Kairiukstis 1990; Cook and Krusic 2005; Melvin and Briffa 2008; Briffa et al. 2013). There are two major categories of techniques to perform tree ring detrending, namely, those in which detrending curve is based upon (i) the individual tree-ring time series, or alternatively, (ii) a sample/population estimate of the age/size function. Most, if not all, of the earlier studies in dendrochronology relied on estimating the age/size trend on an individual, series-by-series, basis using deterministic (e. g. , linear regression or negative exponential) curves that can be expressed as a simple equation, or alternatively, stochastic methods (e. g. , moving averages, cubic smoothing splines, etc. ) that are adapted to the data. Removal of the age/size trend is then typically achieved by dividing the observed (i. e. , the tree-ring measurements) by the estimated (i. e. , either the deterministically or stochastically fit curve) resulting in dimensionless tree-ring indices. Individual detrending may be performed with “conservative” methods (e. g. , linear regression or negative exponential curves) that attempt to retain longer-term climate information (e. g. , Jacoby and D’Arrigo 1989) or alternatively flexible curves that primary retain inter-annual to decadal-scale variability as is desirable for crossdating (e. g. , Holmes 1983). In addition to removing age/size related trends, detrending by division (i. e. , ratios) has the benefit of mitigating the commonly occurring heteroscedastic relationships in tree-ring width data namely the often observed relationship between the local variance and mean (or spread versus level). Dividing the tree-ring measurements by the growth curve results in a local normalization of variance structure along the tree-ring series (see Fig. 2. 4). For maximum latewood density data (e. g. , Helama et al. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by detailing the methods of tree-ring detrending and standardization, which are essential techniques in dendrochronology used to analyze tree-ring data for various environmental factors, including volcanic activity. By discussing how tree-ring indices are created and the significance of removing age/size-related trends to retain climate information, the text supports the idea that tree rings are indeed useful for studying past environmental disturbances.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: Minor: Aloe vera contained 10% of the total weight of the gel (see gel preparation) In journal writing, repetition of words should be avoided, therefore we chose to explain in detail the number and comparison between groups in the results section. While in the discussion section we explained the comparison of our findings with other studies Aloe vera has active ingredients other than acemannan and glucomannan, but based on the literature that we read, it proved that they could play a role in burn repair. We did not state that aloe vera can be used as a pharmaceutical product in the conclusion section (see part conclusion). We only stated that aloe vera could accelerate the healing process as proven by this study. Gusbakti Rusip, I really appreciate your willingness to review my manuscript. explain more information to improve understanding in this 10. 6084/m9. figshare. 17194973. v1) We used the ANOVA test because in this study we used more than two groups with parametric data types We have presented and correlated the changes that occur on days 3,14,21 in macrophages and fibroblasts that could be seen in Figures 1 and 2 and had been discussed in the discussion section. Minor: Aloe vera contained 10% of the total weight of the gel (see gel preparation) In journal writing, repetition of words should be avoided, therefore we chose to explain in detail the number and comparison between groups in the results section. While in the discussion section we explained the comparison of our findings with other studies Aloe vera has active ingredients other than acemannan and glucomannan, but based on the literature that we read, it proved that they could play a role in burn repair. We did not state that aloe vera can be used as a pharmaceutical product in the conclusion section (see part conclusion). We only stated that aloe vera could accelerate the healing process as proven by this study. Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed. a concern on this 1. In the method section, the authors mentioned that they divided the rats into 3 groups, group 1 without treatment, group 2 with gel base and group 3 with gel. Why did they name group 1 as standard group? What do they mean by "standard"? [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not address the historical use of aloe vera for treating skin ailments. Instead, it discusses the composition of aloe vera gel and its potential role in burn repair based on a study, without confirming its historical applications or traditional uses for skin problems. Thus, the text is irrelevant to the claim.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: Fipronil also led to the overexpression of two genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, encoding an inositol-3-phosphate synthase (Gene ID 551143) and an inositol oxygenase-like (Gene ID 408650). Honeybees exposed to fipronil alone also showed a significant decrease in the expression of two genes encoding transcriptional factors: the homeobox protein Nkx-2. 5-like (Gene ID 725671) and the POU domain, class 2, transcription factor 3-like (Gene ID 727092). of in Response to N. ceranae, Fipronil and Imidacloprid (Exp. 2) Survival analysis. In this experiment, newly emerged honeybees were exposed to (i) no treatment, (ii) N. ceranae (125,000 sp/bee), (iii) chronic exposure to fipronil (2 μg/L), (iv) chronic exposure to imidacloprid (2 μg/L), (v) N. ceranae-fipronil combination or (vi) N. ceranae-imidacloprid combination. Survival analysis showed a general pattern which is quite similar to the one observed in Exp. 1 (Fig. S2). Briefly, all parasite and/or insecticide treatments, except for the imidacloprid treatment (p = 0. 079), led to a significant decrease (p≤0. 001) in honeybee survival compared to control. Moreover, mortality rates induced by N. ceranae-fipronil and N. ceranae-imidacloprid combinations were the highest (69% and 70% respectively after 12 days) and were significantly (p≤0. 001) higher than the parasite or insecticide treatments applied alone. However, neither N. ceranae-fipronil nor N. ceranae-imidacloprid combination led to a synergistic effect on host mortality. Regarding exposure to fipronil, honeybees treated with fipronil alone (46. 1±17. 7 ng/day/bee, LD50/90) and honeybees exposed to the N. ceranae-fipronil combination (43. 1±12. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing Nosema ceranae as a treatment condition in an experiment involving honeybees. It indicates that exposure to N. ceranae, combined with insecticides, significantly decreases honeybee survival rates, thereby highlighting its detrimental effect on honeybee health and productivity.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: 2008), and likely also stable isotope data (Büntgen et al. 2020), where such heteroscedasticity is clearly weaker, detrending can be performed by subtracting the modeled aged trend from the tree-ring measurements (e. g. , Cook and Peters 1997). Importantly, this detrending, also standardizes tree-ring series to eliminate influences from difference in absolute growth rates (or isotope discrimination) in a tree-ring chronology as all tree-ring data are now in dimensionless indices with a mean of approximately unity. Fig. 2. 4Schematic illustration of potential challenges in identification of growth trends in tree-ring data with e. g. , implications for assessment of CO2 fertilization effects. The top panel shows a fictitious example of tree-ring width data (blue) with an age/size related trend. Examples of methods applied in the literature to assess growth changes including (i) no detrending (note this method appears useful for the last millennia of multi-millennial tree-ring series where strong conclusions are able to be drawn if an increase in tree-ring width is observed; Salzer et al. 2009), (ii) flexible detrending, (iii) conservative detrending (see also Peters et al. 2015) also with some degree of end-fitting artifacts (see Cook and Peters 1997) are shown. The manner in which these illustrative tree-ring data have been handled impacts potential conclusions on growth trends. This example aims to illustrate the relevance of careful assessments of potential age/size related trends in analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. Note, dividing the tree-ring data with fit curves results in a homoscedastic tree-ring indices in the lower two panelsFull size imageThree well-recognized pitfalls exist with individual detrending. Firstly, it is not possible to confidently differentiate age/size related trends from other signals of interest such as climate (but see “signal free” detrending discussion below). Secondly, variability on time-scales longer than the individual tree-ring measurement series cannot be retained—the so-called “Curse” (Cook et al. 1995)—which is especially problematic for investigations that build multi-centennial or millennial length records from shorter, overlapping, crossdated series. Lastly, biases in the tree-ring indices might be created when the estimated curve approaches values close to zero (Cook et al. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing how tree-ring data can be analyzed to understand growth trends and to eliminate influences from various factors, implying that tree rings indeed provide valuable information that could potentially relate to environmental disturbances. The passage mentions challenges in differentiating trends in tree-ring data, and although it discusses various detrending techniques, it suggests that tree rings hold important signals of interest, which counters the claim that they cannot be used to study past environmental phenomena.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: Answer: Naming group 1 as the standard group because group I is a group consisting of normal rat samples without being given burns or treatment only as a comparison to normal skin histology. This research is a true experimental study which has a control variable and the sample is randomly selected. At the beginning of the study we divided 54 rats into 3 large groups (group-I, II and III) with 3 small groups in them (day 3, 14 and 21) of each group @ 6 rats, namely: consisted of 18 rats divided into 3 small groups of 6 rats each. This group will be executed and their skin tissue will be taken on day-3, day-14 and day-21. The skin tissue taken was then examined histopathologically and used as a control skin of rats without being treated for BURN. Therefore we call as the "". Group II consisted of 18 rats divided into 3 small groups of 6 rats each which were treated with on the back of each rat, and every day they were smeared with gel base (gel without active substance) to see how the burn wound healed physiologically. We named this Group II the "" because it was not given any treatment. Whereas group III consisted of 18 rats divided into 3 small groups of 6 rats each which were treated with BURNS on the back of each rat, and smeared with Aloe vera gel (a gel with the active ingredient Aloe vera herb) every day to see how the process is progressed to healing burns with Aloe vera treatment. We call this Group III the "" because they were given the Aloe vera gel treatment. 2. This study lacks visual observation with a camera and the authors do not show a picture of the appearance of the wound and wound repair. This is a major concern and needs to be addressed. Answer: 6 in the new version. 3. The conclusion is a bold statement. What's the next step? Answer: See the conclusion in the new version. 4. What are the limitations of the study? Answer: Application of gel to burns in rats that cannot be controlled because rats can lick/clean it even though it has been prepared by making burns on the rat's back which is difficult for them to reach compared to the stomach, legs and other areas. The rat rubbed the wound so that the application of Aloe vera gel became less/ineffective. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim regarding the historical use of Aloe vera for skin ailments. Instead, it describes an experimental study involving rats treated with Aloe vera gel to observe the healing of burns, but does not address the claim that Aloe vera has been traditionally used for skin treatment over centuries.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: 2 ng/day/bee, LD50/97) consumed similar daily quantities of insecticide. Like in Exp. 1, fipronil doses received by honeybees in both experimental groups cannot be considered as sublethal. Honeybees exposed to imidacloprid also consumed similar daily quantities of insecticide, whether they were infected by N. ceranae (42. 2±13. 5 ng/day/bee, LD50/664) or not (45. 1±17. 6 ng/day/bee, LD50/621). As the mortality rate of honeybees treated with imidacloprid alone was not significantly different from the one measured in control bees, the imidacloprid dose received by individuals could be considered as sublethal. Determination of differentially expressed genes by quantitative RT-PCR. Twenty four honeybee genes have been selected as potential expression markers for parasitism or exposure to insecticide. Among those, sixteen genes are involved in functions, such as immunity, detoxification and antioxidant reactions, that are activated in response to environmental stressors in honeybees. As an example, it has been shown that the expression of the genes encoding the hymenoptaecin and defensin 1 antimicrobial peptides (Gene ID 406142 and 406143) and the glucose dehydrogenase (Gene ID 551044) is significantly decreased several days after N. ceranae infection [8], [9]. Six genes showing differential expression in our RNA-Seq experiment have also been selected. The transcript levels of the 24 selected genes were determined for each experimental condition from four pools of five midguts 7 and 11 days after treatment initiation. Six and eight genes were significantly differentially expressed in at least one experimental group compared to control in samples collected at days 7 and 11 respectively (Table 2). Download: PPTPowerPoint slidePNGlarger imageTIFForiginal imageTable 2. Expression levels of 24 honeybee genes in response to various stressors, alone or in combination, 7 or 11 days after experiment initiation (d. a. i). genes thought to be involved in immunity were downregulated in response to several treatments. The gene encoding the serine protease 40 (Gene ID 409626) was downregulated at day 7 in honeybees infected by N. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the impact of Nosema ceranae infection on honeybee gene expression, specifically noting that the expression of certain genes related to immunity is significantly decreased following infection with N. ceranae. This directly supports the assertion that N. ceranae affects honeybee health.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: 1997). The recognition of these pitfalls, and especially the first two, challenges has driven continued innovations in detrending methods—particularly when long-term (e. g. , centennial-scale and beyond) information is sought (e. g. , Briffa et al. 2013). The second category of established methods to remove the age/size related trends, and one in a manner that can preserve low-frequency variability and break the “Curse”, is the so-called “Standardization” method (RCS; Briffa et al. 1992; Cook et al. 1995; Esper et al. 2003; D’Arrigo et al. 2006; Helama et al. 2017). The RCS method allows retention of low-frequency signals by detrending all series with the same regional growth curve. Detrended series are thus not constrained to a mean of unity. Rather, they can “float above” or “sink below” the regional mean to capture periods of above or below average growth on time-scales longer than individual trees’ lifespans. In RCS, a population estimate, the so-called regional curve, for the age-related trend is estimated based upon all tree-ring data at a site. Operationally, the regional curve is estimated by aligning all tree-ring series by their cambial age (i. e. , first ring after the pith is a cambial age of 1) and averaging the age-aligned data together. In cases where the tree-core (or cross-section) does not include the pith, the number of years to the pith can (and should) be estimated (see Pirie et al. 2015 for a review). Methods for RCS employed in the (Cook and Krusic 2005) and dplR (Bunn 2008; Bunn et al. 2020) frameworks both allow the inclusion of pith-offset information. The detrended tree-ring data are then derived by removing (usually by ratios for tree-ring width data) the regional curve from all measured tree-ring series. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing how detrending methods like the Regional Curve Standardization (RCS) allow for the retention of low-frequency variability in tree-ring data. This indicates that tree rings can capture long-term growth patterns, which can be influenced by environmental disturbances, including volcanic activity, thereby suggesting their relevance in studying such events.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: The limited time of this research makes this research must be completed within the specified time. View more View less No competing interests were disclosed. reply a concern keyboard_arrow_left Back to all reports 0 Views copyright © 2022 Rusip G. This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 01 Aug 2022 | for Version 2 Gusbakti Rusip, Department of Physiology, Faculty of 0 Views copyright © 2022 Rusip G. This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. format_quote Cite this report speaker_notes Responses(0) Approved info_outline Alongside their report, reviewers assign a status to the 3. It would be easier to explain in the discussion section. In the discussion section, please explain clearly the bioactive compounds contained in Aloe vera other than glucomannan and acemannan. Are there other active ingredients? What do the authors mean treatment days 14 and 21? Describe the histopathological picture with figures 1,2 and 3. In the introduction and abstract, Aloe vera intervention changes macrophages, fibroblasts and increases bioactive compounds and their potential for healing functional burns. The conclusion states that it is a potential pharmaceutical product. Please be consistent. Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature? the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound? sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others? applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate? all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility? the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results? competing interests were disclosed. Physiology human, exercise, and much research-related use plants as herbal medicine I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however I have significant reservations, as outlined above. replyRespond to this report Responses (1) 10 Mar 2022 Pane, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Utara, Medan, 20155, really appreciate your willingness to review my manuscript. explain more information to improve understanding in this 10. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text provided does not address the claim directly and lacks any specific information regarding the traditional usage of Aloe vera for skin ailments. Instead, the text seems to focus on research protocols and the scientific evaluation of Aloe vera’s bioactive compounds without referencing its historical usage or treatment efficacy.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: ceranae, whatever they were exposed to one insecticide or not, and at day 11 in individuals exposed to the combination N. ceranae-imidacloprid. The lysozyme 1 encoding gene (Gene ID 725110) was downregulated at day 11 in honeybees exposed to fipronil or imidacloprid alone and in honeybees exposed to N. ceranae-fipronil. The expression of the antimicrobial peptide hymenoptaecin encoding gene (Gene ID 406142) was significantly inhibited at day 11 in response to N. ceranae or fipronil, but not to the N. ceranae-fipronil combination. In contrast, it was significantly lower in response to the N. ceranae-imidacloprid treatment at the same day. At last, honeybees exposed to the N. ceranae-fipronil combination showed a decrease in the expression of the gene encoding the glucose dehydrogenase 2 (Gene ID 551044) at day 7. Other functional groups seemed affected by the applied treatments. Eleven days after the experiment initiation, honeybees infected by N. ceranae showed a strong decrease in the expression of a catalase encoding gene (Gene ID 443552), which might be involved in antioxidant reactions and in xenobiotic detoxification. Two genes related to carbohydrate metabolism were significantly downregulated in our experiment: the trehalase encoding gene (Gene ID 410484) in response to N. ceranae at day 11 and to N. ceranae-fipronil combination at days 7 and 11, and the GMC oxidoreductase 3 encoding gene (Gene ID 410747) in response to all treatments but imidacloprid alone at day 7 and to N. ceranae-imidacloprid combination at day 11. The expression of the transcription factor Lim3 homeobox (Gene ID 410658) was significantly downregulated at day 7 in all experimental groups compared to control, and at day 11 in honeybees infected by N. ceranae, whether they were exposed to insecticides or not. Honeybees exposed to fipronil or imidacloprid or N. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by detailing the effects of N. ceranae on honeybee health, specifically mentioning a decrease in the expression of various genes related to health and metabolism in honeybees infected by N. ceranae. It discusses the impact of N. ceranae on gene expression associated with honeybee antioxidant reactions and detoxification, which directly supports the assertion that N. ceranae is affecting honeybee health and productivity.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: RCS application ideally is performed on tree-ring records (1) with a diverse range of start (pith) and end dates (outermost ring), (2) that are very highly replicated with many individual samples, and (3) from a homogeneous well defined ecological setting where all trees are expected to have similar growth rates and ontogenetic trends (e. g. , Esper et al. 2012; Briffa et al. 2013). The first point is important because this helps mitigate the impact of temporally aligned events (such as climatic fluctuations or ecological disturbances) in the calendrically dated tree-ring data from impacting the shape of the regional curve. Secondly, composite datasets comprised of overlapping crossdated sequences for the past millennia from a single, well constrained ecological setting appear ideal for the application of RCS as a single regional curve could theoretically be used (Briffa et al. 2013). Well-replicated datasets are especially critical as the tree-ring indices are not constrained to a mean of one. On one hand, the differences in growth rates that are standardized in individual detrending add noise and greater uncertainty about the mean (e. g. , D’Arrigo et al. 2006; Melvin and Briffa 2014b). But on the other hand, the subtle differences in mean growth rates of cohorts of trees that lived at different times is precisely the low-frequency signal that can be retained with RCS (D’Arrigo et al. 2006). And lastly, a homogenous ecological setting is crucial to ensure both uniformity in the underlying climate signal as well as growth rates. This criterion is difficult to ensure, but assessments of the growth rates of different cohorts over time might suggest homogeneity. In cases where there is reason to doubt the homogeneity of a dataset, it is feasible to develop and apply regional curves for distinct dataset subsets, e. g. , the modern and ancient portions of a tree-ring chronology. Detrending via multiple RCS cohorts should be performed in situations where sampling differences, site difference, or anthropogenic disturbances (e. g. , forest management regimes, responses to elevated CO2 or nitrogen concentrations) may significantly compromise the homogeneity of the dataset over time. Such approaches have the advantage of reducing potential biases in the final chronology, but at the same time make it more difficult to retain long-term variability of interest (Briffa et al. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by outlining the processes and methodologies involved in using tree-ring data to study past climatic disturbances, including events that could be tied to volcanic activity. It discusses how RCS (Regional Curve Standardization) is applied to tree rings in environments affected by climatic fluctuations or ecological disturbances, which indicate that tree rings can provide valuable historical insights into such events, thereby rebutting the assertion that tree rings cannot be used for such studies.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: 875 ≈ 3 rat/groupConsidering the NC3Rs principal in experimental animal, statistical analysis necessity, and the possibility of drop out, the number of rats per group were determined to be six. All 54 rats were given a number (1–54) using a marker pen, then randomized by putting the numbers in an envelope and dividing them into 9 groups, according to the numbers taken from the envelope (Russell and Burch, 1992). Wound inflictionTo ensure that the rats remain in a comfortable condition, they were given anesthesia before performing the burn. The animals were anesthetized with Ketamine/Xylazine 0. 2 mL by intraperitoneal injection (in accordance with the provisions of Research). The hair at dorsal region was shaved and cleansed with alcohol swab. Second-degree burn wound was inflicted using iron plate measuring 2×2 cm2 which was warmed in boiling water for 5 minutes and placed for 30 seconds on the shaved area (Kristyaningsih, 2016). Aloe vera extractAbout 2000 g of Aloe vera leaves were collected. The bottom part and the serrated edges of Aloe vera leaves were cut and peeled to obtain the inner clear gel. About 1000 g of inner gel was weighed and washed thoroughly and cut it into small pieces. Then, the small pieces of gel and 2000 mL 70% ethanol was blended and poured into a closed container (stirred occasionally for 6 hours, then set aside for 18 hours). This mixture was then filtered to obtain the filtrate (I). The extraction process was repeated on the residue using 1000 mL 70% ethanol to obtain another filtrate (II). The filtrate (I) and (II) were mixed and evaporated using a vacuum rotary evaporator (GmbH & Co. KG, Germany) at 400C to obtain a thick extract. Gel preparation• Gel baseAbout 400 cc of distilled water was taken into the mortar, then 12 g of 3% Sodium-Carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC) powder was evenly added. It was closed and set it aside for 15 minutes. After which it was ground and 4 g of 1% glycerin was added until a homogeneous gel base was formed. • Aloe vera gelPut 40 g of Aloe vera extract into the mortar then add 360 g of gel base gradually while grinding it until homogeneous. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim because it describes a method for extracting Aloe vera gel and the experimental setup for a study involving rats, but does not provide any historical context or evidence regarding the use of Aloe vera for treating skin ailments.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: ceranae-imidacloprid showed a significant decrease in the expression of a gene encoding a vanin 1-like protein (Gene ID 724312). Vanin is an enzyme with pantetheinase activity that is suspected to have antiparasitic properties against Plasmodium in mice [47]. Finally, the only gene overexpressed in our experiment was the chitinase 5 encoding gene (Gene ID 551600) whose expression was significantly increased at day 7 in honeybees infected by N. ceranae. Quantitative RT-PCR and RNA-Seq correlation. Gene expression profiles collected at day 7 from experimental groups exposed to no treatment, N. ceranae and fipronil, applied alone or in combination, were compared to RNA-Seq data (Figure S3). A strong correlation was found between Exp. 1 and Exp. 2 (Spearman rank correlation ρ = 0. 84, n = 92, p<0. 001). Among the six genes showing differential expression in RNA-Seq data and chosen for qPCR analysis, four showed positively correlated expression in Exp. 2, while none showed divergent expression. More precisely, honeybees treated with N. ceranae alone or with the N. ceranae-fipronil combination showed in both experiments a higher expression of the chitinase 5 encoding gene (Gene ID 551600) and a lower expression of the SP 40 (Gene ID 409626) and Lim3 homeobox (Gene ID 410658) encoding genes. The latter was also repressed by fipronil in the two experiments. Similarly, a significant decrease in the expression of the trehalase encoding gene (Gene ID 410484) was observed in response to the N. ceranae-fipronil combination in both experiments. Overall, the similar survival and gene expression profiles obtained from the two distinct experiments, using different analytical methods (RNA-Seq and qPCR) and different fipronil concentrations (1. 3 and 2 μg/L), showed that the stresses applied induced a reproductible response. DiscussionNewly emerged honeybees were exposed to N. ceranae-infection or chronic exposure to an insecticide (fipronil or imidacloprid) or a combination of both parasite and insecticide. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by noting the effects of N. ceranae on honeybees, specifically mentioning that the expression of the chitinase 5 encoding gene (Gene ID 551600) was significantly increased in honeybees infected by N. ceranae. Additionally, it discusses various experimental setups involving N. ceranae and highlights its impact on gene expression and honeybee health, thus confirming its role as a parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: 2013). A third approach for detrending that continues to gain traction in tree-ring research is the so-called “Signal Free” method (Melvin and Briffa 2008; Melvin and Briffa 2014a, b). This approach is based upon the recognition that the curves used to detrend tree-ring data, particularly for individual detrending, do not (readily) distinguish between the age/size trends and long-term climatic variability (Melvin and Briffa 2008). Conceptually, the “signal free” approach is similar to the RCS. Yet, instead of developing a population estimate of the regional curve, a population estimate of the common non-age/size related variability (i. e. , generally the climate signal) has the central role. Specifically, the signal free method iteratively removes a population estimate of the tree-ring chronology from the tree-ring measurements prior to the next detrending iteration. Multiple iterations are performed until (in most cases) a stable estimate for the tree-ring data and chronology is achieved. The “signal free” method can be applied at the individual series level, or alternatively can be employed to derive a signal-free estimate of the regional curve in RCS. Investigations that have employed the signal-free detrending have shown a superior retention of lower-frequency climate related signals in the final tree-ring chronology (e. g. , Fang et al. 2012; Melvin and Briffa 2014a; Wilson et al. 2019). Awareness of the potential age/size related trends is crucial for all tree-ring and subsequent detrending/standardization approaches. Moreover, awareness of how such long-term trends, and/or methodological approaches applied to remove them (Fig. 2. 4), potentially impacts scientific investigations is also required, as is communicating such information in publications. Continued research on both methodological detrending/standardization methods, and also emphasizing the importance of highly replicated tree-ring records, are both necessary. 4. 3 Long-in Tree-Ring DataTree-ring data are of great value for the centennial to multi-millennial scale perspectives on changing ecosystems, climate, and societies, including rare, extreme, and long-term variations. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by stating that tree-ring data are valuable for analyzing changing ecosystems, climate, and the impacts of various disturbances over centennial to multi-millennial scales. This implies that tree rings can indeed be used to study past environmental disturbances, including volcanic activity, as highlighted by their capacity to retain significant climate-related signals.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stainingSix animals of each groups were sacrificed on the 3rd, 14th, and 21st days after injury by injecting 100 mg/kg ketamine intraperitoneally. Then, the injured tissues were carefully dissected and fixed with 10% formalin. All samples were taken to Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, Utara for H&E staining. The number of macrophages and fibroblasts, and epidermal thickness was evaluated using Olympus CX21 light microscope with 400× magnification and three fields of view. Statistical analysisData were analyzed using SPSS version 20 (RRID:SCR_019096) with one-way ANOVA test. If there were significant differences (p < 0. 05), then LSD test was conducted to determine the differences among groups. Data were presented as mean ± SD. ResultsThe results obtained from the study are shown in Fig. 1−3. From the one-way ANOVA results, there were significant differences in the mean number of macrophages and fibroblasts, and epidermal thickness in all groups (p < 0. 05). Then, least (LSD) test was conducted to determine the differences among groups. Figure 1. Mean number of macrophagesI (standard), II (negative control), III (treatment)*p<0. 05 statistically analysis by ANOVA showed significant difference. Figure 2. Mean number of fibroblastsI (standard), II (negative control), III (treatment)*p<0. 05 statistically analysis by ANOVA showed significant difference. Figure 3. Mean number of epidermal thicknessI (standard), II (negative control), III (treatment)*p<0. 05 statistically analysis by ANOVA showed significant difference. On the 3rd day after injury, the highest mean number of macrophages were seen in the treatment group (III), followed by the negative control group (II), and followed by the standard group (I). From the post hoc test results, it appeared that there were significant differences in the mean number of macrophages (p<0. 05) in groups I-3 vs II-3 (0. 50 ± 0. 45 vs 7. 77 ± 0. 62; p=0. 0001), group I-3 vs III-3 (0. 50 ± 0. 45 vs 9. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text is irrelevant to the claim as it discusses a study involving hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of injured tissues, statistical analysis, and results concerning macrophages, fibroblasts, and epidermal thickness. It does not mention Aloe vera or its traditional use for treating skin ailments.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: ceranae-imidacloprid combination did not lead to a synergistic effect on honeybee mortality. This result is in accordance with the data from Alaux et al. , (2010) [37], where a synergy between Nosema parasites and imidacloprid occurred only with high concentration (70 μg/L) but not with 0. 7 or 7 μg/L of imidacloprid. Honeybee midgut response to parasitism and exposure to insecticide was analysed in two independent experiments using RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR for Exp. 1 and 2 respectively. A strong correlation was found between gene expression changes between both experiments (Fig. S3) showing that the midgut transcriptional response to treatments was reproducible. A strong effect of honeybee ageing on gene expression profiles was suspected from the principal component analysis performed on RNA-Seq data (Fig. 2). This analysis also suggested that parasite and insecticide treatments had very low impact on global gene expression one day after experiment initiation while they influenced it at day 7. Moreover, a higher number of genes showed expression changes by qRT-PCR at day 11 compared to day 7 suggesting that parasite and insecticide have a growing impact on gene expression with time. Overall, early gene expression changes might reflect honeybee response to a moderate disruption of midgut homeostasis induced by parasite and/or insecticide treatments. On the next days, the amplification regarding gene expression changes might reflect the honeybees inability to recover from this disruption, resulting in a growing imbalance that may lead to premature death. A significant downregulation of several genes potentially implicated in the immune response was detected in N. ceranae-infected honeybees at days 7 or 11. Those included the genes encoding the serine proteases SP22 and SP40, glucose dehydrogenase 2, lysozyme 1, hymenoptaecin and GMC oxidoreductase 3 (Tables 1 and 2). In addition to their function in digestion of food, serine proteases in insects participate in regulatory cascade reactions linked to immune responses resulting in rapid activation of the Toll and prophenoloxidase pathways [51]. Antimicrobial peptides such as hymenoptaecin are key elements of the insect innate immunity against bacteria and fungi [52]. Hymenoptaecin was the only antimicrobial peptide significantly affected under N. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by detailing how Nosema ceranae has a significant impact on honeybee health. It mentions the downregulation of several immune response genes in honeybees infected with N. ceranae, indicating that this microsporidian parasite disrupts the normal immune function and contributes to health issues over time. The text explains the interplay between the parasite and various responses in honeybees, reaffirming the parasite's negative influence on honeybee productivity and health.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: A recurring theme in the dendrochronology literature is the faithful decomposition—sensu the linear aggregate model—of the variable of interest while mitigating noise from other factors. As described in Sect. 2. 4. 3 much of the focus in dendrochronology literature has been on removing age/size related trends, while retaining all long-term climate related trends. This endeavor is particularly challenging due to i) multiple environmental and biological factors and processes that could result in long-term trends in tree-ring data, ii) reduced degrees of freedom to statistically assess and verify lower-frequency changes (e. g. , Briffa et al. 2002a; Melvin and Briffa 2014b) and iii) limited opportunities to make direct comparisons with independent long-term records of the same exact phenomena (Emile-Geay et al. 2017) recognizing further differences in seasonality, resolution, and geographic proximity. As dendrochronology continually expands by covering longer periods of time, over more regions, into newer disciplines such as terrestrial carbon cycling and ecophysiology, and with greater reliance on parameters from wood anatomy and stable isotopes, new challenges and opportunities are arising. There are a perhaps a couple of points of note related to these developments, and with a focus on stable isotopes. Firstly, there is not a consensus on the existence or absence of age/size related trends in stable isotopes (e. g. , Klesse et al. 2018c and 5. 1 Tree-Ring ChronologiesIn comparison to other earth and environmental science related fields, the relative ease with which tree-ring samples are collected and measured has greatly facilitated well-developed statistical frameworks for signal and noise assessment in dendrochronology (e. g. , Wigley et al. 1984; Cook and Kairiukstis 1990). Multiple cores per tree, multiple trees per site, and multiple sites per region, can be regarded as hierarchical view on drawing samples from a population, and using such samples to estimate population characteristics. Within dendrochronology it is typical, after crossdating, to take the multiple individual measurement time-series and average (or use another statistical measure of central tendency such as the robust mean, median or other percentiles) their values into a single time-series—a tree-ring chronology. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by discussing how dendrochronology, which involves tree rings, deals with various environmental and biological factors to study long-term trends within tree-ring data. It mentions that as dendrochronology expands, it involves new disciplines and challenges, indicating that tree rings can be utilized in studying past environmental conditions, which directly contradicts the claim.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: 00 ± 0. 47; p=0. 0001), and group II-3 vs III-3 (7. 77 ± 0. 62 vs 9. 00 ± 0. 47; p=0. 001). On the 14th day after injury, the highest mean number of macrophages were seen in the negative control group (II), followed by the treatment group (III), and followed by the standard group (I). From the post hoc test results, it appeared that there were significant differences in the mean number of macrophages (p<0. 05) in groups I-14 vs II-14 (0. 61 ± 0. 39 vs 6. 22 ± 0. 98; p=0. 0001), group I-14 vs. III-14 (0. 61 ± 0. 39 vs. 5. 33 ± 0. 42; p=0. 0001), and group II-14 vs. III-14 (6. 22 ± 0. 98 vs 5. 33 ± 0. 42; p=0. 013). On day 21st day after injury, the highest mean number of macrophages were seen in the negative control group (II), followed by the treatment group (III), and followed by the standard group (I). From the post hoc test results, it appeared that there were significant differences in the mean number of macrophages (p<0. 05) in groups I-21 vs II-21 (0. 55 ± 0. 40 vs 4. 72 ± 0. 87; p=0. 0001), group I-21 vs III-21 (0. 55 ± 0. 40 vs 3. 16 ± 0. 34; p=0. 0001), and group II-14 vs III-14 (4. 72 ± 0. 87 vs 3. 16 ± 0. 34; p=0. 0001). On the 3rd day after injury, the highest mean number of fibroblasts were seen in the treatment group (III), followed by the negative control group (II), and followed by the standard group (I). From the post hoc test results, it appeared that there were significant differences in the mean number of fibroblasts (p<0. 05) in groups I-3 vs II-3 (3. 77 ± 0. 34 vs. 4. 61 ± 0. 49; p=0. 047), group I-3 vs III-3 (3. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text provided does not relate to the claim about Aloe vera's historical use for skin ailments. Instead, it discusses experimental data regarding the mean number of macrophages and fibroblasts in different treatment groups following an injury, with no mention of Aloe vera or its applications for skin conditions.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: ceranae-infection in our study while abaecin, apidaecin and defensin encoding genes were also downregulated in other studies [8], [9]. Glucose dehydrogenases are components of the humoral immune response associated with melanised encapsulation [53] and have already been shown to be repressed in response to N. ceranae [8]. A recent survey revealed a possible implication of GMC oxidoreductases in insect immunity. Related genes are upregulated in silkworm in response to four different pathogens and the knockdown of these genes affects the survival rate of infected individuals [54]. Other genes were shown to be downregulated in N. ceranae-infected midguts in previous studies [8]–[10], but not significantly in the present one, such as the basket and u-shaped genes whose orthologs in Drosophila melanogaster are related to immunity [10]. Altogether these data suggest an impairment of the honeybee immune defence in response to N. ceranae infection that may favour the parasite development. Pesticides might also act on insects immune system [22], [55] and fungicides and acaricides have been shown to downregulate immune-related genes in honeybees [55]–[57]. In our study, the hymenoptaecin and lysozyme 1 transcript levels were significantly lower following the chronic exposure to fipronil and to fipronil and imidacloprid respectively (Table 2). Therefore phenylpyrazole and neonicotinoid insecticides might also alter the honeybee immune response. A significant overexpression of a chitinase encoding gene was detected in honeybees exposed to N. ceranae, alone or in combination with an insecticide, and two genes encoding cuticular proteins carrying a chitin-binding domain were activated in honeybees exposed to parasite-insecticide treatments. For the first time data suggest that cuticle coatings, which constitute important barrier defence in insects, might undergo significant modifications in response to a parasite infection. One should also consider that the peritrophic matrix surrounding the food bolus and protecting epithelial cells contains chitin [58], therefore infection by N. ceranae might lead to an alteration of the peritrophic matrix. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the impact of N. ceranae on honeybee immune response and health. It outlines how the infection leads to downregulation of immune-related genes and suggests that it may impair the honeybee immune defence, which favors parasite development. This supports the assertion that N. ceranae affects honeybee health.


Input: Task: contrast the claim using the given text. Claim: Tree rings cannot be used to study past volcanic activity or environmental disturbances. [SEP] Text: A tree-ring chronology enjoys the characteristic that the common signal from the sampled population of individual trees is enhanced by averaging out “noise” variance specific to individual time-series. The most basic type of tree-ring chronology consists of the average of all individual tree-ring time-series from a given site. This chronology (e. g. , referred to in (Cook and Krusic 2005) as the “Raw” chronology) incorporates all of the underlying signals in the tree-ring data including possible age-size related trends, variance changes due to the heteroscedastic nature of tree-ring data, potentially artifacts from changes in sample replication (see below), and so on. Yet, many investigations derive chronologies after performing data processing and analytical steps (sensu the linear aggregate model) to remove such unwanted noise. Thus, typically the tree-ring data are detrended & standardized (see above) prior to averaging together into most tree-ring chronologies. It is broadly recognized there is no objective or perfect way to detrend the tree-ring data, and thus an emphasis on both understanding and communicating in publications how the detrending impacts the retained signals in the final chronology is necessary. When emphasis is on year-to-year variations, as for crossdating, more flexible detrending curves can be used to remove most variability on say time-scales longer than 30-years whilst retaining essentially all year-to-year variations. Similarly, when the preservation of long-term trends is important, as is the case for many global change related investigations, more conservative approaches to retain longer time-scale variability are required (e. g. , Jacoby and D’Arrigo 1989; Briffa et al. 1992; Cook et al. 1995; Esper et al. 2002; Melvin and Briffa 2008, 2014a, 2014b; Helama et al. 2017). Serial autocorrelation, or the statistical non-independence of successive years of tree growth due to e. g. , biological factors such as carbohydrate reserves (or depletion) and changes in needle/foliar length and capacity, is sometime also removed from tree-ring measurements in a step often referred to as “pre-whitening” via auto-regressive moving average modeling (Meko 1981). [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text contrasts the claim by explaining the processes and methodologies involved in creating tree-ring chronologies. It discusses how tree-ring data can capture various signals, including those related to environmental disturbances, thereby highlighting the ability to use tree rings to study past events, contradicting the assertion that they cannot be used for such studies.


Input: Task: pass the claim using the given text. Claim: Aloe vera has been used for centuries to treat skin ailments. [SEP] Text: 77 ± 0. 34 vs. 6. 44 ± 0. 74; p=0. 0001), and group II-3 vs. III-3 (4. 61 ± 0. 49 vs 6. 44 ± 0. 74; p=0. 0001). On the 14th day after injury, the highest mean number of fibroblasts were seen in the treatment group (III), followed by the negative control group (II), and followed by the standard group (I). From the post hoc test results, it appeared that there were significant differences in the mean number of fibroblasts (p<0. 05) in groups I-14 vs II-14 (3. 94 ± 0. 38 vs 8. 11 ± 0. 68; p=0. 0001), group I-14 vs III-14 (3. 94 ± 0. 38 vs 21. 55 ± 1. 02; p=0. 0001), and group II-14 vs III-14 (8. 11 ± 0. 68 vs. 21. 55 ± 1. 02; p=0. 0001). On the 21st day after injury, the highest mean number of fibroblasts were seen in the negative control group (II), followed by the treatment group (III), and followed by the standard group (I). From the post hoc test results, it appeared that there were significant differences in the mean number of fibroblasts (p<0. 05) in groups I-21 vs II-21 (3. 72 ± 0. 38 vs. 9. 05 ± 0. 80; p=0. 0001), group I-21 vs III-21 (3. 72 ± 0. 38 vs 6. 66 ± 1. 05; p=0. 0001), and group II-21 vs III-21 (9. 05 ± 0. 80 vs 6. 66 ± 1. 05; p=0. 0001). On the 3rd day after injury, the mean epidermal thickness was highest in the standard group (I), followed by the treatment group (III), and followed by the negative control group (II). From the post hoc test results, it appeared that there were significant differences in the mean epidermal thickness (p<0. 05) in groups I-3 vs II-3 (5. 88 ± 0. 76 vs 2. 43 ± 0. 45; p=0. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text does not address the claim regarding the historical use of aloe vera for treating skin ailments. Instead, it focuses on experimental results related to fibroblasts and epidermal thickness in a controlled study, which is irrelevant to the assertion about aloe vera’s traditional applications.


Input: Task: corroborate the claim using the given text. Claim: Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite affecting honeybee health and productivity. [SEP] Text: The low expression of these genes, that did not pass the statistical screening test in the present work, could be linked to the high mortality observed in honeybees exposed to fipronil. Modifications of the expression of several genes related to trehalose metabolism were observed in our study. A trehalase-encoding gene was highly downregulated in N. ceranae-infected honeybees at day 11 (Table 2), as expected from previous data [10]. This gene and two other encoding facilitated trehalose transporters were also downregulated in honeybees exposed to the N. ceranae-fipronil combination. Trehalases hydrolyse trehalose to generate glucose which can then be catabolised through glycolysis or the pentose phosphate pathway [68]. In the haemolymph of N. ceranae-infected foragers, the trehalose amount has been shown to be lower compared to uninfected individuals while glucose amount remained stable, suggesting that parasitism increased honeybee energetic demand [12]. Trehalases are also involved in various other physiological processes in insects such as regulation of chitin biosynthesis, flight metabolism or cold tolerance [69], [70]. Regulation of a trehalase gene may thus be linked to a complex metabolic response but it would need confirmation through trehalase activity monitoring. Several genes encoding transcription factors were significantly downregulated in response to parasite and/or insecticide treatment (Tables 1 and 2), including three homeobox-containing proteins (namely the homeodomain interacting protein kinase, Lim3 homeobox and homeobox protein Nkx-2. 5-like), referred to as Hox proteins. gene, encoding an ortholog of the D. melanogaster pituitary homeobox homolog 1 was also found significantly downregulated in the midgut of honeybees infected by N. ceranae for 7 days [10]. Hox proteins are transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes involved in growth and differentiation during the developmental processes of animals, from flies to mammals [71]. Hox proteins may also play a role in the innate immune response as modulators of NF-κB-dependent transcription and as mediators of phagocytosis of apoptotic cells [72], [73]. [SEP] Justify:

Output: The text corroborates the claim by discussing the impact of Nosema ceranae on honeybees, specifically mentioning that trehalase-encoding genes were downregulated in N. ceranae-infected honeybees. It also indicates that this parasitism leads to increased energetic demands, which can affect honeybee health. Furthermore, the text highlights that several genes related to the honeybee's physiological processes are significantly altered in response to infection, thus supporting the assertion that N. ceranae affects honeybee health and productivity.