bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in high light – what is the initial signal?
Authors: Araguirang Galileo Estopare , Richter Andreas S.
Published: September 2022

Due to their sessile nature, plants cannot escape adverse environmental conditions and evolved mechanisms to cope with sudden environmental changes. The reaction to variations in abiotic factors, also summarized as acclimation response, affects all layers of cellular functions and involves rapid modification of enzymatic activities, the metabolome, proteome and transcriptome on different timescales. One trait of plants acclimating to high light (HL) is the rapid transcriptional activation of the flavonoid biosynthesis (FB) pathway resulting in the accumulation of photoprotective and antioxidative flavonoids, such as flavonols and anthocyanins, in the leaf tissue. Although enormous progress has been made in identifying enzymes and transcriptional regulators of FB by forward and reverse genetic approaches in the past, the signals and signalling pathways permitting the conditional activation of FB in HL are still debated. With this Tansley Insight, we summarize the current knowledge on the proposed signals and downstream factors involved in regulating FB and will discuss their contribution to, particularly, HL‐induced accumulation of anthocyanins.
Transcriptomic heterochrony and completely cleistogamous flower development in the mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia
Authors: Suetsugu Kenji , Fukushima Kenji , Makino Takashi , Ikematsu Shuka , Sakamoto Tomoaki , Kimura Seisuke
Published: September 2022

Cleistogamy, in which plants can reproduce via self‐fertilization within permanently closed flowers, has evolved in > 30 angiosperm lineages; however, consistent with Darwin's doubts about its existence, complete cleistogamy – the production of only cleistogamous flowers – has rarely been recognized. Thus far, the achlorophyllous orchid genus, Gastrodia, is the only known genus with several plausible completely cleistogamous species.

Here, we analyzed the floral developmental transcriptomes of two recently evolved, completely cleistogamous Gastrodia species and their chasmogamous sister species to elucidate the possible changes involved in producing common cleistogamous traits.

The ABBA‐BABA test did not support introgression and protein sequence convergence as evolutionary mechanisms leading to cleistogamy, leaving convergence in gene expression as a plausible mechanism. Regarding transcriptomic differentiation, the two cleistogamous species had common modifications in the expression of developmental regulators, exhibiting a gene family‐wide signature of convergent expression changes in MADS‐box genes. Our transcriptomic pseudotime analysis revealed a prolonged juvenile state and eventual maturation, a heterochronic pattern consistent with partial neoteny, in cleistogamous flower development.

These findings indicate that transcriptomic partial neoteny, arising from changes in the expression of conserved developmental regulators, might have contributed to the rapid and repeated evolution of cleistogamous flowers in Gastrodia.
Complexity and ambition in nurse education
Authors: Lipscomb Martin
Published: September 2022

Panel contribution by Martin Lipscomb to online event “Addressing current debates in nursing theory, education, and practice”. Event hosted by the University of California Irvine, in association with the International Philosophy of Nursing Society.
Intra‐ and inter‐specific variation in root mechanical traits for twelve herbaceous plants and their link with the root economics space
Authors: Mao Zhun , Roumet Catherine , Rossi Lorenzo M. W. , Merino‐Martín Luis , Nespoulous Jérôme , Taugourdeau Olivier , Boukcim Hassan , Fourtier Stéphane , Del Rey‐Granado Maria , Ramel Merlin , Ji Kang , Zuo Juan , Fromin Nathalie , Stokes Alexia , Fort Florian
Published: September 2022

Plant root traits are diverse and variable, and the way in which they interact has consequences for fundamental functions such as anchorage, or services such as soil fixation. Here, we characterize mechanical traits related to anchorage (tensile strength, strain, stiffness and toughness) at both intra‐ and inter‐specific levels and examine how they covary with other traits related to the root economics space. We grew twelve herbaceous species from contrasting taxonomical families in a common garden experiment. For each species, we excavated root systems and measured mechanical, morphological and chemical traits at two locations (proximal versus distal) for two root types (absorptive versus transport roots). At the intraspecific level, transport roots tended to be stronger and tougher than absorptive roots and could extend further before failure, but were as stiff as absorptiveroots. Where the root was sampled (proximalversus distal) had a limited effect on any root mechanical trait. The five monocots (Poaceae) had stronger and tougher root material than the seven dicots (Fabaceae, Plantaginaceae and Rosaceae), but there were no differences in stiffness. At the interspecific level, mechanical traits covaried positively and were strongly and positively correlated with specific root length (a trait related to the ‘do‐it‐yourself' soil exploration strategy), and negatively with root diameter (a trait related to the ‘outsourcing' soil exploration strategy) and root tissue density (a trait related to root lifespan). We demonstrate the important role of species' taxonomical subgroup (monocot versus dicot) and root type in governing mechanical trait variation at both intra‐ and inter‐specific levels. Our results can be regarded as the first evidence of a link between root mechanical robustness and the root economics space, through a strong association with the ‘do‐it‐yourself' soil exploration strategy.
A plant growth model to test for changes in plant–plant interaction over a growing season: the case of kin competition
Authors: Tomiolo Sara , Damgaard Christian F. , Gay Laurène , Ronfort Joëlle , Ehlers Bodil K.
Published: September 2022

Kin recognition and kin selection have long been known to occur in animals where they shape altruistic behavior towards relatives. More recently, studies have found that kin recognition and altered behavior towards kin can also occur in plants. However, inferring the underlying mechanism responsible for variation in plant performance in experimental studies is challenging as often, results can be explained by alternative and non‐exclusive mechanisms such as niche differences, kin competition avoidance and genetic variation in growth rate and competitive ability. Plant–plant interactions may change with the life stage of plants, and competition is often most intense towards the end of plants growing season. However, changes in plant–plant interaction intensity across plants life cycle are rarely considered in kin interaction studies. Here, we adapt a model of plant growth over time modified to specifically include effects of kin and non‐kin competition. The model decompose competitive interactions at different stages during plant growth from initial growth to the end of the growing season. It estimates genotype specific variation in growth rate, and how sensitive individual genotypes are to competition from neighbors. Furthermore, it estimates size asymmetry among plants accounting for both variation in growth rate, neighbor relatedness and resource variation (here water availability). We use this model to analyze the results from a competition experiment where plants grew in mini‐populations with neighbor plants that were either kin or non‐kin. We find that when applied to our experiments, this approach can disentangle kin effects from other effects caused by genotypic variation in growth rate and competitive response to neighbors, and thus significantly help to detect whether plants exhibit kin‐cooperative behavior.
Estimating Regional Income Indicators under Transformations and Access to Limited Population Auxiliary Information
Authors: Würz Nora , Schmid Timo , Tzavidis Nikos
Published: September 2022

Spatially disaggregated income indicators are typically estimated by using model-based methods that assume access to auxiliary information from population micro-data. In many countries like Germany and the UK population micro-data are not publicly available. In this work we propose small area methodology when only aggregate population-level auxiliary information is available. We use data-driven transformations of the response to satisfy the parametric assumptions of the used models. In the absence of population micro-data, appropriate bias-corrections for small area prediction are needed. Under the approach we propose in this paper, aggregate statistics (means and covariances) and kernel density estimation are used to resolve the issue of not having access to population micro-data. We further explore the estimation of the mean squared error using the parametric bootstrap. Extensive model-based and design-based simulations are used to compare the proposed method to alternative methods. Finally, the proposed methodology is applied to the 2011 Socio-Economic Panel and aggregate census information from the same year to estimate the average income for 96 regional planning regions in Germany.
Temporal changes in physical fitness in Norwegian male and female military conscripts between 2006 and 2020
Authors: Aandstad Anders
Published: September 2022

Reduced physical fitness has been documented in Western children and adults over the past five decades. The same trend has been observed among soldiers, but the number of studies is scarce. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate temporal changes in physical fitness in Norwegian conscripts. All conscripts who performed entry fitness tests between 2006 and 2020 were included in the study (n = 105 100; 17% females). Endurance was measured with the 3000 m run, while push‐ups, sit‐ups, and pull‐ups (2006–2016) and medicine ball throw, standing long jump, and pull‐ups (2017–2020) were used to measure muscle strength. Mean (95% confidence intervals) 3000 m run time was reduced by 52 (47, 57) seconds in men, 90 (76, 105) seconds in women, and 16 (11, 20) seconds in both sexes combined. Muscle strength increased statistically significantly in four out of five tests in men, three out of six tests in women, and two out of five tests for both sexes combined. Effect sizes for statistically significant changes ranged from 0.06 to 0.82. In conclusion, Norwegian conscripts improved their cardiorespiratory endurance between 2006 and 2020, with improvements observed for most muscle strength tests. When analyzing both sexes combined, the improvements diminished. The latter is attributed to a sevenfold increase in relative number of female conscripts over the 15‐year period. The present findings should not be generalized to all young Norwegian men and women since conscripts are selected based on fitness, and only ~15% of the population end up serving.
Rehabilitation for post‐COVID‐19 condition through a supervised exercise intervention: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Jimeno‐Almazán Amaya , Franco‐López Francisco , Buendía‐Romero Ángel , Martínez‐Cava Alejandro , Sánchez‐Agar José Antonio , Sánchez‐Alcaraz Martínez Bernardino J. , Courel‐Ibáñez Javier , Pallarés Jesús G.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The aim of the study was to compare the outcomes of patients with post‐COVID‐19 condition undergoing supervised therapeutic exercise intervention or following the self‐management WHO (World Health Organization) rehabilitation leaflet.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial was carried out that included 39 participants with post‐COVID‐19 condition who had a chronic symptomatic phase lasting >12 weeks. Comprehensive medical screening, patient‐reported symptoms, and cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength were assessed. Patients were randomly assigned to a tailored multicomponent exercise program based on concurrent training for 8 weeks (two supervised sessions per week comprised resistance training combined with aerobic training [moderate intensity variable training], plus a third day of monitored light intensity continuous training), or to a control group which followed the WHO guidelines for rehabilitation after COVID‐19.

Results

After follow‐up, there were changes in physical outcomes in both groups, however, the magnitude of the change pre–post intervention favored the exercise group in cardiovascular and strength markers: VO2max +5.7%, sit‐to‐stand −22.7% and load‐velocity profiles in bench press +6.3%, and half squat +16.9%, (p < 0.05). In addition, exercise intervention resulted in a significantly better quality of life, less fatigue, less depression, and improved functional status, as well as in superior cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength compared to controls (p < 0.05). No adverse events were observed during the training sessions.

Conclusion

Compared to current WHO recommendations, a supervised, tailored concurrent training at low and moderate intensity for both resistance and endurance training is a more effective, safe, and well‐tolerated intervention in post‐COVID‐19 conditions.
Phospholipase Dδ and phosphatidic acid mediate heat‐induced nuclear localization of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase in Arabidopsis
Authors: Kim Sang‐Chul , Yao Shuaibing , Zhang Qun , Wang Xuemin
Published: September 2022

Cytosolic glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPC) is a glycolytic enzyme, but undergoes stress‐induced nuclear translocation for moonlighting. We previously reported that in response to heat stress, GAPC accumulated in the nucleus to modulate transcription and thermotolerance. Here we show a cellular and molecular mechanism that mediates heat‐induced nuclear translocation of cytosolic GAPC in Arabidopsis thaliana. Heat‐induced GAPC nuclear accumulation and plant heat tolerance were reduced in Arabidopsis phospholipase D (PLD) knockout mutants of pldδ and pldα1pldδ, but not of pldα1. These changes were restored to wild type by genetic complementation with active PLDδ, but not with catalytically inactive PLDδ. GAPC overexpression enhanced the seedling thermotolerance and the expression of heat‐inducible genes, but this effect was abolished in the pldδ background. Heat stress elevated the levels of the PLD product phosphatidic acid (PA) in the nucleus in wild type, but not in pldδ plants. Lipid labeling demonstrated the heat‐induced nuclear co‐localization of PA and GAPC, which was impaired by zinc, which inhibited the PA–GAPC interaction, and by the membrane trafficking inhibitor brefeldin A (BFA). The GAPC nuclear accumulation and seedling thermotolerance were also decreased by treatment with zinc or BFA. Our data suggest that PLDδ and PA are critical for the heat‐induced nuclear translocation of GAPC. We propose that PLDδ‐produced PA mediates the process via lipid–protein interaction and that the lipid mediation acts as a cellular conduit linking stress perturbations at cell membranes to nuclear functions in plants coping with heat stress.
Characterization and function of extracellular vesicles in a canine mammary tumour cell line: Ultracentrifugation versus size exclusion chromatography
Authors: Moccia Valentina , Sammarco Alessandro , Ferro Silvia , Cavicchioli Laura , Zappulli Valentina
Published: September 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell‐derived membrane‐bound vesicles involved in many biological processes such as tumour progression. For years, ultracentrifugation (UC) has been considered the gold standard for EV isolation but limited purity and integrity allowed the diffusion of alternative techniques. In this study, EVs were isolated from a canine mammary tumour cell line using UC and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and analysed for size and concentration by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and for protein expression by western blot (WB). EV autocrine effect on cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness was then evaluated in vitro. In all samples, particles were in the EV size range (50–1000 nm), with a higher concentration in UC than in SEC samples (1011 and 1010 particles/ml respectively), and expressed EV markers (Alix, CD9). Functional assays did not show statistically significant difference among conditions, but EV treatment slightly increased cell proliferation and invasiveness and treatment with SEC‐isolated EVs slightly enhanced cell migration compared to UC‐isolated EVs. In conclusion, the main differences between the two isolation techniques are the quantity of the final EV‐product and slight differences on EV functionality, which should be further explored to better highlight the real autocrine effect of tumoral EVs.
Unlocking the evolution of abdominal specializations in Luciuranus fireflies (Coleoptera, Lampyridae)
Authors: Silveira Luiz , Souto Paula , Khattar Gabriel , Takiya Daniela M. , Nunes Viviane , Mermudes José Ricardo M. , Monteiro Ricardo , Macedo Margarete
Published: September 2022

Understanding the evolution of genitalic traits and their co‐evolution between sexes is at the core of Evolutionary Biology. Cross‐species reproductive trait co‐variation can be the outcome of hybrid avoidance and/or sexual selection. Although the outcome of these two phenomena will look similar, they yield distinct patterns of species co‐occurrence. Partial or complete syntopy—but not allopatry—among species is expected to lead to hybrid avoidance strategies. Conversely, sexual selection is involved in genitalic evolution regardless of co‐occurrence with closely related species. The genus Luciuranus Silveira, Khattar & Mermudes, 2016 includes eight species of fireflies endemic to the Atlantic forest. Among these, five feature species‐specific morphology of the male and female terminalia suggest a clamping mechanism, while the remaining three species have similar terminalia across species. The evolutionary history of Luciuranus and its putative clamping mechanism remains unknown. Furthermore, the female internal morphology, which could provide insight into the biology of these poorly known fireflies, was never studied. Here, we combine morphology (55 characters) and DNA sequences (COI, 16S) and analyse them through probabilistic criteria to provide the first total evidence phylogeny of Luciuranus. We show that the acquisition of the abdominal modifications in Luciuranus was stepwise, becoming increasingly more complex. Moreover, maximum likelihood‐based ancestral state reconstructions show that male terminalia co‐evolved with female abdominal morphology in Luciuranus. Given the total allopatry among species, it is likely that lineage‐specific sexual selection on mating behaviour, instead of hybrid avoidance through natural selection, has shaped the unique abdominal morphologies of Luciuranus species.
The symplectic isotopy problem for rational cuspidal curves
Authors: Golla Marco , Starkston Laura
Published: September 2022

We define a suitably tame class of singular symplectic curves in 4-manifolds, namely those whose singularities are modeled on complex curve singularities. We study the corresponding symplectic isotopy problem, with a focus on rational curves with irreducible singularities (rational cuspidal curves) in the complex projective plane. We prove that every such curve is isotopic to a complex curve in degrees up to five, and for curves with one singularity whose link is a torus knot. Classification results of symplectic isotopy classes rely on pseudo-holomorphic curves together with a symplectic version of birational geometry of log pairs and techniques from four-dimensional topology.
Barriers and facilitators for the implementation of nurse-delivered chronic disease management within general practice: a mixed methods systematic review protocol
Authors: Grivell Nicole , Brown Brandon , Fuller Jeffrey , Chai-Coetzer Ching Li , McEvoy R. Doug , Hoon Elizabeth
Published: September 2022

Objective:

The objective of this review is to identify the barriers and facilitators for the implementation of nurse-delivered models of care for chronic diseases to inform the development and evaluation of nurse-delivered models of care for chronic sleep disorders.

Introduction:

Increasing prevalence of sleep disorders and subsequent demand for specialist-led sleep services has prompted investigation into the management of uncomplicated sleep disorders by general practitioners. Models of sleep health care with enhanced roles for general practice nurses have been investigated within the context of randomized controlled trials; however, it is unclear how best to implement these models into clinical practice. With limited research exploring the implementation of nurse-delivered models of sleep health care within general practice, this review will examine the barriers and facilitators for the implementation of nurse-delivered models of care for chronic disease. This will inform the integration of new nurse-delivered models of care for chronic sleep disorders into routine general practice.

Inclusion criteria:

Studies that report barriers and facilitators for the implementation of nurse-delivered models of care for chronic diseases for adults into a general practice setting will be included.

Methods:

Six databases will be searched: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Emcare. The search will be limited to qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies. Studies will be included if they contain data that report on barriers and facilitators for implementation of nurse-delivered models of care for chronic diseases. This review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI approach to mixed methods convergent integrated systematic reviews.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42021273346
Evaluating the Aerodynamic Damping At Shock Wave Boundary Layer Interacting Flow Conditions With Harmonic Balance
Authors: Heners Jan Philipp , Frey Christian , Grüber Björn , Carraro Thomas
Published: September 2022

The aerodynamic damping of a stator vane located in a rear stage of a high pressure compressor is evaluated at transonic flow conditions by numerical means. The results of a solution method based on temporal linearization around a steady RANS state are compared to results generated by relying on a state-of-the-art harmonic balance solver. It is found that the time-linearized method is not capable to reproduce the damping behavior in a sufficient manner for the majority of assessed nodal diameters. The limitations of the time-linearized method consisting of expansion around an imperfect steady RANS state, neglecting nonlinear contributions, and considering turbulence to be frozen at its steady-state are evaluated and quantified. Furthermore, the presence of unsteady content induced by shock wave boundary layer interaction can be identified by performing a full-annulus URANS simulation based on time-integration. For a limited range of nodal diameters, this shock boundary layer interaction locks in to the assessed flutter motion and affects the damping behavior substantially. It is demonstrated that the mechanism of the shock wave boundary layer interaction can be reproduced with harmonic balance in accordance with the time-integration method. Coupling the eigenmode of interest and the identified shock boundary layer interaction via the harmonic balance method allows us to predict the aerodynamic damping for the affected nodal diameters.
Modeling of Dynamic Response of a Radial Turbine to Pulsatile Incoming Flow
Authors: Yang Mingyang , Xue Yingxian , Pan Lei , Yang Bijie , Martinez-Botas Ricardo
Published: September 2022

The unsteady response of a turbine exposed to pulsatile incoming flow is studied via the analytical model in this article. First, the response of output torque of the turbine to pulsatile condition is theoretically studied and a correlation of the torque response is deduced. The results confirm that the fluctuations of the torque are proportional to the fluctuations of velocity at the rotor inlet. Next, the unsteady response of turbine system is modeled by the method of transfer matrixes of quasi-2D flow elements connected in sequence. The correlations of swallowing capacity and output torque with the imposed pulsatile inlet pressure are obtained via the models. The results prove that the unsteadiness of turbine performance is proportionally enhanced by the pulse magnitude and the acoustic throttle slope in swallowing capacity curve. In particular, the unsteadiness increases first, but then reduces as the Strouhal number increases. The strongest unsteady performance is achieved when the resonance of the system happens at the Strouhal number as 1. Furthermore, the model proves that the total torque deviation of the turbine is proportional to the mass accumulation in a pulse period. This justifies the validity of the widely used assumption of the mass accumulation as an indicator of turbine performance unsteadiness. Finally, the results of the theoretical model are validated against the 1D gas-dynamic simulation via in-house developed code.
The Role of Turbine Operating Conditions on Combustor–Turbine Interaction—Part I: Change in Expansion Ratio
Authors: Notaristefano Andrea , Gaetani Paolo
Published: September 2022

Aeroengine lean-burn combustors release vorticity and temperature perturbations that, interacting with the first turbine stage, impact the stage aerodynamics, the blade cooling, and noise production. The first of these issues is addressed in this paper that is Part I of a two-fold contribution. A detailed experimental analysis is carried out to study the impact on the combustor–turbine interaction of the off-design conditions experienced by aero-engines in their duty. Engine-representative disturbances are generated by a combustor simulator able to produce swirling entropy waves. Two injection positions and four injection cases are studied. Experimental measurements are carried out at three traverses: upstream of the stator, at the interstage, and downstream of the rotor. This paper analyses the effect of the stage expansion ratio: two values are studied, namely 1.4 and 1.76, representative of subsonic and transonic flow conditions. They are chosen imposing similar velocity triangles at the rotor inlet. Results show that the swirl profile considerably impacts the stage aerodynamics. The aerothermal flow field downstream of the stator is modified significantly by the combustor disturbances. Conversely, downstream of the rotor, the differences in aerodynamics lessen. However, the entropy wave persists at the stage outlet and its transport depends on both the operating point and the injection position.
The Role of Turbine Operating Conditions on Combustor–Turbine Interaction—Part II: Loading Effects
Authors: Notaristefano Andrea , Gaetani Paolo
Published: September 2022

Aero-engine combustors burn a lean and premixed blend releasing vorticity and temperature perturbations. Interacting with the first turbine stage, these disturbances impact the cascade aerodynamics, add criticality to the blade cooling, and are sources of noise. The first of these issues is addressed in this paper, focusing on off-design turbine conditions, as experienced by aero-engines in their duty. This paper, Part II of a two-fold contribution, analyses the effect of the stage loading obtained by changing the rpm (three different values) at the same expansion ratio of 1.4, representative of subsonic flow conditions. Engine-representative disturbances are generated by a combustor simulator able to produce a swirling entropy wave. Two injection positions and four injection patterns are considered. Experimental measurements are carried out through the stage, measuring the injected disturbance and the aerothermal flow field downstream of the stator and the rotor. Results show that the swirl profile mostly impacts the stage aerodynamics. The different work extraction and the interaction with secondary flow structures change the entropy wave transport, diffusion, and decay through the rotor. Furthermore, the increased angle of the incidence caused by the injected disturbance can make the blade stall under the most loaded operating condition.
Numerical Prediction of Long-Term Droplet Erosion and Washing Efficiency of Axial Compressors Through the Use of a Discrete Mesh Morphing Approach
Authors: Agati Giuliano , Castorrini Alessio , Gruttola Francesca Di , Gabriele Serena , Rispoli Franco , Simone Domenico , Venturini Paolo , Borello Domenico
Published: September 2022

Online water washing represents an operation strategy commonly used to reduce compressor performance deterioration due to blade fouling. Since this kind of washing is applied when the machine operates close to full load conditions, injected droplets are strongly accelerated and consequently impact the rotor blades at high velocity, thus inducing undesirable phenomena like erosion. Here, we present a novel technique to study long-term water droplets erosion by also considering the geometry modification caused by droplets impacts. Two-phase unsteady numerical simulations were carried out, considering the injection of water droplets and their transport across the fluid flow in the first part of a real compressor, which is modeled in the region extending from the inlet to the rotor blades of the first stage. Simulations are performed on the whole machine to account for the asymmetric distribution of the spray injectors, the machine struts, inlet guide vanes (IGVs), and rotor blades. The k−ɛ realizable turbulence model with standard wall functions was coupled with the discrete phase model to track injected droplets motion. Droplets-wall interaction is modeled following the Stanton–Rutland approach aiming at detecting the effect of droplet impact (deposit, rebound, and splashing) depending on the impact conditions. Moreover, a semi-empirical erosion model developed by the authors was used to evaluate the erosion induced by the droplets injection. Material removal due to erosion is converted into nodal mesh displacement that is used by a secondary routine to implement the mesh morphing scheme. The mesh modification is applied at discrete steps to reduce the computational load. This technique is adopted to account for the blades geometry modification due to water droplet erosion leading to performance losses. Moreover, an estimation of the compressor operating life before maintenance operations is given and the water washing efficiency during the whole life of the machine is evaluated by means of proper indices. At the end of the simulation workflow, erosion phenomena are observed in all the compressor regions, especially in the rotor where erosion peaks are reached at the hub of the blades leading edge. The rotor blades wet surface was found to remain almost constant at around 50% during compressor water washing. Erosive phenomena were proved to evolve nonlinearly with time indicating the need to account for the geometry modification for obtaining an accurate prediction of the long-time process.
A New Model for Circular Cylindrical Kirchhoff–Love Shells Incorporating Microstructure and Flexoelectric Effects
Authors: Qu Y. L. , Guo Z. W. , Zhang G. Y. , Gao X.-L. , Jin F.
Published: September 2022

A new model for circular cylindrical Kirchhoff–Love shells of flexoelectric–elastic materials with the centrosymmetric cubic symmetry is developed by considering both microstructure and flexoelectric effects. The couple stress theory is used to describe microstructure effects, and a curvature-based flexoelectricity theory is applied to account for flexoelectric effects. The governing equations and boundary conditions are simultaneously derived through a variational formulation based on Hamilton’s principle. The newly developed shell model recovers the model for Kirchhoff plates of cubic flexoelectric–elastic materials as a special case when the shell radius tends to infinity. To illustrate the new shell model, static bending, free vibration, and forced vibration problems of a simply supported axisymmetric circular cylindrical shell are analytically solved by directly applying the model. Numerical results reveal that the microstructure and flexoelectric effects lead to enhanced extensional and bending stiffnesses of the shell. In addition, the first and second natural frequencies of the shell predicted by the new model are found to be higher than those predicted by the classical elasticity-based model, but the difference is diminishing with the increase in the shell thickness. Furthermore, the results for both the mechanically and electrically forced vibrations given by the current model show that the deflection amplitude and the electric potential distribution in the shell are both frequency-dependent and can be tailored by controlling the excitation frequency. These findings indicate that a flexoelectric–elastic shell of a centrosymmetric cubic material can be used as a sensor for energy harvesting by converting mechanical energy to electricity or as an actuator by converting electrical energy to mechanical work.
Piezoelectric effect of crystal nanodomains on the friction force
Authors: Sasaki Michiko , Goto Masahiro
Published: September 2022

Reduction and control of the friction force are important from the viewpoint of energy conservation, and novel approaches for achieving this are desirable. The friction force of the boron-doped zinc oxide (B-ZnO) coating on a stainless-steel type-440C substrate was moderated by controlling the B-ZnO crystal nanodomains' piezoelectric effect. The nanoscale and macroscale friction forces, as well as the B-ZnO coating's piezoelectric effect, were measured using lateral force microscopy, friction and wear meter, and piezo response microscopy devices, respectively. The distribution of the friction force's magnitude agreed well with that of the piezoelectric effect. The present study suggests that the friction force can be moderated by controlling the piezoelectric effect in the coating's nanodomains, which constitutes one method for controlling the friction force.
Reference survey spectra of elemental solid measured with Cr Kα photons as a tool for Quases analysis (1): Transition metals period 4 elements (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)
Authors: Zborowski C. , Conard T. , Vanleenhove A. , Hoflijk I. , Vaesen I.
Published: September 2022

Several pure bulk materials were analyzed using laboratory-based hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The spectra are surveys measured using monochromatic Cr Kα radiation at 5414.8 eV after removal of surface contamination or oxidation. These aim to be references for inelastic background analysis using the Tougaard method.
Speech recognition as a function of the number of channels for pediatric cochlear implant recipients
Authors: Gifford René H. , Sunderhaus Linsey W. , Holder Jourdan T. , Berg Katelyn A. , Dawant Benoit M. , Noble Jack H. , Perkins Elizabeth , Camarata Stephen
Published: September 2022

This study investigated the number of channels required for asymptotic speech recognition for ten pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients with precurved electrode arrays. Programs with 4–22 active electrodes were used to assess word and sentence recognition in noise. Children demonstrated significant performance gains up to 12 electrodes for continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) and up to 22 channels with 16 maxima. These data are consistent with the latest adult CI studies demonstrating that modern CI recipients have access to more than 8 independent channels and that both adults and children exhibit performance gains up to 22 channels.
An additional source of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions from perturbation of nonlinear force by reflection from inhomogeneities
Authors: Vetešník Aleš , Vencovský Václav , Gummer Anthony W.
Published: September 2022

The basilar membrane in the cochlea can be modeled as an array of fluid coupled segments driven by stapes vibration and by the undamping nonlinear force simulating cochlear amplification. If stimulated with two tones, the model generates additional tones due to nonlinear distortion. These distortion products (DPs) can be transmitted into the ear canal and produce distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) known to be generated in the healthy ear of various vertebrates. This study presents a solution for DPs in a two-dimensional nonlinear cochlear model with cochlear roughness—small irregularities in the impedance along the basilar membrane, which may produce additional DPs due to coherent reflection. The solution allows for decomposition of various sources of DPs in the model. In addition to the already described nonlinear-distortion and coherent-reflection mechanisms of DP generation, this study identifies a long-latency DPOAE component due to perturbation of nonlinear force. DP wavelets that are coherently reflected due to impedance irregularities travel toward the stapes across the primary generation region of DPs and there evoke perturbation of the nonlinear undamping force. The ensuing DP wavelets have opposite phase to the wavelets arising from coherent reflection, which results in partial cancellation of the coherent-reflection DP wavelets.
Targeting OXPHOS de novo purine synthesis as the nexus of
FLT3
inhibitor–mediated synergistic antileukemic actions
Authors: Zhang Pu , Brinton Lindsey T. , Gharghabi Mehdi , Sher Steven , Williams Katie , Cannon Matthew , Walker Janek S. , Canfield Daniel , Beaver Larry , Cempre Casey B. , Phillips Hannah , Chen Xuyong , Yan Pearlly , Lehman Amy , Scherle Peggy , Wang Min , Vaddi Kris , Baiocchi Robert , Wang Ruoning , Sampath Deepa , Alinari Lapo , Blachly James S. , Lapalombella Rosa
Published: September 2022

Using a genome-wide CRISPR screen, we identified
CDK9
,
DHODH
, and
PRMT5
as synthetic lethal partners with gilteritinib treatment in fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (
FLT3
)–internal tandem duplication (ITD) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and genetically and pharmacologically validated their roles in gilteritinib sensitivity. The presence of
FLT3
-ITD is associated with an increase in anaerobic glycolysis, rendering leukemia cells highly sensitive to inhibition of glycolysis. Supportive of this, our data show the enrichment of single guide RNAs targeting 28 glycolysis-related genes upon gilteritinib treatment, suggesting that switching from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) may represent a metabolic adaption of AML in gilteritinib resistance. CDK9i/FLT3i, DHODHi/FLT3i, and PRMT5i/FLT3i pairs mechanistically converge on OXPHOS and purine biosynthesis blockade, implying that targeting the metabolic functions of these three genes and/or proteins may represent attractive strategies to sensitize AML to gilteritinib treatment. Our findings provide the basis for maximizing therapeutic impact of
FLT3
-ITD inhibitors and a rationale for a clinical trial of these novel combinations.
Oral zero-valent-molybdenum nanodots for inflammatory bowel disease therapy
Authors: Zhang Chen , Wang Han , Yang Xinhui , Fu Zi , Ji Xiuru , Shi Yifan , Zhong Jie , Hu Weiguo , Ye Youqiong , Wang Zhengting , Ni Dalong
Published: September 2022

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects millions of people each year. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a critical role in the progress of IBD and will be a potential therapeutic target. Here, we synthesize a kind of oral zero-valent-molybdenum nanodots (ZVMNs) for the treatment of IBD by scavenging ROS. These ultrasmall ZVMNs can successfully pass through the gastric acid and then be absorbed by the intestine. It has been verified that ZVMNs can down-regulate the quantity of ROS and reduce colitis in a mouse IBD model without distinct side effects. In addition, RNA sequencing reveals a further mechanism that the ZVMNs can protect colon tissues from oxidative stress by inhibiting the nuclear factor κB signaling pathway and reducing the production of excessive pro-inflammatory factors. Together, the ZVMNs will offer a promising alternative treatment option for patients suffering from IBD.
Training patterns associated with injury in New York City Marathon runners
Authors: Toresdahl Brett G , Metzl Jordan D , Kinderknecht James , McElheny Kathryn , de Mille Polly , Quijano Brianna , Fontana Mark A
Published: September 2022

Objective

Training patterns are commonly implicated in running injuries. The purpose of this study was to measure the incidence of injury and illness among marathon runners and the association of injuries with training patterns and workload.

Methods

Runners registered for the New York City Marathon were eligible to enrol and prospectively monitored during the 16 weeks before the marathon, divided into 4-week ‘training quarters’ (TQ) numbered TQ1–TQ4. Training runs were tracked using Strava, a web and mobile platform for tracking exercise. Runners were surveyed at the end of each TQ on injury and illness, and to verify all training runs were recorded. Acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR) was calculated by dividing the running distance in the past 7 days by the running distance in the past 28 days and analysed using ratio thresholds of 1.3 and 1.5.

Results

A total of 735 runners participated, mean age 41.0 (SD 10.7) and 46.0% female. Runners tracked 49 195 training runs. The incidence of injury during training was 40.0% (294/735), and the incidence of injury during or immediately after the marathon was 16.0% (112/699). The incidence of illness during training was 27.2% (200/735). Those reporting an initial injury during TQ3 averaged less distance/week during TQ2 compared with uninjured runners, 27.7 vs 31.9 miles/week (p=0.018). Runners reporting an initial injury during TQ1 had more days when the ACWR during TQ1 was ≥1.5 compared with uninjured runners (injured IQR (0–3) days vs uninjured (0–1) days, p=0.009). Multivariable logistic regression for training injuries found an association with the number of days when the ACWR was ≥1.5 (OR 1.06, 95% CI (1.02 to 1.10), p=0.002).

Conclusion

Increases in training volume ≥1.5 ACWR were associated with more injuries among runners training for a marathon. These findings can inform training recommendations and injury prevention programmes for distance runners.
Development of a 5-year risk prediction model for type 2 diabetes in individuals with incident HbA1c-defined pre-diabetes in Denmark
Authors: Nicolaisen Sia K , Thomsen Reimar W , Lau Cathrine J , Sørensen Henrik T , Pedersen Lars
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Pre-diabetes increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, but data are sparse on predictors in a population-based clinical setting. We aimed to develop and validate prediction models for 5-year risks of progressing to type 2 diabetes among individuals with incident HbA1c-defined pre-diabetes.

Research design and methods

In this population-based cohort study, we used data from the Danish National Health Survey (DNHS; n=486 495), linked to healthcare registries and nationwide laboratory data in 2012–2018. We included individuals with a first HbA1c value of 42–47 mmol/mol (6.0%–6.4%), without prior indications of diabetes. To estimate individual 5-year cumulative incidences of type 2 diabetes (HbA1c ≥48 mmol/mol (6.5%)), Fine-Gray survival models were fitted in random 80% development samples and validated in 20% validation samples. Potential predictors were HbA1c, demographics, prescriptions, comorbidities, socioeconomic factors, and self-rated lifestyle.

Results

Among 335 297 (68.9%) participants in DNHS with HbA1c measurements, 26 007 had pre-diabetes and were included in the study. Median HbA1c was 43.0 mmol/mol (IQR 42.0–44.0 mmol/mol, 6.1% (IQR 6.0%–6.2%)), median age was 69.6 years (IQR 61.0–77.1 years), and 51.9% were women. During a median follow-up of 2.7 years, 11.8% progressed to type 2 diabetes and 10.1% died. The final prediction model included HbA1c, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), any antihypertensive drug use, pancreatic disease, cancer, self-reported diet, doctor’s advice to lose weight or change dietary habits, having someone to talk to, and self-rated health. In the validation sample, the 5-year area under the curve was 72.7 (95% CI 71.2 to 74.3), and the model was well calibrated.

Conclusions

In addition to well-known pre-diabetes predictors such as age, sex, and BMI, we found that measures of self-rated lifestyle, health, and social support are important and modifiable predictors for diabetes. Our model had an acceptable discriminative ability and was well calibrated.
Identifying kidney trade networks using web scraping data
Authors: Li Meng-Hao , Siddique Abu Bakkar , Wilson Brian , Patel Amit , El-Amine Hadi , Koizumi Naoru
Published: September 2022

Kidney trade has been on the rise despite the domestic and international law enforcement aiming to protect the vulnerable population from potential exploitation. Regional hubs are emerging in several parts of the world including South Asia, Central America, the Middle East and East Asia. Kidney trade networks reported in these hot spots are often complex systems involving several players such as buyers, sellers and surgery countries operating across international borders so that they can bypass domestic laws in sellers and buyers’ countries. The exact patterns of the country networks are, however, largely unknown due to the lack of a systematic approach to collect the data. Most of the kidney trade information is currently available in the form of case studies, court materials and news articles or reports, and no comprehensive database exists at this time. The present study thus explored online newspaper scraping to systematically collect 10 419 news articles from 24 major English newspapers in South Asia (January 2016 to May 2019) and build transnational kidney trade networks at the country level. Additionally, this study applied text mining techniques to extract words from each news article and developed machine learning algorithms to identify kidney trade and non-kidney trade news articles. Our findings suggest that online newspaper scraping coupled with the machine learning method is a promising approach to compile such data, especially in the dire shortage of empirical data.
Increasing statin prescription rates to prevent cardiovascular disease among high-risk populations: a quality improvement intervention centred on a novel interactive tool
Authors: Rashid Sana , Suero-Abreu Giselle Alexandra , Tysarowski Maciej , Um Hyo-bin , Shah Kajol , Zhang Yawen , Douglas Analise , Matassa Daniel
Published: September 2022

Statins are indicated for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Our previous study of 1042 consecutive patient encounters at our large urban academic institution found that one in five patients were not prescribed an appropriate statin therapy. Only one-third of patients had follow-up cholesterol levels ordered to monitor treatment efficacy. In order to improve adherence to cholesterol guidelines at our institution, a quality improvement project was undertaken. We implemented interventions over a 4-month period to improve statin prescription rates: (a) development of an online interactive tool, (b) physician education on updated cholesterol guidelines and utilisation of the tool, (c) display of guideline summary in the workspace and (d) a documentation reminder in the electronic health record. We randomly selected encounter dates, from which 622 consecutive patient encounters were analysed. The primary outcome measures were prescription rates of statins, documentation of a 10-year ASCVD risk score and follow-up cholesterol levels ordered to monitor treatment efficacy. Out of the 622 patient encounters, 232 met statin indication. In this post-intervention group, statin prescription rates improved when compared with the pre-intervention group (90.5% vs 82.3%, p=0.006). Among patients who met statin indication solely via a 10-year ASCVD risk score ≥7.5%, there was an increase in documentation of the calculated 10-year ASCVD risk score (72.3% vs 57.8%; p=0.039) and in statin prescription rate (90.8% vs 67.6%; p<0.001). In addition, there was an increase in follow-up cholesterol levels ordered in all patients included in our study who met statin indication (64.1% vs 33.3%; p<0.001). Our quality improvement project showed higher rates of statin prescription, 10-year ASCVD risk score documentation and treatment monitoring after multiple interventions, centred on an easily accessible online interactive tool.