bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prospects for the utilisation of cocoyam corm meal in poultry feeding
Authors: Diarra S. S.
Published: February 2020

Context The increasing demand for maize for human food and industrial uses has stimulated research interest into alternative low value crops as energy sources for poultry. Several high yielding species of aroids, commonly known as taro or cocoyam, are currently in less demand for food or industrial uses and readily available for poultry feeding. Aims To review the production, nutritional profile and antinutritional factor and current uses of cocoyam corm and the effect of processing on its utilisation in poultry feeding. Key findings The nutritional profile of cocoyam with protein content comparable or higher than maize, high starch content and starch digestibility make it a suitable energy ingredient for poultry. The major issues affecting the utilisation of cocoyam include the high moisture and low dry matter contents and the presence of antinutritional factors, mainly calcium oxalate. These constraints may preclude the utilisation of cocoyam corm in commercial diets but it could be used to reduce the cost of production on small-holder farms. Conclusion With adequate processing and proper diet formulation, cocoyam corm meal may be fed up to 280 g/kg diet but unprocessed meal may exert adverse effects on poultry performance even as low as 44 g/kg. Several animal factors including age, species and type of bird (meat or egg) affect the utilisation of cocoyam corm meal by poultry. Implications Reduction of cost of animal protein production and value addition to underutilised aroids. More research is needed into animal factors and feed processing that would allow optimum utilisation of the corm by poultry.
Understanding the preferences of Australian men for accessing health information
Authors: Hodyl Nicolette A. , Hogg Kirsten , Renton Desley , von Saldern Simon , McLachlan Rob
Published: February 2020

With men currently reporting an increased desire to manage their own health, this mixed-methods study aimed to identify the preferred communication channels to support their access to information. Adult cisgender men (n=410) completed an anonymous survey that assessed current methods, preferences and barriers to accessing health information for general, minor, serious and private health concerns. Seven focus groups, attended by 69 men, further explored health-seeking behaviour. Survey results demonstrated the top methods to access information were through the GP or specialist and online searches, with rates differing by age and the type of health concern. Most men (>85%) reported information-seeking for serious concerns, while ~30% did not seek information for minor or private issues. For all ages, the top preferred methods for accessing information included GP or specialists, online searches and pharmacists, with other preferences varying by age, severity and sensitivity. Analysis of the focus group discussions revealed five key themes that help explain men’s decisions and actions about seeking health-information: (i) denial; (ii) delayed information seeking; (iii) social constructs of masculinity; (iv) difficulty initiating discussions about health; and (v) perceived trust and validity of information. This study has provided insight into how information can be tailored to communicate effectively with men of different ages. This will support appropriate health-seeking behaviours in response to minor, serious and private health concerns.
DeCodeR framework: data collection and coding for demands and resources appraisal in extreme weather events (DeCodeR framework: recogida de datos y codificación de exigencias y evaluación de recursos en fenómenos climáticos extremos)
Authors: Domingos Samuel , Gaspar Rui , Fonseca Hugo , Marôco João
Published: February 2020

With the increased frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events potentiated by climate change, a better understanding of social systems’ resilience and adaptation strategies to these has been established as a research priority at the individual and community levels. Because such events have the potential to interfere with individuals’ current needs and goals, this motivates them to evaluate the demands posed by the event and the available resources to cope with them. This, in turn, greatly determines the implemented coping strategies’ effectiveness. Exploring these demands and resources appraisals by coding their indicators and decoding their functions is an important step in promoting resilience and adaptation strategies, in face of future extreme weather events. As a contribution, we propose a theory-driven data collection and coding framework (DeCodeR) for analysing such appraisals, grounded on the Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat Appraisals (BPS Model). This framework was pilot tested with a sample of 159 participants (33 male; 126 female), and further specified in terms of sub-categories of Demands (Danger; Effort; Uncertainty) and Resources (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities; Dispositions; External Support) that may emerge in extreme weather events. Policymakers, practitioners and researchers can capitalize on this work and develop evidence-based strategies to promote human resilience and adaptation to extreme weather events, based on identified resources/demands. This can be achieved by enhancing individual’s personal and social/community resources to cope with the demands posed by present and future events.
Theoretical and experimental investigation of Lamb waves excited by partially debonded rectangular piezoelectric transducers
Authors: Shpak A N , Mueller I , Golub M V , Fritzen C P
Published: February 2020

The paper proposes a new hybrid approach technique to simulate acousto-ultrasonic wave excitation and propagation due to operation of the partially debonded piezoelectric transducer attached to a plate-like structure. The semi-analytical boundary integral equation method is applied to calculate guided waves propagation in the unbounded structures and to separate different guided waves in the piezo-induced wave-fields. The obtained model is verified experimentally using the scanning laser Doppler vibrometry. Eigenfrequencies are calculated and analysed for various sizes of the transducer and for different bonding conditions between the transducer and the waveguide. The impact of the transducer’s height, size and debonding area on symmetric and antisymmetric Lamb waves excitation is analysed. The paper demonstrates that one-sided debonding of the transducer exerts intense influence on the distribution of the wave energy among the excited Lamb wave modes, while center debonding has a sizable impact only at relatively high frequencies.
Many-body quantum dynamics and induced correlations of Bose polarons
Authors: Mistakidis S I , Koutentakis G M , Katsimiga G C , Busch Th , Schmelcher P
Published: February 2020

We study the ground state properties and non-equilibrium dynamics of two spinor bosonic impurities immersed in a one-dimensional bosonic gas upon applying an interspecies interaction quench. For the ground state of two non-interacting impurities we reveal signatures of attractive induced interactions in both cases of attractive or repulsive interspecies interactions, while a weak impurity–impurity repulsion forces the impurities to stay apart. Turning to the quench dynamics we inspect the time-evolution of the contrast unveiling the existence, dynamical deformation and the orthogonality catastrophe of Bose polarons. We find that for an increasing postquench repulsion the impurities reside in a superposition of two distinct two-body configurations while at strong repulsions their corresponding two-body correlation patterns show a spatially delocalized behavior evincing the involvement of higher excited states. For attractive interspecies couplings, the impurities exhibit a tendency to localize at the origin and remarkably for strong attractions they experience a mutual attraction on the two-body level that is imprinted as a density hump on the bosonic bath.
Transverse quasi-modes in periodic potentials
Authors: Alberucci Alessandro
Published: February 2020

We discuss how to find the quasi-modes of the Schrödinger equation when the potential is periodic in time. Our method confirms that the profile of the time-independent (continuous) component of the wavefunction obeys an effective Schrödinger equation where the potential is given by the Kapitza term plus the temporal mean of the original potential, a result originally found by Rahav et al (2003 Phys. Rev. Lett. 91 110404). We then find closed-form expression for the higher order corrections to the quasi-modes, showing how the generic quasi-mode undergoes periodic temporal oscillations and a non-flat phase profile. Validity of our theoretical results is verified against full numerical simulations of the Schrödinger equation. Our findings can be applied both to quantum mechanics and light propagation in the paraxial regime.
Unveiling the oxidation behavior of liquid-phase exfoliated antimony nanosheets
Authors: Assebban Mhamed , Gibaja Carlos , Fickert Michael , Torres Iñigo , Weinreich Erik , Wolff Stefan , Gillen Roland , Maultzsch Janina , Varela Maria , Tan Jun Rong Sherman , Loh Kian Ping , Michel Enrique G , Zamora Félix , Abellán Gonzalo
Published: February 2020

Antimonene, a monolayer of β-antimony, is increasingly attracting considerable attention, more than that of other monoelemental two-dimensional materials, due to its intriguing physical and chemical properties. Under ambient conditions, antimonene exhibits a high thermodynamic stability and good structural integrity. Some theoretical calculations predicted that antimonene would have a high oxidation tendency. However, it remains poorly investigated from the experimental point of view. In this work, we study the oxidation behavior of antimonene nanosheets (ANS) prepared by ultrasonication-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation. Using a set of forefront analytical techniques, a clear effect of sonication time on the surface chemistry of prepared ANS is found. A dynamic oxidation behavior has been observed, which upon annealing at moderate temperature (210 °C) resulted in a semiconducting behavior with a bandgap of approximately 1 eV measured by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. This study yields valuable information for future applications of antimonene and paves the way towards novel modification approaches in order to tailor its properties and complement its limitations.
Effect of different surface conditions on fatigue properties of 7N01 aluminum alloy and the behavioral mechanism of crack of the alloy under alternating load
Authors: Chen Zhiyuan , Cai Zhengkun , Deng Peng , Jiang Xiaosong , Chen Song , Sun Hongliang
Published: February 2020

In this paper, the surface of 7N01 aluminum alloy profile is sandblasted or electropolished. The influence of different surface conditions on its conditional fatigue strength and fatigue mechanism under the alternating load after prefabricated short crack are studied. Results show that the 7N01 aluminum alloy with sandblasting treatment has formed a work hardened layer and its fatigue strength is increased by 42.9% comparing with the original surface specimens. The fatigue strength of the 7N01 aluminum alloy after electropolishing is almost unchanged compared with the original specimen. The fatigue behavior of the 7N01 aluminum alloy after prefabricated side straight through the notch deviated from the theoretical smooth specimen law and long crack propagation law in which is a ‘shortage effect’. When the notch size is smaller than the transition crack size a0, the fatigue limit of the notched specimen is lower than the fatigue limit of the smooth specimen. When the notch size is larger than the transition crack size, the fatigue limit of the long-notched specimen is still lower than that predicted by linear elastic fracture mechanics. Due to the ‘short notch effect’, the effective notch propagation threshold ΔKeff.th of the long crack is 0.39 Mpa m1/2 based on the effective notch propagation size a0 eff of the alloy.
A guide to household manual and machine dishwashing through a life cycle perspective
Authors: Porras Gabriela Y , Keoleian Gregory A , Lewis Geoffrey M , Seeba Nagapooja
Published: February 2020

This study evaluates and provides guidance on improving the life cycle environmental performance of dishwashing in the typical U.S. household. Typical user behaviors and recommended best practices for manual dishwashing as well as machine dishwasher use are evaluated. A sensitivity analysis shows the influence of varying grid carbon intensity, water heater type, regional water scarcity, and behaviors such as pre-rinsing and machine loading on overall results. Use-phase behaviors are observed through a small-scale laboratory study. Dishwashing following typical manual and machine practices produces 5,620 and 2,090 kg CO2e life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions respectively based on washing 4 loads (8 place settings per load) a week for 10 years. Avoiding typical behaviors like pre-rinsing and selecting heated dry can decrease life cycle GHG emissions for machine dishwashing by 3% and 11%, respectively. The running tap style of manual dishwashing results in the highest life cycle GHG emissions of the alternatives in the lab study. Manual dishwashing has the potential to have the lowest GHG emmisions (1,610 kg) when recommended behaviors are followed, less than the 1,960 kg CO2e for recommended machine dishwasher use. When life cycle water consumption burdens are evaluated, typical manual and machine dishwashing use 34,200 and 16,300 gallons respectively and these results are contextualized to regions with different water scarcity. A life cycle cost (LCC) analysis finds that machine dishwashing costs more than manual dishwashing over a 10-year lifetime even if best practices are followed. However, when a user’s time spent washing is valued, machine dishwashers pay for themselves within a year of use.
Uncommon clustering in dilute Ti–Fe alloys
Authors: Boukhvalov D W , Gornostyrev Yu N , Katsnelson M I
Published: February 2020

We present the results of ab initio modeling of structure of dilute Ti–Fe, a typical representative of quenched Ti-based transition-metal alloys. We have demonstrated that beyond the solubility limit this alloy cannot be described in common terms of substitutional and interstitial alloys. Instead, very stable local clusters are formed in both low-temperature hcp and high-temperature bcc phases of alloys, with almost identical local structures. This gives an example of geometrically frustrated state and explains unusual concentration behavior of Mössbauer spectra discovered long ago for this system.
Reconciling edge states with compressible stripes in a ballistic mesoscopic conductor
Authors: Armagnat Pacome , Waintal Xavier
Published: February 2020

The well-known Landauer–Buttiker (LB) picture used to explain the quantum Hall effect uses the concept of (chiral) edge states that carry the current. In their seminal 1992 article, Chklovskii, Shklovskii and Glazman (CSG) showed that the LB picture does not account for some very basic properties of the gas, such as its density profile, as it lacks a proper treatment of the electrostatic energy. They showed that, instead, one should consider alternated stripes of compressible and incompressible phases. In this letter, we revisit this issue using a full solution of the quantum-electrostatic problem of a narrow ballistic conductor, beyond the CSG approach. We recover the LB channels at low field and the CSG compressible/incompressible stripes at high field. Our calculations reveal the existence of a third ‘hybrid’ phase at intermediate field. This hybrid phase has well defined LB type edge states, yet possesses a Landau level pinned at the Fermi energy as in the CSG picture. We calculate the magneto-conductance which reveals the interplay between the LB and CSG regimes. Our results have important implications for the propagation of edge magneto-plasmons.
Next generation low temperature polycrystalline materials for above IC electronics. High mobility n- and p-type III–V metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy thin films on amorphous substrates
Authors: Gocalinska Agnieszka , Pescaglini Andrea , Secco Eleonora , Mura Enrica E , Thomas Kevin , Curran Anya , Gity Farzan , Nagle Roger , Schmidt Michael , Michałowski Paweł P , Hurley Paul K , Povey Ian , Pelucchi Emanuele
Published: February 2020

We report on the growth and electronic properties of polycrystalline III–V semiconductors, which to date have not been discussed in depth in the literature. III–V polycrystalline semiconductor thin films were grown by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy in the temperature range 410 °C–475 °C, which is compatible for integration into the Back-End-Of-Line (BEOL) silicon based integrated circuits. The thickness of the films in this study is in the range of tens to a few hundreds of nanometers, and deposited on amorphous substrates (either smart-phone-grade glass or Si/SiO2) and, also, on oxidised GaAs epi-ready wafers. Extensive AFM, SEM and TEM analyses show interlinked-to-continuous polycrystalline III–V films based on In(Al)As or GaSb. Hall-van der Pauw measurements return results of high mobility and controllable charge density for n- and p-type field effect transistors. In the GaAs/In(Al)As system, electron density ranging from 1 × 1016 to 1 × 1019 cm−3 (n) was achieved, with room temperature mobility values in the range of 100–150 cm2 V−1 s−1 and hole mobility values in the range of 1–10 cm2 V−1 s−1 have been measured in Zn doped samples. Polycrystalline GaSb films demonstrated p-type behaviour (1 × 1017 cm−3) with remarkably high room temperature hole mobility values up to 66 cm2 V−1 s−1 for the films grown on Si/SiO2 substrate (and 300 cm2 V−1 s−1 for the GaAs substrate where an epitaxial process is actually in place). Materials could be stacked into heterostructures, providing a promising platform for complex devices enabling compatible n- and p- hetero-layers for 3D integration formed at temperatures ≤480 °C.
A note on compact 𝜅-solutions of Kähler-Ricci flow
Authors: Deng Yuxing , Zhu Xiaohua
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we give a complete classification of

κ
\kappa

-solutions of Kähler-Ricci flow on compact complex manifolds. Namely, they must be quotients of products of irreducible compact Hermitian symmetric manifolds.
𝐿^{𝑝} regularity of least gradient functions
Authors: Górny Wojciech
Published: February 2020

It is shown that in the anisotropic least gradient problem on an open bounded setΩ⊂RN\Omega \subset \mathbb {R}^Nwith Lipschitz boundary, given boundary dataf∈Lp(∂Ω)f \in L^p(\partial \Omega )the solutions lie inLNpN−1(Ω)L^{\frac {Np}{N-1}}(\Omega ); the exponent is shown to be optimal. Moreover, the solutions are shown to be locally bounded with explicit bounds on the rate of blow-up of the solution near the boundary in two settings: in the anisotropic case on the plane and in the isotropic case in any dimension.
A characterization of hereditary algebras via thick subcategories
Authors: Kimura Yuta
Published: February 2020

Let

Λ
\Lambda

be a finite dimensional algebra. There exists a natural injective map from the set of wide subcategories in the category of finitely generated

Λ
\Lambda

-modules to the set of thick subcategories in the bounded derived category of

Λ
\Lambda

.We show, when

Λ
\Lambda

is elementary, that the natural map is bijective if and only if

Λ
\Lambda

is hereditary.
Isolated singularities of flat metrics on Riemann surfaces
Authors: Li Jin , Xu Bin
Published: February 2020

Robert L. Bryant (see [Astérisque 154-155 (1987), pp. 321–347, Proposition 4]) proved that an isolated singularity of a conformal metric of positive constant curvature with finite area on a Riemann surface is a conical one. Using complex analysis, we find all local models for an isolated singularity of a flat metric whose area satisfies some polynomial growth condition near the singularity. In particular, we show that an isolated singularity of a flat metric with finite area must be conic.
𝐶*-algebras of right LCM monoids and their equilibrium states
Authors: Brownlowe Nathan , Larsen Nadia , Ramagge Jacqui , Stammeier Nicolai
Published: February 2020

We study the internal structure of

C
∗

C^*

-algebras of right LCM monoids by means of isolating the core semigroup

C
∗

C^*

-algebra as the coefficient algebra of a Fock-type module on which the full semigroup

C
∗

C^*

-algebra admits a left action. If the semigroup has a generalised scale, we classify the KMS-states for the associated time evolution on the semigroup

C
∗

C^*

-algebra and provide sufficient conditions for uniqueness of the KMS

β

_\beta

-state at inverse temperature

β
\beta

in a critical interval.
A reduction theorem for the Galois–McKay conjecture
Authors: Navarro Gabriel , Späth Britta , Vallejo Carolina
Published: February 2020

We introduce

H

{\mathcal {H}}

-triples and a partial order relation on them, generalizing the theory of ordering character triples developed by Navarro and Späth. This generalization takes into account the action of Galois automorphisms on characters and, together with previous results of Ladisch and Turull, allows us to reduce the Galois–McKay conjecture to a question about simple groups.
Sharp asymptotics of the first eigenvalue on some degenerating surfaces
Authors: Matthiesen Henrik , Siffert Anna
Published: February 2020

We study sharp asymptotics of the first eigenvalue on Riemannian surfaces obtained from a fixed Riemannian surface by attaching a collapsing flat handle or cross cap to it. Through a careful choice of parameters this construction can be used to strictly increase the first eigenvalue normalized by area if the initial surface has some symmetries. If these symmetries are not present we show that the first eigenvalue normalized by area strictly decreases for the same range of parameters. These results are the main motivation for the construction in [preprint, arXiv:1909.03105v2], where we show a monotonicity result for the normalized first eigenvalue without any symmetry assumptions.
The Progressive Era’s New Optimists
Authors: Zibrak Arielle
Published: February 2020

New scholarship in the literature and print culture of the Progressive Era emphasizes the socially and politically transformative power of aesthetic experience. Through their attention to the physical as well as ideological spaces in which the dual projects of political reform and cultural formation via textual production and consumption were carried out, these scholars offer an account of Progressive-Era aesthetic products ranging from fiction to journalism to comics to productions of Elizabethan drama as democratic sites of social good. While previous criticism of the era’s literature aligned its ideological orientation with the regressive politics of nativism and rising class divisions, these scholars, through both recovery and rereading, take a more optimistic approach that emphasizes the reciprocal nature of the textual engagement undertaken by immigrants and the working class.
The Play’s a Thing: The 47 Workshop and the “Crafting” of Creative Writing
Authors: Kempf Christopher
Published: February 2020

This article examines the first creative writing “workshop,” so called, in order to assess how present-day institutional practices restructure transhistorical questions of labor, education, and aesthetic and economic production. Drawing on extensive archival research, I document the procedures of and theory behind drama professor George Pierce Baker’s “47 Workshop” at Harvard, operative from 1912 to 1924. Baker’s use of the term, I argue, provides rhetorical cover by which to slot arts courses into a Harvard curriculum increasingly geared toward utilitarian education. At the same time, the term signals Baker’s ties to the American Arts and Crafts movement, a cause opposed to industrialization just as Baker opposed the mass fare of Broadway. Reading Baker’s 1930 pageant Control for its advocacy of preindustrial values, the article concludes by contending that this distinct genealogy for creative writing helps us rethink the discipline today. If Baker understood workshop as an alternative, nonrationalized discourse, present-day craft rhetoric consolidates the authority of elite educational institutions.
Olfactory Influences on Visual Categorization: Behavioral and ERP Evidence
Authors: Hörberg Thomas , Larsson Maria , Ekström Ingrid , Sandöy Camilla , Lundén Peter , Olofsson Jonas K
Published: February 2020

Visual stimuli often dominate nonvisual stimuli during multisensory perception. Evidence suggests higher cognitive processes prioritize visual over nonvisual stimuli during divided attention. Visual stimuli should thus be disproportionally distracting when processing incongruent cross-sensory stimulus pairs. We tested this assumption by comparing visual processing with olfaction, a “primitive” sensory channel that detects potentially hazardous chemicals by alerting attention. Behavioral and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were assessed in a bimodal object categorization task with congruent or incongruent odor–picture pairings and a delayed auditory target that indicated whether olfactory or visual cues should be categorized. For congruent pairings, accuracy was higher for visual compared to olfactory decisions. However, for incongruent pairings, reaction times (RTs) were faster for olfactory decisions. Behavioral results suggested that incongruent odors interfered more with visual decisions, thereby providing evidence for an “olfactory dominance” effect. Categorization of incongruent pairings engendered a late “slow wave” ERP effect. Importantly, this effect had a later amplitude peak and longer latency during visual decisions, likely reflecting additional categorization effort for visual stimuli in the presence of incongruent odors. In sum, contrary to what might be inferred from theories of “visual dominance,” incongruent odors may in fact uniquely attract mental processing resources during perceptual incongruence.
Thermal ecology of the federally endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila)
Authors: Ivey Kathleen N , Cornwall Margaret , Crowell Hayley , Ghazian Nargol , Nix Emmeleia , Owen Malory , Zuliani Mario , Lortie Christopher J , Westphal Michael , Taylor Emily
Published: February 2020

Recognizing how climate change will impact populations can aid in making decisions about approaches for conservation of endangered species. The blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is a federally endangered species that, despite protection, remains in extremely arid, hot areas and may be at risk of extirpation due to climate change. We collected data on the field-active body temperatures, preferred body temperatures and upper thermal tolerance of G. sila. We then described available thermal habitat using biophysical models, which allowed us to (i) describe patterns in lizard body temperatures, microhabitat temperatures and lizard microhabitat use; (ii) quantify the lizards’ thermoregulatory accuracy; (iii) calculate the number of hours they are currently thermally restricted in microhabitat use; (iv) project how the number of restricted hours will change in the future as ambient temperatures rise; and (v) assess the importance of giant kangaroo rat burrows and shade-providing shrubs in the current and projected future thermal ecology of G. sila. Lizards maintained fairly consistent daytime body temperatures over the course of the active season, and use of burrows and shrubs increased as the season progressed and ambient temperatures rose. During the hottest part of the year, lizards shuttled among kangaroo rat burrows, shrubs, and open habitat to maintain body temperatures below their upper thermal tolerance, but, occasionally, higher than their preferred body temperature range. Lizards are restricted from staying in the open habitat for 75% of daylight hours and are forced to seek refuge under shrubs or burrows to avoid surpassing their upper thermal threshold. After applying climatic projections of 1 and 2°C increases to 2018 ambient temperatures, G. sila will lose additional hours of activity time that could compound stressors faced by this population, potentially leading to extirpation.
Tannin supplementation modulates the composition and function of ruminal microbiome in lambs infected with gastrointestinal nematodes
Authors: Corrêa Patricia Spoto , Mendes Lucas William , Lemos Leandro Nascimento , Crouzoulon Pierre , Niderkorn Vincent , Hoste Hervé , Costa-Júnior Livio Martins , Tsai Siu Mui , Faciola Antonio P , Abdalla Adibe Luiz , Louvandini Helder
Published: February 2020

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of tannin supplementation on ruminal microbiota of sixteen lambs infected and non-infected with Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis. Animals were fed with hay, concentrate and supplemented with Acacia mearnsii (A. mearnsii). The animals were divided into four treatments: two control groups without infection, either receiving A. mearnsii (C+) or not (C-), and two infected groups, one with A. mearnsii (I+) and another without A. mearnsii (I-). Ruminal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and metagenome sequencing of ruminal microbiota were used to evaluate the effect of tannin and infection on ruminal microbiome. For SCFA, differences were observed only with A. mearnsii. Total SCFA and acetate molar percentage were decreased in C+ and I+ (P<0.05). Butyrate, valerate and isovalerate were higher in lambs that received A. mearnsii in the diet (P<0.05). The infection changed the microbiome structure and decreased the abundance of butyrate-producing microorganisms. In addition, A. mearnsii supplementation also affected the structure the microbial community, increasing the diversity and abundance of the butyrate-producing and probiotics bacteria, amino acid metabolic pathways, purine, pyrimidine and sphingolipid metabolism. Together, our findings indicate that A. mearnsii supplementation modulates important groups related to nitrogen, amino acid, purine and pyrimidine metabolism, in rumen microbiome, affected by gastrointestinal nematodes infection in lambs.
Novel de Novo Genome of Cynopterus brachyotis Reveals Evolutionarily Abrupt Shifts in Gene Family Composition across Fruit Bats
Authors: Chattopadhyay Balaji , Garg Kritika M , Ray Rajasri , Mendenhall Ian H , Rheindt Frank E
Published: February 2020

Major novel physiological or phenotypic adaptations often require accompanying modifications at the genic level. Conversely, the detection of considerable contractions and/or expansions of gene families can be an indicator of fundamental but unrecognized physiological change. We sequenced a novel fruit bat genome (Cynopterus brachyotis) and adopted a comparative approach to reconstruct the evolution of fruit bats, mapping contractions and expansions of gene families along their evolutionary history. Despite a radical change in life history as compared with other bats (e.g., loss of echolocation, large size, and frugivory), fruit bats have undergone surprisingly limited change in their genic composition, perhaps apart from a potentially novel gene family expansion relating to telomere protection and longevity. In sharp contrast, within fruit bats, the new Cynopterus genome bears the signal of unusual gene loss and gene family contraction, despite its similar morphology and lifestyle to two other major fruit bat lineages. Most missing genes are regulatory, immune-related, and olfactory in nature, illustrating the diversity of genomic strategies employed by bats to contend with responses to viral infection and olfactory requirements. Our results underscore that significant fluctuations in gene family composition are not always associated with obvious examples of novel physiological and phenotypic adaptations but may often relate to less-obvious shifts in immune strategies.
The Strength of Weaker Ties: An Underexplored Resource for Maintaining Emotional Well-Being in Later Life
Authors: Huxhold Oliver , Fiori Katherine L , Webster Noah J , Antonucci Toni C
Published: February 2020

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine dynamic links between changes in social ties and changes in emotional well-being.

Method

Trivariate dual-change score models were used to test whether a large number of close ties would be more strongly associated with low levels of depressed affect than a large number of weaker ties, and a large number of weaker ties would be more strongly associated with high levels of positive affect compared to a large number of close ties, across three waves of a large, regionally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 40 and older (N = 802).

Results

We found that a greater number of weaker ties was associated with having more close ties over time, and that the number of weaker ties was more strongly predictive of positive age-related changes in both aspects of well-being (i.e., more positive affect and less depressed affect) than the number of close ties.

Discussion

Contrary to popular theoretical orientations in gerontology, weaker ties may offer older adults a more effective avenue for promoting emotional well-being over time than close ties, and may have the additional benefit of compensating for losses in the number of close ties.
Homeostasis Revisited: Patterns of Stability and Rebalancing in Older Adults’ Social Lives
Authors: Cornwell Benjamin , Goldman Alyssa , Laumann Edward O
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To examine patterns of change in later-life social connectedness: (a) the extent and direction of changes in different aspects of social connectedness, including size, density, and composition of social networks, network turnover, and three types of community involvement and (b) the sequential nature of these changes over time.

Method

We use three waves of nationally representative data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, collected from 2005/2006 to 2015/2016. Respondents were between the ages of 67 and 95 at follow-up. Types of changes in their social connectedness between the two successive 5-year periods are compared to discern over-time change patterns.

Results

Analyses reveal stability or growth in the sizes of most older adults’ social networks, their access to non-kin ties, network expansiveness, as well as several forms of community involvement. Most older adults experienced turnover within their networks, but losses and additions usually offset each other, resulting in generally stable network size and structural features. Moreover, when older adults reported decreases (increases) in a given form of social connectedness during the first half of the study period, these changes were typically followed by countervailing increases (decreases) over the subsequent 5-year period. This general pattern holds for both network and community connectedness.

Discussion

There is an overwhelming tendency toward either maintaining or rebalancing previous structures and levels of both personal network connectedness and community involvement. This results in overall homeostasis. We close by discussing the need for a unifying theoretical framework that can explain these patterns.
Respiration of mesopelagic fish: a comparison of respiratory electron transport system (ETS) measurements and allometrically calculated rates in the Southern Ocean and Benguela Current
Authors: Belcher Anna , Cook Kathryn , Bondyale-Juez Daniel , Stowasser Gabriele , Fielding Sophie , Saunders Ryan A , Mayor Daniel J , Tarling Geraint A
Published: February 2020

Mesopelagic fish are an important component of marine ecosystems, and their contribution to marine biogeochemical cycles is becoming increasingly recognized. However, major uncertainties remain in the rates at which they remineralize organic matter. We present respiration rate estimates of mesopelagic fish from two oceanographically contrasting regions: the Scotia Sea and the Benguela Current. Respiration rates were estimated by measuring the enzyme activities of the electron transport system. Regression analysis of respiration with wet mass highlights regional and inter-specific differences. The mean respiration rates of all mesopelagic fish sampled were 593.6 and 354.9 µl O2 individual−1 h−1 in the Scotia Sea and Benguela Current, respectively. Global allometric models performed poorly in colder regions compared with our observations, underestimating respiratory flux in the Scotia Sea by 67–88%. This may reflect that most data used to fit such models are derived from temperate and subtropical regions. We recommend caution when applying globally derived allometric models to regional data, particularly in cold (<5°C) temperature environments where empirical data are limited. More mesopelagic fish respiration rate measurements are required, particularly in polar regions, to increase the accuracy with which we can assess their importance in marine biogeochemical cycles.
Repurposing the psoriasis drug Oxarol to an ointment adjuvant for the influenza vaccine
Authors: Sato Ryota , Makino-Okamura Chieko , Lin Quingshun , Wang Muying , Shoemaker Jason E , Kurosaki Tomohiro , Fukuyama Hidehiro
Published: February 2020

Aluminum precipitates have long been used as adjuvants for human vaccines, but there is a clear need for safer and more effective adjuvants. Here we report in a mouse model that the psoriasis drug Oxarol ointment is a highly effective vaccine adjuvant. By applying Oxarol ointment onto skin, humoral responses and germinal center (GC) reactions were augmented, and the treated mice were protected from death caused by influenza virus infection. Keratinocyte-specific vitamin D3 receptor (Vdr) gene expression was required for these responses through induction of the thymic stromal lymphopoietin (Tslp) gene. Experiments involving administration of recombinant TSLP or, conversely, anti-TSLP antibody demonstrated that TSLP plays a key role in the GC reactions. Furthermore, cell-type-specific Tslpr gene deletion or diphtheria toxin-mediated deletion of specific cell types revealed that CD11c+ cells excluding Langerhans cells were responsible for the Oxarol-mediated GC reactions. These results indicate that active vitamin D3 is able to enhance the humoral response via Tslp induction in the skin and serves as a new vaccine adjuvant.
RNA markers for ultra-rapid molecular antimicrobial susceptibility testing in fluoroquinolone-treated Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Yang Xi , Hashemi Marjan M , Andini Nadya , Li Michelle M , Kuang Shuzhen , Carroll Karen C , Wang Tza-Huei , Yang Samuel
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Traditional antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is growth dependent and time-consuming. With rising rates of drug-resistant infections, a novel diagnostic method is critically needed that can rapidly reveal a pathogen’s antimicrobial susceptibility to guide appropriate treatment. Recently, RNA sequencing has been identified as a powerful diagnostic tool to explore transcriptional gene expression and improve AST.

Methods

RNA sequencing was used to investigate the potential of RNA markers for rapid molecular AST using Klebsiella pneumoniae and ciprofloxacin as a model. Downstream bioinformatic analysis was applied for optimal marker selection. Further validation on 11 more isolates of K. pneumoniae was performed using quantitative real-time PCR.

Results

From RNA sequencing, we identified RNA signatures that were induced or suppressed following exposure to ciprofloxacin. Significant shifts at the transcript level were observed as early as 10 min after antibiotic exposure. Lastly, we confirmed marker expression profiles with concordant MIC results from traditional culture-based AST and validated across 11 K. pneumoniae isolates. recA, coaA and metN transcripts harbour the most sensitive susceptibility information and were selected as our top markers.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that RNA signature is a promising approach to AST development, resulting in faster clinical diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease. This approach is potentially applicable in other models including other pathogens exposed to different classes of antibiotics.
Simultaneous Determination of Phenylephrine Hydrochloride, Guaifenesin, and Chlorpheniramine Maleate in Cough Syrup by Gradient Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Amer Sawsan M , Abbas Samah S , Shehata Mostafa A , Ali Nahed M
Published: February 2020

A simple and reliable high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of mixture of phenylephrine hydrochloride (PHENYL), guaifenesin (GUAIF), and chlorpheniramine maleate (CHLO) either in pure form or in the presence of methylparaben and propylparaben in a commercial cough syrup dosage form. Separation was achieved on a C8 column using 0.005 M heptane sulfonic acid sodium salt (pH 3.4 0.1) and acetonitrile as a mobile phase by gradient elution at different flow rates, and detection was done spectrophotometrically at 210 nm. A linear relationship in the range of 30180, 1201800, and 1060 g/mL was obtained for PHENYL, GUAIF, and CHLO, respectively. The results were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained by applying the British Pharmacopoeia (2002) method and showed that the proposed method is precise, accurate, and can be easily applied for the determination of the drugs under investigation in pure form and in cough syrup formulations.
Second-Derivative Synchronous Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Simultaneous Determination of Cinnarizine and Nicergoline in Pharmaceutical Preparations
Authors: Walash Mohamed I , Belal Fathalla , El-Enany Nahed , Abdelal Amina
Published: February 2020

A rapid, simple, and highly sensitive second-derivative synchronous fluorometric method has been developed for the simultaneous analysis of binary mixtures of cinnarizine (CN) and nicergoline (NIC). The method is based upon measurement of the native fluorescence of these drugs at constant wavelength difference () = 80 nm in aqueous methanol (50, v/v). The different experimental parameters affecting the native fluorescence of the studied drugs were carefully studied and optimized. The fluorescence-concentration plots were rectilinear over the range of 0.0251.5 and 0.255.5 g/mL for CN and NIC, respectively, with lower detection limits of 0.58 and 0.82 ng/mL and quantitation limits of 1.93 and 2.73 ng/mL for CN and NIC, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of the studied compounds in synthetic mixtures and in commercial tablets. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained with reference methods. The high sensitivity attained by the proposed method allowed the determination of CN in real and spiked human plasma. The mean recovery in the case of spiked human plasma [number of trials (n) = 3] was 102.82 2.17, while that in real human plasma (n = 3) was 105.25 2.05.
A Novel Photometric Method for Evaluation of the Oxidative Stability of Virgin Olive Oils
Authors: Kamvissis Vassilis N , Barbounis Emmanouil G , Megoulas Nikolaos C , Koupparis Michael A
Published: February 2020

The Oxitester method, a novel, simple, and fast photometric method for the evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of olive oils, was validated and compared to the official oil stability index (Rancimat) method. The Oxitester method appeared to be a good alternative to the Rancimat method with adequate correlation for a wide range of virgin olive oil samples, including extrissima virgin olive oils (correlation coefficient 0.88), and extra virgin olive oils of increased acidity (free fatty acids >0.45, correlation coefficient 0.89). Other quality factors (flavor, free fatty acids content, specific absorbance at 270 and 232 nm, peroxide value, and content of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids) were also measured and correlated to the antioxidant capacity values of the Oxitester and Rancimat methods. The Oxitester method, in contrast to the Rancimat method, was indicative of the flavor characteristics of the olive oils and the content of linolenic acid.
Determination of Trace Amounts of Zinc by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry After Preconcentration with Modified Clinoptilolite Zeolite
Authors: Hajialigol Saeed , Taher Mohammad Ali , Malekpour Akbar
Published: February 2020

Natural clinoptilolite was used as a sorbent material for solid-phase extraction and preconcentration of zinc. Clinoptilolite was first saturated with cadmium (II) and then modified with benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride for increasing adsorption of 3-(2-arsenophenylazo)-4,5-dihydroxy-2,7-naphthalene disulfonic acid (neothorin). Zinc was quantitatively retained on the adsorbent by the column method in the pH range of 3.84.2 at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. It was eluted from the column with 5.0 mL 2 M nitric acid solution at a flow rate of 1 mL/min and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry at 213.9 nm. Zinc could be concentrated from a 0.03 g/L solution with a preconcentration factor of 170. Relative standard deviation for 8 replicate determinations of 2.5 g zinc in the final solution was 0.92. The interference of a large number of anions and cations was studied in detail to optimize the conditions, and the method was successfully applied for determination of zinc in standard and real water samples.
Inclusion of quebracho tannin extract in a high-roughage cattle diet alters digestibility, nitrogen balance, and energy partitioning
Authors: Norris Aaron B , Crossland Whitney L , Tedeschi Luis O , Foster Jamie L , Muir James P , Pinchak William E , Fonseca Mozart A
Published: February 2020

Condensed tannins (CT) might improve animal and system-level efficiency due to enhanced protein efficiency and reduced CH4. This study evaluated the impact of quebracho tannin (QT) extract fed at 0%, 1.5%, 3%, and 4.5% of dry matter (DM), within a roughage-based diet on apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), fibrous fractions, and N retention and energy partitioning of growing steers (236 ± 16 kg BW). A Latin rectangle design with eight animals and four periods was used to determine the whole-animal exchange of CO2, O2, and CH4 as well as the collection of total feces and urine over a 48-h period, using two open-circuit, indirect calorimetry respiration chambers. Following the removal of steers from respiration chambers, rumen inoculum was collected to determine ruminal parameter, including volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia. Animals were fed a 56.5% roughage diet at 1.7% BW (dry matter basis). Dry matter and gross energy intakes were influenced by the level of QT inclusion (P ≤ 0.036). Digestibility of DM, OM, and N was reduced with QT inclusion (P < 0.001), and fiber digestibility was slightly impacted (P > 0.123). QTs altered the N excretion route, average fecal N-to-total N ratio excreted increased 14%, and fecal N-to-urinary N ratio increased 38% (P < 0.001) without altering the retained N. Increased fecal energy with QT provision resulted in reduced dietary digestible energy (DE) concentration (Mcal/kg DM; P = 0.024). There were no differences in urinary energy (P = 0.491), but CH4 energy decreased drastically (P = 0.007) as QT inclusion increased. Total ruminal VFA concentration did not differ across treatments, but VFA concentration increased linearly with QT inclusion (P = 0.049). Metabolizable energy (ME) was not affected by the QT rate, and the conversion efficiency of DE-to-ME did not differ. Heat energy decreased (P = 0.013) with increased QT provision likely due to changes in the DE intake, but there was no difference in retained energy. There were no differences for retained energy or N per CO2 equivalent emission produced (P = 0.774 and 0.962, respectively), but improved efficiency for energy retention occurred for 3% QT. We concluded that QT provided up to 4.5% of dry matter intake (about 3.51% of CT, dry matter basis) does not affect N and energy retention within the current setting. Feeding QT reduced energy losses in the form of CH4 and heat, but the route of energy loss appears to be influenced by the rate of QT inclusion.