bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ectomycorrhizal fungi induce systemic resistance against insects on a nonmycorrhizal plant in a CERK1‐dependent manner
Authors: Vishwanathan Kishore , Zienkiewicz Krzysztof , Liu Yang , Janz Dennis , Feussner Ivo , Polle Andrea , Haney Cara H.
Published: May 2020

Below‐ground microbes can induce systemic resistance against foliar pests and pathogens on diverse plant hosts. The prevalence of induced systemic resistance (ISR) among plant‐microbe‐pest systems raises the question of host specificity in microbial induction of ISR.

To test whether ISR is limited by plant host range, we tested the ISR‐inducing ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor on the nonmycorrhizal plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We used the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni and bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pto) as readouts for ISR on Arabidopsis.

We found that root inoculation with L. bicolor triggered ISR against T. ni and induced systemic susceptibility (ISS) against the bacterial pathogen Pto. We found that L. bicolor‐triggered ISR against T. ni was dependent on jasmonic acid signaling and salicylic acid biosynthesis and signaling. Heat‐killed L. bicolor and chitin were sufficient to trigger ISR against T. ni and ISS against Pto. The chitin receptor CERK1 was necessary for L. bicolor‐mediated effects on systemic immunity.

Collectively our findings suggest that some ISR responses might not require intimate symbiotic association, but rather might be the result of root perception of conserved microbial signals.
Alternatives to amyloid for Alzheimer's disease therapies—a symposium report
Authors: Cable Jennifer , Holtzman David M. , Hyman Bradley T. , Tansey Malú Gámez , Colonna Marco , Kellis Manolis , Brinton Roberta D. , Albert Marilyn , Wellington Cheryl L. , Sisodia Sangram S. , Tanzi Rudolph E.
Published: May 2020

For decades, Alzheimer's disease research has focused on amyloid as the primary pathogenic agent. This focus has driven the development of numerous amyloid‐targeting therapies; however, with one possible exception, none of these therapies have been effective in preventing or delaying cognitive decline in patients, and there are no approved disease‐modifying agents. It is becoming more apparent that alternative drug targets are needed to address this complex disease. An increased understanding of Alzheimer's disease pathology has highlighted the need to target the appropriate disease pathology at the appropriate time in the disease course. Preclinical and early clinical studies have focused on targets, including inflammation, tau, vascular health, and the microbiome. This report summarizes the presentations from a New York Academy of Sciences' one‐day symposium entitled “Alzheimer's Disease Therapeutics: Alternatives to Amyloid,” held on November 20, 2019.
Association between 24‐hour movement guidelines and physical fitness in children
Authors: Tanaka Chiaki , Tremblay Mark S. , Okuda Masayuki , Tanaka Shigeho
Published: May 2020

Background

Physical fitness levels in Japanese children are lower than those in the 1980s. Twenty‐four hour movement guidelines were recently developed to improve both present and future health of children. This study examined whether meeting the 24 h movement guidelines was associated with physical fitness measures in primary school children.

Methods

Participants were 243 Japanese children (9.4 ± 1.7 years). Moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was evaluated using accelerometry. Sleep duration and screen time were reported. Physical fitness was assessed by grip strength, sit‐ups, sitting trunk flexion, and 20 m shuttle run test. Meeting the 24 h movement guidelines was defined as: 9–11 h / night of sleep, ≤2 h/day of screen time, and at least 60 min/day of MVPA. The associations between physical fitness and the recommendations were analyzed using analysis of covariance.

Results

Children meeting the MVPA recommendation alone performed better on the 20 m shuttle run and sit‐up test compared to those not meeting the recommendation (number of laps: 41 vs 36, P = 0.009 and number of repetitions: 16.3 vs 14.7, P = 0.021). Children meeting the combination of MVPA and sleep recommendation scored significantly higher on the sit‐up test compared to those not meeting the recommendations (number of repetitions: 16.5 vs 15.0, P = 0.038) but the effect was similar to that of the MVPA reference only. Meeting all three 24 h movement guidelines was not associated with measures of fitness in this sample. Meeting the MVPA recommendation was associated with greater aerobic fitness and muscle endurance.

Conclusions

In order to enhance children’s physical fitness, public health recommendations should primarily target MVPA.
Does renal transplant in children with LUTD improve their bladder function?
Authors: Aboulela Waseem , Fawzy Ahmed M. , Abdelmawla Mohamed A. , Salah Doaa M. , Eldin Mohamed Salah , Mohamed Anwar Ahmed Zaki , El Ghoneimy Mohamed , Shouman Ahmed M. , Shoukry Ahmed I. , Bazaraa Hafez , Tawfiek Ehab R. , Fadel Fatina , Badawy H. , Morsi Hani A. , Ghoneima Waleed
Published: May 2020

Much is still unknown about LUT function after receiving renal graft. Graft function was the main focus of different studies discussing the same issue. However, these studies ignored the effects of the graft on lower tract function and more demand for bladder cycling and growth of the child. Therefore, we aimed at evaluating the LUT function after RT into patients with LUTD. We enrolled a retrospective cohort of 83 live renal transplant children with LUTD. The 44 patients in Group (A) had a defunctionalized bladder, and the 39 patients in Group (B) had underlying LUT pathology. All patients had clinical and urodynamic evaluation of LUT functions at least 1 year after RT. We found that the improvement in patients with impaired bladder compliance was 73% in Group (A) and 60% in Group (B), with no statistically significant difference between the study groups. In Group (B), there was statistically significant worsening of MFP (8.4%) and mean PVR (79.9%) after RT. In Group (A), mild but stable significant improvement of all clinical and urodynamic parameters was observed. Serum creatinine was significantly worse in patients with pathological LUTD compared with those with defunctionalized bladder but without significant effect on graft survival. All LUT variables seemed to have no adverse effect on graft survival except for use of CIC and augmented bladder. Incident UTI independent of LUT variables accounted for 20% of graft creatinine change.
A Photoprotective Effect by Cation‐π‐Interaction? Quenching of Singlet Oxygen by an Indole Cation‐π Model System
Authors: Arevalo Gary E. , Cagan David A. , Monsour Charlotte G. , Garcia Arman C. , McCurdy Alison , Selke Matthias
Published: May 2020

We investigated the effect of the cation‐π interaction on the susceptibility of a tryptophan model system toward interaction with singlet oxygen, that is, type II photooxidation. The model system consists of two indole units linked to a lariat crown ether to measure the total rate of removal of singlet oxygen by the indole units in the presence of sodium cations (i.e. indole units subject to a cation‐π interaction) and in the absence of this interaction. We found that the cation‐π interaction significantly decreases the total rate of removal of singlet oxygen (kT) for the model system, that is, (kT = 2.4 ± 0.2) × 108 m−1 s−1 without sodium cation vs (kT = 6.9 ± 0.9) × 107 m−1 s−1 upon complexation of sodium cation to the crown ether. Furthermore, we found that the indole moieties undergo type I photooxidation processes with triplet excited methylene blue; this effect is also inhibited by the cation‐π interaction. The chemical rate of reaction of the indole groups with singlet oxygen is also slower upon complexation of sodium cation in our model system, although we were unable to obtain an exact ratio due to differences of the chemical reaction rates of the two indole moieties.
Evaluating the preventive and curative effects of Toxocara canis larva in Freund's complete adjuvant‐induced arthritis
Authors: Shayesteh Zahra , Hosseini Hamid , Nasiri Vahid , Haddadi Zeinab , Moradi Najmeh , Beikzadeh Leila , Sezavar Monireh , Heidari Aliehsan , Zibaei Mohammad
Published: May 2020

Helminthic infection and the parallel host immune reactions are the results of a protracted dynamic co‐interaction between the host and worms. An assessment of the effect of Toxocara canis infection on arthritis in rats stimulated by Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) was the main purpose of the investigation. An arthritis model was established by the administration of 0.1 mL FCA in the palmar surface. Cytokine assessment, evaluating oedema and the use of a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) score provided evidence of the protective effects of T canis against adjuvant‐induced arthritis (AIA). The cytokines TGF‐β, IFN‐ɣ, IL‐10 and IL‐17 were measured to assess the anti‐inflammatory effect of T canis infection. Besides, arthritis swelling findings were evaluated in rat paws. The data showed that T canis infection significantly modulated the immune response by alleviating inflammatory cytokines and increasing TGF‐β as an anti‐inflammatory cytokine. Evaluations of arthritis swelling showed low severity and faster recuperation. These findings suggest that the products derived from T canis eggs might be a potential therapeutic candidate to treat autoimmune diseases like the arthritis.
A review on Spirulina: alternative media for cultivation and nutritive value as an aquafeed
Authors: Ragaza Janice Alano , Hossain Md. Sakhawat , Meiler Kristen A. , Velasquez Stephanie F. , Kumar Vikas
Published: June 2020

The nutritional value of spirulina in aquafeeds has been studied extensively as a fishmeal replacer or as a functional feed additive to increase growth and health performance of fish in the last decade. Despite increased interest in spirulina research in aquaculture, its increased production cost still limits its use in commercial rations. Zarrouk’s medium is the standard substrate used for growing spirulina. Although this medium offers optimal biomass production, it incurs higher costs due to the expensive components needed for concocting the medium. In this regard, development of cost‐effective alternative culture medium or techniques is necessary for the industrial‐scale production of these microalgae. This paper reviews research on different alternative media for spirulina cultivation and its nutritive value as an aquafeed. Numerous alterations in the composition of Zarrouk’s medium with cheaper chemical ingredients have been explored as a potential substitute for cost‐effective microalgae cultivation. Industrial and processing wastes and by‐products with appropriate nutrient profiles for growing spirulina are also being considered as alternative culture media. The use of rice bran or other cheaper agricultural by‐products, as a cost‐effective growth medium for commercial‐scale spirulina production has yet to be explored extensively in agriculture‐based countries, especially in rice‐producing Asian countries.
Cryopreservation of Ghagus chicken semen: Effect of cryoprotectants, diluents and thawing temperature
Authors: Murugesan Shanmugam , Mahapatra Ramkrishna
Published: May 2020

The present study evaluated the effects of cryoprotectants, semen diluents and thawing temperature during Ghagus chicken semen cryopreservation. Four different experiments were conducted; Experiment 1—semen was cryopreserved using 6% dimethylacetamide (DMA) and 2% dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) in Sasaki diluent (SD) and Lake and Ravie diluent (LR), Experiment 2 and 3—semen was cryopreserved using 8% ethylene glycol (EG) in SD, LRD and Red Fowl Extender (RFE), Experiment 4—semen was cryopreserved using 6% dimethylformamide (DMF) in SD, LR and Beltsville poultry semen extender (BPSE). Semen was cryopreserved in 0.5 ml French straws. Thawing was done at 5°C for 100 s in ice water in Experiments 1, 2 and 4, whereas in Experiment 3 thawing was done at 37°C for 30 s. The post‐thaw sperm motility, viable sperm and acrosome‐intact sperm were significantly (p < .05) lower in cryopreserved samples in all the experiments. No fertile eggs were obtained from cryopreserved samples in Experiments 1 and 2, except for 8% EG RFE treatment where the fertility was 0.83%. In Experiments 3 and 4, highest fertility was obtained in LR treatment 48.12 and 30.89%, respectively. In conclusion, using cryoprotectant EG (8%) and thawing at 37°C for 30 s, and DMF(6%) resulted in acceptable level of fertility in Ghagus chicken. Though the diluents influenced post‐thaw in vitro semen parameters, the fertility was not affected. In addition, results indicated that thawing temperature may be a critical stage in the cryopreservation protocol.
Overview of anti‐BCMA CAR‐T immunotherapy for multiple myeloma and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
Authors: Feng Deming , Sun Jian
Published: May 2020

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a haematological malignancy caused by malignant proliferation of plasma cells in bone marrow. In recent years, MM patients are commonly treated with chemotherapy, autologous stem cell transplantation, protease inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs and monoclonal antibodies, however most patients eventually relapse. Therefore, more effective therapies are highly needed. Anti‐BCMA CAR‐T therapy, a novel and efficacious method for treating MM and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), has been designed and applied in clinics. The CAR‐T can specifically recognize the targeted molecule B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and kill MM cells expressing BCMA and several clinical trials have revealed high response rates in the therapy. Herein, we summarize the developments, the current design and clinical trials, the side effects of anti‐BCMA CAR‐T therapy and comparison of it with other CAR‐T therapies.
A nonparametric approach to assess undergraduate performance
Authors: Pinheiro Hildete P. , Sen Pranab K. , Pinheiro Aluísio , Kiihl Samara F.
Published: May 2020

Nonparametric methodologies are proposed to assess college students' performance. Emphasis is given to gender and sector of high school. The application concerns the University of Campinas, a research university in Southeast Brazil. In Brazil college studies are based on a somewhat rigid set of subjects for each major. For this reason a simple GPA comparison may hide true performance. Therefore, we define individual vectors of course grades. These vectors are used in pairwise comparisons of common subject grades for individuals who entered college in the same year. The relative college performances of any two students are compared with their relative performances on the entrance exam score. A procedure based on generalized U‐statistics is developed to test if there is selection bias in the entrance exam by some predefined groups, which is equipped with asymptotically normal distribution under both null and alternative hypotheses. Maximum power is attained by employing the union intersection principle, and resampling techniques such as nonparametric bootstrap are employed to generate the empirical distribution of the test statistics and get p‐values.
Von Willebrand factor as a thrombotic and inflammatory mediator in critical illness
Authors: Plautz William E. , Matthay Zachary A. , Rollins‐Raval Marian A. , Raval Jay S. , Kornblith Lucy Z. , Neal Matthew D.
Published: June 2020

The endothelial exocytosis of high‐molecular‐weight multimeric von Willebrand factor (vWF) may occur in critical illness states, including trauma and sepsis, leading to the sustained elevation and altered composition of plasma vWF. These critical illnesses involve the common process of sympathoadrenal activation and loss of the endothelial glycocalyx. As a prothrombotic and proinflammatory molecule that interacts with the endothelium, the alterations exhibited by vWF in critical illness have been implicated in the development and damaging effects of downstream pathologies, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Given the role of vWF in these pathologies, there has been a recent push to further understand how the molecule may be involved in the pathophysiology of related diseases, such as trauma‐induced coagulopathy and acute renal injury, which are also known to develop secondarily to critical illness states. Elucidation of the role of vWF across the broader spectrum of generalized pathologies may provide a basis for the development of novel preventative and restorative measures, while also bolstering the scaffold of more widely used treatments, such as the administration of plasma‐containing blood products.
Multiple GYPB gene deletions associated with the U− phenotype in those of African ancestry
Authors: Lane William J. , Gleadall Nicholas S. , Aeschlimann Judith , Vege Sunitha , Sanchis‐Juan Alba , Stephens Jonathan , Cone Sullivan Jensyn , Mah Helen H. , Aguad Maria , Smeland‐Wagman Robin , Lebo Matthew S. , Vijay Kumar Prathik K. , Kaufman Richard M. , Green Robert C. , Ouwehand Willem H. , Westhoff Connie M.
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

The MNS blood group system is defined by three homologous genes: GYPA, GYPB, and GYPE. GYPB encodes for glycophorin B (GPB) carrying S/s and the “universal” antigen U. RBCs of approximately 1% of individuals of African ancestry are U− due to absence of GPB. The U− phenotype has long been attributed to a deletion encompassing GYPB exons 2 to 5 and GYPE exon 1 (GYPB*01N).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Samples from two U‐individuals underwent Illumina short read whole genome sequencing (WGS) and Nanopore long read WGS. In addition, two existing WGS datasets, MedSeq (n = 110) and 1000 Genomes (1000G, n = 2535), were analyzed for GYPB deletions. Deletions were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Twenty known U− donor samples were tested by a PCR assay to determine the specific deletion alleles present in African Americans.

RESULTS

Two large GYPB deletions in U− samples of African ancestry were identified: a 110 kb deletion extending left of GYPB (DEL_B_LEFT) and a 103 kb deletion extending right (DEL_B_RIGHT). DEL_B_LEFT and DEL_B_RIGHT were the most common GYPB deletions in the 1000 Genomes Project 669 African genomes (allele frequencies 0.04 and 0.02). Seven additional deletions involving GYPB were seen in African, Admixed American, and South Asian samples. No samples analyzed had GYPB*01N.

CONCLUSIONS

The U− phenotype in those of African ancestry is primarily associated with two different complete deletions of GYPB (with intact GYPE). Seven additional less common GYPB deletion backgrounds were found. GYPB*01N, long assumed to be the allele commonly encoding U− phenotypes, appears to be rare.
Virtual water flows, water footprint and water savings from the trade of crop and livestock products of Germany
Authors: Brindha Karthikeyan
Published: May 2020

Comprehensive assessment of the virtual water trade of Germany with the world is performed and the national water footprint through the trade of crop and livestock products from 1991 to 2016 is assessed. Virtual water flows based on 328 products with more than 200 countries indicate Germany as a net virtual water importer. Average virtual water import was 100.5 Bm3/y, virtual water export was 60.2 Bm3/y and net virtual water import was 40.3 Bm3/y. Trade patterns of virtual water transfer differ for the various commodity types. Trade between Germany and the world implies a global water loss of 5.9 Bm3/y. This study portrays that trade between countries is not only related to the economics but interlinked with the agricultural water use and management practices of the respective nations. Sustainable management of the resources will require a collective consideration of the agricultural, water and economic sectors while developing strategies.
Magnetic hydrogel composites based on cross‐linked poly (acrylic acid) used as a recyclable adsorbent system for nitrates
Authors: Ispas George‐Marian , Porav Sebastian , Gligor Delia , Turcu Rodica , Crăciunescu Izabella
Published: May 2020

We propose an innovative magnetic separation technique to separate a very important toxic inorganic pollutant (nitrate) from wastewater, using a recyclable magnetic adsorbent system. Our recyclable adsorbent system is a novel magnetic hydrogel composite, based on cross‐linked polyacrylic acid (MNP‐pAAc). The as‐synthesized magnetic hydrogel composite has very well controlled properties related to the thicknesses (each particle is individually covered with a thin layer of cross linked poly acrylic acid shell) which offer a relatively high surface area and a high level of saturation magnetization. The maximum separation efficiency was relatively high, between 80 and 90% while the magnetization value, around 60 emu/g, was considered high for polymeric composite material. This characteristic makes the as‐synthesized material a potential material for future water purification device but which is more important is that the material can be recycled, washed and reused which is not reported in the literature for similar kinds of materials. The recyclability was demonstrated in five subsequent adsorption–desorption cycles and maintenance of adsorption capacity over altogether 5 adsorption/desorption cycles to so high levels represents an important advantage and a novel idea over single‐use materials. Using this kind of recycling material for effective depollution of nitrate by water we offer a new solution to avoid secondary pollution.
Robustness Comparison Study on Watermarking Techniques against Compression Attack
Authors: Jeffry Mohd Aliff Faiz , Kutty Mammi Hazinah
Published: June 2020

Digital watermarking technique is a way of protecting digital image from malicious attacks. Compression attack is one of the most common attacks for images uploaded into social media. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, implement compression method for all types of media, before it is successfully uploaded into their server. This is to reduce the network bandwidth and storage needed to store each media in their server. However, the implemented compression method tends to tarnish image properties from the image itself, which can be used to identify the image itself. This produces other problems, which are ownership and copyright issues. Digital watermark has been proposed in numerous researches, and this research is one of them, in preventing the stated problem. The chosen digital watermarking techniques must be able to withstand against compression attack done by social media. A comprehensive analysis towards the watermarking algorithms and watermarked images were done, by applying several designed experiments. Based on the results, it shows that both chosen watermarking techniques could not withstands against compression attack made by JPEG compression and social media compression. It indicates that watermarking technique was not a suitable method to be used in preserving the ownership and copyright of the image throughout social media.
South China Sea Conflicts Classification Using Named Entity Recognition (NER) and Part-of-Speech (POS) Tagging
Authors: Sulaiman Nur Rafeeqkha , Md Siraj Maheyzah
Published: June 2020

Internet connects everyone to everything globally. The existence of Internet eases people in completing daily tasks. Thanks to Internet, information is being digitalized and spread openly to the public. Online news articles not only provide us with useful and reliable information and reports, it also eases information extraction and gathering for research purposes especially in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML). The topics regarding the South China Sea have been popular lately due to the rise of conflicts between several countries claim on the islands in the sea. Gathering data through Internet and online sources proves to be easy, but to process a huge amount data and to identify only useful information manually takes a longer time to complete. Extracting important features from a text document can be done by using one or a combination of feature extraction methods. Relevant information and the classification of news articles in relation to the conflicts in South China Sea need to be done. In this paper, a model is proposed to use Named Entity Recognition (NER) that search for and classifies important information regarding to the conflicts. In order to do that, a combination of Part-of-Speech (POS) and NER are needed to extract type of conflicts from the news.  This study also claims to classify news by using Conditional Random Field (CRF) algorithm and Multinomial Naïve Bayes (MNB) as classification methods by training and testing the data.
Short‐term high‐intensity interval training exercise does not affect gut bacterial community diversity or composition of lean and overweight men
Authors: Rettedal Elizabeth A. , Cree Julia M. E. , Adams Shannon E. , MacRae Caitlin , Skidmore Paula M. L. , Cameron‐Smith David , Gant Nicholas , Blenkiron Cherie , Merry Troy L.
Published: June 2020

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Does short‐term high‐intensity interval training alter the composition of the microbiome and is this associated with exercise‐induced improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness and insulin sensitivity?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Although high‐intensity interval training increased insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular fitness, it did not alter the composition of the microbiome. This suggests that changes in the composition of the microbiome that occur with prolonged exercise training might be in response to changes in metabolic health rather than driving exercise training‐induced adaptations.

Regular exercise reduces the risk of metabolic diseases, and the composition of the gut microbiome has been associated with metabolic function. We investigated whether short‐term high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) altered the diversity and composition of the bacterial community and whether there were associations with markers of insulin sensitivity or aerobic fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness () and body composition (dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry scan) were assessed and faecal and fasted blood samples collected from 14 lean (fat mass 21 ± 2%, aged 29 ± 2 years) and 15 overweight (fat mass 33 ± 2%, aged 31 ± 2 years) men before and after 3 weeks of HIIT training (8–12 × 60 s cycle ergometer bouts at power output interspersed by 75 s rest, three times per week). Gut microbiome composition was analysed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The HIIT significantly increased the aerobic fitness of both groups (P < 0.001) and improved markers of insulin sensitivity (lowered fasted insulin and HOMA‐IR; P < 0.001) in the overweight group. Despite differences in the abundance of several bacterial taxa being evident between the lean and overweight group, HIIT did not affect the overall bacterial diversity or community structure (α‐diversity or β‐diversity). No associations were found between the top 50 most abundant bacterial genera and cardiorespiratory fitness markers; however, significant associations (P < 0.05) were observed between the abundance of the bacterial species Coprococcus_3, Blautia, Lachnospiraceae_ge and Dorea and insulin sensitivity markers in the overweight group. Our results suggest that short‐term HIIT does not greatly impact the overall composition of the gut microbiome, but that certain microbiome genera are associated with insulin sensitivity markers that were improved by HIIT in overweight participants.
Enhancing Mucus Clearance by Cough Through Repeated Pulses
Authors: Tuna Duygu L. , Ünal Mehmet Altay , Arı Fikret , Krumpe Peter , Evrensel Cahit A.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential increase in the efficiency of the mucus clearance by repeated pulses of the same maximum speed and total air volume compared to single pulse simulated cough and to explore the effect of mucus simulant rheology and duration between repeated pulses on it. Experiments are conducted to study the behavior and clearance of a mucus simulant through a D-shaped rigid plexiglass horizontal tracheal model by approximately rectangular pulses. Mucus simulants with viscoelastic properties like mucus of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or similar illnesses, a moderate increase in elastic modulus, and a sharp decrease in viscosity with increasing frequency were prepared by locust bean gum and borax-de-ionized water solutions (Ragavan, A. J., Evrensel, C. A., and Krumpe, P., 2010, “Interactions of Airflow Oscillation, Tracheal Inclination, and Mucus Elasticity Significantly Improve Simulated Cough Clearance,” Chest, 137(2), pp. 355–361). Displacement of 0.3 ml mucus simulant aliquot is measured during single or repeated airflow pulses with a total air volume of about 1.1 L and the same maximum velocity. The desired flow pattern is generated by a compressor set at 4.5 bar and a computer-controlled on–off valve. Displacement of the same volume of mucus aliquot increases with the increasing number of pulses with the same total volume of air and maximum velocity and increasing of elasticity of mucus simulants. The increased maximum airflow velocity of repeated pulses affects the displacement of mucus aliquot positively. Moreover, when the duration length between the repeated pulses increased up to 100 ms, the displacement of aliquot increased up to but after 100 ms to 150 ms started to decrease.
Heat Transfer From a Heated Flat Surface Due to Swirling Coaxial Turbulent Jet Impingement
Authors: Afroz Farhana , Sharif Muhammad A.R.
Published: May 2020

Heat transfer from an isothermally hot flat surface due to swirling coaxial turbulent jet impingement is investigated numerically. The coaxial jet construction consists of implanting a thin-walled round tube inside a coaxial outer pipe. Two different fluid streams or jets, having different average velocities, flow through the inner tube, and the annular space between the inner tube and the outer pipe. The ratio of the average velocities of the jets, the ratio of the pipe diameters, the jet exit Reynolds number, the strength of the swirl, and the separation distance from the jet exit to the impingement surface are the main parameters for this flow configuration. The effects of the swirl strength on the jet impingement heat transfer at the target surface are investigated by computing the flow and thermal fields for various combinations of the problem parameters. The presented results contain the plots of the flow streamlines, the contours of the temperature, the contours of the swirl velocity, as well as the distribution of the local and average Nusselt number on the impingement surface. It is found that, compared to the single round jet, the coaxial jet produces enhanced and more uniform heat transfer at the heated surface. The jet-spreading and mixing are affected by the imposed jet swirl which modifies the heat transfer process. Thus, the heat transfer compared to a non-swirling jet is either enhanced or diminished depending on the combination of the problem parameters.
Immunoglobulins on the surface of differently charged polymer nanoparticles
Authors: Prozeller Domenik , Rosenauer Christine , Morsbach Svenja , Landfester Katharina
Published: June 2020

The overall success of nanocarriers in biomedical applications depends on their interaction with different proteins in blood. Immunoglobulins as a major protein class of the blood proteome may considerably influence the identity of the nanocarriers in blood. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the specific details of the interaction mechanism between different immunoglobulins and nanocarriers. Therefore, the authors have investigated the interaction of different immunoglobulin classes—namely, immunoglobulin G, A, and M—with different polystyrene model nanoparticles. The authors report that immunoglobulin interaction with nanoparticles strongly depends on the immunoglobulin class and surface charge of the nanoparticles. Furthermore, upon adsorption on the nanoparticles’ surfaces, aggregation processes and denaturation of immunoglobulins were observed. This highlights the importance of nanocarriers’ design in order to prevent unfavorable denaturation and adsorption processes of immunoglobulins on nanoparticle surfaces.
Predicting ultrasound tongue image from lip images using sequence to sequence learning
Authors: Xu Kele , Zhao Jianqiao , Zhu Boqing , Zhao Chaojie
Published: June 2020

Understanding the dynamic system that produces speech is essential to advancing speech science, and several simultaneous sensory streams can be leveraged to describe the process. As the tongue functional deformation correlates with the lip's shapes of the speaker, this paper aims to explore the association between them. The problem is formulated as a sequence to sequence learning task and a deep neural network is trained using unlabeled lip videos to predict an upcoming ultrasound tongue image sequence. Experimental results show that the machine learning model can predict the tongue's motion with satisfactory performance, which demonstrates that the learned neural network can build the association between two imaging modalities.
Importance of phase guides from beamformed data for processing multi-channel data in highly scattering media
Authors: Bakulin Andrey , Silvestrov Ilya , Neklyudov Dmitry
Published: June 2020

Small- and medium-scale scattering can be extremely damaging for acoustic imaging. The mechanism for distortions is related to severe frequency-dependent phase perturbations making signals obscure on multi-channel records. Methods are proposed to compensate for such effects in seismic reflection imaging in two steps. First, the rough signal guide is constructed using massive beamforming. Second, trace-by-trace specialized time-frequency masking is employed to reconstruct the corrupted phase and amplitude spectra. Phase masks are of paramount importance to make target events coherent and visible. Amplitude masks remove scattered background noise from the amplitude spectra. Unlike beamforming itself, these methods avoid smearing of signals across channels and preserve full frequency bandwidth.
In Vitro
and
In Vivo
Efficacies of the EGFR/MEK/ERK Signaling Inhibitors in the Treatment of Alveolar Echinococcosis
Authors: Cheng Zhe , Xu Zhijian , Tian Huimin , Liu Fan , Li Xiu , Luo Damin , Wang Yanhai
Published: June 2020

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE), caused by the larval stage of the cestode
Echinococcus multilocularis
, is a lethal disease in humans. Novel therapeutic options are urgently needed since the current chemotherapy displays limited efficiency in AE treatment. In this study, we assessed the
in vitro
and
in vivo
effects of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling inhibitors, including BIBW2992, CI-1033, and U0126, on
E. multilocularis
.
Novel Immunoglobulin Domain Proteins Provide Insights into Evolution and Pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2-Related Viruses
Authors: Tan Yongjun , Schneider Theresa , Leong Matthew , Aravind L. , Zhang Dapeng
Published: June 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic strongly emphasizes the need for a more complete understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of its causative agent SARS-CoV-2. Despite intense scrutiny, several proteins encoded by the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS-like coronaviruses remain enigmatic. Moreover, the high infectivity and severity of SARS-CoV-2 in certain individuals make wet-lab studies currently challenging. In this study, we used a series of computational strategies to identify several fast-evolving regions of SARS-CoV-2 proteins which are potentially under host immune pressure. Most notably, the hitherto-uncharacterized protein encoded by ORF8 is one of them. Using sensitive sequence and structural analysis methods, we show that ORF8 and several other proteins from alpha- and beta-coronavirus comprise novel families of immunoglobulin domain proteins, which might function as potential immune modulators to delay or attenuate the host immune response against the viruses.
Functional Coupling between the Unfolded Protein Response and Endoplasmic Reticulum/Golgi Ca
2+
-ATPases Promotes Stress Tolerance, Cell Wall Biosynthesis, and Virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Weichert Martin , Guirao-Abad José , Aimanianda Vishukumar , Krishnan Karthik , Grisham Christina , Snyder Patrick , Sheehan Alex , Abbu Ruthvik R. , Liu Hong , Filler Scott G. , Gruenstein Eric I. , Latgé Jean-Paul , Askew David S.
Published: June 2020

The UPR is an intracellular signal transduction pathway that maintains homeostasis of the ER. The pathway is also tightly linked to the expression of virulence-related traits in diverse species of human-pathogenic and plant-pathogenic fungal species, including the predominant mold pathogen infecting humans,
Aspergillus fumigatus
. Despite advances in the understanding of UPR signaling, the linkages and networks that are governed by this pathway are not well defined. In this study, we revealed that the UPR is a major driving force for stimulating Ca
2+
influx at the ER and Golgi membranes and that the coupling between the UPR and Ca
2+
import is important for virulence, cell wall biosynthesis, and resistance to antifungal compounds that inhibit Ca
2+
signaling.
Alterations in Vaginal Microbiota and Associated Metabolome in Women with Recurrent Implantation Failure
Authors: Fu Min , Zhang Xiaowei , Liang Yiheng , Lin Shouren , Qian Weiping , Fan Shangrong
Published: June 2020

In vitro
fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is now widely applied for treating infertility, and unexplained recurrent implantation failure (RIF) has become a substantial challenge. We hypothesize that vaginal microbial dysbiosis is associated with RIF, as it is linked to many female reproductive diseases. In this study, we characterized the vaginal microbiota and metabolomes of patients with unexplained RIF, while patients who achieved clinical pregnancy in the first IVF cycle were set as controls. In general, significant differences were discovered in the vaginal microbiota and metabolomes between the two groups. This study is the first detailed elaboration of the vaginal microbiota and metabolites associated with RIF. We believe that our findings will inspire researchers to consider the dynamics of microbiomes related to the microenvironment as a critical feature for future studies of nosogenesis not only for RIF but also for other reproductive diseases.
Increasing the Hindgut Carbohydrate/Protein Ratio by Cecal Infusion of Corn Starch or Casein Hydrolysate Drives Gut Microbiota-Related Bile Acid Metabolism To Stimulate Colonic Barrier Function
Authors: Pi Yu , Mu Chunlong , Gao Kan , Liu Zhuang , Peng Yu , Zhu Weiyun
Published: June 2020

High-fiber or high-protein diets could alter gut microbiota and health in the large intestine, but factors involved in the effects remain unclear. The present study for the first time demonstrates that the starch- and casein-induced C/N ratio in the hindgut is an important factor. Using the cannulated pig model, we found that the distinct C/N ratio induced by cecal infusion of corn starch or casein hydrolysate was linearly correlated with microbial metabolites (secondary bile acids) and tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and OCLD). Cell culture study further demonstrates that the gut microbial metabolites (DCA and LCA) could impair the intestinal barrier function via the EGFR-Src pathway. These suggest that DCA and LCA were key metabolites mediating microbe-epithelium dialogue when the hindgut C/N ratios were altered by cecal infusion of corn starch or casein hydrolysate. These findings provide new insight into the impact of C/N ratio in the large intestine on colonic health and provide a new framework for therapeutic strategy in gut health through targeted manipulation of hindgut microbiota by increasing the carbohydrate level in the large intestine.
Predictable patterns in stacking and distribution of channelized fluvial sand bodies linked to channel mobility and avulsion processes
Authors: Sahoo Hiranya , Gani M. Royhan , Gani Nahid D. , Hampson Gary J. , Howell John A. , Storms Joep E.A. , Martinius Allard W. , Buckley Simon J.
Published: June 2020

Despite the importance of channel avulsion in constructing fluvial stratigraphy, it is unclear how contrasting avulsion processes are reflected in stratigraphic-stacking patterns of channelized fluvial sand bodies, as a proxy for how river depocenters shifted in time and space. Using an integrated, geospatially referenced, three-dimensional data set that includes outcrop, core, and lidar data, we identify, for the first time in an outcrop study, a predictive relationship between channelized sand body architecture, paleochannel mobility, and stratigraphic-stacking pattern. Single-story sand bodies tend to occur in vertically stacked clusters that are capped by a multilateral sand body, indicating an upward change from a fixed-channel system to a mobile-channel system in each cluster. Vertical sand body stacking in the clusters implies reoccupation of abandoned channels after “local” avulsion. Reoccupational avulsion may reflect channel confinement, location downstream of a nodal avulsion point that maintained its position during development of the sand body cluster, and/or aggradation and progradation of a backwater-mediated channel downstream of a nodal avulsion point. Sand body clusters and additional multilateral sand bodies are laterally offset or isolated from each other, implying compensational stacking due to “regional” switching of a nodal avulsion point to a new, topographically lower site on the floodplain. The predictive links between avulsion mechanisms, channel mobility, and resultant sand body distributions and stacking patterns shown in our findings have important implications for exploring and interpreting spatiotemporal patterns of stratigraphic organization in alluvial basins.
Magma recharging beneath the Weishan volcano of the intraplate Wudalianchi volcanic field, northeast China, implied from 3-D magnetotelluric imaging
Authors: Gao Ji , Zhang Haijiang , Zhang Senqi , Xin Hailiang , Li Zhiwei , Tian Wei , Bao Feng , Cheng Zhengpu , Jia Xiaofeng , Fu Lei
Published: June 2020

The last volcanic eruptions at the intraplate Wudalianchi volcanic field in northeast China were ∼300 yr ago. Recent ambient noise tomography (ANT) imaged a potential magma chamber beneath one of its volcanoes, the Weishan volcano, which last erupted at ca. 50 ka. To image the spatial distribution of the magmatic system and estimate the melt fractions beneath the Weishan volcano, we use a dense magnetotelluric (MT) network (average site spacing of ∼1 km) around the Weishan cone to image a three-dimensional (3-D) resistivity structure beneath the volcano. For the first time, 3-D MT inversion illuminates the high-resolution spatial distribution of a very low-resistivity body of ∼0.3–3 Ω·m at depth of ∼2–15 km beneath the Weishan volcano. From the 3-D resistivity model, it can be deduced there exists a magma chamber in the upper and middle crust. From both low-velocity anomalies from ANT and low-resistivity anomalies from MT imaging, melt fractions of magma reservoirs are reliably estimated to be >∼15%. From the morphology of magma reservoirs and the shallow magma chamber, the Weishan volcano can be best described by the model of transcrustal magmatic system. Considering the significant melt fractions and active earthquakes and tremors occurring around magma reservoirs, the Weishan volcano is likely in an active stage with magma recharging. Therefore, it needs more active monitoring for better forecasting of its potential future eruptions.
‘Turning the tide’ on hyperglycemia in pregnancy: insights from multiscale dynamic simulation modeling
Authors: Freebairn Louise , Atkinson Jo-an , Qin Yang , Nolan Christopher J , Kent Alison L , Kelly Paul M , Penza Luke , Prodan Ante , Safarishahrbijari Anahita , Qian Weicheng , Maple-Brown Louise , Dyck Roland , McLean Allen , McDonnell Geoff , Osgood Nathaniel D
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP, including gestational diabetes and pre-existing type 1 and type 2 diabetes) is increasing, with associated risks to the health of women and their babies. Strategies to manage and prevent this condition are contested. Dynamic simulation models (DSM) can test policy and program scenarios before implementation in the real world. This paper reports the development and use of an advanced DSM exploring the impact of maternal weight status interventions on incidence of HIP.

Methods

A consortium of experts collaboratively developed a hybrid DSM of HIP, comprising system dynamics, agent-based and discrete event model components. The structure and parameterization drew on a range of evidence and data sources. Scenarios comparing population-level and targeted prevention interventions were simulated from 2018 to identify the intervention combination that would deliver the greatest impact.

Results

Population interventions promoting weight loss in early adulthood were found to be effective, reducing the population incidence of HIP by 17.3% by 2030 (baseline (‘business as usual’ scenario)=16.1%, 95% CI 15.8 to 16.4; population intervention=13.3%, 95% CI 13.0 to 13.6), more than targeted prepregnancy (5.2% reduction; incidence=15.3%, 95% CI 15.0 to 15.6) and interpregnancy (4.2% reduction; incidence=15.5%, 95% CI 15.2 to 15.8) interventions. Combining targeted interventions for high-risk groups with population interventions promoting healthy weight was most effective in reducing HIP incidence (28.8% reduction by 2030; incidence=11.5, 95% CI 11.2 to 11.8). Scenarios exploring the effect of childhood weight status on entry to adulthood demonstrated significant impact in the selected outcome measure for glycemic regulation, insulin sensitivity in the short term and HIP in the long term.

Discussion

Population-level weight reduction interventions will be necessary to ‘turn the tide’ on HIP. Weight reduction interventions targeting high-risk individuals, while beneficial for those individuals, did not significantly impact forecasted HIP incidence rates. The importance of maintaining interventions promoting healthy weight in childhood was demonstrated.
Patient ownership of primary biliary cholangitis long-term management
Authors: Leighton Jessica , Thain Collette , Mitchell-Thain Robert , Dyson Jessica K , Jones David E
Published: June 2020

Objective

Patient ownership of disease is vital in rare diseases like primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). This survey of UK members of the PBC foundation aimed to assess patients’ perception of their disease management, focusing on key biomarkers and problematic symptoms.

Design

Registered PBC foundation members were surveyed on their experiences on their most recent clinic visit, covering the type of hospital and clinician and whether biochemical response and symptom burden were discussed, including who initiated these conversations. Respondents were also asked about their willingness to initiate these conversations.

Results

Across 633 respondents, 42% remembered discussing alkaline phosphatase, the key biochemical response measure, and the majority of discussions were initiated by the healthcare provider. 56% of respondents remembered discussing itch, a key PBC symptom. There was no distinction between the grade of healthcare professional, but both patients and clinicians were significantly more likely to discuss symptoms over disease progression. Reassuringly, 84% of respondents felt willing to initiate conversations about their illness, regardless of the grade of managing clinician.

Conclusions

This work lays a positive foundation for patient education and empowerment projects, likely to improve clinical outcomes. Key aspects of management (biochemical response to treatment and symptom burden) should be emphasised as topics of discussion to both patients and clinicians managing PBC. We suggest a simple cue card to prompt patient-led discussion.