bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving transient magnetorheological response of magnetorheological elastomer by incorporating CIP@FeNi particles
Authors: Li Wang , Qi Song , Zhu Mi , Xia Dongbin , Fu Jie , Yu Miao
Published: November 2020

The transient magnetorheological response of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) is critical to the control system in its applications. Overlong magnetorheological response time will prolong the control time delay of whole application system, which will lead to the degradation of control accuracy and timeliness, or even bring unwanted results. Therefore, it is particularly important to improve the transient magnetorheological response property of MRE for enhancing control efficiency of system. To this end, this paper synthesized a kind of new magnetic filler particle, carbonyl iron powder (CIP)@FeNi, which possesses Fe–Ni nano-flakes on its surface. Vibrating sample magnetometer test results showed that CIP@FeNi possessed superior magnetization under low magnetic field when compared with CIP. By partially replacement of CIP with CIP@FeNi, new dimorphic MREs were prepared. The inﬂuence of CIP@FeNi content on both of the transient magnetorheological response and magnetorheological mechanical properties of MRE were experimentally studied. Results indicated that CIP@FeNi is efficacious for improving the response velocity of MRE. In the rise edge, characteristic response time shows obvious decrease trend with increasing content of CIP@FeNi. In addition, at CIP@FeNi content of 2 vol% and 4 vol%, the doped CIP@FeNi can also enhance the magnetorheological property of MRE. This study provides a novel and effective way to improve the transient magnetorheological response property of MRE, which is of great significance for improving the control efficiency of MRE devices.
Mechanical and critical current characteristics of high-strength (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O

10+δ

tapes under uniaxial tensile strain
Authors: Okada Tatsunori , Sakai Kohei , Awaji Satoshi
Published: November 2020

We investigated the mechanical properties and superconducting characteristics of high-strength (Bi, Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O

10
+
δ

tapes reinforced by Ni-based alloy lamination over a wide range of temperature (30 K≤T ≤ 300 K), magnetic field (

B
∥
c
≤
6
 

T

), and uniaxial tensile strain (ε ≤ 0.6%) conditions. We found that the Young’s modulus evaluated from the stress–strain curves increases gradually with decreasing temperature (120 GPa at 300 K and 142 GPa at 40 K), indicating the importance of low-T data for designing high-field magnets. The enhancement of the Young’s modulus of the tape at such low temperatures is probably attributable to the use of a Ni-based alloy for reinforcement and is also reflected in the irreversible stress. The critical current,

I

c

, measured under various (T, B, ε) conditions decreases almost linearly with uniaxial tensile strain in the reversible region. We constructed a phenomenological model of

I

c

(
T
,
B
,
ε
)

that can roughly reproduce the observed

I

c

under all the (T, B, ε) conditions we investigated. We expect that fine adjustment of the model parameters based on more detailed measurements will make it possible to estimate

I

c

(
T
,
B
,
ε
)

under arduous measurement conditions from data obtained under conditions where measurement is relatively easy.
Pressure-induced superconductivity in a shandite compound Pd3Pb2Se2 with the Kagome lattice
Authors: Yu F H , Hua X Y , Chen T , Sun J , Shi M Z , Zhuo W Z , Ma D H , Wang H H , Ying J J , Chen X H
Published: November 2020

High pressure electric transport and synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements together with the first-principles calculations are performed on a shandite compound Pd3Pb2Se2 which contains the Kagome lattice of the transition metal Pd. A pressure-induced superconducting transition is observed above 25 GPa, for the first time in the shandite compounds, although the crystal structure of the compound seems to be very robust and persists up to the highest pressure in the XRD study (76.3 GPa). The superconducting transition temperature is about 2.2 K and almost does not change with pressure. The carrier density suddenly increases around 20 GPa possibly due to the emergence of two electron pockets at the Γ point. Our work indicates that the superconductivity in Pd3Pb2Se2 is strongly correlated to its electronic structure.
Analysis of Heat Exchange Performance of Heat Exchange Tubes of Evaporative Heat Exchanger Based on Fluent
Authors: Li Changting , Bai Fan , Gou Fanghuai
Published: November 2020

In order to study the influence of the heat exchange tubes length of the evaporative heat exchanger on the heat exchange performance of the organic Rankine cycle technology (ORC) in automobile exhaust heat recovery, four kinds of three-layer tube heat exchange tube models with the length of 500mm, 800mm, 1100mm and 1400mm are designed by DM modeling software, and they are simplified into a quarter calculation domain model. The simulation calculations of the coupling heat exchange of four different lengths of heat exchange tubes are performed by using the Couple algorithm of Fluent fluid simulation software and the κ-ε model. Through the simulation calculation of the heat exchange of the four three-layer heat exchange tubes, it can be seen that the temperature in the three-layer heat exchange tubes changes along the Z axis direction. The heat exchange performance of different lengths of heat exchange tubes can be obtained by analyzing the temperature cloud diagrams of the XY plane at both ends of the heat exchange tubes and the temperature change curve along the Z axis direction. The heat exchange simulation analysis results of the four three-layer heat exchange tubes show that under the set parameter model, only the inlet and outlet boundary temperature is considered, and the three-layer heat exchange tube with a length of 1400mm has better heat exchange performance.
Morphological variability of Oswaldocruzia filiformis (Nematoda: Molineidae) in reptiles inhabiting the protected areas of the Republic of Mordovia (Russia)
Authors: Yu Kirillova N , Kirillov A A
Published: November 2020

The morphological variability of the nematodeOswaldocruzia filiformisGoeze, 1782 from five reptile species (Lacerta agilis, Zootoca vivipara, Anguis fragilis, Natrix natrix, Vipera berus) was studied in 2018-2020 in the Smolny National Park and the Mordovia State Nature Reserve. We analyzed the morphological characters traditionally used in the taxonomy ofOswaldocruziaspp. A wide morphological variability of nematodes has been found, both in different host species and within the same host species. Variation of the morphological characters ofO. filiformisfrom different reptile species was due to the host-induced variability. The morphological variability of nematodes from the same host species could be due to the phenotypic plasticity ofO. filiformis.
Photonic and plasmonic transition radiation from graphene
Authors: Chen Jialin , Chen Hongsheng , Lin Xiao
Published: November 2020

We theoretically study the transition radiation in the framework of full Maxwell equations, when a swift electron crosses a monolayer graphene. Based on the Sommerfeld integration, we demonstrate in the frequency domain the spatial distribution of this free-electron radiation, which clearly shows the broadband excitation of both photons and graphene plasmons. Moreover, the radiation spectra for photons and graphene plasmons are analytically derived. We find that the excitation of photons and graphene plasmons favors different particle velocities. To be specific, a higher particle velocity gives rise to the excitation of photons with better directivity and higher intensity, while a lower particle velocity enables the efficient excitation of graphene plasmons in a broader frequency range. Our work indicates that the interaction between swift charged particles and various 2D materials or van der Waals heterostructures is promising for the design of terahertz on-chip radiation sources.
Differential existential closedness for the 𝑗-function
Authors: Aslanyan Vahagn , Eterović Sebastian , Kirby Jonathan
Published: November 2020

We prove the Existential Closedness conjecture for the differential equation of the

j
j

-function and its derivatives. It states that in a differentially closed field certain equations involving the differential equation of the

j
j

-function have solutions. Its consequences include a complete axiomatisation of

j
j

-reducts of differentially closed fields, a dichotomy result for strongly minimal sets in those reducts, and a functional analogue of the Modular Zilber-Pink with Derivatives conjecture.
Prevalent uniqueness in ergodic optimisation
Authors: Morris Ian
Published: November 2020

One of the fundamental results of ergodic optimisation asserts that for any dynamical system on a compact metric space

X
X

and for any Banach space of continuous real-valued functions on

X
X

which embeds densely in

C
(
X
)

C(X)

there exists a residual set of functions in that Banach space for which the maximising measure is unique. We extend this result by showing that this residual set is additionally prevalent, answering a question of J. Bochi and Y. Zhang.
A lower bound for the Kähler-Einstein distance from the Diederich-Fornæss index
Authors: Zimmer Andrew
Published: November 2020

In this paper we establish a lower bound for the distance induced by the Kähler-Einstein metric on pseudoconvex domains with positive hyperconvexity index (e.g. positive Diederich-Fornæss index). A key step is proving an analog of the Hopf lemma for Riemannian manifolds with Ricci curvature bounded from below.
Linear dynamics induced by odometers
Authors: Bongiorno D. , D’Aniello E. , Darji U. , Di Piazza L.
Published: November 2020

Weighted shifts are an important concrete class of operators in linear dynamics. In particular, they are an essential tool in distinguishing a variety of dynamical properties. Recently, a systematic study of dynamical properties of composition operators on

L
p

L^p

spaces has been initiated. This class of operators includes weighted shifts and also allows flexibility in construction of other concrete examples. In this article, we study one such concrete class of operators, namely composition operators induced by measures on odometers. In particular, we study measures on odometers which induce mixing and transitive linear operators on

L
p

L^p

spaces.
Diversity through equity and inclusion: The responsibility belongs to all of us
Authors: Olzmann James A.
Published: November 2020

Despite the recognized benefits of diversity and the decades of programs targeted at increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine, the underrepresentation of historically excluded groups continues due to persisting systemic inequalities. It is imperative that we reassess our current recruitment strategies and reimagine our campus and workplace environments to provide an inclusive and equitable culture that is free of institutional barriers, affording equal opportunities for each individual to succeed, thrive, and be their whole self. For too long this vision has been the fight of a heroic few, but it must become the fight of all in order to achieve true change. I am working toward, and look forward to, a future where contributing to diversity, equity, and inclusion is fully integrated into the core mission of our institutions and is an expectation for all of us.
Anisohydric sugar beet rapidly responds to light to optimize leaf water use efficiency utilizing numerous small stomata
Authors: Barratt Georgina E , Sparkes Debbie L , McAusland Lorna , Murchie Erik H
Published: November 2020

Under conditions of high transpiration and low soil water availability, the demand for water can exceed supply causing a reduction in water potential and a loss of cell turgor (wilting). Regulation of stomatal aperture mediates the loss of water vapour (gs), which in turn is dependent in part on the anatomical characteristics of stomatal density (SD) and stomatal size (SS). Anisohydric sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) is atypical, exhibiting wilting under high soil water availability. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) belongs to the same family Chenopodiaceae s.s., but demonstrates a more typical wilting response. To investigate the role of stomatal dynamics in such behaviours, sugar beet and spinach leaves were exposed to step-changes in photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) from 250 to 2500 µmol m−2 s−1. Using a four log-logistic function, the maximum rate of stomatal opening was estimated. Concurrent measurements of SD and SS were taken for both species. While sugar beet coupled faster opening with smaller, more numerous stomata, spinach showed the converse. After exposure to drought, maximum gs was reduced in sugar beet but still achieved a similar speed of opening. It is concluded that sugar beet stomata respond rapidly to changes in PPFD with a high rate and magnitude of opening under both non-droughted and droughted conditions. Such a response may contribute to wilting, even under high soil water availability, but enables photosynthesis to be better coupled with increasing PPFD.
CAFE 5 models variation in evolutionary rates among gene families
Authors: Mendes Fábio K , Vanderpool Dan , Fulton Ben , Hahn Matthew W
Published: November 2020

Motivation

Genome sequencing projects have revealed frequent gains and losses of genes between species. Previous versions of our software, Computational Analysis of gene Family Evolution (CAFE), have allowed researchers to estimate parameters of gene gain and loss across a phylogenetic tree. However, the underlying model assumed that all gene families had the same rate of evolution, despite evidence suggesting a large amount of variation in rates among families.

Results

Here, we present CAFE 5, a completely re-written software package with numerous performance and user-interface enhancements over previous versions. These include improved support for multithreading, the explicit modeling of rate variation among families using gamma-distributed rate categories, and command-line arguments that preclude the use of accessory scripts.

Availability and implementation

CAFE 5 source code, documentation, test data and a detailed manual with examples are freely available at https://github.com/hahnlab/CAFE5/releases.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
IsoMaTrix: a framework to visualize the isoclines of matrix games and quantify uncertainty in structured populations
Authors: West Jeffrey , Ma Yongqian , Kaznatcheev Artem , Anderson Alexander R A
Published: November 2020

Evolutionary game theory describes frequency-dependent selection for fixed, heritable strategies in a population of competing individuals using a payoff matrix. We present a software package to aid in the construction, analysis and visualization of three-strategy matrix games. The IsoMaTrix package computes the isoclines (lines of zero growth) of matrix games, and facilitates direct comparison of well-mixed dynamics to structured populations on a lattice grid. IsoMaTrix computes fixed points, phase flow, trajectories, (sub)velocities and uncertainty quantification for stochastic effects in spatial matrix games. We describe a result obtained via IsoMaTrix’s spatial games functionality, which shows that the timing of competitive release in a cancer model (under continuous treatment) critically depends on the initial spatial configuration of the tumor.

Availability and implementation

The code is available at: https://github.com/mathonco/isomatrix.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
ClonoMatch: a tool for identifying homologous immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor sequences in large databases
Authors: Jones Taylor , Day Samuel B , Myers Luke , Crowe James E , Soto Cinque
Published: November 2020

B-cell receptor (BCR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires are generated through somatic DNA rearrangements and are responsible for the molecular basis of antigen recognition in the immune system. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of DNA and the falling cost of sequencing due to continued development of these technologies have made sequencing assays an affordable way to characterize the repertoire of adaptive immune receptors (sometimes termed the ‘immunome’). Many new workflows have been developed to take advantage of NGS and have placed the resulting immunome datasets in the public domain. The scale of these NGS datasets has made it challenging to search through the Complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3), which is responsible for imparting specific antibody-antigen interactions. Thus, there is an increasing demand for sequence analysis tools capable of searching through CDR3s from immunome data collections containing millions of sequences. To address this need, we created a software package called ClonoMatch that facilitates rapid searches in bulk immunome data for BCR or TCR sequences based on their CDR3 sequence or V3J clonotype.

Availability and implementation

Documentation, software support and the codebase are all available at https://github.com/crowelab/clonomatch. This software is distributed under the GPL v3 license.
DeMaSk: a deep mutational scanning substitution matrix and its use for variant impact prediction
Authors: Munro Daniel , Singh Mona
Published: November 2020

Motivation

Accurately predicting the quantitative impact of a substitution on a protein’s molecular function would be a great aid in understanding the effects of observed genetic variants across populations. While this remains a challenging task, new approaches can leverage data from the increasing numbers of comprehensive deep mutational scanning (DMS) studies that systematically mutate proteins and measure fitness.

Results

We introduce DeMaSk, an intuitive and interpretable method based only upon DMS datasets and sequence homologs that predicts the impact of missense mutations within any protein. DeMaSk first infers a directional amino acid substitution matrix from DMS datasets and then fits a linear model that combines these substitution scores with measures of per-position evolutionary conservation and variant frequency across homologs. Despite its simplicity, DeMaSk has state-of-the-art performance in predicting the impact of amino acid substitutions, and can easily and rapidly be applied to any protein sequence.

Availability and implementation

https://demask.princeton.edu generates fitness impact predictions and visualizations for any user-submitted protein sequence.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The sperm-specific form of lactate dehydrogenase is required for fertility and is an attractive target for male contraception (a review)
Authors: Goldberg Erwin
Published: November 2020

There has been a recent upsurge in the interest about contraceptive development, evidenced by the Contraceptive Special Issue of Biology of Reproduction [1], with research funding from the Male Contraceptive Initiative and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Support from the Contraceptive Research Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development continues with a marked change in focus in the funding announcements. This has motivated me to reflect on research, mostly from my laboratory starting in the 1960s to the present, on the development of a male contraceptive based on the sperm-specific glycolytic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase C (LDHC4). This review considers the rationale behind this research, the development paths pursued, obstacles encountered, and the renewed interest in going forward toward development of a male contraceptive mediated by the inhibition of the sperm-specific form of LDHC. I will address how some papers published many years ago are relevant to the present goals of non-hormonal contraception and will mention about innovative technology now available that can advance this project. This review presumably will serve as an instructive guide for a research program with a focused program related to contraception. As an aside, many of the citations in this review are to most of the 26 publications in Biology of Reproduction co-authored by this investigator and collaborators from 1974 through 2020 not long after the first issue of BOR which was published in April 1969.
‘Our biographies are the same’: Juvenile Work in Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations from the Perspective of a Collective Trajectory
Authors: Chomczyński Piotr A , Guy Roger
Published: November 2020

Recent violence among drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in Mexico has resulted in an ongoing demand for new recruits. Juveniles engage in a wide range of activities from lookouts in drug trafficking operations to high-risk activities, such as kidnapping and homicide. Based on ongoing ethnographic work in Mexico and referrals from correctional officials, we conducted in-depth biographical interviews with convicted and active cartel members (N = 79). Our data revealed that similar biographical experiences in communities characterized by a high degree of collectivism laid the groundwork for their entry and continued participation in criminal activity. Through inductive methods, we introduce a theoretical concept that we term a collective trajectory to help explain our subjects’ pathway and criminal careers in DTOs.
Applying graph database technology for analyzing perturbed co-expression networks in cancer
Authors: Simpson Claire M , Gnad Florian
Published: November 2020

Graph representations provide an elegant solution to capture and analyze complex molecular mechanisms in the cell. Co-expression networks are undirected graph representations of transcriptional co-behavior indicating (co-)regulations, functional modules or even physical interactions between the corresponding gene products. The growing avalanche of available RNA sequencing (RNAseq) data fuels the construction of such networks, which are usually stored in relational databases like most other biological data. Inferring linkage by recursive multiple-join statements, however, is computationally expensive and complex to design in relational databases. In contrast, graph databases store and represent complex interconnected data as nodes, edges and properties, making it fast and intuitive to query and analyze relationships. While graph-based database technologies are on their way from a fringe domain to going mainstream, there are only a few studies reporting their application to biological data. We used the graph database management system Neo4j to store and analyze co-expression networks derived from RNAseq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Comparing co-expression in tumors versus healthy tissues in six cancer types revealed significant perturbation tracing back to erroneous or rewired gene regulation. Applying centrality, community detection and pathfinding graph algorithms uncovered the destruction or creation of central nodes, modules and relationships in co-expression networks of tumors. Given the speed, accuracy and straightforwardness of managing these densely connected networks, we conclude that graph databases are ready for entering the arena of biological data.
Relationships Between Sensorimotor Inhibition and Mobility in Older Adults With and Without Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Martini Douglas N , Morris Rosie , Madhyastha Tara M , Grabowski Thomas J , Oakley John , Hu Shu-Ching , Zabetian Cyrus P , Edwards Karen L , Hiller Amie , Chung Kathryn , Ramsey Katrina , Lapidus Jodi A , Cholerton Brenna , Montine Thomas J , Quinn Joseph F , Horak Fay B
Published: November 2020

Background

Reduced cortical sensorimotor inhibition is associated with mobility and cognitive impairments in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and older adults (OAs). However, there is a lack of clarity regarding the relationships among sensorimotor, cognitive, and mobility impairments. The purpose of this study was to determine how cortical sensorimotor inhibition relates to impairments in mobility and cognition in people with PD and OAs.

Method

Cortical sensorimotor inhibition was characterized with short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) in 81 people with PD and 69 OAs. Six inertial sensors recorded single- and dual-task gait and postural sway characteristics during a 2-minute walk and a 1-minute quiet stance. Cognition was assessed across the memory, visuospatial, executive function, attention, and language domains.

Results

SAI was significantly impaired in the PD compared to the OA group. The PD group preformed significantly worse across all gait and postural sway tasks. In PD, SAI significantly correlated with single-task foot strike angle and stride length variability, sway area, and jerkiness of sway in the coronal and sagittal planes. In OAs, SAI significantly related to single-task gait speed and stride length, dual-task stride length, and immediate recall (memory domain). No relationship among mobility, cognition, and SAI was observed.

Conclusions

Impaired SAI related to slower gait in OA and to increased gait variability and postural sway in people with PD, all of which have been shown to be related to increased fall risk.
Translating and validating the Health Literacy Questionnaire into Urdu: a robust nine-dimension confirmatory factor model
Authors: Saleem Ahsan , Steadman Kathryn J , Osborne Richard H , La Caze Adam
Published: November 2020

Pakistani migrants are one of the fastest-growing communities in Australia, and the majority speak Urdu at home. There is a lack of information regarding the health literacy of this population. This study aimed to translate the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) into Urdu and to explore its psychometric properties. A structured standardized procedure was followed to translate and validate HLQ into Urdu. Data were collected from 202 Pakistani migrants residing in Australia. The HLQ-Urdu was well understood by the respondents. The structural properties of HLQ-Urdu were close to the original HLQ. Data for all HLQ scales met pre-specified criteria for fit in the one-factor CFA model. The composite reliability was high, ranging from 0.84 to 0.91. A strict nine-factor CFA model was also fitted to the data with no cross-loadings or correlated residuals allowed, which showed excellent model fit statistics [χ2WLSMV = 1266.022 (df = 866, p = 0.000), comparative fit index  = 0.995, Tucker–Lewis index = 0.994, root mean square error of approximation = 0.050 and standardized root mean square residual = 0.069]. The Urdu version of HLQ showed robust psychometric properties. This HLQ-Urdu tool is now ready to be used to assess health literacy in Pakistani migrants in Australia. Availability of health literacy tools in migrant languages may help healthcare providers better understand the health literacy needs of migrant communities.
Evaluation of genetic effects on wild salmon populations from stock enhancement
Authors: Hagen Ingerid J , Ugedal Ola , Jensen Arne J , Lo Håvard , Holthe Espen , Bjøru Bjørn , Florø-Larsen Bjørn , Sægrov Harald , Skoglund Helge , Karlsson Sten
Published: November 2020

Many salmonid populations are of conservation concern, and the release of hatchery-produced juveniles is a frequently used measure to alleviate declines and increase harvest opportunities. While such releases may be of conservation value for some populations, stocking may also decrease the effective population size and subsequently impose additional strain on already threatened populations. In this study, we assessed how the cohort-wise effective number of breeders in five populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were affected by supplementation. Altogether, 19 cohorts were studied (2–7 cohorts per population) by estimating the proportion hatchery-released individuals and the effective number of wild and captive breeders in each cohort of the respective populations. We show that the effect of releasing captive-bred individuals varies both between populations and between years within the same population. A Ryman–Laikre effect—where the effective number of breeders has decreased as a consequence of supplementation—was observed for 11 cohorts. We discuss how supplementation can be adapted to optimize the effective population size, demonstrate that evaluation of supplementation can be reliably achieved, and show that supplementation programmes that lead to high proportions of hatchery-origin fish on spawning grounds are more likely to induce a Ryman–Laikre effect.
Impact of long-term quorum sensing inhibition on uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Henly E L , Norris K , Rawson K , Zoulias N , Jaques L , Chirila P G , Parkin K L , Kadirvel M , Whiteoak C , Lacey M M , Smith T J , Forbes S
Published: November 2020

Background

Quorum sensing is an extracellular bacterial communication system used in the density-dependent regulation of gene expression and development of biofilms. Biofilm formation has been implicated in the establishment of catheter-associated urinary tract infections and therefore quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) have been suggested as anti-biofilm catheter coating agents. The long-term effects of QSIs in uropathogens is, however, not clearly understood.

Objectives

We evaluated the effects of repeated exposure to the QSIs cinnamaldehyde, (Z)-4-bromo-5(bromomethylene)-2(5H)-furanone-C30 (furanone-C30) and 4-fluoro-5-hydroxypentane-2,3-dione (F-DPD) on antimicrobial susceptibility, biofilm formation and relative pathogenicity in eight uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) isolates.

Methods

MICs, MBCs and minimum biofilm eradication concentrations and antibiotic susceptibility were determined. Biofilm formation was quantified using crystal violet. Relative pathogenicity was assessed in a Galleria mellonella model. To correlate changes in phenotype to gene expression, transcriptomic profiles were created through RNA sequencing and variant analysis of genomes was performed in strain EC958.

Results

Cinnamaldehyde and furanone-C30 led to increases in susceptibility in planktonic and biofilm-associated UPEC. Relative pathogenicity increased after cinnamaldehyde exposure (4/8 isolates), decreased after furanone-C30 exposure (6/8 isolates) and varied after F-DPD exposure (one increased and one decreased). A total of 9/96 cases of putative antibiotic cross-resistance were generated. Exposure to cinnamaldehyde or F-DPD reduced expression of genes associated with locomotion, whilst cinnamaldehyde caused an increase in genes encoding fimbrial and afimbrial-like adhesins. Furanone-C30 caused a reduction in genes involved in cellular biosynthetic processes, likely though impaired ribonucleoprotein assembly.

Conclusions

The multiple phenotypic adaptations induced during QSI exposure in UPEC should be considered when selecting an anti-infective catheter coating agent.
Quantification of Amyloid-β in Plasma by Simple and Highly Sensitive Immunoaffinity Enrichment and LC-MS/MS Assay
Authors: Iino Takuya , Watanabe Shunsuke , Yamashita Kazuto , Tamada Eiya , Hasegawa Takehiro , Irino Yasuhiro , Iwanaga Shigeki , Harada Amane , Noda Kenta , Suto Kouzou , Yoshida Tomokazu
Published: November 2020

Background

Numerous immunoassays have been developed to quantify amyloid β1-40 (Aβ40) and amyloid β1-42 (Aβ42). Nevertheless, given the low concentration of Aβ and the high levels of interfering factors in plasma, quantification of plasma Aβ is still challenging. To overcome the problems related to the specificity of Aβ immunoassays, this study aimed to develop an immunoaffinity enrichment and LC-MS/MS (IA-MS) assay.

Methods

We developed an IA-MS assay using antibody-labeled magnetic beads for purification and LC-MS/MS for Aβ quantification. To avoid the loss of Aβ due to aggregation in acidic buffer, we used alkaline elution buffer for immunoaffinity enrichment. The concentrations of the Aβs in plasma samples were measured, and the correlation between the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio was also evaluated.

Results

The intensities of the Aβ mass peaks were significantly higher with the alkaline elution buffer than with the acidic elution buffer (Aβ40: 3.6-fold, Aβ42: 5.4-fold). This assay exhibited high reproducibility (intra-assay and inter-assay precision, %CV <15), and the working ranges of Aβ40 and Aβ42 were determined to be 21.7 to 692.8 pg/mL and 5.6 to 180.6 pg/mL, respectively. The concentrations of Aβ40 and Aβ42 in plasma were measured by IA-MS, and the plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio was correlated with the CSF Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio (rs = 0.439, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The IA-MS assay has sufficient analytic performance for measuring endogenous Aβ40 and Aβ42 in plasma. This assay can lead to new lines of clinical discovery related to amyloid pathology.
83 Evaluation of transmammary-delivered firocoxib and an ethyl chloride spray to mitigate pain associated with processing procedures in piglets
Authors: Viscardi Abbie V , Shirtcliff Elizabeth , Eppler Emily , Miller Savannah , Coetzee Johann
Published: November 2020

Piglets raised in commercial production systems in the U.S. undergo painful management procedures, including surgical castration, tail docking and ear notching, without analgesia or anesthesia provision for pain relief. This is a significant animal welfare concern. There is an immediate need to identify the most practical and effective analgesia or anesthesia option for use on-farm. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of 2.0mg/kg firocoxib, administered to the sow and delivered transmammary to her piglets, and a vapocoolant spray (ethyl chloride) to reduce processing pain. Five-day old male and female Yorkshire-cross piglets were used. 2.0mg/kg firocoxib was administered to the sow intramuscularly 7h prior to processing piglets. An ethyl chloride spray was applied to the ears, tail and scrotum of the piglets immediately before ear notching, tail docking and surgical castration, respectively. Piglets were assigned to one of four treatment groups: firocoxib and vapocoolant spray (FV; n=32), firocoxib only (F; n=32), vapocoolant spray only (V; n=32), no treatment (CON; n=32). The observation period was from 24h pre- to 48h post-processing (specific time points = baseline, 0h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 7h, 24h, 30h, 36h, 48h). Preliminary results found piglets displayed significantly more pain-related behaviors at 24h and 30h post-processing than at most other time points (p< 0.05). Piglets had significantly higher cranial temperatures at 7h post-processing than all other time points (p< 0.05). There was a trend in FV and F piglets having a higher cranial temperature at 36h post-processing compared to V and CON piglets (p=0.08). All piglets had significantly higher hair cortisol levels at 4 vs 20-days old (p< .0001); however, there were no significant treatment effects on cranial temperature, hair cortisol or pain behavior, suggesting firocoxib and the ethyl chloride spray were unable to significantly reduce piglet pain post-processing. Further study analysis is needed to confirm these initial findings.
196 Feeding and nutritional strategies to improve welfare of group-housed gestating sows
Authors: Li Yuzhi
Published: November 2020

Gestating sows in group-housing systems usually face two major welfare challenges: aggression when mixing with unfamiliar pen-mates and a lack of satiety due to restricted feeding. The two issues might be related because that hungry animals may be frustrated so that they may be more aggressive than animals that are in satiety. To restricted-fed gestating sows, one of the strategies to reduce aggression at mixing is to increase feed intake for a short period of time around mixing. Research showed that this strategy could reduce aggression among sows during feeding in competitive feeding systems, but had very limited effects on aggression during the initial period of mixing. Likewise, neither providing feed when moving sows in group-pens nor dividing the daily ration into multiple meals affected aggression caused by mixing. There is evidence that supplementation of an excessive amount of Tryptophan in the diet could reduce aggression in growing and finishing pigs. However, effects of dietary Tryptophan on reducing aggression among sows during mixing is less evident. Possibly, sows are more persistent in fighting for dominance hierarchy than young pigs. Although high fiber diets had limited effects on reducing aggression among sows at mixing, providing fermentable fibers in the diet could increase satiety in sows. Increasing satiety could reduce stereotypies, reduce aggression for maintaining dominance hierarchy, and increase resting time, which consequently will improve welfare of group-housed gestating sows.
110 Managing Feed Efficiency to Improve Dairy Farm Margin
Authors: Brouk Micheal J
Published: November 2020

Dairy farm margin has continued to be a challenge for the dairy industry. Several years of challenging milk prices with limited relief from high feed costs and increasing production cost have continued to erode the net margin of US dairy farms. As dairy producers continue to operate in a challenging economic environment, discoveries are being made in various farm efficiencies to improve farm margin. Increased management intensity on all aspects of the dairy farm is resulting in the discover of and improvement of many individual efficiency factors. Key areas of economic efficiency include feed, animal reproduction, replacement animals, labor and resource allocation. Often the answer to improved efficiency involves more than just reduced production cost, but also in the improvement of production to reduce the cost per unit of milk produced. Identifying and focusing on the important factors that can improve overall farm efficiency will enable producers to weather the economic challenges. For dairy producers, one of the complications is the biology of the dairy cow and understanding how to utilize the biology correctly for improved efficiency of milk production. Improved efficiency of milk production requires attention to details in many areas of the dairy. Identifying the correct areas of deficiencies, establishing corrective plans of action and then careful evaluation of the impact of changes are all key to the overall success of improving dairy farm margins and efficiencies.
91 Electronic probes for assessment of changes in gastrointestinal microbiome in nursery pigs
Authors: Carter Scott D , Cardwell Kitty , Camacho Andres Espindola , Lara Ishtar Silva
Published: November 2020

Gut microbiota play an important role in extraction, synthesis and absorption of nutrients. Commensal bacteria prevent pathogenic bacteria colonization and maintain intestinal epithelium integrity. The most common families of commensal bacteria in nursery pigs are Prevotellaceae, Clostridiaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Lachnospitaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Ruminicoccaceae and Streptoccocaceae. Understanding the microbial abundance shifts that causes health disruption leading to diarrhea and stunted growth performance can be of great benefit for developing mitigation strategies. Next generation sequencing (NGS) technology facilitates metagenomic approaches, developing sequencing profile representing any and all organisms within a sample. Electronic-probe Diagnostic Nucleic acid Analysis (EDNA) is a bioinformatic tool originally developed to detect species-specific plant pathogen targets in metagenomic databases. EDNA has been shown to reduce time to detect microbial signatures in large metagenomic sequence data. However, it has not previously been used as a metagenomic tool for assessing microbiome composition at the family level. Therefore, a metagenomic sequencing based in silico detection of gut microbiota using E-probes of the seven most common commensal families was developed and further validated in vitro. E-probes were designed from the selected families as follows, Prevotellaceae (89,565), Clostridiaceae (58,554), Erysipelotrichaceae (195), Lachnospitaceae (87), Lactobacillaceae (211,507), Ruminicoccaceae (14,575) and Streptoccocaceae (54,632). Fecal metagenomes of nursery pigs from 0, 7, 14, and 21 d were used to validate the E-probes. The hits were able to detect the relative abundance variations of the 4-time periods. The results between hits and reads were as follows, Prevotellaceae (r2 = 0.98), Clostridiaceae (r2 = 0.99), Erysipelotrichaceae (r2 = 0.99), Lachnospitaceae (r2 = 0.99), Lactobacillaceae (r2 = 0.91), Ruminicoccaceae (r2 = 0.99) and Streptoccocaceae (r2 = 0.98). These results validate in silico usage of E-probes to detect the relative abundance variations in gut microbiota. Further in vitro validation will be performed to assess the microbial changes related to diet in nursery pigs.
45 Effect of Increasing Corn Silage Inclusion in Finishing Diets with or Without Tylosin on Performance and Liver Abscesses
Authors: Wilson Hannah C , Boyd Bradley M , McPhillips Levi J , Watson Andrea K , MacDonald James C , Erickson Galen E
Published: November 2020

Elevating corn silage inclusion in finishing diets has been investigated and suggests feeding more silage in farming and feeding operations improves profitability, despite decreased gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (G:F). Feeding more silage may decrease liver abscesses and the need for antibiotic control of abscesses. A finishing study was conducted to assess the impact of silage inclusion in finishing diets to reduce the incidence of liver abscesses in beef cattle. A total of 640 (BW = 334 ± 25 kg) steers were utilized in a 2 × 2 factorial treatment design with two levels of corn silage (15 and 45%, diet DM), with or without tylosin for control of abscesses. This study utilized 32 pens of cattle with 20 steers per pen and 8 pens per treatment. There was an interaction for liver abscesses (P = 0.05) and a tendency for an interaction for performance (P = 0.10) between silage and tylosin inclusion but not for carcass traits (P ≥ 0.20). Cattle fed 15% corn silage had the greatest incidence of liver abscesses (34.5%) compared to other treatments (P = 0.05), and abscess rate was decreased to 19% if tylosin was fed. Feeding 45% silage was also effective at lowering liver abscess rates which were 12.4% regardless of whether an antibiotic was fed. Feeding corn silage at 45% of diet DM was as effective as feeding an antibiotic to cattle on 85% concentrate diets. Feeding corn silage at greater inclusions decreased ADG (P ≤ 0.01) but increased final body weight when fed to an equal fatness. However, feeding corn silage at 45% was more economical compared to feeding 15% corn silage, especially at higher corn prices, provided shrink is well managed. Feeding elevated concentrations of corn silage may be an economically viable method to control liver abscesses without antibiotic use.
24 Determining the phosphorus release of Smizyme TS G5 2,500 phytase in nursery pigs
Authors: Wensley Madie R , Woodworth Jason C , DeRouchey Joel M , Tokach Mike D , Goodband Robert D , Dritz Steve S , Calderon Cartagena Hilda I , Faser Jill M , Guo Baolin L
Published: November 2020

Two nursery trials (DNA 241×600) with 320 or 280 pigs, respectively (initially 10 kg) were used to determine the available P (aP) release curve for Smizyme TS G5 2,500 (Origination, Inc., Saint Paul, MN). Pigs were weaned at approximately 21-d of age, randomly allotted to pens based on initial body weight (BW) and fed a common diet. On d 21 post-weaning, pens were blocked by BW and randomly allotted to 1 of 8 (Exp. 1) or 7 (Exp. 2) dietary treatments with 5 pigs/pen and 8 pens/treatment. Treatments were formulated to include increasing aP from either inorganic P (0.12%, 0.18%, or 0.24% in Exp. 1 and 0.11%, 0.19%, or 0.27% in Exp. 2 from monocalcium P) or increasing phytase (150, 250, 500, 750, or 1,000 FTU/kg in Exp. 1 and 250, 500, 1000, or 1,500 FTU/kg in Exp. 2). Prior to beginning the 21-d studies, all pigs were fed the lowest inorganic P diet for a 3-d period. At the conclusion of the experiments, the pig closest to the pen mean BW was euthanized and the right fibula was collected to determine bone ash. In both experiments, pigs fed increasing aP from inorganic P had increased (linear, P< 0.01) ADG, G:F, and final BW. Additionally, pigs fed diets with increasing phytase had increased (Exp. 1 linear, P< 0.01, Exp. 2 linear and quadratic, P< 0.05) ADG, ADFI, and G:F. The aP release increased for ADG (Exp. 1 linear, P< 0.01; Exp. 2 linear and quadratic, P< 0.01), G:F (linear, P< 0.01), and bone ash percent (Exp. 1 linear and quadratic, P< 0.05; Exp. 2 linear, P< 0.01) up to the highest phytase inclusion. When combining the release values from Exp. 1 and 2, the release equations for Smizyme TS G5 2,500 are aP=(0.197×FTU)÷(584.956+FTU), aP=(0.175×FTU)÷(248.348+FTU), and aP=(0.165×FTU)÷(178.146+FTU) for ADG, G:F, and bone ash percent, respectively.
219 Effects of maternal nutrient restriction and rumen-protected arginine supplementation on post-ruminal digestive enzyme activities of lamb offspring
Authors: Trotta Ronald J , Keomanivong Faithe E , Bjertness Jena L , Caton Joel S , Swanson Kendall C
Published: November 2020

To determine the effects of maternal nutrient restriction and rumen-protected arginine supplementation on post-ruminal digestive enzymes in lambs, 31 multiparous, Rambouillet ewes were allocated to one of three dietary treatments at 54 d of gestation. Dietary treatments were 100% of nutrient requirements (control, CON; n=11), 60% of control (restricted, RES; n=10), or RES plus a rumen-protected arginine supplement dosed at 180 mg/kg BW once daily (RES-ARG; n=10). At parturition, lambs were immediately removed from dams and reared independently. Milk-replacer and alfalfa hay + creep feed was offered for ad libitum intake. At day 54 of age, lambs were slaughtered and the pancreas and small intestine were collected. Pancreatic (α-amylase, trypsin) and small intestinal (maltase, glucoamylase, sucrase, isomaltase, lactase) digestive enzyme activities were assayed. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS with treatment and fetal sex included in the model statement. Contrast statements were used to determine differences between means for effects of restriction (CON vs. RES and RES-ARG) and rumen-protected arginine supplementation (RES vs. RES-ARG). There was no influence (P≥0.32) of maternal nutrient restriction or rumen-protected arginine supplementation on pancreatic or small intestinal protein concentrations. No treatment effects were observed (P≥0.14) for enzymes involved in starch digestion including pancreatic α-amylase and small intestinal maltase, glucoamylase, and isomaltase. Sucrase activity was undetected in the small intestine of lambs across all treatments. Maternal nutrient restriction tended to increase (P=0.09) pancreatic trypsin specific activity in lambs. Lactase specific activity in the small intestine of lambs tended to decrease (P=0.08) with maternal nutrient restriction. Rumen-protected arginine supplementation to gestating ewes did not influence (P≥0.19) digestive enzyme activities of lamb offspring. These data suggest that maternal nutrient restriction may result in increased pancreatic trypsin activity of lambs to potentially compensate for inadequate pre-natal nutrient supply.