bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with antiretroviral therapy use among pregnant women in rural and urban settings in Southern Province, Zambia: 2016–2019
Authors: Morales Juliet A. , Hamahuwa Mutinta , Moyo Nkumbula , Mutanga Jane N. , Schue Jessica L. , Maunga Sylvia , Thuma Philip E. , Moss William J. , Sutcliffe Catherine G.
Published: September 2022

Objectives

To assess antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage among pregnant women living with HIV and compare the characteristics of women who received and did not receive ART during pregnancy in Zambia.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted at urban and rural health facilities in Southern Province, Zambia, from 2016 to 2019. Pregnant women living with HIV delivering at study sites were enrolled and administered a questionnaire, and the results of infant diagnostic testing for HIV at birth was documented.

Results

About 1184 mother/infant pairs were enrolled. ART coverage was 93.7%. Most women who did not receive ART during pregnancy reported HIV diagnosis at delivery (18.0%) or during pregnancy (57.7%). The primary reported reason for not receiving ART was not wanting to take the drugs. Women who did not receive ART during pregnancy were significantly younger, less likely to have disclosed their HIV‐infection status to others, and less likely to have received antenatal care than women who received ART. ART use correlated with higher levels of education in urban but not rural sites. Overall, 1.0% of infants were infected with HIV at birth, including 0.8% of infants born to women who received ART and 4.1% of infants born to women who did not.

Conclusions

Most women received ART according to guidelines, resulting in low perinatal transmission rates of HIV to infants. Efforts to increase ART coverage and prevent vertical transmission should focus on identifying incident HIV infections during pregnancy and strengthening counselling for newly diagnosed pregnant women.
Evaluation of the utility and accuracy of body fluids containing red blood cells to determine canine and feline blood types
Authors: Garcia‐Arce Marta , Breheny Craig R. , Boag Alisdair M. , Llewellyn Efa A.
Published: September 2022

Objective

To examine the accuracy of using body fluids macroscopically suspected to contain erythrocytes to determine the blood type in dogs and cats by use of an immunochromatographic cartridge (ICC), compared to systemic blood as the reference standard.

Design

Prospective study.

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Animals

Thirty client‐owned dogs and 8 cats.

Interventions

Dogs and cats with a sanguineous or serosanguineous body fluid (SBF) that also required a blood sample were eligible for inclusion. PCV and blood type were determined in all blood and fluid samples. For body fluids with a low PCV and discordant blood type results compared to systemic blood, sample concentration and repeat blood typing from the fluid was performed when enough sample was available.

Measurement and Main Results

Body fluid samples consisted of 16 pleural (11 dogs; 5 cats), 12 peritoneal (10 dogs; 2 cats), and 4 canine pericardial effusions, 3 urine samples, and 1 each of feces and epistaxis from dogs and a seroma sample from a cat. Median (range) manual PCV of blood and fluid samples was 34% (14%–66%) and 6% (0.5%–70%) for dogs and 28% (14%–48%) and 14% (0.5%–19%) for cats, respectively. Dogs were correctly classified as being DEA 1 negative, DEA 1 positive, and DEA 1 weak positive when using body fluid for blood typing 13 of 14, 4 of 9, and 5 of 7, respectively. All reference blood type to fluid blood type (FBT) discordant results had a body fluid PCV equal to or below 2%. Subsequently concentrated body fluid samples had a PCV above 8% and repeat FBT matched reference blood type (RBT). All cats were classified as type A by all RBTs and FBTs.

Conclusions

Body fluids containing erythrocytes may be utilized to blood type dogs if sufficiently concentrated and type A cats.
Effect of Mn Substitution on the Structure and Hydrogen Storage Properties of La0.75Ce0.25Ni5−xMnx Alloy
Authors: Jiaqi Duan , Zhenwei Wang , Jian Lin , Lijun Lv , Xingbo Han , Wei Liu , Jun Li
Published: September 2022

In this study, La0.75Ce0.25Ni5−xMnx (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) alloys were prepared by vacuum arc melting. The effect of the addition of Mn on the alloy microstructure and hydrogen absorption/desorption properties were explored by characterizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser particle size test, hydrogen absorption kinetic test, and P-C-T test. The XRD results show that the series of alloys are single-phase alloys composed of the LaNi5 phase, and the cell volume of the alloy gradually increases as the amount of Mn replacing Ni increases. The P-C-T curve of the alloy shows that the alloy has obvious hydrogen absorption/desorption plateau regions, which gradually decrease with increasing Mn content, while the hydrogen storage capacity remains unchanged. The hydrogen absorption kinetic curve of the alloy was tested, and it was found that the hydrogen absorption rate of the alloy increased with the increase of Mn content. These studies show that doping the Mn element in the La0.75Ce0.25Ni5−xMnx (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) alloys may regulate plateau pressure without affecting the hydrogen storage capacity or kinetics properties, providing a reference for the application of this type of alloy in hydrogen pressurization, purification, etc.
Controllable Dealloying of a Cu-Ga Alloy and Its Application as an Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Yu Jiayu , Yin Shuai , Xiong Gangyi , Guan Xianggang , Xia Jun , Li Jiajie , Zhang Shichao , Xing Yalan , Yang Puheng
Published: September 2022

Porous metallic materials are widely used for lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrodes because of their low density, efficient ionic/electron pathways, and high specific surface area. In this study, we fabricate nanoporous Cu using chemical and electrochemical dealloying methods based on a Cu-Ga alloy. The effects of the dealloying conditions on the derived microstructure of the nanoporous metal and its evolution mechanisms are discussed. Analysis and control of the electrochemical dealloying process reveal that the sample morphology can be adjusted and the phase component can be controlled. Accordingly, a 3D CuGa2 electrode with a nanoporous structure is controllably synthesized, and it exhibits a higher specific capacity and cyclic stability than a 2D CuGa2 electrode when used as a LIB anode.
Supersaturated Solar Ponds for Enhanced Thermal Insulation by the Spontaneous Formation of a Thin Film Gas at the Bottom
Authors: Arias Francisco J. , De Las Heras Salvador
Published: September 2022

In this work the novel approach of supersaturated solar ponds to enhance thermal insulation of the pond by the spontaneous formation of a thin film gas blanketing its bottom which is covered by active nucleation sites is discussed. Utilizing a simplified physical model an expression for the heat transfer and the increase of temperature at the bottom of the solar pond was derived.
Estimation of Hydrodynamic Forces on Cylinders Undergoing Flow-Induced Vibrations Based on Modal Analysis
Authors: Yin Guang , Janocha Marek Jan , Ong Muk Chen
Published: September 2022

The objective of the present study is estimating hydrodynamic forces acting on cylinders undergoing vortex-induced vibration (VIV) using dynamic mode decomposition (DMD). The cylinders are subjected to a uniform incoming flow at a laminar Reynolds number (Re = 250) and an upper transition Reynolds number (Re = 3.6 × 106) (Re = U∞D/ν defined based on the incoming flow U∞, the diameter of the cylinder D, and the viscosity of the fluid ν). Both a single cylinder and a configuration of piggyback cylinders are considered. Numerical simulations based on two-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations combined with the k−ω SST turbulence model are carried out to obtain the snapshots of the surrounding flow fields for DMD analysis. The DMD method is a powerful tool to obtain the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics of the coherent structures in the wake flow behind the cylinders. In the present study, this modal decomposition method is combined with a moving reference frame around the cylinders. The dominant DMD modes with their corresponding frequencies of the wake flows are identified and are used to reconstruct the flow fields. The large-scale shedding vortices are captured by the dominant modes. The reconstructed wake flow behind the cylinders is used to estimate the drag and lift forces on the cylinders combined with a force partitioning analysis.
Efficient Calculation of Hydrodynamic Loads on Offshore Wind Substructures Including Slamming Forces
Authors: Pakozdi Csaba , Kamath Arun , Wang Weizhi , Martin Tobias , Bihs Hans
Published: September 2022

Estimation of the hydrodynamic loads based on strip theory using the Morrison equation provides an inexpensive method for load estimation for the offshore industry. The advantage of this approach is that it requires only the undisturbed wave kinematics along with inertia and viscous force coefficients. Over the recent years, the development in numerical wave tank simulations makes it possible to simulate nonlinear 3-h sea states, with computational times in the order of real time. This presents the possibility to calculate loads using wave spectrum input in numerical simulations with reasonable computational time and effort. In the current paper, the open-source fully nonlinear potential flow model REEF3D::FNPF is employed for calculating the nonlinear wave kinematics. Here, the Laplace equation for the velocity potential is solved on a σ-coordinate mesh with the nonlinear free surface boundary conditions to close the system. A technique to calculate the total acceleration on the σ-coordinate grid is introduced which makes it possible to apply strip theory in a moving grid framework. With the combination of strip theory and 3-h wave simulations, a unique possibility to estimate the hydrodynamic loads in real time for all discrete positions in space within the domain of the numerical wave tank is presented in this paper. The numerical results for inline forces on an offshore wind mono-pile substructure are compared with measurements, and the new approach shows good agreement.
Synergistic Lubrication for Textured Surfaces Using Polar and Nonpolar Lubricants
Authors: Wang Wei , Zhao Wenhan , Ma Qiang , Kouediatouka Ange Nsilani , Zhang Hui , Dong Guangneng , Hua Meng , Tam Hon-Yuen
Published: September 2022

The synergistic effect of surface texturing and lubricants with various viscosity and polarity properties is an attractive and unexplored topic. In this study, surface texturing characterized by circular dimples has been manufactured on steel surfaces in advance, which can improve the lubrication of frictional units compared with the bare disc under different lubricants. Then, three lubricants, low-viscosity and nonpolar white oil, high viscosity and nonpolar silicone oil, and highly viscous and polar castor oil, were used to evaluate the interaction between surface texture and the lubricating oil. The contact angles of each lubricant on the textured and bare surface were measured to investigate the lubricant intermolecular force and wettability. The oil film thickness simulation and tribological experiments were conducted. The tribological results indicate that lubricants with varied characteristics work differently due to their different properties on textured surfaces. Castor oil exhibits the best tribological properties of the three oils used to supply the textured surfaces, which may attribute to its ability to generate strong boundary adsorption films as well as a thickened interfacial layer, and it could reduce the intensity of asperity interaction.
Effect of Heat Temperature on Microstructure and Wear Mechanism of Laser Additive Manufactured Hastelloy C22
Authors: Wang Qin-Ying , Zhang Xing-Shou , Dong Li-Jin , Zheng Huai-Bei , Liu Ting-Yao , Xi Yu-Chen , Zhang Jin , Zeng De-Zhi , Lin Yuan-Hua
Published: September 2022

Residual stress is easily generated in laser additive manufacturing (LAM) alloys due to high-temperature gradient during preparing, which increases the failure risk of materials. A LAM Hastelloy C22 was prepared by rotating strategy in this study, and the wear mechanism induced by heat treatment was investigated. The microstructural results showed that the columnar structure with the size of 1 ∼ 4 μm and the cellular structures with the size of 0.3 ∼ 1 μm were observed in LAM Hastelloy C22. The samples consist of γ-Ni solid solution. Cr23C6 and the increase of MoSi2 content were found as the heating temperature increased. The mechanical results presented that compared with the as-received LAM Hastelloy C22, the residual stress and wear-rate of the samples heat treated at 600 °C, 750 °C, and 900 °C were reduced by 14%, 49%, 63% and 39.9%, 68.9%, 92.3%, respectively. The wear mechanism showed that heat treatment enhanced the wear resistance of LAM Hastelloy C22 by the integrated oxide layer and supporting effect of MoSi2 and Cr23C6. This research indicated that the microstructural evolution that enhanced the wear resistance of LAM Hastelloy C22 was predominant rather than the reduced effect from relieving residual stress after heat treatment.
Frictional Anisotropy of Oriented Carbon Nanotubes/Rubber Composites and New Insight Into Its Mechanism From the Perspective of Frictional Interface
Authors: Wang Ruilin , Huang Haibo , Qu Junhao , Ren Rui , He Huabo , Huang Feihong , Wang Yonggang
Published: September 2022

Nanomaterials as reinforcement to enhance the properties of the composite and extend its potential applications have always shown great interest. As 1D materials, aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced composites could show different mechanical properties in different directions. In this paper, the frictional anisotropy of oriented CNTs/rubber composites at both macroscopic and atomic scales was investigated. Both physical experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to measure the coefficient of friction (COF) of rubber incorporated with CNTs oriented in different directions. The macroscale and nanoscale results qualitatively show good agreement. The COF and wear rate of CNTs-z/rubber are both lower than that of CNTs-x/ and CNTs-y/rubbers. That is, CNTs perpendicular to the sliding interface could further decrease the COF compared to those that are in the plane parallel to the interface. This may be due to the weaker adhesive ability, smaller real contact area, lower temperature, and higher anti-shearing ability on the interface. This work provides guidelines for the extension of the application and control for the CNTs reinforced composites.
Modeling Atomistic Dynamic Fracture Mechanisms Using a Progressive Transformer Diffusion Model
Authors: Buehler Markus J.
Published: September 2022

Dynamic fracture is an important area of materials analysis, assessing the atomic-level mechanisms by which materials fail over time. Here, we focus on brittle materials failure and show that an atomistically derived progressive transformer diffusion machine learning model can effectively describe the dynamics of fracture, capturing important aspects such as crack dynamics, instabilities, and initiation mechanisms. Trained on a small dataset of atomistic simulations, the model generalizes well and offers a rapid assessment of dynamic fracture mechanisms for complex geometries, expanding well beyond the original set of atomistic simulation results. Various validation cases, progressively more distinct from the data used for training, are presented and analyzed. The validation cases feature distinct geometric details, including microstructures generated by a generative neural network used here to identify novel bio-inspired material designs for mechanical performance. For all cases, the model performs well and captures key aspects of material failure.
New Guidelines on Assessing the Risk of Fatigue Failure and Remaining Life of Ageing Pressure Vessels:
Authors: Wintle John , Buennagel Emilie
Published: September 2022

An assessment of the risk of failure from fatigue of ageing pressure vessels that are approaching or beyond design life is important for assuring on-going containment of hydrocarbon and other hazardous fluids and stored energy. Most operators rely on costly in-service inspections to gain the necessary assurance as many do not know how much of the design fatigue life has been used or remains. In practice, fatigue cracking is often difficult to detect because of the tightness of the cracks, and access and coverage for a good inspection can be quite limited, particularly when requiring hazardous vessel entry.

Ageing vessels on offshore installations are of particular concern because they cannot be easily inspected or economically replaced. A hydrocarbon leak from a fatigue crack in a pressure vessel could create a significant hazard. Some operators are therefore taking steps to assess the risks of fatigue failure of their vessels and taking measures to manage the risk.

The Energy Institute has recently published new Guidelines to assist operators to assess the risk of fatigue failure of their vessels. The Guidelines follow the recommendation from the UK’s Health and Safety Executive’s Key Programme 4 on ageing and life extension of offshore installations that “duty holders should consider the potential pressure and thermal fatigue risks to pressure vessels where these would be of high consequence”. The Guidelines provide a risk assessment tool to enable operators to screen and rank their vessels according to their relative risk of fatigue failure and recommend modern analysis methods and techniques by which the remaining fatigue life can be determined and improved.

This paper will describe the main features of the Guidelines and provide two case studies illustrating how two offshore operating companies have assessed the risk of fatigue failure of their ageing pressure vessels and allowed continued service.
Acoustically driven orientation and navigation in enclosed spaces
Authors: Steffens Henning , Schutte Michael , Ewert Stephan D.
Published: September 2022

Awareness of space, and subsequent orientation and navigation in rooms, is dominated by the visual system. However, humans are able to extract auditory information about their surroundings from early reflections and reverberation in enclosed spaces. To better understand orientation and navigation based on acoustic cues only, three virtual corridor layouts (I-, U-, and Z-shaped) were presented using real-time virtual acoustics in a three-dimensional 86-channel loudspeaker array. Participants were seated on a rotating chair in the center of the loudspeaker array and navigated using real rotation and virtual locomotion by “teleporting” in steps on a grid in the invisible environment. A head mounted display showed control elements and the environment in a visual reference condition. Acoustical information about the environment originated from a virtual sound source at the collision point of a virtual ray with the boundaries. In different control modes, the ray was cast either in view or hand direction or in a rotating, “radar”-like fashion in 90° steps to all sides. Time to complete, number of collisions, and movement patterns were evaluated. Navigation and orientation were possible based on the direct sound with little effect of room acoustics and control mode. Underlying acoustic cues were analyzed using an auditory model.
Harmonics-to-noise ratio estimation with deterministically time-varying harmonic model for pathological voice signals
Authors: Ikuma Takeshi , Story Brad , McWhorter Andrew J. , Adkins Lacey , Kunduk Melda
Published: September 2022

The harmonics-to-noise ratio (HNR) and other spectral noise parameters are important in clinical objective voice assessment as they could indicate the presence of nonharmonic phenomena, which are tied to the perception of hoarseness or breathiness. Existing HNR estimators are built on the voice signals to be nearly periodic (fixed over a short period), although voice pathology could induce involuntary slow modulation to void this assumption. This paper proposes the use of a deterministically time-varying harmonic model to improve the HNR measurements. To estimate the time-varying model, a two-stage iterative least squares algorithm is proposed to reduce model overfitting. The efficacy of the proposed HNR estimator is demonstrated with synthetic signals, simulated tremor signals, and recorded acoustic signals. Results indicate that the proposed algorithm can produce consistent HNR measures as the extent and rate of tremor are varied.
An in situ study of abyssal turbidity-current sediment plumes generated by a deep seabed polymetallic nodule mining preprototype collector vehicle
Authors: Muñoz-Royo Carlos , Ouillon Raphael , El Mousadik Souha , Alford Matthew H. , Peacock Thomas
Published: September 2022

An in situ study to investigate the dynamics of sediment plumes near the release from a deep seabed polymetallic nodule mining preprototype collector vehicle was conducted in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean 4500-m deep. The experiments reveal that the excess density of the released sediment-laden water leads to a low-lying, laterally spreading turbidity current. At the time of measurement, 2 to 8% of the sediment mass were detected 2 m or higher above the seabed and were not observed to settle over several hours, with the remaining 92 to 98% below 2 m and some fraction of that locally deposited. Our results suggest that turbidity current dynamics sets the fraction of sediment remaining suspended and the scale of the subsequent ambient sediment plume. The implications of this process, which is characteristically overlooked in previous modeling efforts, are substantial for plume modeling that will lie at the heart of environmental impact statements for regulatory consideration.
Gene drive mosquitoes can aid malaria elimination by retarding
Plasmodium
sporogonic development
Authors: Hoermann Astrid , Habtewold Tibebu , Selvaraj Prashanth , Del Corsano Giuseppe , Capriotti Paolo , Inghilterra Maria Grazia , Kebede Temesgen M. , Christophides George K. , Windbichler Nikolai
Published: September 2022

Gene drives hold promise for the genetic control of malaria vectors. The development of vector population modification strategies hinges on the availability of effector mechanisms impeding parasite development in transgenic mosquitoes. We augmented a midgut gene of the malaria mosquito
Anopheles gambiae
to secrete two exogenous antimicrobial peptides, magainin 2 and melittin. This small genetic modification, capable of efficient nonautonomous gene drive, hampers oocyst development in both
Plasmodium falciparum
and
Plasmodium berghei
. It delays the release of infectious sporozoites, while it simultaneously reduces the life span of homozygous female transgenic mosquitoes. Modeling the spread of this modification using a large-scale agent-based model of malaria epidemiology reveals that it can break the cycle of disease transmission across a range of transmission intensities.
SARS-CoV-2 disrupts respiratory vascular barriers by suppressing Claudin-5 expression
Authors: Hashimoto Rina , Takahashi Junya , Shirakura Keisuke , Funatsu Risa , Kosugi Kaori , Deguchi Sayaka , Yamamoto Masaki , Tsunoda Yugo , Morita Maaya , Muraoka Kosuke , Tanaka Masato , Kanbara Tomoaki , Tanaka Shota , Tamiya Shigeyuki , Tokunoh Nagisa , Kawai Atsushi , Ikawa Masahito , Ono Chikako , Tachibana Keisuke , Kondoh Masuo , Obana Masanori , Matsuura Yoshiharu , Ohsumi Akihiro , Noda Takeshi , Yamamoto Takuya , Yoshioka Yasuo , Torisawa Yu-suke , Date Hiroshi , Fujio Yasushi , Nagao Miki , Takayama Kazuo , Okada Yoshiaki
Published: September 2022

In the initial process of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects respiratory epithelial cells and then transfers to other organs the blood vessels. It is believed that SARS-CoV-2 can pass the vascular wall by altering the endothelial barrier using an unknown mechanism. In this study, we investigated the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the endothelial barrier using an airway-on-a-chip that mimics respiratory organs and found that SARS-CoV-2 produced from infected epithelial cells disrupts the barrier by decreasing Claudin-5 (CLDN5), a tight junction protein, and disrupting vascular endothelial cadherin–mediated adherens junctions. Consistently, the gene and protein expression levels of CLDN5 in the lungs of a patient with COVID-19 were decreased. CLDN5 overexpression or Fluvastatin treatment rescued the SARS-CoV-2–induced respiratory endothelial barrier disruption. We concluded that the down-regulation of CLDN5 expression is a pivotal mechanism for SARS-CoV-2–induced endothelial barrier disruption in respiratory organs and that inducing CLDN5 expression is a therapeutic strategy against COVID-19.
Tunable topological Dirac surface states and van Hove singularities in kagome metal GdV
6
Sn
6
Authors: Hu Yong , Wu Xianxin , Yang Yongqi , Gao Shunye , Plumb Nicholas C. , Schnyder Andreas P. , Xie Weiwei , Ma Junzhang , Shi Ming
Published: September 2022

Transition-metal-based kagome materials at van Hove filling are a rich frontier for the investigation of novel topological electronic states and correlated phenomena. To date, in the idealized two-dimensional kagome lattice, topologically Dirac surface states (TDSSs) have not been unambiguously observed, and the manipulation of TDSSs and van Hove singularities (VHSs) remains largely unexplored. Here, we reveal TDSSs originating from a ℤ
2
bulk topology and identify multiple VHSs near the Fermi level (
E
F
) in magnetic kagome material GdV
6
Sn
6
. Using in situ surface potassium deposition, we successfully realize manipulation of the TDSSs and VHSs. The Dirac point of the TDSSs can be tuned from above to below
E
F
, which reverses the chirality of the spin texture at the Fermi surface. These results establish GdV
6
Sn
6
as a fascinating platform for studying the nontrivial topology, magnetism, and correlation effects native to kagome lattices. They also suggest potential application of spintronic devices based on kagome materials.
Receptor-independent fluid-phase macropinocytosis promotes arterial foam cell formation and atherosclerosis
Authors: Lin Hui-Ping , Singla Bhupesh , Ahn WonMo , Ghoshal Pushpankur , Blahove Maria , Cherian-Shaw Mary , Chen Alex , Haller April , Hui David Y. , Dong Kunzhe , Zhou Jiliang , White Joseph , Stranahan Alexis M. , Jasztal Agnieszka , Lucas Rudolf , Stansfield Brian K. , Fulton David , Chlopicki Stefan , Csányi Gábor
Published: September 2022

Accumulation of lipid-laden foam cells in the arterial wall plays a central role in atherosclerotic lesion development, plaque progression, and late-stage complications of atherosclerosis. However, there are still fundamental gaps in our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms leading to foam cell formation in atherosclerotic arteries. Here, we investigated the role of receptor-independent macropinocytosis in arterial lipid accumulation and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Genetic inhibition of fluid-phase macropinocytosis in myeloid cells (

LysMCre
+
Nhe1
fl/fl

) and repurposing of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved drug that inhibits macrophage macropinocytosis substantially decreased atherosclerotic lesion development in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor–deficient and
Apoe
−/−
mice. Stimulation of macropinocytosis using genetic (

H-RAS
G12V

) and physiologically relevant approaches promoted internalization of unmodified native (nLDL) and modified [e.g., acetylated (ac) and oxidized (ox) LDL] lipoproteins in both wild-type and scavenger receptor (SR) knockout (
Cd36
−/−
/
Sra
−/−
) macrophages. Pharmacological inhibition of macropinocytosis in hypercholesterolemic wild-type and
Cd36
−/−
/
Sra
−/−
mice identified an important role of macropinocytosis in LDL uptake by lesional macrophages and development of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, serial section high-resolution imaging, LDL immunolabeling, and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of subendothelial foam cells provide visual evidence of lipid macropinocytosis in both human and murine atherosclerotic arteries. Our findings complement the SR paradigm of atherosclerosis and identify a therapeutic strategy to counter the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Klebsiella pneumoniae
l-
Fucose Metabolism Promotes Gastrointestinal Colonization and Modulates Its Virulence Determinants
Authors: Hudson Andrew W. , Barnes Andrew J. , Bray Andrew S. , Ornelles David A. , Zafar M. Ammar
Published: September 2022

Colonization of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by
Klebsiella pneumoniae
is generally considered asymptomatic. However, gut colonization allows
K. pneumoniae
to either translocate to sterile site within the same host or transmit through the fecal-oral route to another host.
K. pneumoniae
gut colonization is poorly understood, but knowledge of this first step toward infection and spread is critical for combatting its disease manifestations.
K. pneumoniae
must overcome colonization resistance (CR) provided by the host microbiota to establish itself within the gut.
Whole-Genome Sequence of Cervid atadenovirus A from the Initial Cases of an Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease Epizootic of Black-Tailed Deer in Canada
Authors: Lung Oliver , Fisher Mathew , Nebroski Michelle , McGregor Glenna , Schwantje Helen , Joseph Tomy
Published: September 2022

A complete 30,616-nucleotide
Cervid atadenovirus A
genome was determined from the tissues of black-tailed deer that had died in 2020 in British Columbia, Canada. Unique, nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the E1B, Iva2, and E4.3 coding regions and deletions totaling 74 nucleotides that were not observed in moose and red deer isolates were present.
Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Detection from Saliva Sampling and Oropharyngeal Swab
Authors: Clemmensen Mia de Laurent , Bendixen Kamilla Kolding , Flugt Katharina , Pilgaard Pernille , Christensen Ulf Bech
Published: September 2022

It is not inconceivable that we will witness recurring surges of COVID-19 before the pandemic finally recedes. It is therefore still relevant to look for feasible, simple, and flexible screening methods so that schools, workplaces, and communities in general can avoid lockdowns.
Characterization of Phage Resistance and Their Impacts on Bacterial Fitness in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Li Na , Zeng Yigang , Wang Mengran , Bao Rong , Chen Yu , Li Xiaoyu , Pan Jue , Zhu Tongyu , Hu Bijie , Tan Demeng
Published: September 2022

Battling phage resistance is one of the main challenges faced by phage therapy. To overcome this challenge, detailed information about the mechanisms of phage-host interactions is required to understand the bacterial evolutionary processes.
Erratum to: Effect of the Carotenoid Content and Activity of the Carotene cis-trans Isomerase CRTISO on Tomato Fruit Color
Authors: Efremov G. I. , Dzhos E. A. , Ashikhmin A. A. , Kochieva E. Z. , Shchennikova A. V.
Published: September 2022

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1021443722330019
Unique diagnostic challenge in surgery: hepatic abscess versus malignancy
Authors: Govindaraj Shrenik , Prakash Clement , Ananthamurthy Anuradha , Govindaraj Sridar
Published: September 2022

A man in his 30s had presented with a history of abdominal pain, vomiting and high-grade fever. He had tender hepatomegaly with peritonism in the upper abdomen. Investigations revealed a neutrophilic leucocytosis, and contrast-enhanced CT had shown several well-defined peripherally enhancing thick-walled cystic lesions with non-enhancing centres throughout the liver suggestive of pyogenic liver abscess, treated initially with antibiotics. However, ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration revealed atypical neoplastic cells, and a trucut biopsy showed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). He developed acute shortness of breath. CT pulmonary angiogram confirmed pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Incidentally, here we saw a solitary nodule in the right middle lobe, probably a neoplastic lesion. His condition deteriorated rapidly secondary to PTE and died. A pathological review was positive for CK7, p40, p63 and CK19 confirming SCC. We concluded the primary was a pulmonary SCC with multiple hepatic metastases. Hepatic metastases can mimic an abscess; trucut biopsy with immunohistochemistry was critical for a definitive diagnosis.
Electroretinographic findings in retinal vasculitis
Authors: Ghoraba Hashem H , Matsumiya Wataru , Or Christopher , Khojasteh Hassan , Patel Prem , Karaca Irmak , Regenold Jonathan , Zaidi Moosa , Hwang Jaclyn , Lajevardi Sherin , Yavari Negin , Than Ngoc Trong Tuong , Park Sung Who , Akhavanrezayat Amir , Uludag Gunay , Yasar Cigdem , Leung Loh-Shan B , Nguyen Quan Dong
Published: September 2022

Aim

To describe and correlate electroretinographic responses with clinical and angiographic findings in retinal vasculitis (RV).

Methods

Medical records of patients with diagnosis of RV at a tertiary eye centre from December 2017 to May 2021 were reviewed. Cases in which fluorescein angiography (FFA) and full field electroretinography (ffERG) were done within 1 month were included. FFAs were graded according to the Angiography Scoring for Uveitis Working Group from 0 to 40, where 0 is normal. A novel ffERG grading system was implemented where individual waves were graded for timing and amplitude and general ffERG score was determined with 6 being a perfect score.

Results

20 patients (34 eyes) were included. Mean age was 43.9±19.8 years; 70% were female. Median best-corrected visual acuity was 0.8 (0.08–1). Mean FFA score was 12.6±6.5. Median general ffERG score was 5 (0–6). 68% and 91% of eyes had responses with general ffERG scores ≥5 and 4, respectively. Flicker timing was most commonly affected.

FFA scores weakly correlated with delayed photopic cone b-wave and flicker timing (p=0.03 and 0.016, respectively). Vitreous haze moderately correlated with delayed cone b-wave timing (p<0.001), delayed flicker timing (p=0.002) and weakly correlated with lower flicker amplitude (p=0.03). Underlying systemic disease was associated with poor ffERG responses.

Conclusion

In this study, RV was not frequently associated with severe global retinal dysfunction Higher FFA scores, and vitreous haze grading were weakly, but significantly, correlated with cone-generated ffERG responses.
Cohort profile: maternal antecedents of adiposity and studying the transgenerational role of hyperglycaemia and insulin (MAASTHI)
Authors: Lobo Eunice , Ana Yamuna , Deepa R , Shriyan Prafulla , Sindhu N D , Karthik Maithili , Kinra Sanjay , Murthy G V S , Babu Giridhara R
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The Maternal Antecedents of Adiposity and Studying the transgenerational role of Hyperglycaemia and Insulin cohort in Bengaluru, South India, aims to understand the transgenerational role of increased circulating glucose levels or hyperglycaemia and other nutrients and psychosocial environment, on the risk of childhood obesity, as an early marker of chronic diseases.

Participants

Through this paper, we describe the baseline characteristics of the cohort participants and their children, along with plans and challenges. A total of 5694 pregnant women were screened, with 4862 (85.4%) eligible pregnant women recruited at baseline. We assessed anthropometry, Haemoglobin status, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), dietary practices, depressive symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and social support in all women. Follow-up visits involved assessing anthropometry and the health profile of mothers and children.

Findings to date

Among 4862 eligible participants recruited, 3260 (67%) underwent OGTT, while 2962 participants completed OGTT (90.9%). During the pregnancy, 9.7% of women were obese (>90th percentile of skinfold thickness), and 14.3% had gestational diabetesmellitus. Moreover, 6.2% and 16.8% of women had symptoms suggestive of depression during pregnancy and the immediate postnatal period, respectively. We found that 3.3% of children were small for gestational age, 10.8% were large for gestational age and 9.7% of children were obese at birth.

Future plans

We have completed recruitment and baseline data collection in 2019, and are conducting annual follow-ups until age 4 of the participant’s children. For delineating causal pathways of childhood obesity, blood aliquots are stored in the biorepository. The study will inform policy formulation and community awareness in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and health promotion.
Simple signature/countersignature shared-accountability quality improvement initiative to improve reliability of blood sample collection: an essential clinical task
Authors: Wu Chenwei , O'Keeffe Chatty , Sanford Jesse , Hagel Jean , Childs Shelia , Evers Gary , Melbourne Julie , West Collyn , Koch Michael , Cornia Paul B
Published: September 2022

Background

Timely lab results are important to clinical decision-making and hospital flow. However, at our institution, unreliable blood sample collection for patients with central venous access jeopardised this outcome and created staff dissatisfaction.

Methods

A multidisciplinary team of nurses including a specialist clinical nurse leader (CNL), the hospital intravenous team and quality improvement (QI) consultants aimed to achieve >80% blood sample collection reliability among patients with central venous access by employing a simple signature/countersignature form coupled with audit-feedback and behavioural economics strategies. The form was piloted on one 25-bed unit. Data were collected for 60 weeks and interpreted per standard run chart rules.

Results

Blood sample collection reliability exceeded the 80% goal by week 22. The practice was sustained on the pilot unit and spread successfully to other wards despite significant operational threats including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions

At our institution, a simple signature/countersignature form supplemented by audit-feedback and behavioural economics strategies led to sustained practice change among staff. The pairing of CNL to QI consultant enhanced change potency and durability.
Increasing grain yield while maintaining baking quality in Canada Western Red Spring wheat
Authors: Hucl Pierre , Briggs Connie , Shirtliffe Steve , Beres Brian , Spaner Dean , Dyck Adam , Gerard Guillermo
Published: September 2022

Grain protein concentration (GPC) is considered one of the most important quality factors, and it has remained a major culling criterion in the Canadian wheat cultivar development and registration process. However, grain protein composition also plays a critical role in determining the end-use quality of cereal-based products. The objective of this study was to determine whether high-yielding, lower protein Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) analog wheat lines can exhibit acceptable baking properties (comparable with CWRS cultivars) under contrasting soil nitrogen levels. Five CWRS-analog lines together with four CWRS and one Canada Prairie Spring Red wheat cultivar, representing wide ranges of quality and grain yield potential, were assessed for agronomic and quality traits in multi-environment trials at three locations and five nitrogen fertilizer rates. CWRS analog lines produced significantly higher grain yield and, on average, 0.9% less GPC than the CWRS cultivars. Despite the lower GPC, CWRS-analog lines such as W07786 exhibited suitable and stable baking performance across all nitrogen levels. Based on the genotype × trait biplot analysis, CWRS-analog baking properties were mainly associated with sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation and flour water absorption. Our findings revealed that it is possible to develop wheat cultivars with up to 15% higher grain yield than modern CWRS cultivars and comparable end-use characteristics by reducing current GPC requirements (by up to 1%) while simultaneously selecting for improved baking attributes. This would facilitate an increase in CWRS grain yield genetic gains while maintaining favorable end-use quality and improving the crop competitiveness in western Canada.
Complexity and the departure from spheroidicity
Authors: Govender Megan , Govender Wesley , Govender Gabriel , Duffy Kevin
Published: September 2022

In this work we investigate the effect of spheroidicity on complexity in self-gravitating, static systems. Utilizing the anisotropic generalisation of the Vaidya–Tikekar superdense stellar model, we employ the complexity factor to connect the spheroidal parameter to the pressure anisotropy and density inhomogeneity. Our findings indicate that deviation from spherical symmetry lead to a higher degree of complexity within the stellar body. We further show the equation of state of parameter is inherently linked to the complexity factor thus demonstrating that the nature of matter in self-gravitating bounded systems plays an important role in the effect of pressure anisotropy and density inhomogeneities.
Shadow and quasinormal modes of the Kerr–Newman–Kiselev–Letelier black hole
Authors: Atamurotov Farruh , Hussain Ibrar , Mustafa G. , Jusufi Kimet
Published: September 2022

We investigate the null geodesics and the shadow cast by the Kerr–Newman–Kiselev–Letelier (KNKL) black hole for the equation of state parameter $$\omega _q=-2/3$$

ω
q

=
-
2
/
3

and for different values of the spacetime parameters, including the quintessence parameter $$\gamma $$
γ
, the cloud of string (CS) parameter b, the spin parameter a and the charge Q of the black hole. We notice that for the increasing values of the parameters $$\gamma $$
γ
and b the size of the shadow of the KNKL black hole increases and consequently the strength of the gravitational field of the black hole increases. On the other hand with increase in the charge Q of the black hole the size of the shadow of the black hole decreases. Further with the increase in the values of the spin parameter a of the KNKL black hole, we see that the distortion of the shadow of the black hole becomes more prominent. Moreover we use the data released by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, to restrict the parameters b and $$\gamma $$
γ
for the KNKL black hole, using the shadow cast by the KNKL black hole. To this end, we also explore the relation between the typical shadow radius and the equatorial and polar quasinormal mods (QNMs) for the KNKL black hole and extend this correspondence to non-asymptotically flat spacetimes. We also study the emission energy rate from the KNKL black hole for the various spacetime parameters, and observe that it increases for the increasing values of both the parameters $$\gamma $$
γ
and b for fixed charge-to-mass and spin-to-mass ratios of the KNKL black hole. Finally, we investigate the effects of plasma on the photon motion, size and shape of the shadow cast by the KNKL black hole. While keeping the spacetime parameters fixed, we notice that with increase in the strength of the plasma medium the size of the shadow of the KNKL black hole decreases and therefore the intensity of the gravitational field of the KNKL black hole decreases in the presence of plasma.
A note on shape invariant potentials for discretized Hamiltonians
Authors: Sonnenschein Jonas , Tsulaia Mirian
Published: September 2022

Using the method of the “exact discretization” of the Schrödinger equation, we propose a particular discretized version of the [Formula: see text] Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics (SQM). After defining the corresponding shape invariance condition, we show that the energy spectra and wave functions for discretized Quantum Mechanical systems can be found using the technique of [Formula: see text] Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics exactly the same way as it is done for their continuous counterparts. As a demonstration of the present method, we find the energy spectrum for a discretized Coulomb potential and its ground state wave function.
Validation of energy conditions in traversable wormhole for GBD modified theory
Authors: Lu Jianbo , Yang Shining , Han Xiufeng , Wang Jie , Xu Mou
Published: September 2022

In this work, we explore the wormhole physics in a modified gravitational theory, called the generalized Brans–Dicke theory (GBD). In order to solve the equations in this theory, the parameterized forms for the shape function and the scalar-field function are taken. With the help of selecting a specific form of state equation, i.e. considering a relation between the transverse pressure (not the total pressure) and the energy density for matter that threads wormhole: [Formula: see text], we provide some special solutions of the traversable wormhole in GBD. Given that the violation of energy conditions (ECs) of matter often induces problems on the gravitational theory, it is important to inspect the ECs of matter in modified theories. In this GBD theory, we find that the weak energy condition, the null energy condition, the dominated energy condition and the strong energy condition could be satisfied for the matter near the throat of wormhole, depending on the parameterized models and the model-parameters values. Finally, using the classical reconstruction technique in the traversable wormhole physics, we derive a Lagrangian function of gravitational field for the GBD theory.
Modal Parameter Identification of Time-Varying and Weakly Nonlinear Systems Based on an Improved Empirical Envelope Method
Authors: Zhang Mingjie , Zeng Hua , Xu Fuyou , Ma Zhaoyu
Published: September 2022

The empirical envelope (EE) method based on the amplitude-modulation and frequency-modulation (AMFM) decomposition is effective for identifying the modal parameters of time-varying and weakly nonlinear systems. However, the identification accuracy of the EE method is sensitive to noises which often exist in vibration measurements of real structures. In this study, an improved empirical envelope (IEE) method is proposed to achieve robust modal parameter identification from noisy measurements. Specifically, the idea of sliding window threshold denoising is introduced to reduce the error in the instantaneous envelope induced by abnormal extreme points, and a moving average filter is utilized to reduce the error in the instantaneous frequency induced by high-frequency noises. Two numerical examples and an experimental example of a full-bridge aeroelastic model are analyzed to validate the accuracy of the IEE method and highlight the superiority of the IEE method relative to the original EE method. It is concluded that the IEE method is robust to measurement noises (the considered signal-to-noise ratios include 5–90[Formula: see text]dB) and that the IEE method is more accurate than the EE method. Hence, the IEE method serves as a promising alternative for modal parameter identification of time-varying and weakly nonlinear systems.
Quick Dissimilarity Detection for Center-Based Binary Images Via Smart Mapping
Authors: Mustafa Adnan A.
Published: September 2022

In this paper, we present three different smart mapping schemes that improve on the quickness of dissimilarity detection between images. We call the mapping schemes smart because the mapping order is setup intelligently to detect dissimilarity quickly by concentrating its search near the center of the images, which is usually the region of interest in a given scene. Thus, smart mapping is well suited for images when the differences between them are expected to be concentrated near the center of the image. We construct a mapping vector (MV) that contains an ordered list of point mappings which is employed to map points between images in an efficient manner. The focus in this paper is on applying the three different smart mapping schemes to binary images. Furthermore, we test three different mapping densities with each smart mapping scheme and analyze the results. Tests are conducted on two image sets and dissimilarity detection results are compared to results obtained via random mapping, which had been shown to be extremely fast, as predicted by the probabilistic matching model for binary images (PMMBI). We show that by employing smart mapping a great improvement in dissimilarity detection quickness is possible when dissimilarity between images is concentrated near the center of the scene.