bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response to nematicide by cotton genotypes varying in reniform nematode resistance
Authors: Koebernick J. , Kaplan G. , Lawrence K. , Patel J. , Brown S. , Sikkens R.
Published: September 2020

Reniform nematode (RN, Rotylenchulus reniformis Linford & Oliveria) is a parasite that reduces and limits cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yields. At present, nematicides and crop rotations are the most effective management tool for producers. Our study investigated the use of six composite breeding lines that have quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for RN resistance and the interaction effect of a nematicide under high RN pressure. The study compared these genotypes in both a non‐RN field and a RN‐infected field under a Velum Total (active ingredients fluopyram and imidacloprid) treatment at Tennessee Valley Research and Extension Center near Belle Mina, AL. In both years, the breeding lines outyielded commercial controls and the parental lines in RN infested field with and without Velum Total. Five out of the six breeding lines contained both chromosome 21 (Renbarb1 and Renbarb2) resistant QTLs, which reduced RN egg numbers (P < .05) and produced higher yields than the commercial checks. These lines can be considered moderately resistant to RN. The remaining line contained one QTL Renbarb1, produced good yield, and is considered tolerant, despite the fact that it had high RN egg numbers. However, adding a nematicide treatment did increase yields in all material tested. Therefore, further work at increasing resistance from other genetic sources is needed to completely eliminate nematicide use.
Association mapping identifies and confirms loci for soybean seed weight
Authors: Kaler Avjinder S. , Purcell Larry C.
Published: September 2020

Seed weight (SW) is a component of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield and it is also an important determinant of quality for food products such as edamame, soy nuts, and tofu. A better understanding of the genetic basis of SW is important for cultivar development and for use in various food industries. The objective of this study was to identify and confirm the genomic regions, favorable alleles, and candidate genes associated with SW. Genome‐wide association mapping was conducted on 36 panels including a diverse panel of 373 accessions grown in three environments (one panel) and 35 panels obtained from the Germplasm Resources Information Network. Association mapping identified 66 significant single nucleotide polymophisms (SNPs) that probably tagged 47 putative loci associated with SW that had allelic effects ranging from –7.8 to 6.9 g per 100 seeds. Of these 47 loci, 42 significant loci–SW associations were confirmed with previously identified SW quantitative trait loci (QTLs). One SNP on Gm17 and another SNP on Gm19 were present in 16 and 8 panels, respectively. There were 121 candidate genes found within the same linkage disequilibrium blocks as the identified SNPs; 97 of these genes had biological functions associated with seed components including protein, fatty acids (oil), carbohydrates, seeds, embryos, water, and cotyledons. The entire USDA soybean germplasm collection was explored for the favorable alleles. Favorable alleles, accessions identified from the germplasm collection, and candidate genes may be important resources for breeding for SW in soybean.
Seedbank seeds for the study of environmentally induced transgenerational epigenetic variability: A case study of barley
Authors: Martinelli Tommaso , Gavazzi Floriana , Mascheretti Iride , Panzeri Dario , Börner Andreas , Lauria Massimiliano
Published: September 2020

Transgenerational epigenetics inheritance refers to the possibility to inherit epigenetic‐based information acquired from previous generations. The design of experiments that can measure this phenomenon presents complexities. These are related mainly to difficulties in the identification of epigenetic variation components that are independent from genetic variation, and to difficulties related to the time needed to expose genetically stable plants to different environments for several generations. In this study we propose an experimental approach that takes advantage of seed material routinely produced by seedbanks in order to circumvent the above‐mentioned issues. By taking advantage of this freely available seed material, it is possible to evaluate epigenetic differences induced by the environment experienced by previous generations and to evaluate both the extent and the impact of epigenetic variation in crops. Seeds of two barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars, which were previously multiplied in six different seedbanks located worldwide, were grown in a common environment and the plants were evaluated at a genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic level. Our results indicate that barley accessions multiplied in different environments displayed a comparable level of epigenetic variation, which was, however, greater than the genetic variation. Cluster analysis of methylation differences, likewise DNA differences, split the two cultivars in two distinct groups evidencing a clear link between genetic and epigenetic variation. Nevertheless, the analysis of phenotypic traits and of the CCGG sites that are variable in both cultivars suggests that there might be a possible link between previous cultivation environment and induced epigenetic changes at specific DNA regions.
Implementation of sustainability management tools: The contribution of awareness, external pressures, and stakeholder consultation
Authors: Talbot David , Raineri Nicolas , Daou Alain
Published: September 2020

In this article, we propose a framework for a better understanding of the factors that can influence the implementation of sustainability management tools—that is, sustainable development policy and sustainability reporting—in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises. Using secondary data, we studied 431 micro‐ to mid‐sized Canadian enterprises and found that stakeholder consultation plays a central role in company implementation of sustainable management tools. This consultation reduces the perception of internal constraints, particularly regarding relevant knowledge‐gaps. This study also demonstrates the importance of the indirect impacts that external stakeholders exert on small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises and the growing need for management education and training about how to increase the adoption of sustainability management tools.
Molecular Functionalization of NiO Nanocatalyst for Enhanced Water Oxidation by Electronic Structure Engineering
Authors: Fan Lizhou , Zhang Biaobiao , Qiu Zhen , Dharanipragada N. V. R. Aditya , Timmer Brian J. J. , Zhang Fuguo , Sheng Xia , Liu Tianqi , Meng Qijun , Inge A. Ken , Edvinsson Tomas , Sun Licheng
Published: September 2020

Tuning the local environment of nanomaterial‐based catalysts has emerged as an effective approach to optimize their oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance, yet the controlled electronic modulation around surface active sites remains a great challenge. Herein, directed electronic modulation of NiO nanoparticles was achieved by simple surface molecular modification with small organic molecules. By adjusting the electronic properties of modifying molecules, the local electronic structure was rationally tailored and a close electronic structure‐activity relationship was discovered: the increasing electron‐withdrawing modification readily decreased the electron density around surface Ni sites, accelerating the reaction kinetics and improving OER activity, and vice versa. Detailed investigation by operando Raman spectroelectrochemistry revealed that the electron‐withdrawing modification facilitates the charge‐transfer kinetics, stimulates the catalyst reconstruction, and promotes abundant high‐valent γ‐NiOOH reactive species generation. The NiO−C6F5 catalyst, with the optimized electronic environment, exhibited superior performance towards water oxidation. This work provides a well‐designed and effective approach for heterogeneous catalyst fabrication under the molecular level.
Sight unseen: Belowground feeding influences the distribution of an aboveground herbivore
Authors: Pereira Ramom Vasconcelos , Filgueiras Camila C. , Willett Denis S. , Peñaflor Maria Fernanda Gomes Villalba
Published: September 2020

Plants are under constant threat from insect herbivores that can consume all types of plant tissue, both aboveground and belowground. Because plants connect aboveground and belowground environments, they are uniquely positioned to mediate indirect herbivore interactions between the two ecosystems. The effects of this mediation may change over time with cascading consequences both aboveground and belowground. We used a system involving the larval belowground (BG) herbivoreDiabrotica speciosa(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), corn, and the aphid aboveground (AG) herbivoreRhopalosiphum maidisto answer three questions: (1) What effects does belowground herbivory byD. speciosahave on feeding preferences and distributions of the abovegroundR. maidis? (2) How do these preferences and distributions change over time? And (3) what are the longer term consequences forR. maidispopulations? Adult alate aphids initially preferred corn seedlings with root feeding byD. speciosa, but preference declined over time driven by aphids leaving corn seedlings with root herbivory. Similarly, observations of aphid performance and colony growth indicated negative effects of root herbivory in contrast to previous studies. These results suggest that shifts in plant‐mediated aboveground–belowground interactions can have important consequences for long‐term distributions of aboveground herbivores.
Dependence of spatial scale in landscape associations with cause‐specific predation of snowy plover nests
Authors: Ellis Kristen S. , Larsen Randy T. , Koons David N.
Published: September 2020

Understanding relationships between habitat and ecological processes often depends on the spatial scale at which the landscape is measured. A common objective in studies of avian nesting ecology is to link habitat characteristics with nest predation for generating potential conservation and management strategies aimed at increasing avian reproductive success. Yet scale dependence likely plays a considerable role in these assessments, particularly when multiple species of nest predators are present. We identified nest predators of snowy plovers, a ground‐nesting shorebird, and modeled predator‐specific hazard rates of nest mortality in relation to the landscape at multiple spatial scales (200 m, 500 m, 1 km, 2.5 km, and 5 km) and at the nest site. We used a Bayesian latent indicator approach for weighting the influence of habitat across spatial scales and to gain insight into the hierarchical nature of how specific predators responded to the landscape when preying upon plover nests. We did not identify a common spatial scale that best predicted nest predation by all predators, though our results indicated that unfragmented playa and marsh habitats at large spatial scales reduced nest predation by all nest predators. Land cover features including grass, shrubs, human development, and open water elicited variable responses depending on the predator group, and predator groups responded at different spatial scales. Further, the spatial configuration of nests (nest dispersion) influenced nest predation by common ravens Corvus corax and foxes (kit fox Vulpes macrotis and red fox Vulpes vulpes), suggesting that certain predators develop a search image for nests. Our results illustrate that clarifying complex relationships between nest predation and habitat characteristics requires the incorporation of predator identity and scale dependence. Thus, management and conservation plans aiming to increase avian productivity by altering or restoring habitats will likely benefit from consideration of predator‐specific patterns at multiple spatial scales.
Environmental conditions modulate compensatory effects of site dependence in a food‐caching passerine
Authors: Sutton Alex O. , Strickland Dan , Freeman Nikole E. , Norris D. Ryan
Published: September 2020

Although density regulates the abundance of most wild animal populations by influencing vital rates, such as fecundity and survival, the mechanisms responsible for generating negative density dependence are unclear for many species. Site dependence occurs when there is preferential filling of high‐quality territories, which results in higher per capita vital rates at low densities because a larger proportion of occupied territories are of high quality. Using 41 yr of territory occupancy and demographic data, we investigated whether site dependence was a mechanism acting to influence fecundity and, by extension, regulate a population of Canada Jays in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. As predicted by site dependence, the proportion of occupied territories that were of high quality was negatively correlated with population density and periods of vacancy were shorter for high‐quality territories than for low‐quality territories. We also found evidence that per capita fecundity was positively related to the proportion of occupied territories that were of high quality, but only when environmental conditions, which influence the entire population, were otherwise poor for breeding. Our results suggest that site dependence likely plays a role in regulating this population but that environmental conditions can modulate the strength of density dependence.
A Universal Strategy For N‐Doped 2D Carbon Nanosheets With Sub‐Nanometer Micropore For High‐Performance Supercapacitor
Authors: Zhou Jiangqi , Jiang Li , Shu Chengyong , Kong Long , Ahmad Iqbal , Zhou Ya‐Nan , Tang Wei , Sun Xiaofei , Wu Yuping
Published: September 2020

Preparing carbon nanosheets with precise control of open porous morphology via universal process and understanding the relationship between structure and capacitive performance are very urgent for achieving advanced supercapacitors. Herein, we propose a simple yet effective additive‐free method to transform a bulk layered potassium phthalimide salt to novel nitrogen‐doped two‐dimensional carbon sheets by self‐activation during calcination. The obtained samples showed large‐sized and flat structure with lateral size around 10 µm, uniform sub‐nanometer micropore size distribution of about 0.65 nm dimension, large specific surface area up to 2276.7 m2 g−1, and suitable nitrogen doping. Benefited from these merits, the optimized sample delivers a high specific capacitance of 345 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and retains 270 F g−1 even at 50 A g−1 in 6.0 M KOH electrolyte. Remarkably, the symmetric supercapacitor shows maximum energy densities of 16.43Wh kg−1 and 23.6 Wh kg−1 in 6.0 M KOH and 1.0 M Na2SO4 electrolytes, respectively. Importantly, on account the universality and simplicity of this method, the undoped as‐prepared carbon sheet with uniform sub‐nanometer micropore distribution can be synthesized from different potassium‐containing salts with layered structure, which can be employed as a model for a deep understanding the effect of sub‐nanometer micropores on capacitive performances. We find the number of micropores centered at 0.65 nm can be applied as one indicator to clarify the correlation between capacitance and critical pore size below 1 nm.
The politics of norm domestication in private transnational business regulation: A typology and illustrations
Authors: Macdonald Kate
Published: September 2020

Scholars and practitioners of global private business regulation have often recognised the importance of political and institutional dynamics “on the ground,” in shaping the degree to which social and environmental regulatory norms are institutionalised or resisted at the local level. Local dynamics of norm contestation generate dilemmas for global regulators who aspire to be responsive to varied contexts in producing countries without “watering down” global regulatory agendas. Drawing on a range of empirical illustrations from Southeast Asia and Latin America, this paper develops a typology of domestication strategies currently being used by global private regulators and examines the effects of these strategies on supporting or undermining the overall values and purposes of global regulatory agendas. In the presence of pervasive local contestation surrounding global regulatory norms, norm domestication strategies are shown to offer important means of countering challenges to the power and legitimacy of global regulators. Nonetheless, the effects of such strategies remain highly contingent on path‐dependent contests between competing regulatory coalitions at both local and global levels.
A simplified PDMS microfluidic device with a built‐in suction actuator for rapid production of monodisperse water‐in‐oil droplets
Authors: Nakatani Masaya , Tanaka Yugo , Okayama Shotaro , Hashimoto Masahiko
Published: September 2020

We previously established an automatic droplet‐creation technique that only required air evacuation of a PDMS microfluidic device prior to use. Although the rate of droplet production with this technique was originally slow (∼10 droplets per second), this was greatly improved (∼470 droplets per second) in our recent study by remodeling the original device configuration. This improvement was realized by the addition of a degassed PDMS layer with a large surface area‐to‐volume ratio that served as a powerful vacuum generator. However, the incorporation of the additional PDMS layer (which was separate from the microfluidic PDMS layer itself) into the device required reversible bonding of five different layers. In the current study, we aimed to simplify the device architecture by reducing the number of constituent layers for enhancing usability of this microfluidic droplet generator while retaining its rapid production rate. The new device consisted of three layers. This comprised a degassed PDMS slab with microfluidic channels on one surface and tens of thousands of vacuum‐generating micropillars on the other surface, which was simply sandwiched by PMMA layers. Despite its simplified configuration, this new device created monodisperse droplets at an even faster rate (>1000 droplets per second).
Capillary electrophoretic methods for quality control analyses of pharmaceuticals: A review
Authors: Řemínek Roman , Foret František
Published: September 2020

Capillary electrophoresis represents a promising technique in the field of pharmaceutical analysis. The presented review provides a summary of capillary electrophoretic methods suitable for routine quality control analyses of small molecule drugs published since 2015. In total, more than 80 discussed methods are sorted into three main sections according to the applied electroseparation modes (capillary zone electrophoresis, electrokinetic chromatography, and micellar, microemulsion, and liposome‐electrokinetic chromatography) and further subsections according to the applied detection techniques (UV, capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection, and mass spectrometry). Key parameters of the procedures are summarized in four concise tables. The presented applications cover analyses of active pharmaceutical ingredients and their related substances such as degradation products or enantiomeric impurities. The contribution of reported results to the current knowledge of separation science and general aspects of the practical applications of capillary electrophoretic methods are also discussed.
Understanding the oxygen evolution activity trend in Co2Fe LDH‐N doped graphene hybrids
Authors: Mohapatra Biswaranjan D. , Hota Ipsha , Mantry Swarna P. , Behera Nibedita , Parhi Purnendu , Varadwaj Kumar S. K.
Published: September 2020

We report the electrocatalytic activity of nanosized Co2Fe‐layered double hydroxide (LDH) on nitrogen doped graphene (NG) hybrid materials toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER). An enhanced activity trend was observed with increase in amount of LDH in the hybrid. The highest activity in terms of onset potential (1.48 V), Ej=10 (1.54 V), and Tafel slope (61 mV/dec) was observed for 75 wt% LDH, which is better than pristine LDH and the state of art RuO2. The origin of activity enhancement in the hybrids was correlated with different electrochemical parameters and physical properties of the constituents. In earlier reports, generally the decrease in charge transfer resistance (RCT) at the electrode electrolyte interface was correlated with increase in OER activity. However, in case of LDH‐NG hybrids, a completely opposite trend was observed. The TGA and XRD results showed that higher amount of LDH loading inhibits the NG stacking. The hydrophilic property of LDH, uniform distribution of LDH on NG without agglomeration, and inhibition of NG stacking were proposed to be the reason behind the observed trend in activity.
Offer online orientation to set graduate students up for success
Authors: Pavlik Amelia
Published: September 2020

From child care and work obligations to proximity to campus, there are a variety of reasons why incoming graduate students can't make it to an in‐person orientation. That's why the University of Southern Mississippi decided to try a different approach in 2018.
Dual‐band bandpass filter using two simple coupled microstrip rings
Authors: Xu Jiashuai , Xu Kai‐Da , Zhang Miao , Chen Qiang
Published: September 2020

A new dual‐band bandpass filter (BPF) using two very simple coupled microstrip rings is proposed in this paper. The two identical 3λg/2 microstrip rings are coupled each other with λg/2 coupled length, resulting in the generation of dual frequency bands with multiple transmission zeros (TZs). Theoretical deduction is presented to verify the proposed structure. The center frequencies and bandwidths of the two passbands can be tuned by controlling the impedance parameters of the microstrip rings. For demonstration, a prototype example of this dual‐band BPF is fabricated and characterized. The measured results show that it has high selectivity and great return losses of passbands with multiple TZs at the stopband.
Early failure detection of paper manufacturing machinery using nearest neighbor‐based feature extraction
Authors: Lee Wonjae , Seo Kangwon
Published: September 2020

In a paper manufacturing system, it is substantially important to detect machine failure before it occurs and take necessary maintenance actions to prevent an unexpected breakdown of the system. Multiple sensor data collected from a machine provides useful information on the system's health condition. However, it is hard to predict the system condition ahead of time due to the lack of clear ominous signs for future failures, a rare occurrence of failure events, and a wide range of sensor signals which might be correlated with each other. We present two versions of feature extraction techniques based on the nearest neighbor combined with machine learning algorithms to detect a failure of the paper manufacturing machinery earlier than its occurrence from the multistream system monitoring data. First, for each sensor stream, the time series data is transformed into the binary form by extracting the class label of the nearest neighbor. We feed these transformed features into the decision tree classifier for the failure classification. Second, expanding the idea, the relative distance to the local nearest neighbor has been measured, results in the real‐valued feature, and the support vector machine is used as a classifier. Our proposed algorithms are applied to the dataset provided by Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers 2019 data competition, and the results show better performance than other state‐of‐the‐art machine learning techniques.
Study on fire smoke flow characteristics in the ventilation network and linkage control system in coal mines
Authors: Wang Kai , Hao Haiqing , Jiang Shuguang , Wu Zhengyan , Cai Weiyao , Wang Ziting
Published: September 2020

In coal mining, smoke flow from tunnel fires can easily cause a large number of deaths in the ventilation network. But the optimal smoke flow path control methods and automatic control system were lacked. In order to improve the efficiency of fire emergency rescue, the control mechanism and regional linkage control system for fire induced smoke flow in ventilation network was studied. Based on a ventilation system in coal mines, different fire scenarios for smoke flow were analysed using ventilation simulation software (VSS). Smoke flow control methods were simulated under different ventilation modes, a contrastive analysis was conducted for the respective effects and the optimal smoke flow path control methods were confirmed in different fire scenarios. A new type of ventilation facility, regional monitoring sub‐stations and remote linkage control platforms were developed for smoke control. A reliability evaluation model for the control system was established by Bayesian network. The failure of the linkage control is 98.9%, the monitoring sub‐station is 64.4%, the sub‐station communication is 43.9%; thus, a double insurance of the control process must be realised. Since its application, the proposed regional linkage control system has been repeatedly tested through fire drills, and good results have been obtained.
Alleviative effect of Ruellia tuberosa L. on NAFLD and hepatic lipid accumulation via modulating hepatic de novo lipogenesis in high‐fat diet plus streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats
Authors: Huang Da‐Wei , Lo Yangming Martin , Chang Wen‐Chang , Lin Chia‐Yu , Chen Jou‐An , Wu James Swi‐Bea , Huang Wen‐Chung , Shen Szu‐Chuan
Published: September 2020

Ruellia tuberosa L. (RTL) exhibits phytochemical activities and has been used as a folk medicine for curing diabetes mellitus in East Asia for decades. This study investigated the effect of RTL aqueous and ethanolic extracts on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatic lipid accumulation in high‐fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. Administration of RTL aqueous extract (RTLW) or ethanolic extract (RTLE) at dosage of 100 or 400 mg/kg body weight for 4 weeks was carried out in HFD/STZ‐induced T2DM rats. Liver weight, adipose (epididymal and perirenal adipose tissues) weight, hepatic triglyceride level, and de novo lipogenesis (DNL)‐associated protein expression were monitored after scarification. The results revealed that RTLW and RTLE reduced relative liver weight and relative fat weights in HFD/STZ‐induced T2DM rats. RTLW and RTLE also ameliorated NAFLD and hepatic triglyceride (TG) accumulation in diabetic rats. Moreover, hepatic DNL‐regulated enzymes such as sterol regulatory element‐binding protein‐1 (SREBP1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) expression were significantly suppressed by RTLE (100 and 400 mg/kg body weight) in diabetic rats. The evidences of this study suggest that RTL possesses potential on alleviating NAFLD and lipid accumulation via regulating DNL in the liver of HFD/STZ‐induced T2DM rats.
Visualization of Liquid Reaction in Submerged Top‐blow Agitation Process▴
Authors: Zhang X. , Wu J. , Zhang H. , Ding W. , Zhang J.
Published: September 2020

The liquid reaction in a submerged top‐blow agitation process was studied using planar laser‐induced fluorescence (PLIF) technology based on the principle of fluorescence quenching. The liquid reaction effects were analyzed using the reaction degree θ (t) and reaction time t95 under different conditions. The results show that the liquid reaction time decreases obviously for an increase in the air flow rate and submerged depth of the spray gun. The injection position of Fe3+ has a great influence on the reaction process; the reaction process is also different under other blowing conditions when Fe3+ is injected at the bottom. The reaction time of Fe3+ at the bottom injection position is higher than that at the top injection position; increasing the air flow rate and submerged depth of the spray gun can effectively reduce the difference in the reaction times at the two injection points. The effect of the injection position on the reaction time is eliminated when the spray gun submerged depth is close to the reactor bottom. The initial volume of Fe3+ has no obvious effect on the reaction time; however, an increase in the initial molarity of Fe3+ can decrease the reaction time.
Visualization Research of Nonpremixed Biodiesel/Air Jet Flames Unstable Combustion Process▴
Authors: Liu F.
Published: September 2020

Based on the image processing technology and the largest Lyapunov exponent, this paper proposes a novel method for quantitative characterization of flame images to reflect flame instability in combustion chamber. The best threshold is obtained by an iterative method of red component to separation flame region. The combustion index is defined as the ratio of proportion of flame pixels to gray standard deviation of flame region for characterization spatial distribution of flame. Unsteady motions of the flames are characterized by the nonlinear time series of combustion index and largest Lyapunov exponent. Results show that the linear relation between combustion index and largest Lyapunov exponent are noticeable with a correlation coefficient of 0.7874 under same work condition. With quantitative research for the relationship between chaos and combustion state, The largest Lyapunov exponent not only can judge whether the flame is nonchaotic or chaotic, the value of it also reflected the combustion state, the chaometry.
Performance Analysis of Solar Organic Rankine Cycle with Stable Output Using Cyclopentane/Cyclohexane Mixtures▴
Authors: Yan Y. L. , Zhang S. Y. , Ge Z. , Xie Z. Y. , Huang G. D. , Yuan Z. P.
Published: September 2020

Keeping output stable is necessary for solar organic rankine cycle (SORC) considering variable solar irradiation conditions. In this study, zeotropic mixtures are introduced into SORC with stable output. Evaporation pressure and turbine inlet temperature are optimized with the overall system efficiency as optimization objective. Comparisons are drawn between the basic SORC and regenerative SORC. The influences of zeotropic mixture composition on the overall system efficiency, ORC efficiency, heat source outlet temperature, mass flow rate of heat source and working fluids and temperature rise of internal heat exchanger (IHE) are analyzed. The results show that zeotropic mixtures can slightly increase the overall system efficiency of the basic SORC system compared with the optimal pure working fluid system, but for the regenerative SORC system, the optimal overall system efficiency is higher when pure cyclohexane is used. When cyclopentane mole fraction is 0.4, the overall system efficiency of the basic SORC system reaches maximal value of 16.08%, which is 0.12% higher than for the optimal pure working fluids system, relatively. Under the optimum conditions, the optimal overall system efficiency of the regenerative SORC system is 52.11% higher than that of the basic SORC system.
Identifying disturbance in archaeological sites in tropical northern Australia: Implications for previously proposed 65,000‐year continental occupation date
Authors: Williams Martin A. J. , Spooner Nigel A. , McDonnell Kathryn , O'Connell James F.
Published: September 2020

The stratigraphic integrity of archaeological deposits in the seasonally wet tropics can be disrupted by termite activity and other processes. Significant questions have been raised about the surprisingly old age estimates for artefacts recovered from two sites in northern Australia: Nauwalabila and Madjedbebe. If accurate, a 65,000‐year date for the latter would represent a 30% increase in the currently accepted length of human occupation of the continent. The oldest estimate for Nauwalabila falls just short of that. These dates would have important implications for human dispersal across Eurasia in the Late Pleistocene. No other data from Australia support them. Smith et al. (2020) claim to refute the notion that termite disturbance accounts for these anomalies. Here we show that the criteria on which the assertion is based are invalid. Radiocarbon data from both sites, not cited by Smith et al. (2020), are consistent with the termite‐disturbance hypothesis. Luminescence data claimed to offer strong support for the early Madjedbebe estimate are also consistent with termite disruption. We conclude that the early dates for human presence at Madjedbebe and Nauwalabila must be rejected along with any chronometric inference about human behaviour to the degree it relies on them.
Heritage conservation hazard in archaeological sites in Santa María Valley (NW Argentina): A geoarchaeological approach
Authors: Sampietro‐Vattuone María M. , Peña‐Monné José L. , Vattuone Marta A. , Medina Paula L.
Published: September 2020

Alluvial fans are typical geomorphic features of arid and semiarid mountain areas. Most archaeological sites in Santa María valley (NW Argentina) are located on this kind of landform. The aims of this paper are to describe the geomorphological context and assess the state of conservation of four archaeological sites on the piedmont of Sierra de Quilmes (NW Argentina) from a geoarchaeological perspective; to diagnose the geomorphological processes affecting the sites over the last 50 years; to assess their vulnerability and conservation hazard; and to propose some corrective measures. By mapping with remote sensors (e.g., drones, aerial photographs, and satellite images) and conducting field surveys, we found that most archaeological sites are set on the H1 and H2 units of the alluvial fans. and that their geomorphological dynamic has increased in the last 50 years. The main active processes are debris flows, overflows, and mudflows, accompanied by the development of rills, sheetflood, and aeolian deflation. Human impact is also severe. The four sites need mitigation measures and a structured management plan. To date, no studies of this kind have been done rin the region, although one of the sites has been partially reconstructed for touristic purposes.
Astroglial FMRP modulates synaptic signaling and behavior phenotypes in FXS mouse model
Authors: Jin Shan‐Xue , Higashimori Haruki , Schin Christina , Tamashiro Alessandra , Men Yuqin , Chiang Ming Sum R , Jarvis Rachel , Cox Dan , Feig Larry , Yang Yongjie
Published: September 2020

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is one of the most common inherited intellectual disability (ID) disorders, in which the loss of FMRP protein induces a range of cellular signaling changes primarily through excess protein synthesis. Although neuron‐centered molecular and cellular events underlying FXS have been characterized, how different CNS cell types are involved in typical FXS synaptic signaling changes and behavioral phenotypes is largely unknown. Recent evidence suggests that selective loss of astroglial FMRP is able to dysregulate glutamate uptake, increase spine density, and impair motor‐skill learning. Here we investigated the effect of astroglial FMRP on synaptic signaling and FXS‐related behavioral and learning phenotypes in astroglial Fmr1 cKO and cON mice in which FMRP expression is selectively diminished or restored in astroglia. We found that selective loss of astroglial FMRP contributes to cortical hyperexcitability by enhancing NMDAR‐mediated evoked but not spontaneous miniEPSCs and elongating cortical UP state duration. Selective loss of astroglial FMRP is also sufficient to increase locomotor hyperactivity, significantly diminish social novelty preference, and induce memory acquisition and extinction deficits in astroglial Fmr1 cKO mice. Importantly, re‐expression of astroglial FMRP is able to significantly rescue the hyperactivity (evoked NMDAR response, UP state duration, and open field test) and social novelty preference in astroglial Fmr1 cON mice. These results demonstrate a profound role of astroglial FMRP in the evoked synaptic signaling, spontaneously occurring cortical UP states, and FXS‐related behavioral and learning phenotypes and provide important new insights in the cell type consideration for the FMRP reactivation strategy.
Hepatocyte Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 7 Contributes to Restoration of the Liver Parenchyma Following Injury in Mice
Authors: Ooshio Takako , Yamamoto Masahiro , Fujii Kiyonaga , Xin Bing , Watanabe Kenji , Goto Masanori , Okada Yoko , Suzuki Akira , Penninger Josef M. , Nishina Hiroshi , Nishikawa Yuji
Published: September 2020

Background and Aims

Mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase (MKK) 7 and MKK4 are upstream activators of c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinases (JNKs) and have been shown to be required for the early development of the liver. Although it has been suggested that MKK7 might be involved in the regulation of hepatocyte proliferation, the functional role of MKK7 in the liver has remained unclear.

Approach and Results

Here, we examined phenotypic alterations in liver‐specific or hepatocyte/hematopoietic cell–specific MKK7 knockout (KO) mice, which were generated by crossing MKK7LoxP/LoxP with albumin–cyclization recombination (Alb‐Cre) or myxovirus resistance protein 1–Cre mice, respectively. The livers of Alb‐Cre−/+ MKK7LoxP/LoxP mice developed without discernible tissue disorganization. MKK7 KO mice responded normally to liver injuries incurred by partial hepatectomy or injection of CCl4. However, tissue repair following CCl4‐induced injury was delayed in MKK7 KO mice compared with that of control mice. Furthermore, after repeated injections of CCl4 for 8 weeks, the liver in MKK7 KO mice showed intense fibrosis with increased protractive hepatocyte proliferation, suggesting that MKK7 deficiency might affect regenerative responses of hepatocytes in the altered tissue microenvironment. MKK7 KO hepatocytes demonstrated normal proliferative activity when cultured in monolayers. However, MKK7 KO significantly suppressed branching morphogenesis of hepatocyte aggregates within a collagen gel matrix. Microarray analyses revealed that suppression of branching morphogenesis in MKK7 KO hepatocytes was associated with a reduction in mRNA expression of transgelin, glioma pathogenesis related 2, and plasminogen activator urokinase‐type (Plau); and forced expression of these genes in MKK7 KO hepatocytes partially recovered the attenuated morphogenesis. Furthermore, hepatocyte‐specific overexpression of Plau rescued the impaired tissue repair of MKK7 KO mice following CCl4‐induced injury.

Conclusions

MKK7 is dispensable for the regenerative proliferation of hepatocytes but plays important roles in repair processes following parenchymal destruction, possibly through modulation of hepatocyte–extracellular matrix interactions.
Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 Is a Diagnostic Biomarker of Biliary Injury and Fibrosis in Pediatric Autoimmune Liver Disease
Authors: Lam Simon , Singh Ruchi , Dillman Jonathan R. , Trout Andrew T. , Serai Suraj D. , Sharma Divya , Sheridan Rachel , Su Weizhe , Fei Lin , Karns Rebekah , Haramija Marija M. , Ridgway Ged , Goldfinger Marc , Squires James E. , Denson Lee A. , Hyams Jeffery S. , Miethke Alexander G.
Published: September 2020

In autoimmune liver disease (AILD), including autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and overlap syndrome of AIH and PSC (ASC), the presence of biliary injury portends a worse prognosis. We studied serum matrix metalloproteinase 7 (sMMP7) as a biomarker for pediatric sclerosing cholangitis (SC). We prospectively enrolled 54 children (median age, 16 years) with AILD (AIH, n = 26; ASC, n = 16; and PSC, n = 12) at our center. The sMMP7 concentrations were higher in patients with SC compared to those without cholangiopathy (P < 0.001). An sMMP7 concentration >23.7 ng/mL had a sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 96%, respectively, and outperformed alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) in segregating patients with SC. Serum concentrations correlated with liver gene expression levels for MMP7 (r = 0.70; P < 0.001). Using immunofluorescence, MMP7 was localized primarily to the cholangiocytes of patients with SC. In 46 subjects with liver biopsy available for blinded review, elevation in sMMP7 concentrations segregated with the presence of lymphocytic and neutrophilic cholangitis and periductal fibrosis and correlated with Ishak, Ludwig, and Nakanuma scoring systems. Liver stiffness measured by magnetic resonance elastography also correlated with sMMP7 concentrations (r = 0.56; P < 0.01). Using magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography plus (MRCP+), sMMP7 in 34 patients correlated with the number of biliary dilatations (r = 0.54; P < 0.01) and strictures (r = 0.56; P < 0.01). MMP7 as a marker of biliary injury was validated in an independent cohort of children with ulcerative colitis. Higher sMMP7 concentrations also correlated with a history of SC‐related complication. Conclusion: MMP7 is a promising biomarker for pediatric SC that diagnostically outperforms ALP and GGT. sMMP7 may directly reflect biliary injury and fibrosis, the main drivers of disease progression in SC.
ALT Levels for Asians With Metabolic Diseases: A Meta‐analysis of 86 Studies With Individual Patient Data Validation
Authors: Huang Daniel Q. , Yeo Yee Hui , Tan Eunice , Takahashi Hirokazu , Yasuda Satoshi , Saruwatari Junji , Tanaka Kenichi , Oniki Kentaro , Kam Leslie Y. , Muthiah Mark D. , Hyogo Hideyuki , Ono Masafumi , Barnett Scott D. , Li Jie , Zou Biyao , Fung James , Lee Teng‐Yu , Wong Vincent Wai‐Sun , Yuen Man‐Fung , Dan Yock Young , Lim Seng Gee , Cheung Ramsey , Toyoda Hidenori , Eguchi Yuichiro , Nguyen Mindie H.
Published: September 2020

The current alanine aminotransferase (ALT) upper limit of normal was defined using selected healthy Caucasian blood donors. Given the global rise in obesity and different body habitus in Asians, we aimed to perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis combined with bootstrap modeling and individual patient data validation to estimate the ALT upper threshold for Asians, including the overweight and diabetics. We included studies from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane database searches that identified individuals without known liver diseases (i.e., viral hepatitis, alcohol, and ultrasound‐detected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease). The mean ALT (U/L) was estimated using a random‐effects mixed model and upper threshold (95th‐percentile value, U/L) via a bootstrap model with 10,000 resamples. We screened 4,995 studies and identified 86 studies that reported ALT values for 526,641 individuals without excessive alcohol intake or known liver diseases, yielding a mean ALT of 19 and ALT upper threshold of 32. The ALT upper threshold was 37 in males versus 31 in females, 39 in overweight versus 28 in normal‐weight individuals, and 36 for diabetics versus 33 for nondiabetics. We validated our study level data with individual patient level data in 6,058 individuals from five study centers in Japan. Consistent with our study‐level data, we found that the ALT upper threshold in our individual patient data analysis was indeed higher in overweight versus normal‐weight individuals (39 vs. 32) and in diabetics versus nondiabetics (42 vs. 33). Conclusion: We provide validated reference ranges for ALT upper threshold derived from Asians without known liver disease, including individuals with ultrasound‐detected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease who are normal weight, overweight, nondiabetic, and diabetic, to inform practice.
Characteristics of Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection With Genotype E Predominance in Burkina Faso
Authors: Wongjarupong Nicha , Yonli Albert Theophane , Nagalo Bolni Marius , Djigma Florencia Wendkuuni , Somda Sosthene Kounpielime , Hassan Mohamed A. , Mohamed Essa A. , Sorgho Abel Pegdwende , Compaore Tegwinde Rebeca , Soubeiga Serge Theophile , Kiendrebeogo Isabelle , Sanou Mahamoudou , Diarra Birama , Yang Hwai‐I , Chen Chien‐Jen , Ouattara Abdoul K. , Zohoncon Théodora M. , Martinson Jeremy J. , Buetow Kenneth , Chamcheu Jean Christopher , Antwi Samuel O. , Borad Mitesh J. , Simpore Jacques , Roberts Lewis R.
Published: September 2020

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype E (HBV‐E) accounts for the majority of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infections in West Africa. We aimed to determine factors associated with HBV‐E‐induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in West Africa. Data on patients from Burkina Faso who were hepatitis B surface antigen positive (HBsAg+) and had CHB were analyzed. HBV viral load and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status were measured in 3,885 individuals with CHB without HCC (CHB HCC−) and 59 individuals with CHB with HCC (CHB HCC+). HBV genotyping was performed for 364 subjects with CHB HCC− and 41 subjects with CHB HCC+. Overall, 2.5% of the CHB HCC− group was HBeAg+ compared with 0% of the CHB HCC+ group. Of the 364 patients who were CHB HCC− with available genotyping, the frequencies of HBV genotypes E and C/E were 70.3% and 12.9%, respectively. Age (odds ratio [OR] for older age, 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06‐1.10 per 1‐year increase in age), male sex (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.11‐3.69), and HBV viremia (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.31‐1.67 per 1 log10 IU/mL) were each associated with HCC diagnosis. Patients with genotype E had a lower HBeAg prevalence (6.3% vs. 14.9%), lower HBV viral load, and higher prevalence of cirrhosis (14.5% vs. 4.8%) than patients with genotype C/E. Conclusion: HBV‐E is the most common circulating strain (70.3%) in West African patients. HCC was associated with older age, male sex, and high HBV viral load. It is expected that these results will further inform guidance on clinical management of HBV infection in West Africa.
What attracts and sustain urban poor to informal healthcare practitioners? A study on practitioners' perspectives and patients' experiences in an Indian city
Authors: E P Abdul Azeez , Selvi G. Anbu , Sharma Garima , A P Senthil Kumar
Published: September 2020

The practice of allopathic medicine by informal healthcare practitioners (IHPs) is ubiquitous in India. However, a little is known about the patients' experiences and IHPs' perspectives. The core questions guided the present study were (1) why do urban poor approach IHPs for healthcare? (2) what are their experiences of availing services from IHPs? and (3) what are the perspectives of IHPs about their practice with the population they serve? A qualitative research design guided the study. The study was conducted in the Gurugram city of Haryana, India. Nine IHPs and twenty‐seven patients who fit into the pre‐established inclusion criteria were interviewed. The findings of the study underline the structural constrains of healthcare access to the poor in India and the mutual dependencies between IHPs and the urban poor. Three themes were emerged corresponding to the perspectives of IHPs, and five themes were generated, which describes patients' experiences and perspectives of availing treatment. The factors that attract and sustain patients to IHPs are a mixture of socio‐economic aspects, which include poverty, inaccessibility, unaffordability, inefficient public healthcare facilities, and the positive behavioural and treatment attributes of the practitioners. The study implies urgent policy interventions to ensure quality healthcare to urban poor.