bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Trial of Analysis Method for Insulin Secretion Response to Carbohydrate Loading
Authors: Bando Hiroshi , Ebe Koji , Hashimoto Mayumi , Bando Masahiro , Muneta Tetsuo
Published: July 2020

Authors et al. have continued diabetic practice and research for long, and started Low Carbohydrate Diet (LCD) first in Japan. We developed social LCD movement by Japanese LCD Promotion Association (JLCDPA), and proposed petite-, standard-, super LCDs with carbohydrate 40%, 26%, 12%, respectively. Methods included 9 healthy medical staffs and two exams of 75g Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) and Meal Tolerance Test (MTT). MTT means super-LCD breakfast with carbohydrate 6g. Results showed that blood glucose / immunoreactive insulin (IRI) at 0-30 min on average changed 88.0-130.6 mg/dL/5.1-46.5 μU/mL for GTT, and 90.1-86.3 mg/dL/4.8-12.5 μU/mL for MTT. IRI responses in GTT and MTT were calculated by 3 methods, which are i) increment (delta), ii) Area Under the Curves (AUC), iii) Multiple (times) of basal value. Both data from GTT and MTT showed significant correlation in i) and ii) (p<0.05), but not significant in iii) (p=0.07, n=9). These results suggested that insulin secretion in MTT would be enough and relatively excessive for 6g of carbohydrate, leading to relatively decreased glucose at 30 min. Current analyses methods will become some reference for future development of diabetic research.
Prevalence of Novel Psychoactive Substance (NPS) Use in Patients Admitted to Drug Detoxification Treatment
Authors: Specka Michael , Kuhlmann Thomas , Sawazki Jürgen , Bonnet Udo , Steinert Renate , Cybulska-Rycicki Monika , Eich Helmut , Zeiske Benita , Niedersteberg Antje , Schaaf Luzia , Scherbaum Norbert
Published: July 2020

Background

About 15 years ago, a diverse group of new recreational psychotropic substances began to emerge, which were marketed for example as “legal highs,” “research chemicals,” or “designer drugs.” These substances were later subsumed under the label “Novel Psychoactive Substances” (NPS). Important NPS classes are cathinones, synthetic cannabimimetics, phenethylamines, and herbal drugs. The health care system for psychotropic substance use disorders (SUDs) traditionally focused on a few substances, such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, or cannabis. Users of illicit substances often engage in polydrug use. However little is known about the prevalence of NPS use within the group of “classical” illicit substance users.

Objective

We investigated lifetime and recent use of NPS and other drugs in patients who underwent in-patient detoxification treatment from illicit drugs in Germany.

Methods

In a multicenter study with eight participating facilities, patients admitted to treatment underwent a standardized interview at admission, concerning their past and current substance use. The interview comprised classical substances of abuse, NPS, and rarely used substances such as LSD. In addition, participating sites had the opportunity to analyze their patients’ routine drug screenings by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which permitted detection of NPS.

Results

Interviews from 295 patients could be analyzed. Most patients were opiate dependent and multiple substance users. About 32% reported use of synthetic cannabimimetics during lifetime, but usually only a few times. An important reason for their use was that NPS were not detected by drug testing in prisons or drug treatment facilities. Cathinones, herbal drugs or other NPS had rarely been used during lifetime. NPS use during the last 30 days before admission was nearly zero. This was confirmed by urine analysis results. In contrast, lifetime and current use of opiates, alcohol, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and cannabis was high. In addition, 18% reported of regular unprescribed pregabalin use during lifetime, and 20% had recently used pregabalin.

Conclusion

Patients admitted to drug detoxification treatment showed multiple substance use, but this did not include NPS use. The diversion of legal medications such as pregabalin in this group is a serious concern.
An Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Risk Analysis Model (IT2FRAM) for Determining Construction Project Contingency Reserve
Authors: Fateminia Seyed Hamed , Sumati Vuppuluri , Fayek Aminah Robinson
Published: July 2020

Determining contingency reserve is critical to project risk management. Classic methods of determining contingency reserve significantly rely on historical data and fail to effectively incorporate certain types of uncertainties such as vagueness, ambiguity, and subjectivity. In this paper, an interval type-2 fuzzy risk analysis model (IT2FRAM) is introduced in order to determine the contingency reserve. In IT2FRAM, the membership functions for the linguistic terms used to describe the probability, impact of risk and the opportunity events are developed, optimized, and aggregated using interval type-2 fuzzy sets and the principle of justifiable granularity. IT2FRAM is an extension of a fuzzy arithmetic-based risk analysis method which considers such uncertainties and addresses the limitations of probabilistic and deterministic techniques of contingency determination methods. The contribution of IT2FRAM is that it considers the opinions of several subject matter experts to develop the membership functions of linguistic terms. Moreover, the effect of outlier opinions in developing the membership functions of linguistic terms are reduced. IT2FRAM also enables the aggregation of non-linear membership functions into trapezoidal membership functions. A hypothetical case study is presented in order to illustrate the application of IT2FRAM in Fuzzy Risk Analyzer© (FRA©), a risk analysis software.
Assessment of Stocking Rate and Housing System on Performance, Carcass Traits, Blood Indices, and Meat Quality of French Pekin Ducks
Authors: Abo Ghanima Mahmoud M. , Abd El-Hack Mohamed E. , Taha Ayman E. , Tufarelli Vincenzo , Laudadio Vito , Naiel Mohammed A. E.
Published: July 2020

Commercial practice in poultry production management has been susceptible to increased problems, driven by concerns about safety of food and animal welfare. Thus, the main proposal of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different stocking densities on performance, blood, and carcass traits of Pekin ducklings reared on two different floor types (wood shaving litter, WSL or plastic slatted floor, PLS). A total of 450 one-day-old ducklings were randomly allocated into six equal experimental groups stocking density (nine, 15 and 21 birds/m2 during the first 14 d and three, five and seven birds/m2 until 49 days) reared on two floor types (WSL and PLS), five replicate pens each. Increased stocking density reduced body weight (BW), weight gain (WG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) values and increased feed intake (FI) in both floor types at 14 days old. At 49 days old, reared ducklings on PLS type verified higher BW and WG and reduced FCR values. Moreover, increasing stocking density in both floor types significantly reduced the breast, thigh, and left fillet percentages. Conversely, reared birds floored on PLS system decreased the triglycerides (TG) and increased the total cholesterol (TC) serum content. Furthermore, the meat contents of TG and TC were decreased in birds reared on higher stocking density but not affected by floor type. Further, serum antioxidant indices were reduced in PLS birds on low stocking densities. In conclusion, housing Pekin ducklings on PLS improved their growth performance, carcass traits, meat cholesterol, and antioxidant status, particularly at stocking density of three and five birds/m2.
Immunohistochemical Assessment of Immune Response in the Dermis of Sarcoptes scabiei—Infested Wild Carnivores (Wolf and Fox) and Ruminants (Chamois and Red Deer)
Authors: Martínez Ileana Z. , Oleaga Álvaro , Sojo Irene , García-Iglesias María José , Pérez-Martínez Claudia , García Marín Juan F. , Balseiro Ana
Published: July 2020

Sarcoptic mange is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei and has been described in several species of domestic and wild mammals. Macroscopic lesions are predominantly hyperkeratotic (type I hypersensitivity) in fox, chamois and deer, but alopecic (type IV hypersensitivity) in wolf and some fox populations. To begin to understand the immune processes underlying these species differences in lesions, we examined skin biopsies from wolves (Canis lupus), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) naturally infested with S. scabiei. Twenty skin samples from five animals per species were used. Sections were immuno-stained with primary antibodies against Iba1 to detect macrophages, lambda chain to detect plasma cells, CD3 to detect T lymphocytes and CD20 to detect B lymphocytes. Skin lesions contained significantly more inflammatory cells in the fox than in the wolf and chamois. Macrophages were the most abundant inflammatory cells in the lesions of all the species studied, suggesting a predominantly innate, non-specific immune response. Lesions from the wolf contained higher proportions of macrophages than the other species, which may reflect a more effective response, leading to alopecic lesions. In red deer, macrophages were significantly more abundant than plasma cells, T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes, which were similarly abundant. The fox proportion of plasma cells was significantly higher than those of T and B lymphocytes. In chamois, T lymphocytes were more abundant than B lymphocytes and plasma cells, although the differences were significant only in the case of macrophages. These results suggest that all the species examined mount a predominantly innate immune response against S. scabiei infestation, while fox and chamois may also mount substantial humoral and cellular immune responses, respectively, with apparently scarce effectiveness that lead to hyperkeratotic lesions.
Effectiveness of Stocking Density Reduction on Mitigating Lameness in a Charolais Finishing Beef Cattle Farm
Authors: Cortese Martina , Brščić Marta , Ughelini Nicola , Andrighetto Igino , Contiero Barbara , Marchesini Giorgio
Published: July 2020

This study aimed at assessing whether a reduction in stocking density (SKD) would mitigate lameness and positively affect the performance and health of Charolais bulls in an Italian commercial farm. Bulls were distributed in groups of 10 or 8 animals/pen for high (HD) or low density (LD) corresponding to an individual space of 3.5 or 4.7 m2, respectively. Bulls were fitted with collars that measured rumination time and activity. Three 8-h observational sessions were conducted to record behaviors. Data about health conditions were collected daily. No differences were found in the animals’ performance. However, performance results might have been impaired by the culling rate experienced during the trial, which prevented from keeping a consistent SKD. Behaviors did not differ between groups, except for rumination time, which was higher for LD bulls during the third observation (p < 0.05). However, rumination time, recorded by collars, did not vary among treatments. There were no differences in the percentage of sick or lame bulls, but the percentage of animals treated repeatedly due to relapse was higher for the HD group (p < 0.05). It was concluded that a larger space allowance could improve the health of bulls kept on fully slatted floors.
Preliminary Findings on a Novel Behavioural Approach for the Assessment of Pain and Analgesia in Lambs Subject to Routine Husbandry Procedures
Authors: Grant Emily P. , Wickham Sarah L. , Anderson Fiona , Barnes Anne L. , Fleming Patricia A. , Miller David W.
Published: July 2020

The identification and assessment of pain in sheep under field conditions are important, but, due to their stoic nature, are fraught with many challenges. In Australia, various husbandry procedures that are documented to cause pain are routinely performed at lamb marking, including ear tagging, castration, mulesing, and tail docking. This study evaluated the validity of a novel methodology to assess pain in lambs: qualitative behavioural assessment (QBA) was used to compare the behavioural expression of control lambs (CONTROL) with that of lambs subject to these procedures that received either a saline placebo 15 min before procedures (PLACEBO), or were administered meloxicam 15 min before procedures in addition to the standard analgesic Tri-Solfen at the time of procedures, as per the manufacturer’s recommendations (ANALGESIC TREATMENT; AT). In terms of behavioural expression, it was expected that: CONTROL ≠ PLACEBO, AT = CONTROL, and PLACEBO ≠ AT. Video footage of the 6−8-week-old lambs (n = 10 for each treatment) was captured approximately 1.5 h postprocedure and was presented, in a random order, to 19 observers for assessment using the Free-Choice Profiling (FCP) approach to QBA. There was significant consensus (p < 0.001) among the observers in their assessment of the lambs, with two main dimensions of behavioural expression explaining 69.2% of the variation. As expected, observers perceived differences in the demeanour of lambs in the first dimension, scoring all lambs subject to the routine husbandry procedures as significantly more ‘dull’ and ‘uneasy’ compared to the control lambs (p < 0.05). Contrary to expectations, the results also suggested that analgesic treatment did not provide relief at the time of observation. Further investigations to validate the relationship between behavioural expression scores and pain are necessary, but these results suggest that painful husbandry procedures alter the behavioural expression of lambs and these differences can be captured using QBA methodology.
Simulation Study on the Integration of Health Traits in Horse Breeding Programs
Authors: Büttgen Lisa , Geibel Johannes , Simianer Henner , Pook Torsten
Published: July 2020

Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is a degenerative disease of the cartilage leading to osseous fragments in the joints. It is important in horse breeding both from an animal welfare and an economic perspective. To study adequate breeding strategies to reduce OCD prevalence, a lifelike simulation of the breeding program of German Warmblood horses was performed with the R package MoBPS. We simulated complex breeding schemes of riding horses with different selection steps and realistic age structure, mimicking the German situation. As an example, osseous fragments in fetlock and hock joints were considered. Different scenarios, either using threshold selection, index selection or genomic index selection, respectively, were compared regarding their impact on health and performance traits. A rigorous threshold selection as well as the integration of OCD in a selection index at the stage of stallion licensing and chosen frequency of use in breeding cases on a selection index that includes breeding values for OCD traits performed best on a comparable level. Simply integrating OCD in this breeding value was less effective in terms of OCD reduction. Scenarios with a higher reduction of OCD also showed a slightly reduced improvement in the riding horse performance traits.
Sodium Butyrate Alleviates Mouse Colitis by Regulating Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis
Authors: Dou Xiujing , Gao Nan , Yan Di , Shan Anshan
Published: July 2020

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) develops as a result of complicated interactions between genetic susceptibility, excessive innate immunity, and environmental factors, which are mainly related to the gut microbiota. The present study aimed to elucidate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of a short-chain fatty acid salt, sodium butyrate, on colonic inflammation induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in mice. Pretreatment with sodium butyrate attenuated colitis, as demonstrated by the decreased disease activity index (DAI), colon length shortening, spleen tumidness, and histopathology scores, while maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, as observed by H&E staining and electron microscopy. 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed that sodium butyrate caused a remarkable alteration of the gut microbiota. Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae, the Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, and Ruminiclostridium 6 presented dramatic differences after sodium butyrate supplementation. This work verifies that sodium butyrate can improve mouse colitis via microbe–host interactions by regulating the microbial community. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that sodium butyrate shows great potential as a probiotic agent for ameliorating colitis.
Controlled Fermentation Using Autochthonous Lactobacillus plantarum Improves Antimicrobial Potential of Chinese Chives against Poultry Pathogens
Authors: Kothari Damini , Lee Woo-Do , Jung Eun Sung , Niu Kai-Min , Lee Choong Hwan , Kim Soo-Ki
Published: July 2020

Chinese chives (CC) are rich in several antimicrobial constituents including organosulfur compounds, phenolics, and saponins, among others. Herein, we fermented CC juice using an autochthonous isolate, Lactobacillus plantarum having antimicrobial effects against poultry pathogens toward formulating an antimicrobial feed additive. Following 24 h of fermentation, the antimicrobial and antiviral activities of CC juice were significantly enhanced against poultry pathogens. However, the antioxidant activity of CC juice was significantly decreased following fermentation. Meanwhile, the compositional changes of CC juice following fermentation were also investigated. The total polyphenol, thiol, and allicin contents were significantly decreased in L. plantarum 24 h-fermented CC juice (LpCC) extract; however, total flavonoids increased significantly following fermentation. The untargeted metabolite profiling of nonfermented CC juice (NCC) and LpCC extracts was carried out using the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-linear trap quadrupole-orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS) followed by multivariate analyses. The score plots of principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS/MS datasets displayed a clear segregation between the LpCC and NCC samples, which suggests their marked metabolomic disparity. Based on the multivariate analysis, we selected 17 significantly discriminant metabolites belonging to the different chemical classes including alkaloid, flavonols, saponins, fatty acids, amino acids, and organic acids. Notably, the flavonols including the glycosides of quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin as well as the saponins displayed significantly higher relative abundance in LpCC as compared with NCC. This study provides useful insights for the development of a fermented CC juice based antimicrobial feed additive to combat poultry infections.
A Study on Aeroengine Conceptual Design Considering Multi-Mission Performance Reliability
Authors: Cao Dalu , Bai Guangchen
Published: July 2020

Owing to the realization of multi-mission adaptability requires more complex mechanical structure, the candidates of future aviation propulsion are confronted with more overall reliability problems than that of the conventional gas turbine engine. This situation is challenging to a traditional aeroengine deterministic design method. To overcome this challenge, the Reliability-based Multi-Design Point Methodology is proposed for aeroengine conceptual design. The presented methodology adopted an unconventional approach of engaging the reliability prediction by artificial neural network (ANN) surrogate models rather than the time-consuming Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. Based on the Adaptive Particle swarm optimization, the utilization of the pre-training technique optimizes the initial network parameters to acquire better-conditioned initial network, which is sited closer to designated optimum so that contributes to the convergence property. Moreover, a new hybrid algorithm is presented to integrate the pre-training technique into neural network training procedure in order to enhance the ANN performance. The proposed methodology is applied to the cycle design of a turbofan engine with uncertainty component performance. The testing results certify that the prediction accuracy of pre-trained ANN is improved with negligible computational cost, which only spent nearly one-millionth as much time as the MC-based probabilistic analysis (0.1267 s vs. 95,262 s, for 20 testing samples). The MC simulation results substantiate that optimal cycle parameters precisely improve the engine overall performance to simultaneously reach expected reliability (≥98.9%) in multiple operating conditions without unnecessary performance redundancy, which verifies the efficiency of the presented methodology. The presented efforts provide a novel approach for aeroengine cycle design, and enrich reliability design theory as well.
DC Converter with Wide Soft Switching Operation, Wide Input Voltage and Low Current Ripple
Authors: Lin Bor-Ren , Lin Guan-Hong
Published: July 2020

A soft switching current-source resonant converter is presented and implemented for wide voltage applications such as fuel cells and solar power. An LLC (inductor–inductor–capacitor) converter is adopted to accomplish zero voltage (current) operation on active switches (diodes). Thus, the circuit efficiency is increased. The interleaved pulse-width modulation (PWM) converter is employed on the input side to accomplish low input ripple current. A hybrid LLC converter is adopted to achieve wide voltage operation from Vin, min to 4Vin, min and to improve the weakness of a conventional LLC converter. Half-bridge diode rectification is employed on the output side to decrease power loss on the rectifier diode. To confirm the theoretical analysis and feasibility, experimental verifications with a 500-W prototype are demonstrated in this paper.
Bearing Capacity of Ring Foundations on Sand Overlying Clay
Authors: Yang Chaowei , Zhu Zhiren , Xiao Yao
Published: July 2020

The vertical bearing capacity of rough ring foundations resting on a sand layer overlying clay soil is computed in this study by using finite element limit analysis (FELA). The sands and clays are assumed as elastoplastic models, obeying Mohr–Coulomb and Tresca failure criteria, respectively. Based on the FELA results, design charts are provided for evaluating the ultimate bearing capacity of ring foundations, which is related to the undrained shear strength of the clay, the thickness, the internal friction angle, the unit weight of the sand layer, and the ratio of the internal radius to the external radius of the footing. A certain thickness, beyond which the clay layer has a negligible effect on the bearing capacity, is determined. The collapse mechanisms are also examined and discussed.
Research and Implementation of Axial 3D Printing Method for PLA Pipes
Authors: Zhang Haiguang , Zhong Wenguang , Hu Qingxi , Aburaia Mohamed , Gonzalez-Gutierrez Joamin , Lammer Herfried
Published: July 2020

Additive manufacturing has been applied in many fields, but its layer-by-layer fabrication process leads to a weak inter-layer bond strength of printed parts, so it cannot meet the higher requirements for mechanical properties of the industry. At present, many researchers are studying the printing path planning method to improve the mechanical properties of printed parts. This paper proposes a method to plan the printing path according to the actual stress of pipe parts, and introduces the realization process of an algorithm in detail, and obtains the printing control G-code. Additionally, a 5-axis material extrusion platform was built to realize the printing of polylactic acid pipes with plane and space skeleton curves, respectively, which verified the feasibility and applicability of the method and the correctness of the planning path with standard material extrusion filaments. Finally, the tensile and bending experiments prove that axial printing enhances the mechanical properties of pipe parts.
Discrete Optimization of a Gear Pump after Tooth Root Undercutting by Means of Multi-Dimensional Logic Functions
Authors: Partyka Marian A. , Natorska Maria
Published: July 2020

In this paper, the optimization of a gear pump after tooth root undercutting has been investigated; this requires the volumetric, mechanical and total efficiencies of the pump to be calculated. Due to conflict in the existing model, the total efficiency is often calculated with the assumption that the other efficiencies have acceptable values. Multiple-dimensional logical functions are an additional independent method that can be used for the optimization of a pump.
A Study on the Evaluation Method of Autonomous Emergency Vehicle Braking for Pedestrians Test Using Monocular Cameras
Authors: Kim Bong-Ju , Lee Seon-Bong
Published: July 2020

Traffic accidents continue to increase in Korea as traffic increases, and the resulting loss of life is also on the rise. According to data surveyed by the South Korean National Police Agency, 45,921 pedestrian traffic accidents were reported in 2019, resulting in 1487 deaths and 46,400 injuries. Due to the increased interest in traffic accident safety, the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) concept is rapidly developing and playing a significant role in coping with activities that are not recognized by the driver. Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), a representative ADAS system, is a system that is useful for preventing and mitigating accidents by braking vehicles in emergencies. For the study of AEBs’ safety evaluation methods for pedestrians, a distance measurement method using a monocular camera with excellent accessibility, and measurement equipment required to validate data on the movement of vehicles, and a dummy to replace pedestrians are used. Based on the evaluation scenario considering the proposed Korea road environment, the relative distance obtained from equipment like DGPS and the relative distance using a monocular camera is compared and analyzed to verify safety. Comparative analysis shows that the minimum deviation is 2.3 cm, the third test result of 30 km/h of Car-to-Pedestrian Nearside Child (CPNC), and the maximum deviation is 25 cm, the first test result of 25 km/h of Car-to-Pedestrian Nearside Adult (CPNA). The main factor in error generation is that the lane recognition in the camera image is not accurate, and the perception of small children is slow, which is why emergency braking is considered to have been slow. It is deemed that a safety assessment in weather conditions of adverse conditions will be required in the future.
Walking with The Murderers Are Among Us: Henry Ries’s Post-WWII Berlin Rubble Photographs
Authors: Fryd Vivien Green
Published: July 2020

Henry Ries (1917–2004), a celebrated American-German photojournalist, was born into an upper-class Jewish family in Berlin. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1938 to escape Nazi Germany. As a new American citizen, he joined the U.S. Air Force. After the war, Ries became photo editor and chief photographer for the OMGUS Observer (1946–1947), the American weekly military newspaper published by the Information and Education Section of the Office of Military Government for Germany (OMGUS). One photograph by Ries that first appeared in this newspaper in 1946, and a second, in a different composition and enlarged format, that he included in his 2001 autobiography, create significant commentaries on postwar Germany. The former image accompanies an article about the first post-WWII German feature film: Wolfgang Staudte’s The Murderers Are Among Us. The photograph moves from functioning as a documentation of history and collective memory, to an individual remembrance and personal condemnation of WWII horrors. Both reveal Ries’s individual trauma over the destruction of Berlin and the death of family members, while also conveying the official policy of OMGUS. Ries’s works embody a conflicted, compassionate gaze, conveying ambiguous emotions about judgment of Germans, precisely because of his own identity, background and memories.
Investigation of the Weather Conditions During the Collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa on 14 August 2018 Using Field Observations and WRF Model
Authors: Burlando Massimiliano , Romanic Djordje , Boni Giorgio , Lagasio Martina , Parodi Antonio
Published: July 2020

On 14 August 2018, Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy, collapsed to the ground that was 40 m below. This tragedy killed 43 people. Preliminary investigations indicated poor design, questionable building practices, and insufficient maintenance—or a combination of these factors—as a possible cause of the collapse. However, around the collapse time, a thunderstorm associated with strong winds, lightning, and rain also developed over the city. While it is unclear if this thunderstorm played a role in the collapse, the present study examines the weather conditions before and during the bridge collapse. The study particularly focuses on the analysis of a downburst that was observed around the collapse time and a few kilometers away from the bridge. Direct and remote sensing measurements are used to describe the evolution of the thunderstorm during its approached from the sea to the city. The Doppler lidar measurements allowed the reconstruction of the gust front shape and the evaluation of its displacement velocity of 6.6 m s−1 towards the lidar. The Weather Research and Forecasting simulations highlighted that it is still challenging to forecast localized thunderstorms with operational setups. The study has shown that assimilation of radar reflectivity improves the timing and reconstruction of the gust front observed by local measurements.
Coastal Resilience Against Storm Surge from Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Mendelsohn Robert , Zheng Liang
Published: July 2020

It is well known that seawalls are effective at stopping common storm surges in urban areas. This paper examines whether seawalls should be built to withstand the storm surge from a major tropical cyclone. We estimate the extra cost of building the wall tall enough to stop such surges and the extra flood benefit of this additional height. We estimate the surge probability distribution from six tidal stations spread along the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. We then measure how valuable the vulnerable buildings behind a 100 m wall must be to justify such a tall wall at each site. Combining information about the probability distribution of storm surge, the average elevation of protected buildings, and the damage rate at each building, we find that the value of protected buildings behind this 100 m wall must be in the hundreds of millions to justify the wall. We also examine the additional flood benefit and cost of protecting a km2 of land in nearby cities at each site. The density of buildings in coastal cities in the United States are generally more than an order of magnitude too low to justify seawalls this high. Seawalls are effective, but not at stopping the surge damage from major tropical cyclones.
CoVid-19 Pandemic Trend Modeling and Analysis to Support Resilience Decision-Making
Authors: Duffey Romney B. , Zio Enrico
Published: July 2020

Policy decision-making for system resilience to a hazard requires the estimation and prediction of the trends of growth and decline of the impacts of the hazard. With focus on the recent worldwide spread of CoVid-19, we take the infection rate as the relevant metric whose trend of evolution to follow for verifying the effectiveness of the countermeasures applied. By comparison with the theories of growth and recovery in coupled socio-medical systems, we find that the data for many countries show infection rate trends that are exponential in form. In particular, the recovery trajectory is universal in trend and consistent with the learning theory, which allows for predictions useful in the assistance of decision-making of emergency recovery actions. The findings are validated by extensive data and comparison to medical pandemic models.
Biogenesis of Mitochondrial Metabolite Carriers
Authors: Horten Patrick , Colina-Tenorio Lilia , Rampelt Heike
Published: July 2020

Metabolite carriers of the mitochondrial inner membrane are crucial for cellular physiology since mitochondria contribute essential metabolic reactions and synthesize the majority of the cellular ATP. Like almost all mitochondrial proteins, carriers have to be imported into mitochondria from the cytosol. Carrier precursors utilize a specialized translocation pathway dedicated to the biogenesis of carriers and related proteins, the carrier translocase of the inner membrane (TIM22) pathway. After recognition and import through the mitochondrial outer membrane via the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) complex, carrier precursors are ushered through the intermembrane space by hexameric TIM chaperones and ultimately integrated into the inner membrane by the TIM22 carrier translocase. Recent advances have shed light on the mechanisms of TOM translocase and TIM chaperone function, uncovered an unexpected versatility of the machineries, and revealed novel components and functional crosstalk of the human TIM22 translocase.
Prospective Assessment of Systemic MicroRNAs as Markers of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer
Authors: McGuire Andrew , Casey Maire-Caitlin , Waldron Ronan M. , Heneghan Helen , Kalinina Olga , Holian Emma , McDermott Ailbhe , Lowery Aoife J. , Newell John , Dwyer Róisín M. , Miller Nicola , Keane Maccon , Brown James A.L. , Kerin Michael J.
Published: July 2020

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is used in locally advanced breast cancer to reduce tumour burden prior to surgical resection. However, only a subset of NACT treated patients will respond to treatment or achieve a pathologic complete response (pCR). This multicenter, prospective study (CTRIAL-IE (ICORG) 10-11 study) evaluated circulating microRNA as novel non-invasive prognostic biomarkers of NACT response in breast cancer. Selected circulating microRNAs (Let-7a, miR-21, miR-145, miR-155, miR-195) were quantified from patients undergoing standard of care NACT treatment (n = 114) from whole blood at collected at diagnosis, and the association with NACT response and clinicopathological features evaluated. NACT responders had significantly lower levels of miR-21 (p = 0.036) and miR-195 (p = 0.017), compared to non-responders. Evaluating all breast cancer cases miR-21 was found to be an independent predictor of response (OR 0.538, 95% CI 0.308–0.943, p < 0.05). Luminal cancer NACT responders were found to have significantly decreased levels of miR-145 (p = 0.033) and miR-21 (p = 0.048), compared to non-responders. This study demonstrates the prognostic ability of miR-21, miR-195 and miR-145 as circulating biomarkers stratifying breast cancer patients by NACT response, identifying patients that will derive the maximum benefit from chemotherapy.
N-Donor Ligand Supported “ReO2+”: A Pre-Catalyst for the Deoxydehydration of Diols and Polyols
Authors: Li Jing , Lutz Martin , J. M. Klein Gebbink Robertus
Published: July 2020

A selected number of tetradentate N2Py2 ligand-supported ReO2+ complexes and a monodentate pyridine-supported ReO2+ complex have been investigated as catalysts for the deoxydehydration (DODH) of diols and polyols. In situ 1H NMR experiments showed that these N-donor ligand-supported ReO2+ complexes are only the pre-catalyst of the DODH reaction. Treatment of (N2Py2) ReO2+ with an excess amount of water generates an active species for DODH catalysis; use of the Re-product of this reaction shows a much shorter induction period compared to the pristine complex. No ligand is coordinated to the “water-treated” complex indicating that the real catalyst is formed after ligand dissociation. IR analysis suggested this catalyst to be a rhenium-oxide/hydroxide oligomer. The monodentate pyridine ligand is much easier to dissociate from the metal center than a tetradentate N2Py2 ligand, which makes the Py4ReO2+-initiated DODH reaction more efficient. For the Py4ReO2+-initiated DODH of diols and biomass-based polyols, both PPh3 and 3-pentanol could be used as a reductant. Excellent olefin yields are achieved.
Therapy with Cardiomyocytes Derived from Pluripotent Cells in Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Brasil Guilherme Visconde , Silva dos Santos Danúbia , Mendonça Elias Ataide , Mesquita Fernanda Cristina Paccola , Kasai-Brunswick Tais Hanae , Cunha Sandro Torrentes da , Pimentel Cibele Ferreira , Vasconcelos-dos-Santos Andréia de , Mendez-Otero Rosália , Azevedo Filho Clério Francisco de , Goldenberg Regina Coeli dos Santos , Campos de Carvalho Antonio Carlos
Published: July 2020

Chagas disease discovered more than a century ago remains an incurable disease. The objective of this work was to investigate the therapeutic potential of cardiomyocytes derived from mouse embryonic stem cells (CM-mESC) in a model of chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC). Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) were characterized, transduced with luciferase, and submitted to cardiac differentiation. CM-mESC were labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide particles. To induce CCC, mice were infected with Brazil strain trypomastigotes. At 150 days post-infection (dpi), infected animals were treated with CM-mESC or PBS. Cells were detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and bioluminescence. Cardiac function was evaluated by MRI and electrocardiogram at 150 and 196 dpi. CCC mice showed significant differences in MRI and ECG parameters compared to non-infected mice. However, no differences were observed in contractile and electrical parameters between cell and PBS injected groups, 45 days after cell transplantation. Cells were detected 24 h after transplantation by MRI. CM-mESC bioluminescence tracking demonstrated over 90% decrease in signal 8 days after treatment. Nevertheless, the Infected + CM-mESC group showed a significant reduction in the percentage of collagen fibers when compared to the Infected + PBS group. In conclusion, CM-mESC therapy was not effective in reversing cardiac functional changes induced by Chagas disease despite some improvement in myocardial fibrosis.
Metabolome Changes in Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Shin Tae Hwan , Lee Da Yeon , Basith Shaherin , Manavalan Balachandran , Paik Man Jeong , Rybinnik Igor , Mouradian M. Maral , Ahn Jung Hwan , Lee Gwang
Published: July 2020

Cerebral ischemia is caused by perturbations in blood flow to the brain that trigger sequential and complex metabolic and cellular pathologies. This leads to brain tissue damage, including neuronal cell death and cerebral infarction, manifesting clinically as ischemic stroke, which is the cause of considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. To analyze the underlying biological mechanisms and identify potential biomarkers of ischemic stroke, various in vitro and in vivo experimental models have been established investigating different molecular aspects, such as genes, microRNAs, and proteins. Yet, the metabolic and cellular pathologies of ischemic brain injury remain not fully elucidated, and the relationships among various pathological mechanisms are difficult to establish due to the heterogeneity and complexity of the disease. Metabolome-based techniques can provide clues about the cellular pathologic status of a condition as metabolic disturbances can represent an endpoint in biological phenomena. A number of investigations have analyzed metabolic changes in samples from cerebral ischemia patients and from various in vivo and in vitro models. We previously analyzed levels of amino acids and organic acids, as well as polyamine distribution in an in vivo rat model, and identified relationships between metabolic changes and cellular functions through bioinformatics tools. This review focuses on the metabolic and cellular changes in cerebral ischemia that offer a deeper understanding of the pathology underlying ischemic strokes and contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Addressing the Molecular Mechanism of Longitudinal Lamin Assembly Using Chimeric Fusions
Authors: Stalmans Giel , Lilina Anastasia V. , Vermeire Pieter-Jan , Fiala Jan , Novák Petr , Strelkov Sergei V.
Published: July 2020

The molecular architecture and assembly mechanism of intermediate filaments have been enigmatic for decades. Among those, lamin filaments are of particular interest due to their universal role in cell nucleus and numerous disease-related mutations. Filament assembly is driven by specific interactions of the elementary dimers, which consist of the central coiled-coil rod domain flanked by non-helical head and tail domains. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal ‘head-to-tail’ interaction of lamin dimers (the so-called ACN interaction), which is crucial for filament assembly. To this end, we prepared a series of recombinant fragments of human lamin A centred around the N- and C-termini of the rod. The fragments were stabilized by fusions to heterologous capping motifs which provide for a correct formation of parallel, in-register coiled-coil dimers. As a result, we established crystal structures of two N-terminal fragments one of which highlights the propensity of the coiled-coil to open up, and one C-terminal rod fragment. Additional studies highlighted the capacity of such N- and C-terminal fragments to form specific complexes in solution, which were further characterized using chemical cross-linking. These data yielded a molecular model of the ACN complex which features a 6.5 nm overlap of the rod ends.
Diminished Returns of Parental Education in Terms of Youth School Performance: Ruling out Regression toward the Mean
Authors: Assari Shervin , Boyce Shanika , Bazargan Mohsen , Caldwell Cleopatra
Published: July 2020

Background: Minorities’ Diminished Returns (MDRs) refer to systemically weaker effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators on various developmental, behavioral, and health outcomes of ethnic minorities compared to non-Hispanic (non-Latino) Whites. Similar MDRs also exist for the effects of parental education on the school performance of ethnic minority youth. Aim: To assess whether regression toward the mean (RTM) has any role in explaining the diminished effects of parental education on the school performance of Black and Hispanic youth relative to non-Hispanic White youth. Materials and methods: Data for this cross-sectional study came from the Monitoring the Future survey (MTF, 2017), a nationally representative survey of American youth in 12th grade. The sample included 10,262 youth who were 12th graders (typically 17–18 years old). The independent variable was parental education with five categories: Some high school, High school graduate, Some college, College graduate, and Graduate school. The outcome was self-reported school performance measured as grade point average (GPA). Ethnicity was the effect modifier. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey Post Hoc test was used to analyze the data. Data visualization (line graphs) was used to visualize the shape of youth GPA as a function of parental education levels across ethnic groups. Results: While a perfect stepwise increase was seen in youth school performance as a result of parental education improvement, this pattern differed considerably across ethnic groups. Such a perfect stepwise increase in youth school performance as a result of the incremental increase in parental education was missing for Black and Hispanic youth. The shape of the association between parental education and youth school performance ruled out regression toward the mean (RTM) as an explanation for the observed diminished effects of parental education on the school performance of Black and Hispanic youth. Conclusion: Diminished returns of parental education on the school performance of Black and Hispanic youth cannot be explained by regression toward the mean. Other factors and contextual processes, such as segregation, discrimination, racism, and poor quality of schools in urban areas, should be investigated in future research.
Abiotic Community Constraints in Extreme Environments: Epikarst Copepods as a Model System
Authors: Pipan Tanja , Christman Mary C. , Culver David C.
Published: July 2020

The general hypothesis that the overall presence or absence of one or more species in an extreme habitat is determined by physico-chemical factors was investigated using epikarst copepod communities as a model system, an example of an extreme environment with specialized, often rare species. The relationship between the presence or absence of epikarst copepods from drips in six Slovenian caves and 12 physico-chemical factors (temperature, conductivity, pH, Ca2+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, NH4+, and Cl−, NO2−, NO3−, and SO42−) was explored. Statistical analyses included principal components analysis, logistic mixed models, stepwise logistic multivariate regression, classification trees, and random forests. Parametric statistical analyses demonstrated the overall importance of two variables—temperature and conductivity. The more flexible statistical approaches, namely categorical trees and random forests, indicate that temperature and concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ were important. This may be because they are essential nutrients or, at least in the case of Ca2+, its importance in molting. The correlation of Cl− and NO3− with copepod abundance may be due to unmeasured variables that vary at the scale of individual cave, but in any case, the values have an anthropogenic component. This contrasts with factors important in individual species’ niche separation, which overlap with the community parameters only for NO3−.
Implant Soft-Tissue Attachment Using 3D Oral Mucosal Models—A Pilot Study
Authors: Barker Emilia , AlQobaly Lina , Shaikh Zahab , Franklin Kirsty , Moharamzadeh Keyvan
Published: July 2020

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate soft-tissue attachment to different metal, ceramic, and polymer implant surfaces using an inflamed, three-dimensional (3D), tissue-engineered, human oral mucosal model, as well as multiple-endpoint qualitative and quantitative biological approaches. Methods: Normal human oral fibroblasts, OKF6/TERT-2 keratinocytes and THP-1 monocytes were cultured, and full-thickness, 3D oral mucosal models were engineered inside tissue culture inserts. Sand-blasted and acid-etched (SLA) and machined (M) titanium–zirconium alloy (TiZr; commercially known as Roxolid; Institut Straumann AG, Switzerland), ceramic (ZrO2), and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) rods (Ø 4 mm × 8 mm) were inserted into the center of tissue-engineered oral mucosa following a Ø 4mm punch biopsy. Inflammation was simulated with addition of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha to the culture medium. Implant soft-tissue attachment was assessed using histology, an implant pull-test with PrestoBlue assay, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: Inflamed, full-thickness, 3D human oral mucosal models with inserted implants were successfully engineered and histologically characterized. The implant pull-test with PrestoBlue assay showed higher viability of the tissue that remained attached to the TiZr-SLA surface compared to the other test groups. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). SEM analysis showed evidence of epithelial cell attachment on different implant surfaces. Conclusions: The inflamed, 3D, oral mucosal model has the potential to be used as a suitable in vitro test system for visualization and quantification of implant soft-tissue attachment. The results of our study indicate greater soft tissue attachment to TiZr-SLA compared to TiZr-M, ceramic, and PEEK surfaces.
Information-Theoretic Descriptors of Molecular States and Electronic Communications between Reactants
Authors: Nalewajski Roman F.
Published: July 2020

The classical (modulus/probability) and nonclassical (phase/current) components of molecular states are reexamined and their information contributions are summarized. The state and information continuity relations are discussed and a nonclassical character of the resultant gradient information source is emphasized. The states of noninteracting and interacting subsystems in the model donor-acceptor reactive system are compared and configurations of the mutually-closed and -open equidensity orbitals are tackled. The density matrices for subsystems in reactive complexes are used to describe the entangled molecular fragments and electron communications in donor-acceptor systems which determine the entropic multiplicity and composition of chemical bonds between reactants.