bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transarticular elastic external skeletal fixator correction of a stifle rotational deformity and patellar luxation in a dog
Authors: Chen Tiffany , Bosscher Georgia , Fox Derek , Arnoldy Courtney , Bleedorn Jason
Published: October 2020

Objective

To report the preoperative evaluation, treatment with transarticular elastic external skeletal fixation (ESF), and outcome of a dog with bilateral medial patellar luxation (MPL) and stifle rotational deformity.

Animal

One nonambulatory, 2.5‐month‐old, 7.5‐kg mixed‐breed intact female dog.

Study design

Case report

Methods

Complex pelvic limb deformities were assessed with physical examination and computed tomography (CT) and characterized as bilateral grade 4 MPL and 90° internal rotation of the tibia in relation to the femur. Three‐dimensional imaging and bone models were used to quantify the deformity and rehearse surgical correction. Transarticular elastic chains between ESF pins in the femur and tibia were used to gradually correct stifle rotational malalignment on each pelvic limb. Soft tissue releases, imbrication, and a transphyseal staple were used to correct the patellar luxation (PL) and femoral varus. The dog was reevaluated for 1 year postoperatively.

Results

Short‐ and long‐term management included intensive physical rehabilitation to increase pelvic limb strength and function. Surgical treatment resulted in resolution of the PL and neutral stifle alignment. The dog was able to ambulate with persistent decreased range of motion of the stifle.

Conclusion

Transarticular elastic chains and femoral physeal stapling improved the function of a dog with severe bone deformities and PL in a growing dog.
A review of applications of animal‐inspired evolutionary algorithms in reservoir operation modelling
Authors: Jahandideh‐Tehrani Mahsa , Bozorg‐Haddad Omid , Loáiciga Hugo A.
Published: October 2020

Successful operation of reservoir systems to guarantee the optimal use of available water resources has been the subject of many studies. The advent and applications of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) in the field of reservoir operation have led to significant advances in our capacity to improve the planning and management of complex reservoir systems. This study reports a review of the applications of animal‐inspired EAs to reservoir operation optimization selected among a large number of available papers in this area of research. The animal‐inspired EAs herein identified concern algorithms that mimic biologic traits of animal (wild) species. Among the animal‐inspired EAs ant colony optimization (ACO), particle swarm optimization (PSO), shuffled frog leaping algorithm (SFLA), artificial bee colony (ABC), honey bee mating optimization (HBMO), firefly algorithm (FA), cuckoo search (CS) and the bat algorithm (BA) are the best‐known ones selected for this review. This paper presents a brief description of the algorithmic characteristics and various employed improved versions or varieties thereof of each of the stated EAs. Furthermore, the differences between the proposed animal‐inspired EAs and their improved versions are identified by comparing the performance of the implemented animal‐inspired EAs in the reviewed literature. PSO and its varieties have the largest number of reported applications. Our comparison results revealed that constrained, discrete and randomized varieties of the animal‐inspired EAs outperformed unconstrained, continuous and deterministic varieties, respectively because of larger feasible search space, better solution quality and shorter computational time. Moreover, all the animal‐inspired EAs outperformed traditional methods of reservoir optimization, such as nonlinear programming (NLP) and dynamic programming (DP).
Efficiency of a pilot hybrid wastewater treatment system comprising activated sludge and constructed wetlands planted with Canna lily and Cyperus papyrus
Authors: Hidayah Euis Nurul , Cahyonugroho Okik Hendriyanto , Pachwarya Ram Babu , Ramanathan A. L.
Published: October 2020

Combination of constructed wetland with activated sludge (AS) is one of the application of sustainable development for dealing with environmental pollution. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of three system of domestic wastewater treatment, namely AS, combination AS with constructed wetland containing Canna lily (AS‐CWC), combination AS with constructed wetland containing Cyperus papyrus (AS‐CWP) for treating domestic wastewater. Mini pilot scale of treatment system was built under continuous flow. Samples were taken at outlet in each unit for measuring water quality parameters, such as BOD, TSS, , ‐N and ‐N. The results indicated that AS‐CWC performed a higher removal of BOD, and TSS than AS‐CWP and AS. AS‐CWC and AS‐CWP showed a statistically insignificant difference removal of ‐N and ‐N, though the former performed a higher removal than the later. This study revealed that TOC increased in the highest percentage in AS and the lowest increasing in AS‐CWP. Constructed wetlands should be integrated with primary treatment to enhancing effluent quality and reduce organic matter, a precursors of carcinogenic compound.
Bacterial chatter in chronic wound infections
Authors: Buch Pranali J. , Chai Yunrong , Goluch Edgar D.
Published: October 2020

One of the hallmark characteristics of chronic diabetic wounds is the presence of biofilm‐forming bacteria. Bacteria encapsulated in a biofilm may coexist as a polymicrobial community and communicate with each other through a phenomenon termed quorum sensing (QS). Here, we describe the QS circuits of bacterial species commonly found in chronic diabetic wounds. QS relies on diffusion of signaling molecules and the local concentration changes of these molecules that bacteria experience in wounds. These biochemical signaling pathways play a role not only in biofilm formation and virulence but also in wound healing. They are, therefore, key to understanding the distinctive nature of these infections. While several in vivo and in vitro models exist to study QS in wounds, there has been limited progress in understanding the interplay between QS molecules and host factors that contribute to wound healing. Lastly, we examine the potential of targeting QS for both diagnosis and therapeutic intervention purposes.
A Dual-VENC Four-Dimensional Flow MRI Framework for Analysis of Subject-Specific Heterogeneous Nonlinear Vessel Deformation
Authors: Concannon J. , Hynes N. , McMullen M. , Smyth E. , Moerman K. , McHugh P. E. , Sultan S. , Karmonik C. , McGarry J. P.
Published: October 2020

Advancement of subject-specific in silico medicine requires new imaging protocols tailored to specific anatomical features, paired with new constitutive model development based on structure/function relationships. In this study, we develop a new dual-velocity encoding coefficient (VENC) 4D flow MRI protocol that provides unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution of in vivo aortic deformation. All previous dual-VENC 4D flow MRI studies in the literature focus on an isolated segment of the aorta, which fail to capture the full spectrum of aortic heterogeneity that exists along the vessel length. The imaging protocol developed provides high sensitivity to all blood flow velocities throughout the entire cardiac cycle, overcoming the challenge of accurately measuring the highly unsteady nonuniform flow field in the aorta. Cross-sectional area change, volumetric flow rate, and compliance are observed to decrease with distance from the heart, while pulse wave velocity (PWV) is observed to increase. A nonlinear aortic lumen pressure–area relationship is observed throughout the aorta such that a high vessel compliance occurs during diastole, and a low vessel compliance occurs during systole. This suggests that a single value of compliance may not accurately represent vessel behavior during a cardiac cycle in vivo. This high-resolution MRI data provide key information on the spatial variation in nonlinear aortic compliance, which can significantly advance the state-of-the-art of in-silico diagnostic techniques for the human aorta.
Modeling of Thermal Contact Resistance of Ball Screws Considering the Load Distribution of Balls
Authors: Gao Xiangsheng , Ma Jiqian , Li Qi , Wang Min , Zan Tao
Published: October 2020

A new analytical method for the modeling of the thermal contact resistance of ball screws considering the load distribution of balls is proposed in this research. The load on balls is analyzed by the force analysis of ball screws, and then, the thermal contact resistance is obtained by the minimum excess principle and Majumdar–Bhushan (MB) fractal theory. The proposed method is validated by experimental results. The comparison with experimental and former results indicates that it is an effective method to evaluate the thermal contact resistance of ball screws. On that basis, effects of axial load, axial pretension, and geometry error of balls are discussed. It is concluded that the thermal contact resistance of ball screws increases along with axial load increase. The load on balls all decreases with axial pretension increase, and the thermal contact resistance of ball screws decreases with the axial pretension increase as well. When the axial load is applied on the nut in an axial-pretension ball screw, the load distribution in Nut A or B becomes less homogenized when the nut moves from nut position parameter ξ = 0 to 1. When the nut moves to ξ = 0.25, the thermal contact resistance will reach a minimum value, and it gets a maximum value at the nut position ξ = 1. The interval range of load and thermal contact resistance are obtained via uncertain analysis. It is concluded that the geometry error has much greater effects on the balls far away from the spacer.
Numerical Investigation on Turbulence Statistics and Heat Transfer of a Circular Jet Impinging on a Roughened Flat Plate
Authors: Alenezi Abdulrahman , Almutairi Abdulrahman , Alhajeri Hamad , Gamil Abdulaziz , Alshammari Faisal
Published: October 2020

A detailed heat transfer numerical study of a three-dimensional impinging jet on a roughened isothermal surface is presented and is investigated from flow physics vantage point under the influence of different parameters. The effects of the Reynolds number, roughness location, and roughness dimension on the flow physics and heat transfer parameters are studied. Additionally, the relations between average heat transfer coefficient (AHTC) and flow physics including pressure, wall shear and flow vortices with thermodynamic nonequilibrium are offered. This paper studies the effect of varying both location and dimension of the roughness element which took the shape of square cross-sectional continuous ribs to deliver a favorable trade-off between total pressure loss and heat transfer rate. The roughness element was tested for three different radial locations (R/D) = 1, 1.5, and 2 and at each location its height (i.e., width) (e) was changed from 0.25 to 1 mm in incremental steps of 0.25. The study used a jet angle (α) of 90 deg, jet-to-target distance (H/D = 6), and Re ranges from 10,000 to 50,000, where H is the vertical distance between the target plate and jet exit. The results show that the AHTC can be significantly affected by changing the geometry and dimensions of the roughness element. This variation can be either an augmentation of, or decrease in, the (HTC) when compared with the baseline case. An enhancement of 12.9% in the AHTC was achieved by using optimal location and dimensions of the roughness element at specific Reynolds number. However, a diminution between 10% and 30% in (AHTC) was attained by the use of rib height e = 1 mm at Re = 50k. The variation of both rib location and height showed better contribution in increasing heat transfer for low-range Reynolds numbers.
Performance Evaluation of a Single-Stage Two-Bed Adsorption Chiller With Desalination Function
Authors: Sztekler Karol , Kalawa Wojciech , Nowak Wojciech , Mika Łukasz , Krzywański Jarosław , Grabowska Karolina , Sosnowski Marcin , Alharbi Ahmed A.
Published: October 2020

Energy efficiency is one of the most important topics nowadays. It is strictly related to the problem of energy demand, energy policy, environmental pollution, and economic issues. Because of the technological development, using more advanced processes in almost every part of industry and increasing demands both for a high standard of living and simplification of processes, the energy demand is growing. This can be observed, e.g., in the building sector—air conditioning is present in almost every new building and people expect high quality thermal conditions. At the same time, many technological processes result in dissipating energy to the environment. Energy efficiency can be increased and operation costs reduced by using waste heat in other processes. One of the possibilities is to use sorption chillers to produce cool and desalinated water. Low temperature waste heat is not easy to utilize because of low energy potential. Using adsorption chillers in low temperature conditions allows utilizing waste heat and producing useful products in many regions of the world. The paper presents the results of experimental study carried out on three-bed adsorption chiller with desalination, using silica gel and water as the working pair. The chiller was equipped with plate-fin tube heat exchanger filled with silica gel with a grain size of 0.5–1.5 mm. The laboratory test stand included one evaporator, one condenser, and three separate tanks for water, desalinated water, and brine, respectively. The test stand scheme and description were presented. All results were obtained during a few hours test with stable temperature conditions in the range of 55–85 °C for the heating water.
Investigation of Southern California Natural Gas Infrastructure to Transport and Store Hydrogen to Meet Electric Demand Based on a 100% Renewable Energy Portfolio
Authors: Heydarzadeh Zahra , Brouwer Jack
Published: October 2020

In this research, we utilize Southern California (SoCal) natural gas transmission pipelines and underground storage resources for transporting and storing hydrogen gas for a 100% renewable energy penetration. The goal is to determine to what extent natural gas infrastructure can be used to deliver and store hydrogen to meet SoCal electric demand for a 100% renewable energy portfolio. Hydrogen is produced from solar power generation using electrolysis next to the gas transmission pipelines whenever it is available in quantities greater than the electricity demand. It was found that using four main transmission pipelines owned by Southern California Gas company (SoCalGas) to transport hydrogen from the point of production to the four underground storage fields to store and later generate electricity through fuel cells can transport and store hydrogen sufficient to meet 40% of the SoCal electricity demand. That is, without any investment in additional transmission and distribution infrastructure, and without any investment in energy storage, the idea of building solar farms in the desert and using only the gas system for storage and transmission and distribution leads to a 40% increase in renewable electricity for the state.
Prediction of Ultra-Lean SI Engine Performance by QD-Combustion Model With an Improved Laminar Flame Speed
Authors: Sok Ratnak , Kusaka Jin , Yamaguchi Kyohei
Published: October 2020

A quasi-dimensional (QD) simulation model is a preferred method to predict combustion in the gasoline engines with reliable results and shorter calculation time compared with multi-dimensional simulation. The combustion phenomena in spark ignition (SI) engines are highly turbulent, and at initial stage of the combustion process, turbulent flame speed highly depends on laminar burning velocity SL. A major parameter of the QD combustion model is an accurate prediction of the SL, which is unstable under low engine speed and ultra-lean mixture.

This work investigates the applicability of the combustion model for evaluating the combustion characteristics of a high-tumble port gasoline engine operated under ultra-lean mixture (equivalence ratio up to ϕ = 0.5) which is out of the range of currently available SL functions initially developed for a single component fuel. In this study, the SL correlation is improved for a gasoline surrogate fuel (5 components). Predicted SL data from the conventional and improved functions are compared with experimental SL data taken from a constant-volume chamber under micro-gravity condition. The SL measurements are done at reference conditions at temperature of 300K, pressure of 0.1MPaa, and at elevated conditions whose temperature = 360K, pressure = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 MPaa. Results show that the conventional SL model over-predicts flame speeds under all conditions. Moreover, the model predicts negative SL at very lean (ϕ ≤ 0.3) and rich (ϕ ≥ 1.9) mixture while the revised SL is well validated with the measured data. The improved SL formula is then incorporated into the QD combustion model by a user-defined function in GT-Power simulation. The engine experimental data are taken at 1000 RPM and 2000 RPM under engine load IMEPn = 0.4–0.8 MPa (with 0.1 increment) and ϕ ranges are up to 0.5. The results shows that the simulated engine performances and combustion characteristics are well validated with the experiments within 6% accuracy by using the QD combustion model coupled with the improved SL. A sensitivity analysis of the model is also in good agreement with the experiments under cyclic variation (averaged cycle, high IMEP or stable cycle, and low IMEP or unstable cycle).
Thermo-Economic Optimization of the Dual-Pressure Condenser for 700 °C Ultra-Supercritical Coal-Fired Power Plants
Authors: Fu Yue , Liu Ming , Wang Liyuan , Yan Junjie
Published: October 2020

Pulverized coal power is one of major contributor in power production, whose efficiency can be enhanced by increasing the main steam parameters and adjusting the cold end system parameters. The thermo-economic optimization of the cold end system for 700 °C ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plants were carried out in this study. The condenser pressure was thermo-economically optimized for the single-pressure condenser systems. Then, with the same heat transfer area of the optimized single-pressure condenser, the dual-pressure condenser system was thermo-economically optimized. The distributions of heat transfer area and exhaust steam mass flow between the high-pressure and low-pressure chambers in the dual-pressure condenser system were optimized. The results show that the optimal vacuum pressure of the single-pressure condenser is 3 kPa and the optimal heat transfer area is 27 km2. For the dual-pressure condenser system, the cost of dual-pressure condenser is reduced to the minimum value 1.3 million CNY/year. The power plant efficiency is increased by the maximum value 0.1% when the heat transfer area and exhaust steam mass flow rate are distributed equally between two chambers, compared with that of the single-pressure condenser system. The optimal values of the low-pressure and high-pressure chamber are 2.4 kPa and 3.2 kPa, respectively. This paper provides the reference for the design optimization of cold end system for high parameter power units.
Numerical and Experimental Study of Geometry Effects on Fuel/Air Mixing and Combustion Characteristics of a DLN Burner
Authors: Zhao Yan , Shao Weiwei , Liu Yan , Tang Xiaodi , Xiao Yunhan , McDonell Vincent
Published: October 2020

Swirling flow is widely used in gas turbine burners to promote fuel/air mixing uniformity and to stabilize lean premixed flames. In this study, numerical and experimental methods are utilized to investigate the effects of burner geometry on fuel/air mixing and combustion performance and to optimize the burner geometry. The premixed burner geometry parameters including air swirling angle and fuel injection diameter/angle are modified to achieve fuel/air mixture uniformity. Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) are adopted to examine the flow field, Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) for detecting OH radical distribution thus investigating the characteristics of the reaction field. Burners of different configurations are manufactured to conduct combustion experiments. The burner with the worst mixing performance can‘t ignite successfully. However, burners with better mixing performance have a homogeneous reaction field with less perturbance, and the NOX emission stays at a relatively low level around 2.5 ppm (15% O2) at the designed operating condition.
Combining a Fuel Cell and Ultracapacitor Bank to Power a Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial System
Authors: Laddusaw Justin A. , Pollman Anthony G. , Yakimenko Oleg A. , Gannon Anthony J.
Published: October 2020

This research investigated the combination of a fuel cell and ultracapacitors to create a hybrid powertrain for a vertical take-off unmanned aerial system (UAS). This replaced the more common battery-only powertrain or the hybrid fuel cell-battery powertrain. A secondary power source, such as a battery or ultracapacitors, is required to assist a fuel cell with immediate load requests because fuel cells are unable to supply instantaneous power. The fuel cell-ultracapacitor was tested using a power profile that was experimentally determined using a battery-powered vertical take-off UAS during take-off, hover, and landing. This tabletop experiment is meant to lead to a more refined solution that can be easily scaled to fit into a smaller future vertical take-off UAS. Two separate ultracapacitor banks were made to be put in parallel with the fuel cell. The first was a series of 14, 650 Farad ultracapacitors and the second was a series of 14, 350 Farad ultracapacitors. Both fuel cell-ultracapacitor powertrains were able to meet the power requirements while also supplying power to the fuel cell itself, without an external power supply. Future work opportunities include scaling for implementation into a UAS platform and coding the power management software to optimally manage the proposed hybrid powertrain.
Modeling of Micro-Tubular Flame-Assisted Fuel Cells
Authors: Ghotkar Rhushikesh , Milcarek Ryan J.
Published: October 2020

Direct flame fuel cells were developed in 2004 and there have been many iterations of them ever since. One of the latest iterations are the micro-tubular flame-assisted fuel cells. Even though there has been significant experimental research characterizing the performance and polarization losses of flame-assisted fuel cells, there is no model that describes their polarization losses. A model is thus developed and presented in this paper to assess the polarization losses and performance of flame-assisted fuel cells. Voltage and power density variation with current density are the main parameters that are analyzed in this paper. A model for calculating activation, ohmic and polarization losses is developed. Experimental parameters from previously published work like dimensions of the fuel cell layers, the fuel and oxidizer flow rates, the charge transfer coefficient and the exchange current density are used to optimize the model. The FFC is assumed to be a lumped system and a zero dimensional model is thus developed. The model was able to achieve an accuracy up to 95%, which adds to its credibility. The fuel-rich combustion exhaust composition is predicted using chemical equilibrium analysis for the equivalence ratios of 1.25 to 1.4 with intervals of 0.5 at 800°C. The model predicts that the open circuit voltage decreases from 0.94 to 0.89 for the equivalence ratios of 1.4 to 1.25, respectively, which matches experimental results. The model also predicts that the maximum power density decreases with decrease in equivalence ratio. Negligible activation loss was observed in the results while the ohmic loss didn‘t vary significantly with equivalence ratio. The concentration loss increased with decrease in equivalence ratio, which also matches with experimental results.
Investigation of Mycelium Growth Network As a Thermal Transpiration Membrane for Thermal Transpiration Based Pumping and Power Generation
Authors: Willsey Aliza M. , Hartwell Alexander R. , Welles Thomas S. , Park Daekwon , Ronney Paul D. , Ahn Jeongmin
Published: October 2020

Micro combustion and power generation systems have increasingly been investigated as potential alternatives to electrochemical energy storage thanks to hydrocarbon fuel’s high energy density, but electrical componentry for pumping significantly limits the overall system efficiency. These components must be eliminated to allow for widespread adoption of micro combustion and power generation systems, and so the development of an alternative pumping technique is required.

By taking advantage of the thermal transpiration phenomenon, small-scale pumping can be obtained in the presence of a temperature gradient. Initial work has been done to investigate the efficacy of this system, but a major issue has arisen due to the lack of low-cost thermal transpiration membranes with desirable pore characteristics. Research has revealed that vessel hyphae present in the roots of mushrooms (mycelium) form a network which could meet the requirements of an effective thermal transpiration membrane. Proper growing conditions could also allow for an application specific mycelium structure providing a highly effective and low-cost thermal transpiration membrane for micro combustion systems.
Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Fuelcell-Based Commercial and Heavy-Duty Vehicles
Authors: Tahir Shahbaz , Hussain Muzafar
Published: October 2020

This paper focuses on FuelCell-based electromobility (Commercial and Heavy-Duty Vehicles) to judge its ability to reduce GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions in the Transport sector as to fulfill Paris Agreement demands to struggle against Global warming. Current LCA studies and literature show that BEVs (Battery Powered Vehicles) offer lesser emissions and better driving experience to users compared to FCEVs (Fuel Cell Vehicles) with existing German’s energy mix, but in the longer run transformation is needed in transportation sector and infrastructure to diminish emissions arising from this sector. Since most of the developed nations are looking beyond 2030 with a vision of renewables integration for Power and Energy so, LCA results proved that: In upcoming decades, FCEVs offer lesser or zero-emissions with same driving experience as provided by BEVs. H2 (Hydrogen) here plays a significant role because its production is very energy-intensive; hence, future Fuel Cell mobility is only beneficial if H2 supply is ensured by renewables. From the historical point of view, Europe always acted as a leader among all continents to fight against climate change, and Germany is the prime economy in Europe and a foremost contributor to GHG emissions. Therefore, it has been chosen for our LCA study.
Convolutional Neural Network Model for the Prediction of Plenum Temperature in a Waste Glass Melter
Authors: Abboud A. W. , Guillen D. P. , Pokorny R.
Published: October 2020

Legacy radioactive tank waste is slated to undergo vitrification at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plate (WTP) using Joule-heated, ceramic-lined melters. A high-fidelity, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the pilot-scale DM1200 melter has been developed to provide an understanding of the heat transfer and fluid dynamics within the WTP melters. Monitoring of the non-radioactive pilot-scale system has been primarily done through visual observations. However, visual observations will not be possible in the full-scale radioactive melter and process control will be based upon the measured plenum temperatures. Using the CFD model, the effect of the cold cap coverage on the plenum temperature can be assessed. The plenum temperature within the DM1200 is primarily driven by the amount and distribution of the cold cap coverage on the melt pool, since thermal radiation is the dominant mode of heat transfer at these temperatures. Plenum temperatures in the DM1200 obtained during pilot-scale testing by the Vitreous State Laboratory were used for model validation. A standard LeNet-1 convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to predict the spatial cold cap coverage of the model from the computed plenum temperature distributions derived from known cold cap topologies. With a 16 cm × 16 cm filter applied, an accuracy of 89% was achieved.
RASSF effectors couple diverse RAS subfamily GTPases to the Hippo pathway
Authors: Dhanaraman Thillaivillalan , Singh Swati , Killoran Ryan C. , Singh Anamika , Xu Xingjian , Shifman Julia M. , Smith Matthew J.
Published: October 2020

RASSF proteins interact with distinct GTPase partners to regulate downstream Hippo and p53 signaling.
Remdesivir against COVID-19 and Other Viral Diseases
Authors: Malin Jakob J. , Suárez Isabelle , Priesner Vanessa , Fätkenheuer Gerd , Rybniker Jan
Published: October 2020

Patients and physicians worldwide are facing tremendous health care hazards that are caused by the ongoing severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Remdesivir (GS-5734) is the first approved treatment for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is a novel nucleoside analog with a broad antiviral activity spectrum among RNA viruses, including ebolavirus (EBOV) and the respiratory pathogens Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2.
Characterization of the TyrR Regulon in the Rhizobacterium Enterobacter ludwigii UW5 Reveals Overlap with the CpxR Envelope Stress Response
Authors: Coulson Thomas J. D. , Malenfant René M. , Patten Cheryl L.
Published: October 2020

Genome-wide RNA sequencing revealed a broader regulatory role for the TyrR transcription factor in the ecologically versatile bacterium
Enterobacter ludwigii
beyond that of aromatic amino acid synthesis and transport that constitute the role of the TyrR regulon of
E. coli
. In
E. ludwigii
, a plant symbiont and human gut commensal, the TyrR regulon is expanded to include genes that are beneficial for plant interactions and response to stresses. Identification of the genes regulated by TyrR provides insight into the mechanisms by which the bacterium adapts to its environment.
A Newly Identified Virus in the Family
Potyviridae
Encodes Two Leader Cysteine Proteases in Tandem That Evolved Contrasting RNA Silencing Suppression Functions
Authors: Qin Li , Shen Wentao , Tang Zhongfa , Hu Weiyao , Shangguan Lingna , Wang Yaodi , Tuo Decai , Li Zengping , Miao Weiguo , Valli Adrián A. , Wang Aiming , Cui Hongguang
Published: October 2020

The
Potyviridae
represent the largest group of known plant RNA viruses and account for more than half of the viral crop damage worldwide. The leader proteases of viruses within the family vary greatly in size and arrangement and play key roles during the infection. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the presence of a distinct pattern of leader proteases, HCPro1 and HCPro2 in tandem, in a newly identified member within the family. Moreover, HCPro1 and HCPro2, which are closely related and typically characterized with a short size, have evolved contrasting RNA silencing suppression activity and seem to function in a coordinated manner to maintain viral infectivity. Altogether, the new knowledge fills a missing piece in the evolutionary relationship history of potyvirids and improves our understanding of the diversification of potyvirid genomes.
Early Permian tectonic evolution of the Last Chance thrust system: An example of induced subduction initiation along a plate boundary transform
Authors: Levy Drew A. , Zuza Andrew V. , Haproff Peter J. , Odlum Margaret L.
Published: October 2020

The late Paleozoic is an important precursor stage in the development of the Mesozoic Cordilleran subduction system along the western margin of North America, but the tectonic history remains ambiguous due to complex overprinting deformation and magmatism. Determining the driving mechanism of large magnitude Permian shortening in southwest Laurentia is critical to understanding the late Paleozoic transition from transform margin to subduction zone. We investigated the driving mechanism of the Permian Last Chance thrust system in east-central California to understand this transition prior to the development of the Mesozoic Cordilleran arc. Here, we present the results of new geological mapping, detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology, and a synthesis of regional tectonics to inform a kinematic model of the Last Chance thrust system and outline the Permian–Triassic tectonic evolution of the plate boundary during induced subduction initiation. The record of subduction initiation along an inferred late Paleozoic transform fault (the California-Coahuila transform) is preserved by (1) Permian arc magmatism, (2) the onset of volcaniclastic sedimentation, and (3) the development of a regional transpressional system in present-day east-central California. The evolution of this transpressional system and subduction zone is recorded by development of the Last Chance thrust system of the Death Valley region. Geological mapping in the Last Chance Range, northern Death Valley National Park, and the Inyo Mountains reveals the east-directed Last Chance thrust system was constructed by repetitive out-of-sequence deformation consistent with transpressional strain. The Last Chance thrust system accommodated a minimum of >75 km (60%) shortening, based on cross-section restorations guided by regional stratigraphic relationships and restoration of subsequent Mesozoic deformation. Our revised model of Jurassic extensional exhumation of the Snow Lake terrane argues the Last chance thrust was not reactivated during the Mesozoic. Large-magnitude shortening along the California-Coahuila transform accommodated a significant component of the convergent plate motion as the Panthalassan crust was thrust below the continental margin before initial slab sinking. Numerical models show the forces resisting subduction are greatest before initial slab sinking takes place, and compression is transmitted in board from the plate boundary. We argue the Last Chance thrust system developed in response to this compression. Early-middle Permian plutons and late Permian detrital zircons in coeval basins suggest subduction was well established by the early Permian. Collectively, the preservation of a thrust system, early arc magmatism, and syntectonic sedimentary basins, which are features typically destroyed by subduction magmatism and deformation, allow for the evaluation of subduction initiation mechanisms based on field observations.
Impact of comorbidities on clinical prognosis in 1280 patients with different types of COVID-19
Authors: Fang Huilin , Liu Qiaomei , Xi Maomao , Xiong Di , He Jing , Luo Pengcheng , Li Zhanghua
Published: October 2020

The study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with different types (ordinary, severe, and critical) of COVID-19. A total of 1280 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were retrospectively studied, including 793 ordinary patients, 363 severe patients and 124 critical patients. The impact of comorbidities on prognosis in ordinary, severe, and critical patients were compared and analyzed. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (33.0%), followed by diabetes (14.4%). The length of hospital stay and time from the onset to discharge were significantly longer in ordinary patients with comorbidities compared with those without comorbidities. Critical patients with comorbidities had significantly lower cure rate (19.3% vs 38.9%, p<0.05) and significantly higher mortality rate (53.4% vs 33.3%, p<0.05) compared with those without comorbidities. The time from onset to discharge was significantly longer in ordinary patients with hypertension compared with those without hypertension. The mortality rate of critical patients with diabetes was higher than that of patients without diabetes (71.4% vs 42.7%, p<0.05). Men had a significantly increased risk of death than women (OR=4.395, 95% CI 1.896 to 10.185, p<0.05); patients with diabetes had higher risk of death (OR=3.542, 95% CI 1.167 to 10.750, p<0.05). Comorbidities prolonged treatment time in ordinary patients, increased the mortality rate and reduced the cure rate of critical patients; hypertension and diabetes may be important factors affecting the clinical course and prognosis of ordinary and critical patients, respectively.
Parental psychological distress during pregnancy and the risk of childhood lower lung function and asthma: a population-based prospective cohort study
Authors: van Meel Evelien R , Saharan Gautam , Jaddoe Vincent WV , de Jongste Johan C , Reiss Irwin KM , Tiemeier Henning , El Marroun Hanan , Duijts Liesbeth
Published: October 2020

Background

Although maternal psychological distress during pregnancy is associated with increased risks of respiratory morbidity in preschool children, it is unknown whether this association persists into later childhood.

Objective

To examine the association between parental psychological distress during pregnancy and lung function and asthma in children of school age.

Methods

This study of 4231 children was embedded in a population-based prospective cohort. Parental psychological distress was assessed by the Brief Symptom Inventory during and 3 years after pregnancy, and in mothers also at 2 and 6 months after pregnancy. At age 10 years, lung function was obtained by spirometry and asthma by questionnaire.

Results

The prevalence of asthma was 5.9%. Maternal overall psychological distress during pregnancy was associated with a lower forced vital capacity (FVC) (z-score difference −0.10 (95% CI −0.20 to –0.01) per 1-unit increase), maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy with a lower forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and FVC (−0.13 (95% CI −0.24 to –0.01) and −0.13 (95% CI −0.24 to –0.02) when using clinical cut-offs) in their children. All maternal psychological distress measures during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of asthma (range OR: 1.46 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.90) to 1.91 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.91)). Additional adjustment for paternal psychological distress during pregnancy and parental psychological distress after pregnancy did not materially change the associations. Paternal psychological distress during pregnancy was not associated with childhood respiratory morbidity.

Conclusion

Maternal, but not paternal, psychological distress during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of asthma and partly lower lung function in children. This suggests intrauterine programming for the risk of later-life respiratory disease.
Synthesis, in vitro and in silico studies of inhibitory activity towardsα-amylase ofbis-azole scaffolds linked by an alkylsulfanyl chain
Authors: Akhmetova Vnira R. , Akhmadiev Nail S. , Zainullin Radik A. , Khayrullina Veronika R. , Mescheryakova Ekaterina S. , Glushkova Natalia A.
Published: October 2020

Twelve new α,ω-bis[(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-4-yl)methylsulfanyl]alkanes linked by alkyl, diethyl sulfide, and triethyl dioxide spacers were prepared by the multicomponent reaction of acetylacetone, formaldehyde, α,ω-dithiols, and monosubstituted hydrazines. Testing of these products for inhibition of α-amylase enzyme in vitro showed that bis(N-methylpyrazolylmethylsulfanyl)ethane 4a inhibits the enzyme by the competitive mechanism. Meanwhile, the water-soluble adduct of bis(isoxazolylmethylsulfanyl)ethane 2 with HCl (2·HCl) is a noncompetitive inhibitor. The molecular docking results attest to high complementarity between the test molecules and the enzymes such as α-amylases from Aspergillus niger and human pancreas. Bis-pyrazole compounds 1, 1·HCl, and 4a and bis-isoxazole compounds 2 and 2·HCl positioned in the active site of both α-amylases form two closely spaced clusters. For all cases, the bioactive conformations of the modeled ligands were identified, demonstrating high affinity of the bis-azoles (1, 1·HCl, 2, 2·HCl, 4a) to the enzymes. Hydrogen bonds stabilizing their position in both α-amylases active sites were identified.
qPCR assay targeting Bradyrhizobium japonicum shows that row spacing and soybean density affects Bradyrhizobium population
Authors: Yudistira Harry , Geddes Barney A. , Geddes Charles M. , Gulden Robert H. , Oresnik Ivan J.
Published: October 2020

The ability for a soybean plant to be efficiently nodulated when grown as a crop is dependent on the number of effective Bradyrhizobium japonicum that can be found in close proximity to the developing seedling shortly after planting. In Manitoba, the growing of soybean as a crop has increased from less than 500 000 acres in 2008 to over 2.3 million acres in 2017. Since the large increase in soybean production is relatively recent, populations of B. japonicum have not yet developed. In response to this, we developed a primer pair that can identify B. japonicum, and be used to determine the titre found in field soil. Their utility was demonstrated by being used to determine whether row spacing of soybean affects B. japonicum populations, as well as to follow B. japonicum populations in a soybean field over the course of a field season. The data show that plant density can affect B. japonicum populations. Moreover, evidence is presented that suggests plant development affects overall B. japonicum populations.
Superconductivity in crystals with spin-orbit coupling
Authors: Samokhin K. V.
Published: October 2020

The electron Bloch states in crystals with spin-orbit coupling do not always transform under symmetry operations in the same way as the pure spin-1/2 states. This has profound consequences for the gap symmetry and nodal structure of superconductors. Based on the generalization of the Ueda–Rice prescription for the Bloch bases in twofold degenerate bands, we develop the general symmetry classification of multi-band superconducting pairing in non-magnetic centrosymmetric crystals. For the intraband pairing, we identify four exceptional cases in which the triplet gap function does not transform under the point group operations as a pseudovector, with a significant impact on the nodal structure. For the interband pairing, we show that the conventional ([Formula: see text]-wave) gap functions can have such unconventional features as triplet components and odd parity. The [Formula: see text]-wave interband pairing can also be odd in momentum and have a triplet component.
Law and Religion: Reimagining the Entanglement of Two Universals
Authors: Oraby Mona , Sullivan Winnifred Fallers
Published: October 2020

In the last few decades, the study of law and religion has undergone considerable reconstruction. Less and less constrained by modern statist construals of rights talk or tied to confessional contexts, the comparative study of the intersection of law and religion by anthropologists, historians, sociologists, and religious studies scholars is undergoing a real renaissance. Exciting new work explores the entanglement of legal and religious ideas, institutions, and material objects across the entire space and time of human history. This article models an engagement between the academic study of religion and sociolegal scholarship by introducing scholars in both fields to contemporary debates in the study of law and religion. These debates examine how and when state law persists as a meaningful arena of contestation; the role of indigenous elites and arrangements of legal pluralism in colonial contexts; and new approaches to economy, race, and sovereignty and citizenship. By mobilizing an understanding of law that does not take for granted the state's alleged monopoly on generating and regulating legal normativity, the article argues that holding law and religion in abeyance as normative traditions invites a far more expansive imaging of these universals in their singularity, in their copresence, and as overlapping domains.
Engineering the Microbiome to Prevent Adverse Events: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Khan Saad , Hauptman Ruth , Kelly Libusha
Published: October 2020

In the past decade of microbiome research, we have learned about numerous adverse interactions between the microbiome and medical interventions such as drugs, radiation, and surgery. What if we could alter our microbiomes to prevent these events? In this review, we discuss potential routes to mitigate microbiome adverse events, including applications from the emerging field of microbiome engineering. We highlight cases where the microbiome acts directly on a treatment, such as via differential drug metabolism, and cases where a treatment directly harms the microbiome, such as in radiation therapy. Understanding and preventing microbiome adverse events is a difficult challenge that will require a data-driven approach involving causal statistics, multiomics techniques, and a personalized means of mitigating adverse events. We propose research considerations to encourage productive work in preventing microbiome adverse events, and we highlight the many challenges and opportunities that await.
An Energy Dense, Robust, Powerful Bipolar Zinc-Ferrocene Redox Flow Battery
Authors: Luo Jian , Hu Bo , Wu Wenda , Hu Maowei , Liu Leo
Published: October 2020

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) have been recognized as a promising option for scalable and dispatchable renewable energy storage (e.g. solar and wind energy). Zinc metal represents a low cost, high capacity anode material to develop high energy density aqueous redox flow batteries. However, the energy storage applications of traditional inorganic Zn halide flow batteries are primarily plagued by the material challenges of traditional halide cathode electrolytes (e.g. bromine) including corrosion, toxicity, and severe crossover. As reported here, we have developed a bipolar Zinc-ferrocene salt compound, Zinc 1,1’-bis(3-sulfonatopropyl)ferrocene, Zn[Fc(SPr)2] (1.80 M solubility or 48.2 Ah/L charge storage capacity) – a robust, energy-dense, bipolar redox-active electrolyte material for high performance Zn organic RFBs. Using a low-cost porous Daramic membrane, the Zn[Fc(SPr)2] aqueous organic redox flow battery (AORFB) has worked in dual-flow and single-flow modes. It has manifested outstanding current, energy, and power performance, specifically, operating at high current densities of up to 200 mA/cm2 and delivering an energy efficiency of up to 81.5% and a power density of up to 270.5 mW/cm2. A Zn[Fc(SPr)2] AORFB demonstrated an energy density of 20.2 Wh/L and displayed 100% capacity retention for 2000 cycles (1284 hr or 53.5 days). The Zn[Fc(SPr)2] ionic bipolar electrolyte not only offers record-setting, highly-stable, energy-dense, and the most powerful Zn-organic AORFBs to date, but it also provides a new paradigm to develop even more advanced redox materials for scalable energy storage.