bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective effect of small peptides from Periplaneta americana on cyclophosphamide‐induced premature ovarian failure
Authors: Wang Qin , Si Huaxin , Fu Rong , Kong Caihua , Liu Kena , Sui Shiyan
Published: November 2021

Aim

To investigate the protective effect of small peptides from Periplaneta americana (SPPA) on cyclophosphamide (CP)‐induced premature ovarian failure (POF) in mice. Silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) /tumor‐associated protein 53 (p53) signaling pathway plays an important role in delaying POF. Hematopoietic progenitor cell antigen (CD34) reflects ovarian aging from the side. However, whether SPPA inhibits POF in mice by influencing the SIRT1/p53 pathway and CD34 expression remains to be studied.

Methods

Forty female Kun Ming (KM) mice were divided into four groups: a control group (normal saline, n = 10), POF model group (160 mg/kg CP, n = 10), SPPA low‐dosage group (160 mg/kg CP + 100 mg/kg SPPA, n = 10), and SPPA high‐dosage group (160 mg/kg CP + 200 mg/kg SPPA, n = 10). CP administration route is intraperitoneal injection, and SPPA administration route is intragastric. Eyeball enucleation blood samples and the ovaries of mice were collected by midline laparatomy and oopherectomy, and the malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), and anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations were tested. Immunohistochemical tests for the expressions of SIRT1, p53, and CD34 were carried out. Finally, ovarian mRNA levels of SIRT1 and p53 were detected with real‐time fluorescence quantification PCR (qRT‐PCR).

Results

A mouse model of POF was generated using 160 mg/kg of CP. Compared with POF group, we found that plasma NO, MDA, and FSH decreased, while AMH and SOD increased in the SPPA low‐dose group. Compared with the POF group, the SPPA low‐ and high‐dosage groups achieved significant growth in the number of primordial, primary, and total number of healthy follicles at all levels, but sharp reductions in the number of atretic follicles. In addition, we found downregulated protein and mRNA expression of SIRT1, and upregulated that of p53 were observed in ovarian tissues of treated mice with POF, in immunohistochemistry experiments and qPCR experiments. In contrast, high protein and mRNA expression of SIRT1, and low that of p53 were observed in SPPA treatment groups. And the results of CD34 protein expression were consistent with that of SIRT1.

Conclusion

In total, SPPA significantly inhibited POF caused by CP in mice via activation of the SIRT1/p53 signaling pathway in the mouse ovary.
Incidences of complications associated with cervical cerclage by indication of the procedure
Authors: Kuruma Airi , Hayashi Shusaku , Koh Iiji , Yamamoto Ryo , Mitsuda Nobuaki , Ishii Keisuke
Published: November 2021

Aim

To investigate the incidence of complications associated with cervical cerclage by indication.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of women with singleton pregnancies who underwent cervical cerclage in a single perinatal center between 2008 and 2019. The participants were divided into three groups according to indication: history‐indicated cerclage (HIC) group, ultrasound‐indicated cerclage (UIC) group, and physical examination‐indicated cerclage (PEIC) group. The incidences of perioperative complications within 2 weeks after the procedure, including intraoperative rupture of membranes, intraoperative bleeding, anesthesia complications, clinical chorioamnionitis, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), preterm delivery, and displacement of the suture, and those of peripartum complications, including difficult suture removal and cervical laceration, for each group were compared using Fisher's exact test or Pearson's chi‐square test. Factors associated with severe adverse event, defined as PROM or delivery within 2 weeks after the procedure, were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

A total of 279 women (HIC, 38; UIC, 96; PEIC, 145) were enrolled. The incidence of perioperative complications was different among the three groups (7.9%, 10.4%, and 27.6%, respectively; p < 0.01), whereas that of peripartum complications was similar (18.4%, 11.5%, and 12.4%, respectively; p = 0.54). Severe adverse events occurred only in PEIC group, with an incidence of 18.6%. The associated factor for severe adverse events in PEIC group was prolapsed membranes into the vagina.

Conclusions

Incidences of perioperative complications of cerclage differed among the indications. Women who underwent PEIC had higher risk of severe adverse events, especially when accompanied with prolapsed membranes into the vagina.
Long‐term cumulative light exposure from the natural environment and sleep: A cohort study
Authors: Elovainio Marko , Komulainen Kaisla , Lipsanen Jari , Partonen Timo , Pesonen Anu‐Katriina , Pulkki‐Råback Laura , Paunio Tiina , Kähönen Mikä , Vahtera Jussi , Virtanen Marianna , Ruuhela Reija , Hakulinen Christian , Raitakari Olli
Published: November 2021

We analysed (A) the association of short‐term as well as long‐term cumulative exposure to natural light, and (B) the association of detailed temporal patterns of natural light exposure history with three indicators of sleep: sleep duration, sleep problems, and diurnal preference. Data (N = 1,962; 55% women; mean age 41.4 years) were from the prospective Young Finns Study, which we linked to daily meteorological data on each participant’s neighbourhood natural light exposure using residential postal codes. Sleep outcomes were self‐reported in 2011. We first examined associations of the sleep outcomes with cumulative light exposure of 5‐year, 2‐year, 1‐year, and 2‐month periods prior to the sleep assessment using linear and Poisson regression models adjusting for potential confounders. We then used a data‐driven time series approach to detect clusters of participants with different light exposure histories and assessed the associations of these clusters with the sleep outcomes using linear and Poisson regression analyses. A greater cumulative light exposure over ≥1 year was associated with a shorter sleep duration (β = −0.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.15 to −0.04), more sleep problems (incident rate ratio [IRR] 1.04, 95% CI 1.0–1.07) and diurnal preference towards eveningness (β = −0.09, 95% CI −0.14 to −0.03). The data‐driven exposure pattern of “slowly increasing” light exposure was associated with fewer overall sleep problems (IRR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88–0.98) compared to a “recently declining” light exposure group representing the “average‐exposure” group. These findings suggest that living in an area with relatively more intense light exposure for a longer period of time influences sleep.
Concurrent evolution of resistance and tolerance to potato virus Y in Capsicum annuum revealed by genome‐wide association
Authors: Tamisier Lucie , Szadkowski Marion , Girardot Grégory , Djian‐Caporalino Caroline , Palloix Alain , Hirsch Judith , Moury Benoit
Published: November 2021

We performed a genome‐wide association study of pepper (Capsicum annuum) tolerance to potato virus Y (PVY). For 254 pepper accessions, we estimated the tolerance to PVY as the coefficient of regression of the fresh weight (or height) of PVY‐infected and mock‐inoculated plants against within‐plant virus load. Small (strongly negative) coefficients of regression indicate low tolerance because plant biomass or growth decreases sharply as virus load increases. The tolerance level varied largely, with some pepper accessions showing no symptoms or fairly mild mosaics, whereas about half (48%) of the accessions showed necrotic symptoms. We found two adjacent single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at one extremity of chromosome 9 that were significantly associated with tolerance to PVY. Similarly, in three biparental pepper progenies, we showed that the induction of necrosis on PVY systemic infection segregated as a monogenic trait determined by a locus on chromosome 9. Our results also demonstrate the existence of a negative correlation between resistance and tolerance among the cultivated pepper accessions at both the phenotypic and genetic levels. By comparing the distributions of the tolerance‐associated SNP alleles and previously identified PVY resistance‐associated SNP alleles, we showed that cultivated pepper accessions possess favourable alleles for both resistance and tolerance less frequently than expected under random associations, while the minority of wild pepper accessions frequently combined resistance and tolerance alleles. This divergent evolution of PVY resistance and tolerance could be related to pepper domestication or farmer's selection.
SlJMJ7 orchestrates tomato fruit ripening via crosstalk between H3K4me3 and DML2‐mediated DNA demethylation
Authors: Ding Xiaochun , Liu Xuncheng , Jiang Guoxiang , Li Zhiwei , Song Yunbo , Zhang Dandan , Jiang Yueming , Duan Xuewu
Published: November 2021

The ripening of fleshy fruits is a unique developmental process that Arabidopsis and rice lack. This process is driven by hormones and transcription factors. However, the critical and early regulators of fruit ripening are still poorly understood.

Here, we revealed that SlJMJ7, an H3K4 demethylase, is a critical negative regulator of fruit ripening in tomato.

Combined genome‐wide transcription, binding sites, histone H3K4me3 and DNA methylation analyses demonstrated that SlJMJ7 regulates a key group of ripening‐related genes, including ethylene biosynthesis (ACS2, ACS4 and ACO6), transcriptional regulation (RIN and NOR) and DNA demethylation (DML2) genes, by H3K4me3 demethylation. Moreover, loss of SlJMJ7 function leads to increased H3K4me3 levels, which directly activates ripening‐related genes, and to global DML2‐mediated DNA hypomethylation in fruit, which indirectly prompts expression of ripening‐related genes. Together, these effects lead to accelerated fruit ripening in sljmj7 mutant.

Our findings demonstrate that SlJMJ7 acts as a master negative regulator of fruit ripening not only through direct removal of H3K4me3 from multiple key ripening‐related factors, but also through crosstalk between histone and DNA demethylation. These findings reveal a novel crosstalk between histone methylation and DNA methylation to regulate gene expression in plant developmental processes.
Assembling bodies‐without‐organs: A poststructuralist analysis of group sex between men
Authors: Holmes Dave , Hammond Chad , Orser Lauren , Nguyen Huy
Published: November 2021

Group sex among men who have sex with men may be understood as a ‘radical’ practice insofar as it transgresses dominant social discourses around appropriate sexual relations—prioritizing heteronormative, monogamous and risk‐averse sex. These practices are generally defined as steeped in risk, most commonly due to the potential for transmitting human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections and accompanied by the possibility of legal and social repercussions. Our ethnographic research study explored the desires, practices and contexts of group sex participants (n = 10) within a popular group sex party destination located in the United States. We employ a poststructuralist perspective (utilizing the work of Deleuze and Guattari) to understand group sex events with the pretext that bodies have no inherent ethics, meaning or essence: they are ‘bodies without organs’. We identify group sex as a form of boundary play, in which participants pursue new limits to what their bodies can do but within a carefully constructed environment that establishes norms of interaction meant to secure trust and safety between participants. A variety of risk reduction practices are shown to be promoted and honoured within these eventful sexual(ized) spaces. The application of poststructuralist concepts of ‘boundary play’ and ‘bodies without organs’ helped to depict the construction and navigation of pleasure, safety and risk among group sex participants.
Reconsidering the Price equation: a new partitioning based on species abundances and trait expression
Authors: Ulrich Werner , Zaplata Markus Klemens , Gotelli Nicholas J.
Published: November 2021

Understanding the causes of the generally positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) is a major research focus in ecology. Early analyses of BEF used a modification of the evolutionary Price equation to partition effects of biodiversity into components of complementarity (species richness) and dominance (species composition). However, early experiments and data on BEF did not use information on species traits or relative abundances. Here we extend the Price partition of the total expression of a single trait (such as leaf area) between two communities into five additive components: 1) species richness; 2) average species trait expression; 3) relative abundance; 4) the combined effects of relative abundance and trait expression; 5) absolute abundance. When applied to presence–absence data with no trait variation, the method yields a result that is identical to the original Price partition into two components of complementarity and dominance. When applied to an analysis of relative abundance itself as a trait, our method quantifies the strength of species co‐occurrences as a difference in Simpson diversity between the communities. We tested the new partition with artificial data sets and null model comparisons, and applied it to a long‐term data set on plant succession. A key finding is that the effects of total abundance might be very important when comparing two communities, and possibly could account for results from previous studies in which complementarity emerged as an important contributor to BEF.
Does the tiger have teeth? A critical examination of the toolbox approach of environmental law enforcement in China
Authors: Lu Mengxing , Faure Michael
Published: November 2021

For a long period, China's environmental law has been dubbed a ‘paper tiger’ due to the truism that China's environmental legislation is plentiful but not properly enforced. During the past few years, there have been impressive strides made by Chinese policymakers to address the non‐compliance and weak enforcement of China's environmental law. As a result, China has bolstered a toolbox approach of environmental law enforcement, which provides law enforcers with a variety of instruments to induce compliance. This article provides a comprehensive and dynamic analysis of the available mix of (public) enforcement instruments and their relative importance under the current enforcement regime of China's environmental law by taking the recent legal and policy developments into account. More particularly, we assess the de facto application of the smart mix of administrative and criminal enforcement tools in China, by conducting a law and economic analysis on the public enforcement data of China's environmental law between 2012 and 2020.
Pólya-Gamma Data Augmentation and Latent Variable Models for Multivariate Binomial Data
Authors: Holmes John B. , Schofield Matthew R. , Barker Richard J.
Published: November 2021

New Zealand police has long been suspected of systematic bias against the indigenous Māori. One resource available to investigate this possibility is the annual counts of police apprehensions and prosecutions, by offence type. However, model specification/fitting is complicated as these data are constrained counts, interdependent and multivariate. For example, there are limited options for factor models beyond continuous or binary data. This is a serious limitation for in our dataset, while measurements are clustered, different individuals are measured at each variable. Focusing on principal component/factor analysis representations, we show that under the canonical logit link, latent variable models can be fitted via Gibbs sampling, to multivariate binomial data of arbitrary trial size by applying Pólya-gamma augmentation to the binomial likelihood. We demonstrate that this modelling approach, by incorporating shrinkage, will produce a fit with lower mean square error than techniques based on deviance minimization commonly employed for binary datasets. By exploring theoretical properties of the proposed models, we demonstrate a larger range of latent structures can be estimated and the presence of hidden replication improves prediction when data are multivariate binomial, which gives us greater flexibility for investigating associations between ethnicity and prosecution probability.
Environmental Futures through Children’s Eyes: Slow Observational Participatory Videomaking and Multi‐Sited Ethnography
Authors: Sutoris Peter
Published: November 2021

This article reflects on the lessons learned from a participatory videomaking study with children in India and South Africa. The study used a deliberately “slow” process to learn about children’s imagination of the future in light of environmental crisis. While arguing that this methodology holds promise as a way to co‐create knowledge with study participants, the article also raises ethical questions that need to be addressed when this methodology is deployed in the service of specific research agendas.
Sensing the Night: Nocturnal Filmmaking in Guantánamo, Cuba
Authors: Diamanti Eleonora , Boudreault‐Fournier Alexandrine
Published: November 2021

Guardians of the Night (2018) is a short‐length film set in Guantánamo, Cuba, that aims to engage with a temporal scape too long disregarded by visual anthropologists: the night. This article, written by the filmmakers, reflects on some of the challenges and opportunities offered by the night for ethnographic fieldwork, filmmaking, and more specifically, sound recording. We locate our work as part of a movement to recognize the night as a spatiotemporal dimension that should be explored further from a sensorial perspective and outside the diecentric focus that social sciences have established in their approaches to social and cultural phenomena.
Clinical features, outcome, and illness severity scoring in 32 dogs with urosepsis (2017–2018)
Authors: Perry Kayla M. , Lynch Alex M. , Caudill Alexander , Vigani Alessio , Roberston James B. , Vaden Shelly
Published: November 2021

Objective

To describe the clinical features, outcome, and utility of illness severity scoring in dogs diagnosed with urosepsis.

Design

Retrospective study (2017–2018).

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Animals

Thirty‐two dogs diagnosed with urosepsis secondary to pyometra, prostatitis, or pyelonephritis.

Interventions

 None.

Measurements and Main Results

Urosepsis was identified in 32 dogs, consisting of 9 of 32 (28.1%) with pyometra, 7 of 32 (21.8%) with prostatitis, and 16 of 32 (50%) with pyelonephritis. In total, 28 (87.5%) dogs survived to discharge, with the following group‐specific survival rates: pyometra, 9 of 9 (100%); prostatitis, 5 of 7 (71.4%); and pyelonephritis, 14 of 16 (87.5%). Positive bacterial cultures were obtained in 27 of 32 (84.1%) dogs. The most commonly implicated pathogens wereEscherichia coli(14/37 [37.8%]),Klebsiella pneumoniae(8/37 [21.6%]), andStaphylococcus pseudintermedius(6/37 [16.2%]). Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) was identified in 21 of 32 dogs (65.6%). Although the presence of MODS was not different between survivors and nonsurvivors (P = 0.6), nonsurvivors had more dysfunctional organs (P = 0.04). Nonsurvivors also had higher Acute Patient Physiology and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLEFAST) scores compared to survivors (P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Survival of dogs with urosepsis was good and may be higher than for other sources of sepsis. Compared to survivors, nonsurvivors had more dysfunctional organs and higher illness severity scores, which may be helpful in the assessment and management of dogs with urosepsis.
Data analysis technique influences blood flow kinetics parameter estimates for moderate‐ and heavy‐intensity exercise transitions
Authors: Love Lorenzo K , Hodgson Michael D , Keir Daniel A , Kowalchuk John M.
Published: November 2021

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

During exercise, there are fluctuations in conduit artery blood flow (BF) caused by both cardiac and muscle contraction–relaxation cycles. What is the optimal method to process Doppler ultrasound‐measured BF for the purpose of characterizing the dynamic response of BF during step‐transitions in exercise?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Continuous BF data were processed in relation to either cardiac or muscle contraction–relaxation cycles and computed based on ‘binned’ or ‘rolling’ averages over one, two or five consecutive cycles. Kinetics characterization revealed no data processing technique‐specific differences in steady‐state BF, but variability in the rapidity at which BF attained steady‐state (i.e., mean response time) was observed.

The overall rate of blood flow (BF) adjustment (i.e., kinetics) from the onset of an exercise transition can be quantified by the mean response time (MRT). However, the BF response profile can be distorted during rhythmic, dynamic exercise consequent to variations caused by the cardiac cycle (HR) and the muscle contraction–relaxation (CR) cycle. We examined the extent to which distortions imposed by HR and CR cycles affected BF kinetics. Eight healthy, young men (27 (4) years; mean (SD)) performed transitions of alternate‐leg knee‐extension exercise from 3 W to either a moderate‐ (MOD) or heavy‐intensity (HVY) power output. Femoral artery BF was continuously measured by Doppler ultrasound and averaged over one, two or five ‘binned’ (e.g., HR2b, etc.) or ‘rolling’ (e.g., CR5r, etc.) HR and CR cycles. Among analysis techniques, there were no differences for steady‐state BF values at the 3 W baseline. In MOD, MRT using contraction–relaxation cycle (CR1) was smaller than most other analysis techniques. For both MOD and HVY, the 95% confidence interval for MRT was generally larger when using HR‐ compared to CR‐related methods, and monoexponential fits based on ‘rolling’ averages (HR2r, HR5r, CR2r, CR5r) had a poorer ability to estimate the true end‐exercise BF in HVY than in MOD. When modelling BF kinetics, we conclude that the CR1 method is a good option because of its ability to accurately estimate the ‘data‐determined’ end‐exercise BF value from the ‘model‐derived’ response, maintain a relatively high density of data points during the transition and yield a relatively small 95% CI.
Long‐term exposure of mice to 890 ppm atmospheric CO2 alters growth trajectories and elicits hyperactive behaviours in young adulthood
Authors: Wyrwoll Caitlin S. , Papini Melissa G. , Chivers Emily K. , Yuan Jinbo , Pavlos Nathan J. , Lucas Robyn M. , Bierwirth Phil N. , Larcombe Alexander N.
Published: November 2021

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are currently at 418 parts per million (ppm), and by 2100 may exceed 900 ppm. The biological effects of lifetime exposure to CO2 at these levels is unknown. Previously we have shown that mouse lung function is altered by long‐term exposure to 890 ppm CO2. Here, we assess the broader systemic physiological responses to this exposure. Mice were exposed to either 460 or 890 ppm from preconception to 3 months of age, and assessed for effects on developmental, renal and osteological parameters. Locomotor, memory, learning and anxiety‐like behaviours of the mice were also assessed. Exposure to 890 ppm CO2 increased birthweight, decreased female body weight after weaning, and, as young adults, resulted in reduced engagement in memory/learning tasks, and hyperactivity in both sexes in comparison to controls. There were no clear anxiety, learning or memory changes. Renal and osteological parameters were minimally affected. Overall, this study shows that exposure of mice to 890 ppm CO2 from preconception to young adulthood alters growth and some behaviours, with limited evidence of compensatory changes in acid–base balance. These findings highlight the potential for a direct effect of increased atmospheric CO2 on mammalian health outcomes.

image

Key points

Long‐term exposure to elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 is an uncontrolled experiment already underway.

This is the first known study to assess non‐respiratory physiological impacts of long‐term (conception to young adulthood) exposure of mice to CO2 at levels that may arise in the atmosphere due to global emissions.

Exposure to elevated CO2, in comparison to control mice, altered growth patterns in early life and resulted in hyperactive behaviours in young adulthood.

Renal and bone parameters, which are important to balance acid–base levels to compensate for increased CO2 exposure, remained relatively unaffected.

This work adds to the body of evidence regarding the effects of carbon emissions on mammalian health and highlights a potential future burden of disease.
Assessment of Engine Operability and Overall Performance for Parallel Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems for a Single-Aisle Aircraft
Authors: Kang Sangkeun , Roumeliotis Ioannis , Zhang Jinning , Broca Olivier , Pachidis Vassilios
Published: November 2021

This paper aims to assess the gas turbine operability and overall hybrid electric propulsion system (HEPS) performance for a parallel configuration applied to a 150 passenger single-aisle aircraft. Two arrangements are considered: one where the low-pressure (LP) shaft is boosted and one where the high-pressure (HP) shaft is boosted. For identifying limits in the hybridization strategy, steady-state and transient operation are considered, and the hybridization effect on compressor operability is determined. Having established the electric power on-take limits with respect to gas turbine operation, the systems performance at aircraft level is quantified for the relevant cases. Different power management strategies (PMS) are applied for the two arrangements and for different power degrees of hybridization. The results indicate that despite the fact that pollutant emission and fuel consumption may improve for hybrid propulsion, this comes at the cost of reduced payload and operability margins. Boosting the LP shaft may give the highest engine performance benefits but with a significant weight penalty, while the LP compressor system operability is negatively affected. On the other hand, boosting the HP shaft provides lower engine performance benefits but with smaller weight penalty and with less operability concerns.
Baseball Pitching Arm Three-Dimensional Inertial Parameter Calculations From Body Composition Imaging and a Novel Overweight Measure for Youth Pitching Arm Kinetics
Authors: Jennings Dalton J. , Reaves Scott K. , Sklar Jeffrey , Brown Colin , McPhee John , Hazelwood Scott J. , Klisch Stephen M.
Published: November 2021

Many baseball pitching studies have used inverse dynamics to assess throwing arm kinetics as high and repetitive kinetics are thought to be linked to pitching injuries. However, prior studies have not used participant-specific body segment inertial parameters (BSIPs), which are thought to improve analysis of high-acceleration motions and overweight participants. This study's objectives were to (1) calculate participant-specific BSIPs using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measures, (2) compare inverse dynamic calculations of kinetics determined by DXA-calculated BSIPs (full DXA-driven inverse dynamics) against kinetics using the standard inverse dynamics approach with scaled BSIPs (scaled inverse dynamics), and (3) examine associations between full DXA-driven kinetics and overweight indices: body mass index (BMI) and segment mass index (SMI). Eighteen participants (10-11 years old) threw 10 fastballs that were recorded for motion analysis. DXA scans were used to calculate participant-specific BSIPs (mass, center of mass, radii of gyration) for each pitching arm segment (upper arm, forearm, hand), BMI, and SMI. The hypotheses were addressed with t-tests and linear regression analyses. The major results were that (1) DXA-calculated BSIPs differed from scaled BSIPs for each pitching arm segment; (2) calculations for shoulder, but not elbow, kinetics differed between the full DXA-driven and scaled inverse dynamics analyses; and (3) full DXA-driven inverse dynamics calculations for shoulder kinetics were more often associated with SMI than BMI. Results suggest that using participant-specific BSIPs and pitching arm, SMIs may improve evidence-based injury prevention guidelines for youth pitchers.
Deep Learning of Forced Convection Heat Transfer
Authors: Kang Munku , Kwon Beomjin
Published: November 2021

We present the deep learning model for internal forced convection heat transfer problems. Conditional generative adversarial networks (cGAN) are trained to predict the solution based on a graphical input describing fluid channel geometries and initial flow conditions. Without interactively solving the physical governing equations, a trained cGAN model rapidly approximates the flow temperature, Nusselt number (Nu), and friction factor (f) of a flow in a heated channel over Reynolds number ranging from 100 to 27,750. For an effective training, we optimize the dataset size, training epoch, and a hyperparameter λ. The cGAN model exhibited an accuracy up to 97.6% when predicting the local distributions of Nu and f. We also show that the trained cGAN model can predict for unseen fluid channel geometries such as narrowed, widened, and rotated channels if the training dataset is properly augmented. A simple data augmentation technique improved the model accuracy up to 70%. This work demonstrates the potential of deep learning approach to enable cost-effective predictions for thermofluidic processes.
Design and Preliminary Validation of Grasp Assistive Device for an Industrial Environment
Authors: Loewen Daniel , Chandrashekar Naveen
Published: November 2021

Carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis are two common upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) related to repetitive and forceful activities in industrial environments. Reducing the muscular force during activities such as the operation of a pistol grip hand tool could result in lower incidence of CTDs. The objective of this research was to reduce the muscular contribution to the grip force using an active grasp assist orthosis system. A novel soft, pneumatic grasp assistive device was designed to augment the users' strength during operation of pistol grip hand tool. The optimized design was fabricated using rapid prototyping. Device effectiveness was quantified by measuring muscle activity and grip force during an in vivo study of a common industrial activity. Nine subjects experienced with power tools employed by an automobile manufacturer installed 18 fasteners using a pistol grip DC tool with and without the grasp assistive device. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to measure the activity of four muscles commonly associated with grasping. The grasp assist significantly reduced the mean, combined, normalized muscle activity by 18% (p<0.05). Muscle activation results were contextualized using the revised strain index (RSI). The grasp assistive device trial yielded a significantly lower mean RSI value than the typical trial by 13% (p<0.05). Using an active grasp assist orthosis could reduce the incidence of CTDs in able bodied industrial workers using DC hand tools. The device used a unique design of sinusoidal bellows oriented at 45 deg to the plane of symmetry that yielded higher force output and a lower bending ratio and lower input pressure with acceptable device rigidity and strength.
A Novel Approach to Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Distal Radius Fractures Utilizing a Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Traction and Stabilization Device
Authors: Oeding Jacob F. , Bockman Sam , Chiu Harriet , Hua Cheyenne , Connor James , Slocum Alexander
Published: November 2021

Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is a surgical procedure performed with the objectives of restoring normal alignment and providing stability to broken bone fragments after a fracture. This procedure is increasingly used to treat fractures of the distal end of the radius. Reduction is achieved by the surgeon pulling and manipulating the hand while looking at real-time X-rays, and frequently requires large forces to distract impacted fragments from the proximal bone. This study presents the design and preliminary testing of a multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) device capable of performing both distraction and reduction of fractured bone fragments using a traction splint mechanism with locking ball joints. A prototype was manufactured, and tests were conducted by a practicing hand surgeon. Both qualitative and quantitative tests using a phantom arm were performed. Quantitative force testing found an 80% reduction in the maximum force required to create needed traction, while qualitative tests with a hand surgeon found the device's ability to reduce and stabilize bone fragments while the hardware is secured to be more intuitive and less obstructive than existing techniques.
Development of Validated Numerical Model for Study of Mechanical Properties and Permeability of Carbon Nanotube-Bioactive Glass Scaffolds
Authors: Dixit Kartikeya , Wahi Pankaj , Sinha Niraj
Published: November 2021

This study aims to predict mechanical properties of scaffolds made of bioactive glass-carbon nanotube (CNT) composite through finite element analysis (FEA) and their permeability using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. We start with constructing a three-dimensional model for the complete scaffold using cleaned/denoised images obtained from microcomputed tomography. To save computational effort, a representative volume element (RVE) is carved out from this model such that geometric properties like porosity and tortuosity are preserved. FEA requires material properties for which we have assumed that the CNTs are uniformly dispersed and hence, the composite behaves as a homogeneous isotropic material whose mechanical properties are experimentally obtained from a standard specimen. FEA has been performed on converged mesh for the RVE to obtain the compressive strength of the scaffolds. These computationally obtained compressive strengths compared well with those obtained experimentally, justifying our use of a homogeneous isotropic material model. We repeat the comparison for another geometry fabricated using additive manufacturing and find similarities in computational and experimental results. Hence, the compressive strength of bioactive glass-CNT composite scaffolds can be nondestructively predicted from our bulk identified mechanical properties irrespective of the geometry. For the CFD analysis, fluid flow is simulated in the porous region of the RVE and the estimated permeability of the scaffold is found to be satisfactory for nutrient and oxygen supply. Our study suggests that computational tools can help gain insights into the efficient design of scaffolds by obtaining the geometry having the right balance between strength and permeability for optimum performance.
Cooperative Locomotion Via Supervisory Predictive Control and Distributed Nonlinear Controllers
Authors: Kim Jeeseop , Akbari Hamed Kaveh
Published: November 2021

This paper presents a hierarchical nonlinear control algorithm for the real-time planning and control of cooperative locomotion of legged robots that collaboratively carry objects. An innovative network of reduced-order models subject to holonomic constraints, referred to as interconnected linear inverted pendulum (LIP) dynamics, is presented to study cooperative locomotion. The higher level of the proposed algorithm employs a supervisory controller, based on event-based model predictive control (MPC), to effectively compute the optimal reduced-order trajectories for the interconnected LIP dynamics. The lower level of the proposed algorithm employs distributed nonlinear controllers to reduce the gap between reduced- and full-order complex models of cooperative locomotion. In particular, the distributed controllers are developed based on quadratic programing (QP) and virtual constraints to impose the full-order dynamical models of each agent to asymptotically track the reduced-order trajectories while having feasible contact forces at the leg ends. The paper numerically investigates the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm via full-order simulations of a team of collaborative quadrupedal robots, each with a total of 22 degrees-of-freedom. The paper finally investigates the robustness of the proposed control algorithm against uncertainties in the payload mass and changes in the ground height profile. Numerical studies show that the cooperative agents can transport unknown payloads whose masses are up to 57%, 97%, and 137% of a single agent's mass with a team of two, three, and four legged robots.
Contribution of shear wave elastography in evaluation of the deltoid in reverse shoulder arthroplasty: reproducibility study and preliminary results
Authors: Dukan Ruben , Vergari Claudio , Boyer Patrick , Skalli Wafa
Published: November 2021

Aims: The current difficulty of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is soft tissue management, and adequate deltoid tension and at present there is no consensus and available tools (X-ray, MRI, EMG) remain difficult to apply in clinical follow-up. The objective of this study was (1) to determine reliability and feasibility of deltoid elasticity assessment using ultrasound elastographyand (2) to assess the change of deltoid stiffness after RSA by comparing shear wave speed (SWS) between healthy and RSA shoulders.Material and methods: Twenty-six healthy (native shoulder, painless and complete range of motion) subjects and twelve patients with RSA were included. Two independent investigators performed 3 measurements on each segment. Measurements were bilateral. Anterior segment was also evaluated at 45° and 60° of passive abduction. Reliability and feasibility have been assessed (ISO5725-standard).Results: Coefficient of measurements variation was less than 6.1% and 0.13 m/s. In the healthy group, SWS was not significantly different between anterior and middle segments; however, the SWS of the posterior segment was significantly lower than others (p<0.0001). In abduction position, compared to the rest position, SWS of the anterior segment decreased at 45° abduction (p=0.0003) and increased at 60° abduction (p<0.0001). Variability of measurement was higher in the RSA group. No significant difference was found between the SWS measurement of the operated and non-operated side. SWS measurements of the operated side of the anterior and middle segment were significantly higher compared to the healthy group. In abduction position, compared to rest position, no difference in SWS of the anterior segment was found at 45° abduction (p=0.71) and nor at 60° abduction (p=0.75).Conclusion: This study demonstrated feasibility and reliability of shoulder assessment with shear wave elastography. Reference values for asymptomatic patients can already be used in future studies on shoulder pathology and surgery.
Investigation of vortical and near-acoustic fields in three-stream jets
Authors: Adam Andres , Xiong Juntao , Papamoschou Dimitri
Published: November 2021

The connections between the vortical and near-acoustic fields of three-stream, high-speed jets are investigated for the ultimate purpose of developing linear surface-based models for the noise source. Those models would be informed by low-cost, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computations of the flow field. The study uses two triple-stream jets, one is coaxial and the other has eccentric tertiary flow that yields noise suppression in preferred directions. Large eddy simulations (LES) validate the RANS-based models for the convective velocity Uc of the noise-generating turbulent eddies. In addition, the LES results help define a “radiator surface” on which the jet noise source model would be prescribed. The radiator surface is located near the boundary between the rotational and irrotational fields and defined as the surface on which the Uc distribution, obtained from the space-time correlations of the pressure, matches that inferred from the RANS model. The edge of the mean vorticity field is nearly coincident with the radiator surface, which suggests a RANS-based criterion for locating this surface. The two-dimensional space-time correlations show how the asymmetry of the tertiary stream and the resulting thicker low-speed flow weakens the generation of acoustic disturbances from the vortical field.
Surface Love-type waves propagating through viscoelastic functionally graded media
Authors: Krpensky A. , Bednarik M.
Published: November 2021

This paper deals with the solution of the model equations, which describes the propagation of the surface Love-type waves in a waveguide structure consisting of a lossy isotropic inhomogeneous layer placed on a viscoelastic homogeneous substrate. The paper points to the possibility of using the triconfluent Heun differential equation to solve the model equation. The exact analytical solution within the inhomogeneous layer is expressed by the triconfluent Heun functions. The exact solutions are general in the sense that only the internal parameters of the triconfluent Heun functions can change the spatial dependencies of the material parameters in the inhomogeneous layer's thickness direction. Based on the comparison, the limits of the WKB method applicability are discussed. It is further demonstrated that substrate losses affect the dispersion characteristics only to a small extent. Using examples in which the surface layer is represented by functionally graded materials, it was shown that the distance between the modes can be influenced through those materials.
Effects of Kinesio Taping on Muscle Contractile Properties: Assessment Using Tensiomyography
Authors: Yildiz Seda , Pamuk Uluç , Baltaci Gul , Yucesoy Can A.
Published: November 2021

Context: Although functional effects of kinesio taping (KT) have been widely studied, its effects on contractile properties of the target muscle remain unclear. Tensiomyography is suitable for quantifying muscle stiffness and rate of force development upon imposed twitch contraction. Objective: To test the hypothesis that KT has effects on contractile properties of targeted muscle using tensiomyography. Design: Prospective cohort study. Settings: Performance laboratory of a sports rehabilitation center. Participants: A total of 11 healthy volunteers. Interventions: Tensiomyography measurements before KT facilitation technique applied (pre-KT), 45 minutes, and 24 hours after KT (post-KT1 and post-KT2, respectively) without removing the tape. Main Outcome Measures: Maximal radial displacement, contraction time, delay time, sustain time, relaxation time, and velocity of contraction. Results: Significant effects were shown for maximal radial displacement (P = .004), contraction time (P = .013), relaxation time (P = .035), and velocity of contraction (P = .0033), but not for delay time (P = .060) and sustain time (P = .078). Post hoc testing indicated a significant decrease in maximal radial displacement for post-KT1 only (from 6.33 [1.46] to 4.87 [2.14] mm), and a significant increase in contraction time for both post-KT1 and post-KT2 (from 30.87 [11.39] to 39.71 [13.49] ms, and 37.41 [14.73] ms, respectively). Post hoc testing also showed a significant decrease in relaxation time for post-KT2 (from 65.97 [53.43] to 47.45 [38.12] ms), and a significant decrease in velocity of contraction for both post-KT1 and post-KT2 (from 0.22 [0.08] to 0.15 [0.09] mm/s, and 0.16 [0.07] mm/s), respectively. Conclusion: The findings indicate that KT leads to an increased muscle stiffness and a reduced muscle rate of force production despite the facilitation technique applied.
Regional impacts of COVID-19 on carbon dioxide detected worldwide from space
Authors: Weir Brad , Crisp David , O’Dell Christopher W. , Basu Sourish , Chatterjee Abhishek , Kolassa Jana , Oda Tomohiro , Pawson Steven , Poulter Benjamin , Zhang Zhen , Ciais Philippe , Davis Steven J. , Liu Zhu , Ott Lesley E.
Published: November 2021

The regional impact of COVID-19 on atmospheric carbon dioxide is observable from space.
Speciation dynamics and extent of parallel evolution along a lake-stream environmental contrast in African cichlid fishes
Authors: Weber Alexandra A.-T. , Rajkov Jelena , Smailus Kolja , Egger Bernd , Salzburger Walter
Published: November 2021

African cichlid fishes reveal the dynamics of speciation and the predictability of evolution.
Imaging the itinerant-to-localized transmutation of electrons across the metal-to-insulator transition in V
2
O
3
Authors: Thees Maximilian , Lee Min-Han , Bouwmeester Rosa Luca , Rezende-Gonçalves Pedro H. , David Emma , Zimmers Alexandre , Fortuna Franck , Frantzeskakis Emmanouil , Vargas Nicolas M. , Kalcheim Yoav , Le Fèvre Patrick , Horiba Koji , Kumigashira Hiroshi , Biermann Silke , Trastoy Juan , Rozenberg Marcelo J. , Schuller Ivan K. , Santander-Syro Andrés F.
Published: November 2021

This work shows how itinerant electrons localize due to increased interactions across the Mott metal-insulator transition.
Structure of the human Meckel-Gruber protein Meckelin
Authors: Liu Dongliang , Qian Dandan , Shen Huaizong , Gong Deshun
Published: November 2021

The cryo-EM structure of the human Meckelin reveals a unique protein fold.
Borophenes made easy
Authors: Cuxart Marc G. , Seufert Knud , Chesnyak Valeria , Waqas Wajahat A. , Robert Anton , Bocquet Marie-Laure , Duesberg Georg S. , Sachdev Hermann , Auwärter Willi
Published: November 2021

High-quality borophenes and borophene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures can be synthesized from molecular precursors.
Truncated titin proteins and titin haploinsufficiency are targets for functional recovery in human cardiomyopathy due toTTNmutations
Authors: Fomin Andrey , Gärtner Anna , Cyganek Lukas , Tiburcy Malte , Tuleta Izabela , Wellers Luisa , Folsche Lina , Hobbach Anastasia J. , von Frieling-Salewsky Marion , Unger Andreas , Hucke Anna , Koser Franziska , Kassner Astrid , Sielemann Katharina , Streckfuß-Bömeke Katrin , Hasenfuss Gerd , Goedel Alexander , Laugwitz Karl-Ludwig , Moretti Alessandra , Gummert Jan F. , dos Remedios Cristobal G. , Reinecke Holger , Knöll Ralph , van Heesch Sebastiaan , Hubner Norbert , Zimmermann Wolfram H. , Milting Hendrik , Linke Wolfgang A.
Published: November 2021

Stable expression of truncated titin proteins and titin haploinsufficiency characterizeTTNcardiomyopathy and represent targets for therapy.
The Overexpression of Phasin and Regulator Genes Promoting the Synthesis of Polyhydroxybutyrate in Cupriavidus necator H16 under Nonstress Conditions
Authors: Tang Ruohao , Peng Xiaowei , Weng Caihong , Han Yejun
Published: November 2021

Microbial fixation of CO
2
is an effective way to reduce greenhouse gases. Some microbes, such as
C. necator
H16, usually accumulate PHB when they grow under stress.
Cell Surface Xyloglucan Recognition and Hydrolysis by the Human Gut Commensal Bacteroides uniformis
Authors: Grondin Julie M. , Déjean Guillaume , Van Petegem Filip , Brumer Harry
Published: November 2021

The omnipresence of xyloglucans in the human diet has led to the evolution of heterogeneous gene clusters in several
Bacteroidetes
species in the HGM, each specially tuned to respond to the structural variations of these complex plant cell wall polysaccharides. Our research illuminates the complementary roles of syntenic and nonsyntenic XyGUL in
B. uniformis
in conferring growth on a variety of XyG-derived substrates, providing evidence of glycan-binding protein microadaptation within a single species.
Induction of the Viable-but-Nonculturable State in
Salmonella
Contaminating Dried Fruit
Authors: Jayeola Victor , Farber J. M. , Kathariou S.
Published: November 2021

Salmonella
is a leading foodborne pathogen globally causing numerous outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and remains the leading contributor to deaths attributed to foodborne disease in the United States and other industrialized nations. Therefore, efficient detection methods for
Salmonella
contaminating food are critical for public health and food safety.