bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PTPRD as a candidate druggable target for therapies for restless legs syndrome?
Authors: Morais Milca A. , Franco Beatriz , Holanda Alessandro S. S. , Simino Laís Angélica de Paula , Manconi Mauro , Torsoni Adriana , Esteves Andrea M.
Published: October 2020

The gene that encodes the protein tyrosine phosphatase D (PTPRD) may be related to brain circuits associated with sleep, and has been seen as an interesting molecule, a “druggable” drug target. This gene is a potential candidate for increasing therapeutic advances in restless legs syndrome, a sleep‐related movement disorder, that manifests as an uncontrollable desire to move limbs (legs) to relieve uncomfortable sensations. Changes in the PTPRD gene expression may increase the chance of developing this syndrome. Treatment with pramipexole is used in restless legs syndrome. This study aims to verify the effect of treatment with pramipexole on the PTPRD expression, as well as on the sleep pattern in an animal model for restless legs syndrome. For this, an animal model of sleep‐related movement disorders (spontaneously hypertensive rats) was distributed in groups: (a) spontaneously hypertensive rats−control; (b) spontaneously hypertensive rats−pramipexole (0.125 mg kg−1 for 4 weeks). The analyses of PTPRD gene and protein expression were performed in the striatum and spinal cord by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and indirect enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Electrocorticographic and electromyographic analyses were performed. There was no difference in the PTPRD mRNA levels, as well as in the protein levels, although a tendency has been observed for decreased gene expression in the striatum and increased protein expression in the spinal cord in the spontaneously hypertensive rats−pramipexole group. Pramipexole improved the animals' sleep pattern. Thus, the treatment with pramipexole in the evaluated dose and time tended to alter the expression of the PTPRD protein in the spinal cord, in addition to significantly improving the sleep pattern.
Using stable isotope analysis to determine the effects of ocean acidification and warming on trophic interactions in a maerl bed community
Authors: Legrand Erwann , Martin Sophie , Leroux Cédric , Riera Pascal
Published: October 2020

Ocean acidification and warming are likely to affect the structure and functioning of marine benthic communities. This study experimentally examined the effects of ocean acidification and warming on trophic interactions within a maerl bed community by using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis. Two three‐month experiments were conducted in winter and summer seasons with four different combinations of pCO2 (ambient and elevated pCO2) and temperature (ambient and +3°C). Experimental assemblages were created in tanks held in the laboratory and were composed of calcareous (Lithothamnion corallioides) and fleshy algae (Rhodymenia ardissonei, Solieria chordalis, and Ulva sp.), gastropods (Gibbula magus and Jujubinus exasperatus), and sea urchins (Psammechinus miliaris). Our results showed higher seaweed availability for grazers in summer than winter. Therefore, grazers were able to adapt their diet seasonally. Increased pCO2 and temperature did not modify the trophic structure in winter, while shifts in the contribution of seaweed were found in summer. Combined acidification and warming increased the contribution of biofilm in gastropods diet in summer conditions. Psammechinus miliaris mostly consumed L. corallioides under ambient conditions, while the alga S. chordalis became the dominant food source under high pCO2 in summer. Predicted changes in pCO2 and temperature had complex effects on assemblage trophic structure. Direct effects of acidification and warming on seaweed metabolism may modify their abundance and biomass, affecting their availability for grazers. Climate change may also modify seaweeds' nutritive value and their palatability for grazers. The grazers we investigated were able to change their diet in response to changes in algal assemblages, an advantage given that warming and acidification alter the composition of algal communities.
Relationship between aquifer biofilms and unattached microbial indicators of urban groundwater contamination
Authors: Scharping Robert J. , Garey James R.
Published: October 2020

Aquifers, springs and other groundwater‐dependent ecosystems are threatened by urban land use, which causes water quality deterioration through nutrient loading, sewage infiltration, groundwater extraction and, along coasts, seawater intrusion. The presence of certain microbes in groundwater can indicate that an aquifer is anthropogenically contaminated. Interpretations made from observations of indicator microbes in groundwater are limited because the relationship between the presumably allochthonous indicator microbes and relevant autochthonous microbial communities has not been characterized. This study addressed whether autochthonous aquifer biofilms can influence the presence of presumed microbial indicators in groundwater, and simultaneously used microbial indicators to trace sources of urban contamination at a karst spring of conservation concern. These questions were approached using a 17‐month time series analysis of attached biofilm and adjacent unattached bacteria in the submerged karst aquifer conduit associated with this spring. Environmental 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to characterize these communities, and community structure data were contextualized with groundwater geochemical and hydrogeological measurements. Linear regression models were developed to explain the relative abundance patterns of indicator microbes and other unattached microbes at this site. The results of this study suggest that dominant aquifer biofilms do not influence the presence of unattached microbial taxa that are presumed to be indicators of groundwater contamination, and generated new information about the origin of coliform bacteria at the study site. These results build confidence in the use of microbial indicators in groundwater‐dependent ecosystem conservation strategies and inform future management plans for urban aquifers and springs worldwide.
Genome‐wide alternative splicing profiling in the fungal plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum during the colonization of diverse host families
Authors: Ibrahim Heba M.M. , Kusch Stefan , Didelon Marie , Raffaele Sylvain
Published: October 2020

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a notorious generalist plant pathogen that threatens more than 600 host plants, including wild and cultivated species. The molecular bases underlying the broad compatibility of S. sclerotiorum with its hosts is not fully elucidated. In contrast to higher plants and animals, alternative splicing (AS) is not well studied in plant‐pathogenic fungi. AS is a common regulated cellular process that increases cell protein and RNA diversity. In this study, we annotated spliceosome genes in the genome of S. sclerotiorum and characterized their expression in vitro and during the colonization of six host species. Several spliceosome genes were differentially expressed in planta, suggesting that AS was altered during infection. Using stringent parameters, we identified 1,487 S. sclerotiorum genes differentially expressed in planta and exhibiting alternative transcripts. The most common AS events during the colonization of all plants were retained introns and the alternative 3′ receiver site. We identified S. sclerotiorum genes expressed in planta for which (a) the relative accumulation of alternative transcripts varies according to the host being colonized and (b) alternative transcripts harbour distinct protein domains. This notably included 42 genes encoding predicted secreted proteins showing high‐confidence AS events. This study indicates that AS events are taking place in the plant pathogenic fungus S. sclerotiorum during the colonization of host plants and could generate functional diversity in the repertoire of proteins secreted by S. sclerotiorum during infection.
Competition‐induced transgenerational plasticity influences competitive interactions and leaf decomposition of offspring
Authors: Puy Javier , de Bello Francesco , Dvořáková Hana , Medina Nagore G. , Latzel Vit , Carmona Carlos P.
Published: October 2020

Phenotypic plasticity, within and across generations (transgenerational plasticity), allows organisms and their progeny to adapt to the environment without modification of the underlying DNA. Recent findings suggest that epigenetic modifications are important mediators of such plasticity. However, empirical studies have, so far, mainly focused on plasticity in response to abiotic factors, overlooking the response to competition.

We tested for within‐generation and transgenerational phenotypic plasticity triggered by plant–plant competition intensity, and we tested whether it was mediated via DNA methylation, using the perennial, apomictic herb Taraxacum brevicorniculatum in four coordinated experiments. We then tested the consequences of transgenerational plasticity affecting competitive interactions of the offspring and ecosystem processes, such as decomposition.

We found that, by promoting differences in DNA methylation, offspring of plants under stronger competition developed faster and presented more resource‐conservative phenotypes. Further, these adjustments associated with less degradable leaves, which have the potential to reduce nutrient turnover and might, in turn, favour plants with more conservative traits.

Greater parental competition enhanced competitive abilities of the offspring, by triggering adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and decreased offspring leaf decomposability. Our results suggest that competition‐induced transgenerational effects could promote rapid adaptations and species coexistence and feed back on biodiversity assembly and nutrient cycling.
Lung function trajectories and bronchial hyperresponsiveness during childhood following severe RSV bronchiolitis in infancy
Authors: Kitcharoensakkul Maleewan , Bacharier Leonard B. , Schweiger Toni L. , Wilson Brad , Goss Charles W , Lew Daphne , Schechtman Kenneth B. , Castro Mario
Published: October 2020

Background

Children with severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in infancy have increased risks of asthma and reduced lung function in later life. There are limited studies on the longitudinal changes of lung function and bronchial hyperreactivity from early to late childhood in infants hospitalized for RSV bronchiolitis.

Methods

In a prospective cohort of 206 children with their first episode of RSV‐confirmed bronchiolitis in the first year of life, 122 had spirometry performed at least twice between 5‐16 years of age. Methacholine bronchoprovocation was available in 127 and 79 children at 7 and 12 years of age, respectively. Longitudinal changes in FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC z‐scores and methacholine PC20 were analyzed.

Results

55% of the study cohort (N = 122) were male, and 55% were Caucasian. During follow‐up, longitudinal changes in z‐scores for pre‐ and post‐bronchodilator FEV1 (P < .0001) FVC (P < .0001) and FEV1/FVC (P < .0001 for pre‐ and 0.007 for post‐bronchodilator) from age 5 to 10‐16 years were observed. Declined lung function in late childhood was significantly associated with gender, physician diagnosis of asthma, and allergic sensitization. PC20 geometric mean increased from 0.28 mg/mL at 7 years to 0.53 mg/mL at 12 years of age, and the frequency of abnormal bronchial hyperreactivity decreased from 96% to 78% (P = .0003).

Conclusions

Following severe RSV bronchiolitis, there appear to be significant longitudinal changes in pre‐ and post‐bronchodilator lung function during childhood. The study has several limitations including significant dropouts and the lack of a control group and post‐bronchodilator measurements. Bronchial hyperreactivity is common in children following severe RSV bronchiolitis; however, it appears to decrease as they enter late childhood.
Inhaled sedation with sevoflurane in critically ill children during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Butragueño Laiseca Laura , Murciano Manuel , López‐Herce Jesús , Mencía Santiago
Published: October 2020

Sedation can be challenging in critically ill children. Inhaled anesthetics such as sevoflurane have proved to be useful in difficult or long‐term sedation. However, its use in children out of the operating room is still limited and little is yet known about its use in patients undergoing ECMO with no previous reports in children. The objective is to assess the effectiveness and safety of sevoflurane during ECMO in two pediatric patients. Sedation was successfully achieved in both patients, and patients’ contribution to breathing was possible even with deep sedation. There were not any side effects during sevoflurane treatment or after withdrawal.
Iron overload after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Salmi Asta , Holmström Miia , Toiviainen‐Salo Sanna , Kanerva Jukka , Taskinen Mervi
Published: October 2020

Red blood cell transfusions are an essential part of supporting care in leukemia treatment. We examined the prevalence of iron overload and its effects on organ function and childhood growth in pediatric patients after allogeneic HSCT for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Twenty‐three patients were included (median age 12.6, range 7.5‐21.4 years). Body iron load was determined using laboratory tests, hepatic and cardiac MRI, and by calculating iron received from transfusions. We performed multivariate analysis to determine association of body iron load with liver enzymes, cardiac function, insulin resistance, and growth. Median plasma ferritin was 344 (range 40‐3235) ng/mL and exceeded 1000 ng/mL in three patients (13%). In MRI, 11 patients (48%) had hepatic iron overload and 1 patient (4%) myocardial iron overload. In cardiac MRI, 8 patients (35%) had significant but subclinical decrease in ejection fraction (median z‐score −1.7, range −3.1‐0.14), but cardiac function did not associate with iron status. Alanine transaminase associated with transfused iron per time unit (P = .001) after the median follow‐up of 4.5 years. No correlation was found between iron load and growth or insulin resistance. Iron overload is common in children transplanted for ALL, but iron overload associated organ dysfunction is not present at early age. We recommend evaluation of iron load for all patients at least once during follow‐up after transplantation.
Reflecting on patient‐generated photographs of the pediatric renal transplant experience
Authors: Pollack Ari H. , Snyder Jaime
Published: October 2020

Background and objectives

Poor self‐management contributes to reduced renal allograft survival during adolescence and young adulthood. Providing patients with self‐reflection tools to help explore the question “Is my experience normal?” may help mitigate these challenges. We explore Photograph‐elicitation, a qualitative method where images are used to prompt individuals to talk about their personal experiences and values, engages pediatric transplant recipients and their families to generate insight into their experiences and the challenges they face after transplant.

Design, setting, participants, and measurements

Pediatric renal transplant recipients and one family member from Seattle Children's Hospital submitted 5 photographs showcasing their transplant story, which were used as prompts during semi‐structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Twenty‐four individuals (13 patients: ages 7‐21, and 11 parents) completed the study. Conversations generated by the photographs covered topics in more depth than a routine clinical encounter leading to more opportunities for reflection by patients and their family. The photographs generated conversations on four emergent themes: (a) sensemaking; (b) transitions and agency; (c) social interactions and community engagement; and (d) barriers and obstacles.

Conclusions

Photograph elicitation generated a rich dataset describing a range of pediatric renal transplant experiences helping physicians gain a rich and nuanced understanding of the daily lives and experiences of their patients outside the clinical setting. Photograph elicitation, as a clinical intervention, may provide new opportunities to address previously unrecognized modifiable risk factors, improving graft survival and health‐related quality of life.
Early hepatic arterial thrombosis in liver transplantation: Systemic intravenous alteplase as a potential rescue treatment after failed surgical revascularization
Authors: Feier Flávia H. , Melere Melina U. , Trein Cristine S. , da Silva Carolina Soares , Lucchese Angelica , Horbe Alex , Tonet Fabio , Ricachinevsky Claudia , Ferreira Cristina T. , Chedid Marcio F. , Kalil Antonio N.
Published: October 2020

eHAT is one of the most dreaded post‐LT complication. Treatment approaches include retransplantation, revascularization, or observation. Systemic thrombolytic therapy is used in pediatric patients with thromboembolic events. However, there is no previous study reporting on the use of systemic r‐tPA to treat eHAT. The treatment strategies used in patients with eHAT are described, focusing on two children who failed SR and were treated with systemic heparinization plus systemic r‐tPA infusion. r‐tPA‐RP consists of intravenous systemic infusion at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg/h during 6 hours, for 5 days. First case (3‐year) was transplanted with a whole liver, and second case (6‐year) received a LLS from a living donor. HAT was diagnosed by doppler US and confirmed by angioCT scan in both patients in the first day after LT. They underwent SR and were clinically stable. Re‐thrombosis occurred in both patients the day after, and r‐TPA‐RP was started—one patient required two r‐TPA‐RP for HAT recurrence. They presented minor bleeding, without repercussion. Hepatic artery recanalized after 10 and 3 days in the first and second patient, respectively. Retransplant was avoided, and one developed biliary strictures, successfully managed in the follow‐up. r‐TPA‐RP avoided retransplantation after eHAT in these cases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of systemic r‐TPA to treat eHAT in children. This strategy may compose an algorithm to treat eHAT that failed SR in stable patients.
Painless Photodynamic Therapy Triggers Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in a Murine Model of UV‐induced Squamous Skin Pre‐cancer
Authors: Anand Sanjay , Govande Mukul , Yasinchak Anton , Heusinkveld Lauren , Shakya Sajina , Fairchild Robert L. , Maytin Edward V.
Published: October 2020

Painless photodynamic therapy (p‐PDT), which involves application of photosensitizer and immediate exposure to light to treat actinic keratosis (AK) in patients, causes negligible pain on the day of treatment but leads to delayed inflammation and effective lesion clearance (Kaw et al., J Am Acad Dermatol 2020). To better understand how p‐PDT works, hairless mice with UV‐induced AK were treated with p‐PDT and monitored for 2 weeks. Lesion clearance after p‐PDT was similar to clearance after conventional PDT (c‐PDT). However, lesion biopsies showed minimal cell death and less production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in p‐PDT treated than in c‐PDT‐treated lesions. Interestingly, p‐PDT triggered vigorous recruitment of immune cells associated with innate immunity. Neutrophils (Ly6G+) and macrophages (F4/80+) appeared at 4 h and peaked at 24 h after p‐PDT. Damage‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), including calreticulin, HMGB1, and HSP70, were expressed at maximum levels around 24 h post‐p‐PDT. Total T cells (CD3+) were increased at 24 h, whereas large increases in cytotoxic (CD8+) and regulatory (Foxp3+) T cells were observed at 1 and 2 weeks post‐p‐PDT. In summary, the ability of p‐PDT to eliminate AK lesions, despite very little overt cellular damage, appears to involve stimulation of a local immune response.
An autopsy case of prostatic rhabdomyosarcoma with DICER1 hotspot mutation
Authors: Miyama Yu , Makise Naohiro , Miyakawa Jimpei , Kume Haruki , Fukayama Masashi , Ushiku Tetsuo
Published: October 2020

Somatic hotspot DICER1 mutations, which frequently coexist with germline inactivating mutation (i.e., DICER1 syndrome), have been identified in various types of benign and malignant conditions. Herein, we report an autopsy case of prostatic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) with a hotspot DICER1 c.5125G>A (p.D1709N) mutation. A 26 year‐old man presented with a prostatic mass, hematuria, and urinary retention. He underwent total pelvic exenteration, colostomy, ileal conduit construction and partial urethrectomy. Five months postoperatively, he developed multiple metastases to the lungs, brain, iliopsoas muscles and bones. He died of respiratory failure, and autopsy was performed. Microscopically, the tumor was primarily composed of uniform primitive mesenchymal cells infiltrating to the prostate with cambium layer. Rhabdomyoblasts and anaplastic cells were focally observed. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for desmin, myogenin, PAX7, HMGA2. Multinodular goiter was detected at autopsy. Because the morphology is similar to pleuropulmonary blastoma and DICER1‐mutant RMS of the female genital tract, we tested and identified a hotspot DICER1 mutation with Sanger sequencing. Recognizing DICER1‐mutant tumor is important because of its frequent association with germline DICER1 inactivation and potential therapeutic implication. Further research is needed to clarify whether this case can be classified as embryonal RMS with anaplasia or ‘DICER1‐associated sarcoma’.
Effects of habitat restoration on peatland bird communities
Authors: Alsila Terhi , Elo Merja , Hakkari Tomi , Kotiaho Janne S.
Published: October 2020

Restoration of damaged ecosystems has become an important tool to slow down biodiversity loss and to maintain ecosystem services. Peatland bird populations have shown a substantial decline during the recent decades in Northern Europe as a consequence of peatland drainage. We studied whether restoration of peatlands drained for forestry affects bird communities. We conducted bird surveys at 11 peatlands in Western Finland, where each of the restored and their pristine counterparts were surveyed before restoration and yearly after restoration during 2010–2018. We used linear mixed effect models to analyze whether restoration affected the number of species and territories of peatland specialist and non‐specialist species and permutational multivariate analysis of variance to analyze the change in community composition. Drained parts of the peatlands had higher number of territories of non‐specialist species before restoration, and restoration seemed to decrease these numbers towards the level of pristine parts. By contrast, restoration did not affect the number of peatland specialists and their territories, which was lower in drained than in pristine parts of the peatlands. Bird communities in restored parts remained different from pristine parts in terms of community composition after restoration. Thus, despite the effect of restoration on non‐specialists, a substantially long time may be required for a recovery of the peatland bird communities. Based on our results, it seems that long‐term monitoring of the restored and pristine peatlands is needed to determine whether restoration is effective in recovering the peatland specialist bird species and bird communities in general.
Alethic Pluralism and Logical Form
Authors: Wrenn Chase
Published: October 2020

According to strong pluralist theories of truth, ‘true’ designates different properties depending on which sentences it is applied to. An influential objection to strong pluralism claims it cannot make sense of logically complex sentences whose components have different truth properties. For example, if ‘true’ designates correspondence for ‘Tabby is a cat’, and it designates coherence for ‘Tabby is beautiful’, what does it designate for ‘Tabby is a beautiful cat’ (Tappolet, Analysis, 57, 209–10, 1997)? Will Gamester (Analysis, 79, 34–43, 2019) has proposed a novel pluralist theory meant to avoid the problem. The theory construes ‘true’ as designating a different property for each possible logical structure, and he has challenged monists to identify shortcomings of the theory in virtue of its pluralism. This paper answers Gamester’s challenge and identifies three such shortcomings. (1) The theory cannot make sense of the idea that all true conjunctions share the property of having true conjuncts, in virtue of which they are true. (2) The theory imposes unmotivated syntactic constraints on the language in which the theory of truth is formulated. (3) Avoiding the second shortcoming requires arbitrary choices among equally good candidates for “the” logical form of sentences and hence the designation of ‘true’ as applied to them.
The value of high‐frequency ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of early mycosis fungoides and inflammatory skin diseases: A case‐control study
Authors: Niu ZiHan , Wang YuKun , Zhu QingLi , Liu Jie , Liu YueHua , Jin HongZhong
Published: October 2020

Background

The clinical manifestations of early mycosis fungoides (eMF) are non‐specific and similar to inflammatory skin diseases. High‐frequency ultrasonography (HF‐US) can show small structure of skin lesions and is helpful to provide information objectively.

Materials and Methods

A case‐control study was designed in 62 patients with multiple erythemas and scales, including 18 eMF and 44 age‐matched patients with eczema (EC) or psoriasis vulgaris (PsV). The most significant lesions were collected by 50 MHz HF‐US. The assessment of ultrasound included epidermal morphology and thickness, infiltration depth, subepidermal low echogenic band (SLEB) boundary and thickness, internal echo, and number of linear acoustic shadows (LAS) behind the epidermis. The ultrasonic characteristics of eMF, EC, and PsV lesions were analyzed.

Results

Epidermal thickness (P < .001, sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 75.0%) and SLEB thickness (P = 0.006, sensitivity 55.6%, specificity 90.9%) were useful for differential diagnosis of eMF and PsV/EC. When eMF was diagnosed by epidermal thickness < 0.2375 mm, the AUC was 0.845, which had the highest diagnostic efficacy among all ultrasound signs. In addition, compared with eMF and EC, the LAS number of PsV lesions was the highest and statistically significant.

Conclusion

The results showed that HF‐US could provide some extra information in identification of eMF, EC, and PsV and has potential clinical value.
Edge‐based effective active appearance model for real‐time wrinkle detection
Authors: Sabina Umirzakova , Whangbo Taeg Keun
Published: October 2020

Background

Recently, the field of face and facial features has been progressively studied. The features of facial expression have gained increasing attention for related applications. The wrinkle is the most representative feature, and its research and applications have been topics of high interest. Wrinkles play an important role in face feature analysis. They have been widely used in applications, such as age estimation, skin texture classification, expression recognition, and simulation.

Purpose

Existing approaches to the image‐based analysis of wrinkles as texture not as curvilinear discontinuity and wrinkle detection mainly have focused on detecting wrinkles on forehead position, which is usually horizontal linear shapes, while the detection of the nasolabial wrinkle is not well understood due to their variety of shapes and complexity.

Method

In this paper, we present a nasolabial wrinkle line detecting effective algorithm based on the Active appearance model and Hessian filter to improve localization results by creating unique initial shapes of the wrinkle lines for each input face image.

Results

Experimental results show that the proposed method is capable of tracking curve wrinkle lines, thus allowing to detect complexly structured wrinkle lines. This work demonstrates results illustrated the competitiveness of the proposed method in detecting nasolabial wrinkle lines.

Conclusion

In our study, this was introduced the effectiveness of changing the structure of AAM and successfully applied in wrinkle line localizing, although competitive results are achieved by the proposed wrinkle detection method.
Suppression of a BAHD acyltransferase decreases p‐coumaroyl on arabinoxylan and improves biomass digestibility in the model grass Setaria viridis
Authors: Mota Thatiane R. , de Souza Wagner R. , Oliveira Dyoni M. , Martins Polyana K. , Sampaio Bruno L. , Vinecky Felipe , Ribeiro Ana P. , Duarte Karoline E. , Pacheco Thályta F. , Monteiro Norberto de K. V. , Campanha Raquel B. , Marchiosi Rogério , Vieira Davi S. , Kobayashi Adilson K. , Molinari Patrícia A. de O. , Ferrarese‐Filho Osvaldo , Mitchell Rowan A. C. , Molinari Hugo B. C. , dos Santos Wanderley D.
Published: October 2020

Grass cell walls have hydroxycinnamic acids attached to arabinosyl residues of arabinoxylan (AX), and certain BAHD acyltransferases are involved in their addition. In this study, we characterized one of these BAHD genes in the cell wall of the model grass Setaria viridis. RNAi silenced lines of S. viridis (SvBAHD05) presented a decrease of up to 42% of ester‐linked p‐coumarate (pCA) and 50% of pCA‐arabinofuranosyl, across three generations. Biomass from SvBAHD05 silenced plants exhibited up to 32% increase in biomass saccharification after acid pre‐treatment, with no change in total lignin. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that SvBAHD05 is a p‐coumaroyl coenzyme A transferase (PAT) mainly involved in the addition of pCA to the arabinofuranosyl residues of AX in Setaria. Thus, our results provide evidence of p‐coumaroylation of AX promoted by SvBAHD05 acyltransferase in the cell wall of the model grass S. viridis. Furthermore, SvBAHD05 is a promising biotechnological target to engineer crops for improved biomass digestibility for biofuels, biorefineries and animal feeding.
The 1,2‐o‐dilauryl‐rac‐glycero‐3‐glutaric acid‐(6’‐methylresorufin) ester (DGGR) lipase assay in cats and dogs is not specific for pancreatic lipase
Authors: Lim Sue Yee , Xenoulis Panagiotis G. , Stavroulaki Evangelia M. , Lidbury Jonathan A. , Suchodolski Jan S. , Carrière Frédéric , Steiner Jörg M.
Published: October 2020

Background

The measurement of pancreatic lipase is important for the diagnosis of feline and canine pancreatitis. Recent studies have claimed that lipase assays using the 1,2‐o‐dilauryl‐rac‐glycero‐3‐glutaric acid‐(6’‐methylresorufin) ester (DGGR) as a substrate are more specific for measuring pancreatic lipase than traditional lipase assays. However, the analytical specificity of this assay for pancreatic lipase has not been demonstrated.

Objectives

We aimed to determine whether hepatic and/or lipoprotein lipases can interfere with the DGGR‐based assay results in cats and dogs. We, therefore, compared plasma lipase activities measured using DGGR‐based and pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (PLI) assays before and after administering heparin, known to cause the release of hepatic and lipoprotein lipases, in cats and dogs.

Methods

Heparin was administered in six cats and six dogs. Blood was collected at baseline and 10, 20, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after heparin administration. Lipase activity was measured using a DGGR‐based assay, and PLI concentrations were measured using the Spec fPL and cPL assays for cats and dogs, respectively.

Results

Plasma lipase activities, as measured using the DGGR‐based assay, increased significantly 10 minutes after heparin administration in both cats (P = .003) and dogs (P = .006) and returned to baseline by 120 minutes. In contrast, PLI concentrations showed no significant changes after heparin administration.

Conclusions

DGGR is not only hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase but also by hepatic lipase, lipoprotein lipase, or both, in cats and dogs. Since these extrapancreatic lipases are also naturally present in cats and dogs, they could contribute to the lack of analytical specificity for the DGGR‐based assays.
Hyperlipidic diet affects body composition and induces anxiety‐like behaviour in intrauterine growth‐restricted adult mice
Authors: de Almeida Silva Luana Cristina , de Oliveira Allan Chiaratti , Cavalcante‐Silva Vanessa , Franco Maria do Carmo , D'Almeida Vânia
Published: October 2020

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

What is the effect in male and female offspring of a protein‐deficient diet producing intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in maternal mice on morphometric, metabolic and behavioural parameters before and after a challenge with a fat diet?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Male and female mice presented different growth trajectories after birth. IUGR favoured increased adiposity in male mice, and high‐fat diet‐induced anxiety‐like behaviour in female mice.

As there is sexual dimorphism in the response to maternal manipulations, we aimed to analyse the effects of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in both sexes on morphometric, metabolic and behavioural parameters throughout postnatal development, and after challenge with a hyperlipidic diet. Female Swiss mice (n = 59) were distributed into two groups (SD: standard diet, n = 26; and PDD: isocaloric protein‐deficient diet, n = 33), 2 weeks before mating and during the gestational period. After birth, offspring from SD and PDD dams were cross‐fostered and nurtured by SD dams until postnatal day (PND) 28. At PND 60 all animals were challenged with a hypercaloric diet for 4 weeks. Offspring birth weight was significantly reduced in the PDD group compared to the SD group (P = 0.0001), but only male offspring presented a rapid catch‐up during the first 21 days of development. Although no differences in body weight were observed between groups after the challenge with the hyperlipidic diet, an increase in the relative perigonadal white adipose tissue (P = 0.009) and a decrease in gross gastrocnemius muscle weight (P = 0.010) were observed in the PDD males. In relation to behavioural tests, there was an increase in locomotion in both sexes (P = 0.0001), and a decrease in female grooming (P = 0.006) in the PDD group. Additionally, females from the PDD group showed increased hyperlipidic food intake. In conclusion, IUGR affected both sexes, with females showing prominent behavioural modifications and males presenting altered body composition elicited by a hyperlipidic diet.
Near‐infrared spectroscopy measures of sternocleidomastoid blood flow during exercise and hyperpnoea
Authors: Ramsook Andrew H. , Peters Carli M. , Leahy Michael G. , Archiza Bruno , Mitchell Reid A. , Jasinovic Tin , Koehle Michael S. , Guenette Jordan A. , Sheel A. William
Published: October 2020

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

How does sternocleidomastoid blood flow change in response to increasing ventilation and whole‐body exercise intensity?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Sternocleidomastoid blood flow increased with increasing ventilation. For a given ventilation, sternocleidomastoid blood flow was lower during whole‐body exercise compared to resting hyperpnoea. These findings suggest that locomotor muscle work exerts an effect on respiratory muscle blood flow that can be observed in the sternocleidomastoid.

Respiratory muscle work influences the distribution of blood flow during exercise. Most studies have focused on blood flow to the locomotor musculature rather than the respiratory muscles, owing to the complex anatomical arrangement of respiratory muscles. The purpose of this study was to examine how accessory respiratory (i.e. sternocleidomastoid, and muscles in the intercostal space) muscle blood flow changes in response to locomotor muscle work. Seven men performed 5 min bouts of constant load cycling exercise trials at 30%, 60% and 90% of peak work rate in a randomized order, followed by 5 min bouts of voluntary hyperpnoea (VH) matching the ventilation achieved during each exercise (EX) trial. Blood‐flow index (BFI) of the vastus lateralis, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and seventh intercostal space (IC) were estimated using near‐infrared spectroscopy and indocyanine green and expressed relative to resting levels. BFISCM was greater during VH compared to EX (P = 0.002) and increased with increasing exercise intensity (P = 0.036). BFISCM reached 493 ± 219% and 301 ± 215% rest during VH and EX at 90% peak work rate, respectively. BFIIC increased to 242 ± 178% and 210 ± 117% rest at 30% peak work rate during VH and EX, respectively. No statistically significant differences in BFIIC were observed with increased work rate during VH or EX (both P > 0.05). Moreover, there was no observed difference in BFIIC between conditions (P > 0.05). BFISCM was lower for a given minute ventilation during EX compared to VH, suggesting that accessory respiratory muscle blood flow is influenced by whole‐body exercise.
Drag on Janus Sphere in a Channel: Effect of Particle Position
Authors: Dhiman Manish , Gupta Raghvendra , Reddy K. Anki
Published: October 2020

Potential use of Janus spheres in novel engineering applications is being explored actively in recent years. Hydrodynamics around Janus spheres is different from that around homogeneous sticky or slippery spheres. Instantaneous motion of a sphere in channel flow is governed by hydrodynamic force experienced by the sphere, which in turn depends on the particle to channel size ratio, its instantaneous position, hydrophobicity of its surface, and the particle Reynolds number. We investigate numerically the drag experienced by a Janus sphere located at different off-center positions in a square channel. Two orientations of Janus sphere consisting of a sticky and a slippery hemisphere with the boundary between them parallel to the channel midplane are studied: (1) slippery hemisphere facing the channel centerline and (2) sticky hemisphere facing the channel centerline. The flow field around Janus sphere is found to be steady (for Re ≤ 50 investigated in this work) and asymmetric. Based on the data obtained, a correlation for drag coefficient as a function of particle Reynolds number and dimensionless particle position is also proposed.
Study of Unsteady Flow Through and Around an Array of Isolated Square Cylinders
Authors: Fang Yuhao , Yang Zhigang , Ma Yuan , Li Qiliang , Du Xuzhi
Published: October 2020

Flow past a porous square cylinder, which is constituted by an array of small square cylinders, was studied by simplified and highly stable lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) at Re = 4000. The effects of solid volume fractions (SVF) on the flow structure and important aerodynamic parameters were investigated and the internal fluid was described by phase-averaged method and its interaction with the near region. Several energy-contained Strouhal numbers come up in cylinder arrays, and mass flux through arrays is calculated to estimate the effects of blocking. The average total force on the array is found to decrease monotonically with decreasing SVF, and it has a dramatic drop as SVF decreasing from 0.062 to 0.036. The mass flux of array for SVF = 0.062 is smaller than that of 0.073 due to the stagger arrangement of isolated cylinders. The underlying Reynolds stresses reveal the increase in mean wake length as SVF decreases, and it behaves like the solid one for SVF = 0.132. Comparing with the other SVFs, the shear layer region at SVF = 0.132 indicates a significant decrease of curvature and a linear increase of growth rate, but a nonlinear growth rate for the other SVFs can be observed. The local maximum turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and vorticity in shear layer region reveal the variation during the initial stages following separation. Moreover, detailed investigations of instantaneous wake dynamics provide an assistance to understand the flow physics of cylinder arrays for different SVF.
An Overview of Synthetic Jet Under Different Clamping and Amplitude Modulation Techniques
Authors: Azzawi Itimad D. J. , Jaworski Artur J. , Mao Xiaoan
Published: October 2020

There is generally limited guidance available on the optimum clamping method for the diaphragms used in the synthetic jet actuators (SJAs). This paper describes the effects of clamping methods (O-rings, neoprene rubber washers and metal-to-metal clamping) on the actuator diaphragm displacement using Polytec scan vibrometer (PSV). Once the clamping type was implemented, an optimization study to examine the effect of geometrical parameters for three designs of synthetic jet actuators in quiescent conditions—in particular the number of orifices per cavity, the space between them, and their effects on the jet velocity—was performed. It has also been shown that with use the Helmholtz resonance of the cavity and amplitude modulation of the excitation signal, the actuator can exhibit a more significant “blowing” velocity at a reduced power input.
Stability Regions of Vehicle Lateral Dynamics: Estimation and Analysis
Authors: Huang Yiwen , Liang Wei , Chen Yan
Published: October 2020

A new method is proposed to estimate and analyze the vehicle lateral stability region, which provides a direct and intuitive demonstration for the safety and stability control of ground vehicles. Based on a four-wheel vehicle model and a nonlinear two-dimensional (2D) analytical LuGre tire model, a local linearization method is applied to estimate the vehicle lateral stability regions by analyzing the vehicle stability at each operation point on a phase plane, which includes but not limited to the equilibrium points. As the collections of all the locally stable operation points, the estimated stability regions are conservative because both vehicle and tire stability are simultaneously considered, which are especially important for characterizing the stability features of highly/fully automated ground vehicles (AGV). The obtained lateral stability regions can be well explained by the vehicle characteristics of oversteering and understeering in the context of vehicle handling stability. The impacts of vehicle lateral load transfer, longitudinal velocity, tire-road friction coefficient, and steering angle on the estimated stability regions are presented and discussed. To validate the correctness of the estimated stability regions, a case study by matlab/simulink and CarSim® co-simulation is presented and discussed.
An Analytical Anisotropic Model to Analyze Fiber Reinforced Polymer Bolted Flange Joints
Authors: Vafadar Ali Khazraiyan , Bouzid Abdel-Hakim , Ngô Anh Dung
Published: October 2020

Fiber Reinforce Plastic composite flanges have recently experienced a spectacular development in the area of pressure vessels and piping. The current procedures used for the design of these flanges are a major concern because of their inappropriateness to address the anisotropic behavior of composite materials. The current ASME code design procedure of composite flanges of section X uses the same analytical method as the one of section VIII division 2 which treat the flanges as isotropic materials such as metallic flanges.

This study deals with FRP bolted flange joints integrity and bolt tightness. A new developed analytical FRP model that treats anisotropic flanges with and without a hub is presented. The model is based on the anisotropy and a flexibility analysis of all joint elements including the gasket, bolts and flanges. It is supported experimentally with tests conducted on a real NPS 3 class 150 FRP bolted flange. Furthermore, three different numerical models based on 3D anisotropic layered shell and solid element models were conducted to further compare and verify the results obtained from the new developed analytical approach. The results show that the new model has potential to be used as an alternative tool to FEM if an accurate method to analyses the stresses and deformation of problematic FRP bolted joint applications.
Strain Limits Against Local Fracture of Vessels and Components
Authors: Li Xian-Xing (Lambert) , Xi Feng
Published: October 2020

To protect vessels and components against local fracture, fracture initiation strain limits are used as acceptance criteria. Based on the fracture strain model established from the Unified Strength Theory, this paper proposes fracture strain limits with only three model parameters to be calibrated. To avoid large sensitivity of an elastic-plastic analysis to the intermediate principal stress and also the Lode angle due to assumptions and simplifications used for analysis, the lower-bound fracture initiation strain limits with respect to the Lode angle are proposed. The model parameters are determined directly using the material constants defined in the ASME BPVC VIII-2. The proposed strain limit model is validated against available experimental results of aluminum alloys and low to medium carbon steels. Accuracy and applicability of the ASME VIII-2 and III specified strain limits are examined and discussed. Non-conservatism and over-conservatism in the ASME code specified strain limits can be removed. The proposed lower-bound strain limits retain simple forms and provide practical and enhanced acceptance criteria against local fracture.
The Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure and Thermal Load on Buckling Analysis of Large Scale Tank Roof
Authors: Shi Qianyu , Wang Zhijian , Tang Hui , Li Qi
Published: October 2020

Large scale molten salt storage tanks are widely used in the solar thermal power systems. For these tanks, buckling is a primary failure mode because of its features such as large scale, thinned wall and high temperature. Suffering high temperature condition is a major distinction between molten salt storage tanks and other water or oil tanks. High temperature can cause large thermal deformation for large scale structures which may have an effect on the safety assessment, especially on buckling assessment. Meanwhile, the hydrostatic pressure of molten salt can also cause the change of tank’s configuration. In this paper, a typical large molten salt storage tank has been studied. The critical buckling loads of the tank roof are obtained using nonlinear buckling analysis considering thermal loads and hydrostatic pressure. The results are discussed and some conclusions are proposed for engineering design.
Crude Furnace Floor Creep Assessment and Remaining Life Assessment due to Hot Spots
Authors: Lee Gary , Galacio Emerson , Junio Romy , Magtibay Alex , Griffiths Elijah , Kwon Ohgeon
Published: October 2020

Fitness for Service (FFS) assessment and remaining life assessment of the furnace floor plates in a crude charge heater where hot spots up to 500°C have been observed during operation in 2018 was undertaken as a pre assessment prior to the unit turnaround. The remaining life assessment results would provide the turnaround team with firm scope for repair in order to resintate the bottom plate and avoid discovery scope.

Two Finite Element (FE) models were created to account for hotspot temperature conditions measured at November 2018 and June 2019. Each of these FE models involved successive loading conditions, so that the effects of each loading scenario could be investigated. The loading conditions were applied in steps, in the following order:

1. Gravity.

2. Temperature, modelling hotspot behaviour.

3. Creep, viscoelastic analysis.

Utilising the FE models created for the two hotspot conditions, remaining life was calculated and suggested that the worst location for creep damage is near burner 2 (the maximum creep damage location of the November 2018 condition).

Based on the assessment, the following recommendations are made:

1. Continue to observe and maintain temperatures below the creep temperature range (i.e. no additional hotspots are created and temperatures are not increasing).

2. Undertake creep testing from metal samples.

3. Re-inspect in 8 years at the same locations where metallographic replication was performed in September 2019.