bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alternate antimicrobial resistance genes in multidrug resistant Salmonella spp. isolated from retail meats in Vietnam using RNA‐sequencing analysis
Authors: Nghiem Minh N. , Nguyen Viet T. , Jeung Eui‐Bae , Vo Thuy T. B.
Published: October 2019

The aim of this study was to examine the resistome characteristics of Salmonella spp. Contamination found in raw retail beef, pork, and chicken samples collected in Hanoi, Vietnam. Approximately 28% (25/90) of samples tested carried Salmonella bacteria. A total of 13/25 (52%) of these Salmonella bacteria were resistant to at least one antibiotic and 9/25 (36%) of the isolates were found to be multidrug resistant. RNA‐seq analysis detected the expression of 107 antibiotic resistance genes (e.g., 22 β‐lactam, 46 aminoglycosides, 8 quinolones, 7 chloramphenicol, 6 tetracycline, and 6 sulfonamide‐trimethoprim resistance genes, and 12 other antimicrobial resistance genes). The parC (S80R and novel mutations A628S) and gyrA (S83F and D87G) mutations contributed to ciprofloxacin resistance in Salmonella Indiana. The findings illustrate the significant potential for multiple‐antibiotic resistant Salmonella in raw retail meats from Hanoi markets, and also provide abundant data to better understand the multidrug resistant Salmonella resistome.

Practical Applications

Studying the antibiotic resistance characteristics of Salmonella will provide important information for the prevention, control of diseases as well as food contamination control and regulations on the use of antibiotics in treatment and animal husbandry in order to limit antibiotic resistance of bacteria. Studying the expression genome of Salmonella, especially antibiotic resistance genes in multi‐antibiotic resistant Salmonella isolates, provides insight into the molecular epidemiology of antibiotic resistance genes. More importantly, it is possible to detect new mutations in antibiotic resistance genes that cause antibiotic resistance in Salmonella. In addition, studying the expression genome could help to identify new gene groups that can cause antibiotic resistance in this bacterium.
Rapid and nondestructive detection of freshness quality of postharvest spinaches based on machine vision and electronic nose
Authors: Huang Xingyi , Yu Shanshan , Xu Haixia , Aheto Joshua H. , Bonah Ernest , Ma Mei , Wu Mengzi , Zhang Xiaorui
Published: October 2019

Artificial sensory evaluation and physicochemical analysis tend to be tedious and time consuming. Therefore, this study employs machine vision, electronic nose (E‐nose), and multisensory data fusion to rapidly and nondestructively detect spinach freshness during storage. Spinach freshness during refrigeration was classified into four grades by 10 trained panelists. Machine vision and E‐nose were then used to obtain the image and odor information of the samples, respectively. K‐nearest neighbor (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), and back‐propagation artificial neural network (BPNN) were applied to predict spinach freshness. Result from the BPNN model based on machine vision achieved the same result as the KNN model with a classification accuracy of 85.42%. The BPNN model based on E‐nose achieved a better result than the SVM model with classification accuracies of 81.25% and 75.00%, respectively. Furthermore, the BPNN model based on multisensory data fusion greatly improved the detection accuracy of spinach freshness with a classification accuracy of 93.75%. Multisensory data fusion approaches based on machine vision and E‐nose are capable of intelligently detecting the freshness of postharvest spinach during storage. The main advantage is to allow a rapid and nondestructive detection of spinach freshness without using any chemical pretreatments.

Practical Applications

Fresh spinach is an important source of minerals, vitamins, carotenes, and other nutrients. Timely and accurately knowing the grade of spinach freshness before decay is of great interest in ensuring edible quality and reducing economic losses. Traditional analytical methods of spinach freshness tend to be tedious and time consuming. Novel analytical techniques such as machine vision and electronic nose (E‐nose) showed good feasibility in detecting spinach freshness during refrigerated storage. The detection accuracy could be highly improved based on the multisensory data fusion of machine vision and E‐nose. The results of this study confirmed that machine vision and E‐nose could constitute a rapid and nondestructive method to detect spinach freshness during storage instead of tedious and time‐consuming methods. The method of combining machine vision and E‐nose could be applied in the fruit and vegetable industry in the future.
Anti‐listeria activity and shelf life extension effects of Lactobacillus along with garlic extract in ground beef
Authors: Khalili Sadaghiani Surur , Aliakbarlu Javad , Tajik Hossein , Mahmoudian Alireza
Published: October 2019

The current study investigates the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus plantarum combined with water extract of garlic on microbial growth, chemical changes, and sensory attributes in ground beef samples at refrigeration condition (+4°C) up to 12 days of storage. in vitro study revealed that garlic extract combined with L. reuteri or L. plantarum caused 2.13 and 2.57 log reduction in the Listeria monocytogenes count, respectively. Combination of L. plantarum and 1% garlic extract significantly (p < .05) reduced aerobic mesophilic bacteria (1.64 log cycle) and L. monocytogenes (1.44 log cycle) counts in ground beef. Lipid oxidation was also significantly (p < .05) lower in samples treated with L. plantarum plus garlic extract (1%). Furthermore, higher sensory scores were received by samples treated with Lactobacillus plus garlic extract. In conclusion, the combination of L. plantarum and garlic extract was found to be suitable to use in ground beef by controlling the L. monocytogenes growth and increasing its shelf life.

Practical Applications

Garlic extract not only has an antimicrobial activity but also has a stimulatory effect on the Lactobacillus spp. growth. On the other hand, some Lactobacillus strains can inhibit pathogenic bacteria. Then, the combination of Lactobacillus and garlic extract may be used to produce new bio‐preserved and functional meat products. The current study indicated the potential of Lactobacillus combined with garlic extract to control microbial and chemical changes in ground beef. The combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and garlic extract significantly (p < .05) reduced Listeria monocytogenes counts and lipid oxidation rates and improved the sensory scores in ground beef.
Variation nearMTNR1Aassociates with early development and interacts with seasons
Authors: Sulkava Sonja , Taka Antti‐Mathias , Kantojärvi Katri , Pölkki Pirjo , Morales‐Muñoz Isabel , Milani Lili , Porkka‐Heiskanen Tarja , Saarenpää‐Heikkilä Outi , Kylliäinen Anneli , Juulia Paavonen E. , Paunio Tiina
Published: October 2019

Melatonin is a circadian regulatory hormone with neuroprotective properties. We have previously demonstrated the association of the genetic variant rs12506228 near the melatonin receptor 1A gene (MTNR1A) with intolerance to shift‐work. Furthermore, this variant has been connected to Alzheimer's disease. Because of the previously suggested role of melatonin signalling in foetal neurocognitive and sleep development, we studied here the association of rs12506228 with early development. The study sample comprised 8‐month‐old infants from the FinnishCHILD‐SLEEPbirth cohort (n = 1,301). Parental questionnaires assessed socioemotional, communication and motor development, as well as sleep length and night awakenings. The A allele of rs12506228 showed an association with slower socioemotional (p = .025) and communication (p = .0098) development, but no direct association with sleep. However, the association of the Finnish seasons with infant sleep length interacted with rs12506228. Taken together, rs12506228 nearMTNR1A,which has been previously linked to adult and elderly traits, is shown here to associate with slower early cognitive development. In addition, these results suggest that the darker seasons associate with longer infant sleep time, but only in the absence of the rs12506228AAgenotype. Because the risk allele has been connected to fewer brainMT1 melatonin receptors, these associations may reflect the influence of decreased melatonin signalling in early development.
Primary caregiver education level and sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Elkhatib Smidt Stacey D. , Lu Frances , Rao Sowmya R. , Asato Miya , Handen Benjamin L.
Published: October 2019

In children with autism spectrum disorder, there have been equivocal results regarding primary caregiver education level and its influence on sleep. Thus, we assessed if lower primary caregiver education level is associated with more sleep problems. We evaluated 4,636 children with autism spectrum disorder in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network's United States and Canadian registry, whose caregivers completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Using regression analysis, there was an association between lower primary caregiver education level and more sleep problems. Secondary analyses demonstrated that younger age, Hispanic ethnicity, higher IQ, autism diagnosis and lower adaptive function were also associated with more sleep problems. The finding that lower primary caregiver education level was associated with increased sleep problems in a large sample of children with autism spectrum disorder highlights the importance of screening for risk factors affecting sleep to help moderate sleep problems.
Meteorites: International law and regulations
Authors: Gounelle Max , Gounelle Matthieu
Published: October 2019

Although meteorites are now considered as scientific objects, they still bear a strong and powerful symbolic meaning due to their extraterrestrial provenance. The present article focuses on their legal status, in other words the collection of rules, very diverse in nature, which are applicable to them. Despite a growing international market, the question of meteorites is often ignored or regarded as a detail in international relations and is rarely taken explicitly into account in negotiations and treaties. This relative neglect explains why a non‐State player, the Meteoritical Society, has taken methodological initiatives into meteoritic science and has effectively become a regulator of meteorite naming and acceptance, with a global scope. We show that to understand the legal status of meteorites, it is necessary to consider them under the prism of public international law, transnational law, and national law. We conclude that, despite the universality of meteorites as extraterrestrial objects, the variability of legal rules applicable to meteorites depending onto which territory they fall or where they are found. We note, however, that there is a trend toward regulatory uniformity in the scientific analysis of meteorites, which frames the practices of researchers and regulates traders’ activities. Finally, we contend that a meteorite remains a badly defined legal object, because it can be viewed under many angles: as an object susceptible to private appropriation, as a “common thing” (res communis), or as an element of national heritage.
A revised model for the role of GacS/GacA in regulating type III secretion by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000
Authors: O’Malley Megan R. , Chien Ching‐Fang , Peck Scott C. , Lin Nai‐Chun , Anderson Jeffrey C.
Published: October 2019

GacS/GacA is a conserved two‐component system that functions as a master regulator of virulence‐associated traits in many bacterial pathogens, including Pseudomonas spp., that collectively infect both plant and animal hosts. Among many GacS/GacA‐regulated traits, type III secretion of effector proteins into host cells plays a critical role in bacterial virulence. In the opportunistic plant and animal pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, GacS/GacA negatively regulates the expression of type III secretion system (T3SS)‐encoding genes. However, in the plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae, strain‐to‐strain variation exists in the requirement of GacS/GacA for T3SS deployment, and this variability has limited the development of predictive models of how GacS/GacA functions in this species. In this work we re‐evaluated the function of GacA in P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Contrary to previous reports, we discovered that GacA negatively regulates the expression of T3SS genes in DC3000, and that GacA is not required for DC3000 virulence inside Arabidopsis leaf tissue. However, our results show that GacA is required for full virulence of leaf surface‐inoculated bacteria. These data significantly revise current understanding of GacS/GacA in regulating P. syringae virulence.
Endogenous control of inflammatory visceral pain by T cell‐derived opioids in IL‐10‐deficient mice
Authors: Basso Lilian , Benamar Mehdi , Mas‐Orea Xavier , Deraison Céline , Blanpied Catherine , Cenac Nicolas , Saoudi Abdelhadi , Dietrich Gilles
Published: October 2019

Background

The opioid‐mediated analgesic activity of mucosal CD4+ T lymphocytes in colitis has been reported in immunocompetent mice so far. Here, we investigated whether CD4+ T lymphocytes alleviate from inflammation‐induced abdominal pain in mice with defective immune regulation.

Methods

Endogenous control of visceral pain by opioids locally produced in inflamed mucosa was assessed in IL‐10‐deficient mice.

Key Results

CD4+ T lymphocytes but not F4/80+ macrophages isolated from the lamina propria of IL‐10‐deficient mice with colitis express enkephalin‐containing opioid peptides as assessed by cytofluorometry. Colitis in IL‐10−/− mice was not associated with abdominal pain. Intraperitoneal injection of naloxone‐methiodide, a peripheral opioid receptor antagonist, induced abdominal hypersensitivity in IL‐10−/− mice with colitis.

Conclusion and inferences

Opioid‐mediated analgesic activity of mucosal T lymphocytes remains operating in IL‐10−/− mice with impaired immune regulation. The data suggest that endogenous T cell‐derived opioids might reduce inflammation‐induced abdominal pain in inflammatory bowel diseases associated with homozygous “loss of function mutations” in interleukin‐10.
Freedom, foreknowledge, and dependence
Authors: Wasserman Ryan
Published: October 2019

The idea that some of God's past beliefs depend on our future actions has a long history, going back to Origen in the third century CE. However, it is not always clear what this idea amounts to, since it is not always clear what kind of dependence is at issue. This paper surveys five different interpretations of dependence and, in each case, considers the implications for the debate over theological fatalism. Along the way, we discuss a number of related issues, including the nature of explanation, the scope of metaphysical grounding, and the possibility of backward causation.
Quad Council Coalition community/public health nursing competencies: Building consensus through collaboration
Authors: Campbell Lisa A. , Harmon Monica J. , Joyce Barbara L. , Little Susan H.
Published: October 2019

Background

The changing professional environment for community/public health nursing practice necessitates competencies grounded in current evidence‐based practice. The Quad Council Coalition (QCC) appointed a Task Force to revise the 2011 QCC Competencies for Public Health Nursing. The goal of the competencies is to guide professional nursing practice, curricula, research, and policy development. This paper describes the process used to develop the revised 2018 Competencies.

Methods

A biphasic Delphi technique was used to conduct a detailed examination and build consensus. Four individuals representing community/public health practice and education collaborated to identify and implement a systematic process for revising the QCC Competencies. The process included multiple iterations of review and feedback using consistent methods and tools to analyze and synthesize themes.

Results

The primary result of this project is the 2018 QCC Competencies document that has strong consensus and provides a coherent voice from professionals on the practice of community/public health nursing.

Discussion

Use of current QCC Competencies will strengthen the community/public health nursing capacity to positively impact the health and well‐being of populations.
Is Community Attachment a Determinant of Actual Migration? An Estimate of the Social Capital, Linear‐Development, and Systemic Approaches
Authors: Kao Yu‐Hui , Sapp Stephen G.
Published: October 2019

Objective

This study examined whether community attachment leads to population changes through in‐ and out‐migration (such as migration rates), based on the concepts posited by the social capital, linear‐development, and systemic approaches.

Methods

Using the data of the 2014 Iowa Small Towns Project combined with information from the 2016 American Community Survey, we conducted structural equation modeling to examine the associations between community attachment with respect to its predictors (e.g., population size, median age, length of residence, and social capital) and migration.

Results

The results showed that the model effectively explained community attachment, and in particular, longer length of residence and higher social capital increased the level of community attachment. However, community attachment did not predict migration rates.

Conclusion

While previous studies found that community attachment is a determinant factor of migration intention, and essentially identical to actual migration, the findings implied that using migration intention or actual migration might yield conflicting results and thus yield different conclusions.
A Matter of Degree? Fear, Anxiety, and Protective Gun Ownership in the United States
Authors: Warner Tara D. , Thrash Courtney R.
Published: October 2019

Objectives

This study examines the effect of crime‐specific fears (worry about crime and perceived risk of crime), violent victimization, and diffuse anxieties (belief in a dangerous world [BDW], general distrust, and belief in others’ violent intentions) on protective gun ownership and involvement in “active” gun behaviors (i.e., gun accessibility in the home and handgun carrying).

Methods

We use data on over 4,000 U.S. adults from the 2017 nationally representative Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel.

Results

Fear of crime and perceived risks are largely unrelated to gun ownership, yet violent victimization influences protective ownership, which in turn influences gun accessibility. Additionally, diffuse fears and anxieties also matter for protective ownership and accessibility, with some effects explained by political party affiliation. Broader, general distrust of others is associated with owners’ frequency of carrying their handgun outside of the home.

Conclusion

The results highlight the complexity of the fear‐guns link, with multiple dimensions of fear and experience at work.
Public Service or Propaganda? How Americans Evaluate Political Advocacy by Executive Agencies
Authors: Henderson Michael , Hamilton John Maxwell
Published: October 2019

Objective

Executive agencies of the federal government frequently engage in explicit political advocacy, exhorting the public to adopt policy positions and engage in political actions. This advocacy conflicts with legal restrictions on unelected bureaucrats. It is unclear what the public thinks of this kind of advocacy. We assess whether Americans judge this advocacy based on principles about acceptable political processes or based on policy goals.

Methods

We use observational and experimental data from two national surveys of American adults to assess the role of policy preferences in acceptance of political advocacy by executive agencies.

Findings

We find that Americans approve a broad range of public communications from executive agencies, but approval of political appeals is highly sensitive to whether an individual shares the policy goal of the agency.

Conclusions

Policy agreement, rather than preferences about process, drives Americans' attitudes toward this kind of advocacy. Americans support political advocacy by executive agencies when it dovetails with their own policy preferences or partisanship and oppose it when these agencies advocate for policies that contradict their own preferences or partisanship. Indeed, they do not draw any distinction between unelected bureaucrats and elected politicians when it comes to evaluating these forms of advocacy.
Measuring differential access to facilities between population groups using spatial Lorenz curves and related indices
Authors: Cromley Gordon A.
Published: October 2019

Access to certain types of facilities can promote health and well‐being. When population and facilities are not uniformly distributed across the landscape, inequities in accessibility may occur. Current research into GIS‐based accessibility measures has focused primarily on spatial inequities between different geographic locations but not directly on differences in accessibility between subgroups of the population. The research presented here develops a new method for measuring differential accessibility to facilities between various segments of the population. The method extends concepts and techniques in spatial point pattern analysis that account for the spatial structure of demand and its relationship to supply. In this approach, the traditional Lorenz curve and its associated indices, the Gini coefficient and the dissimilarity index, which are used to measure inequality, are recast in spatial terms for measuring differences in accessibility between population subgroups. An analysis of spatial accessibility to grocery stores in Akron, OH illustrates the value of the spatial Lorenz curve and its associated indices compared to other methods.
Cadaveric evaluation of fluoroscopy‐assisted placement of one‐lung ventilation devices for video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery in dogs
Authors: Mayhew Philipp D. , Chohan Amandeep , Hardy Brian T. , Singh Ameet , Case J. Brad , Giuffrida Michelle A. , Culp William T. N.
Published: October 2019

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of fluoroscopy‐assisted placement of one‐lung ventilation (OLV) devices in dogs.

Study design

Experimental study.

Sample population

Canine cadavers (n = 8) weighing between 20.2 and 37.4 kg.

Methods

Thoracoscopic access with a two‐port approach was established to evaluate bilateral lung ventilation patterns. Advancement of a left‐sided Robertshaw double‐lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) and the EZ‐blocker (EZ) were evaluated under direct fluoroscopic guidance. Each dog also underwent bronchoscopy‐assisted placement of an Arndt endobronchial blocker (EBB). Time to initial placement, success of creating complete OLV (after initial placement attempt and after up to two repositionings), and ease of placement score were recorded. Device position was evaluated bronchoscopically after each fluoroscopy‐assisted placement attempt.

Results

Time to initial placement was significantly shorter for EZ than for DLT and EBB. The rate of successful placement after up to two repositioning attempts was 87.5%, 87.5%, and 100.0% on the right and 87.5%, 100.0%, 100.0% on the left for DLT, EZ, and EBB, respectively, and was not different between devices. Ease of placement scores were significantly higher for DLT compared with EZ and EBB on both the left and the right sides.

Conclusion

Fluoroscopy‐assisted placement of DLT and EZ appears feasible in canine cadavers. EZ‐blocker placement was efficient and technically easier than DLT, but positioning must be adapted for dogs. Bronchoscopy‐assisted placement of EBB remains highly successful.

Clinical significance

Fluoroscopy‐assisted placement of EZ and DLT is a useful alternative to bronchoscopy‐assisted placement of these OLV devices.
Siblings' play and language shift to English in a Malay‐English bilingual family in Singapore
Authors: Mirvahedi Seyed Hadi , Cavallaro Francesco
Published: October 2019

This research applies language socialization theory within a family language policy framework to investigate how language shift is realized in daily activities within a Malay‐English bilingual family in Singapore. Applying Goffman's frame analysis to two excerpts of siblings’ play from ninety hours of recordings of family interactions, we illustrate how children as young as four and seven enact adult roles such as teacher and student within the frame of play. In creatively enacting these roles, identities and social relations, the children draw upon their knowledge of play‐external structures – with which they have experience from other (non‐play) situations. The children consequently use English – what is typical of educational settings in Singapore – to portray an image of a teacher and student within the frame of play.
An Advanced Single-Stage Turbine Facility for Investigating Nonaxisymmetric Contoured Endwalls in the Presence of Purge Flow
Authors: Jones Robin R. , Pountney Oliver J. , Cleton Bjorn L. , Wood Liam E. , Deneys J. Schreiner B. , Carvalho Figueiredo A. J. , Scobie James A. , Cleaver David J. , Lock Gary D. , Sangan Carl M.
Published: October 2019

In modern gas turbines, endwall contouring (EWC) is employed to modify the static pressure field downstream of the vanes and minimize the growth of secondary flow structures developed in the blade passage. Purge flow (or egress) from the upstream rim-seal interferes with the mainstream flow, adding to the loss generated in the rotor. Despite this, EWC is typically designed without consideration of mainstream–egress interactions. The performance gains offered by EWC can be reduced, or in the limit eliminated, when purge air is considered. In addition, EWC can result in a reduction in sealing effectiveness across the rim seal. Consequently, industry is pursuing a combined design approach that encompasses the rim-seal, seal-clearance profile, and EWC on the rotor endwall. This paper presents the design of and preliminary results from a new single-stage axial turbine facility developed to investigate the fundamental fluid dynamics of egress–mainstream flow interactions. To the authors' knowledge, this is the only test facility in the world capable of investigating the interaction effects between cavity flows, rim seals, and EWC. The design of optical measurement capabilities for future studies, employing volumetric velocimetry (VV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), is also presented. The fluid-dynamically scaled rig operates at benign pressures and temperatures suited to these techniques and is modular. The facility enables expedient interchange of EWC (integrated into the rotor bling), blade-fillet and rim-seal geometries. The measurements presented in this paper include: gas concentration effectiveness and swirl measurements on the stator wall and in the wheel-space core; pressure distributions around the nozzle guide vanes (NGV) at three different spanwise locations; pitchwise static pressure distributions downstream of the NGV at four axial locations on the stator platform.
Ultrathin initiated chemical vapor deposition polymer interfacial energy control for directed self-assembly hole-shrink applications
Authors: Dolejsi Moshe , Moni Priya , Bezik Cody T. , Zhou Chun , de Pablo Juan J. , Gleason Karen K. , Nealey Paul F.
Published: October 2019

Integrated circuit layouts consist of patterned lines and holes, where holes define the electrical contacts between adjacent layers. Block copolymer directed self-assembly (DSA) successfully shrinks the critical dimension (CD) of these contacts beyond the resolution of conventional lithography. DSA also radically improves the CD uniformity. One particularly difficult step of the DSA hole-shrink process involves establishing the correct interfacial energy throughout a lithographically templated hole to ensure good assembly. Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) is a uniform, ultrathin, ultraconformal, all-organic deposition technique that allows for precise control of the interfacial energy. In this work, the authors use iCVD of polydivinylbenzene at film thicknesses below 5 nm to blend the interfacial energy of the coated film with that of the silicon/spin-on carbon template. They fully characterize the iCVD surface by means of two liquid surface energy measurements. They further identify the interfacial energies presented by these functionalized templates through qualitative hole-island tests as well as quantitative harmonic mean estimations. In parallel, the authors run theoretically informed coarse grained simulations with the determined interaction parameters and DSA experiments and find good agreement across the range of chemistries created. Through careful control of iCVD conditions, especially filament temperature, they achieve a strong polystyrene-preferential sidewall with a nonpreferential bottom which they then demonstrate, both in the simulation and in the experiment, allows for a successful hole-shrink process across a wide range of template hole diameters.
Role of the solvent in large crystal grain growth of inorganic-organic halide FA0.8Cs0.2PbIxBr3 − x perovskite thin films monitored by ellipsometry
Authors: Kawamura Koki , Ishikawa Ryo , Wasai Yoko , Nabatova-Gabain Nataliya , Kurosu Shun-ji , Ukai Tomofumi , Tokuda Masahide , Fujii Yasuhiko , Hanajiri Tatsuro , Ueno Keiji , Shirai Hajime
Published: October 2019

The role of an additional solvent thiosemicarbazide (TSC) in the synthesis of a highly crystallized inorganic–organic halide FA0.8Cs0.2PbIxBr3 − x perovskite using the co-solvent N,N-dimethylformamide/1-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone has been investigated. Ellipsometry combined with x-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy was used for characterization purposes. The average crystal grain size increased from several hundred nanometers to 1–1.5 μm with increasing content of TSC in the co-solvent. Ellipsometry and FTIR spectroscopy revealed that the as-deposited perovskite film before thermal annealing was distorted and featured a large number of voids; also, the Pb ions formed complexes with the C˭S groups in TSC, which suppressed the excessive nucleation. Removal of the co-solvent at the thermal annealing stage facilitated the rearrangement of the [Pb(IxBr3 − x)6]4− octahedral structure from a zero-dimensional to a three-dimensional network, which enhanced crystal grain growth.
Training Schedule and Sleep in Adolescent Swimmers
Authors: Gudmundsdottir Sigridur L.
Published: October 2019

Purpose: Insufficient sleep duration may affect athletic performance and health. Inconsistent sleep pattern also has negative health effects, but studies on athletes’ intraindividual sleep variability are scarce. The aim of this research was to compare total sleep time (TST) and variability (TST-variability), wakening after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency, during nights preceding early morning practices with other nights, and to investigate sleep characteristics of nights following a day with early morning only, evening only, or both a morning and an evening session in adolescent swimmers. Methods: Wrist-worn accelerometers were used to measure 1 week of sleep in 108 swimmers (mean age 16.1 [2.6] y) in Iceland. Adjusted regression analyses and linear mixed models were used to explore associations of training schedules with TST, TST-variability, wakening after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency. Results: Mean TST was 6:32 (h:min) (±39 min) and TST-variability was 63 minutes (±25 min). TST decreased and TST-variability increased with more early morning practices. TST preceding early training was 5:36 and 5:06 in <16- and ≥16-year-olds, respectively, shorter than on nights preceding later or no morning training (P < .001). Conclusion: Swimmers have extremely short TST preceding early morning sessions and increased TST-variability with more early morning sessions.
No Evidence of Plasmodium falciparum
k13
Artemisinin Resistance-Conferring Mutations over a 24-Year Analysis in Coastal Kenya but a Near Complete Reversion to Chloroquine-Sensitive Parasites
Authors: Wamae Kevin , Okanda Dorcas , Ndwiga Leonard , Osoti Victor , Kimenyi Kelvin M. , Abdi Abdirahman I. , Bejon Philip , Sutherland Colin , Ochola-Oyier Lynette Isabella
Published: October 2019

Antimalarial drug resistance is a substantial impediment to malaria control. The spread of resistance has been described using genetic markers, which are important epidemiological tools. We carried out a temporal analysis of changes in allele frequencies of 12 drug resistance markers over 2 decades of changing antimalarial drug policy in Kenya.
Safety and Pharmacokinetics of a Four Monoclonal Antibody Combination against Botulinum C and D Neurotoxins
Authors: Snow Doris M. , Riling Kathryn , Kimbler Angie , Espinoza Yero , Wong David , Pham Khanh , Martinez Zachary , Kraus Carl N. , Conrad Fraser , Garcia-Rodriguez Consuelo , Cobb Ronald R. , Marks James D. , Tomic Milan T.
Published: October 2019

Botulism is caused by botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), the most poisonous substance known. BoNTs are also classified as tier 1 biothreat agents due to their high potency and lethality. The existence of seven BoNT serotypes (A to G), which differ by 35% to 68% in amino acid sequences, necessitates the development of serotype-specific countermeasures.
WCK 5222 (Cefepime-Zidebactam) Pharmacodynamic Target Analysis against Metallo-β-Lactamase-Producing
Enterobacteriaceae
in the Neutropenic Mouse Pneumonia Model
Authors: Lepak Alexander J. , Zhao Miao , Andes David R.
Published: October 2019

WCK 5222 is a combination of cefepime and the novel β-lactam enhancer (BLE) zidebactam. Zidebactam has a dual mechanism of action involving high-affinity penicillin binding protein 2 (PBP2) binding as well as inhibition of Ambler class A and C enzymes.
A Multiplexed Serologic Test for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease for Point-of-Care Use
Authors: Arumugam Siddarth , Nayak Samiksha , Williams Taylor , di Santa Maria Francesco Serra , Guedes Mariana Soares , Chaves Rodrigo Cotrim , Linder Vincent , Marques Adriana R. , Horn Elizabeth J. , Wong Susan J. , Sia Samuel K. , Gomes-Solecki Maria
Published: October 2019

Single multiplexed assays could replace the standard 2-tiered (STT) algorithm recommended for the laboratory diagnosis of Lyme disease if they perform with a specificity and a sensitivity superior or equal to those of the STT algorithm.
Mouse Cytomegalovirus m153 Protein Stabilizes Expression of the Inhibitory NKR-P1B Ligand Clr-b
Authors: Aguilar Oscar A. , Sampaio Isabella S. , Rahim Mir Munir A. , Samaniego Jackeline D. , Tilahun Mulualem E. , Krishnamoorthy Mithunah , Popović Branka , Babić Marina , Krmpotić Astrid , Treanor Bebhinn , Margulies David H. , Allan David S. J. , Makrigiannis Andrew P. , Jonjić Stipan , Carlyle James R.
Published: October 2019

Cytomegaloviruses are betaherpesviruses that in immunocompromised individuals can lead to severe pathologies. These viruses encode various gene products that serve to evade innate immune recognition. NK cells are among the first immune cells that respond to CMV infection and use germ line-encoded NK cell receptors (NKR) to distinguish healthy from virus-infected cells. One such axis that plays a critical role in NK recognition involves the inhibitory NKR-P1B receptor, which engages the host ligand Clr-b, a molecule commonly lost on stressed cells (“missing-self”). In this study, we discovered that mouse CMV utilizes the m153 glycoprotein to circumvent host-mediated Clr-b downregulation, in order to evade NK recognition. These results highlight a novel MCMV-mediated immune evasion strategy.
Plasmid Dissemination and Selection of a Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Strain during Transplant-Associated Antibiotic Therapy
Authors: Conlan Sean , Lau Anna F. , Deming Clay , Spalding Christine D. , Lee-Lin ShihQueen , Thomas Pamela J. , Park Morgan , Dekker John P. , Frank Karen M. , Palmore Tara N. , Segre Julia A.
Published: October 2019

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a serious threat to medically fragile patient populations. The spread of antibiotic resistance through plasmid-mediated mechanisms is of grave concern as it can lead to the conversion of endogenous patient-associated strains to difficult-to-treat pathogens.
The secRNome of Listeria monocytogenes Harbors Small Noncoding RNAs That Are Potent Inducers of Beta Interferon
Authors: Frantz Renate , Teubner Lisa , Schultze Tilman , La Pietra Luigi , Müller Christin , Gwozdzinski Konrad , Pillich Helena , Hain Torsten , Weber-Gerlach Michaela , Panagiotidis Georgios-Dimitrios , Mostafa Ahmed , Weber Friedemann , Rohde Manfred , Pleschka Stephan , Chakraborty Trinad , Abu Mraheil Mobarak
Published: October 2019

Interferons are potent and broadly acting cytokines that stimulate cellular responses to nucleic acids of unusual structures or locations. While protective when induced following viral infections, the induction of interferons is detrimental to the host during
L. monocytogenes
infection. Here, we identify specific sRNAs, secreted by the bacterium, with the capacity to induce type I IFN. Further analysis of the most potent sRNA, rli32, links the ability to induce RIG-I-dependent induction of the type I IFN response to the intracellular growth properties of the bacterium. Our findings emphasize the significance of released RNA for
Listeria
infection and shed light on a compartmental strategy used by an intracellular pathogen to modulate host responses to its advantage.
Why Evolve Reliance on the Microbiome for Timing of Ontogeny?
Authors: Metcalf C. Jessica E. , Henry Lucas P. , Rebolleda-Gómez María , Koskella Britt
Published: October 2019

The timing of life history events has important fitness consequences. Since the 1950s, researchers have combined first principles and data to predict the optimal timing of life history transitions. Recently, a striking mystery has emerged. Such transitions can be shaped by a completely different branch of the tree of life: species in the microbiome.
Protein Kinase A Is Essential for Invasion of Plasmodium falciparum into Human Erythrocytes
Authors: Wilde Mary-Louise , Triglia Tony , Marapana Danushka , Thompson Jennifer K. , Kouzmitchev Alexei A. , Bullen Hayley E. , Gilson Paul R. , Cowman Alan F. , Tonkin Christopher J.
Published: October 2019

Malaria continues to present a major global health burden, particularly in low-resource countries.
Plasmodium falciparum
, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria, causes disease through rapid and repeated rounds of invasion and replication within red blood cells. Invasion into red blood cells is essential for
P. falciparum
survival, and the molecular events mediating this process have gained much attention as potential therapeutic targets. With no effective vaccine available, and with the emergence of resistance to antimalarials, there is an urgent need for the development of new therapeutics. Our research has used genetic techniques to provide evidence of an essential protein kinase involved in
P. falciparum
invasion. Our work adds to the current understanding of parasite signaling processes required for invasion, highlighting PKA as a potential drug target to inhibit invasion for the treatment of malaria.
CD161
+
CD4
+
T Cells Harbor Clonally Expanded Replication-Competent HIV-1 in Antiretroviral Therapy-Suppressed Individuals
Authors: Li Xiaomin , Liu Zhaoli , Li Qijuan , Hu Ronglin , Zhao Lu , Yang Yanyan , Zhao Jiacong , Huang Zhuoqiong , Gao Hongbo , Li Linghua , Cai Weiping , Deng Kai
Published: October 2019

The latent reservoir continues to be the major obstacle to curing HIV-1 infection. The clonal expansion of latently infected cells adds another layer maintaining the long-term stability of the reservoir, but its mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that CD161
+
CD4
+
T cells serve as an important compartment of the HIV-1 latent reservoir and contain a significant amount of clonally expanded proviruses. In our study, we describe a feasible strategy that may reduce the size of the latent reservoir to a certain extent by counterbalancing the repopulation and dissemination of latently infected cells.
A
rhlI
5′ UTR-Derived sRNA Regulates RhlR-Dependent Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Thomason Maureen K. , Voichek Maya , Dar Daniel , Addis Victoria , Fitzgerald David , Gottesman Susan , Sorek Rotem , Greenberg E. Peter
Published: October 2019

The opportunistic human pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
possesses multiple quorum sensing systems that regulate and coordinate production of virulence factors and adaptation to different environments. Despite extensive research, the regulatory elements that play a role in this complex network are still not fully understood. By using several RNA sequencing techniques, we were able to identify a small regulatory RNA we named RhlS. RhlS increases translation of RhlI, a key enzyme in the quorum sensing pathway, and represses the
fpvA
mRNA encoding one of the siderophore pyoverdine receptors. Our results highlight a new regulatory layer of
P. aeruginosa
quorum sensing and contribute to the growing understanding of the role regulatory RNAs play in bacterial physiology.
Subduction polarity of the Ailaoshan Ocean (eastern Paleotethys): Constraints from detrital zircon U-Pb and Hf-O isotopes for the Longtan Formation
Authors: Xia Xiao-Ping , Xu Jian , Huang Chao , Long Xiaoping , Zhou Meiling
Published: October 2019

The Paleotethys Ailaoshan Ocean separated the South China and Indochina blocks during the late Paleozoic. Uncertainty remains regarding subduction of this ocean—whether it was subducted eastward beneath the South China block or westward beneath the Indochina block. In this study, we present new detrital zircon U-Pb age, and Hf and O isotope data from the Longtan Formation, which was recognized to be deposited before the ocean closed. Our results show that the formation can be divided into three units: Unit 1 is distributed west of the suture and dominates the area; it contains major age peaks at 290–250 Ma and minor multiple old age peaks. Unit 2 consists of a minor distribution west of the suture, and it shows a dominant 250 Ma age peak; old zircons are very few or not present. Their Hf and O isotopic signatures are similar to those of unit 1. Unit 3 is distributed east of the suture and is characterized by a single distinct ca. 240 Ma age peak with almost no Precambrian zircons. We interpret that units 1 and 2 were likely deposited in a back-arc and forearc basin, respectively, and a volcanic arc developed on the eastern margin of the Indochina block, similar to the present-day northeastern Japan arc. Meanwhile, unit 3 was likely deposited in a forearc basin on the western margin of the South China block. Therefore, the Ailaoshan Ocean may undergone bipolar subduction both westward and eastward beneath the Indochina and South China blocks, respectively.
The 30-year dynamic of the softwood sawtimber stumpage market in Louisiana: insights from quarterly data from 1988 to 2017
Authors: Zhang Fan , Chang Sun Joseph
Published: October 2019

Based on a 30-year quarterly data set, this paper examines the dynamics of the softwood sawtimber stumpage market in Louisiana, United States, from 1988 to 2017. Cointegration analysis and the vector error correction model were used to examine the demand and supply of softwood sawtimber stumpage products in Louisiana. Competition among different stumpage products, seasonality patterns in the market, and the impact of some exogenous events were also investigated. The results showed that the demand for softwood sawtimber products is inelastic to its own price, whereas the supply is elastic. Strong seasonality patterns were detected for both stumpage price and harvest quantity. Significant substitution effects were also found among different types of stumpage products. In addition, the estimation results of the dynamic model suggested that, when facing an exogenous impact, the harvest quantity adjusts far quicker than the stumpage price in the Louisiana softwood sawtimber stumpage market.
Applications of Floquet–Magnus and Fer expansion approaches on rotary-resonance recoupling sequence in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Mananga Eugene Stephane
Published: October 2019

In this work, we used the Floquet–Magnus expansion (FME) and the Fer expansion (FE) approaches to investigate the spin dynamics during the rotary-resonance recoupling (R3) radiation experiment in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR). We reformulated the two approaches and calculated their respective effective Hamiltonians and propagators. We compared the two approaches and found that the FME is more appropriate to describe the spin dynamics in the R3 experiment compared to the FE. The equations governing the spin dynamics of the first three orders of the FME look similar to the equations of the FE. Nevertheless, the FME has two additional parameters making the approach more applicable to various situations. This clearly shows that the FME will be more practical for the modifications of the R3 pulse sequence with the major corrections coming from the terms that include the additional parameters, which are not available in the FE. This work is significant and contributes theoretically and numerically in the field of spin dynamics, magnetic resonance and in particular SSNMR.
Study on flow field of gas–solid two-phase pulsed jet
Authors: Song Xinhua , Li Xiaojie , Wang Yang , Yan Honghao
Published: October 2019

In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method (CFD–DEM) coupling method is established to simulate the starch granule injection by coupling CFD and DEM. Then a gas–solid two-phase pulsed jet system is designed to capture the flow field trajectory of particle injection (colored starch with a mean diameter of 10.67 [Formula: see text]m), and the image is processed by color moment and histogram. Finally, the simulation results are compared with the experimental results, and the following conclusions are drawn. The numerical simulation results show that with the increase of injection pressure, the injection height increases gradually. When the injection pressure reaches above 0.4 MPa, the increase of injection height decreases. The experimental images show that the larger the pressure (i.e., the greater the initial velocity), the faster the velocity of particle distribution in the space, and the injection heights with the injection pressures of 0.4 MPa and 0.5 MPa are close, which is consistent with the result from the FLUENT numerical simulation based on CFD–DEM.
Effect of strain on the structural and electronic properties of graphene-like GaN: A DFT study
Authors: Behera Harihar , Mukhopadhyay Gautam
Published: October 2019

We present ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the effect of in-plane equi-biaxial strain on the structural and electronic properties of graphene-like GaN monolayer (ML-GaN). For compressive strain in excess of 7.2%, ML-GaN gets buckled; buckling parameter increases quadratically with compressive strain. The 2D bulk modulus of ML-GaN was found to be smaller than that of graphene and graphene-like ML-BN, which reflects weaker bond in ML-GaN. More importantly, the bandgap and effective masses of charge carriers in ML-GaN were found to be tunable by application of in-plane equi-biaxial strain. In particular, when compressive biaxial strain of about 3% was reached, a transition from indirect to direct bandgap-phase occurred with change in the value and nature of effective masses of charge carriers; buckling and tensile strain reduced the bandgap — the bandgap reduced to 50% of its unstrained value at 6.36% tensile strain and to 0 eV at an extrapolated tensile strain of 12.72%, which is well within its predicted ultimate tensile strain limit of 16%. These predictions of strain-engineered electronic properties of highly strain sensitive ML-GaN may be exploited in future for potential applications in strain sensors and other nanodevices such as the nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS).