bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary resistant starch modifies the composition and function of caecal microbiota of broilers
Authors: Zhang Yingying , Liu Yingsen , Li Jiaolong , Xing Tong , Jiang Yun , Zhang Lin , Gao Feng
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND

Diet plays an important role in shaping the composition of gut microbiota. Starch is the main source of carbohydrates in diets of broilers. This study investigated the effects of dietary corn starch and resistant starch on composition and function of caecal microbiota of broilers. A total of 320, 1‐day‐old male Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly assigned into five groups including normal corn‐soybean (NC) diet, corn starch (CS) diet group, 4%, 8% and 12% resistant starch (RS) diet groups. The caecal contents of 42‐day old broilers were sampled and microbiota community was analysed with 16S rRNA gene sequences.

RESULTS

The CS group increased the abundances of Bilophila, Eggerthella, Olsenella and Sellimonas and decreased proportion of Akkermansia, Eisenbergiella, Oscillospira, Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group and Synergistes in the caecum of birds compared to the NC group. However, the birds from RS groups had higher abundances of Anaerofilum, Bacteroides, Desulfovibrio and Parasutterella and lower abundances of Alistipes, Bilophila, Christensenellaceae R‐7 group, Eggerthella and Ruminiclostridium 1 than the CS group. Functional prediction of these changes in microbiota revealed that the CS diet drove caecal microbiota that were more inclined to utilize carbohydrates through glycolysis/gluconeogenesis metabolism, while the 8%RS and 12%RS diets depleted microbial glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and amino acids metabolism.

CONCLUSION

Dietary CS and RS alter the microbial composition and diversity, and modulate the metabolic pathways of microbial metabolism in caecum of broilers, which may further affect nutrient utilization and hindgut health of the host. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Do Positional Patients Become Nonpositional Patients With Time?
Authors: Oksenberg Arie , Goizman Vlada , Eitan Edith , Nasser Kitham , Gadoth Natan , Leppänen Timo
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients with breathing abnormalities only or mainly in the supine posture are designated positional patients (PPs), whereas nonpositional patients (NPPs) have many breathing abnormalities in both lateral and supine postures. Positional therapy (PT), the avoidance of the supine posture during sleep, is the obvious treatment for PPs. The stability over time of being PP and leading factors that are involved in converting a PP to an NPP are addressed.

Methods

We analyzed polysomnographic (PSG) recordings of 81 consecutive adult patients with OSA who were judged to be PPs at the first PSG evaluation, and their follow‐up PSGs were obtained after an average period of 6.6 years.

Results

The follow‐up PSGs indicated that 57 PPs (70.4%) remained PPs, whereas 24 (29.6 %) converted to NPPs. Among PPs and NPPs, body mass index (P ≤ 0.05), overall Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI, P ≤ 0.087), and lateral AHI (P ≤ 0.046) increased and minimum SpO2 during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (P ≤ 0.028) decreased significantly during the follow‐up. However, among patients who became NPPs, the changes in these parameters were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) more pronounced compared to the patients who remained PPs.

Conclusion

After an average of 6.6 years, 70.4% of PPs remained PPs. Therefore, if adherence for PT is good, they could continue to benefit from this therapy. For those who turned to NPPs, PT will not be the optimal treatment anymore; thus, these patients should be frequently monitored. Furthermore, an early treatment of PPs with PT would be highly beneficial to prevent worsening of their OSA.

Level of Evidence

2b Laryngoscope, 130:2263–2268, 2020
Comparison of different land degradation indicators: Do the world regions really matter?
Authors: Morales Narkis S. , Zuleta Gustavo A.
Published: November 2019

In 2010, the Convention on Biological Diversity created the Aichi Biodiversity targets to aid the restoration of degraded ecosystems, which include the restoration of at least 15% of degraded ecosystems by 2020. A crucial step to achieve this goal is the development of nonbiased prioritization methodologies that help establish key areas for restoration. However, prioritization methodologies depend heavily on each country's economic capability, governance, internal politics, degradation level, and access to data. Because only 78 countries are considered high‐income economies, only this select group of countries would potentially have the necessary resources to compile the information needed to carry out a prioritization process. In this work, our aim was to analyze and compare key land degradation indicators (e.g., land use/change, primary productivity, biodiversity loss, soil organic carbon, degradation level, and social acceptance) in five world regions, with different incomes and political and cultural background, Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America (USA–Canada), and Oceania. We also grouped these key land degradation indicators by type (ecological, social, cultural, economic, and policy). Our results indicate that the different world regions seem not to have a direct impact on the number of land degradation indicators used. However, we found differences in the type of indicators used per region, partially denoting the idiosyncrasy of each of these regions. Our study shows that governance is important in the use of indicators although we suspect that there are other variables that could be at play not included in this study.
Responses of secondary wind dispersal to environmental characteristics and diaspore morphology of seven Calligonum species
Authors: Zhou Quanlai , Liu Zhimin , Xin Zhiming , Daryanto Stefani , Wang Lixin , Li Xuehua , Wang Yongcui , Liang Wei , Qin Xuanping , Zhao Yingming , Li Xinle , Cui Xue , Liu Minghu
Published: November 2019

Secondary diaspore dispersal by wind, that is, wind‐driven movement along the ground surface (GS), is important for the structure and dynamics of plant populations and communities. However, how wind velocity (WV), GS, and diaspore morphology influence diaspore secondary dispersal by wind are unclear. We used a wind tunnel and video camera to measure the threshold of WV (TWV) and diaspore velocities (DV) of secondary diaspore dispersal. Diaspores of seven Calligonum species with different appendages (wings, bristles, membranous balloon, and wings + thorns) were used to determine the TWV and DV under variable wind speed (4, 6, 8, and 10 m s‐1) and four GSs (cement, sand, loam, and gravel). GS and diaspore morphological traits explained 37.1 and 18% of diaspore TWV, respectively. Meanwhile, WV, GS, and diaspore morphological traits explained 62.4, 13.6, and 3.2% of DV, respectively. An increasing trend was shown for TWV, and a decreasing trend was shown for DV in the order of cement, sand, loam, and gravel surfaces. Spherical and light diaspores had low TWV and high DV, whereas winged and heavy diaspores had high TWV and low DV. Our results indicated that adaptive features of diaspore appendages might be the result of selection for primary dispersal or secondary dispersal. The mechanism of diaspore secondary dispersal is important for understanding the recovery of degraded sand dunes and providing theoretical support for restoration practices.
Agricultural mechanization, environmental degradation, and gendered livelihood implications in northern Ghana
Authors: Kansanga Moses Mosonsieyiri , Mkandawire Paul , Kuuire Vincent , Luginaah Isaac
Published: November 2019

This paper draws theoretical insights from political ecology to examine the environmental and livelihood impacts of smallholder agricultural mechanization in Ghana in the context of the ongoing pursuit of a new Green Revolution for Africa. Our findings highlight the complex linkages between agricultural development, environmental degradation, and rural livelihoods. Despite the associated increased returns‐to‐scale in agricultural productivity and enhanced speed in land preparation with tractor‐based mechanization, the clearing of major trees on farmlands as a precondition for obtaining ploughing services encourages land degradation, including the depletion of vital naturally growing tree species—shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) and dawadawa (Parkia biglobosa)—that have critical food provisioning, cultural, and socioeconomic value. The drive towards extensification has further produced competitive forces that fuel the appropriation of previously inalienable communal lands and weakening of longstanding norms that mediate environmental resource conservation and use. This situation is poised to alter customary land governance and the basis on which women assert their rights to land‐based resources including shea and dawadawa. Marginalized women are progressively shifting their livelihood strategies into environmentally unsustainable subsistence activities. This study demonstrates the adverse ecological, socioeconomic, and political impacts of agricultural mechanization when implemented in agrarian societies marked by widespread poverty and pervasive gender inequities. Given the growing centrality of tractors and trees to rural livelihoods, we recommend conservation agriculture for the simultaneous promotion of sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. Relevant social policies must also be implemented to ameliorate the adverse livelihood impacts of these agrarian reforms.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alleviate the negative effect of nitrogen deposition on ecosystem functions in meadow grassland
Authors: Kang Furong , Yang Bing , Wujisiguleng  , Yang Xue , Wang Lei , Guo Jixun , Sun Wei , Zhang Qiang , Zhang Tao
Published: November 2019

Nitrogen (N) deposition can reduce plant species richness and cause grassland degradation, thus affecting grassland ecosystem stability. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in ecosystem stability. However, the influences of AM fungi on grassland ecosystem stability under N deposition remain unclear. We need more information on the impacts of N accumulation on the interactions between AM fungi and the plant community. To test the contribution of AM fungi to grassland stability under N deposition, a 5‐year field experiment was conducted in a temperate meadow with two manipulated factors, namely, N addition and AM fungi suppression. The plant species richness and diversity, biomass stability, litter decomposition, and greenhouse gas emissions were quantified. Under N addition, AM fungi did not affect the plant species diversity and richness but altered the coverages of different functional groups and increased the aboveground productivity and biomass stability. Litter decomposition increased under N addition and increased more in the treatment where AM fungi were not suppressed. The emissions of N2O and CH4 in the AM fungi suppression treatment were much higher than those in the nonsuppression treatment under N addition. Our results suggest that AM fungi can alter the plant community structure, increase plant productivity and community biomass stability, accelerate litter decomposition, and reduce the soil total N concentration and emissions of N2O and CH4 under N addition. Our results highlight that the conservation of AM fungi should be considered to alleviate grassland degradation and maintain grassland ecosystem multifunctionality in the future considering global change.
Season affects strength and direction of the interactive impacts of ocean warming and biotic stress in a coastal seaweed ecosystem
Authors: Wahl Martin , Werner Franziska Julie , Buchholz Björn , Raddatz Stefanie , Graiff Angelika , Matthiessen Birte , Karsten Ulf , Hiebenthal Claas , Hamer Jorin , Ito Maysa , Gülzow Elisa , Rilov Gil , Guy‐Haim Tamar
Published: November 2019

The plea for using more “realistic,” community‐level, investigations to assess the ecological impacts of global change has recently intensified. Such experiments are typically more complex, longer, more expensive, and harder to interpret than simple organism‐level benchtop experiments. Are they worth the extra effort? Using outdoor mesocosms, we investigated the effects of ocean warming (OW) and acidification (OA), their combination (OAW), and their natural fluctuations on coastal communities of the western Baltic Sea during all four seasons. These communities are dominated by the perennial and canopy‐forming macrophyte Fucus vesiculosus—an important ecosystem engineer Baltic‐wide. We, additionally, assessed the direct response of organisms to temperature and pH in benchtop experiments, and examined how well organism‐level responses can predict community‐level responses to the dominant driver, OW. OW affected the mesocosm communities substantially stronger than acidification. OW provoked structural and functional shifts in the community that differed in strength and direction among seasons. The organism‐level response to OW matched well the community‐level response of a given species only under warm and cold thermal stress, that is, in summer and winter. In other seasons, shifts in biotic interactions masked the direct OW effects. The combination of direct OW effects and OW‐driven shifts of biotic interactions is likely to jeopardize the future of the habitat‐forming macroalga F. vesiculosus in the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, we conclude that seasonal mesocosm experiments are essential for our understanding of global change impact because they take into account the important fluctuations of abiotic and biotic pressures.
Organizing for collaboration: An actor‐oriented architecture in ImproveCareNow
Authors: Seid Michael , Hartley David M. , Dellal George , Myers Sarah , Margolis Peter A.
Published: November 2019

Background

Collaborative learning health systems (CLHSs) enable patients, clinicians, researchers, and others to collaborate at scale to improve outcomes and generate new knowledge. An organizational framework to facilitate this collaboration is the actor‐oriented architecture, composed of (a) actors (people, organizations, and databases) with the values and abilities to self‐organize; (b) a commons where they create and share resources; and (c) structures, protocols, and processes that facilitate multiactor collaboration. CLHSs may implement a variety of changes to strengthen the actor‐oriented architecture and enable more actors to create and share resources.

Objective

To describe and measure implementation of elements of the actor‐oriented architecture in an existing Collaborative Learning Health System.

Methods

We used the case of ImproveCareNow, a CLHS improving outcomes in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, founded in 2006. We traced several network‐level indicators of actor‐oriented architecture between 2010 and 2016.

Results

We identified measures of actors, the commons, and ways that have made it easier for network member sites to participate. These indicators show ImproveCareNow has made changes in the three elements of the actor‐oriented architecture over time.

Conclusion

It is possible to measure the implementation of an actor‐oriented architecture in a CLHS. The elements of the actor‐oriented architecture may provide a conceptual framework for their development and optimization. Metrics such as those described here may be actionable indicators of the “health of the system.”
On a generalization of the Neumann problem for the Laplace equation
Authors: Turmetov B. , Nazarova K.
Published: November 2019

We investigate solvability of a fractional analogue of the Neumann problem for the Laplace equation. As a boundary operator we consider operators of fractional differentiation in the Hadamard sense. The problem is solved by reduction to an integral Fredholm equation. A theorem on existence and uniqueness of the problem solution is proved.
Implementation of the Crank‐Nicolson Douglas‐Gunn finite‐difference time domain with complex frequency‐shifted perfectly matched layer for modeling unbounded isotropic dispersive media in two dimensions
Authors: Shi Xue‐Yang , Jiang Xun‐Ya
Published: November 2019

To model open‐domain problems with Drude, Lorentz, and Debye media, the complex frequency‐shifted perfectly matched layer (CFS‐PML) is adopted to truncate the Crank‐Nicolson Douglas‐Gunn finite‐difference time‐domain (CNDG‐FDTD) region. The auxiliary differential equation (ADE) and the bilinear Z‐transform methods are incorporated separately into the implementations of CNDG‐CFS‐PML formulations, while the ADE, piecewise linear recursive convolution (RC), and trapezoidal RC methods are utilized to model dispersive media. The proposed formulations can not only circumvent the stability condition, but also have the advantages of the CFS‐PML in attenuating the evanescent waves and reducing the late‐time reflection. Three numerical examples have been carried out to validate these formulations. The simulation results show that the proposed CNDG‐CFS‐PML algorithm is efficient in absorbing performance and saving more computational time compared with the conventional FDTD method, which leads to extensive applicability and acts as a very good prospect.
Compact MIMO antenna with high isolation characteristic for UWB portable applications
Authors: Chang Yujia , Liu Qiang , Tang Xianggan , Du Guangxing , Li Guolin , Cheng Dong
Published: November 2019

A compact two elements multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna is proposed. The simple monopoles act as the radiating elements, and the parasitic resonant elements near the monopoles make the antenna better matched in the low band. At back of the substrate, the ground planes of the elements are loaded by three curved branches for introducing additional resonant frequencies, which not only decreases the volume of the antenna but also increases the bandwidth. High isolation is achieved between the two antenna elements by adding three parallel metal strips on the back of the substrate. A MIMO antenna prototype with a compact size of 39 × 17.5 × 1 mm3 is fabricated and measured. The measured and simulated results show that the band of the antenna covers 3.13 to 3.20 GHz and 7.87 to 12.08 GHz, and it can prevent the interference from the bands of WiMAX (3.4‐3.8 GHz) and C‐band (4‐7.87 GHz). The peak gain of the proposed antenna is 2.9 dBi, the envelope correlation coefficient and mutual coupling between the two elements are respectively lower than 0.001 and −20 dB in the band, Therefore, the antenna is very suitable for portable ultrawideband MIMO systems.
Self‐calibrated interpolation of non‐Cartesian data with GRAPPA in parallel imaging
Authors: Chieh Seng‐Wei , Kaveh Mostafa , Akçakaya Mehmet , Moeller Steen
Published: November 2019

Purpose

To develop a non‐Cartesian k‐space reconstruction method using self‐calibrated region‐specific interpolation kernels for highly accelerated acquisitions.

Methods

In conventional non‐Cartesian GRAPPA with through‐time GRAPPA (TT‐GRAPPA), the use of region‐specific interpolation kernels has demonstrated improved reconstruction quality in dynamic imaging for highly accelerated acquisitions. However, TT‐GRAPPA requires the acquisition of a large number of separate calibration scans. To reduce the overall imaging time, we propose Self‐calibrated Interpolation of Non‐Cartesian data with GRAPPA (SING) to self‐calibrate region‐specific interpolation kernels from dynamic undersampled measurements. The SING method synthesizes calibration data to adapt to the distinct shape of each region‐specific interpolation kernel geometry, and uses a novel local k‐space regularization through an extension of TT‐GRAPPA. This calibration approach is used to reconstruct non‐Cartesian images at high acceleration rates while mitigating noise amplification. The reconstruction quality of SING is compared with conjugate‐gradient SENSE and TT‐GRAPPA in numerical phantoms and in vivo cine data sets.

Results

In both numerical phantom and in vivo cine data sets, SING offers visually and quantitatively similar reconstruction quality to TT‐GRAPPA, and provides improved reconstruction quality over conjugate‐gradient SENSE. Furthermore, temporal fidelity in SING and TT‐GRAPPA is similar for the same acceleration rates. G‐factor evaluation over the heart shows that SING and TT‐GRAPPA provide similar noise amplification at moderate and high rates.

Conclusion

The proposed SING reconstruction enables significant improvement of acquisition efficiency for calibration data, while matching the reconstruction performance of TT‐GRAPPA.
An Early Armenian female warrior of the 8–6 century BC from Bover I site (Armenia)
Authors: Khudaverdyan Anahit Y. , Yengibaryan Azat A. , Hobosyan Suren G. , Hovhanesyan Arshak A. , Saratikyan Ani A.
Published: November 2019

Exploration of the weapon‐related traumas on human remains allows us to reconstruct the episodes of violence. This paper is an attempt of reconstructing the life and death of a female buried in the Early Armenian necropolis of Bover I (Shnogh, Lori Province) based on a multidisciplinary approach integrating archaeological, written, and palaeopathological data derived from the skeletal analysis. The remains unearthed in Tomb N 17 belonged to a woman who seemed to live as a professional warrior and was buried as an individual of rank. During our work, we identified a rich array of traumatic lesions, which shed light on her daily activities, occupation, and warfare practice. We also analysed a trapped metal arrowhead in her femur. For this region, projectile injury to bone, induced by an arrow wound, strongly suggests interpersonal aggression. The same individual also suffered blows to the pelvic bone, femur, and tibia. This tomb is the second burial discovered in Armenia that provides evidence on female warriors.
Endogenous Omega‐3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Reduce the Number and Differentiation of White Adipocyte Progenitors in Mice
Authors: Chen Chih‐Yu , Su Chien‐Wen , Kang Jing X.
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Reducing the increased number of white adipocyte progenitors (WAP) is considered a novel approach to controlling obesity. The role of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in regulating the WAP resident population is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of omega‐3 PUFA on the niche composition of adipose‐derived stem cells.

Methods

Stromal vascular cell fraction (SVF) was collected from subcutaneous fat of wild‐type (WT) and transgenic mice carrying a fat‐1 gene from Caenorhabditis elegans (Fat‐1 mice), which are capable of synthesizing omega‐3 PUFA and have much higher tissue levels of omega‐3 PUFA relative to WT mice. The isolated SVF cells were cultured and used for the examination of adipocyte differentiation, adipogenic markers, fatty acid composition, and WAP numbers.

Results

SVF isolated from Fat‐1 mice (Fat‐1‐SVF) exhibited markedly fewer differentiated adipocytes with smaller cell size and less lipid content than that of WT mice (WT‐SVF). Accordingly, adipogenesis‐related genes and the white adipocyte surface marker ASC‐1 were downregulated in Fat‐1‐SVF relative to WT‐SVF. Furthermore, WAP numbers and adipose tissue macrophages were lower in Fat‐1‐SVF than WT‐SVF.

Conclusions

Omega‐3 PUFA can both limit the WAP resident population and suppress their differentiation to white adipocytes, suggesting a new mechanism for the antiobesity effect of omega‐3 PUFA.
Corporate social responsibility movement in an emerging economy: an institutional and social movement explanation
Authors: Mittal Shashank
Published: November 2019

This study explores the CSR movement in India from the perspective of institutional theory and social movement theory. The paper draws important theoretical framework in the field of CSR in emerging economies. The study takes entirely new theoretical perspective of social movement theory and combines it with institutionalization to give important insights to the adoption of CSR as a law in India. Propositions are developed by drawing on the role of organizational actors and their interactions with institutional forces; and also on the interaction among the different forces. First, these interactions are examined in dyadic form and then the overall effects of these interactions are proposed. It is examined how different actors interact differently with the institutional forces, and how the dominant or competing forces interact with each other to in turn influence the actors. Another set of propositions examine how the organizational strategies shaped the CSR movement in India and how they have been or are likely to be shaped by the CSR movement in India. Implications for public affairs and policy making are drawn for CSR.
An assessment of reasons behind service delivery protests: A case of Greater Tzaneen Municipality
Authors: Mamokhere John
Published: November 2019

This article aimed at assessing the underlying factors behind municipal service delivery protests at Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality. South African municipalities also form part of concerned public entities in terms of service delivery backlogs and protests behind service delivery. Over the past few years, South Africa has experienced a large number of protests against poor and insufficient service delivery across most municipalities in various provinces. An increase in service delivery protests in South African municipalities, as regularly seen in various media platforms such as newspapers, television, and social media, makes it necessary for policymakers, government practitioners, and scholars to understand the underlying factors behind service delivery protests. This paper is also intended to assess if whether community members protest due to poor or sufficient service delivery. It is quite evident that some people take advantage of the protests to their best interests rather than protesting for better service delivery. To accomplish the aim of this paper, a desktop research approach was applied to validate the argument and to uncover the underlying factors of service delivery protests. From the literature perspective, it is learnt that poverty, political instability, corruption, nepotism, and lack of public participatory are underlying factors behind service delivery protests. Despite some of the success of the post‐apartheid South African government, the country still faces serious challenges of high unemployment, poverty, inequality, and political instability. These are some of the key factors that culminate in citizens on streets protesting or expressing their dissatisfaction over the problem of poor service delivery.
Involuntary mental time travel in individuals with schizotypal personality features
Authors: Chen Tao , Liu Lu‐lu , Cui Ji‐fang , Shi Hai‐song , Qin Xiao‐jing , Jia Lu‐xia , Wang Ya
Published: November 2019

Involuntary mental time travel (MTT) refers to the phenomenon of mentally reliving past experiences or pre‐living possible future events in an involuntary form. Few studies have explored involuntary MTT in individuals with schizotypal personality features. The present study aimed to first explore the psychometric properties of the Involuntary Autobiographic Memory Inventory (IAMI) in a Chinese sample (Study 1), and then to explore whether individuals with schizotypal personality features experience involuntary MTT more frequently than individuals without schizotypal features. Moreover, the study explored whether the aberrant frequency of involuntary MTT is correlated with positive schizotypal features (Study 2). The results showed that the IAMI had good structural validity and reliability in a Chinese sample. Individuals with schizotypal traits reported a significantly higher frequency, less positive emotion, and stronger emotional intensity for both involuntary memories and future thoughts compared with individuals without schizotypal features. Further analyses in individuals with schizotypal personality features showed that the frequencies of both involuntary memories and future thoughts were significantly correlated with positive schizotypal traits. These results have potential theoretical and clinical implications for a comprehensive understanding of involuntary MTT among individuals with schizotypal personality features.
On the primary and secondary antioxidant activity from hydroxy‐methylcoumarins: experimental and theoretical studies
Authors: Couttolenc Alan , Díaz‐Porras Ángel , Espinoza César , Medina Manuel E. , Trigos Ángel
Published: November 2019

In this work, the experimental and theoretical study on the primary and secondary antioxidant activities of three hydroxy‐4‐methylcoumarins were carried out. According to the experimental results obtained in the TEAC test employing ABTS, DPPH and galvinoxyl radicals, coumarin with the most important radical scavenging activity was 7,8‐dihydroxy‐4‐methylcoumarin (HMD), even observing a radical scavenging activity greater than that demonstrated by the Trolox antioxidant. The theoretical results on primary antioxidant capability shown that the HMD has a good radical scavenging activity in lipid media when compared to other molecules with known antioxidant activity. It was also highlighted that HMD showed an excellent radical scavenging capability in aqueous media considering the physiological pH, the results indicated that it even has a more important radical scavenging capability than others coumarins that are considered excellent antioxidants. Hence, HMD showed a great versatility to stabilize different kinds of important biological radicals, in these results were highlighted their great antioxidant activity. In addition to the previous results, the secondary antioxidant activity was studied, the results showed that HMD could inhibit the reduction of the copper and in this way avoid the Haber‐Weiss reactions, which leads to the increase of the hydroxyl radical concentration, and then, to oxidative stress. Therefore, this study shows that the HMD is able to stabilize the radicals in the primary antioxidant activity and avoid the generation of radicals through the Fenton reaction in the secondary antioxidant activity.
Effect of berberine on in vitro metabolism of sulfonylureas: A herb–drug interactions study
Authors: Singh Amrinder , Zhao Kaicun , Bell Celia , Shah Ajit J.
Published: November 2019

Rationale

Patients with type 2 diabetes may co‐ingest herbal and prescription medicines to control their blood sugar levels. Competitive binding of drug and herb may mutually affect their metabolism. This can alter the level of drug and its kinetics in the body, potentially causing toxicities or loss of efficacy. Understanding how the metabolism of sulfonylureas like glyburide and gliclazide can be affected by the presence of berberine and vice versa can provide valuable information on the possible risk of toxicities caused by co‐ingestion of drugs.

Methods

Berberine and sulfonylureas (glyburide and gliclazide) were co‐incubated with rat liver microsomes in the presence of a NADPH‐regenerating system. The metabolites of berberine and sulfonylureas were analysed using liquid chromatography with high‐resolution mass spectrometry in the positive ion mode. The role of individual isozymes in the metabolism of berberine, glyburide and gliclazide was investigated by using specific inhibitors.

Results

In vitro metabolism of berberine led to the formation of demethyleneberberine (B1a) and its isomer B1b through demethylenation. Berberrubine (B2a) and its isomer B2b were formed through demethylation. The isozymes CYP3A and CYP2D were found to be involved in the metabolism of berberine. In vitro metabolism of glyburide and gliclazide led to the formation of hydroxylated metabolites. The isozymes CYP3A and CYP2C were found to be involved in the metabolism of glyburide. Gliclazide was metabolised by CYP2C. In vitro co‐incubation of glyburide or gliclazide with berberine showed that each drug's metabolism was compromised as they share a common isozyme. A strong negative linear correlation of glyburide or gliclazide metabolite levels and the concentration of berberine confirmed the effect of berberine on the metabolism of sulfonylureas.

Conclusions

The metabolism of sulfonylureas and berberine was affected when these compounds were co‐incubated with each other. This may be attributable to competitive binding of the herb and drug to the catalytic sites of the same isozymes.
Interactions of indole alkaloids with myoglobin: A mass spectrometry based spectrometric and computational method
Authors: Li Ya‐wen , Chi Quan , Feng Tao , Xiao Huaming , Li Linghe , Wang Xian
Published: November 2019

Rationale

Interactions of drug molecules and proteins play important roles in physiological and pathological processes in vivo. It is of significance to establish a reliable strategy for studying protein–drug ligand interactions and would be helpful for the design and screening of new drugs in pharmacological research.

Methods

The interactions between four indole alkaloids (IAs) extracted from Ophiorrhiza japonica (O. japonica) and myoglobin (Mb) protein were investigated using a multi‐spectrometric and computational method of native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (native ESI‐MS), hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX‐MS), circular dichroism (CD) and molecular docking (MD).

Results

The IA‐bound Mb complexes were analyzed using native ESI‐MS, with the obtained protein‐to‐ligand stoichiometry at 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3. Binding constants were measured according to the interpretation of MS spectra. MD complemented MS measurements, probing the binding sites and modes of the four IAs to Mb. Analyses involving CD and HDX‐MS demonstrated that exposure to IAs could affect the conformation of Mb by decreasing the α‐helix content and made Mb more susceptible to HDX at the backbone.

Conclusions

A new MS‐based integrated analysis method has been developed to successfully study the interactions of Mb and IAs extracted from O. japonica. The experimental and calculation results have good consistency, revealing all of the four IA molecules could bind to Mb to form 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 Mb–IA complexes. The order of binding ability of these IAs to Mb was ophiorrhine B > compound C > ophiorrhine A > compound D. CD and HDX‐MS results indicated that binding with IAs destabilizes Mb. HDX‐MS analysis suggests that Mb becomes more susceptible to HDX, indicating that binding with IAs destabilizes the structure of Mb. In addition, the interaction with IAs affected the overall structure of Mb, ascribed to the decrease of α‐helix content and less folding of the backbone.
An Investigation of PS‐b‐PEO Polymersomes for the Oral Treatment and Diagnosis of Hyperammonemia
Authors: Matoori Simon , Bao Yinyin , Schmidt Aaron , Fischer Eric J. , Ochoa‐Sanchez Rafael , Tremblay Mélanie , Oliveira Mariana M. , Rose Christopher F. , Leroux Jean‐Christophe
Published: November 2019

Ammonia‐scavenging transmembrane pH‐gradient poly(styrene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide) polymersomes are investigated for the oral treatment and diagnosis of hyperammonemia, a condition associated with serious neurologic complications in patients with liver disease as well as in infants with urea cycle disorders. While these polymersomes are highly stable in simulated intestinal fluids at extreme bile salt and osmolality conditions, they unexpectedly do not reduce plasmatic ammonia levels in cirrhotic rats after oral dosing. Incubation in dietary fiber hydrogels mimicking the colonic environment suggests that the vesicles are probably destabilized during the dehydration of the intestinal chyme. The findings question the relevance of commonly used simulated intestinal fluids for studying vesicular stability. With the encapsulation of a pH‐sensitive dye in the polymersome core, the local pH increase upon ammonia influx could be exploited to assess the ammonia concentration in the plasma of healthy and cirrhotic rats as well as in other fluids. Due to its high sensitivity and selectivity, this polymersome‐based assay could prove useful in the monitoring of hyperammonemic patients and in other applications such as drug screening tests.
Advanced Li2S/Si Full Battery Enabled by TiN Polysulfide Immobilizer
Authors: Hao Zhangxiang , Chen Jie , Yuan Lixia , Bing Qiming , Liu Jingyao , Chen Weilun , Li Zhen , Wang Feng Ryan , Huang Yunhui
Published: November 2019

Lithium sulfide (Li2S) is a promising cathode material with high capacity, which can be paired with nonlithium metal anodes such as silicon or tin so that the safety issues caused by the Li anode can be effectively avoided. However, the Li2S full cell suffers from rapid capacity degradation due to the dissolution of intermediate polysulfides. Herein, a Li2S/Si full cell is designed with a Li2S cathode incorporated by titanium nitride (TiN) polysulfide immobilizer within parallel hollow carbon (PHC). This full cell delivers a high initial reversible capacity of 702 mAh gLi2S−1 (1007 mAh gsulfur−1) at 0.5 C rate and excellent cyclability with only 0.4% capacity fade per cycle over 200 cycles. The long cycle stability is ascribed to the strong polysulfide anchor effect of TiN and highly efficient electron/ion transport within the interconnected web‐like architecture of PHC. Theoretical calculations, self‐discharge measurements, and anode stability experiments further confirm the strong adsorption of polysulfides on the TiN surface. The present work demonstrates that the flexible Li2S cathode and paired Si anode can be used to achieve highly efficient Li‐S full cells.
Fracture Toughness of a Hot Work Tool Steel Fabricated by Laser‐Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Pellizzari Massimo , Furlani Sebastiano , Deirmina Faraz , Siriki Raveendra , AlMangour Bandar , Grzesiak Dariusz
Published: November 2019

The fracture toughness of AISI H13 tool steel, additively manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L‐PBF) technique, is studied. The influence of the building direction on fracture toughness is investigated on small notched bending samples heat treated according to two different thermal cycles, namely, quenching and tempering (QT) and only tempering (T). The notch is electro‐discharge machined parallel (P||), perpendicular (P⊥), and longitudinal (L) to the building direction. Both heat treatments, even if to a different extent, delete the as‐built (AB) microstructure, producing secondary carbides precipitation in the martensitic matrix. The microstructure of the directly tempered parts is finer than the quenched and tempered ones. The fracture toughness increases moving from P⊥ to P||. The T samples show a higher apparent fracture toughness in the P||, despite the higher hardness. Secondary cracks formation allows reducing the main crack opening driving force increasing the fracture toughness in P|| samples. This effect is more pronounced in T samples where the stronger precipitation of carbides at the prior melt boundaries promotes secondary cracks. Moreover, in P|| samples the laser tracks act as barriers to crack propagation and as stress dissipators.
Parameter studies on imperfections for the LTB‐design of members based on EN 1993‐1‐1
Authors: Stroetmann Richard , Fominow Sergei
Published: November 2019

Selected, extended paper from the SDSS 2019 special session ECCS/TC8 – Structural Stability

The stability design of members and structures based on a geometrically nonlinear analysis with equivalent initial geometric imperfections (GNIA) is a commonly used method. In the case of lateral torsional buckling (LTB) of members, the regulations in EN 1993‐1‐1 are unsatisfactory. With the current code, but also with the new draft prEN 1993‐1‐1 results are achieved, some of which are significantly too conservative as well as lacking in terms of safety. The reasons for this are the specified shape of imperfection as bow imperfections e0 out of plane, an inappropriate differentiation related to the cross‐section shape and yield strength, as well as neglecting the influence of the moment distribution over the member lengths. Parameter studies have shown that a distinction is required due to the different structural behaviours of members loaded with pure bending, pure compression, or a combination of bending and compression. This article presents current research results that consider the case of pure bending of I‐ and H‐profiles. The dependencies of the profile shape, the cross‐sectional resistance model and the influence of steel grades are analysed with respect to the height of the equivalent geometric imperfection to be applied.
About ECCS and its Technical Committee TC8 on the Stability of Steel Structures
Authors: Snijder (Bert) , Lindner Joachim
Published: November 2019

The mission, rich history and numerous achievements of the Technical Committee TC8 “Stability of Steel Structures” of the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS), which is active since 1958, are highlighted by present and former chairpersons.
Multi‐objective design and performance investigation of a high‐rise building with track nonlinear energy sinks
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Wierschem Nicholas E. , Wang Bin , Spencer Billie F.
Published: November 2019

This paper presents a track nonlinear energy sink (track NES) and a single‐sided vibro‐impact track nonlinear energy sink (SSVI track NES) as effective control strategies to mitigate the seismic response of high‐rise buildings. The study commences with the analytical models of the track NES and the SSVI track NES and the state‐space description of the control system. Subsequently, single‐objective and multi‐objective optimizations are conducted, and the performance of these devices is evaluated comprehensively in terms of control effectiveness and economic factors when attached to a representative 32‐story high‐rise building. Numerical results show that the SSVI track NES exhibits strong robustness against changes in the structural stiffness and the input energy level. Compared with the track NES and tuned mass damper, the multio‐bjectively designed SSVI track NES is shown to be the most cost‐effective device because it has a very small stroke and requires only slight damping. The cost‐effectiveness of the SSVI track NES is also demonstrated on a 20‐story shear‐frame building. Additionally, the seismic performance of the SSVI track NES can be further improved by adjusting the position of the impact surface. Therefore, the track NES and, more so, the SSVI track NES can be designed as highly cost‐effective control strategies and offer a promising solution for seismic response mitigation of high‐rise buildings.
On the structural response of two‐ and three‐bladed vertical axis wind turbines
Authors: Malcolm David J.
Published: November 2019

Vertical axis wind turbines have suffered from the periodic nature of the aerodynamic loads and early efforts at commercialization were plagued by fatigue issues resulting from an inability to anticipate critical resonances. This paper examines the criteria for determining whether intersections of harmonics of the rotor speeds and natural frequencies will be damaging in two‐ or three‐bladed machines. The approach involves expressing the complex natural modes and also the aerodynamic loads and structural response as components of the real, stationary modes. The results show that the symmetry offered by three‐bladed rotors leads to many intersections being benign whereas the two‐bladed rotor does not benefit in this way.
Dynamics of a four‐wheeled mobile robot with Mecanum wheels
Authors: Zeidis Igor , Zimmermann Klaus
Published: November 2019

The paper deals with the dynamics of a mobile robot with four Mecanum wheels. For such a system the kinematical rolling conditions lead to non‐holonomic constraints. From the framework of non‐holonomic mechanics Chaplygin's equation is used to obtain the exact equation of motion for the robot. Solving the constraint equations for a part of generalized velocities by using a pseudoinverse matrix the mechanical system is transformed to another system that is not equivalent to the original system. Limiting the consideration to certain special types of motions, e.g., translational motion of the robot or its rotation relative to the center of mass, and impose appropriate constraints on the torques applied to the wheels, the solution obtained by means of the pseudoinverse matrix will coincide with the exact solution. In these cases, the constraints imposed on the system become holonomic constraints, which justifies using Lagrange's equations of the second kind. Holonomic character of the constraints is a sufficient condition for applicability of Lagrange's equations of the second kind but it is not a necessary condition. Using the methods of non‐holonomic mechanics a greather class of trajectories can be achieved.
Guided wave characteristics in the functionally graded two‐dimensional hexagonal quasi‐crystal plate
Authors: Zhang Bo , Yu Jiangong , Zhang Xiaoming , Elmaimouni Lahoucine
Published: November 2019

Due to the limit of preparation technology, defects, such as cracks and inclusions, are inevitable in the functionally graded quasi‐crystal material. For the purpose of the guided wave non‐destructive testing on the functionally graded (FG) two‐dimensional(2‐D) hexagonal quasi‐crystal(QC) plates, Lamb and SH wave characteristics in the context of the Bak's model are investigated by means of the Legendre polynomial method. The convergence of the polynomial method applied on the FG 2‐D hexagonal QC plate is analyzed. Some new wave characteristics resulted from the phonon‐phason coupling effect are revealed. There are three Lamb‐like modes without cut‐off frequencies for the x‐y and y‐z QC plates, but four Lamb‐like modes without cut‐off frequencies for the x‐z QC plate. For phonon modes, phonon displacements and stresses are bigger than phason displacements and stresses. However, they are just opposite for phason modes. It can be utilized to distinguish phonon modes and phason modes.
Propagator identities, holographic conformal blocks, and higher-point AdS diagrams
Authors: Jepsen Christian Baadsgaard , Parikh Sarthak
Published: November 2019

Abstract

Conformal blocks are the fundamental, theory-independent building blocks in any CFT, so it is important to understand their holographic representation in the context of AdS/CFT. We describe how to systematically extract the holographic objects which compute higher-point global (scalar) conformal blocks in arbitrary spacetime dimensions, extending the result for the four-point block, known in the literature as a geodesic Witten diagram, to five- and six-point blocks. The main new tools which allow us to obtain such representations are various higher-point propagator identities, which can be interpreted as generalizations of the well-known flat space star-triangle identity, and which compute integrals over products of three bulk-to-bulk and/or bulk-to-boundary propagators in negatively curved spacetime. Using the holographic representation of the higher-point conformal blocks and higher-point propagator identities, we develop geodesic diagram techniques to obtain the explicit direct-channel conformal block decomposition of a broad class of higher-point AdS diagrams in a scalar effective bulk theory, with closed-form expressions for the decomposition coefficients. These methods require only certain elementary manipulations and no bulk integration, and furthermore provide quite trivially a simple algebraic origin of the logarithmic singularities of higher-point tree-level AdS diagrams. We also provide a more compact repackaging in terms of the spectral decomposition of the same diagrams, as well as an independent discussion on the closely related but computationally simpler framework over p-adics which admits comparable statements for all previously mentioned results.