bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybridization between Felis silvestris silvestris and Felis silvestris catus in two contrasted environments in France
Authors: Beugin Marie‐Pauline , Salvador Olivier , Leblanc Guillaume , Queney Guillaume , Natoli Eugenia , Pontier Dominique
Published: December 2019

European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) populations are fragmented throughout most of the whole range of the subspecies and may be threatened by hybridization with the domestic cat F.s. catus. The underlying ecological processes promoting hybridization remain largely unknown. In France, wildcats are mainly present in the northeast and signs of their presence in the Pyrenees have been recently provided. However, no studies have been carried out in the French Pyrenees to assess their exposure to hybridization. We compared two local populations of wildcats, one living in a continuous forest habitat in the French Pyrenees, the other living in a highly fragmented forest‐agricultural landscape in northeastern France to get insights into the variability of hybridization rates. Strong evidence of hybridization was detected in northeastern France and not in the Pyrenees. Close kin in the Pyrenees were not found in the same geographic location contrary to what was previously reported for females in the northeastern wildcat population. The two wildcat populations were significantly differentiated (FST = 0.072) to an extent close to what has been reported (FST = 0.103) between the Iberian population, from which the Pyrenean population may originate, and the German population, which is connected to the northeastern population. The genetic diversity of the Pyrenean wildcats was lower than that of northeastern wildcat populations in France and in other parts of Europe. The lower hybridization in the Pyrenees may result from the continuity of natural forest habitats. Further investigations should focus on linking landscape features to hybridization rates working on local populations.
Cardiovascular and non‐cardiovascular death distinction: the utility of troponin beyond N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide. Findings from the BIOSTAT‐CHF study
Authors: Ferreira João Pedro , Ouwerkerk Wouter , Tromp Jasper , Ng Leong , Dickstein Kenneth , Anker Stefan , Filippatos Gerasimos , Cleland John G. , Metra Marco , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , Voors Adriaan A. , Zannad Faiez
Published: December 2019

Aims

Heart failure (HF) patients are at high‐risk of cardiovascular (CV) events, including CV death. Nonetheless, a substantial proportion of these patients die from non‐CV causes. Identifying patients at higher risk for each individual event may help selecting patients for clinical trials and tailoring cardiovascular therapies. The aims of the present study are to: (i) characterize patients according to CV vs. non‐CV death; (ii) develop models for the prediction of the respective events; (iii) assess the models' performance to differentiate CV from non‐CV death.

Methods and results

This study included 2309 patients with HF from the BIOSTAT‐CHF (a systems BIOlogy Study to TAilored Treatment in Chronic Heart Failure) study. Competing‐risk models were used to assess the best combination of variables associated with each cause‐specific death. Results were validated in an independent cohort of 1738 HF patients. The best model to predict CV death included low blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤ 60 mL/min, peripheral oedema, previous HF hospitalization, ischaemic HF, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, elevated N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), and troponin (c‐index = 0.73). The non‐CV death model incorporated age > 75 years, anaemia and elevated NT‐proBNP (c‐index = 0.71). Both CV and non‐CV death rose by quintiles of the risk scores; yet these models allowed the identification of patients in whom absolute CV death rates clearly outweigh non‐CV death ones. These findings were externally replicated, but performed worse in a less severely diseased population.

Conclusions

Risk models for predicting CV and non‐CV death allowed the identification of patients at higher absolute risk of dying from CV causes (vs. non‐CV ones). Troponin helped in predicting CV death only, whereas NT‐proBNP helped in the prediction of both CV and non‐CV death. These findings can be useful both for tailoring therapies and for patient selection in HF trials in order to attain CV event enrichment.
Mitral regurgitation, left atrial structural and functional remodelling and the effect on pulmonary haemodynamics
Authors: Inciardi Riccardo M. , Rossi Andrea , Bergamini Corinna , Benfari Giovanni , Maffeis Caterina , Greco Carmen , Drago Andrea , Guazzi Marco , Ribichini Flavio L. , Cicoira Mariantonietta
Published: December 2019

Aims

To assess the association between mitral regurgitation (MR) and left atrial (LA) structural and functional remodelling and their effect on pulmonary haemodynamics.

Methods and results

Consecutive unselected patients undergoing comprehensive echocardiography were enrolled. Parameters of cardiac structure and function were obtained as well as mitral effective regurgitant orifice area (ERO) and estimation of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). Measures of LA structure [LA volume (LAV)] and function [peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), peak atrial contraction strain (PACS) and conduit strain (CS)] were also calculated. The study population included 102 patients (mean age 70 ± 14 years, 42% women), with a mean ejection fraction of 52 ± 13%. MR was classified as organic due to mitral valve prolapse in 14 patients (14%) and functional in 88 patients (86%). Mean ERO was 0.12 ± 0.12 cm2 and 86 patients (84%) had an ERO ≤0.2 cm2. ERO was significantly associated with worse measures of LA structure and function. Despite the low burden of MR, the association remained significant after adjusting for clinical and echocardiographic confounders (β: 3.7, P = 0.022 for LAV; β: −3.0, P = 0.003 for PALS; β: −1.8, P = 0.027 for PACS) and was significantly related with functional MR (P for interaction <0.001). ERO was also significantly associated with PASP, and measures of LA function (PALS and PACS) significantly modified this relationship (P for interaction <0.001).

Conclusions

Even a mild degree of MR contributes to LA remodelling and this relationship plays an active role in pulmonary circulation, suggesting a potential mechanism by which these parameters contribute to the development of heart failure.
The impact of placing obstacles on the distribution of the airflow inside a solar chimney
Authors: Ayadi Ahmed , Driss Zied , Abid Mohamed Salah
Published: December 2019

Solar energy sources are alternative solutions to creating energy by the use of solar radiation. The solar chimney power plants (SCPPs) are non‐concentrated thermal systems that use the solar radiation to produce green energy. The main components of an SCPP are a collector, an absorber, a chimney, and a turbine that is coupled with a generator. The feasibility study of these thermal devices is required. In this paper, a study of a solar chimney power plant is reported. In fact, a numerical investigation of the obstacle effect on the distributions of the airflow in a solar chimney is presented using the commercial CFD code Ansys Fluent. The comparison between numerical and experimental findings has shown good agreement for the considered instance. Accordingly, the presented numerical model is capable of estimating the airflow characteristics inside the solar device. Results showed that the placement of obstacles at the collector output favors the performance of an existing solar chimney. The generated power could be enhanced by 11.5% using one obstacle and 14.75% using two obstacles.
An age‐integrated approach to improve measurement of potential spatial accessibility to emergency medical services for urban areas
Authors: Hashtarkhani Soheil , Kiani Behzad , Bergquist Robert , Bagheri Nasser , VafaeiNejad Reza , Tara Mahmood
Published: December 2019

Objective: This study aimed to develop an age‐included approach to measure the potential accessibility to Emergency medical services (EMS) across urban and suburban areas of Mashhad city in Iran.

Methods: We used an improved version of two‐step floating catchment area (2SFCA) and enhanced 2SFCA (E2SFCA) methods to measure the potential accessibility to EMS services with inclusion of age factor. This enabled us to better model accessibility of the older population to the EMS. We used 22 800 records of EMS enquiries from July to September 2018 to evaluate and assess the potential improvement in access to the EMS with incorporating age in the model.

Results: Suburb areas had less potential accessibility compared with central urban due to the high density of EMS stations in the city center areas. Our model showed slight improvement in potential accessibility measurement as a result of the proposed age‐integrated method.

Conclusion: An age‐integrated index of accessibility method takes into account the age distribution of the population in service area is highly associated with actual measures of accessibility to EMS services. Identifying areas with poor access to EMS will help policymakers to design better policy planning to allocate resources and improve provision of EMS services.
Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile of SM‐1, a triple‐drug combination to increase total sleep time
Authors: Dahl Thomas , Chen Lan Bo , Scheinin Mika , Suopanki‐Lalowski Jaana , Valge Marju , Puhakka Antti , Mikola Hannu , Lovró Zsófia , Meierjohann Axel , Vuorilehto Lauri , Roth Thomas
Published: December 2019

Objective

The primary objective was to characterize the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of SM‐1 after administration of a single oral dose to healthy volunteers in a placebo‐controlled double‐blind trial of daytime sedation. Secondary objectives were to determine the onset, duration, and offset of the sedative effects using subjective and objective measures of sedation. Safety and tolerability of SM‐1 were also investigated.

Methods

Males and females 18–45 years of age received SM‐1, a combination drug product comprised of diphenhydramine, zolpidem (delayed release), and lorazepam (delayed release). The pharmacokinetic profile of each drug was determined from blood samples. Sedative effects were assessed by visual analog scale, digit symbol substitution test, memory test, and quantitative electroencephalography.

Results

Similar number and severity of adverse events were observed following administration of SM‐1 and placebo. Onset of sedation, as determined by subjective, performance, and electroencephalography measures, occurred 0.5–1 hr postdose, lasting about 7–7.5 hr. Plasma concentration curves for the two delayed‐release components were altered compared with published data for unmodified drugs. Exposure values obtained with the combination product were in good agreement with published values of the drugs given individually.

Conclusions

SM‐1 was well tolerated and has pharmacologic activity starting within an hour of ingestion, lasting approximately 7–8 hr. Sedative activity was seen with subjective, psychomotor, and electroencephalography assays.
SANITARY QUALITY OF IRRIGATED VEGETABLES IN THE SWAMPY LOWLANDS OF DSCHANG CITY, CAMEROON
Authors: Ntangmo Tsafack Honorine , Temgoua Emile , Njine Thomas
Published: December 2019

In Dschang City, as in Cameroon's secondary cities, waterborne diseases are increasing. Stream waters are used for watering crops. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the health risk of irrigating vegetables (lettuce, carrots and eggplants) in the Dschang lowlands. Escherichia coli, Entamoeba spp. cysts, Ascaris lumbricoides eggs, major elements and trace elements were looked for in the vegetables collected from 18 plots. The results show that market gardening is practised mainly in the lowlands that receive all the untreated waste from the city. Stream waters used for spraying crops contains approximately 4.2 Log (CFU of E. coli) in 100 ml, regardless of the season. Eggs and parasite cysts were detected. The vegetables analysed have a low and acceptable chemical content. Regardless of the season, E. coli found on crops was far above the standards (103 UFCg−1 DM), 5–58 times above. Eggs and parasite cysts were also detected. These parasites and bacteria represent a real risk to consumers and would be partly responsible for the upsurge of waterborne diseases in Dschang City. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systematic in vitro biocompatibility studies of multimodal cellulose nanocrystal and lignin nanoparticles
Authors: Imlimthan Surachet , Correia Alexandra , Figueiredo Patrícia , Lintinen Kalle , Balasubramanian Vimalkumar , Airaksinen Anu J. , Kostiainen Mauri A. , Santos Hélder A. , Sarparanta Mirkka
Published: December 2019

Natural biopolymer nanoparticles (NPs), including nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC) and lignin, have shown potential as scaffolds for targeted drug delivery systems due to their wide availability, cost‐efficient preparation, and anticipated biocompatibility. As both CNC and lignin can potentially cause complications in cell viability assays because of their ability to scatter the emitted light and absorb the assay reagents, we investigated the response of bioluminescent (CellTiter‐Glo®), colorimetric (MTT® and AlamarBlue®), and fluorometric (LIVE/DEAD®) assays for the determination of the biocompatibility of the multimodal CNC and lignin constructs in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages and 4T1 breast adenocarcinoma cell lines. Here, we have developed multimodal CNC and lignin NPs harboring the radiometal chelator 1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane‐1,4,7,10‐tetraacetic acid and the fluorescent dye cyanine 5 for the investigation of nanomaterial biodistribution in vivo with nuclear and optical imaging, which were then used as the model CNC and lignin nanosystems in the cell viability assay comparison. CellTiter‐Glo® based on the detection of ATP‐dependent luminescence in viable cells revealed to be the best assay for both nanoconstructs for its robust linear response to increasing NP concentration and lack of interference from either of the NP types. Both multimodal CNC and lignin NPs displayed low cytotoxicity and favorable interactions with the cell lines, suggesting that they are good candidates for nanosystem development for targeted drug delivery in breast cancer and for theranostic applications. Our results provide useful guidance for cell viability assay compatibility for CNC and lignin NPs and facilitate the future translation of the materials for in vivo applications.
Loss-of-Function Mutations in the ALPL Gene Presenting with Adult Onset Osteoporosis and Low Serum Concentrations of Total Alkaline Phosphatase
Authors: Alonso Nerea , Larraz-Prieto Beatriz , Berg Kathryn , Lambert Zoe , Redmond Paul , Harris Sarah E , Deary Ian J , Pugh Carys , Prendergast James , Ralston Stuart H
Published: December 2019

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by rickets and low circulating concentrations of total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) caused by mutations in ALPL. Severe HPP presents in childhood but milder forms can present in adulthood. The prevalence and clinical features of adult HPP are poorly defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of low serum total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in a clinic-based population of adult osteoporotic patients. We searched for patients with low ALP in a cohort of 3285 patients referred to an osteoporosis clinic over a 10-year period and performed mutation screening of ALPL in those with low ALP (≤40 U/L) on two or more occasions. These individuals were matched with four clinic controls with a normal ALP. We also evaluated the prevalence of low ALP and ALPL mutations in 639 individuals from the general population from the same region. We identified 16/3285 (0.49%) clinic patients with low ALP and 14 (87.5%) had potentially pathogenic variants in ALPL. Eight of these individuals were heterozygous for mutations previously described in HPP and 2 were heterozygous for novel mutations (p.Arg301Trp and p.Tyr101X). These mutations were not found in clinic controls or in the general population. Eight patients with low ALP, including 4 with ALPL mutations, were treated with bisphosphonates for an average of 6.5 years. In these individuals, the rate of fractures during treatment was comparable to that in normal ALP clinic controls who were treated with bisphosphonates. We conclude that heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in ALPL are common in osteoporosis patients with low ALP. Further studies are required to determine how best these individuals should be treated. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
PepPro: A Nonredundant Structure Data Set for Benchmarking Peptide–Protein Computational Docking
Authors: Xu Xianjin , Zou Xiaoqin
Published: December 2019

We present a nonredundant benchmark, coined PepPro, for testing peptide–protein docking algorithms. Currently, PepPro contains 89 nonredundant experimentally determined peptide–protein complex structures, with peptide sequence lengths ranging from 5 to 30 amino acids. The benchmark covers peptides with distinct secondary structures, including helix, partial helix, a mixture of helix and β‐sheet, β‐sheet formed through binding, β‐sheet formed through self‐folding, and coil. In addition, unbound proteins' structures are provided for 58 complexes and can be used for testing the ability of a docking algorithm handling the conformational changes of proteins during the binding process. PepPro should benefit the docking community for the development and improvement of peptide docking algorithms. The benchmark is available at http://zoulab.dalton.missouri.edu/PepPro_benchmark. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Aberrant expression of ADAM9 in ovarian cancer and its clinical significance
Authors: Guo Ting , Yuan Donglan , Lin Mei , Zhu Dandan , Xu Ning , Wang Jun
Published: December 2019

Background

The oncogene a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 9 (ADAM9) was up‐regulated in ovarian cancer tissues, and the present study aims to explore the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of ADAM9 in ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods

A total of 30 paired fresh OC tumor tissues and the paired‐adjacent normal tissue, and 90 formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) OC samples and adjacent normal tissue were collected. The expression of OC in FFPE samples was examined by immunohistochemical methods, and the mRNA expression of ADAM9 in fresh tumor samples was examined by RT‐qPCR methods. Receiver operating characteristics curve was drawn to analyze the potential diagnostic value of ADAM9. Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis was performed to compare the overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS) of the ADAM9 positive and negative OC patients.

Results

The positive rate of ADAM9 in FFPE OC tumor tissue was markedly higher than in the non‐tumorous tissue (61/90 vs 47/90), and increased expression level of ADAM9 may associate with higher histological grade, advanced Figo stage and increased risk of metastasis; moreover, the mRNA expression of ADAM9 was also increased in OC tissue compared with the normal tissue (P < .001), and results of ROC analysis suggested that ADAM9 is a sensitive marker for the diagnosis of OC( AUC 0.8389, 95% confidence interval 0.7333 to 0.9445); finally, increased expression of ADAM9 may indicate decreased OS (P = .004) and DFS (P = .014) of the patients.

Conclusion

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 9 was up‐regulated in OC, and ADAM9 may serve as potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for the diagnosis and treatment of OC.
Extraction and purification of violacein from Yarrowia lipolytica cells using aqueous solutions of surfactants
Authors: Kholany Mariam , Trébulle Pauline , Martins Margarida , Ventura Sónia PM , Nicaud Jean‐Marc , Coutinho João AP
Published: December 2019

BACKGROUND

The demand for colorants from natural bio‐based sources is increasing. Violacein is a natural purple‐blue hydrophobic pigment with interesting bioactivity whose expression in genetically modified Yarrowia lipolytica production was successfully achieved.

RESULTS

In this work, several surfactants were tested in the extraction of violacein from Y. lipolytica cells, and the operational conditions were optimized to maximize the extraction yield. After the optimization, the purification of violacein using aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) composed of Tween 20 and cholinium‐based ionic liquids (ILs) was pursued. The ABS were characterized and applied in the separation of violacein from contaminant proteins, reaching a maximum selectivity of 155 with violacein being fully concentrated in the Tween 20‐rich phase, with 80% of the contaminant proteins present in the extract being removed.

CONCLUSION

This work led to a conceptual downstream process based on a first step of (solid–liquid) extraction and a second step addressing the separation of violacein from contaminant proteins using ABS. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Impact of additional polishing method on physical, micromorphological, and microtopographical properties of conventional composites and bulk fill
Authors: de Fátima Alves da Costa Giovanna , Melo Ana Margarida dos Santos , de Assunção Isauremi Vieira , Borges Boniek Castillo Dutra
Published: December 2019

The objective of this study was to evaluate the surface roughness (SR), contact angle (CA), depth distribution of the charge particles (DDCP), mapping of chemical elements, 3D microtopography (3DM), and the micromorphology of the composites (MOR) of conventional and bulk fill after additional polishing. The specimens were prepared from Filtek Bulk Fill (FBF), Tetric N‐Ceram Bulk Fill (TNCBF), Opus Bulk Fill (OBF), X‐tra Fil (XTFL), Filtek Z250 XT (XT), Grandioso (GRA), Tetric N‐Ceram (TNC), Vittra APS (VT), according to three additional techniques (n = 10): without finishing and polishing, finishing and polishing with abrasive rubbers (Astropol), finishing and polishing with Astropol plus additional polishing with silicon carbide brush. The SR and CA were measured using a profilometer and adapted goniometer, respectively; 3DM used atomic force microscopy (AFM); the micromorphology and DDCP by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the MOR by means of X‐ray dispersive energy spectroscopy (EDS). The SR and CA were analyzed by ANOVA‐two factors and Tukey test (p < .05); the others data were analyzed descriptively. The DDCP of all the resins had an organic matrix rich surface layer and a particulate rich subsurface layer of smaller dimensions. Additional polishing: reduced SR of FBF, VT, TNCBF, and XTFL resins; increased the CA value of the XTFL and decreased of XT. In the analyzes for 3DM, smoother and more uniform surfaces were observed in all a resins. The elements: carbon (predominant), oxygen, silicon, zirconia, and aluminum were present in all composite resins. Therefore, additional polishing improved the surface properties of the resins studied.
Relative Enhanced Diffusivity in Prostate Cancer: Protocol Optimization and Diagnostic Potential
Authors: Billdal Daniel C. , While Peter T. , Selnæs Kirsten M. , Sunoqrot Mohammed R. S. , Langørgen Sverre , Bertilsson Helena , Bathen Tone F. , Elschot Mattijs
Published: December 2019

Background

Relative enhanced diffusivity (RED) is a potential biomarker for indirectly measuring perfusion in tissue using diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with 3 b values.

Purpose

To optimize the RED MRI protocol for the prostate, and to investigate its potential for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis.

Study Type

Prospective.

Population

Ten asymptomatic healthy volunteers and 35 patients with clinical suspicion of PCa.

Sequence

3T T2‐ and diffusion‐weighted MRI with b values: b = 0, 50, [100], 150, [200], 250, [300], 400, 800 s/mm2 (values in brackets were only used for patients).

Assessment

Monte Carlo simulations were performed to assess noise sensitivity of RED as a function of intermediate b value. Volunteers were scanned 3 times to assess repeatability of RED. Patient data were used to investigate RED's potential for discriminating between biopsy‐confirmed cancer and healthy tissue, and between true and false positive radiological findings.

Statistical Tests

Within‐subject coefficient of variation (WCV) to assess repeatability and receiver‐operating characteristic curve analysis and logistic regression to assess diagnostic performance of RED.

Results

The repeatability was acceptable (WCV = 0.2‐0.3) for all intermediate b values tested, apart from b = 50 s/mm2 (WCV = 0.3‐0.4). The simulated RED values agreed well with the experimental data, showing that an intermediate b value between 150‐250 s/mm2 minimizes noise sensitivity in both peripheral zone (PZ) and transition zone (TZ). RED calculated with the b values 0, 150 and 800 s/mm2 was significantly higher in tumors than in healthy tissue in both PZ (P < 0.001, area under the curve [AUC] = 0.85) and PZ + TZ (P < 0.001, AUC = 0.84). RED was shown to aid apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating between false‐positive findings and true‐positive PCa in the PZ (AUC; RED = 0.71, ADC = 0.74, RED+ADC = 0.77).

Data Conclusion

RED is a repeatable biomarker that may have value for prostate cancer diagnosis. An intermediate b value in the range of 150‐250 s/mm2 minimizes the influence of noise and maximizes repeatability.

Level of Evidence: 2

Technical Efficacy Stage: 1

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:1900–1910.
Preconditioning of the precipitation interannual variability in southern Mexico and Central America by oceanic and atmospheric anomalies
Authors: Straffon Alejandra , Zavala‐Hidalgo Jorge , Estrada Francisco
Published: December 2019

The interannual variability of precipitation in southern Mexico, northwestern Central America, and part of the northeastern tropical Pacific and its relation with previous oceanic and atmospheric anomalies are studied using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System Reanalysis data for 1979–2015. The rainy season over the study region was divided into three intraseasonal phases: before, during, and after the mid‐summer drought. The interannual precipitation anomalies between the three phases are significantly correlated with each other, although there are years in which the precipitation anomalies for different phases differ in their sign. The interannual variability of the precipitation in this region is closely related with previous oceanic and atmospheric anomalies that occurred in the 60–31 days before the beginning of each phase. Multilinear regression models, between precipitation anomalies and previous anomalies of oceanic and atmospheric variables, explain 49, 60, and 55% of the variance of the precipitation interannual variability for the respective phase. Within a phase, in more than 76% of the cases, the estimated precipitation anomalies had the correct sign but in most cases their amplitude, irrespective of sign, were underestimated, as is expected from a regression model which aims to estimate the conditional mean. The more relevant processes associated with the interannual variability of precipitation in the study area are the westward displacement and strengthening of the North Atlantic Subtropical High, the meridional displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and the strength of the Caribbean Low‐Level Jet. In general, the mechanisms that explain interannual variability of precipitation are the same through the phases. However, the magnitude of the anomalies and the size of the regions evolve in time in a particular way for each variable.
Ultra‐small and abundant: Candidate phyla radiation bacteria are potential catalysts of carbon transformation in a thermokarst lake ecosystem
Authors: Vigneron Adrien , Cruaud Perrine , Langlois Valérie , Lovejoy Connie , Culley Alexander I. , Vincent Warwick F.
Published: December 2019

The candidate phyla radiation (CPR) is a diverse group of uncultured bacterial lineages with poorly understood metabolic functions. CPR bacteria can represent a large proportion of the total planktonic microbial community in subarctic thermokarst lakes, but their functional roles remain unexplored. We applied sequential water filtration and metagenomic shotgun sequencing to a peatland permafrost thaw lake, and found high proportions of CPR bacteria in both summer and winter (> 40% of 16S rRNA reads in the 0.02–0.22 μm pore‐size fraction). The metagenome‐assembled genomes of CPR bacteria representatives showed capacities to degrade and ferment permafrost‐ and peatland‐derived organic matter. Potential products of their metabolic activities included acetate, CO2, and hydrogen, implying a syntrophic relationship with other community members, including methanogens and methanotrophs. The results indicate biogeochemical interdependencies in organic matter utilization within thermokarst microbial communities, with CPR members playing a key intermediate role in carbon and methane cycling.
Segmental uniparental disomy of chromosome 4 in a patient with methylmalonic acidemia
Authors: Chen Min , Hao Hu , Xiong Hui , Cai Yao , Ma Fei , Shi Congcong , Xiao Xin , Li Sitao
Published: December 2019

Background

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder involving the metabolism of organic acids.

Methods

Here, we report the case of a patient who developed acute metabolic crisis after vaccination and was diagnosed with cblA type MMA after hospitalization.

Results

Further examination revealed a homozygous pathogenic variant in the MMAA gene that caused the disease in the patient but did not conform to Mendelian inheritance. Using chromosomal microarray analysis, maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) was found on chromosome 4q26‐q35.2 of the patient. The MMAA gene of the patient was inherited only from the mother and carried the same pathogenic variant on both alleles of chromosome 4. MMAA gene expression levels in whole blood were detected by real‐time PCR.

Conclusion

The nonsense pathogenic variant, NM_172250.2:c.742C>T (p.Gln248*), carried by the patient leads to a premature termination of transcription of the gene, thereby resulting in partial loss of protein function while retaining some others. Segmental UPD 4 is rare, and to our knowledge, has not been reported previously.
A novel lightweight and low‐loss stripline with embedded air cavity
Authors: Cong You‐Ji , Chang De‐Jie , Cheng Hai‐Rong , Li Jiang , Wu Shao‐Peng
Published: December 2019

This article presents a novel structure of stripline which is made of sandwich structure composed of printed circuit board (PCB) and polymethacrylimide foam, and a loss reduction design is carried out. Compared with the traditional air stripline structure, the weight of proposed structure is reduced by more than 80% with the transmission loss slightly increases. The transmission loss of this stripline structure is significantly lower than that of PCB and low‐temperature cofired ceramic stripline structure. A section of transmission line is fabricated and measured for verification; the measured results are in good agreement with the theoretical simulation, and it shows about 0.1 dB per 100 mm of transmission loss at C band.
Comparison of MRI and motor evoked potential with triple stimulation technique for the detection of brachial plexus abnormalities in multifocal motor neuropathy
Authors: Corazza Giovanni , Le Corroller Thomas , Grapperon Aude‐Marie , Salort‐Campana Emmanuelle , Verschueren Annie , Attarian Shahram , Delmont Emilien
Published: December 2019

Background

Conduction blocks (CB) are the diagnostic hallmark of multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). Conventional nerve conduction studies cannot detect CB above Erb's point. Our purpose was to compare the performance of the motor evoked potential with triple stimulation technique (MEP‐TST) and MRI in the detection of abnormalities of the brachial plexus.

Methods

Examinations were performed on 26 patients with MMN (11 definite, 6 probable, 9 possible), of whom 7 had no CB.

Results

MEP‐TST detected proximal CB in 19/26 patients. Plexus MRI showed T2 hyperintensity in 18/26 patients, with nerve enlargement in 14/18. A combination of both techniques increased the detection rate of brachial plexus abnormalities to 96% of patients (25/26).

Conclusions

MEP‐TST and MRI have high sensitivities for detecting brachial plexus abnormalities. A combination of the two techniques increases the detection rate of supportive criteria for the diagnosis of MMN.
Extraction of artefactual MRS patterns from a large database using non‐negative matrix factorization
Authors: Hernández‐Villegas Yanisleydis , Ortega‐Martorell Sandra , Arús Carles , Vellido Alfredo , Julià‐Sapé Margarida
Published: December 2019

Despite the success of automated pattern recognition methods in problems of human brain tumor diagnostic classification, limited attention has been paid to the issue of automated data quality assessment in the field of MRS for neuro‐oncology. Beyond some early attempts to address this issue, the current standard in practice is MRS quality control through human (expert‐based) assessment. One aspect of automatic quality control is the problem of detecting artefacts in MRS data. Artefacts, whose variety has already been reviewed in some detail and some of which may even escape human quality control, have a negative influence in pattern recognition methods attempting to assist tumor characterization. The automatic detection of MRS artefacts should be beneficial for radiology as it guarantees more reliable tumor characterizations, as well as the development of more robust pattern recognition‐based tumor classifiers and more trustable MRS data processing and analysis pipelines. Feature extraction methods have previously been used to help distinguishing between good and bad quality spectra to apply subsequent supervised pattern recognition techniques. In this study, we apply feature extraction differently and use a variant of a method for blind source separation, namely Convex Non‐Negative Matrix Factorization, to unveil MRS signal sources in a completely unsupervised way. We hypothesize that, while most sources will correspond to the different tumor patterns, some of them will reflect signal artefacts. The experimental work reported in this paper, analyzing a combined short and long echo time 1H‐MRS database of more than 2000 spectra acquired at 1.5T and corresponding to different tumor types and other anomalous masses, provides a first proof of concept that points to the possible validity of this approach.
Effects and effectiveness of lethal shark hazard management: The Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program, NSW, Australia
Authors: Gibbs Leah , Fetterplace Lachlan , Rees Matthew , Hanich Quentin
Published: December 2019

‘Shark attack’ presents a considerable social‐environmental challenge. Each year a small number of people are injured or killed by shark bite. Concurrently, sharks and other marine life are subject to unprecedented anthropogenic pressures.

Shark hazard management varies globally, but lethal strategies are common, with negative consequences for species and environments. Of particular concern are the effects for threatened species.

Lethal strategies have recently come under criticism, based on the negative effects for marine life, effectiveness for human safety and inconsistency with contemporary values. Moves to improve both safety and conservation can be hindered by polarized debate.

We present a case study of the world's longest‐running lethal shark hazard management program, the Shark Meshing (Bather Protection) Program, New South Wales, Australia. We take an interdisciplinary approach to bring into conversation factors that contribute to safety and conservation outcomes. To date, most research focuses on one or other of these areas. We seek to synthesize the factors that are not previously considered in relation to each other.

Our aims were to: (a) identify and critique the diverse factors that determine the outcomes of the program; (b) assess the negative effects of the program for sharks and other marine life; and (c) assess the effectiveness of the program for reducing threat of shark interactions.

We find that: (a) multiple social and environmental factors contribute to program outcomes; (b) total shark numbers and populations of key target species – white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) – have declined over the program's 80 years, as have a number of non‐target species; (c) incidence of shark bite has declined since the program's introduction, but two external points warrant attention.

First, key factors influencing the shark bite incidence are frequently overlooked, namely changing cultures of beach‐ and ocean‐use, advances in beach patrol, and emergency and medical response. Second, the proportion of bites leading to fatality has decreased significantly in recent decades.

Beach patrol and emergency response contribute to human safety and well‐being without the negative consequences of lethal strategies. As such, they offer a focus for future shark hazard management and research.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Electromagnetic wave characteristics of composite frequency selective surfaces with patch‐grid‐patch type structure fabricated by e‐beam deposition
Authors: Kim Jinyul , Kang Choonghyun , Hong Sungnam
Published: December 2019

In this study, a new method of fabricating a composite frequency selective surface (FSS) using an e‐beam evaporator is proposed. The FSS is designed and fabricated as a part of the structure surface. A new concept of FSSs integrated into a composite skin structure provides a design that is electrically and structurally effective. This manufacturing process has the advantage of direct application of FSS function in a real structural surface with varied conformal skin. The multilayered FSSs of the patch‐grid‐patch type consist of a copper layer as a capacitive or inductive surface on a glass/epoxy pre‐impregnated (prepreg) substrate. The copper layer forming the FSS is manufactured using the e‐beam deposition on a glass/epoxy prepreg. The bandwidth of the designed FSS increases three times. The difference between the simulated and the measured results is due to the different evanescent wave interactions between the capacitive layers and inductive layer such as the local misalignment of the patch and grid, size of the specimen, and change in the thickness of the dielectric substrate after the manufacturing process. The bandwidth is successfully modified by correcting the design parameters such as the period, patch gap, grid width, and dielectric thickness. The band‐pass filtering and skirt characteristics appear in the experimental results, which agree well with the simulated results. This method is remarkably simple, and the manufactured FSS can function as both a structural skin and an FSS. Moreover, it has the merit of manufacturing simplicity and realization of structural shape.
Enhanced mechanical property, thermal and electrical conductivity of natural rubber/graphene nanosheets nanocomposites
Authors: Qin Hongmei , Deng Chaoran , Lu Shengjun , Yang Yong , Guan Guichao , Liu Zhen , Yu Qiuhao
Published: December 2019

Graphene nanosheets (GNs) were prepared by supercritical solvent intercalation method and cyclic stripping method under high pressure and stress. This “non‐chemical method” reduces impurities and avoids the destruction of graphene's intrinsic structure. In order to decrease the secondary stacking in processing, firstly GNs were dispersed in natural rubber (NR) latex to prepare NR/GNs concentrated master batch, and then combined with solid NR by mechanical blending. Since GNs have good dispersion in rubber matrix, a strong intermolecular force is formed between GNs and NR. Tensile strength, elongation at break, stress at 100% strain, stress at 300% strain, and tear strength of NR/GNs nanocomposites with 2 wt% GNs are enhanced 59.53%, 17.85%, 67.07%, 80.12% and19.20% respectively compared with NR. With more GNs, the NR/GNs nanocomposites exhibit lower Tg and better thermal stability. When the content of GNs in NR/GNs nanocomposites reaches 2 wt%, the Tg of nanocomposites drops about 2°C, and the remaining carbon at 600°C of nanocomposites increase by 3.07%. Moreover, It is demonstrated that the NR filled with 2 wt% GNs possess excellent thermal conductivity of 0.24 W m−1 K−1，which is a 50% increment compared with pure NR. Meanwhile, the electrical conductivity of the composites increases by four orders of magnitude than that of pure NR. These results clearly indicate that GNs can be expected to be manufactured at large scale and utilized in heat‐conducting and antistatic rubber.
The Effect of Different Smoke Suppressants with APP for Enhancing the Flame Retardancy and Smoke Suppression on Vinyl Ester Resin
Authors: Zhang Xin , Zhang Weiwei , Zeng Gaofeng , Du Jianxin , Zhang Wenchao , Yang Rongjie
Published: December 2019

Flame retarded and smoke suppressed vinyl ester resin (VER) were prepared through ammonium polyphosphate (APP) coupled with different smoke suppressants. The flame retardancy of these composites was tested by the limiting oxygen index and UL‐94 tests. The typical combustion parameters including heat release rate (HRR), peak of HRR (p‐HRR), total heat release, smoke production rate, and total smoke production were detected using a cone calorimeter. The smoke suppressants CaCO3, ZnMoO4, Cu2O, and Fe2O3 show different effect on flame retardancy and smoke suppression of VER composites when they are coupled with APP, the synergistic action of APP and CaCO3 is more effective on decreasing the HRR and smoke release rate than several other smoke suppressants. This is attributed to the fact that CaCO3 could promote the formation of a dense carbon layer with high thermal stability and anti‐oxidation property, which could act as an effective physical barrier. The flame retardant performances and mechanisms of APP and CaCO3 were evaluated and analyzed at length by thermogravimetric coupled with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, and X‐ray diffraction. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60: 314–322, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Charge‐Functionalized and Structurally Enhanced (Cryo)Hybrids from Acrylic (Co)Monomers and Kaolin: Altering Physicochemical Properties via Cryotropic Gelation
Authors: Tanc Beril , Orakdogen Nermin
Published: December 2019

The potential to improve mechanical, structural, and mechanochemical properties of charge‐functionalized poly(N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA)‐based hybrid cryogels is investigated. The simple and versatile synthesis of hybrid cryogels with high strength and toughness using cationic DMAEMA and ionic comonomer 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propane sulfonic acid has been proposed viain situfree‐radical crosslinking (cryo)polymerization by which the properties of virgin polymer can be modulated to required applications by incorporation of inorganic filler kaolin (KLN). Two factors affecting swelling and elasticity of hybrid gels (referred as PDA/KLNm), KLN content and gel preparation temperature, are studied. The optimum KLN concentration for desired swelling and modulus of elasticity is determined as 0.80% (w/v). Effective crosslinking density of hybrid hydrogels increases with KLN addition and this dependence is expressed by a quadratic polynomial as a function of KLN concentration. The results show that obtained hybrid gels with multiresponsive properties could be regarded as “smart materials” in sensing and actuation applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys.2019, 57, 1758–1778
Influence of submeso motions on scalar oscillations and surface energy balance
Authors: Stefanello Michel , Cava Daniela , Giostra Umberto , Acevedo Otávio , Degrazia Gervasio , Anfossi Domenico , Mortarini Luca
Published: December 2019

The presence of wave‐like structures in the planetary boundary layer and their influence on the scalar fluxes and on the surface energy balance were investigated analyzing one year of continuous measurements collected in southern Brazil. Submeso oscillating patterns in the wind velocity components, temperature and scalar (CO, HO) concentrations were isolated using their auto‐correlation functions. The analysis showed that low wind speeds are necessary to trigger wavy motions. During night‐time, in the presence of large vertical temperature gradients, horizontal meandering and internal gravity waves are dominant features of the stable boundary layer. Furthermore, a significant number of meandering cases were identified also during daytime in neutral conditions associated with low values of net radiation. One case‐study showed how, during daytime, the wave‐like patterns may be triggered by variations in the net radiation. Spectral analysis on the whole dataset showed that oscillations in the wind velocity and temperature field are frequently associated with CO and HO wavy patterns with similar time‐scales. These non‐turbulent oscillations produce unpredictable large‐scale contributions to vertical fluxes of temperature and scalar concentrations. The energy budget analysis showed how the choice of a proper averaging time filters out these contributions and improves the energy budget closure, as well as the estimation of the net ecosystem exchange. The results confirm the influence of submeso motions in scalar dispersion, flux patterns and surface energy balance during low wind speed conditions and stable stratification.
Effect of reducing sample volume on the detection of drugs in urine by transmission mode direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry
Authors: Liang Paul , Li Frederick , Laramee Brittany , Musselman Brian
Published: December 2019

Rationale

Matrix interference attributed to urea and other nitrogenous substances in unprocessed urine is significant. In this study desorption ionization of sub‐microliter volume samples is performed in an effort to improve the detection of drugs in unprocessed urine using transmission mode‐direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (TM‐DART‐MS).

Methods

Urine samples were spiked with analytical standards of two drugs of abuse, codeine and methadone. Various sub‐microliter volumes of unprocessed urine were deposited onto wire mesh screen consumables and analyzed using TM‐DART for desorption ionization and a high‐resolution mass spectrometer operated in full scan mode for mass analysis. A 22 factorial design of experiment (DOE) was employed to examine the effects of sample volume and sample introduction speed to the DART source.

Results

Results from analysis of one microliter and sub‐microliter sample volumes were compared by measuring the signal produced by TM‐DART‐MS. Based on an α of 0.05, the lower‐volume samples yielded spectra where the abundance of urea and creatinine ions was reduced, thus significantly improving the TM‐DART‐MS signal for drugs of abuse. Using slower sample introduction speeds increased the time during which the sample was exposed to the heated ionization gas, resulting in a significant increase in the TM‐DART‐MS signal.

Conclusions

Reducing the sample volume to sub‐microliter levels improved the detection of drugs of abuse present as either individual or multiple components of the untreated urine. The improved signal demonstrates the potential for using sub‐microliter volumes for screening drugs in urine without the need for chromatography or sample pretreatment.
New perspectives on horizontal to vertical well ratios for site cleanup
Authors: Laton W. Richard
Published: December 2019

Directional drilling has been used for a variety of purposes, including utilities, dewatering, and remedial activities. Using this method for site cleanup versus traditional vertical extraction wells needs to be considered based upon today's remedial challenges. Traditionally, it has been stated that a single horizontal well can substitute for up to 11 vertical wells. This “rule” is arbitrary, since length and depth of the plume, surface access, and hydrogeological conditions must be considered. A better way to evaluate the cost‐benefit of a horizontal versus vertical well system is a predicted zone of influence using a mathematical and hydrogeological approach, as described herein.