bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy consumption of small-since mixers in emulsification processes
Authors: Shulaev N S , Laponov S V , Shulaeva T V , Bondar’ K E
Published: May 2020

There is given a common method of calculation of power consumptions for emulsification at systems liquid-liquid in low volume mixing devices (rotary pulsating apparatuses and rotor-disc mixers) in this Article. Named mixing devices shown a high efficiency at processing of liquid-liquid systems and are widely used at chemical processes. It is shown that at determination of energy consumptions it is need to take in account energy dissipation processes, caused by viscous friction forces, which affect a significant influence at high gradients of speeds turbulent motion. It is obtained the ratio, which connects an angular velocity of rotor rotation of mixing device and a characteristic size of dispersed phase particles of a mixing device. There are given an experimental equations of consumed power of rotor-disc mixers on rotor rotations number and characteristic sizes of dispersed particles for th system water and diesel fuel. Also it is known that in decrease of dispersed particles size and in increase of volume consumption of the processed mixture, the consumed power is increase, and it due to the fact by increase energy consumption for creation of interphase surface.
Assessment of air pollution trends in Krasnoyarsk using indicators of sustainable development
Authors: Tokarev A V , Shaparev N Ya
Published: May 2020

This paper studies the state of atmosphere in Krasnoyarsk (Russia) in terms of sustainable development indicators based on data from State reports ‘On the state and protection of environment in the Krasnoyarsk Territory’ for the period from 2007 through to 2018. Gross emissions, their structure and dynamics as well as atmospheric pollution indexes are analyzed.
The energy industry in Russia: assessment of the state, problems and prospects
Authors: Sheveleva Oksana B , Slesarenko Ekaterina V , Mamzina Tatiana F , Vagina Nina D
Published: May 2020

An assessment of the state and the problems of the development of the energy sector of Russian industry, which plays an important role in ensuring both the country’s energy and national security, are presented in the article. In the course of the analysis, a number of positive aspects were identified that characterize the increase in the efficiency of the research industry, namely, there has been an increase in labor productivity, overall savings in energy resources used for own needs have been noted, and environmental profiles of enterprises have improved. However, along with this, a number of negative trends are revealed, the most significant of which authors consider to be: the growth of unprofitable enterprises, the decrease in solvency and current financial stability due to the significant exposure of the industry to opportunistic and seasonal fluctuations, as well as the persistent negative impact of the industry on the environment. An important feature of the energy sector of Russian economy is the lack of positive dynamics in increasing renewable energy sources in the total volume of its production, which does not allow talking about a significant increase in environmental security in this industry. The authors associate the perspective directions of the Russian energy sector development with the need to increase the share of renewable energy sources, and the development of the industry using traditional sources should be based on the interconnection of three important components: economic feasibility, resource endowment, and environmental acceptance.
Analysis of the use of methanol with a pilot portion diesel fuel
Authors: Chuvashev A N , Chuprakov A I
Published: May 2020

Due to the depletion of oil fuel reserves, the deterioration of the environmental situation in many countries and the global problem of climate warming, there is a need to develop and use alternative, renewable fuels. In Kirov, at the Vyatka state agricultural academy, at the Department of thermal engines, automobiles and tractors, research on the use of alternative fuels has been conducted for many years. The article presents an analysis of the use of alcohol fuel (methanol) with a pilot portion of diesel fuel according to the economic and energy indicators of diesel 2CH 10.5/12.0 depending on the change in the speed of rotation of the crankshaft.
Problem analysis of improving the environmental performance of public transport
Authors: Ugarova L A , Kravtsova E A , Danilina N E
Published: May 2020

The transport system of any locality raises a number of environmental problems: atmospheric, hydrological, lithosphere and noise pollution. Due to the fact that the exhaust gas of gasoline engines contains a large amount of harmful substances, many manufacturers of passenger transport do not consider gasoline as the fuel of the future and alternative fuels are increasingly being used in world practice. This paper analyzes the problem of improving the environmental performance of public transport, provides solutions to the problem of air pollution in various developed countries, formulates the most important criteria for the design of environmentally friendly buses and presents a hybrid bus model using an exhaust turbine running on ethanol, based on an analysis of the design city buses of various manufacturing companies.
Inhomogeneous pollution by particulate matter of the atmospheric surface layer of the Oktyabrsky district of the city of Krasnoyarsk in 2019
Authors: Zavorueva E N , Zavoruev V V
Published: May 2020

Using the air monitoring system of the Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of the SB RAS, the nature of the atmospheric surface layer pollution by particulate matter (PM2.5) in the Oktyabrsky district of the millionth industrial city was studied. The average annual and seasonal concentrations of PM2.5 were determined in the area where six air monitoring stations are located. Statistical analysis showed that the distribution of PM2.5 in the air is uneven in the Oktyabrsky district of Krasnoyarsk. In the summer air pollution was caused by the smoke of large-scale forest fires in the northeastern regions of Siberia.
Matrix model of energy audit
Authors: Izmailov E B , Amuzade A S , Tankovich T I , Shevchenko V V
Published: May 2020

The work attempts to build a mathematical model of energy audit as an activity associated with a complex of technical, organizational and economic events. Measures of these events are aimed to identify the possibility of cost-effective optimization of the consumption of energy resources at industrial enterprises. The goal of the energy audit is to identify sources of wasteful energy consumption and energy losses, to develop a comprehensive energy saving program, and to increase energy efficiency. The logical basis of the activity under consideration is the presentation of the cobination of energy and material flows in the enterprise, as a set of connected graphs. The number of graphs considered is determined by the many types of material and energy flows (electricity, thermal energy, enterprise products, etc). The node of the graph, depending on the details of the description, can be either an entire enterprise, which will be a set of interacting enterprises, or a workshop, or installation, etc.
Ensuring the safety and reliability of automated manufacturing processes of hazardous industries
Authors: Kovalev I V , Kusnetsov P A , Losev V V , Saramud M V , Voroshilova A A , Andronov A S
Published: May 2020

The paper describes one of the approaches to solving the problem of ensuring the reliability of automated manufacturing system of hazardous chemical plants using various hazardous chemicals in the production processes. Exposure to these substances can be harmful to personnel and infrastructure. Our goal is to create an automated manufacturing system that ensures not only fault-free operation, but also the safety of automated manufacturing systems of hazardous chemical plants. Depending on the type and specifics of the hazardous production, the automated manufacturing system should have a certain integral level of safety. We have developed a method for analyzing system reliability, taking into account many reliability indicators. The proposed method, considering the target probability of failure-free operation of the entire system and the probability of failure-free operation of the hazardous module required for the desired integral level of safety, determines the target probability of failure-free operation of all the system modules. It also provides for the inclusion of not only functional modules into the system, but also modules that block failures and dangerous effects. The paper considers an example of chemical production, however, the proposed method is applicable to a wide range of technological processes of hazardous industries.
Fabrication and characterization of Schottky barrier diodes on rutile TiO2
Authors: Bonkerud Julie , Zimmermann Christian , Weiser Philip Michael , Aarholt Thomas , Verhoeven Espen Førdestrøm , Vines Lasse , Monakhov Eduard V , Herklotz Frank
Published: May 2020

Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) were fabricated by depositing Pd, Pt or Ni on single crystal, conductive n-type rutile TiO2 using e-beam evaporation. As-grown and nominally undoped rutile TiO2 single crystals are semi-insulating, and were heat-treated in forming gas flow, N2 flow or H2 gas to obtain conductive n-type crystals displaying electrical conductivities in the range of

(
0.5
−
8
)
×

10

−
2

Ω

−
1

cm

−
1

. Additionally, SBDs were deposited on Nb-doped conductive n-type rutile TiO2 with a conductivity of around

0.25

Ω

−
1

cm

−
1

. Generally, SBDs displaying a rectification of up to eight orders of magnitude were obtained, when comparing the current under reverse and forward bias. The extracted ideality factors were in the range of

1.1
−
4.0

. From Capacitance-Voltage measurements, the built-in voltage was derived to be around

1.2

V
–
1.9

V

, depending on the doping concentration of the specific TiO2 single crystal. Series resistances as low as

19

Ω

were achieved. A considerable variation in the electrical characteristics of different SBDs deposited on the same crystal was found, regardless of the metal or doping strategy used. Moreover, the SBD characteristics change over time, particularly seen as a degradation in rectification, mainly related to an increase in the current under reverse bias. Additional surface treatments such as boiling in H2O2 and etching in HF do not have a significant effect on the quality of the SBDs. Clear indications for poor adhesion between TiO2 and Pd are shown. In conclusion, we demonstrate the fabrication of SBDs which are suitable for studying the fundamental properties of metal/TiO2 junctions and the characteristics of electrically-active defects in TiO2 using space-charge spectroscopy.
Effect of trace La on microstructure and properties of Cu–Cr–In alloys
Authors: Xie Haofeng , Zhang Wenjing , Huang Shuhui , Chen Huiming , Wang Hang , Yang Zhen , Peng Lijun , Yang Bin
Published: May 2020

The strength and conductivity of Cu–Cr–In alloys with trace La and different processing states were compared. Then, the influence of La on the structure and properties of the Cu–Cr–In alloy and the associated mechanisms were analyzed. The mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of the alloy were investigated via scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and tensile strength measurements. The results showed that the addition of 0.07wt% La to the Cu–Cr–In alloy had the effect of purifying the alloy melt and removing impurities, which improved the electrical conductivity of the alloy. However, the formation of rare earth intermetallic compounds reduced the tensile strength of the Cu–Cr–In–La alloy. After thermomechanical treatment, the Cu–Cr–In–La alloy reached a peak strength of 457 MPa and a conductivity of 85% IACS.
Influence of high-energy shot peening on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V welded joints
Authors: Xiaomei He , Guodong Song , Xiaoya Zhu
Published: May 2020

In this study, Ti–6Al–4V welded joints were subjected to a high-energy shot peening (HESP) treatment. The structural characteristics of the Ti–6Al–4V welded joints were investigated by optical microscopy (OM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The Rockwell hardness and residual stress in different regions of the Ti–6Al–4V welded joints were assessed before and after treatment. Tension tests were then performed to investigate the effect of HESP on the welded samples. Experimental results showed that an Surface nanocrystallization (SNC) layer can be prepared on a Ti–6Al–4V welded joint via HESP. The average grain size of the SNC layer was approximately 30 nm after HESP. HESP also resulted in a higher surface hardness compared with that of the original sample. After treatment, surface compressive residual stresses formed in welded joints, and the residual peak stress of the weld zone was decreased from 650 MPa to −638 MPa. The surface hardness and surface residual stress were distributed more uniformly on the surface of the welded joint. After treatment, the tensile properties were improved.
Charge/discharge cycling of Li1+x(Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2)1−xO2 primary particles performed in a liquid microcell for transmission electron microscopy studies
Authors: Hou Jing , Freiberg Anna , Shen Tzu-Hsien , Girod Robin , Gonthier Julien , Kim Sung-Jin , Maglia Filippo , Gasteiger Hubert A , Tileli Vasiliki
Published: May 2020

Ni-rich layered oxides are promising positive electrodes for fulfillment of government and industry targets for lithium-ion-battery-operated electric mobility purposes. Apart from ongoing research focusing on their design and material production, advanced characterization techniques can provide valuable insights on their stabilization by monitoring in situ the degradation mechanisms. Herein, we use liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy to examine the effects of electrochemical stimuli on Ni-rich oxide cathodes by introducing an optimized micro-scale battery configuration. Ball-milled Li1+x(Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2)1−xO2 (NCM622) particles were cycled against a delithiated LiFePO4 anode and the effects of different cycling methods were investigated. We show that commonly used cyclic voltammetry measurements at high scan rates cannot be used to simulate battery operation in situ due to geometry limitations of the cell that inhibits Li ion transport. However, using galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling and introducing a pause every 10 cycles for a total of 50 cycles results in degradation in the form of Mn and Co ion dissolution from the first 20 nm of the surface. Our results suggest that although performing battery cycling using liquid cell electron microscopy may differ from the case of coin cells, by tuning the electrochemical profiles used similar degradation mechanisms can be attained.
Zinc oxide nanoparticles decorated fluorescent and antibacterial glass fiber pre-filter paper
Authors: Gupta Anadi , Mishra Vishal , Srivastava Rohit
Published: May 2020

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO–NPs) were synthesized and decorated simultaneously onto the glass fiber pre-filter paper (GF paper) by the sonochemical method without using any additional reagents (a ‘Green’ synthesis approach). ZnO–NPs decorated GF paper was characterized by electron, confocal laser scanning and atomic force microscopy, fourier transform infrared and atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis etc. Due to the massive void volume space, exceptional dimensional stability, large thickness (790 μm) of the GF paper (unlike other paper materials) and ultrasonic irradiation effects, ZnO–NPs were decorated in the enormous amount (96 mg per paper) without causing any adverse effects on the GF paper. Such a huge amount decoration onto GF paper makes it multifunctional, fluorescencet (orange-pink color, 535–624 nm) under ultra-violet light (360 nm) and antibacterial. The antibacterial activity of the ZnO–NPs decorated GF paper was examined against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis 168 and Staphylococcus aureus (MCC 2043, pathogenic). The outcomes from the antibacterial experiments revealed ∼99% (2 log) reduction in the survival of the filtered bacteria (B. subtilis) on the ZnO–NPs decorated GF paper due to the toxicity of ZnO–NPs on bacterial cells like cell shrinkage, cytoplasmic leakage, cell burst, etc. Multifunctional, ZnO–NPs decorated GF paper could be used for fluorescencet and antibacterial paper-based applications.
Freedom of assembly: metabolic enzymes come together
Authors: Simonet Jacqueline C. , Burrell Anika L. , Kollman Justin M. , Peterson Jeffrey R.
Published: May 2020

Many different enzymes in intermediate metabolism dynamically assemble filamentous polymers in cells, often in response to changes in physiological conditions. Most of the enzyme filaments known to date have only been observed in cells, but in a handful of cases structural and biochemical studies have revealed the mechanisms and consequences of assembly. In general, enzyme polymerization functions as a mechanism to allosterically tune enzyme kinetics, and it may play a physiological role in integrating metabolic signaling. Here, we highlight some principles of metabolic filaments by focusing on two well-studied examples in nucleotide biosynthesis pathways—inosine-5’-monophosphate (IMP) dehydrogenase and cytosine triphosphate (CTP) synthase.
Reorganization of budding yeast cytoplasm upon energy depletion
Authors: Marini Guendalina , Nüske Elisabeth , Leng Weihua , Alberti Simon , Pigino Gaia
Published: May 2020

Yeast responds to energy depletion with a rapid cytoplasmic reorganization that includes cytosol compaction and de novo formation of membraneless compartments. The reversible polymerization of eIF2B into filamentous assemblies suggests a mechanism of translational control that allows cells to move quickly back and forth between response states.
Globalization: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Steger Manfred B.
Published: May 2020

Globalization: A Very Short Introduction looks at the interconnected and accelerated processes changing how we see and experience the world. Is globalization really a new phenomenon? Is increased connection between people and nations inevitable, or are we witnessing the beginning of an era of ‘deglobalization’ or ‘anti-globalization’? Updated with new developments including advancing climate change, the Trump presidency, and the Mexico–USA border, this VSI explores the history and impact of globalization. Chapters on the cultural, economic, political, and ecological dimensions of globalization investigate the impact of new technologies, economic deregulation, and mass migration on our world and consider what we might expect from the future of globalization.
An experimental investigation of how intraspecific competition and phenotypic plasticity can promote the evolution of novel, complex phenotypes
Authors: Levis Nicholas A , Fuller Carly G , Pfennig David W
Published: May 2020

Intraspecific competition has long been considered a key driver of evolutionary diversification, but whether it can also promote evolutionary innovation is less clear. Here we examined the interplay between competition and phenotypic plasticity in fuelling the origins of a novel, complex phenotype – a distinctive carnivore morph found in spadefoot toad tadpoles (genus Spea) that specializes on fairy shrimp. We specifically sought to explore the possible origins of this phenotype by providing shrimp to Scaphiopus holbrookii tadpoles (the sister genus to Spea that does not produce carnivores) while subjecting them to competition for their standard diet of detritus. Previous research had shown that this species will eat shrimp when detritus is limited, and that these shrimp-fed individuals produce features that are redolent of a rudimentary Spea carnivore. In this study, we found that: (1) behavioural and morphological plasticity enabled some individuals to expand their diet to include shrimp; (2) there was heritable variation in this plasticity; and (3) individuals received a growth and development benefit by eating shrimp. Thus, novel resource use can arise via plasticity as an adaptive response to intraspecific competition. More generally, our results show how competition and plasticity may interact to pave the way for the evolution of complex, novel phenotypes, such as the distinctive carnivore morph in present-day Spea.
Building Natural History Collections for the Twenty-First Century and Beyond
Authors: Miller Sara E , Barrow Lisa N , Ehlman Sean M , Goodheart Jessica A , Greiman Stephen E , Lutz Holly L , Misiewicz Tracy M , Smith Stephanie M , Tan Milton , Thawley Christopher J , Cook Joseph A , Light Jessica E
Published: May 2020

Natural history collections (NHCs) are important resources for a diverse array of scientific fields. Recent digitization initiatives have broadened the user base of NHCs, and new technological innovations are using materials generated from collections to address novel scientific questions. Simultaneously, NHCs are increasingly imperiled by reductions in funding and resources. Ensuring that NHCs continue to serve as a valuable resource for future generations will require the scientific community to increase their contribution to and acknowledgement of collections. We provide recommendations and guidelines for scientists to support NHCs, focusing particularly on new users that may be unfamiliar with collections. We hope that this perspective will motivate debate on the future of NHCs and the role of the scientific community in maintaining and improving biological collections.
Commentary on Coulter et al. 2019 ‘Attaining Theoretical Coherence Within Relationship-Based Practice in Child and Family Social Work: The Systemic Perspective’
Authors: Mc Kenny Richard
Published: May 2020

Coulter et al. (2019) argue that there is an urgent need for a theoretically coherent conceptualisation of contemporary relationship-based practice (RBP) models within child and family social work. They propose that a systemic and social constructionist ‘lens’ can provide this coherence. This reply draws attention to one particular difficulty with their argument and makes a partial case for maintaining clear distinctions between models, with distinct nomenclature.
Coronavirus disease 2019 in chronic kidney disease
Authors: D’Marco Luis , Puchades María Jesús , Romero-Parra María , Gimenez-Civera Elena , Soler María José , Ortiz Alberto , Gorriz José Luis
Published: May 2020

The clinical spectrum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to severe pneumonia with respiratory failure and even death. More severe cases with higher mortality have been reported in older patients and in those with chronic illness such as hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. In this regard, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a higher rate of all-type infections and cardiovascular disease than the general population. A markedly altered immune system and immunosuppressed state may predispose CKD patients to infectious complications. Likewise, they have a state of chronic systemic inflammation that may increase their morbidity and mortality. In this review we discuss the chronic immunologic changes observed in CKD patients, the risk of COVID-19 infections and the clinical implications for and specific COVID-19 therapy in CKD patients. Indeed, the risk for severe COVID-19 is 3-fold higher in CKD than in non-CKD patients; CKD is 12-fold more frequent in intensive care unit than in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and this ratio is higher than for diabetes or cardiovascular disease; and acute COVID-19 mortality is 15–25% for haemodialysis patients even when not developing pneumonia.
Effects of landscape heterogeneity and breeding habitat diversity on rice frog abundance and body condition in agricultural landscapes of Yangtze River Delta, China
Authors: Li Ben , Zhang Wei , Wang Zhenghuan , Xie Hanbin , Yuan Xiao , Pei Enle , Wang Tianhou
Published: May 2020

Amphibians play a key role in structuring biological assemblages of agricultural landscapes, but they are threatened by global agricultural intensification. Landscape structure is an important variable influencing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. However, in the Yangtze River Delta, where a "farmland-orchard-fishpond" agricultural pattern is common, the effects of landscape construction on anuran populations are unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of agricultural landscape parameters on the abundance and body condition of the rice frog (Fejervarya multistriata), which is a dominant anuran species in farmland in China. Employing a visual encounter method, we surveyed rice frog abundance for 3 years across 20 agricultural landscapes. We also calculated the body condition index (BCI) of 188 male frog individuals from these agricultural landscapes. Landscape variables, comprising landscape compositional heterogeneity (using the Shannon diversity index of all land cover types except buildings and roads), landscape configurational heterogeneity (using landscape edge density), breeding habitat diversity (using the number of 5 waterbody types available as breeding habitats), and areas of forest were also measured for each 1-km radius landscape. We found that the amount of forest in each agricultural landscape had a significant positive relationship with rice frog abundance, and breeding habitat diversity was positively related to the BCI of male rice frogs. However, body condition was negatively impacted by landscape configurational heterogeneity. Our results suggested the importance of nonagricultural habitats in agricultural landscapes, such as waterbodies and forest, to benefit rice frog population persistence.
Case report: percutaneous closure of residual leak following left atrial appendage occlusion
Authors: Suradi Hussam S , Park Jeffrey , Poulin Marie-France , Kavinsky Clifford J
Published: May 2020

Background

Transcatheter left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) using Watchman device has been demonstrated to be efficacious in decreasing stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation who are not suitable for long-term anticoagulation. Residual leaks are frequently encountered following LAAO procedures and their clinical implications and optimal management remain controversial.

Case summary

In this report, we describe a case of peri-Watchman device leak treated successfully with percutaneous device closure using an Amplatzer Vascular Plug II device.

Discussion

The clinical implications of peri-device leaks remain controversial with general consensus to continue anticoagulation along with serial imaging for larger leaks (>5 mm). As an alternative strategy, percutaneous closure of these leaks has been attempted in hope of avoiding anticoagulation and minimizing the risk of stroke and should be studied further.
Agricultural Policy and Long-Run Development: Evidence from Mussolini's Battle for Grain
Authors: Carillo Mario F
Published: May 2020

This article explores the long-run effect of agricultural policies on industrialisation and economic development. I analyse the differential effect of the Battle for Grain, implemented by the Italian Fascist regime to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat, on the development path across areas of Italy. Employing cross-sectional variation in land suitability for advanced wheat production technologies, along with time variation in their diffusion, I find that the policy had unintended positive effects on industrialisation and economic prosperity, which have persisted until today. Furthermore, I find that the complementarity between human capital and agricultural technology was a critical mechanism.
Uncertainty and Hyperinflation: European Inflation Dynamics after World War I
Authors: Lopez Jose A , Mitchener Kris James
Published: May 2020

Fiscal deficits, elevated debt-to-GDP ratios, and high inflation rates suggest hyperinflation could have potentially emerged in many European countries after World War I. We demonstrate that economic policy uncertainty was a key driver pushing a subset of European countries into hyperinflation shortly after the end of the war. Germany, Austria, Poland and Hungary (GAPH) suffered from frequent uncertainty shocks—and correspondingly high levels of uncertainty—caused by protracted political negotiations over reparations payments, the apportionment of the Austro-Hungarian debt and border disputes. In contrast, other European countries exhibited lower levels of measured uncertainty between 1919 and 1925, allowing them more capacity with which to implement credible commitments to their fiscal and monetary policies. Impulse response functions show that increased uncertainty caused a rise in inflation contemporaneously and for a few months afterwards in GAPH, but this effect was absent or much more limited for other European countries.
Kinetics and function of two mutants of CLA hydrase from Lactobacillus plantarum p-8
Authors: Zhao Wei , Zhao Lili , Zhao Tongtong , Zhi Chao , Liu Meiqi , Jamil khan Abdul , Bao Qiuhua , Zhang Heping , Wang Yuzhen , Zhang Feng , Zhao Guofen
Published: May 2020

In this work, the gene of conjugated linoleic acid hydrase (CLA-HY) was cloned from L. plantarum p-8, and the protein of CLA-HY was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to verify that the purified CLA-HY can convert linoleic acid (LA) into 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid (10-HOE) in the presence of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). The optimal pH and temperature for maximizing CLA-HY catalytic activity were found to be 6.0 and 35°C, respectively. In addition, the catalytic ability of CLA-HY can be inhibited by a number of cations such as Mg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Ni2+ and Ca2+. Finally, the Km,Vmax, Kcat and Kcat/Km of CLA-HY were determined as 7.62 mM, 2.59 mM h−1, 8.33 × 103 h−1 and 1.09 × 103 mM−1 h−1, respectively. Moreover, it was demonstrated that both M76 and G74 residues played significant roles in catalysing the conversion of LA into 10-HOE using site-directed mutation technology and molecular simulations.
Protein QTL analysis of IGF-I and its binding proteins provides insights into growth biology
Authors: Bartell Eric , Fujimoto Masanobu , Khoury Jane C , Khoury Philip R , Vedantam Sailaja , Astley Christina M , Hirschhorn Joel N , Dauber Andrew
Published: May 2020

The growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system is integral to human growth. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified variants associated with height and located near the genes in this pathway. However, mechanisms underlying these genetic associations are not understood. To investigate the regulation of the genes in this pathway and mechanisms by which regulation could affect growth, we performed GWAS of measured serum protein levels of IGF-I, IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A2), IGF-II and IGFBP-5 in 838 children (3–18 years) from the Cincinnati Genomic Control Cohort. We identified variants associated with protein levels near IGFBP3 and IGFBP5 genes, which contain multiple signals of association with height and other skeletal growth phenotypes. Surprisingly, variants that associate with protein levels at these two loci do not colocalize with height associations, confirmed through conditional analysis. Rather, the IGFBP3 signal (associated with total IGFBP-3 and IGF-II levels) colocalizes with an association with sitting height ratio (SHR); the IGFBP5 signal (associated with IGFBP-5 levels) colocalizes with birth weight. Indeed, height-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms near genes encoding other proteins in this pathway are not associated with serum levels, possibly excluding PAPP-A2. Mendelian randomization supports a stronger causal relationship of measured serum levels with SHR (for IGFBP-3) and birth weight (for IGFBP-5) than with height. In conclusion, we begin to characterize the genetic regulation of serum levels of IGF-related proteins in childhood. Furthermore, our data strongly suggest the existence of growth-regulating mechanisms acting through IGF-related genes in ways that are not reflected in measured serum levels of the corresponding proteins.
Specialized Feathers Produce Sonations During Flight in Columbina Ground Doves
Authors: Niese Robert L , Clark Christopher J , Tobalske Bret W
Published: May 2020

Synopsis

The shape of remiges (primary and secondary feathers) is constrained and stereotyped by the demands of flight, but members of the subfamily of New World ground doves (Peristerinae) possess many atypical remex shapes with which they produce sonations of alarm. Within the genus Columbina specifically, the seventh primary feathers (P7) have elongated barbs that create a protrusion on the trailing vane which varies in size and shape between species. These feathers are hypothesized to have been coopted to produce communicative sounds (i.e., sonations) during flight, but the mechanism of this sound production is unknown. We tested the sound-producing capabilities of spread wing specimens from three species of ground doves (C. inca, C. passerina, and C. talpacoti) in a wind tunnel. High speed video and audio analyses indicated that all wings of adult birds produced buzzing sounds in the orientation and flow velocity of mid-upstroke. These buzzing sounds were produced as the protrusion of elongated barbs fluttered and collided with adjacent P6 feathers at a fundamental frequency of 200 and 400 Hz, respectively. Wings from juvenile C. inca produced significantly quieter buzzes and most (three of four individuals) lacked the elongated barbs that are present in adults. Buzzing sounds produced in the wind tunnel were similar to those produced by wild birds indicating that these P7 feathers have been coopted to produce acoustic signals (sonations) during flight. The shape and mechanism of sound production described here in Columbina appear to be unique among birds.
Periodic Staircase Matrices and Generalized Cluster Structures
Authors: Gekhtman Misha , Shapiro Michael , Vainshtein Alek
Published: May 2020

As is well known, cluster transformations in cluster structures of geometric type are often modeled on determinant identities, such as short Plücker relations, Desnanot–Jacobi identities, and their generalizations. We present a construction that plays a similar role in a description of generalized cluster transformations and discuss its applications to generalized cluster structures in $GL_n$ compatible with a certain subclass of Belavin–Drinfeld Poisson–Lie brackets, in the Drinfeld double of $GL_n$, and in spaces of periodic difference operators.
Community-Level Postmaterialism and Anti-Migrant Attitudes: An Original Survey on Opposition to Sub-Saharan African Migrants in the Middle East
Authors: Buehler Matt , Fabbe Kristin E , Han Kyung Joon
Published: May 2020

Why do native citizens of the Middle East and North Africa express greater opposition to certain types of migrants, refugees, and displaced persons? Why, particularly, do they express greater opposition to sub-Saharan African migrants? This article investigates these questions, leveraging results from an original, nationally representative survey of 2700 native Moroccan citizens. We find support for traditional theories, mostly developed from studies of Western Europe, that hypothesize that the perceived cultural, economic, and security threats migrants pose provoke citizen opposition to certain migrant subtypes. Diverging from past research, however, we argue that the importance of these threats waxes and wanes dramatically at the subnational level due to variation in community-level postmaterialism. In areas where economic development is high, and many citizens live in European-style conditions, postmaterialism—preoccupation with cultural, identity, and security-based concerns—helps to predict greater citizen opposition to sub-Saharan African migrants. However, in areas where economic development is low, and many citizens do not live like Europeans, this greater opposition to African migrants derives from economic concerns, notably job competition. While postmaterialism is considered an individual-level phenomenon, our work highlights its importance at the community level: The personal circumstances of citizens and the circumstances of the community in which they live interact to condition which perceived threats become more (or less) important to explaining anti-migrant attitudes.
A new fossil cricetid (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) from northeastern Brazil with remarks on small mammal extinctions in the tropical Quaternary
Authors: das Neves Simone B , Pardiñas Ulyses F J , Hadler Patrícia , Mayer Elver L , Ribeiro Ana M
Published: May 2020

The rare cricetid rodent Bibimys Massoia, 1980 contains three extant species that are distributed in the lowlands of eastern South America between 35°S and 20°S and distinguished mostly by subtle morphological and genetic features. Several fragmented jaws belonging to this genus were recovered from Late Quaternary deposits located in northeastern Brazil, forming part of a rich archaeological and paleontological small mammal assemblage that has been recovered from caves in the Serra da Capivara, state of Piauí. This material is described herein as belonging to a new species, the most hypsodont member of the genus. The specimens also represent an extralimital occurrence of this sigmodontine, as the nearest extant population of Bibimys is ~1,200 km to the south. Because there are few reliable records of extinct small mammals from the Pleistocene–Holocene transition on the South American continent, in describing this new sigmodontine we extend the records of past biodiversity preserved in the Quaternary deposits of tropical South America. This new species likewise highlights that the Serra da Capivara deposits are promising for understanding the evolutionary history of cricetid rodents.
Probing the therapeutic potential of TRPC6 for Alzheimer’s disease in live neurons from patient-specific iPSCs
Authors: Tao Ran , Lu Rui , Wang Junfeng , Zeng Shujun , Zhang Ting , Guo Wenke , Zhang Xiaobing , Cheng Qi , Yue Chunmei , Wang Yizheng , Jing Naihe
Published: May 2020

The induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer an unprecedented opportunity to model and study Alzheimer’s disease (AD) under patient-specific genetic background. The lower expression of transient receptor potential canonical 6 (TRPC6) was associated with AD patients, which might be involved in AD pathogenesis. However, the role of TRPC6 that played in AD process still needs more investigation in patient-relevant neurons. In this study, the iPSCs were generated from peripheral blood cells of sporadic AD patients and efficiently differentiated into mature cortical neurons. These sporadic AD-bearing neurons displayed higher levels of AD pathological markers Aβ and phospho-tau, but lower levels of TRPC6, than those of control neurons. Treatment of AD neurons with TRPC6 protein fragment or agonist inhibited the elevation of Aβ and phospho-tau. Our results in live AD neurons manifest that the compromised expression of TRPC6 substantially contributed to Aβ pathology of sporadic AD, suggesting that targeting TRPC6 could help to develop novel therapeutic strategies for the treatments of AD.
Variation of the Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) Assemblage in Response to Land Use Changes in an Endemic Area of Leishmania Transmission in Northeast Argentina
Authors: Fernández María S , Manteca-Acosta Mariana , Cueto Gerardo R , Cavia Regino , Salomón Oscar D
Published: May 2020

Leishmaniases are a global health problem and in Argentina are considered emerging diseases. The new transmission scenarios of tegumentary leishmaniasis are especially important given that large areas of forest are being transformed into rural and urban systems. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the construction of a large public building and a neighborhood on the assemblage of Phlebotominae in a rural area with forest remnants and to correlate the changes observed in the species assemblage with characteristics of the environment. Entomological surveys with light traps were conducted on the construction campus in the northeastern region of Argentina at six sites representing different environmental situations. Structural environmental characteristics and meteorological conditions were recorded and analyzed. At least 16 species of Phlebotominae sand flies were collected, the most prevalent being Nyssomyia whitmani (Antunes & Coutinho), followed by the genus Brumptomyia (França & Parrot) and Migonemyia migonei (França). Our study provides evidence of how the structure of the assemblages and prevalent species respond to anthropogenic disturbances. As the construction progressed, both Ny. whitmani and the genus Brumptomyia were favored. The genus Brumptomyia was favored at sites surrounded by high proportions of forest, within patches of remnant vegetation, and relatively far from anthropogenic disturbances, while Ny. whitmani, the main vector of tegumentary leishmaniasis in the region, increases their abundant at short and intermediate distances from vegetation margins and areas close to anthropogenic disturbances, therefore increasing the risk of human exposure to vectors.
No Alarms and Many Surprises: Salience as a Basis For Excessive Pricing Intervention in an Antitrust Context
Authors: Vásquez Duque Omar
Published: May 2020

This article explores how consumers’ bounded rationality can justify antitrust intervention when a firm becomes a monopoly and exploits a product attribute that was not policed by market forces when there was competition for the market. Behavioral economics predicts product complexity leads consumer demand to be a function of salient costs and benefits rather than of actual costs and benefits of products. The divergence between the former and the latter hinders and distorts competition. In fact, comparison shopping is costlier, and sellers can backload part of their prices to nonsalient product attributes. Consumers perceive only a distorted lower price by focusing on salient product features, which leaves room for inefficient matching and opportunistic behavior given the risk of ex post exploitation. These are behavioral limits of competition. In this work, I argue that when (i) there is a lock-in problem, (ii) consumers do not control the probability of triggering a hidden price, and (iii) a typical consumer could not have reasonably expected to find such a hidden price, antitrust intervention would not only deter ex post exploitation but would also enhance competition on the real price of goods. Antitrust would correct a behavioral market failure.
Capital, Conversion, and Settler Colonialism in Samuel Butler’s Erewhon
Authors: Fermanis Porscha
Published: May 2020

Viewing capitalism as emerging primarily from within the framework of empire rather than the nation state, this essay considers the relationship between capital, conversion, and settler colonialism in Samuel Butler’s Erewhon, or Over the Range (1872). It looks, first, at the novel’s critique of Wakefieldian organized settlement schemes as systems sustained by various forms of capital accumulation and free/unfree labour; and second, at its over-arching evangelical conversion narrative, which both frames and structures the main body of the text. The essay argues that, far from directing its satire wholly or even primarily towards metropolitan Britain, the novel enacts two circulating mid-nineteenth-century settler colonial anxieties: concerns about a perceived crisis of diminishing industriousness and economic exhaustion in colonial Australia and New Zealand, and concerns about the efficacy of British humanitarianism and missionary conversion. It considers the former in the context of the disruptions to settlement caused by the gold rushes in Australia and New Zealand in the 1850s and 1860s, and the latter in the context of missionary and humanitarian efforts to ameliorate conditions for Indigenous peoples from the 1830s onwards. The essay’s larger claim is that Erewhon presents capital and conversion as structurally interconnected mechanisms of an evolving Anglo-settler state in New Zealand. Radicalizing a tradition of economic critique of empire beginning with Adam Smith, Butler satirizes the idea of colonialism as an essentially liberal system by showing how much it is intertwined with exploitative practices of territorial expansion, dispossession, capital accumulation, unfree labour, missionary conversion, and racial assimilation.
The Relationship Between Army Soldiers’ Perceived Stress and Army Life Adjustment: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Stress Response and the Moderating Effect of Cohesion
Authors: Ha Jung Hee , Jue Juliet , Jang Yoojin
Published: May 2020

Introduction

South Korea maintains a mandatory military duty, and high percentage of conscript soldiers have difficulty adjusting to military life. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of the stress response on the relationship between soldiers’ perceived stress and military life adjustment and to clarify the moderating effect of cohesion on this relationship.

Materials and Methods

The study’s participants were 285 Korean military soldiers who are obliged to serve in the military and they completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Stress Response Scale, the Military Life Adjustment, and the Group Cohesion Scale. Analysis methods included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, path analysis, bootstrapping, collinearity statistic, and hierarchical regression analysis. This research obtained the approval of the institutional review board of the university (HYI-18-229-1).

Results

First, a partial mediation effect of the stress response was found in the relationship between soldiers’ perceived stress and military life adjustment. That is, a high level of soldiers’ perceived stress was related to their military life maladjustment. Moreover, the greater the level of soldiers’ perceived stress, the greater the stress response, and, in turn, the greater the military life maladjustment. Second, we found the moderating effect of cohesion in the relationship between stress perception and military life adjustment.

Conclusions

The stress perceived by soldiers not only directly affects their military life adjustment but also indirectly affects their adjustment through the stress responses. In addition, soldiers’ levels of adjustment to military life change significantly based on cohesion levels only when they perceive less stress.
Dynamic topology of double-stranded telomeric DNA studied by single-molecule manipulation in vitro
Authors: Zhang Xiaonong , Zhang Yingqi , Zhang Wenke
Published: May 2020

The dynamic topological structure of telomeric DNA is closely related to its biological function; however, no such structural information on full-length telomeric DNA has been reported due to difficulties synthesizing long double-stranded telomeric DNA. Herein, we developed an EM-PCR and TA cloning-based approach to synthesize long-chain double-stranded tandem repeats of telomeric DNA. Using mechanical manipulation assays based on single-molecule atomic force microscopy, we found that mechanical force can trigger the melting of double-stranded telomeric DNA and the formation of higher-order structures (G-quadruplexes or i-motifs). Our results show that only when both the G-strand and C-strand of double-stranded telomeric DNA form higher-order structures (G-quadruplexes or i-motifs) at the same time (e.g. in the presence of 100 mM KCl under pH 4.7), that the higher-order structure(s) can remain after the external force is removed. The presence of monovalent K+, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), acidic conditions, or short G-rich fragments (∼30 nt) can shift the transition from dsDNA to higher-order structures. Our results provide a new way to regulate the topology of telomeric DNA.