bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enteroinsular axis response to carbohydrates and fasting in healthy newborn foals
Authors: Rings Lindsey M. , Swink Jacob M. , Dunbar Laura K. , Burns Teresa A. , Toribio Ramiro E.
Published: October 2019

Background

The enteroinsular axis (EIA) comprises intestinal factors (incretins) that stimulate insulin release after PO ingestion of nutrients. Glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) are the main incretins. The EIA has not been investigated in healthy neonatal foals but should be important because energy demands are high in healthy foals and dysregulation is frequent in sick foals.

Objectives and Hypothesis

To evaluate the EIA response to carbohydrates or fasting in newborn foals. We hypothesized that incretin secretion would be higher after PO versus IV carbohydrate administration or fasting.

Animals

Thirty‐six healthy Standardbred foals ≤4 days of age.

Methods

Prospective study. Blood was collected before and after a PO glucose test (OGT; 300, 500, 1000 mg/kg), an IV glucose test (IVGT; 300, 500, 1000 mg/kg), a PO lactose test (OLT; 1000 mg/kg), and fasting. Foals were muzzled for 240 minutes. Blood was collected over 210 minutes glucose, insulin, GIP, and GLP‐1 concentrations were measured.

Results

Only PO lactose caused a significant increase in blood glucose concentration (P < .05). All IV glucose doses induced hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Concentrations of GIP and GLP‐1 decreased until foals nursed (P < .05), at which time rapid increases in glucose, insulin, GIP, and GLP‐1 concentrations occurred (P < .05).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Healthy newborn foals have a functional EIA that is more responsive to milk and lactose than glucose. Non‐carbohydrate factors in mare's milk may be important for EIA activity. Constant exposure of intestinal cells to nutrients to maintain EIA activity could be relevant to management of sick foals. Foals can be fasted for 4 hours without experiencing hypoglycemia.
Long‐term monitoring of a highly invaded annual grassland community through drought, before and after an unintentional fire
Authors: Thomson Diane M. , Bonapart Adin D. , King Rachel A. , Schultz Emily L. , Startin Charlotte R.
Published: October 2019

Questions

(a) How did seedling numbers and species composition change in the first year after a wildfire during drought, relative to pre‐fire variation? (b) Has the community returned to pre‐fire composition after five years? (c) Has the degree of dominance by exotic annual grasses changed? (d) Is there any evidence that drought conditions affected community cover, before or after fire?

Location

Exotic‐dominated annual grassland in southern California, USA.

Methods

We monitored community cover and native annual forb densities for four years before and four (cover) to five (densities) years after an unintentional fire (fall 2013) coinciding with the spring 2012–2019 California drought. We also measured seedling emergence both before and during the first year post‐fire. We assessed post‐fire changes in cover and density relative to pre‐fire variation, and tested correlations between community cover and annual rainfall measures.

Results

Seedling emergence declined strongly after fire for exotic grasses, but remained stable for exotic forbs. Seedling densities of the most common native forbs declined, but several previously‐rare natives increased. Community cover initially shifted towards the exotic forbs Erodium spp., then returned to higher exotic grass densities. Yet the previously dominant Bromus diandrus declined steeply, even as other exotic grasses and some native forbs increased. Up to five years after fire, relative cover and abundance of the most common exotic and native species still differed from pre‐fire composition. Common species were uncorrelated with annual precipitation, but several may have responded to shorter growing seasons.

Conclusions

Immediate post‐fire conditions favoured exotic and native forbs over grasses, as predicted. Yet in contrast to many previous studies, the community did not return quickly to pre‐fire composition but showed persistent changes that favoured neither natives nor exotics. Our results suggest post‐fire recovery in this habitat may be contingent on abiotic conditions, with drought one potential explanation for changes.
Large‐scale genomic sequence data resolve the deepest divergences in the legume phylogeny and support a near‐simultaneous evolutionary origin of all six subfamilies
Authors: Koenen Erik J. M. , Ojeda Dario I. , Steeves Royce , Migliore Jérémy , Bakker Freek T. , Wieringa Jan J. , Kidner Catherine , Hardy Olivier J. , Pennington R. Toby , Bruneau Anne , Hughes Colin E.
Published: October 2019

Phylogenomics is increasingly used to infer deep‐branching relationships while revealing the complexity of evolutionary processes such as incomplete lineage sorting, hybridization/introgression and polyploidization. We investigate the deep‐branching relationships among subfamilies of the Leguminosae (or Fabaceae), the third largest angiosperm family. Despite their ecological and economic importance, a robust phylogenetic framework for legumes based on genome‐scale sequence data is lacking.

We generated alignments of 72 chloroplast genes and 7621 homologous nuclear‐encoded proteins, for 157 and 76 taxa, respectively. We analysed these with maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and a multispecies coalescent summary method, and evaluated support for alternative topologies across gene trees.

We resolve the deepest divergences in the legume phylogeny despite lack of phylogenetic signal across all chloroplast genes and the majority of nuclear genes. Strongly supported conflict in the remainder of nuclear genes is suggestive of incomplete lineage sorting.

All six subfamilies originated nearly simultaneously, suggesting that the prevailing view of some subfamilies as ‘basal’ or ‘early‐diverging’ with respect to others should be abandoned, which has important implications for understanding the evolution of legume diversity and traits. Our study highlights the limits of phylogenetic resolution in relation to rapid successive speciation.
Microbiome‐immune‐metabolic axis in the epidemic of childhood obesity: Evidence and opportunities
Authors: Kincaid Halle J. , Nagpal Ravinder , Yadav Hariom
Published: October 2019

Obesity epidemic responsible for increase in diabetes, heart diseases, infections and cancer shows no signs of abating. Obesity in children is also on rise, indicating the urgent need of strategies for prevention and intervention that must begin in early life. While originally posited that obesity results from the simple concept of consuming more calories, or genetics, emerging research suggests that the bacteria living in our gut (gut microbiome) and its interactions with immune cells and metabolic organs including adipose tissues (microbiome‐immune‐metabolic axis) play significant role in obesity development in childhood. Specifically, abnormal changes (dysbiosis) in the gut microbiome, stimulation of inflammatory cytokines, and shifts in the metabolic functions of brown adipose tissue and the browning of white adipose tissue are associated with increased obesity. Many factors from as early as gestation appear to contribute in obesity, such as maternal health, diet, antibiotic use by mother and/or child, and birth and feeding methods. Herein, using evidence from animal and human studies, we discuss how these factors impact microbiome‐immune‐metabolic axis and cause obesity epidemic in children, and describe the gaps in knowledge that are warranted for future research.
Prediction of Collapse Using Patient‐Specific Finite Element Analysis of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head
Authors: Li Tai‐xian , Huang Ze‐qing , Li Yan , Xue Zhi‐peng , Sun Ji‐gao , Gao Huan‐huan , He Hai‐jun , Chen Wei‐heng
Published: October 2019

Objective

To develop a prediction method for femoral head collapse by using patient‐specific finite element analysis of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH).

Methods

The retrospective study recruited 40 patients with ARCO stage‐II ONFH (40 pre‐collapse hips). Patients were divided into two groups according to the 1‐year follow‐up outcomes: patient group without femoral head collapse (noncollapse group, n = 20) and patient group with collapse (collapse group, n = 20). CT scans of the hip were performed for all patients once they joined the study. Patient‐specific finite element models were generated based on these original CT images following the same procedures: segmenting the necrotic lesion and viable proximal femur, meshing the computational models, assigning different material properties according to the Hounsfield unit distribution, simulating the stress loading of the slow walking gait, and measuring the distribution of the von Mises stress. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the maximum level of the von Mises stress. The optimal cut‐off value was selected based on the Youden index and the corresponding predictive accuracy was reported as well.

Results

The mean level of the maximum von Mises stress in the collapse group was 2.955 ± 0.539 MPa, whereas the mean stress level in the noncollapse group was 1.923 ± 0.793 MPa (P < 0.01). ROC analysis of the maximum von Mises stress found that the area under the ROC curve was 0.842 (95% CI: 0.717–0.968, P < 0.01). The maximum Youden index was 0.60, which corresponded to two optimal cut‐off values: 2.7801 MPa (sensitivity: 0.70; specificity: 0.90; predictive accuracy: 80.00%; LR+: 7), and 2.7027 MPa (sensitivity: 0.75; specificity: 0.85; predictive accuracy: 77.50%; LR+: 5).

Conclusion

Finite element analysis is a potential method for femoral head collapse prediction among pre‐collapse ONFH patients. The maximum level of the von Mises stress on the weight‐bearing surface of the femoral head could be a good biomechanical marker to classify the collapse risk. The collapse prediction method based on patient‐specific finite element analysis is, thus, suitable to apply to clinical practice, but further testing on a larger dataset is desirable.
Hip Replacement as Alternative to Intramedullary Nail in Elderly Patients with Unstable Intertrochanteric Fracture: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Ju Jia‐bao , Zhang Pei‐xun , Jiang Bao‐guo
Published: October 2019

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hip replacement and intramedullary nails for treating unstable intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients.

Methods

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to compare hip replacement with intramedullary nail in the management of elderly patients with unstable intertrochanteric femur fracture were retrieved from Cochrane Library (up to January 2018), CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang Data, PubMed, and Embase. The methodological quality of the included trials was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool, and relevant data was extracted. Statistical analysis was performed by Revman 5.3. Where possible, we performed the limited pooling of data.

Results

Fourteen trials including a total of 1067 participants aged 65 and above were included for qualitative synthesis and meta‐analysis. The methodological quality of the included study was poor. The meta‐analysis indicated that the hip replacement group benefited more than the intramedullary nail group in terms of the bearing load time (WMD ‐14.61, 95% CI −21.51 to −7.7, P < 0.0001), mechanical complications (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.57, P < 0.0001), and post‐operative complications (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.93, P = 0.03). While the intramedullary nail was superior to arthroplasty regarding the intraoperative blood loss (WMD 58.36, 95% CI 30.77 to 85.94, P < 0.0001). However, there were no statistical significances in the length of surgery (WMD 5.27, 95% CI 4.23 to 14.77, P = 0.28), units of blood transfusion (WMD 0.34, 95% CI ‐0.16 to 0.85, P = 0.18), length of hospital stay (WMD ‐1.00, 95% CI ‐2.93 to 0.93, P = 0.31), Harris hip score (WMD 0.31, 95% CI ‐0.39 to 1.01, P = 0.38), and mortality (OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.12 to 13.10, P = 0.86).

Conclusions

This systematic review and meta‐analysis provided evidence for the efficacy and safety of hip replacement and intramedullary nail in treating unstable intertrochanteric fractures. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously because of methodological limitations and publication bias.
Using Visual Trepan to Treat Single Segment Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum Under Endoscopy
Authors: Zhao Wei , Yang Sen , Diao Wen‐bo , Yan Ming , Wu Wen‐jie , Luo Fei
Published: October 2019

This article describes the trepan technique for treating single segment ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) using an endoscope. OLF is the most common cause of thoracic spinal stenosis. The most common surgical procedures involve semi‐lamina or full‐lamina resection and decompression. However, considering the anatomical structure of the thoracic spinal canal and the combination of OLF, traditional surgery has higher risks, more complications, and greater technical requirements. In the past ten years, with the development of endoscopic technology, spinal endoscopy has been increasingly applied for the treatment of intervertebral disc herniation and spinal canal stenosis. The present study demonstrated the effectiveness of visual trepan decompression under spinal endoscopy used for patients with single segment OLF. This surgical procedure had many advantages, including a shorter operation time, minimal trauma, less expenditure, and better functional recovery over the conventional open surgery.
Scarf Osteotomy for Correction of Hallux Valgus Deformity in Adolescents
Authors: Wang Xin‐wen , Wen Qian , Li Yi , Liu Cheng , Zhao Kai , Zhao Hong‐mou , Liang Xiao‐jun
Published: October 2019

Objective

To report the radiological and clinical outcomes of the modified scarf osteotomy for the treatment of hallux valgus deformity in adolescents.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed 21 patients (31 feet) who underwent a modified scarf osteotomy for correcting juvenile hallux valgus deformity between March 2015 and January 2017. There were 3 male (3 feet) and 18 female (28 feet) patients. The average age at the time of surgery was 28.6 years (range, 20–35). Patients were postoperatively followed up in the outpatient department for 12–18 months. Clinical and radiological assessments were performed preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 year. Moreover, postoperative complications were recorded. Statistical analyses for differences between preoperative and postoperative values were performed.

Results

All the 21 patients were postoperatively followed up for 12–18 months, with an average of 13.2 ± 2.5 months. Clinical assessment showed that the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score was increased from preoperative 58.0 ± 5.8 to postoperative 94.2 ± 6.6 points, respectively, and the visual analog scale score was remarkably decreased from preoperative 6.0 ± 2.0 to postoperative 1.5 ± 2.0 points at 1 year follow‐up. Further radiological assessment showed that the hallux valgus angle was 37.5° ± 9.2°, 14.1° ± 6.5°, and 14.5° ± 6.5° before surgery, half a year after surgery, and 1 year after surgery, respectively; the intermetatarsal angle was 14.1° ± 4.4°, 4.8° ± 3.2°, and 5.5° ± 4.9°, respectively; and the distal metatarsal articular angle was 31.0° ± 3.5°, 7.2° ± 2.3°, and 7.5° ± 2.1°, respectively. They were significantly improved at half a year after surgery and 1 year after surgery compared to those before surgery. Complications occurred in two patients (9.5%) who had numbness on the skin of the edge of the medial incision, and the symptoms were relieved after 10 months. There was no clinical recurrence in all patients. One of the 31 feet had hallux varus, which was corrected in a second operation. Notably, a postoperative radiograph of a typical case whose both feet had hallux valgus deformity and underwent modified scarf osteotomy and additional Akin osteotomy showed adequate correction of the hallux valgus angle (HVA, 11°), intermetatarsal angle (IMA, 6°), and distal metatarsal articular angle (DMAA, 8°) on left foot compared to preoperative HVA (28°), IMA (13°), and DMAA (35°).

Conclusion

The modified scarf osteotomy can effectively correct the adolescent hallux valgus deformity, which is worth popularizing.
Methodological Challenges in the Study of Emotions in Politics and How to Deal With Them
Authors: Lynggaard Kennet
Published: October 2019

This introductory article to the special issue zooms in on the literature on political emotions with a specific focus on methodological questions of “how to study” political emotions. To the extent that methodological matters are addressed in the extant literature, the associated challenges are often portrayed as a clash between social science and natural science disciplines, a clash frequently illustrated by the meeting between political science and neuroscience. Rather than being a clash between academic disciplines, this article argues that many of the methodological challenges facing emotional research have their origin in scholars' diverse views on the relationship between themselves as researchers and political emotions as a research object. In the light of this acknowledgment, the article encircles and discusses the methodological challenges associated with three key conceptual distinctions between: (1) individual and collective emotions, (2) emotions and reason, and between (3) involuntary political emotions and the strategic usage of political emotions. Using the contributions to this special issue as illustrations, the article argues in favor of moving beyond mutually exclusive dichotomies regarding these conceptual distinctions and offers pathways for dealing with current methodological challenges to emotional research. It points to methodological pluralism, transparency, and context‐sensitive research strategies.
Native soil microbial amendments generate trade‐offs in plant productivity, diversity, and soil stability in coastal dune restorations
Authors: Crawford Kerri M. , Busch Michelle H. , Locke Hannah , Luecke Noah C.
Published: October 2019

Given the important role that soil microbes play in structuring plant communities and mediating ecosystem functions, there is growing interest in harnessing microbial communities to restore degraded ecosystems. Dune restorations, in particular, may benefit from native soil amendments because microbial diversity and abundance are very low in unvegetated areas. In an outdoor mesocosm experiment simulating Texas Gulf Coast dune restorations, we tested how native soil microbial amendments and restored diversity of foundational grasses influenced three key restoration responses: plant performance, plant diversity (including the colonization of native forbs), and soil stability. We found that native microbial amendments increased plant diversity and have the potential to increase soil stability, but this came at the cost of decreased plant biomass. Our results suggest that soil enemies in the native microbial amendments increased plant diversity by decreasing the performance of the dominant grass species and that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the native microbial amendments increased the density of fungal hyphae in the soil, which can increase soil stability. Depending on the goals of the restoration, native soil microbial amendments may be a simple and inexpensive method to provide restoration benefits.
Moving to safety and staying in school: The effects of violence on enrollment decisions in Mexico
Authors: Márquez‐Padilla Fernanda , Pérez‐Arce Francisco , Rodríguez‐Castelán Carlos
Published: October 2019

There is a vast literature documenting negative impacts of crime on human capital accumulation, which has focused on large‐scale armed conflicts affecting both individuals and infrastructure. However, there is much less evidence in contexts where violence is not accompanied by the destruction of infrastructure. To fill this gap, this paper studies the effects of Mexico's War on Drugs (WoD) on individuals’ schooling decisions. Our results show only small effects of violence on total enrollment of children and young adults, in contrast to recent studies which find significant negative effects for some specific age‐by‐gender groups. Our analysis, which aims to assess the overall impacts of the WoD on enrollment decisions and takes advantage of various rounds of administrative data, the population census, and labor force surveys, shows that many families responded to the increase in violence by migrating to less affected municipalities. However, we find that their education decisions have been quite robust as greater violence did not affect their probability of being enrolled in school. In the long term, however, it is still possible that the increase in violence affects human capital accumulation through indirect effects arising in skill acquisition in early childhood and other stages.
PERCENT TIME-SPENT-FOLLOWING MODEL FOR SINGLE CARRIAGEWAY ROAD
Authors: Leong Lee Vien , Mohd Shafie Shafida Azyanti , Goh Wins Cott
Published: October 2019

Percent time-spent following (PTSF) is an important parameter in determining level-of-service of a single carriageway road but the current performance measure adopted in Malaysia is based on volume over capacity (v/c) ratio. Therefore, this study aims to develop a new PTSF model that is suitable for single carriageway roads in Malaysia. Traffic flow at 32 sites in various states in Malaysia were recorded using CCTV and video camera. Image processing software was used to extract volume, speed and headway data. Surrogate measure which is the percentage of vehicles travelling with headway threshold values of 3.0 and 5.0 seconds were used in estimating PTSF in the field. Initially, the base PTSF (BPTSF) model was developed and subsequently used to develop six different PTSF models using headway threshold values of 3.0 and 5.0 seconds and different variables. Analyses and performance indicators showed that the model developed based on the headway threshold value of 5.0 seconds with the inclusion of percentage of no-passing zone, opposing flow rate and percentage of heavy vehicles is the best model. This model was determined as the best fit as it has the highest score of 15, which is the maximum score based on performance indicator analysis.
TRIBOLOGICAL EFFECT OF PALM STERIN AND ENGINE OIL (CMEO) ON PURE ALUMINIUM PIN STEEL DISC WITH VARIES SPEED AND CONSTANT LOAD
Authors: Y Aiman , S. Syahrullail , Azhar S. M. , A. Ummikalsom , A. H. Kameil
Published: October 2019

Palm stearin has high biodegradability and produces low pollution to the environment. This oil can be improved based on its natural behaviour and can be an alternative to replace the widely used commercial mineral oils. Thus, the negative impact towards the environment can be reduced. This research is to study the performance of two type lubricants which is vegetable oil (Palm Stearin) and commercial mineral engine oil (CMEO). The sample will be tested using pin on disc tribotester machine that follows ASTM G99 standard. The materials used for this experiment are pure aluminium pin (A110) with spherical head and stainless steel disc (SKD11) with four grooves. The experiment will take one hour to finish one test. The conditions that were considered before the beginning of the experiment are constant loads of 1kg, varies sliding speed of 1.5 m/s to 3.5 m/s with incremental 1 m/s and 2.5 ml volume of oil. The wear rate and coefficient of friction can be determined in this experiment. From the result obtained, the coefficient of friction (COF) of palm stearin is 45% higher than CMEO and also the trend for both oils are inversely proportional with sliding speed. Besides that, the wear rate of palm stearin is also bigger than CMEO, which shows that CMEO has better lubrication performance when compared to palm stearin. The additives is needed for palm stearin so that the lubrication performance can compete with the CMEO. From the result also, vegetable oil shows a potential to be a commercial lubricant when the deficiencies can be overcome.
MODELLING EROSION AND LANDSLIDES INDUCED BY FARMING ACTIVITIES AT HILLY AREAS, CAMERON HIGHLANDS, MALAYSIA
Authors: Abdullah A. F. , W. Aimrun , Nasidi N. M. , S. A. F. K. Hazari , Mohd. Sidek L , Selamat Zalilah
Published: October 2019

This work was conducted at hilly farms of Cameron Highlands to model the incidences of soil erosion and landslides using historical data and field observations. IfSAR data with spatial resolution of 5 m was used which enable clear observation and delineation of the geographic features within the study area. Field visits were conducted to various places where landslides occurred on agricultural farms in order to validate the model. Also, the rate of soil erosions was evaluated using geospatial techniques. The potential landslide event and its probability of occurrence were combined using bivariate statistical analysis. The results revealed that most of the landslides incidents were occurred at areas with intensive agricultural activities with no proper erosion control measures. It was gathered that more than 75% of landslides occurred in agricultural activities areas are under sheltered farms. The annual soil erosion rates in both Telom and Bertom Catchments ware 38 ton /ha/year and 73.9 ton /ha/year respectively. It was revealed that, there is high risk of erosion-induced landslides in agricultural farms. However, the erosion induced landslide map shows that most the landslide occurred close to the rivers. This indicated that both agricultural operations and proximity to rivers are influencing factors for the incidences.
MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF ASPHALT MIXTURE CONTAINING CUP LUMP RUBBER
Authors: Mohd Azahar Norfazira , Abdul Hassan Norhidayah , Jaya Ramadhansyah Putra , Md. Nor Hasanan , Mohd Satar Mohd Khairul Idham , Mashros Nordiana , Mohamed Azman
Published: October 2019

The use of cup lump rubber as an additive in asphalt binder has recently become the main interest of the paving industry. The innovation helps to increase the natural rubber consumption and stabilize the rubber price. This study evaluates the mechanical performance of cup lump rubber modified asphalt (CMA) mixture in terms of resilient modulus, dynamic creep and indirect tensile strength under aging conditions. The CMA mixture was prepared using dense-graded Marshall-designed mix and the observed behavior was compared with that of conventional mixture. From the results, both mixtures passed the volumetric properties as accordance to Malaysian Public Work Department (PWD) specification. The addition of cup lump rubber provides better resistance against permanent deformation through the enhanced properties of resilient modulus and dynamic creep. Furthermore, the resilient modulus of CMA mixture performed better under aging conditions.
Kinetic Analysis of Co-Firing of Corn Stalk and Paper Sludge Using Model-Fitting and Model-Free Methods
Authors: Yin Yanshan , Yang Boming , Yin Jie , Tian Hong , Zhang Wei , Cheng Shan , Hu Zhangmao , Xu Huifang
Published: October 2019

The combustion kinetics of corn stalk (CS), paper sludge (PS), and their mixture were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) using one model-fitting method (Coats–Redfern (CR)) and four model-free methods, namely, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS), Starink, and Friedman methods. TGA experiments were carried out at three different heating rates (10, 20, and 30 °C min−1) and with different weight percentages of PS in the mixture (0%, 20%, 50%, 80%, and 100%). The comprehensive combustion characteristic index decreases with an increase in the weight percentage of PS in the blends and increases with the increasing heating rate. Significant interactions occur in the co-firing of the blends containing 20% and 50% of PS. The co-firing kinetic parameters determined by the CR method show relatively high reliability due to the high correlation coefficient obtained from the linear fitting. The values of average activation energy determined by the model-fitting method are generally lower than those calculated from model-free methods. The co-firing of the blends containing 20% of PS shows the highest comprehensive combustion characteristic index and the lowest average activation energy based on the model-free methods.
Enhancement of Film Cooling Effectiveness Using Dean Vortices
Authors: Chen Pingting , Wang Lang , Li Xueying , Ren Jing , Jiang Hongde , Simon Terrence
Published: October 2019

Film cooling technology is widely used in gas turbines. With the additive manufacturing anticipated in the future, there will be more freedom in film cooling hole design. Exploiting this freedom, the present authors tried using curved holes to generate Dean vortices within the delivery line. These vortices have opposite direction of rotation to the vorticity of the kidney vortices and, thus, there is interaction between these vortices in the mixing region. It is shown that as a result of the inclusion of Dean vortices, the curved hole delivery leads to enhanced film cooling effectiveness. Numerical results, including film cooling effectiveness values, tracking of vortices in the flow field, heat transfer coefficients, and net heat flux reduction (NHFR), are compared between the curved hole, round hole, and a laidback, fan-shaped hole with blowing ratios, M, of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5. The comparison shows that film cooling effectiveness values with the curved hole are higher than those with cylindrical film cooling holes at every blowing ratio studied. The curved hole has lower film cooling effectiveness values than the laidback, fan-shaped holes when M = 0.5 and 1.0, but shows advantages when the blowing ratio is higher than 1.0. There is heat transfer enhancement for the curved hole case due to a higher kinetic energy transferred to the near-wall region, however. Nevertheless, the curved hole still displays a higher NHFR when the blowing ratio is high.
The Thermal Stratification Evaluation of Phase-Change Materials in a Heat Storage Tank: Computational Fluid Dynamics and Experimental Study
Authors: Wang Zilong , Zhang Hua , Dou Binlin , Zhang Guanhua , Huang Huajie
Published: October 2019

The heat storage technology can improve the performance of a solar thermal utilization system effectively. This work studied the effect of phase-change materials (PCMs) on thermal stratification in a heat storage tank. A 60 l sodium acetate trihydrate heat storage tank with 331.15 K phase-change temperature was designed and fabricated. A mathematical model was built to simulate the discharge process in the water tank, and the temperature distribution during the discharge process was obtained. The computational fluid dynamics model was verified by the experimental data. Furthermore, the Ri, the fill efficiency, and the MIX number were adopted to extensively analyze the performance of a heat storage tank with different positions of PCMs with the variation of flow rates. The results indicated that the distance between the isothermal surfaces of 303.15 K and 348.15 K in PCM1, PCM2, PCM3, and PCM4 were 11.75 cm, 11.13 cm, 10.52 cm, and 9.28 cm, respectively, with 9 l/min of flow velocity when t* = 0.7, showing that the thermal stratification was improved as the position of the PCMs got closer to the inlet. The PCMs’ half-life (the liquefaction rate reached 50%) was prolonged as the inlet flow rates increased. As the flow rate increased from 1 l/min to 5 l/min, the half-life of PCM4 delayed from a dimensionless time of 0.5 to a dimensionless time of 0.9. Moreover, when the flow velocity was 9 L/min, the liquefaction rate of PCM4 remained at 1. The calculated values of fill efficiency and Richardson number were higher than the experimental data slightly, while the MIX number was smaller than the experimental results. The experimental and calculated values of root mean square error (RMSE) increased with the increasing inlet flow velocity and the lowering of the positions of the PCMs.
Characterizing profile tilt of nanoscale deep-etched gratings via x-ray diffraction
Authors: Song Jungki , Heilmann Ralf K. , Bruccoleri Alexander R. , Schattenburg Mark L.
Published: October 2019

The authors report the development of fast, nondestructive, and high accuracy metrology for the characterization of profile tilt relative to the surface normal in nanoscale gratings using x-ray diffraction. Gratings were illuminated with a collimated x-ray beam (Cu Kα), similar to variable-angle small-angle x-ray scattering, to record changes of diffraction efficiency (DE) as a function of incidence angle. Simulations using scalar diffraction theory and rigorous coupled wave analysis predict extrema (0th order DE minimized, ±1st order DE maximized) when local grating bars are parallel to the incident x-ray beam. The surface normal was measured independently by reflecting a laser beam from the grating surface. The independent measurements using x rays and laser beams were referenced to each other via a slit reference plane to characterize the bar tilt angle relative to the surface normal. The fast x-ray measurement can be repeated at arbitrary points to study the spatial variation of the bar tilt angle across large gratings. Two test gratings etched with different deep reactive-ion etch chambers were prepared to investigate the performance of the proposed method. The authors report a repeatability of <0.01° and an accuracy of ∼0.08° with a fast scan speed (total integration time of 108 s to scan a line across ∼55 mm large grating samples at an interval of ∼2 mm). High spatial resolution (<50 μm) can be easily achieved at the expense of speed by limiting the incident x-ray spot size. This process is applicable to any periodic nanostructure as long as x-ray diffraction is well modeled.
High-performance subambient radiative cooling enabled by optically selective and thermally insulating polyethylene aerogel
Authors: Leroy A. , Bhatia B. , Kelsall C. C. , Castillejo-Cuberos A. , Di Capua H. M. , Zhao L. , Zhang L. , Guzman A. M. , Wang E. N.
Published: October 2019

Solar reflecting and thermally insulating polyethylene aerogels enable passive radiative cooling to subambient temperatures.
Decoding crystallography from high-resolution electron imaging and diffraction datasets with deep learning
Authors: Aguiar J. A. , Gong M. L. , Unocic R. R. , Tasdizen T. , Miller B. D.
Published: October 2019

Deep learning provides an efficient cross-validation tool for crystallography with no preferred orientation or magnification.
CRISPR-Cas9–mediated therapeutic editing of
Rpe65
ameliorates the disease phenotypes in a mouse model of Leber congenital amaurosis
Authors: Jo Dong Hyun , Song Dong Woo , Cho Chang Sik , Kim Un Gi , Lee Kyu Jun , Lee Kihwang , Park Sung Wook , Kim Daesik , Kim Jin Hyoung , Kim Jin-Soo , Kim Seokjoong , Kim Jeong Hun , Lee Jung Min
Published: October 2019

Therapeutic genome editing of a nonsense mutation showed functional gain in a mouse model of inherited retinal degeneration.
Past East Asian monsoon evolution controlled by paleogeography, not CO
2
Authors: Farnsworth Alex , Lunt Daniel J. , Robinson Stuart A. , Valdes Paul J. , Roberts William H. G. , Clift Peter D. , Markwick Paul , Su Tao , Wrobel Neil , Bragg Fran , Kelland Sarah-Jane , Pancost Richard D.
Published: October 2019

The monsoon has been ever present for ~56 Ma with the evolution controlled by paleogeography and is insensitive to changing CO
2
.
A trainable clustering algorithm based on shortest paths from density peaks
Authors: Pizzagalli Diego Ulisse , Gonzalez Santiago Fernandez , Krause Rolf
Published: October 2019

By considering knowledge as a path, machines and humans can collaboratively analyze complex biomedical datasets.
Time perception deficits and its dose-dependent effect in methamphetamine dependents with short-term abstinence
Authors: Zhang Mingming , Zhao Di , Zhang Zhao , Cao Xinyu , Yin Lu , Liu Yi , Yuan Ti-Fei , Luo Wenbo
Published: October 2019

Dose-dependent effect of time perception deficits in methamphetamine addicts is associated with drug use history and task setting.
A no-nonsense treatment for autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Osterweil Emily K.
Published: October 2019

Mutation of the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factor Upf2 leads to neurological phenotypes that can be corrected with immunosuppressive drugs in mice.
The Transcriptional Repressor SmvR Is Important for Decreased Chlorhexidine Susceptibility in Enterobacter cloacae Complex
Authors: Guérin François , Gravey François , Plésiat Patrick , Aubourg Marion , Beyrouthy Racha , Bonnet Richard , Cattoir Vincent , Giard Jean-Christophe
Published: October 2019

Major facilitator superfamily (MFS) efflux pumps have been shown to be important for bacterial cells to cope with biocides such as chlorhexidine (CHX), a widely used molecule in hospital settings. In this work, we evaluated the role of two genes,
smvA
and
smvR
, in CHX resistance in
Enterobacter cloacae
complex (ECC).
smvA
encodes an MFS pump whereas
smvR
, located upstream of
smvA,
codes for a TetR-type transcriptional repressor.
Improvement of the Immunochromatographic NG-Test Carba 5 Assay for the Detection of IMP Variants Previously Undetected
Authors: Volland Hervé , Girlich Delphine , Laguide Marine , Gonzalez Camille , Paris Virginie , Laroche Maxime , Oueslati Saoussen , Dortet Laurent , Simon Stéphanie , Naas Thierry
Published: October 2019

Here, we evaluated the immunochromatographic assay NG-Test Carba 5v2 (NG-Biotech), with improved IMP variant detection on 31 IMP producers, representing the different branches of the IMP phylogeny, including 32 OXA-48, 19 KPC, 12 VIM, 14 NDM, and 13 multiple carbapenemase producers (CPs), 13 CPs that were not targeted, and 13 carbapenemase-negative isolates. All tested IMP variants were accurately detected without impairing detection of the other carbapenemases.
What’s Old Is New Again: Bacteriophage Therapy in the 21st Century
Authors: Aslam Saima , Schooley Robert T.
Published: October 2019

We highlight features associated with bacteriophage therapy that make it an attractive treatment option for multidrug-resistant infections and also discuss some of the challenges that need to be considered in the design and execution of clinical trials directed at evaluating the efficacy of bacteriophage therapy in humans.
Prophages in Lactobacillus reuteri Are Associated with Fitness Trade-Offs but Can Increase Competitiveness in the Gut Ecosystem
Authors: Oh Jee-Hwan , Lin Xiaoxi B. , Zhang Shenwei , Tollenaar Stephanie L. , Özçam Mustafa , Dunphy Case , Walter Jens , van Pijkeren Jan-Peter
Published: October 2019

Bacteriophages derived from lysogens are abundant in gut microbiomes. Currently, mechanistic knowledge is lacking on the ecological ramifications of prophage carriage yet is essential to explain the abundance of lysogens in the gut. An extensive screen of the bacterial gut symbiont
Lactobacillus reuteri
revealed that biologically active prophages are widely distributed in this species.
L. reuteri
6475 produces phages throughout the mouse intestinal tract, but phage production is associated with reduced fitness of the lysogen. However, phage production provides a competitive advantage in direct competition with a nonlysogenic strain of
L. reuteri
that is sensitive to these phages. This combination of increased competition with a fitness trade-off provides a potential explanation for the domination of lysogens in gut ecosystem and how lysogens can coexist with sensitive hosts.
Database Mining for Novel Bacterial β-Etherases, Glutathione-Dependent Lignin-Degrading Enzymes
Authors: Voß Hauke , Heck Carina Amata , Schallmey Marcus , Schallmey Anett
Published: October 2019

The use of biomass as a renewable source and replacement for crude oil for the provision of chemicals and fuels is of major importance for current and future societies. Lignin, the most abundant aromatic polymer in nature, holds promise as a renewable starting material for the generation of required aromatic structures. However, a controlled and selective lignin depolymerization to yield desired aromatic structures is a very challenging task. In this regard, bacterial β-etherases are especially interesting, as they are able to cleave the most abundant bond type in lignin with high selectivity. With this study, we significantly expanded the toolbox of available β-etherases for application in lignin depolymerization and discovered more active as well as diverse enzymes than previously known. Moreover, the identification of further β-etherases by sequence database mining in the future will be facilitated considerably through our deduced etherase-specific sequence motifs.
Conserved Eukaryotic Kinase CK2 Chaperone Intrinsically Disordered Protein Interactions
Authors: Zhang Lianhu , Zhang Dongmei , Liu Dan , Li Yuan , Li Hongchen , Xie Yuman , Wang Zonghua , Hansen Bjoern Oest , Olsson Stefan
Published: October 2019

CK2 is a eukaryotic conserved kinase enzyme complex that phosphorylates proteins. CK2 is known to phosphorylate a large number of proteins and is constitutively active, and thus a “normal” role for a kinase in a signaling cascade might not be the case for CK2. Previous results on localization and indications from the literature point to a function for CK2 phosphorylation in shaping and folding of proteins, especially intrinsically disordered proteins, which constitute about 30% of eukaryotic proteins. We used pulldown of interacting proteins and data downloaded from a large range of transcriptomic experiments in
M. oryzae
and complemented these with data downloaded from a large range of transcriptomic experiments in
Fusarium graminearum
. We found support for a general role for CK2 in aggregation and disaggregation of IDPs and their binding to proteins, DNA, and RNA—interactions that could explain the importance of CK2 in eukaryotic cell function and disease.
Mutation of the Transcriptional Regulator YtoI Rescues Listeria monocytogenes Mutants Deficient in the Essential Shared Metabolite 1,4-Dihydroxy-2-Naphthoate (DHNA)
Authors: Chen Grischa Y. , Kao Cheng-Yen , Smith Hans B. , Rust Drew P. , Powers Zachary M. , Li Alexandria Y. , Sauer John-Demian
Published: October 2019

Listeria monocytogenes
, a Gram-positive, facultative intracellular pathogen, survives and replicates in the cytosol of host cells. Synthesis of 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate (DHNA), an intermediate of menaquinone biosynthesis, is essential for cytosolic survival of
L. monocytogenes
independent from its role in respiration. Here, we demonstrate that DHNA is essential for virulence in a murine model of listeriosis due to both respiration-dependent and -independent functions.
Flexible Cobamide Metabolism in
Clostridioides
(
Clostridium
)
difficile
630 Δ
erm
Authors: Shelton Amanda N. , Lyu Xun , Taga Michiko E.
Published: October 2019

The ability of the opportunistic pathogen
Clostridioides difficile
to cause disease is closely linked to its propensity to adapt to conditions created by dysbiosis of the human gut microbiota. The cobamide (vitamin B
12
) metabolism of
C. difficile
has been underexplored, although it has seven metabolic pathways that are predicted to require cobamide-dependent enzymes. Here, we show that
C. difficile
cobamide metabolism is versatile, as it can use a surprisingly wide variety of cobamides and has alternative functions that can bypass some of its cobamide requirements. Furthermore,
C. difficile
does not synthesize cobamides
de novo
but produces them when given cobamide precursors. A better understanding of
C. difficile
cobamide metabolism may lead to new strategies to treat and prevent
C. difficile
-associated disease.
Availability of Zinc Impacts Interactions between Streptococcus sanguinis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Coculture
Authors: Li Kewei , Gifford Alex H. , Hampton Thomas H. , O’Toole George A.
Published: October 2019

Polymicrobial infections in CF cases likely impact patient health, but the mechanism(s) underlying such interactions is poorly understood. Here, we show using an
in vitro
model system that interactions between
Pseudomonas
and
Streptococcus
are modulated by zinc availability, and clinical data are consistent with this model. Together with previous studies, our work supports a role for metal homeostasis as a key factor driving microbial interactions.
Genome Sequence Announcement of Bacillus paranthracis Strain ICIS-279, Isolated from Human Intestine
Authors: Bukharin Oleg V. , Perunova Natalia B. , Andryuschenko Sergey V. , Ivanova Elena V. , Bondarenko Taisia A. , Chainikova Irina N.
Published: October 2019

This report describes the genome sequence of
Bacillus paranthracis
strain ICIS-279, isolated from human feces. It demonstrates a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitory activity up to 0.1 ng/ml. The genome size is 5,180,499 bp, with a G+C content of 35.4%. Annotation revealed 5,168 coding sequences, including 5,168 proteins and 43 rRNA, 102 tRNA, and 5 noncoding RNA (ncRNA) genes.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Bacterial Strains,
Muricauda
sp. 72 and NH166, Isolated from the South China Sea and West Pacific Ocean
Authors: Zheng Ying , Sun Cong
Published: October 2019

Here, we report the whole-genome sequences of two bacterial strains,
Muricauda
sp. 72 and NH166, isolated from the South China Sea and West Pacific Ocean, respectively. These two strains may represent a novel species of the genus
Muricauda
, and the features of their genome sequences will enrich our understandings of strains in the genus
Muricauda
.
Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus safensis RP10, Isolated from Soil in the Atacama Desert, Chile
Authors: Strahsburger Erwin , Zapata Felipe , Pedroso Inti , Fuentes Derie , Tapia Paz , Ponce Raul , McClelland Michael , Valdes Jorge
Published: October 2019

Genome analysis of
Bacillus safensis
RP10, a strain from the soil of Atacama Desert in northern Chile, reflects a bacterium adapted to live in soil containing high levels of heavy metals, high salt conditions, and low carbon and energy sources.
Complete Genome Sequence of the
Arcobacter canalis
Type Strain LMG 29148
Authors: Miller William G. , Yee Emma , Chapman Mary H.
Published: October 2019

Arcobacter canalis
was originally recovered from shellfish and from a sewage-contaminated canal.
Arcobacter canalis
is closely related to the marine bacterium
Arcobacter marinus
. This study describes the complete whole-genome sequence of the
A. canalis
type strain LMG 29148 (=F138-33
T
; =CECT 8984
T
), which was recovered from oysters.
Complete Genome Sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae Siphophage Sanco
Authors: Richardson Ryan W. , Lessor Lauren , O’Leary Chandler , Gill Jason , Liu Mei
Published: October 2019

Klebsiella pneumoniaeis an opportunistic pathogen that is the cause of several hospital-acquired infections. Bacteriophages that target this bacterium could be used therapeutically as novel antimicrobial agents. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of the T1-likeK. pneumoniaephage Sanco.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Isolates of the Yeast Kazachstania servazzii Recovered from Soil in Ireland
Authors: Faherty Lynne , Lewis Clifton , McElheron Matt , Garvey Niall , Duggan Róisín , Shovlin Ben , Ó Cróinín Tadhg , Byrne Kevin P. , O’Brien Caoimhe E. , Wolfe Kenneth H. , Butler Geraldine
Published: October 2019

We sequenced two isolates of
Kazachstania servazzii
, UCD13 and UCD335, from soil in Ireland. Heterozygosity in these diploid genomes differs 19-fold between the two strains. Most currently available
K. servazzii
genome sequences come from Korean kimchi isolates, so our data will facilitate analysis of diversity in this species.