bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preconditioning improves bleaching tolerance in the reef‐building coral Pocillopora acuta through modulations in the programmed cell death pathways
Authors: Majerova Eva , Carey Fiona C. , Drury Crawford , Gates Ruth D.
Published: May 2021

Reef‐building corals rely on intracellular algal symbionts to meet energetic demands. Increasing extreme weather driven by climate change often leads to disruption of this symbiosis and to coral death. Corals can better withstand stress after previous exposure to sublethal conditions, but the mechanisms for this resilience remain unclear. Here, we show that a three‐day thermal preconditioning increases tolerance of acute heat stress through modulations in cell death pathways in the stony coral Pocillopora acuta. In preconditioned corals, the ratio of pro‐survival (pa‐Bcl‐2 and pa‐BI‐1) to pro‐death (pa‐BAK and pa‐BAX) gene expression increased and the corals underwent significantly less bleaching. When treated with Bcl‐2 inhibitor, corals lost the improved thermal tolerance, suggesting an important role of programmed cell death in coral bleaching and acclimatization. During heat stress, the activity of acid phosphatase increased but caspase‐3 did not, suggesting the involvement of autophagy/symbiophagy rather than apoptosis in this process. A similar shift in gene expression also occurs in thermally stressed corals that have been exposed to naturally higher temperatures during summer thermal maxima in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaiʻi, suggesting that corals can increase their resilience to realistic warming events during high‐risk periods through alterations in cell signalling. These data suggest that programmed cell death pathways underly coral acclimatization and resilience and may be important for coral reef conservation and management.
The Return of Great‐Power Competition to the Middle East: A Two‐Level Game
Authors: Hoffman Jonathan
Published: May 2021

Great‐power competition has once again assumed primacy in the international arena. Facing a rising China and a resurgent Russia, the United States formally reoriented its National Security Strategy in 2017 to place more emphasis on the return of great‐power politics and global multipolarity. With the resumption of such competition, the Middle East has rightfully been noted as a regional theater where Russia and China have sought to exploit US policy blunders and retrenchment (real or perceived) to push for increased regional multipolarity. Although the Middle East has been recognized as a prime theater for great‐power competition, the approaches adopted by most existing studies are primarily one‐sided: they examine great‐power competition in the region from the outside, stressing how global powers are manipulating affairs in the Middle East in order to advance their own interests. Often missing from this conversation is how external engagement in the Middle East is being exploited and shaped by regional powers and endogenous developments. This study seeks to fill this gap by using the conceptual lens of omnialignment to examine how regional powers are manipulating the return of great‐power competition to advance their own strategic imperatives, both at home and abroad.
Eastern Mediterranean Gas Discoveries: Local and Global Impact
Authors: Shin Sang Yoon , Kim Taehwan
Published: May 2021

The ongoing discoveries of natural‐gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean region significantly affect international relations. Since their viability has been increasingly confirmed, they have attracted public attention in the international energy market. Focusing on current gas production and trading in the Middle East, this paper studies the anticipated impact of gas production in the sea on geopolitical relations in the Middle East and investigates how these results may change the geoeconomic strategies of global energy‐market players as well as nearby countries. In addition, our analyses provide comprehensive insights into the evolution of gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Chronic hypoxia promoted pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells proliferation through upregulated calcium‐sensing receptorcanonical transient receptor potential 1/6 pathway
Authors: Xu Juan , Wen Xing , Fu Zhenli , Jiang Yongliang , Hong Wei , Liu Rongmin , Li Shaoxing , Cao Weitao , Pu Jinding , Huang Lingmei , Li Bing , Ran Pixin , Peng Gongyong
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Although both calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR) and canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) proteins contribute to chronic hypoxia (CH)‐induced pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) proliferation, the relationship between CaSR and TRPC in hypoxic PASMCs proliferation remains poorly understood. The goal of this study was to identify that CH promotes PASMCs proliferation through CaSR‐TRPC pathway.

Methods

Rat PASMCs were isolated and treated with CH. Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting, CCK‐8 assay, and EdU incorporation. CaSR and TRPC expressions were determined by qPCR and Western blotting. Store‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) was assessed by extracellular Ca2+ restoration.

Results

In PASMCs, CH enhanced the cell number, cell viability and DNA synthesis, which is accompanied by upregulated expression of CaSR, TRPC1 and TRPC6. Negative CaSR modulators (NPS2143, NPS2390) inhibited, whereas positive modulators (spermine, R568) enhanced, the CH‐induced increases in cell number, cell viability and DNA synthesis in PASMCs. Knockdown of CaSR by siRNA inhibited the CH‐induced upregulation of TRPC1 and TRPC6 and enhancement of SOCE and attenuated the CH‐induced enhancements of cell number, cell viability and DNA synthesis in PASMCs. However, neither siTRPC1 nor siTRPC6 had an effect on the CH‐induced CaSR upregulation, although both significantly attenuated the CH‐induced enhancements of cell number, cell viability and DNA synthesis in PASMCs.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that upregulated CaSR‐TRPC1/6 pathway mediating PASMCs proliferation is an important pathogenic mechanism under hypoxic conditions.
The role of tumor necrosis factor‐α and interferon‐γ in the hyperglycemia‐induced ubiquitination and loss of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule‐1 in rat retinal endothelial cells
Authors: Eshaq Randa S. , Harris Norman R.
Published: May 2021

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the role of the hyperglycemia‐induced increase in tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) in the ubiquitination and degradation of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule‐1 (PECAM‐1) in the diabetic retina.

Methods

Type I diabetes was induced in rats by the injection of streptozotocin, with age‐matched non‐diabetic rats as controls. Primary rat retinal microvascular endothelial cells were grown in normal or high glucose media for 6 days or in normal glucose media for 24 h with addition of TNF‐α and/or IFN‐γ. PECAM‐1, TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, and ubiquitin levels were assessed using Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunoprecipitation assays. Additionally, proteasome activity was assessed both in vivo and in vitro.

Results

Under hyperglycemic conditions, total ubiquitination levels in the retina and RRMECs, and PECAM‐1 ubiquitination levels in RRMECs, were significantly increased. Additionally, TNF‐α and IFN‐γ levels were significantly increased under hyperglycemic conditions. PECAM‐1 levels in RRMECs treated with TNF‐α and/or IFN‐γ were significantly decreased. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in proteasome activity in the diabetic retina, hyperglycemic RRMECs, and RRMECs treated with TNF‐α or IFN‐γ.

Conclusion

Tumor necrosis factor‐α and IFN‐γ may contribute to the hyperglycemia‐induced loss of PECAM‐1 in retinal endothelial cells, possibly by upregulating PECAM‐1 ubiquitination.
To relieve pain or avoid opioid‐related risk? A comparison of parents’ analgesic trade‐off preferences and decision‐making in 2019 versus 2013 in a single U.S. pediatric hospital
Authors: Lenko Rachel , Voepel‐Lewis Terri
Published: May 2021

Background

Analgesic trade‐off preferences, or the relative preference for pain relief vs. risk aversion, shape parents’ decisions to give prescription opioids to their children. These preferences may be influenced by personal experiences and societal factors.

Aim

To examine whether parental analgesic trade‐off preferences and opioid decision‐making have shifted toward risk aversion during the opioid crisis in the United States.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of the preoperative survey data of parents from a single U.S. pediatric hospital whose children aged 5–17 years were to undergo painful surgery in 2013 (Time 1) or 2017/2019 (Time 2). Surveys assessed parents’ analgesic trade‐off preference (−12 or risk‐averse to +12 or pain relief preferent, scores around 0=ambivalent) and their hypothetical decisions to give a prescribed opioid to a child in pain.

Results

Data from 847 parents were included (Time 1, n = 361; Time 2, n = 486). Parents at Time 2 were significantly more risk‐averse compared with Time 1 (adj.β: −0.84 [95% CI: −1.09, −0.60]). Parents at Time 2 were more than twice as likely to be risk‐averse or ambivalent (OR: 2.17 [95% CI: 1.62, 2.91]). There was a significant interaction effect of Time*Preference on parents’ decision to give the opioid (adj. OR: 1.09 [95% CI: 1.03, 1.16]). At Time 2, parents who were ambivalent or risk‐averse were less likely than those who preferred to relieve pain to administer the prescribed opioid (OR: 0.57 [95% CI: 0.37, 0.89]). In contrast, there was no association between the preference group and the opioid decision at Time 1.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that parents of children scheduled for painful surgery at our pediatric hospital have become more analgesic risk‐averse during the past decade. Parents’ analgesic trade‐off preferences may influence their decisions to administer prescribed opioids after surgery, which may contribute to children's pain outcomes.
Lucky Ignorance, Modality and Lack of Knowledge
Authors: Piedrahita Oscar A.
Published: May 2021

I argue against the Standard View of ignorance, according to which ignorance is defined as equivalent to lack of knowledge, that cases of environmental epistemic luck, though entailing lack of knowledge, do not necessarily entail ignorance. In support of my argument, I contend that in cases of environmental luck, an agent retains what I call epistemic access to the relevant fact by successfully exercising her epistemic agency and that ignorance and non‐ignorance, contrary to what the Standard View predicts, are not modal in the sense that knowledge is. After responding to objections, I conclude by sketching an alternative account of ignorance centered on the notions of epistemic access and epistemic agency.
How patients with mild dementia living in a nursing home benefit from dementia cafés: a case‐control study focusing on psychological and behavioural symptoms and caregiver burden
Authors: De Luca Rosaria , De Cola Maria C. , Leonardi Simona , Portaro Simona , Naro Antonino , Torrisi Michele , Marra Angela , Bramanti Alessia , Calabrò Rocco S.
Published: May 2021

Background

Dementia is a syndrome, mainly due to neurodegeneration, affecting cognition, behaviour, feelings and relationships. Pharmacological treatment is still challenging and thus different ways to improve/slow down the disease are necessary.

Methods

Twenty‐five subjects with mild dementia, living in a nursing home, and their relatives were invited to attend a dementia cafe, a community group which provides support for families affected by dementia. Each patient was evaluated by a neuropsychologist, through the administration of a specific neuropsychological battery, before and at the end of the study. Their outcomes were compared to a matched group of patients with dementia receiving psycho‐counselling.

Results

After the dementia cafe meetings, patients showed higher significant changes in mood (P < 0.01), behavioural symptoms (P < 0.001), quality of life (P < 0.001), and caregiver burden (P < 0.001). The control group significantly improved only in quality of life with a reduction of caregiver burden.

Conclusions

Our findings confirm that patients with dementia may benefit from the dementia cafe, especially concerning behavioural symptoms. Moreover, caregivers find these cafés to be welcoming, relaxed places to socialise and access support and information. Future dementia cafés should create programs and comfortable environments answering to the different needs of the patients.
Is carbon dioxide removal ‘mitigation of climate change’?
Authors: Honegger Matthias , Burns Wil , Morrow David R.
Published: May 2021

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is often characterized as separate from climate change mitigation. Discussion of CDR governance – despite enjoying growing interest – tends to overlook how key provisions on mitigation apply. Similarly, many climate policy processes have ignored CDR. CDR may have been discursively held separate from ‘mitigation’ due to a partial conceptual overlap with ‘geoengineering’. We unpack how the ‘mitigation of climate change’ – as defined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement – includes CDR as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We point to important implications and opportunities for strengthening governance by enhanced clarity regarding parties’ obligations, principled equitable distribution of removal efforts, prioritization of rapid emissions reductions and careful paths to long‐term removals, and a need for considering sustainability and human rights issues in the pursuit of CDR.
Estimation of Causal Effects with Small Data in the Presence of Trapdoor Variables
Authors: Helske Jouni , Tikka Santtu , Karvanen Juha
Published: May 2021

We consider the problem of estimating causal effects of interventions from observational data when well-known back-door and front-door adjustments are not applicable. We show that when an identifiable causal effect is subject to an implicit functional constraint that is not deducible from conditional independence relations, the estimator of the causal effect can exhibit bias in small samples. This bias is related to variables that we call trapdoor variables. We use simulated data to study different strategies to account for trapdoor variables and suggest how the related trapdoor bias might be minimized. The importance of trapdoor variables in causal effect estimation is illustrated with real data from the Life Course 1971–2002 study. Using this data set, we estimate the causal effect of education on income in the Finnish context. Bayesian modelling allows us to take the parameter uncertainty into account and to present the estimated causal effects as posterior distributions.
Multilevel Time Series Modelling of Mobility Trends in the Netherlands for Small Domains
Authors: Boonstra Harm Jan , van den Brakel Jan , Das Sumonkanti
Published: May 2021

The purpose of the Dutch Travel Survey is to produce reliable estimates on mobility of the Dutch population. In this paper mobility trends are estimated at several aggregation levels, using multilevel time series models. The models account for discontinuities induced by two survey redesigns and outliers due to less reliable outcomes in one particular year. The input for the model is direct annual estimates with their standard errors for the period 1999–2017 for a detailed cross-classification in 504 domains. Appropriate transformations for the direct estimates and generalized variance functions to smooth the standard errors of the direct estimates are proposed. The models are fitted in an hierarchical Bayesian framework using MCMC simulations. From the model outputs smooth trend estimates are computed at the most detailed domain level. Predictions at higher aggregation levels obtained by aggregation of the most detailed domain predictions result in a numerically consistent set of trend estimates for all target variables.
Sparse Reduced-Rank Regression for Exploratory Visualisation of Paired Multivariate Data
Authors: Kobak Dmitry , Bernaerts Yves , Weis Marissa A. , Scala Federico , Tolias Andreas S. , Berens Philipp
Published: May 2021

In genomics, transcriptomics, and related biological fields (collectively known as omics), combinations of experimental techniques can yield multiple sets of features for the same set of biological replicates. One example is Patch-seq, a method combining single-cell RNA sequencing with electrophysiological recordings from the same cells. Here we present a framework based on sparse reduced-rank regression (RRR) for obtaining an interpretable visualisation of the relationship between the transcriptomic and the electrophysiological data. We use elastic net regularisation that yields sparse solutions and allows for an efficient computational implementation. Using several Patch-seq datasets, we show that sparse RRR outperforms both sparse full-rank regression and non-sparse RRR, as well as previous sparse RRR approaches, in terms of predictive performance. We introduce a bibiplot visualisation in order to display the dominant factors determining the relationship between transcriptomic and electrophysiological properties of neurons. We believe that sparse RRR can provide a valuable tool for the exploration and visualisation of paired multivariate datasets.
A kelch‐repeat superfamily gene, ZmNL4, controls leaf width in maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Gao Lulu , Yang Guanghui , Li Yufeng , Sun Ying , Xu Ruibin , Chen Yongming , Wang Zihao , Xing Jiewen , Zhang Yirong
Published: May 2021

Leaf width (LW) is an important component of plant architecture that extensively affects both light capture during photosynthesis and grain yield, particularly under dense planting conditions. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms regulating LW remain largely elusive in maize (Zea mays L.). In this study, qLW4a, a major quantitative trait locus controlling LW, was identified in a population constructed with maize inbred lines PH6WC, with wide leaves, and Lin387, with narrow leaves. Map‐based cloning revealed that ZmNL4, a kelch‐repeat superfamily gene, emerged to be the candidate for qLW4a, and a single‐base deletion in the conserved SMC_prok_B domain of ZmNL4 in Lin387 caused a frame shift, leading to premature termination. Consistently, the knockout of ZmNL4 by CRISPR/Cas9 editing significantly reduced the LW, which was attributed to a reduction in the cell number instead of cell size, indicating a role of ZmNL4 in regulating cell division. Transcriptomic comparison of ZmNL4 knockout lines with the wild type B73‐329 revealed that ZmNL4 might participate in cell wall biogenesis, asymmetric cell division, metabolic processes, transmembrane transport and response to external stimulus, etc. These results provide insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms of ZmNL4 in controlling LW and could potentially contribute to optimizing plant architecture for maize breeding.
Political economy of aid allocation: The case of Arab donors
Authors: Kibria Ahsan , Oladi Reza , Bosworth Ryan
Published: May 2021

By exploiting a unique data set on aid allocation by major Arab donors, this paper explores the relationship between aid allocation and the strategic alignment of donors with recipients as well as the developmental need of recipients. To motivate our empirical work, we first develop a new theory of aid allocation, wherein a representative donor country's payoff depends on both the well‐being of the representative recipient country as well as its strategic alignment with the donor. Our theoretical model suggests that there exists a positive relationship between donor's aid allocation and the geopolitical and cultural alignment of the recipient country. Our model also predicts that donors allocate more aid to recipient countries with higher levels of country capacity. To test the prediction of our theory empirically, we construct a new measure of geopolitical and cultural alignment for recipient countries by using principal component analysis. We employ this measure and a set of control variables to show that the geopolitical and cultural alignment of a recipient country and its capacity to implement development projects are the key determinants of aid allocation from the Arab donors.
Intra‐regional spillovers from Nigeria and South Africa to the rest of Africa: New evidence from a FAVAR model
Authors: Omoshoro‐Jones Oyenyinka Sunday , Bonga‐Bonga Lumengo
Published: May 2021

The dominance of large resource‐rich hegemonic economies, most notably Nigeria and South Africa, with extensive trade and possible financial linkages, exposes other Africa countries to intra‐regional spillovers. However, this strand of empirical analysis remains largely unstudied, as extant studies are mostly devoted to investigating the implications of external (global) shocks. This paper contributes to the existing literature by investigating the extent to which shocks to economic growth in Nigeria and South Africa spillover to three regional bodies, namely Central African Economic and Monetary Union (CEMAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The paper distinguishes between trade and financial channels to identify these growth spillovers by using a two‐step FAVAR model. The results of the empirical analysis show that the trade channel is effective for growth spillovers from Nigeria and South Africa to the three regional blocs. However, we find no evidence of growth spillover from the financial channel, except between South Africa and the SADC region. The paper postulates that although the total intra‐African trade remains low, it remains an important channel for growth spillover in the continent. Thus, any initiative, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) should be encouraged, to expand trade in the continent.
Cutaneous microRNA expression in healthy Labrador and Golden retrievers and retrievers with allergic and inflammatory skin diseases
Authors: Morlang Marie Isabel , Weber Karin , von Bomhard Wolf , Mueller Ralf S.
Published: May 2021

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are short, single‐stranded RNA molecules that regulate gene expression in a post‐transcriptional manner. Their expression is proposed to be tissue‐specific and alterations in miRNA expression have been detected in many diseases.

Objective

To compare miRNA expression in the skin of healthy Labrador and golden retrievers, and those with allergic and nonallergic dermatitis.

Methods and materials

Formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) skin specimens from seven healthy Labrador and golden retrievers, and seven dogs with allergic skin disease were collected. A further mixed nonallergic inflammation group consisted of samples from five dogs with fungal infection, demodicosis and mast cell tumours. Total RNA was extracted and miRNA primer assays for 18 target miRNAs (miR‐142, miR‐363, miR‐18b, miR‐451, miR‐146a, miR‐124, miR‐409, miR‐193b, miR‐223, miR‐215, miR‐155, miR‐423a, miR‐143, miR‐1839, miR‐21, miR‐34b, miR‐146b and miR‐202) were performed, with RNU6‐2 and SNORD95 as miRNAs for normalisation. The selection of miRNAs for investigation was based on reported data and a pilot study evaluating miRNA extraction from FFPE tissue specimens.

Results

In the two dogs with mast cell tumours, miRNA expression was undetermined for most miRNAs, so both were excluded from analysis. Although there were differences in the miRNA expression between healthy and inflamed skin, allergic and nonallergic inflammation showed similar expression patterns.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

Although the number of included dogs was small, based on this study, none of the evaluated miRNAs allowed differentiation of allergic dermatitis from other inflammatory skin diseases in retriever dogs.
Influence of hospital size on antimicrobial resistance and advantages of restricting antimicrobial use based on cumulative antibiograms in dogs withStaphylococcuspseudintermediusinfections in Japan
Authors: Iyori Keita , Shishikura Taku , Shimoike Kenta , Minoshima Kenichi , Imanishi Ichiro , Toyoda Yoichi
Published: May 2021

Background

Antimicrobial resistance inStaphylococcuspseudintermedius(SP) and the prevalence of meticillin‐resistant SP (MRSP) is increasing in dogs worldwide.

Objectives

To evaluate the influence of hospital size on antimicrobial resistance of SP and whether restricted use of antimicrobials based on antibiograms could reduce the identification of antimicrobial resistance in SP from infected dogs.

Methods and materials

In Study 1, a total of 2,294 SP isolates from dogs with pyoderma (n = 1,858, 52 hospitals) or otitis externa (OE; n = 436, 44 hospitals) taken between 2017 and 2019 were analysed. Clinics were categorised into small, medium and large based on numbers of practicing veterinary surgeons. In Study 2, a cumulative antibiogram was constructed for 12 antimicrobials from one large veterinary clinic from 2017 to 2018. Referring to this antibiogram, the clinic introduced strict antimicrobial selection criteria to treat dogs with pyoderma and OE, starting in 2018.

Results

MRSP was identified in 981 dogs (42.8%). In large clinics, the isolation rate of MRSP was 51.1% (404 of 791), which was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in small clinics with less than two veterinary practitioners (34.0%, 154 of 453). In the antibiogram study, the susceptibility rates of oxacillin (MPIPC, 61.5%), cefpodoxime (CPDX, 55.8%) and minocycline (MINO, 55.8%) were significantly higher in 2019 (n = 52) than in 2017 to 2018 (n = 54; MPIPC, 37.0%; CPDX, 33.3%; MINO, 20.4%;P < 0.05).

Conclusions and clinical relevance

Hospital size could affect the isolation rate of MRSP in dogs. Restricted use of antimicrobials for over a year based on cumulative antibiograms could reduce the resistance rate of multiple antimicrobials in SP isolated from dogs with pyoderma and OE.
Beginning to Dismantle the Binaries that Frame the Neoliberal Kindergarten
Authors: Brown Christopher P.
Published: May 2021

The binary logic of policymakers’ neoliberal reforms has restructured kindergarten into a learning environment where teachers struggle to nurture children as learners. At the same time, the critiques that challenge these policies are also rooted in this binary logic. This allows policymakers’ neoliberal reforms to remain intact. In this article, I address this issue through analysing findings from a larger research study that examined how a range of education stakeholders (n=88) made sense of the changed kindergarten through binary logic. I then take apart these three binaries that emerged in my analysis process to provide insight into possible pathways for change that education stakeholders at all levels of governance can begin to engage in to dismantle policymakers’ neoliberal education reforms.
Wall Effects on the Flow Dynamics of a Rigid Sphere in Motion
Authors: Feng Zhi-Gang , Gatewood Jason , Michaelides Efstathios E.
Published: May 2021

The presence of a wall near a rigid sphere in motion is known to disturb the particle fore and aft flow-field symmetry and to affect the hydrodynamic force. An immersed boundary direct numerical simulation (IB-DNS) is used in this study to determine the wall effects on the dynamics of a free-falling sphere and the drag of a sphere moving at a constant velocity. The numerical results are validated by comparison to the published experimental, numerical, and analytical data. The pressure and velocity fields are numerically computed when the particle is in the vicinity of the wall; the transverse (lift) and longitudinal (drag) parts of the hydrodynamic force are calculated; its rotational velocity is investigated in the case of a free-falling sphere. The flow asymmetry also causes the particle to rotate. The wall effect is shown to be significant when the dimensionless ratio of the wall distance to the particle diameter, L/D, is less than 3. The wall effects are more pronounced and when the particle Reynolds number, Re, is less than 10. Based on the computational results, a useful correlation for the wall effects on the drag coefficients of spheres is derived in the range 0.75 < L/D < 3 and 0.18 < Re < 10.
Early Fault Diagnostic System for Rolling Bearing Faults in Wind Turbines
Authors: Xu Libowen , Wang Qing , Ivrissimtzis Ioannis , Li Shisong
Published: May 2021

The operation and maintenance costs of wind farms are always high due to high labor costs and the high replacement cost of parts. Thus, it is of great importance to have real-time monitoring and an early fault diagnostic system to prevent major events, reduce time-based maintenance, and minimize the cost. In this paper, such a two-step system for early stage rolling bearing failures in offshore wind turbines is introduced. First, empirical mode decomposition is applied to minimize the effect of ambient noise. Next, correlation coefficients between a reference signal and test signals are obtained and incipient fault detection is achieved by comparing the results with a threshold value. Through further analysis of the envelope spectrum, sample entropy for selected intrinsic mode functions is obtained, which is further used to train a support vector machine classifier to achieve fault classification and degradation state recognition. The proposed diagnostic approach is verified by experimental tests, and an accuracy of 98% in identifying and classifying rolling bearing failures under various loading conditions is obtained.
Design and Mechanical Evaluation of Sutureless Implants for the Surgery Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tears
Authors: Guimarães Marcília Valéria , Bonifácio Elton Diêgo , Carmo Thiago Côrrea do , Araújo Cleudmar Amaral de
Published: May 2021

Rotator cuff (RC) tears cause pain and functional disability of the shoulder. Despite advances in suture anchors, there are still reports about the incidence of surgical-related injuries to RC mainly associated with sutures. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate the mechanical behavior of sutureless implants to repair RC tears. We hypothesized that the implants present mechanical characteristics suitable for the surgical treatment of RC tears as suture anchors. Three different implants (T1, T2, T3) were designed and fabricated with titanium: T1 has two rods and rectangular head; T2 has two rods with a small opening and enlarged rectangular head; and T3 has three rods and a circular head. The implants were fixed in rigid polyurethane foam blocks by a series of blows, and the applied mechanical loads along with the number of blows were quantified. Pullout tests using tapes fixed between the implant head and testing machine grip were conducted until implant failure. The maximum pullout strength and displacement of the implant relative to the rigid foam block were computed. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Owing to its geometric configuration, implant T2 presented the best characteristics related to stability, strength, and ease of insertion. Implant T2 confirms our hypothesis that its mechanical behavior is compatible with that of suture anchors, which could lead to the reduction of RC repair failures and simplify the arthroscopic procedure.
Analytical Cutting Force Modeling of Micro-Slot Grinding Considering Tool–Workpiece Interactions on Both Primary and Secondary Tool Surfaces
Authors: Pratap Ashwani , Patra Karali
Published: May 2021

This work presents an analytical cutting force modeling for micro-slot grinding. Contribution of the work lies in the consideration of both primary and secondary tool surface interactions with the work surface as compared to the previous works where only primary tool surface interaction was considered during cutting force modeling. Tool secondary surface interaction with workpiece is divided into two parts: cutting/plowing by abrasive grits present in exterior margin of the secondary tool surface and sliding/adhesion by abrasive grits in the inner margins of the secondary tool surface. Orthogonal cutting force model and indentation based-fracture model are considered for cutting by both the abrasives of primary tool surface and the abrasives of exterior margin on the secondary surface. Asperity level sliding and adhesion model are adopted to solve the interaction between the workpiece and the interior margin abrasives of secondary tool surface. Experimental measurement of polycrystalline diamond tool surface topography is carried out and surface data are processed with image processing tools to determine the tool surface statistics, namely, cutting edge density, grit height distribution, and abrasive grit geometrical measures. Micro-slot grinding experiments are carried out on BK7 glass at varying feed rate and axial depths of cut to validate the simulated cutting forces. Simulated cutting forces considering both primary and secondary tool surface interactions are found to be much closer to the experimental cutting forces as compared to the simulated cutting forces considering only primary tool surface interaction.
A Microstructure-Based Mechanistic Model for Bone Sawing: Part 1—Cutting Force Predictions
Authors: Conward Michael , Samuel Johnson
Published: May 2021

This two-part paper is aimed at developing a microstructure-based mechanistic modeling framework to predict the cutting forces and acoustic emissions (AEs) generated during bone sawing. The modeling framework is aimed at the sub-radius cutting condition that dominates chip-formation mechanics during the bone sawing process. Part 1 of this paper deals specifically with the sawing experiments and modeling of the cutting/thrust forces. The model explicitly accounts for key microstructural constituents of the bovine bone (viz., osteon, interstitial matrix, lamellar bone, and woven bone). The cutting and thrust forces are decomposed into their shearing and ploughing components. Microstructure-specific shear stress values critical to the model calculations are estimated using micro-scale orthogonal cutting tests. This approach of estimating the microstructure-specific shear stress overcomes a critical shortcoming in the literature related to high-strain rate characterization of natural composites, where the separation of the individual constituents is difficult. The six model coefficients are calibrated over a range of clinically relevant depth-of-cuts (DOCs) using pure haversian regions (comprising of osteon and interstitial matrix), and pure plexiform regions (comprising of lamellar bone and woven bone). The calibrated model is then used to make predictions in the transition region between the Haversian and plexiform bone, which is characterized by gradient structures involving varying percentages of osteon, interstitial matrix, lamellar bone, and woven bone. The mean absolute percentage error in the force predictions is under 10% for both the cutting and thrust forces. The reality of spatially varied properties in the cortical bone limits the universal use of microstructure-specific shear stress values reported here. Fundamental advancements in the literature associated with both high-strain rate bone mechanics and machining are needed to address this critical limitation.
Contralateral proximal interference
Authors: Reeves Adam , Seluakumaran Kumar , Scharf Bertram
Published: May 2021

A contralateral “cue” tone presented in continuous broadband noise both lowers the threshold of a signal tone by guiding attention to it and raises its threshold by interference. Here, signal tones were fixed in duration (40 ms, 52 ms with ramps), frequency (1500 Hz), timing, and level, so attention did not need guidance. Interference by contralateral cues was studied in relation to cue-signal proximity, cue-signal temporal overlap, and cue-signal order (cue after: backward interference, BI; or cue first: forward interference, FI). Cues, also ramped, were 12 dB above the signal level. Long cues (300 or 600 ms) raised thresholds by 5.3 dB when the signal and cue overlapped and by 5.1 dB in FI and 3.2 dB in BI when cues and signals were separated by 40 ms. Short cues (40 ms) raised thresholds by 4.5 dB in FI and 4.0 dB in BI for separations of 7 to 40 ms, but by ∼13 dB when simultaneous and in phase. FI and BI are comparable in magnitude and hardly increase when the signal is close in time to abrupt cue transients. These results do not support the notion that masking of the signal is due to the contralateral cue onset/offset transient response. Instead, sluggish attention or temporal integration may explain contralateral proximal interference.
Effect of reading passage length on quantitative acoustic speech assessment in Czech-speaking individuals with Parkinson's disease treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation
Authors: Krýže Petr , Tykalová Tereza , Růžička Evžen , Rusz Jan
Published: May 2021

Little is known about the minimum sample length required for the stable acoustic assessment of speech in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to investigate the effect of the duration of the reading passage on the determination of reliable acoustic patterns in individuals with PD treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation. A phonetically balanced reading text of 313 words was collected from 32 Czech persons with PD, and 32 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The reading passage was segmented to produce ten sub-texts of increasing length ranging from a one- to a ten-segment-long sub-text. An error rate analysis was used to estimate the required stabilization value by evaluating the differences between the sub-texts and the entire text across seven hypokinetic dysarthria features. The minimum length of a reading passage equal to 128 words was found to be necessary for acoustic assessment, with similar lengths being required for the controls (120 words) and the two PD subgroups, including Parkinsonian individuals with a mild (126 words) and moderate (128 words) dysarthria severity. The current study provides important guidelines for the necessary sample length for future expert instrumental dysarthria assessments and assists in decreasing the time required for clinical speech evaluations.
Whistleblowing Against Doping Misconduct in Sport: A Reasoned Action Perspective With a Focus on Affective and Normative Processes
Authors: Lazuras Lambros , Barkoukis Vassilis , Bondarev Dmitriy , Ntovolis Yannis , Bochaver Konstantin , Theodorou Nikolaos , Bingham Kevin
Published: May 2021

Whistleblowing against doping misconduct represents an effective deterrent of doping use in elite competitive sport. The present study assessed the effects of social cognitive variables on competitive athletes’ intentions to report doping misconduct. A second objective was to assess whether the effects of social norms on whistleblowing intentions were mediated by actor prototype evaluations and group identification and orientation. In total, 1,163 competitive athletes from Greece, Russia, and the United Kingdom completed a questionnaire on demographics, past behavior, social cognitive variables, and intentions toward whistleblowing. Regression analyses showed that whistleblowing intentions were associated with different social cognitive variables in each country. Multiple mediation modeling showed that attitudes and subjective norms were associated with whistleblowing intentions indirectly, via the effects of anticipated negative affect and group identification and orientation, respectively. The findings of this study are novel and have important implications about the social, cognitive, and normative processes underlying decision making toward reporting doping misconduct.
A method to delineate de novo missense variants across pathways prioritizes genes linked to autism
Authors: Koire Amanda , Katsonis Panagiotis , Kim Young Won , Buchovecky Christie , Wilson Stephen J. , Lichtarge Olivier
Published: May 2021

An evolutionary action approach elucidates the genotype-phenotype relationship in autism spectrum disorder.
Draft Genome Sequences of Salmonella enterica subsp.
diarizonae
Serotype IIIb_61:I,v:1,5,(7) Strains Isolated from Wheat Grains
Authors: Shridhar Pragathi B. , Amachawadi Raghavendra G. , Atobatele Mori , Shi Xiaorong , Adams Paige A. , Phebus Randall K. , Nagaraja Tiruvoor G.
Published: May 2021

Salmonella enterica
subsp.
diarizonae
serotypes are primarily involved in reptile-associated salmonellosis in humans. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of three subsp.
diarizonae
strains belonging to the serotype 61:1,v:1,5,(7), isolated from wheat grains collected at the time of harvest. Strains of serotype of 61:1,v:1,5,(7) have been isolated from feces of reptiles, cattle, and sheep and from infections in humans.
Whole-Genome Sequence of a Strain of Brucella melitensis Isolated from a Patient with Swelling of the Right Testicle in Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Ma Shu-yi , Wang Miao , Ngobeh Jone , Liu Zhi-guo , Li Zhen-jun
Published: May 2021

This report describes the isolation, sequencing, and annotation of Ws20160810, which was isolated from a blood sample from a brucellosis patient suffering from swelling of the right testicle in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The genome size was 3,244,234 bp with a 57.23% GC content, 3,294 coding DNA sequences (CDSs), 55 tRNAs, 5 rRNAs (5S [
n
= 2], 16S [
n
= 1], and 23S [
n
= 2]), and 3 small RNAs (sRNAs).
Draft Genome Sequence of the Plant Growth-Promoting Bacterium Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KB-10
Authors: Khan M. M. A. , Duan Jin , Glick Bernard R. , Finnegan Patrick M. , Kabli Saleh A. , Al-Garni Saleh M. S.
Published: May 2021

Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes
KB-10 can enhance salinity tolerance in coriander plants. We report a draft genome sequence of
P. pseudoalcaligenes
KB-10, comprising a 5,241,174-bp circular chromosome containing 4,921 genes, with a GC content of 62.97%.
webSalvador: a Web Tool for the Luria-Delbrük Experiment
Authors: Zheng Qi
Published: May 2021

Existing Web tools for the Luria-Delbrück fluctuation experiment do not offer many desirable capabilities that are vital to mutation research. webSalvador offers these capabilities via a user interface that allows researchers to access most of the functions in the R package rSalvador without having to learn the R language.
Draft Genome Sequences of Five Staphylococcus saprophyticus Strains Isolated from African Fermented Nono in Nigeria
Authors: Igbinosa Etinosa O. , Brinks Erik , Beshiru Abeni , Igbinosa Isoken H. , Stein Maria , Cho Gyu-Sung , Franz Charles M. A. P.
Published: May 2021

Five
Staphylococcus saprophyticus
strains were isolated from the fermented milk product nono in Nigeria and were sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq platform. The genome sizes ranged from 2.53 to 2.60 Mbp, while the GC contents ranged from 32.99 to 33.07 mol%. The genomes possessed 2,505 to 2,687 protein-coding sequences.
Complete Genome Sequence of a SARS-CoV-2 Strain Sampled in Morocco in May 2020, Obtained Using Sanger Sequencing
Authors: Rfaki Abderrazak , Touil Nadia , Hemlali Mouhssine , Alaoui Amine Sanaâ , Melloul Marouane , El Alaoui Moulay Abdelaziz , Elannaz Hicham , Lahlou Amine Idriss , Elouennass Mostafa , Ennibi Khalid , El Fahime Elmostafa
Published: May 2021

The complete genome sequence of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain was obtained. The strain was isolated from a nasopharyngeal swab specimen from a female patient in Rabat, Morocco, with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This strain belongs to clade 20A and has 12 mutations and 8 amino acid substitutions compared to the reference strain Wuhan/Hu-1/2019.
Complete Genome Sequence of Burkholderia gladioli Myophage Mana
Authors: Godoy Brenda , Yao Guichun , Le Tram , Vizoso-Pinto Maria Guadalupe , Gill Jason , Gonzalez Carlos , Liu Mei
Published: May 2021

Burkholderia gladioliis known to cause respiratory tract infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Here, we describe the annotation of the 38,038-bp genome sequence of Mana, a P2-like phage ofB. gladioli. Understanding the genomic characteristics of phages infecting pathogens likeB. gladiolican lead to advancements in phage therapy.
Complete Genome Sequence of Lentilactobacillus parabuchneri Strain KEM
Authors: Park Jongsun , Xi Hong , Kim Yongsung , Kim Misun
Published: May 2021

Korean effective microorganisms (KEM) comprise a commercial microbial complex originating from the microorganisms found in traditional Korean fermented foods, including kimchi. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, the complete genome sequence of
Lentilactobacillus parabuchneri
, considered a major species of KEM, was assembled.
L. parabuchneri
strains display large numbers of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels, including gene deletions.
First U-Pb dating of fossilized soft tissue using a new approach to paleontological chronometry
Authors: Rochín-Bañaga Heriberto , Davis Donald W. , Schwennicke Tobias
Published: May 2021

Previous U-Pb dating of fossils has had only limited success because of low uranium content and abundance of common Pb as well as element mobility during late diagenesis. We report the first accurate U-Pb dating of fossilized soft tissue from a Pliocene phosphatized bivalve mold using laser ablation–inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). The fossilized soft tissue yields a diagenetic U-Pb age of 3.16 ± 0.08 Ma, which is consistent with its late Pliocene stratigraphy and similar to the oldest U-Pb age measured on accompanying shark teeth. Phosphate extraclasts give a distinctly older age of 5.1 ± 1.7 Ma, indicating that they are likely detrital and may have furnished P, promoting phosphatization of the mold. The U-Pb ages reported here along with stratigraphic constraints suggest that diagenesis occurred shortly after the death of the bivalve and that the U-Pb system in the bivalve mold remained closed until the present. Shark teeth collected from the same horizon show variable resetting due to late diagenesis. Data were acquired as line scans in order to exploit the maximum Pb/U variation and were regressed as counts, rather than ratios, in three-dimensional space using a Bayesian statistical method.
How cementation and fluid flow influence slip behavior at the subduction interface
Authors: Hooker J.N. , Fisher D.M.
Published: May 2021

Much of the complexity of subduction-zone earthquake size and temporal patterns owes to linkages among fluid flow, stress, and fault healing. To investigate these linkages, we introduce a novel numerical model that tracks cementation and fluid flow within the framework of an earthquake simulator. In the model, there are interseismic increases in cohesion across the plate boundary and decreases in porosity and permeability caused by cementation along the interface. Seismogenic slip is sensitive to the effective stress and therefore fluid pressure; in turn, slip events increase porosity by fracturing. The model therefore accounts for positive and negative feedbacks that modify slip behavior through the seismic cycle. The model produces temporal clustering of earthquakes in the seismic record of the Aleutian margin, which has well-documented along-strike variations in locking characteristics. Model results illustrate how physical, geochemical, and hydraulic linkages can affect natural slip behavior. Specifically, coseismic drops in fluid pressure steal energy from large ruptures, suppress slip, moderate the magnitudes of large earthquakes, and lead to aftershocks.