bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spray‐drying microencapsulation of ascorbic acid: impact of varying loading content on physicochemical properties of microencapsulated powders
Authors: Nizori Addion , Bui Lan Thi To , Jie Ferry , Small Darryl Max
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

There is increased interest in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries in using ascorbic acid as an important component in the human diet for health support and disease prevention. However, its use as an ingredient is limited by its high instability and sensitivity to environmental conditions. Microencapsulation technology has been proposed to increase the stability of ascorbic acid. The aim this work was to evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid loading rate on the physicochemical properties of encapsulated ascorbic acid. Loading contents of ascorbic acid of 6%, 9%, 18%, 36%, 54% and 72% were trialled using spray drying in conjunction with starch‐based encapsulating agents.

RESULTS

The results showed that the loading content has a significant effect on ascorbic acid retention, yield, moisture content, water activity, colour change, particle size and distribution of microcapsules. Morphology of microcapsules also was assessed using environmental scanning electron microscopy, showing that the microcapsules had good structure and integrity for a loading content of 18% and even as high as 54%. At levels beyond this, capsules showed a lack of coherence and integrity of the outer shell.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that ascorbic acid microparticles at various loading rates have a substantial impact on physical and chemical properties of microcapsules. Loading content can be selected to ensure colour uniformity and minimal effects on colour during food fortification processes. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Pearl millet populations characterized by Fusarium prevalence, morphological traits, phenolic content, and antioxidant potential
Authors: Bouajila Aida , Lamine Myriam , Rahali FatmaZahra , Melki Imen , Prakash Gangashetty , Ghorbel Abdelwahed
Published: May 2020

Background

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) has become increasingly attractive due to its health benefits. It is grown as food for human consumption and fodder for livestock in Africa and Asia. This study focused on five pearl millet populations from different agro‐ecological zones from Tunisia, and on characterization by morphological traits, total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, and occurrence of Fusarium.

Results

Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences between populations for the quantitative traits. The highest grain weights occurred in the pearl millet cultivated in Zaafrana and Gergis of Tunisia. Early flowering and early maturing populations cultivated in the center (Zaafrana, Rejiche) and south (Gergis) of Tunisia tended to have a higher grain yield. The Zaafrana population showed the highest value of green fodder potentiel (number and weight of leaves/cultivar and the weight of tillers and total plant/cultivar) followed by Gergis and Rejiche. The Kelibia population showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content. Rejiche exhibited the greatest antioxidant activity. Trans‐cinnamic, protocatechuic, and hydroxybenzoic acids were the major phenolic compounds in all the extracts. Three Fusarium species were identified in Tunisian pearl millet populations based on morphologic and molecular characterization. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum occurred most frequently. The average incidence of the three Fusarium species was relatively low (<5%) in all populations. The lowest infection rate (0.1%) was recorded in the samples from Zaafrana.

Conclusion

Chemometric analysis confirmed the usefulness of the above traits for discrimination of pearl millet populations, where a considerable variation according to geographical origin and bioclimatic conditions was observed. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Revealing the 2D–scale, location–specific variations of soil properties in the coal mining area of Changhe watershed, China
Authors: Zhu Hongfen , Bi Rutian , Sun Ruipeng , Xu Zhanjun , Lv Chunjuan , Yang Jason
Published: May 2020

Many researches have been conducted to understand the scale–location specific variations of soil properties in one‐dimensional soil samples. However, these results did not enable us to properly understand the 2D (two‐dimensional) distributions of soil characteristics, especially in the coal mining areas. Therefore, the objective of this study is to reveal the scale–location dependent variation of two‐dimensional patterns for soil properties and to develop a soil organic matter (SOM) prediction based on those scale–location effects in the coal mining area. To this end, SOM, porosity, and silt were measured in the top (0–20 cm), middle (20–40 cm), and bottom (40–60 cm)layers of soil in Changhe watershed, China. The scale‐specific spatial patterns of soil properties were extracted using two‐dimensional empirical mode decomposition (2DEMD), and SOM was predicted using stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) and 2DEMDGS. It was found that the spatial distributions of SOM residue (>24 km) at middle layer and porosity residue at top and bottom layers could reveal the differentiation between coal mining and non‐coal mining areas. The scale‐effects on the relationships between SOM and its covariates was stronger than that of land uses, and the relationships of SOM with the covariates in different land use types were distinctive at top layer, and were similar at bottom layer. 2DEMDGS performed better than SMLR on SOM prediction for its involvement of scale and location effects. Therefore, the relationship between SOM and influencing factors is a function of scale, location, and land uses activities, and the scale‐ and location‐dependent method should be considered for SOM prediction.
Saline Soil Reclamation Index as an efficient tool for assessing restoration progress of saline land
Authors: Edrisi Sheikh Adil , Tripathi Vishal , Chaturvedi Rajiv Kumar , Dubey Dinesh Kumar , Patel Girish , Abhilash Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil
Published: May 2020

Restoration of degraded land is imperative for addressing climate change, deriving additional benefits such as biomass and biofuel for supporting a biobased economy and also for meeting various targets of the Bonn Challenge and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN‐SDGs). In this context, the present research aimed to evaluate the performance of mixed biomass plantations on the saline land of western India over a period of 4 years. The impact of plantations on soil quality over the study period (2015–2018) was analysed by the Saline Soil Reclamation Index (SSRI), developed through principal component analysis. The study found a strong correlation between plant growth attributes and soil quality (p < .01). Soil porosity, texture, pH balance, electrical conductivity (EC), available potassium (AK) and available nitrogen (AN) levels are found to be the key indicators regulating the plant growth. The EC, AK and AN levels were seen to change significantly during the initial stage (2014) from 25 dS m−1, 10 mg kg−1and 23 mg kg−1to 1 dS m−1, 24 mg kg−1and 39 mg kg−1, respectively, towards the end of the study period (2018). Among the various test plants, six species (Albizia lebbeck, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cordia dichotoma, Pithecellobium dulce, Pongamia pinnata, Terminalia arjuna) were found with high SSRI (>0.50); while the rest displayed moderate SSRI (0.30–0.49), except forAzadirachta indica, which shown low SSRI (<0.30). The trees having high SSRI are most suitable for the reclamation of saline soil and therefore, SSRI can be used as a tool for assessing the progress of saline land restoration.
Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Parkinson's Disease: Data From a Large Prospective European Cohort
Authors: Peters Susan , Gallo Valentina , Vineis Paolo , Middleton Lefkos T. , Forsgren Lars , Sacerdote Carlotta , Sieri Sabina , Kyrozis Andreas , Chirlaque María‐Dolores , Zamora‐Ros Raul , Hansson Oskar , Petersson Jesper , Katzke Verena , Kühn Tilman , Mokoroa Olatz , Masala Giovanna , Ardanaz Eva , Panico Salvatore , Bergmann Manuela M. , Key Timothy J. , Weiderpass Elisabete , Ferrari Pietro , Vermeulen Roel
Published: May 2020

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) etiology is not well understood. Reported inverse associations with smoking and coffee consumption prompted the investigation of alcohol consumption as a risk factor, for which evidence is inconclusive.

Objective

To assess the associations between alcohol consumption and PD risk.

Methods

Within NeuroEPIC4PD, a prospective European population‐based cohort, 694 incident PD cases were ascertained from 209,998 PD‐free participants. Average alcohol consumption at different time points was self‐reported at recruitment. Cox regression hazard ratios were estimated for alcohol consumption and PD occurrence.

Results

No associations between baseline or lifetime total alcohol consumption and PD risk were observed. Men with moderate lifetime consumption (5–29.9 g/day) were at ~50% higher risk compared with light consumption (0.1–4.9 g/day), but no linear exposure–response trend was observed. Analyses by beverage type also revealed no associations with PD.

Conclusion

Our data reinforce previous findings from prospective studies showing no association between alcohol consumption and PD risk. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Ten Unsolved Questions About Neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Hirsch Etienne C. , Standaert David G.
Published: May 2020

Parkinson's disease is a progressive and debilitating disorder that has so far eluded attempts to develop disease‐modifying treatment. Both epidemiological and genetic studies support a role of neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. Postmortem studies and experimental analyses suggest the involvement of both innate and adaptive immunity in the degenerative process. There is also some circumstantial evidence for effects of immune therapies on the disease. In the present article, we review 10 unanswered questions related to neuroinflammatory processes in Parkinson's disease with the goal of stimulating research in the field and accelerating the clinical development of neuroprotective therapies based on anti‐inflammatory strategies. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
NASMHPD issues guidance to maintain hospital patients' health in crisis
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2020

Individuals held in state psychiatric facilities tend to become the forgotten clients of the mental health system. The same approaches that can protect those served in the community mental health sector during a public health crisis likely do not translate well to locked wards in state hospitals. The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) has therefore issued recommendations for assisting individuals in state facilities during the novel coronavirus crisis.
New report examines medication trends for depression, anxiety and insomnia
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2020

As COVID‐19 continues to significantly impact the United States from a physical, mental and financial standpoint, an early analysis by a pharmacy benefit management organization of filled prescriptions at the onset of COVID‐19 has found increases in the use of anti‐anxiety and antidepressant medications.
APA urges HHS to push for partnership to address pandemic
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2020

Citing the need to provide urgent information on the impact of COVID‐19 on key populations and produce data to target behavioral health interventions to vulnerable populations, the American Psychological Association (APA) is urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a public‐private partnership to address the pandemic.
Congressional caucus introduce landmark health equity bill
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2020

The Congressional Tri‐Caucus, which represents more than half of the Democratic Caucus and includes the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, on April 28 introduced a landmark bill to close health disparities in the United States.
A three‐stage graphics processing unit‐based finite element analyses matrix generation strategy for unstructured meshes
Authors: Sanfui Subhajit , Sharma Deepak
Published: May 2020

With the development of parallel computing architectures, larger and more complex finite element analyses (FEA) are being performed with higher accuracy and smaller execution times. Graphics processing units (GPUs) are one of the major contributors of this computational breakthrough. This work presents a three‐stage GPU‐based FEA matrix generation strategy with the key idea of decoupling the computation of global matrix indices and values by use of a novel data structure referred to as the neighbor matrix. The first stage computes the neighbor matrix on the GPU based on the unstructured mesh. Using this neighbor matrix, the indices and values of the global matrix are computed separately in the second and third stages. The neighbor matrix is computed for three different element types. Two versions for performing numerical integration and assembly in the same or separate kernels are implemented and simulations are run for different mesh sizes having up to three million degrees of freedom on a single GPU. Comparison with GPU‐based parallel implementation from the literature reveals speedup ranging from 4× to 6× for the proposed workload division strategy. Furthermore, the same kernel implementation is found to outperform the separate kernel implementation by 70% to 150% for different element types.
An interface‐tracking unified continuum model for fluid‐structure interaction with topology change and full‐friction contact with application to aortic valves
Authors: Hiromi Spühler Jeannette , Hoffman Johan
Published: May 2020

An interface tracking finite element methodology is presented for 3D turbulent flow fluid‐structure interaction, including full‐friction contact and topology changes, with specific focus on heart valve simulations. The methodology is based on a unified continuum fluid‐structure interaction model, which is a monolithic approach, where the fundamental conservation laws are formulated for the combined fluid‐structure continuum. Contact is modeled by local phase changes in the unified continuum, and computational results show the promise of the approach. The core algorithms are all based on the solution of partial differential equations with standard finite element methods, and hence any general purpose finite element library which can leverage state of the art hardware platforms can be used for the implementation of the methodology.
An analytical investigation on the effect of porous conductive cellulose acetate composite morphology on the detection of organic compounds
Authors: Noormohammad Asma , Molla‐Abbasi Payam
Published: May 2020

A smart porous conductive polymer composite (CPC) consisting of cellulose acetate as matrix and multiwalled carbon nanotubes as conductive filler was prepared to detect a set of lung cancer biomarkers. The solvent evaporation‐induced phase separation was used to introduce porosity into the conductive composite. The prepared sensitive layers exhibited high response intensity, low response time, and good recovery behavior toward the mentioned analytes. A thorough investigation was conducted on the morphology, response behavior, sensitivity, and selectivity of the prepared CPC transducer. The selectivity of responses was considered based on the thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of polymer and analytes such as Hansen solubility parameters, Flory‐Huggins interaction parameter, and diffusion coefficient of analytes into the polymer membrane. Moreover, the microstructure of porous layers was characterized by using SEM, contact angle, and BET. The volume porosity and specific surface area of the sensitive layers were increased by the introduction of porosity into the polymer composite, causing the improvement of sensing parameters. The obtained responses further confirmed the promising potential of the prepared porous CPC structure, for the detection of lung cancer biomarkers, from exhaled breath as an inexpensive, repeatable, accurate, and noninvasive method.
Brief report: International perspectives on the pediatric COVID‐19 experience
Authors: Yilmaz Ozge , Gochicoa‐Rangel Laura , Blau Hannah , Epaud Ralph , Lands Larry C. , Lombardi Enrico , Moore Paul E. , Stein Renato T. , Wong Gary W. K. , Zar Heather J.
Published: May 2020

The 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) is endangering human health worldwide; scarcity of published pediatric cases and current literature and the absence of evidence‐based guidelines necessitate international sharing of experience and personal communication. On 31 March 2020 the International Committee of the American Thoracic Society Pediatrics Assembly recorded an online podcast, during which pediatric pulmonologists worldwide shared their experience on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) in children. The aim was to share personal experience in organizing pediatric care in different health care settings globally, protecting health care workers, and isolation practices. This manuscript summarizes the common themes of the podcast which centered around three main topics: more benign clinical disease and progression in pediatric cases compared to adults, a strong need for strategies to protect health care workers, and social or economic disparities as a barrier to successful pandemic control.
Insecticide residue longevity for on‐site screening of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) resistance
Authors: Disi Joseph Onwusemu , Van Timmeren Steven , Gress Brian , Zalom Frank , Isaacs Rufus , Sial Ashfaq
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Preventative application of insecticides reduces marketable yield losses caused by Drosophila suzukii females that selectively lay eggs into ripe and ripening fruits. However, repeated applications of insecticides increase the risk of resistance development. It is therefore critical to test field‐collected flies on‐site to assess the level of sensitivity of D. suzukii to insecticides to monitor resistance, before it becomes a widespread issue. This requires that insecticide‐treated vials be readily available to conduct bioassays. Thus, bioassays were conducted using malathion‐, methomyl‐, zeta‐cypermethrin‐, phosmet‐, spinetoram‐ and spinosad‐treated scintillation vials at 1 to 28 days after treatment to assess how residue age affects insecticide toxicity in scintillation vials. The impact of temperature on residue longevity was also assessed.

RESULTS

Insecticide‐treated vials stored for 28 days provided reliable estimates of susceptibility of D. suzukii to some of the tested insecticides. The toxicity of malathion remained consistently high throughout the experiment followed by methomyl. However, toxicities of zeta‐cypermethrin, phosmet were variable whereas those of the spinosyns declined relatively quickly. Overall, storage temperature did not affect the residual toxicity of most of the tested insecticides except zeta‐cypermethrin.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the toxicity of insecticide residues in treated vials remains active for ≤28 d for malathion and ≤21 and 28 days in methomyl‐treated vials stored at 4 °C in Georgia and Michigan, respectively. However, the toxicities of spinosad, zeta‐cypermethrin and phosmet were less consistent. Hence, vials treated with these insecticides should be freshly made to be effective for screening D. suzukii field populations for resistance. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Augmentation and compatibility of Beauveria bassiana with pesticides against different growth stages of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius); an in vitro and field approach
Authors: Wari David , Okada Ryo , Takagi Motonori , Yaguchi Masato , Kashima Tetsuro , Ogawara Takashi
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND

Bemisia tabaci is a notorious agricultural pest that causes serious damage to many crops via herbivory and spread of viral diseases. Effective control measures are, therefore, required. Integrating entomopathogenic fungi into the chemical control system offers promise for B. tabaci management.

RESULTS

In‐vitro assays on the augmentative effect of Beauveria bassiana GHA strain with insecticides, and its compatibility with fungicides were tested. Varying egg mortality was observed for most insecticides except for milbemectin. Pyrifluquinazon was less effective against the nymphs. Flonicamid showed no insecticidal effect on either nymphs or adults. However, increased mortality in nymphs and adults was observed when flonicamid was mixed with Beauveria bassiana GHA strain. Furthermore, no significant synergistic effect of mixing pesticides with B. bassiana GHA strain was observed. Most insecticides (when not mixed with B. bassiana) showed high (>80%) mortality against B. tabaci nymphs and adults. Most fungicides tested showed no inhibitory effects on B. bassiana GHA strain against B. tabaci nymphs and adults. Fungistatic effect was observed in the mycelial and spore germination inhibition studies. Weekly rotation of some pesticides with B. bassiana GHA strain in greenhouse conditions yielded significant reduction in different growth stages of B. tabaci. However, no significant difference in viral incidence was observed.

CONCLUSION

Laboratory and field tests showed positive effects of augmenting pesticides and B. bassiana GHA strain against B. tabaci nymphs and adults. Therefore, augmentation of pesticides and B. bassiana GHA strain is one prospect towards developing an effective B. tabaci IPM system. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
The novel long noncoding RNA lncRNA-Adi regulates adipogenesis
Authors: Chen Yuanwei , Li Kaide , Zhang Xiao , Chen Jinlong , Li Meisheng , Liu Lei
Published: May 2020

Adipogenesis participates in many physiological and pathological processes, such as obesity and diabetes, and is regulated by a series of precise molecular events. However, the molecules involved in this regulation have not been fully characterized. In this study, we identified a long noncoding (lnc)RNA, lncRNA-Adi, which is highly expressed in adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) that are differentiating into adipocytes. Knockdown of lncRNA-Adi impaired the adipogenic differentiation ability of ADSCs. Moreover, lncRNA-Adi was found to interact with microRNA (miR)-449a to enhance the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)6 during adipogenesis. The mechanism by which lncRNA-Adi regulates adipogenesis was determined to involve an lncRNA-Adi-miR-449a interaction that competes with the CDK6 3′ untranslated region to increase CDK6 translation and activate the pRb-E2F1 pathway to promote adipogenesis. These findings provide valuable information and a new study angle to search for therapeutic targets against metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.

Significance statement This study found a new lncRNA, which was named lncRNA-Adi, that highly expressed in adipogenic-induced ADSCs. Furthermore, lncRNA-Adi could competitively interact with miR-449a, which protects CDK6 from degradation by miR-449a, to improve CDK6 translation level and activate pRb-E2F1 pathway, which is crucial to cell proliferation in the early stage of adipogenesis, to promote adipogenesis. These findings not only revealed the function and mechanism of lncRNA-Adi in regulating adipogenesis but also, more importantly, could provide valuable information and a new study angle in the future to search for therapeutic target in fighting against metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.
Does government health insurance reduce job lock and job push?
Authors: Barkowski Scott
Published: May 2020

I study job lock and job push, twin phenomena believed to be partially due to employment‐contingent health insurance (ECHI). Using variation in Medicaid eligibility among household members of male workers to identify changes in those workers' reliance on ECHI, I estimate notable job lock and job push effects. For married male workers, a 15 percentage point increase in the likelihood a household member is eligible for Medicaid increases the rate of voluntary job exits over a four‐month period by 14%. For job push, the same increase in a household member's likelihood of Medicaid eligibility reduces the transition rate into jobs with ECHI among all male workers by 8%.
Approaching the Most Economic Preparation of Hole Transport Layer by Organic Monomolecular Strategy for Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Liu Hui , Liu Changwen , Li Wang , Kong Weiguang , Chen Hong , Zhang Haichao , Zhang Xian , Wang Weijun , Cheng Chun
Published: May 2020

Hole transport materials and their processing occupy at least one‐third of the cost of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which leaves plenty of room to improve the process of device fabrication. Herein, a facile immersing and washing strategy (I‐method) is reported to prepare effective organic monomolecular layers (MLs) of poly[N,N′‐bis(4‐butylphenyl)‐N,N′‐bis(phenyl) benzidine] (polyTPD) as hole transport layers (ML‐HTLs) to construct cost‐effective planar inverted PSCs. The ML enables an enhanced wettability to perovskite precursors and thus results in the growth of compact and uniform perovskite films. In addition, the ML exhibits better energy‐level alignment with perovskite. Consequently, the ML‐polyTPD‐based PSCs deliver significantly enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) and reproducibility, as compared to that of pristine polyTPD based devices. The practical consumption of polyTPD during the I‐method is cut to the bone, with the cost of $0.8 for 1 m2 substrate being achieved, which is 0.15% of that by S‐method. The developed I‐method is facile, and time‐ and cost‐saving with low requirement for facilities as well as with low temperature and solution processability. This strategy is cost‐effective to prepare ML‐HTLs for large‐area and flexible PSCs with competitive photovoltaic performance and enhanced reproducibility.
Relations Between Literacy Research and Practice in New Zealand
Authors: Parr Judy M. , Jesson Rebecca
Published: May 2020

Teaching as a process of inquiry is the underpinning philosophy stated in the New Zealand Curriculum. Teachers are tasked with inquiring into the needs of their students and the efficacy of their own practice in the light of those needs. The results of ongoing inquiry inform how practice might be honed or changed. The authors consider how the context influences the ways in which teachers interact with research and with researchers to inform and support this inquiry. Although drawing on multiple literacy research endeavors with practitioners, the authors employ just one example of a partnership that focused on accelerating progress, particularly for underachieving writers ages 10–13, to illustrate how practices that were effective with these writers were jointly established.
Toward Reciprocity and Agency in Students’ Digital Reading
Authors: Kucirkova Natalia
Published: May 2020

Young students must become proficient in the new literacies of 21st‐century technologies to be considered literate. This department explores how literacy educators can integrate information and communication technologies into the curriculum.
Large N analysis of $$ T\overline{T} $$-deformation and unavoidable negative-norm states
Authors: Haruna Junichi , Ishii Takaaki , Kawai Hikaru , Sakai Katsuta , Yoshida Kentaroh
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We study non-perturbative quantum aspects of

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

-deformation of a free O(N ) vector model by employing the large N limit. It is shown that bound states of the original field appear and inevitably become negative-norm states. In particular, the bound states can be regarded as the states of the conformal mode in a gravitational theory, where the Liouville action is induced with the coefficient proportional to the minus of central charge. To make the theory positive-definite, some modification is required so as to preserve diffeomorphism invariance due to the Faddeev-Popov ghosts with a negative central charge.
Rank-two 5d SCFTs from M-theory at isolated toric singularities: a systematic study
Authors: Saxena Vivek
Published: May 2020

Abstract

We carry out a detailed exploration of the deformations of rank-two five-dimensional superconformal field theories (SCFTs)

$$ {\mathcal{T}}_{\mathbf{X}} $$

T
X

, which are geometrically engineered by M-theory on the space transverse to isolated toric Calabi-Yau (CY) threefold singularities X. Deformations of 5d

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 1 SCFTs can lead to “gauge-theory phases,” but also to “non-gauge-theoretic phases,” which have no known Lagrangian interpretation. In previous work, a technique relying on fiberwise M-theory/type IIA duality was developed to associate a type IIA background to any resolution of X which admits a suitable projection of its toric diagram. The type IIA background consists of an A-type ALE space fibered over the real line, with stacks of coincident D6-branes wrapping 2-cycles in the ALE resolution. In this work, we combine that technique with some elementary ideas from graph theory, to analyze mass deformations of

$$ {\mathcal{T}}_{\mathbf{X}} $$

T
X

when X is a isolated toric CY3 singularity of rank-two (that is, it has two compact divisors). We explicitly derive type IIA descriptions of all isolated rank-two CY3 toric singularities. We also comment on the renormalization group flows in the extended parameter spaces of these theories, which frequently relate distinct geometries by flowing to theories with lower flavor symmetries, including those that describe non-gauge-theoretic phases.
Quantized Coulomb branches, monopole bubbling and wall-crossing phenomena in 3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 theories
Authors: Assel Benjamin , Cremonesi Stefano , Renwick Matthew
Published: May 2020

Abstract

To study the quantized Coulomb branch of 3d

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 4 unitary SQCD theories, we propose a new method to compute correlators of monopole and Casimir operators that are inserted in the

$$ \mathrm{\mathbb{R}}\times {\mathrm{\mathbb{R}}}_{\upepsilon}^2 $$

ℝ
×

ℝ
ϵ
2

Omega background. This method combines results from supersymmetric localization with inputs from the brane realisation of the correlators in type IIB string theory. The main challenge is the computation of the partition functions of certain Super-Matrix-Models (SMMs), which appear in the contribution of monopole bubbling sectors and are realised as the theory living on the D1 strings in the brane construction. We find that the non-commutativity arising in the monopole operator insertions is related to a wall-crossing phenomenon in the FI parameter space of the SMM. We illustrate our method in various examples and we provide explicit results for arbitrary correlators of non-bubbling bare monopole operators. We also discuss the realisation of the non-commutative product as a Moyal (star) product and use it to successfully test our results.
Transcutaneous Stimulation of Auricular Branch of the Vagus Nerve Attenuates the Acute Inflammatory Response After Lung Lobectomy
Authors: Salama Mohamed , Akan Ahmet , Mueller Michael Rolf
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Systemic inflammation is a potentially debilitating complication of thoracic surgeries with significant physical and economic morbidity. There is compelling evidence for the role of the central nervous system in regulating inflammatory processes through humoral mechanisms. Activation of the afferent vagus nerve by cytokines triggers anti‐inflammatory responses. Peripheral electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve in vivo during lethal endotoxemia in rats inhibited tumor necrosis factor synthesis and prevented shock development. However, the vagal regulatory role of systemic inflammation after lung lobectomy is unknown.

Methods

One hundred patients who underwent lobectomy via thoracotomy were recruited and equally randomized to treated group or controls. Intermittent stimulation of the auricular branch of vagus nerve in the triangular fossa was applied in the treated group using neurostimulator V (Ducest®, Germany), starting 24 h preoperatively and continued till the 4th postoperative day (POD). Inflammatory interleukins (IL) were analyzed using ELISA preoperatively, on the 1st and 4th POD.

Results

On the 1st POD, patients who underwent neurostimulation had reduced serum concentrations of CRP (p = 0.01), IL6 (p = 0.02) but elevated IL10 (p = 0.03) versus controls. On the 4th POD, serum concentrations of CRP, IL6 and IL10 were similar in both groups. Moreover, the treated group was associated with lower incidence of pneumonia (p = 0.04) and shorter hospitalization time (p = 0.04) versus controls.

Conclusions

Modulations in the brain stem caused by noninvasive transcutaneous stimulation of the vagus nerve after lung lobectomy attenuate the acute postsurgical inflammatory response by the regulation of IL6 and IL10, resulting in reduced incidence of postoperative pneumonia and short hospitalization time.

Clinical Trial Registry Number

NCT03204968.
Modern scaffolding strategies based on naturally pre-fabricated 3D biomaterials of poriferan origin
Authors: Tsurkan Dmitry , Wysokowski Marcin , Petrenko Iaroslav , Voronkina Alona , Khrunyk Yuliya , Fursov Andriy , Ehrlich Hermann
Published: May 2020

Modern scaffolding strategies include two key ways: to produce requested 3D constructs from corresponding precursors using technological tools, or simply use naturally already pre-fabricated scaffolds if they originate from renewable sources. Marine sponges inhabit oceans since the Precambrian. These ancient multicellular organisms possess a broad variety of evolutionary approved and ready to use skeletal structures, which seem to be well applicable as 3D scaffolds in diverse fields of modern bioinspired materials science, biomimetics and regenerative medicine. In this review, most attention is paid to biosilica-, chitin-, and spongin-based scaffolds of poriferan origin with respect to their potential use.
Lifestyle among long-term survivors of cancers in young adulthood
Authors: Bøhn Synne-Kristin H. , Lie Hanne C. , Reinertsen Kristin V. , Fosså Sophie D. , Haugnes Hege S. , Kiserud Cecilie E. , Loge Jon Håvard , Wisløff Torbjørn , Thorsen Lene
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To investigate lifestyle in a population-based sample of long-term (≥ 5 years since diagnosis) young adult cancer survivors (YACSs), and explore factors associated with not meeting the lifestyle guidelines for physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI), and smoking.

Methods

YACSs (n = 3558) diagnosed with breast cancer (BC), colorectal cancer (CRC), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), or localized malignant melanoma (MM) between the ages of 19 and 39 years and treated between 1985 and 2009 were invited to complete a mailed questionnaire. Survivors of localized MM treated with limited skin surgery served as a reference group for treatment burden.

Results

In total, 1488 YACSs responded (42%), and 1056 YACSs were evaluable and included in the present study (74% females, average age at survey 49 years, average 15 years since diagnosis). Forty-four percent did not meet PA guidelines, 50% reported BMI ≥ 25 and 20% smoked, with no statistically significant differences across diagnostic groups. Male gender, education ≤ 13 years, comorbidity, lymphedema, pain, chronic fatigue, and depressive symptoms were associated with not meeting single and/or an increasing number of lifestyle guidelines.

Conclusion

A large proportion of long-term YACSs do not meet the lifestyle guidelines for PA, BMI, and/or smoking. Non-adherence to guidelines is associated with several late effects and/or comorbidities that should be considered when designing lifestyle interventions for YACSs.
Stimulus–effect relations for left ventricular growth obtained with a simple multi-scale model: the influence of hemodynamic feedback
Authors: Rondanina Emanuele , Bovendeerd Peter H. M.
Published: May 2020

Cardiac growth is an important mechanism for the human body to respond to changes in blood flow demand. Being able to predict the development of chronic growth is clinically relevant, but so far models to predict growth have not reached consensus on the stimulus–effect relation. In a previously published study, we modeled cardiac and hemodynamic function through a lumped parameter approach. We evaluated cardiac growth in response to valve disease using various stimulus–effect relations and observed an unphysiological decline pump function. Here we extend that model with a model of hemodynamic feedback that maintains mean arterial pressure and cardiac output through adaptation of peripheral resistance and circulatory unstressed volume. With the combined model, we obtain stable growth and restoration of pump function for most growth laws. We conclude that a mixed combination of stress and strain stimuli to drive cardiac growth is most promising since it (1) reproduces clinical observations on cardiac growth well, (2) requires only a small, clinically realistic adaptation of the properties of the circulatory system and (3) is robust in the sense that results were fairly insensitive to the exact choice of the chosen mechanics loading measure. This finding may be used to guide the choice of growth laws in more complex finite element models of cardiac growth, suitable for predicting the response to spatially varying changes in tissue load. Eventually, the current model may form a basis for a tool to predict patient-specific growth in response to spatially homogeneous changes in tissue load, since it is computationally inexpensive.
Comparative genetic analysis of grayling (Thymallus spp. Salmonidae) across the paleohydrologically dynamic river drainages of the Altai-Sayan mountain region
Authors: Weiss Steven , Grimm Jacqueline , Gonçalves Duarte V. , Secci-Petretto Giulia , Englmaier Gernot K. , Baimukanov Mirgaliy , Froufe Elsa
Published: May 2020

A high number of grayling (Thymallus) species have been described from the Altai-Sayan mountain region, for which little to no genetic information is available. We investigated genetic relationships within this genus of salmonid fishes using mtDNA and microsatellite markers. The analysis focused on three putative species, Markakol grayling (T. brevicephalus), Upper Ob grayling (T. nikolskyi) and Mongolian grayling (T. brevirostris). We integrated these data with mtDNA sequences from eight other grayling species, including two of geographic proximity to the study area. Phylogenetic results revealed three pairs of reciprocally monophyletic sister species, two of which were phylogenetically juxtaposed across isolated drainage systems. Based on microsatellite analysis (up to 10 loci) no evidence of hybridization or introgression was found among species, supporting the mtDNA phylogeny. Based on a time-calibrated tree, divergence times between the focal taxa ranged from 0.36 to 1.1 MY. The genetic data support the distinction of these species and underscore the importance of paleohydrological dynamics in this biogeographically complex region. Well-documented mega-flood events in the region provide a model of how the contemporary cross-basin distribution of these species may have evolved.
Cultivation conditions affect the monosaccharide composition in Ulva fenestrata
Authors: Olsson Joakim , Toth Gunilla B. , Oerbekke Annelous , Cvijetinovic Suzana , Wahlström Niklas , Harrysson Hanna , Steinhagen Sophie , Kinnby Alexandra , White Joel , Edlund Ulrica , Undeland Ingrid , Pavia Henrik , Albers Eva
Published: May 2020

In recent years, the interest in using seaweed for the sustainable production of commodities has been increasing as seaweeds contain many potentially worthwhile compounds. Thus, the extraction and refining processes of interesting compounds from seaweeds is a hot research topic but has been found to have problems with profitability for novel applications. To increase the economic potential of refining seaweed biomass, the content of the compounds of interest should be maximized, which can potentially be achieved through optimization of cultivation conditions. In this study, we studied how the monosaccharide composition of the green seaweed speciesUlva fenestratais influenced by the abiotic factors; irradiance, temperature, nitrate, phosphate, and pCO2. It was evident that lower nitrate concentration and cultivation at elevated temperature increased monosaccharide contents. A 70% increase in iduronic acid and a 26% increase in rhamnose content were seen under elevated irradiance and temperature conditions, though the absolute differences in monosaccharide concentration were small. Irradiance and nitrate impacted the ratio between iduronic and rhamnose, which is an indicator of the ulvan structure. These results could potentially be utilized to coax the ulvan towards specific bioactivities, and thus have a considerable impact on a potential biorefinery centered aroundUlva.
Visualization techniques to support CCTV operators of smart city services
Authors: Pawłowski Paweł , Dąbrowski Adam , Balcerek Julian , Konieczka Adam , Piniarski Karol
Published: May 2020

In this paper visualization techniques for modern closed circuit television (CCTV) smart city services are discussed with application to prevention of threats. Unconventional approaches to the intelligent visual data processing are proposed in order to support video surveillance operators, thus to make their work less exhaustive and more effective. Although registration of a huge amount of video data requires development of intelligent and automatic signal processing information extraction techniques, improvement of visualization methods for operators is also a very important task, because of the crucial role the human factor plays and should always play in the decision making, e.g. in the operator reactions to various crisis situations, which can never be fully eliminated by artificial intelligence. Four software based mechanisms connected with a standard or with a slightly extended hardware are proposed as options for the CCTV operators. They utilize rather known ideas but are implemented with new extensions to original algorithms, as well as with additional, innovative modifications and solutions (not presented in the literature). With them they become reliable and efficient tools for the CCTV systems. First, generation of cylindrical panoramas is suggested in order to make long-time video content analysis of a defined area easier and faster. Using panoramas it is possible to reduce the time that is required to watch the video by a factor of hundreds or even thousands and perform an efficient compression of the video stream for the long-time storage. Second, the controlled stereovision option is discussed for quicker and more precise extraction of relevant information from the observed scene. Third, the thermo-vision is analyzed for faultless detection of pedestrians at night. Finally, a novel high dynamic range (HDR) technique is proposed, dedicated to the CCTV systems, in contrast to other typical entertainment oriented HDR approaches, for clear visualization of important and meaningful image details, otherwise invisible. We validated usefulness of the proposed techniques with many experiments presented in this paper.
A comparison between water uptake and root length density in winter wheat: effects of root density and rhizosphere properties
Authors: Zhang X. X. , Whalley P. A. , Ashton R. W. , Evans J. , Hawkesford M. J. , Griffiths S. , Huang Z. D. , Zhou H. , Mooney S. J. , Whalley W. R.
Published: May 2020

Background and aims

We aim to quantify the variation in root distribution in a set of 35 experimental wheat lines. We also compared the effect of variation in hydraulic properties of the rhizosphere on water uptake by roots.

Methods

We measured the root length density and soil drying in 35 wheat lines in a field experiment. A 3D numerical model was used to predict soil drying profiles with the different root length distributions and compared with measured soil drying. The model was used to test different scenarios of the hydraulic properties of the rhizosphere.

Results

We showed that wheat lines with no detectable differences in root length density can induce soil drying profiles with statistically significant differences. Our data confirmed that a root length density of at least 1 cm/cm3 is needed to drain all the available water in soil. In surface layers where the root length density was far greater than 1 cm/cm3 water uptake was independent of rooting density due to competition for water. However, in deeper layers where root length density was less than 1 cm/cm3, water uptake by roots was proportional to root density.

Conclusion

In a set of wheat lines with no detectable differences in the root length density we found significant differences in water uptake. This may be because small differences in root density at depth can result in larger differences in water uptake or that the hydraulic properties of the rhizosphere can greatly affect water uptake.
A comparison of high-throughput plasma NMR protocols for comparative untargeted metabolomics
Authors: Bliziotis Nikolaos G. , Engelke Udo F. H. , Aspers Ruud L. E. G. , Engel Jasper , Deinum Jaap , Timmers Henri J. L. M. , Wevers Ron A. , Kluijtmans Leo A. J.
Published: May 2020

Introduction

When analyzing the human plasma metabolome with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) experiment is commonly employed for large studies. However, this process can lead to compromised statistical analyses due to residual macromolecule signals. In addition, the utilization of Trimethylsilylpropanoic acid (TSP) as an internal standard often leads to quantification issues, and binning, as a spectral summarization step, can result in features not clearly assignable to metabolites.

Objectives

Our aim was to establish a new complete protocol for large plasma cohorts collected with the purpose of describing the comparative metabolic profile of groups of samples.

Methods

We compared the conventional CPMG approach to a novel procedure that involves diffusion NMR, using the Longitudinal Eddy-Current Delay (LED) experiment, maleic acid (MA) as the quantification reference and peak picking for spectral reduction. This comparison was carried out using the ultrafiltration method as a gold standard in a simple sample classification experiment, with Partial Least Squares–Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) and the resulting metabolic signatures for multivariate data analysis. In addition, the quantification capabilities of the method were evaluated.

Results

We found that the LED method applied was able to detect more metabolites than CPMG and suppress macromolecule signals more efficiently. The complete protocol was able to yield PLS-DA models with enhanced classification accuracy as well as a more reliable set of important features than the conventional CPMG approach. Assessment of the quantitative capabilities of the method resulted in good linearity, recovery and agreement with an established amino acid assay for the majority of the metabolites tested. Regarding repeatability, ~ 85% of all peaks had an adequately low coefficient of variation (< 30%) in replicate samples.

Conclusion

Overall, our comparison yielded a high-throughput untargeted plasma NMR protocol for optimized data acquisition and processing that is expected to be a valuable contribution in the field of metabolic biomarker discovery.