bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Novel staphylococci nucH taxonomical marker used in identification of human‐associated Staphylococcus succinus subsp. casei
Authors: Garbacz Katarzyna , Kotłowski Roman , Kwapisz Ewa 
Published: July 2021

SummaryThe aim of our study was to assess the sequencing of unique nucH gene fragment based on performed bioinformatics analysis as a novel diagnostic method for the identification of difficult to identify staphylococcal human pathogenic strains. Initially, PCR‐RFLP‐rrn analysis specific to the spacers between 16SrDNA and 23SrDNA followed by HhaI restriction analysis was performed. Further, sequencing of nucH and 16S rDNA genes fragments was carried out. Blast analysis from the NCBI showed 99% similarity of nucH gene fragment with reference genomic DNA for S. succinus with the accession no. CP018199. This result was also confirmed by MALDI‐TOF analysis. Sequencing analysis of 16S rDNA gene fragment allowed for 100% identification of two strains isolated from human samples as Staphylococus succinus subsp. casei. Sequencing of identified unique nucH gene fragment seems to be a promising diagnostic assay for the identification of Staphylococcus species. Based on our results, we can assume that probably other Staphylococcus species originated from different clinical samples could be identified using nucH gene sequencing method we developed. However, an extension of the genetic databases with a substantially bigger number of reference staphylococcal species for nucH gene is needed to make this method better than widely used standard 16S rDNA sequencing assay. To the best of our knowledge, it is the second published isolation of S. succinus subsp. casei from human clinical specimens. Moreover, possibility of decreasing the number of dimensions from multi‐PCR‐bands results using ribotyping analysis is also described.
Is the Visual Analogue Scale inferior to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory for assessing symptom bother of pelvic organ prolapse?
Authors: Yu Hongxia , Shek Ka Lai , Gillor Moshe , Descallar Joseph , Dietz Hans Peter 
Published: July 2021

AimsDisease‐specific validated questionnaires are used to quantify symptom severity, but they are time consuming to complete and evaluate. A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) assessment of bother is simpler and faster. The aim of this study is to compare VAS with individual and composite pelvic floor disability index‐short form 20 items in predicting significant pelvic organ prolapse (POP).MethodsA retrospective analysis of data was obtained at a tertiary urogynaecological clinic between February 2017 and August 2018. All women filled out the PFDI‐20 and underwent a standardised physician‐directed interview, POP‐Q and translabial ultrasound. Women with symptoms of POP were asked to indicate the degree of bother using a VAS. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the performance of individual Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory (POPDI)‐6 items, the six‐item composite POPDI‐6 score, and VAS in predicting significant POP on clinical and ultrasound examination.ResultsThe complete data sets of 231 women were analysed. Median VAS for POP was 2.9 (range 0–10). Median POPDI‐6 individual and composite scores for items one to six were 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 0 (all range 0–4) and 9 (range 0–22), respectively. The majority had significant prolapse on clinical examination (n = 195, 84%) and on ultrasound (n = 192, 83%). The composite POPDI‐6 prolapse score provided areas under the curve of 0.68 and 0.64 for the prediction of clinical and sonographic POP, compared to 0.74 and 0.69, respectively, for VAS. The difference was not significant (P = 0.3 and 0.8, respectively).ConclusionsThe VAS score was not inferior to the POPDI‐6 in predicting significant POP. It has the potential to simplify the assessment of symptom severity.
Silver recycling in the Viking Age: Theoretical and analytical approaches
Authors: Kershaw Jane , Merkel Stephen W. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe recycling (remelting) of precious metals is commonly seen as a major impediment in provenancing studies. Yet in cases where known silver sources are both limited and geochemically well‐characterized, there are opportunities to evaluate silver flows at different temporal and geographical scales. Here, we provide a theoretical and analytical framework for assessing the impact of precious metal recycling in a historical context in which silver remelting was the norm: Viking Age Scandinavia (c.800–1050 ce). Harnessing new, large‐scale, Pb isotope and trace element datasets, we demonstrate the potential for revealing the contribution of Western European and Islamic silver sources to discrete archaeological assemblages and defined coin and artefact groups. We then use chemical markers of change in imported silver to assess the longevity of circulating silver stocks. Rather than acting as a barrier to understanding, recycling provides a lens through which to evaluate long‐distance trade networks, the movement of silver and the frequency of recycling events.
SET‐NUP214 and MLL cooperatively regulate the promoter activity of the HoxA10 gene
Authors: Cigdem Sadik , Saito Shoko , Nishikata Daiki , Nagata Kyosuke , Okuwaki Mitsuru 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSET‐Nup214 is a recurrent fusion gene that is mainly observed in T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T‐ALL). Dysregulation of homeobox (Hox) genes is frequently observed in patients with leukemia. Consistent with this, HoxA genes are upregulated in the SET‐Nup214 + T‐ALL cell line and patients. Although SET‐Nup214 has been reported to be recruited to the promoter regions of HoxA genes, the detailed mechanisms of how SET‐Nup214 specifically binds to HoxA gene promoters and regulates HoxA gene expression are not known. In this study, we demonstrated that SET‐Nup214 interacts with MLL via the SET acidic region of SET‐Nup214. SET‐Nup214 and MLL cooperatively enhance the promoter activity of the HoxA10 gene. Neither the SET region alone nor the Nup214 region alone sufficiently enhanced the HoxA10 gene promoter. Our results indicated that the SET portion of the SET‐Nup214‐fusion protein is important for interactions with MLL and transcription enhancement of the HoxA10 gene. Thus, our study will contribute to the understanding of how SET‐Nup214 and MLL disturb the expression of HoxA10 gene in leukemia.
lnc94638 is a testis‐specific long non‐coding RNA involved in spermatozoa formation in Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett)
Authors: Li W.‐J. , Wei D. , Han H.‐L. , Song Y.‐J. , Wang Y. , Xu H.‐Q. , Smagghe G. , Wang J.‐J. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractLong non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) generally display tissue‐specific distributions, and testis‐specific lncRNAs form the highest proportion of lncRNAs in many species. Here, we presented a detailed analysis of testis‐specific lncRNAs in the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, a highly destructive insect pest of cucurbitaceous and other related crops. Most testis‐specific lncRNAs were found to be long intergenic non‐coding RNAs (lincRNA). The size distribution of these lncRNAs ranged between 600 and 1000 nucleotides. Testis‐specific lncRNAs that harboured one isoform number and two exons were the most abundant. Compared to other male tissues, the testis had more highly expressed lncRNAs. The quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction results of 10 randomly selected testis‐specific lncRNAs showed expression patterns consistent with RNA‐seq data. Further analysis of the most highly expressed testis‐specific lncRNA, lnc94638, was undertaken. Fluorescent in situ hybridization assays localized lnc94638 to the apical region of the testis that contains mature spermatozoa. RNA interference‐mediated knockdown of lnc94638 expression reduced spermatozoa numbers and impaired the fertility of Z. cucurbitae male. This study provides a catalogue of testis‐specific lncRNAs, shows that the testis‐specific lnc94638 is involved in spermatogenesis and has the potential to be used for treating male sterility.
On the reliability estimation of stochastic binary systems
Authors: Cancela Héctor , Murray Leslie , Robledo Franco , Romero Pablo , Sartor Pablo 
Published: July 2021

AbstractA stochastic binary system (SBS) is a multicomponent on‐off system subject to random independent failures on its components. After potential failures, the state of the subsystem is ruled by a logical function (called structure function) that determines whether the system is operational or not. A SBS serves as a natural generalization of network reliability analysis, where the goal is to find the probability of correct operation of the system (in terms of connectivity, network diameter, or different measures of success). A particular subclass of interest is stochastic monotone binary systems (SMBS), which are characterized by nondecreasing structure. We explore the combinatorics of SBS, which provide building blocks for system reliability estimation, looking at minimal nonoperational subsystems, called mincuts. One key concept to understand the underlying combinatorics of SBS is duality. As methods for exact evaluation take exponential time, we discuss the use of Monte Carlo algorithms. In particular, we discuss the F‐Monte Carlo method for estimating the reliability polynomial for homogeneous SBS, the recursive variance reduction for SMBS, which builds upon the efficient determination of mincuts, and three additional methods that combine in different ways the well‐known techniques of permutation Monte Carlo and splitting. These last three methods are based on a stochastic process called the creation process, a temporal evolution of the SBS which is static by definition. All the methods are compared using different topologies, showing large efficiency gains over the basic Monte Carlo scheme.
Influence of gravity on sintering of 3D‐printed powder components
Authors: Torresani E. , German R. M. , Huff R. , Olevsky E. A. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractPresent technologies of additive manufacturing (such as binder‐jetting, stereolithography, robocasting, etc.) of complex‐shape powder‐components necessitate fine‐tuning of sintering as applied to highly porous 3D‐printing products. The densification of low‐density, complex shapes requires control of the gravity‐related phenomena to ensure a nearly full and distortion‐free densification. The present study addresses these issues through the involvement of comprehensive finite element simulations, the determination of the additively manufactured powder specimens’ sintering behavior, and the experimental validation of the developed models describing sintering of 3D‐printed objects. The paper describes the application of a numerical approach based on continuum mechanics‐based modeling of the gravity‐induced distortions during sintering of 3D‐printed powder components. The validation of the model is conducted through the comparison with the experimental results obtained for the sintering of the beam‐shape components printed using ceramic stereolithography technology. A practical semi‐analytical criterion, which can be used for sintered 3D‐printed parts’ design recommendations applicable to various material systems, is derived. Based on the obtained design criterion, a design map is developed indicating the allowable 3D‐printed elements’ configurations enabling the avoidance of the excessive gravity‐induced shape distortions.
Spray‐dried sol‐gel glass‐ceramic powders based on the tunable thermal expansion of quartz and keatite solid solutions
Authors: Zandona Alessio , Helsch Gundula , Martínez Arias Aurina , Weber Alfred P. , Deubener Joachim 
Published: July 2021

AbstractLithium aluminosilicate glass‐ceramic powders were synthesized by the heat treatment of spray‐dried sol‐gel glassy nanobeads, obtaining quartz solid solution (Qss) and keatite solid solution (Kss) crystals. Their composition ranged between 75 mol% SiO2 and pure silica along the spodumene join. The metastable crystals displayed tunable coefficients of thermal expansion ranging from +30 × 10−6 to −2.7 × 10−6 K−1 at room temperature, as obtained from their crystallographic characterization. The solid solution boundaries of Kss could be extended to 85 mol% SiO2. Concurrently, X‐ray diffraction measurements performed in situ at high temperature and at cryogenic conditions confirmed the known linear shift of the high‐low quartz inversion temperature upon increasing Al+Li doping. The obtained results qualify aerosol synthesis as a very versatile method for the production of glass‐ceramic powders in the LAS system.
Jawline reshape technique with suspension threads to improve the effect of blepharoplasty on face rejuvenation
Authors: Bollero Daniele 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundBlepharochalasis, induced by the aging process, is an important esthetic blemish which can be solved by blepharoplasty, the most performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the world today to repair droopy eyelids. Nowadays, there is a greater interest to combine blepharoplasty with minimally invasive treatments to harmonize the oval shape of the face. Therefore, blepharoplasty technique could be associated with face thread lifting, a safe and effective technique that optimizes the rejuvenation of the central and lower part of the face.AimThe aim of this study was to assess the overall safety and efficacy of blepharoplasty combined with suspension thread lifting. The author also aimed to demonstrate patients' satisfaction after treatment.MethodThe study involved 12 patients undergoing blepharoplasty plus threads lifting to improve the mandibular line. Patient's satisfaction was valuated with global esthetic improvement score, visual analog scale score, before and after treatment clinical images.ResultsAll patients showed optimized face rejuvenation and high satisfaction. Patients experienced an immediate improvement in face harmony in addition to the eye refinement and expressed their satisfaction. The combination of plastic surgery and minimal invasive technique did not cause adverse events to the patients and they would recommend it.ConclusionInterest in thread lifting is currently high, and this study highlights the excellent outcome and the visible results of blepharoplasty and threads combination.
Drier, darker and more fertile: 140 years of plant habitat change driven by land‐use intensification
Authors: Finderup Nielsen Tora , Sand‐Jensen Kaj , Bruun Hans Henrik 
Published: July 2021

AbstractQuestionsLand‐use change is a key driver of biodiversity change. Delayed biotic responses to land‐use change impede the establishment of causal links between specific anthropogenic changes and resulting biodiversity change. Therefore, we aimed at investigating changes to plant species pools: (a) at time scales long enough to encompass past land‐use changes, even changes that have ceased from collective memory; and (b) at spatial scales wide enough to encompass landscape‐wide changes to habitat quantity and quality.LocationDenmark, 10 regions in the range 54°3′–56°7′ N and 10°4′–12°4′ E.MethodsWe assessed changes to regional plant species pools over ca 140 years by comparing high‐quality legacy data to recent re‐surveys in ten Danish regions. To identify anthropogenic drivers of plant compositional change, we assessed ecological properties of winning and losing plant species and compared observed biotic changes to land‐cover data spatially and temporally matching the regional flora data.ResultsWinner species were strongly associated with shaded, fertile, well‐drained conditions. Loser species were associated with open, infertile conditions with either moist or xeric soils. The major land‐use changes driving biotic change were: (a) drainage of moist and wet biotopes; (b) active afforestation and passive scrub overgrowth due to ceased grazing; and (c) landscape‐wide increased nutrient availability. However, the magnitude of increase or decrease in the area of a land‐cover type was a poor predictor of the number of habitat‐associated winner or loser species. This suggests that degradation of extant biotopes and/or low quality of new biotopes limits plant species richness, in particular of habitat specialists.ConclusionsWe demonstrate a displacement of plant ecospace towards mesic, shaded and fertile conditions, with profound effects on plant diversity, and mainly driven by intensified agricultural/silvicultural use of the landscape matrix, which has strongly affected the main plant habitats in scattered semi‐natural fragments.
Mammal‐bearing gastric pellets potentially attributable to Troodonformosus at the Cretaceous Egg Mountain locality, Two Medicine Formation, Montana, USA
Authors: Freimuth William J. , Varricchio David J. , Brannick Alexandria L. , Weaver Lucas N. , Wilson Mantilla Gregory P. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractFossil gastric pellets (regurgitalites) have distinct taphonomic characteristics that facilitate inferences of behavioural ecology in deep time, despite their rarity in the fossil record. Using the taphonomic patterns of both extant and fossil small mammals from more recent geologic deposits as a guide, we assess the taphonomy of three unusual multi‐individual aggregates of mammal skeletons from palaeosols at Egg Mountain, a dinosaur nesting locality from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation, Montana, USA. One aggregate consists of two individuals of the multituberculate Filikomys primaevus. This specimen is characterized by brecciated crania, articulated postcrania, and an absence of digestive markings, all suggestive of a non‐predatory origin. Two additional aggregates consist of 3 and 11 individuals, respectively, primarily of the marsupialiform Alphadon halleyi. High proportions of crania and indigestible elements (e.g. teeth), extensive disarticulation and breakage, digestive corrosion patterns, and the absence of a phosphatic ground mass are indicative of regurgitalites and align with features of extant prey in diurnal raptor gastric pellets. We interpret these specimens as the oldest known mammal‐bearing regurgitalites. The discrepancy in taphonomic features implies behavioural separation between the two mammalian taxa at the locality. Abundant shed teeth and nesting evidence at the locality favours the non‐avian theropod Troodon formosus as the predator responsible for the regurgitalites, congruent with previous inferences of a small‐bodied prey diet, manipulation of prey during feeding, heightened metabolic processes, and potential nocturnality for this taxon.
Displaying secrecy in George Gascoigne’s The Adventures of Master F.J.*
Authors: Orgis Rahel 
Published: July 2021

AbstractGeorge Gascoigne’s The Adventures of Master F.J. (1573/1575) is best known for its elaborate fiction of production and the scandal its 1573 publication supposedly caused due to being read as a roman à clef. This article considers the 1573 version of Gascoigne’s narrative and his 1575 prefatory comments on it in the context of Elizabethan intelligence practices. Interpreting the republication of Gascoigne’s works as a sign of success rather than as a consequence of censorship, I argue that at the heart of the complex narrative lies Gascoigne’s paradoxical endeavour to recommend himself as a government informer through his writing. Gascoigne’s display of the abilities necessary for an informer pervades the very fabric of the text, as he simultaneously puts into practice and reveals his skill at keeping, encoding, transmitting and disclosing secrets. Gascoigne’s contradictory performance of concealment and disclosure results in a narrative in which meanings are both obscured and partly decoded. This manifests itself especially in the narrative’s fiction of production, Gascoigne’s use of roman‐à‐clef strategies and his foregrounding of indirect means of communication, including the coded representation of sexual encounters.
Comparison between tube test and automated column agglutination technology on VISION Max for anti‐A/B isoagglutinin titres: A multidimensional analysis
Authors: Nam Minjeong , Hur Mina , Lee Hyunkyung , Kim Hanah , Park Mikyoung , Moon Hee‐Won , Yun Yeo‐Min 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesVISION Max (Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ) measures anti‐A/B isoagglutinin titres using automated column agglutination technology (CAT). We compared tube test (TT) and CAT of VISION Max comprehensively, including failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), turnaround time (TAT) and cost, and suggested modified CAT (MCAT).Materials and MethodsFor 100 samples (each 25 for blood type A, B and O with anti‐A and anti‐B), anti‐A/B isoagglutinin titres were measured by TT and CAT (1:2–1:1024 dilution), as well as by MCAT (with agglutination at 1:32 dilution, then perform additional testing from 1:64 to 1:1024). We assessed the agreement and correlation between TT and CAT and compared FMEA (risk priority number [RPN] score), TAT (h:min:sec) and cost (US dollar, US $) among TT, CAT and MCAT.ResultsTT and CAT showed overall substantial agreement (k = 0.73) and high correlation (ρ ≥ 0.75) except blood type O with anti‐A (ρ = 0.68). Compared with TT, CAT showed lower RPN scores in FMEA and similar TAT and cost (FMEA, 33,700 vs. 184,300; TAT, 15:23:00 vs. 14:26:40; cost, 1377.4 vs. 1312.4, respectively). Regarding FMEA, TAT and cost, MCAT was superior to CAT or TT (43,810; 13:28:00; 899.2, respectively).ConclusionThis is the first multidimensional analysis on VISION Max CAT for measuring anti‐A/B isoagglutinin titres. The results of anti‐A/B isoagglutinin titres by CAT were comparable with those of TT. MCAT would be a safe, time‐saving and cost‐effective alternative to TT and CAT in high‐volume blood bank laboratories.
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: Walter Andrew 
Published: July 2021

Studies in Engineering and Technology (SET) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether SET publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 8, Number 1Girish Upreti, Methodist University, USAHala Abd El Megeed, National Institute for Standards, EgyptHassan Shaaban, Egyption Atomic Authority (EAEA), EgyptHosny Abbas Abouzeid, Higher Technological Institute, EgyptHossam Zaqoot, Ministry of Environmental Affairs, GazaHsienyu Lee, National Taiwan University, USAJose Hernandez, Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission, ChileMarco A Ruano, Economics Department Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, SpainMohammad Reza Barati, Flinders University, AustraliaSimona Rainis, Regional Agency for Rural Development of Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy Andrew WalterEditorial AssistantStudies in Engineering and Technology-------------------------------------------Redfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USATel: 1-503-828-0536 ext. 504Fax: 1-503-828-0537E-mail: set@redfame.comURL: http://set.redfame.com
Multiscale Modeling of the Strength and Ductility Paradox for High-Pressure Torsion Samples With Gradient Microstructure
Authors: Hamid Mehdi , Jamalian Maryam , Vincentis Natalia De , Buck Quentin , Field David P. 
Published: July 2021

Abstract
Severely plastically deformed microstructures of pure copper were produced by subjecting cylindrical copper samples to high-pressure torsion. The effects of this procedure on introducing gradient microstructure and subsequent mechanical behavior were investigated by utilizing electron backscatter diffraction and performing Vickers hardness/tensile testing. A crystal plasticity-continuum dislocation dynamics modeling effort was performed to predict the mechanical performance of these samples. The model includes mechanisms based on the gradient of dislocation density and grain size, back stress fields of grain boundaries, dislocation density transmission across grain boundaries, and stress/strain gradient effects.