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Prediction of surface topography in milling usually requires complex kinematics and dynamics modeling of the milling process, plus solving physical models of surface generation is a daunting task. This paper presents a multimodal data-driven machine learning (ML) method to predict milled surface topography. The proposed method predicts the height map of the surface topography by fusing process parameters and in-process acoustic information as model inputs. This method has been validated by comparing the predicted surface topography with the measured data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plectranthus amboinicus (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant widely cultivated and naturalized in the tropics of the Old and New World, with a history of use in folk medicine. However, there has been no prior investigation into the chemical composition and biological properties of this species in the Dak Lak Province, Vietnam. In this study, the essential oil extracted from P. amboinicus, collected in Buon Ma Thuot City in Dak Lak Provincfe was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 89 compounds were identified, constituting 0.62% of the oil; the major constituents included 2,3,5,6-tetramethylphenol (67.94%), caryophyllene (9.74%), trans-a-bergamotene (5.82%), α-humulene (3.20%), γ-terpinene (2.5%), o-cymene (1.90%), and terpinen-4-ol (1.14%). Notably, the carvacrol content exceeded previously reported values. In addition, P. amboinicus showed strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli using the agar disc diffusion method, with approximately 88.35% inhibition and a diameter of 47.3 mm. The antioxidant capacity of the essential oil was evaluated with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, yielding an antioxidant efficiency of 89.21% and an IC50 value of 44.15 µg/mL. This demonstrates the high pharmaceutical potential of the P. amboinicus species grown in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocimum basilicum Linn (Lamiaceae), also known as sweet Basil, is a widely recognized medicinal plant. Although this species has been extensively researched on its biological activities and chemical composition in some Provinces of Vietnam, however, studies on the chemical composition and biological properties of this species growing in Dak Lak Province have not been investigated to date. The chemical composition of the essential oil from O. basilicum, collected in Vietnam, was analyzed using the gas chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. The essential oil content yielded 0.55%, with 34 compounds being determined. Among them, the major constituents (%) were as follows: estragole (73.66%), eucalypto (6.41%), trans-α-bergamotene (3.97%), linalool (2.25%), fenchol (1.64%), 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-9-methylene-bicyclo[4.4.0]dec-1-ene (1.47%), 1,3,6-octatriene,3,7-dimethyl-(Z) (1.36%), (+)-2-bornanone (1.34%), and methyl eugenol (1.11%). Furthermore, an antibacterial test on O. basilicum essential oil was conducted, and the results demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli with an inhibition zone of 18.6 ± 0.9 mm and the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value (4.3 ± 0.2 mg/mL). Additionally, the antioxidant capacity of Basil essential oil was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The antioxidant efficiency of essential oil was determined with an IC50 of 6.5 ± 0.3 μg/mL, compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) with an IC50 value of 6.1 ± 0.1 μg/mL. These findings indicate that O. basilicum grown in Vietnam possesses a high natural potential for pharmaceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (r-mTBI) has increasingly become recognised as a risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases, many of which are characterised by tau pathology, metal dyshomeostasis and behavioural impairments. We aimed to characterise the status of tau and the involvement of iron dyshomeostasis in repetitive controlled cortical impact injury (5 impacts, 48 h apart) in 3-month-old C57Bl6 mice at the chronic (12-month) time point. We performed a battery of behavioural tests, characterised the status of neurodegeneration-associated proteins (tau and tau-regulatory proteins, amyloid precursor protein and iron-regulatory proteins) via western blot; and metal levels using bulk inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We report significant changes in various ipsilateral iron-regulatory proteins following five but not a single injury, and significant increases in contralateral iron, zinc and copper levels following five impacts. There was no evidence of tau pathology or changes in tau-regulatory proteins following five impacts, although some changes were observed following a single injury. Five impacts resulted in significant gait deficits, mild anhedonia and mild cognitive deficits at 9–12 months post-injury, effects not seen following a single injury. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to describe chronic changes in metals and iron-regulatory proteins in a mouse model of r-mTBI, providing a strong indication towards an overall increase in brain iron levels (and other metals) in the chronic phase following r-mTBI. These results bring to question the relevance of tau and highlight the involvement of iron dysregulation in the development and/or progression of neurodegeneration following injury, which may lead to new therapeutic approaches in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in young adults. The role of iron in potentiating neurodegeneration following TBI has gained recent interest as iron deposition has been detected in the injured brain in the weeks to months post‐TBI, in both the preclinical and clinical setting. A failure in iron homeostasis can lead to oxidative stress, inflammation and excitotoxicity; and whether this is a cause or consequence of the long‐term effects of TBI remains unknown. Experimental Approach: We investigated the role of iron and the effect of therapeutic intervention using a brain‐permeable iron chelator, deferiprone, in a controlled cortical impact mouse model of TBI. An extensive assessment of cognitive, motor and anxiety/depressive outcome measures were examined, and neuropathological and biochemical changes, over a 3‐month period post‐TBI. Key Results: Lesion volume was significantly reduced at 3 months, which was preceded by a reduction in astrogliosis, microglia/macrophages and preservation of neurons in the injured brain at 2 weeks and/or 1 month post‐TBI in mice receiving oral deferiprone. Deferiprone treatment showed significant improvements in neurological severity scores, locomotor/gait performance and cognitive function, and attenuated anxiety‐like symptoms post‐TBI. Deferiprone reduced iron levels, lipid peroxidation/oxidative stress and altered expression of neurotrophins in the injured brain over this period. Conclusion and Implications: Our findings support a detrimental role of iron in the injured brain and suggest that deferiprone (or similar iron chelators) may be promising therapeutic approaches to improve survival, functional outcomes and quality of life following TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound droplets impacting on a solid surface appear in many natural and industrial processes. In some practical or engineering applications, the droplet needs to be levitated and then transported without friction or contamination with a surface. When the droplet hits a surface, it can rebound due to the impact energy, however, it then falls down on the surface. To stabilize the droplet above a surface, it is necessary to use external sources induced by, e.g., electricity, magneticity, thermocapillary action and so on. We present here a numerical investigation of the behaviors of a compound droplet impacting on a non-wetting wall under the excitation of a temperature gradient. To show the dynamics of the compound droplet, various parameters are studied, including the Marangoni number Ma (varied in the range of 50–350), the inner-to-outer volume ratio Vio (varied in the range of 0.027–0.512), the inner-to-outer interfacial tension ratio σio (varied in the range of 0.6–4.8), the Bond number Bo (varied in the range of 0.18–5.6), the Weber number (varied in the range of 0.32–1.4), and the Reynolds number (varied in the range of 10.0–40.0). We find that the temperature gradient has a strong influence on the droplet after impacting the wall. It assists the droplet to rebound and stabilize its position above the wall. However, in some cases, after rebounding to a certain height, the droplet then deposits again on the wall. The behavior of the droplet strongly depends on the dimensionless parameters. It is found that as the value of Ma is smaller than 150, the droplet cannot rebound, while it stays completely above the wall for Ma ≥ 250. When Ma is between 150 and 250, the droplet rebounds to a certain height and then settles on the wall. The droplet also rebounds and stays above the wall for Bo < 1.0. In addition, decreasing Vio, σio, or Re tends to enhance the droplet rebound. In contrast, increasing the Weber number beyond the critical value (We = 0.64) increases the stable rebound height. The effects of these parameters on the rebound heights and residence time are also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper focuses on the motion due to the thermocapillary force of a droplet in a circular tube through the front-tracking-based simulation. The tube profile in the axial direction is generated with a sinusoidal function that induces a constriction with depth d at the middle. The droplet is slowed down as it migrates from the cold region (ahead of the constriction) to the hot region in the downstream. Various parameters including the Marangoni number Ma, the capillary number Ca and the depth of the constriction d are varied to better understand the thermocapillary motion of the droplet under the influence of the constriction. The simulation results show that when the Ma number increases, the influence factor of the constriction increases and the migration velocity of the droplet decreases. Increasing the depth of the constriction decreases the migration velocity of the droplet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discovered excellent properties for the structures, morphologies and catalytic oxidation of gaseous pollutants as well as antibacterial activity of Mn-doped ceria nanocomposites (MnOxCeO2). The MnOxCeO2 samples were synthesized by the impregnation route, based on ceria nanorods pre-formed by the hydrothermal method. The doping of CeO2 nanorods with MnOx led to a decrease in the crystal size of CeO2 and an increase in the reduction capacity of the catalyst at low temperatures. The catalytic activity of as-prepared MnOxCeO2 was investigated in the deep oxidation of p-xylene and CO at low temperatures (100300° C). The results exhibited that the catalytic activity of CeO2MnOx composite oxides was higher than that of the pure CeO2 nanorod. The 7.5MnCe composite was the most efficient for p-xylene oxidation, reaching complete p-xylene conversion at 300°C. Besides, the activity of 7.5MnCe sample in oxidation of single CO or p-xylene or CO + p-xylene mixture was also comparatively investigated. For CO oxidation, the CO conversion in the mixture is lower than that of single CO due to competitive adsorption with p-xylene. In contrast, for the p-xylene oxidation, its conversion in the mixture was higher than that of single p-xylene, caused by the heat promotion from the CO oxidation. The antibacterial effect of the 7.5MnCe sample was evaluated by implementing the minimum inhibitory concentration test (MIC) against P. aeruginosa, Salmonella, E. coli, S. aureus, and B. cereus. The 7.5MnCe sample presented effective antibacterial activity against all bacteria with a lower MIC of 2.5mg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by progressive destruction of motor neurons, muscle paralysis and death. The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is highly expressed in the central nervous system and has been shown to modulate disease outcomes in MND. APP is part of a gene family that includes the amyloid precursor-like protein 1 (APLP1) and 2 (APLP2) genes. In the present study, we investigated the role of APLP2 in MND through the examination of human spinal cord tissue and by crossing APLP2 knockout mice with the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1-G37R) transgenic mouse model of MND. We found the expression of APLP2 is elevated in the spinal cord from human cases of MND and that this feature of the human disease is reproduced in SOD1-G37R mice at the End-stage of their MND-like phenotype progression. APLP2 deletion in SOD1-G37R mice significantly delayed disease progression and increased the survival of female SOD1-G37R mice. Molecular and biochemical analysis showed female SOD1-G37R:APLP2−/− mice displayed improved innervation of the neuromuscular junction, ameliorated atrophy of muscle fibres with increased APP protein expression levels in the gastrocnemius muscle. These results indicate a sex-dependent role for APLP2 in mutant SOD1-mediated MND and further support the APP family as a potential target for further investigation into the cause and regulation of MND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound and simple droplets have been studied and appeared in many life applications, e.g., drug processing and microfluidic systems. Many studies have been conducted on the thermocapillary effects on simple droplets, but similar studies on compound droplets are quite rare. Filling this missing gap, this paper presents the front-tracking-based simulation results of the thermocapillary effects on compound droplets in a certain limited domain. The compound droplet consists of a single inner core that is initially concentric with the outer one. Various dimensionless parameters including Reynolds number from 1 to 50, Marangoni number from 1 to 100, droplet radius ratio from 0.3 to 0.8, and viscosity ratios from 0.1 to 6.4 are varied to reveal their influences on the migration of a compound droplet from cold to hot regions. Initially, the inner droplet moves faster than the outer one, and when the leading surface of the inner droplet touches the outer one, the inner and outer droplets migrate at the same speed. The effects of these parameters on the compound droplet eccentricity are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, 31.4 wt.% Ni/SBA-15 (Ni/SBA-15) nonpromoted and alkalized with ammonia solution and by MgO promoter catalysts were prepared and used for combined steam and CO2 reforming of CH4 (bireforming). Effect of concentration of ammonia solution (NH3(aq)) (10–25 vol.%) and Mg content (3–12 wt.%) on the properties of the Ni/SBA-15 catalysts was investigated by low-angle and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2-BET isothermal adsorption, SEM, TEM, EDS mapping, H2-TPR, and CO2-TPD methods. The performance of the catalysts in bireforming was assessed in the temperature range of 550–800°C. The enhancement of dispersion of NiO particles, reducibility, and basicity of alkalized Ni/SBA-15 catalysts were responsible for improving the catalytic performance of this catalyst. The results revealed that the Ni/SBA-15 treated with 15-25% NH3(aq) solution and promoted with 3-9% Mg exhibited high activity for CH4 conversion. Meanwhile, Ni6Mg/SBA-15 showed the highest CO2 conversion. Among tested catalysts, Ni/SBA-15-20NH3 and Ni9Mg/SBA-15 samples had an almost equal activity with a CH4 conversion of nearly 97% and a CO2 conversion of about 84% at 700°C thanks to its moderate affinity with both CO2 and CH4. However, the H2/CO ratio of the product mixture remained at 2.02 on the Ni/SBA-15-20NH3 catalyst and almost 1 on the Ni9Mg/SBA-15 sample. These results might be related to the fact that the alkalization of the Ni/SBA-15 catalyst by NH3(aq) solution had an advantage over using MgO because side reactions were unlikely to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compound droplet deforming in a constricted tube widely appears in drug delivery and microfluidic devices. In such a constriction, an indentation can present at the trailing surface of the droplet. However, this aspect has not been fully investigated and understood so far. This study focuses on the effects of some dimensionless parameters on the negative curvature, i.e., indentation, at the trailing surface of a compound droplet moving through a constricted tube. The presence of the constriction at the middle of the tube length enhances the droplet indentation. Numerical results were obtained for the capillary number Ca (varied in range of 0.1–1.0), the inner-to-outer droplet radius ratio R21 (varied in range of 0.2–0.9), the droplet-to-tube radius ratio R10 (varied in range of 0.2–0.9), the inner-to-outer interfacial tension coefficient ratio σ21 (varied in range of 0.1–6.4), and the normalized depth of the constriction d/R (varied in range of 0.0–0.8). The results reveal that the most influencing factor is Ca, increasing its value leads to the increment of the maximum indentation at the trailing surface of the inner and outer droplets. The indentation is also increased with increasing the value of R10 and d/R. In contrast, increasing R21 results in a decrease in the indentation at the trailing surface of the outer droplet. When increasing σ21, the indentation at the trailing surface of the inner one is quickly suppressed, while the outer droplet is minorly affected. We also point out the patterns of the trailing surface of the inner and outer droplets and their transitions from one to the other patterns in the diagrams based on these parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main application of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) is for low-cost and portable assays. In order to reduce the cost, miniaturization seems to be an effective way to save reagents, samples, materials, etc. Present study demonstrates that mini-µPADs based on nitrocellulose membrane with only 2 main channels can perform sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for quantitative determination of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Moreover, the width and the length of these devices are only about 4.0 and 33.4 mm, respectively. Inkjet printing technology, having the advantages of simple and material-saving process, was used to create hydrophobic barrier. Colorimetric signals from ELISA captured by digital camera and measured by ImageJ software shows that these µPADs can quantitative determine of hCG in the range from 5 to 10 000 ng/mL. Furthermore, duration for each tests is only about 5 min. The success in fabricating miniaturized µPADs shows the potentials to reduce the size of µPADs as well as the amount of needed samples, time and reagents. For all these reasons, this miniaturization concept can be applied to many further applications of analytical biochemical assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Women may receive stroke care less often than men. We examined the contribution of clinical care on sex differences and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) after stroke. Methods: We included first‐ever strokes registered in the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (2010–2014) with HRQoL assessed between 90 and 180 days after onset (EQ‐5D‐3L instrument) that were linked to hospital administrative data (up to 2013). Study factors included sociodemographics, comorbidities, walking ability on admission (stroke severity proxy) and clinical care (e.g. stroke unit care). Responses to the EQ‐5D‐3L were transformed into a total utility value (−0.516 'worse than death' to 1 'best' health). Quantile regression models, adjusted for confounding factors, were used to determine median differences (MD) in utility scores by sex. Results: Approximately 60% (6852/11 418) of stroke survivors had an EQ‐5D‐3L assessment (median 139 days; 44% female). Compared with men, women were older (median age 77.1 years vs. men 71.2 years) and fewer could walk on admission (37.9% vs. men 46.1%, P < 0.001). Women had lower utility values than men, and the difference was explained by age and stroke severity, but not clinical care [MDadjusted = −0.039, 95% confidence interval: −0.056, −0.021]. Poorer HRQoL was observed in younger men (aged <65 years), particularly those with more comorbidities, and in older women (aged ≥75 years). Conclusions: Stroke severity and comorbidities contribute to the poorer HRQoL in young men and older women. Further studies are needed to understand age–sex interaction to better inform treatments for different subgroups and ensure evidence‐based treatments to reduce the severity of stroke are prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, heterostructured catalyst Al2TiO5/TiO2 (ATO/Ti) was synthesized by a two-step method: low-temperature sol-gel process along with hydrothermal treatment in a neutral medium. Characteristics of the fabricated catalyst were analyzed by various techniques including X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller adsorption, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and the point of zero charges. The content of ATO strongly affected the activity of ATO/Ti catalysts for photocatalytic degradation of cinnamic acid (CA). The catalyst, in which 33% TiO2 was replaced by ATO (33ATO/Ti), exhibited the highest activity for the removal of CA. Compared with the bare titanium oxide synthesized in water (TiO2(w)) as well as Al2TiO5 (ATO), the hybrid 33ATO/Ti catalyst exhibited the enhanced photocatalytic activity in the CA degradation under ultraviolet light. The enhancement in the catalytic activity of ATO/Ti could be related to the increase of the specific surface area and the reduction of bandgap energy obtained from the hybridization of TiO2(w) and ATO. The factors as the catalyst dosage ( C cat ), the airflow rate ( Q air ), and the solution initial pH (pH) affected the CA removal efficiency were studied on 33ATO/Ti catalyst. The optimum condition for photodegradation efficiency of CA was found to be at C cat = 0.75 g L − 1 , Q air = 0.3 Lmi n − 1 , and pH = 3.8. The highest 60-minute removal efficiency of CA reached 77.1% on 33ATO/Ti compared with 67.1% and 30.4% on TiO2(w) and on ATO, respectively. The recyclability of the 33ATO/Ti was also measured at the optimal parameters. The results showed that, compared with TiO2, the hybrid catalyst was easier to recover and reuse, and its activity decreased by 35% after 6 continuous cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Producing the map of land use land cover change (LULCC) at the local extent is fundamental for a variety of applications such as vegetation, forest covers, soil degradation, and global warming. Understanding the directions and spread trend of LULCC plays significant role in obtaining useful data for the local authorities in making land-use policies under the context of climate change. Dak Nong is located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam having the largest tropical forest. Over the past decades, the natural forest in the region has significantly declined due to the pressure of population growth and social-economic development. The current study analyzed the LULCC in the province over the four periods: 2005–2018, 2005–2010, 2010–2015, and 2015–2018. Information from Landsat satellite imagery captured in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018 was utilized to create the LULC maps and detect the land-use changes. The Random Forest (RF) was employed to categorize the images into nine different LULC classes. The study showed that classification accuracy was achieved from 72.49% to 84.55% with a kappa coefficient of 0.69 to 0.81. The findings revealed a significant decrease in the natural forest over time from 53.1% to 42.7%, 36.8%, and 34.6% in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018, respectively. Meanwhile, the other types of LULC showed an increase in the area over the periods, especially croplands. It was noticeable that the continuous decrease in the forest area over the years has put pressure on the natural environmental resources and generated the risk of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospital outbreaks of carbapenemase-producing organisms, such as blaIMP-4-containing organisms, are an increasing threat to patient safety.Objectives: To investigate the genomic dynamics of a 10 year (2006-15) outbreak of blaIMP-4-containing organisms in a burns unit in a hospital in Sydney, Australia.Methods: All carbapenem-non-susceptible or MDR clinical isolates (2006-15) and a random selection of equivalent or ESBL-producing environmental isolates (2012-15) were sequenced [short-read (Illumina), long-read (Oxford Nanopore Technology)]. Sequence data were used to assess genetic relatedness of isolates (Mash; mapping and recombination-adjusted phylogenies), perform in silico typing (MLST, resistance genes and plasmid replicons) and reconstruct a subset of blaIMP plasmids for comparative plasmid genomics.Results: A total of 46/58 clinical and 67/96 environmental isolates contained blaIMP-4. All blaIMP-4-positive organisms contained five or more other resistance genes. Enterobacter cloacae was the predominant organism, with 12 other species mainly found in either the environment or patients, some persisting despite several cleaning methods. On phylogenetic analysis there were three genetic clusters of E. cloacae containing both clinical and environmental isolates, and an additional four clusters restricted to either reservoir. blaIMP-4 was mostly found as part of a cassette array (blaIMP-4-qacG2-aacA4-catB3) in a class 1 integron within a previously described IncM2 plasmid (pEl1573), with almost complete conservation of this cassette across the species over the 10 years. Several other plasmids were also implicated, including an IncF plasmid backbone not previously widely described in association with blaIMP-4.Conclusions: Genetic backgrounds disseminating blaIMP-4 can persist, diversify and evolve amongst both human and environmental reservoirs during a prolonged outbreak despite intensive prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate predictability of high-pressure turbine nozzle guide vane aero-thermal performance is highly desired in the development campaign due to the exposure of the component to a frequent and high heat load. In this paper, the representative vane profile in modern aero-engines is numerically studied. Aerodynamics and aero-thermal validations of the blade profile have been performed in comparison with the available experimental data. It has been shown that a satisfactory agreement could be achieved with the use of the transitional turbulence model shear stress transport γ–θ due to its superiority in capturing the laminar–turbulent transition. Sensitivity studies on the increase in the inlet turbulence intensity, inlet endwall boundary layer thickness, and inlet total temperature profile have been performed to understand the impact of inflow conditions' uncertainty on the aero-thermal predictability. Increasing the inlet turbulence intensity increases the pressure surface heat transfer coefficient and induces an earlier transition onset on the suction surface. Due to the rapid decay of turbulence intensity in the numerical model, the use of an artificially high inlet turbulence intensity has been shown to be effective in the prediction improvement. On the other hand, the change in the inlet boundary layer thickness influences the formation and strength of the secondary flow, namely, horseshoe vortex and passage vortex. These secondary flow phenomena affect the local blade surface heat transfer coefficient in the near-endwall region although the most significant rise in heat transfer is found on the endwall. The temperature distortion amplitude of a hot streak and its relative clocking position with the vane significantly affect the heat flux distribution. In contrast, the heat transfer coefficient is less sensitive to the change in hot streak conditions. However, it has been shown that increasing the temperature distortion amplitude could induce a larger difference among different clocking configurations. In addition, decreasing the difference between the fluid and wall temperature would delay the transition onset and stabilize the boundary layer. Further analysis of the unsteady effects has been carried out by comparing the steady and time-averaged flow solutions. It has been observed that the discrepancy between these solutions is attributed to the flow field nonlinearity. Thus, a significant discrepancy can be found in the laminar–turbulent transition as well as in the trailing edge region. However, since the contribution of these regions on the total area-averaged heat transfer is small, their influence on the total vane heat transfer is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Fraction MT1 was further subjected to normal-phase CC and isocratically eluted with I n i -hexane-ethyl acetate-acetone-acetic acid (8.0:2.0:0.4:0.1) to obtain four compounds, B 2 b (11 mg), B 3 b (21 mg), B 7 b (13 mg), and B 8 b (210 mg). Compound B 4, b which possesses an aldehyde group at position C-3, showed better activity compared to B 1, b which contains an I i , I i -unsaturated ketone substituent. Fraction PH (3.02 g) was subjected to normal-phase silica gel column chromatography (CC) and eluted with solvent system I n i -hexane-ethyl acetate (8.0:2.0) to obtain five fractions, MT1 (1.57 g), MT2 (0.37 g), MT3 (0.32 g), MT4 (0.19 mg), and MT5 (0.55 g). The -glucosidase inhibition activity of compounds from the I n i -hexane fraction was evaluated. [Extracted from the article]

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a member of a conserved gene family that includes the amyloid precursor-like proteins 1 (APLP1) and 2 (APLP2). APP and APLP2 share a high degree of similarity, and have overlapping patterns of spatial and temporal expression in the central and peripheral tissues, in particular at the neuromuscular junction. APP-family knockout (KO) studies have helped elucidate aspects of function and functional redundancy amongst the APP-family members. In the present study, we investigated motor performance of APLP2-KO mice and the effect sex differences and age-related changes have on motor performance. APLP2-KO and WT (on C57Bl6 background) littermates control mice from 8 (young adulthood) to 48 weeks (middle age) were investigated. Analysis of motor neuron and muscle morphology showed APLP2-KO females but not males, had less age-related motor function impairments. We observed age and sex differences in both motor neuron number and muscle fiber size distribution for APLP2-KO mice compared to WT (C57Bl6). These alterations in the motor neuron number and muscle fiber distribution pattern may explain why female APLP2-KO mice have far better motor function behaviour during ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are a public health threat, and have been found in humans, animals and the environment. Carbapenems are not authorized for use in EU or UK companion animals, and the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (CRGNB) in this population is unknown.Methods: We investigated CRGNB isolated from animal specimens received by one diagnostic laboratory from 34 UK veterinary practices (September 2015-December 2016). Any Gram-negative isolates from clinical specimens showing reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and/or aminoglycosides and/or cephalosporins were investigated phenotypically and genotypically for carbapenemases. A complete genome assembly (Illumina/Nanopore) was generated for the single isolate identified to investigate the genetic context for carbapenem resistance.Results: One ST410 Escherichia coli isolate [(CARB35); 1/191, 0.5%], cultured from a wound in a springer spaniel, harboured a known carbapenem resistance gene (blaNDM-5). The gene was located in the chromosome on an integrated 100 kb IncF plasmid, also harbouring other drug resistance genes (mrx, sul1, ant1 and dfrA). The isolate also contained blaCMY-42 and blaTEM-190 on two separate plasmids (IncI1 and IncFII, respectively) that showed homology with other publicly available plasmid sequences from Italy and Myanmar.Conclusions: Even though the use of carbapenems in companion animals is restricted, the concurrent presence of blaCMY-42 and other antimicrobial resistance genes could lead to co-selection of carbapenemase genes in this population. Further studies investigating the selection and flow of plasmids carrying important resistance genes amongst humans and companion animals are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The far infrared spectrum (375 to 35 cm-1) of gaseous fluoroacetyl chloride, CH2FC(O)C1, has been recorded at a resolution of 0.10 cm-1. The fundamental asymmetric torsions of the more stable trans (halogen atoms are trans) and the high energy cis conformations have been observed at 116.18 and 49.42 cm-1, respectively, each with several upper state transitions falling to lower frequency. From these spectral data, an asymmetric potential function has been calculated and the potential coefficients are: V1=43±6, V2=1039±36, V3=498±3, V4=149±21, and V6=-10±7 cm-1. The trans to cis and cis to trans barriers are 1455±25 cm-1 (4.16±0.07 kcal/mol) and 914±24 cm-1 (2.61±0.07 kcal/mol), respectively, with an enthalpy difference of 541±45 cm-1 (1.55±0.13 kcal/mol). From studies of the Raman spectra at variable temperatures, values of 509±37 cm-1 (1.46±0.10 kcal/mol) and 310±8 cm-1 (0.89±0.02 kcal/mol) have been determined for the enthalpy difference for the gas and liquid, respectively. The conformational stability, barriers to internal rotation, and fundamental vibrational frequencies which have been determined experimentally, are compared to those obtained from ab initio Hartree–Fock calculations employing both the 3-21G* and 6-31G* basis sets, and to the corresponding quantities obtained for some similar molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host genetic resistance is the most effective and sustainable means of managing tan spot or yellow spot of wheat. The disease is becoming increasingly problematic due to the adoption of minimum tillage practices, evolution of effector‐mediated pathogenicity, and widespread cultivation of susceptible cultivars from a narrow genetic base. This highlights the importance of broadening the diversity of resistance factors in modern breeding germplasm. This study explored 300 genetically diverse wheat accessions, originally sourced from the N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), St Petersburg, Russia. The collection was screened for resistance to tan spot at seedling and adult stage under controlled conditions, and in the field across 2 years. The phenotypic datasets, coupled with ToxA bioassay screening, identified a number of accessions with useful sources of resistance. Seedling disease response corresponded well with ToxA sensitivity (r = 0.49, P < 0.000), but not adult responses (r = −0.02 to −0.19, P < 0.002), and overall reactions to ToxA appeared to show poor correspondence with disease response at the adult stage. ToxA‐insensitive accessions were generally found resistant across different growth stages (all‐stage resistance, ASR) in all experiments (seedling and adult stage under controlled conditions and field). ToxA‐sensitive accessions that were susceptible at seedling stage, but resistant at both adult‐plant stages, were deemed to carry adult‐plant resistance (APR). This study provides detailed information on the degree of tan spot resistance in the Vavilov wheat collection and discusses strategies to harness these sources to boost the diversity of resistance factors in modern wheat breeding germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Serratia marcescens is an emerging nosocomial pathogen, and the carbapenemase blaNDM has been reported in several surveys in Romania. We aimed to investigate the molecular epidemiology of S. marcescens in two Romanian hospitals over 2010-15, including a neonatal NDM-1 S. marcescens outbreak.Methods: Isolates were sequenced using Illumina technology together with carbapenem-non-susceptible NDM-1-positive and NDM-1-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae to provide genomic context. A subset was sequenced with MinION to fully resolve NDM-1 plasmid structures. Resistance genes, plasmid replicons and ISs were identified in silico for all isolates; an annotated phylogeny was reconstructed for S. marcescens. Fully resolved study NDM-1 plasmid sequences were compared with the most closely related publicly available NDM-1 plasmid reference.Results: 44/45 isolates were successfully sequenced (S. marcescens, n = 33; K. pneumoniae, n = 7; E. cloacae, n = 4); 10 with MinION. The S. marcescens phylogeny demonstrated several discrete clusters of NDM-1-positive and -negative isolates. All NDM-1-positive isolates across species harboured a pKOX_NDM1-like plasmid; more detailed comparisons of the plasmid structures demonstrated a number of differences, but highlighted the largely conserved plasmid backbones across species and hospital sites.Conclusions: The molecular epidemiology is most consistent with the importation of a pKOX_NDM1-like plasmid into Romania and its dissemination amongst K. pneumoniae/E. cloacae and subsequently S. marcescens across hospitals. The data suggested multiple acquisitions of this plasmid by S. marcescens in the two hospitals studied; transmission events within centres, including a large outbreak on the Targu Mures neonatal unit; and sharing of the pKOX_NDM1-like plasmid between species within outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a concave sliding bearing system for the seismic protection of liquefied gas storage tanks through a seismic fragility analysis. An emblematic case study of elevated steel storage tanks, which collapsed during the 1999 İzmit earthquake at Habas Pharmaceutics plant in Turkey, is studied. Firstly, a fragility analysis is conducted for the examined tank based on a lumped-mass stick model, where the nonlinear shear behaviour of support columns is taken into account by using a phenomenological model. Fragility curves in terms of an efficient intensity measure for different failure modes of structural components demonstrate the inevitable collapse of the tank mainly due to insufficient shear strength of the support columns. A seismic isolation system based on concave sliding bearings, which has been demonstrated a superior solution to seismically protect elevated tanks, is then designed and introduced into the numerical model, accounting for its non-linear behaviour. Finally, a vulnerability analysis for the isolated tank is performed, which proves a high effectiveness of the isolation system in reducing the probability of failure within an expected range of earthquake intensity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Vibrio cholerae O1 (VCO1) El Tor biotype appeared during the seventh cholera pandemic starting in 1961, and new variants of this biotype have been identified since the early 1990s. This pandemic has affected Vietnam, and a large outbreak was reported in southern Vietnam in 2010. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analyses (MLVA) were used to screen 34 VCO1 isolates from the southern Vietnam 2010 outbreak (23 patients, five contact persons, and six environmental isolates) to determine if it was genetically distinct from 18 isolates from outbreaks in southern Vietnam from 1999 to 2004, and two isolates from northern Vietnam (2008). Twenty-seven MLVA types and seven PFGE patterns were identified. Both analyses showed that the 2008 and 2010 isolates were distinctly clustered and separated from the 1999–2004 isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Maintaining consistent styles across glyphs is an arduous task in typeface design. In this work we introduce FlexyFont, a flexible tool for synthesizing a complete typeface that has a consistent style with a given small set of glyphs. Motivated by a key fact that typeface designers often maintain a library of glyph parts to achieve a consistent typeface, we intend to learn part consistency between glyphs of different characters across typefaces. We take a part assembling approach by firstly decomposing the given glyphs into semantic parts and then assembling them according to learned sets of transferring rules to reconstruct the missing glyphs. To maintain style consistency, we represent the style of a font as a vector of pairwise part similarities. By learning a distribution over these feature vectors, we are able to predict the style of a novel typeface given only a few examples. We utilize a popular machine learning method as well as retrieval-based methods to quantitatively assess the performance of our feature vector, resulting in favorable results. We also present an intuitive interface that allows users to interactively create novel typefaces with ease. The synthesized fonts can be directly used in real-world design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linker for Activation of T cells (LAT) is an adapter protein that is essential for T cell function. Knock-in mice with a LAT mutation impairing calcium flux develop a fatal CD4+ lymphoproliferative disease. miR-155 is a microRNA that is correlated with hyperproliferation in a number of cancers including lymphomas and leukemias and is overexpressed in mutant LAT T cells. To test whether miR-155 was merely indicative of T cell activation or whether it contributes to lymphoproliferative disease in mutant LAT mice, we interbred LAT mutant and miR-155-deficient mice. miR-155 deficiency markedly inhibited lymphoproliferative disease by stimulating BIM-dependent CD4+ T cell apoptosis, even though ERK activation and T cell proliferation were increased in double mutant CD4+ T cells. Bim/Bcl2l11 expression is activated by the forkhead transcription factor FOXO3. Using miR-155-deficient, LAT mutant T cells as a discovery tool, we found two connected pathways that impact the nuclear translocation and activation of FOXO3 in T cells. One pathway is mediated by the inositide phosphatase SHIP-1 and the serine/threonine kinases AKT and PDK1. The other pathway involves PAK1 and JNK kinase activation. We define crosstalk between the two pathways via the kinase mTOR, which stabilizes PAK1. This study establishes a role for PAK1 in T cell apoptosis, which contrasts to its previously identified role in T cell proliferation. Furthermore, miR-155 regulates the delicate balance between PAK1-mediated proliferation and apoptosis in T cells impacting lymphoid organ size and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CFRP sheets are extensively used to strengthen defected steel members through a wet layup process. Different techniques were used to control the quality of bonding, such as vacuum bags and rollers. Recently strand CFRP sheets were applied in the strengthening of steel elements with manufacturer suggested epoxy resin and a primary resin. This study investigated the fatigue behaviour of steel beams and double strap steel joints bonded with strand CFRP sheets. Eight beams were tested under four point bending and eight double strap steel joints were tested under axial tension. Comparisons were made on the failure modes and the fatigue life for specimens bonded with and without the primer epoxy resin. Results showed that the fatigue life of defected steel beams and double strap steel joints bonded with strand CFRP sheets are comparable to that of specimens strengthened with CFRP plates and other high modulus CFRP sheets, whereas a linear reduction in fatigue life was observed when the primer resin was applied on the steel surface of the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]