A graph is called a partial cube if it can be embedded into a hypercube isometrically. In this paper, we study a class of Cayley graphs —Cayley graphs generated by transpositions and show that a Cayley graph Γ generated by transpositions is a partial cube if and only if Γ is a bubble sort graph. This result enhances a result of Alahmadi et al. [Math. Meth. Appl. Sci. 39 (2016), 4856–4865]: BSn is a partial cube. As a corrollary, we give the analytical expressions of the Wiener indices of bubble sort graphs.

African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) causes a deadly disease of pigs which spread through southeast Asia in 2019. We investigated one of the first outbreaks of ASFV in Lao Peoples Democratic Republic amongst smallholder villages of Thapangtong District, Savannakhet Province. In this study, two ASFV affected villages were compared to two unaffected villages. Evidence of ASFV-like clinical signs appeared in pig herds as early as May 2019, with median epidemic days on 1 and 18 June in the two villages, respectively. Using participatory epidemiology mapping techniques, we found statistically significant spatial clustering in both outbreaks (P < 0.001). Villagers reported known risk factors for ASFV transmission − such as free-ranging management systems and wild boar access − in all four villages. The villagers reported increased pig trader activity from Vietnam before the outbreaks; however, the survey did not determine a single outbreak source. The outbreak caused substantial household financial losses with an average of 9 pigs lost to the disease, and Monte Carlo analysis estimated this to be USD 215 per household. ASFV poses a significant threat to food and financial security in smallholder communities such as Thapangtong, where 40.6% of the district’s population are affected by poverty. This study shows ASFV management in the region will require increased local government resources, knowledge of informal trader activity and wild boar monitoring alongside education and support to address intra-village risk factors such as free-ranging, incorrect waste disposal and swill feeding.

A document by Jon Lomasney. Click on the document to view its contents.

Obturator hernia is a rare condition. It is more commun in women than men owing to their greater width of the pelvis and larger obturator canal. We report 2 cases of strangulated obturator hernia, which were preoperatively diagnosed, in 2 female patients without previous history of abdominal surgery.

Isolated cecal necrosis is a rare variant of ischemic colitis which typically simulates the presentation of acute appendicitis. The elderly population is the most affected. We report 2 cases of isolated caecal necrosis, which were preoperatively diagnosed, in 2 female patients with a history of hypertension and renal failure.

Disclosed: quasiparticle properties and dynamics in real and momentum spaceUrsula Wurstbauer

Based on a coarsening strategy of adjacency matrix, a new algebraic prolongation operator is developed for standard V-cycle multigrid method to accelerate the whole process. An efficient algebraic multigrid (EAMG) method is proposed for solving large-scale linear systems, arising from finite element (FE) discretization of second order elliptic boundary value problems. Numerical experiments on polygonal domains are conducted to demonstrate the EAMG computation is more efficient than standard method.

The safety of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probes has been documented in pediatric patients (neonates, infants, and small children even < 2.5 Kg). The overall safety profile of TEE probe is quite favourable with a reported incidence of complications is about 1-3%. However, insertion of the TEE probe can induce vagal and sympathetic reflexes such as hypertension or hypotension, non-sustained ventricular and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias or bradyarrhythmias [3rd degree heart block], and even angina and myocardial infarction. We hereby document a repeated and fatal intraoperative VF precipitated by TEE probe in a 2-year-old, 10 kg paediatric patient diagnosed with ostium secundum atrial septal defect (OS-ASD), supravalvular pulmonary stenosis (PS) and severe right ventricular (RV) dysfunction.

Abstract: 2-O-α-D-Glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G) is an important industrial derivative of L-ascorbic acid (AA), which has the distinct advantages of non-reducibility, antioxidation, and reproducible decomposition into L-ascorbic acid and glucose. Enzymatic synthesis is a preferred method for AA-2G production over alternative chemical synthesis owing to the regioselective glycosylation reaction. α-Glucosidase, an enzyme classed into O- glycoside hydrolases, may be used in glycosylation reactions to synthesize AA-2G. Here, one α-glucosidase from Oryza sativa (rAGL) was recombinantly produced in Pichia pastoris GS115 and used for biosynthesis of AA-2G with few intermediates and byproducts. The extracellular rAGL reached 9.11 U/mL after fed-batch cultivation for 102 h in a 5-L fermenter. The specific activity of purified rAGL is 49.83 U/mg at 37 °C and pH 4.0. The optimal temperature of rAGL was 65 °C, and it was stable below 55 °C. rAGL was active over the range of pH 3.0–7.0, with the maximal activity at pH 4.0. Under the condition of 37 °C , pH 4.0, equimolar maltose and AA·Na, 8.7±0.4 g/L of AA-2G was synthesized by rAGL. These studies lay the basis for the industrial application of recombinant α-glucosidase. Keywords: α-Glucosidase; Oryza sativa; 2-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid; Transglycosylation; Pichia pastoris

Cushion plants are widely representative species of the alpine ecosystem due to their vital roles in the abiotic and biotic environments, ecological succession processes, and ecosystem engineering. Importantly, Cushion plants, such as Androsace L. and Arenaria L., can be regarded as critical pioneers of ecosystem health, restoration and sustainability across the Tibetan Plateau because these plants (i) exhibit tenacious vitality, regulate regional climates, substrates and soil nutrients and keep warmth in extreme regions; (ii) facilitate relationships with surrounding and maintain the diversity of above- and below-ground communities; and (iii) have high sensitivity to environmental changes, which can indicate grassland ecosystem health and resilience in the context of global change.

Aortico-left ventricular tunnel (ALVT) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly and constitues of less than 0.1% of all congenital cardiac defects (1). ALVT is described as an abnormal connection between the ascending aorta and the left ventricul which originates commonly above the right sinus of valsalva. Most patients are diagnosed with an ALVT during early infancy (2). Although transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is more effective in diagnosis of ALVT, misdiagnosis rate was 17.1% (3). Sinus of valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is frequently confused with ALVT (3). We report a term female newborn with SVA in echocardiographic examination but in surgery she was diagnosed with ALVT.

A congenital left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is a rare cardiac malformation that is usually diagnosed in adulthood. It is rarely diagnosed prenatally. In most cases, surgical resection is recommended soon after the diagnosis has been made due to the risk of arrhythmia and thrombotic events. The present report describes a case of LAAA which was prenatally diagnosed and was asymptomatic postnatally. Imaging revealed the relation of the cardiac and airway structures around the LAAA in detail. The patient underwent surgical resection of the LAAA successfully at 7 months of age and is currently healthy at 5 years of age.

The counteractive influence of atmospheric CO2 enrichment and drought stress on tree growth results in great uncertainty in growth patterns of planted forests in cold semi-arid regions. We used tree-ring chronology and carbon isotope analysis to track ecophysiological processes in reaction to environmental factors over the past four decades of Populus simonii plantations in cold semi-arid areas in northern China. Our results showed that the boosting effect of the rising atmospheric CO2 concentration (Ca) on iWUE and stem growth was more significant in declined stands. However, the increased iWUE did not negate tree dieback when water stress was present. Therefore, the BAI and iWUE deviation of different health status trees started from a very early age. Climatic factors showed limited influences on the stem growth of the poplar plantations. The inaccessibility of deep soil water due to site-specific soil conditions rendered the trees exposed to chronic soil water stress and constrained stomatal conductance and reduced the CO2 fertilization effect. Consequently, these stands experienced a lower stem growth rate. In summary, we suggest that soil moisture conditions the iWUE and growth sensitivity to global warming and thus portrays site-specific decline episodes of different degrees in drought-prone areas.

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, different methods have been used to evaluate patients suspected with infection of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we evaluate the longevity of saliva and dry swab samples to retain SARS-CoV-2 for storage and transport at different environmental settings. Our results show that at ambient temperature of 20°C, SARS-CoV-2 RNA remains stable for up to 9 days giving a long span of time for transport and storage without compromising clinical results. Additionally, this study demonstrates that sali­­­va and dry swabs specimens can also be stored at -20°C and +4°C for up to 26 days without affecting RT-qPCR results. Our data is relevant for low-and middle-income countries, which have limited access to rapid refrigerated transport and storage of samples representing an economical alternative. Finally, our study demonstrates that dry swabs provide clear advantages over using transport medium.

The cis-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene (DR-2 or HFO-1336mzz(Z)) is a novel environmentally friendly working fluid with appropriate physicochemical characteristics. The present work firstly investigates decomposition mechanism and thermal stability of DR-2 under the atmosphere containing oxygen (O2) and high temperature experimentally. The oxidative degradation features of DR-2 were explored at the temperature of 473-1073 K and the products were monitored by GC-MS and IC. The experimental and ReaxFF-based molecular dynamics results demonstrated the promotion effects of O2 on the DR-2 decomposition. The participation of O2 molecules was supposed to lower the initial thermal decomposition temperature by 240 K approximately and also would increase the number of products such as hydrogen fluoride (HF), but the enhancement effect was weakened by the increasing reaction temperature. The reasonable Arrhenius parameters calculated from the first-order kinetic analyses-based reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulations. Combined with density functional theory, the pathways of initial oxidation decomposition product firstly observed in the experimental and RMD simulations were proposed in this study. These results may pave the way for further study of DR-2 as a working fluid with lower global warming potential.

Incorporating host-pathogen(s)-environment axes into management and conservation planning is critical to preserving species in a warming climate. However, the role pathogens play in host stress resilience remains largely unexplored in wild animal populations. We experimentally characterized how independent and cumulative stressors (fisheries handling, high water temperature) and natural infections affected the health and longevity of released wild adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in British Columbia, Canada. Returning adults were collected before and after entering the Fraser River, yielding marine- and river-collected groups, respectively. Fish were exposed to a mild (seine) or severe (gill net) fishery treatment at collection, and then held in circulating freshwater tanks for up to four weeks at historical (14°C) or projected migration temperatures (18°C). Using weekly nonlethal gill biopsies and high-throughput qPCR, we quantified loads of up to 46 pathogens with host stress and immune gene expression. Marine-captured fish had less severe infections than river-captured fish, a short migration distance (100 km, 5-7 d) that produced profound infection differences. At 14°C, river-collected fish survived 1-2 weeks less than marine-collected fish. All fish held at 18°C died within 4 weeks unless they experienced minimal handling. Gene expression correlated with infections in river-collected fish, while marine-collected fish were more stressor-responsive. Cumulative stressors were detrimental regardless of infections or collection location, likely due to extreme physiological disturbance. Because river-derived infections correlated with single stressor responses, river entry likely decreases stressor resilience of adult salmon by altering both physiological status and pathogen burdens, which redirect host responses toward disease resistance.

The decomposition of the molecular total energy in their hyperconjugative, steric and electrostatic effects can lead to interesting interpretations about the stereoelectronic effects that govern their geometry and properties. In this work, we have studied homologous series of perfluoroalkanes, perchloroalkanes, perfluorosilanes and perchlorosilanes, and all molecules have preference for helical geometries. According to Natural Bond Orbitals (NBO) calculations, the silanes have their helical geometry stabilised by hyperconjugative interactions, as well as the perfluoroalkanes. However, it was surprisingly difficult to disclose that steric interactions are ruling the helical geometry preference in perchloroalkanes by comparing the NBO analysis and the Quantum Theory of Atoms ins Molecules (QTAIM). Although perchloroalkanes have extremely intense steric interactions between Cl lone pairs, some of them were underestimated by the NBO analysis, which showed the opposite behaviour compared with QTAIM that indicates steric effects as the leading forces to helical geometry preference.

Molecular diagnosis is an essential means to detect pathogens. The portable nucleic acid detection chip has excellent prospects in places where medical resources are scarce, and it is also of research interest in the field of microfluidic chips. Here, the paper developed a new type of microfluidic chip for nucleic acid detection where stretching acts as the driving force. The sample entered the chip by applying capillary force. The strain valve was opened under the action of tensile force, and the spring pump generated the power to drive the fluid to flow to the detection chamber in a specific direction. The detection of COVID-19 was realized on the chip. The RT-LAMP amplification system was adopted to observe the liquid color in the detection chamber to decide whether the sample tested positive or negative qualitatively.