The effect dietary FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di- and mono-saccharides and polyols) in healthy adults is poorly documented. This study compared specific effects of low and moderate FODMAP intake (relative to typical intake) on the faecal microbiome, participant-reported outcomes and gastrointestinal physiology. In a single-blind cross-over study, 25 healthy participants were randomised to one of two provided diets, ‘low’ (LFD) <4 g/d or ‘moderate’ (MFD) 14-18 g/d, for 3 weeks each, with ≥2-week washout between. Endpoints were assessed in the last week of each diet. The faecal bacterial/archaeal and fungal communities were characterised in 18 participants in whom high quality DNA was extracted by 16S rRNA and ITS2 profiling, and by metagenomic sequencing. There were no differences in gastrointestinal or behavioural symptoms (fatigue, depression, anxiety), or in faecal characteristics and biochemistry (including short-chain fatty acids). Mean colonic transit time (telemetry) was 23 (95% confidence interval: 15, 30) h with the MFD compared with 34 (24, 44) h with LFD (n=12; p=0.009). Fungal diversity (richness) increased in response to MFD, but bacterial richness was reduced, coincident with expansion of the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium, Anaerostipes, and Eubacterium. Metagenomic analysis showed expansion of polyol-utilising Bifidobacteria, and Anaerostipes with MFD. In conclusion, short-term alterations of FODMAP intake are not associated with symptomatic, stool or behavioural manifestations in healthy adults, but remarkable shifts within the bacterial and mycobiome populations were observed. These findings emphasise the need to quantitatively assess all microbial Domains and their interrelationships to improve understanding of consequences of diet on gut function.

Homeless shelter residents and staff may be at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, SARS-CoV-2 infection estimates in this population have been reliant on cross-sectional or outbreak investigation data. We conducted routine surveillance and outbreak testing in 23 homeless shelters in King County, Washington, to estimate the occurrence of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and risk factors during 1 January 2020–31 May 2021. Symptom surveys and nasal swabs were collected for SARS-CoV-2 testing by RT-PCR for residents aged ≥3 months and staff. We collected 12,915 specimens from 2,930 unique participants. We identified 4.74 (95% CI 4.00–5.58) SARS-CoV-2 infections per 100 individuals (residents: 4.96, 95% CI 4.12–5.91; staff: 3.86, 95% CI 2.43–5.79). Most infections were asymptomatic at the time of detection (74%) and detected during routine surveillance (73%). Outbreak testing yielded higher test positivity than routine surveillance (2.7% versus 0.9%). Among those infected, residents were less likely to report symptoms than staff. Participants who were vaccinated against seasonal influenza and were current smokers had lower odds of having an infection detected. Active surveillance that includes SARS-CoV-2 testing of all persons is essential in ascertaining the true burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections among residents and staff of congregate settings.

Resistant starch 2 (RS2) may offer therapeutic value to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients particularly in combination with minimally fermented fibre, but tolerability data are lacking. The present study evaluated the tolerability of RS2, sugarcane bagasse and their combination in IBS patients and healthy controls. Following baseline, participants consumed the fibres in escalating doses lasting 3 d each: RS2 (10, 15 and 20 g/d); sugarcane bagasse (5, 10 and 15 g/d); and their combination (20, 25 and 30 g/d). Gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed daily. Six IBS patients and five controls were recruited. No differences in overall symptoms from baseline were found across the fibre doses (IBS, P = 0⋅586; controls, P = 0⋅687). For IBS patients, all RS2 doses led to increased bloating. One IBS patient did not tolerate the low combination dose and another the high sugarcane bagasse dose. Supplementation of RS2 ≤ 20 g/d caused mild symptoms and was generally tolerated in IBS patients even when combined with minimally fermented fibre.

Human- and animal-impacted sites in Antarctica can be contaminated with heavy metals, as well as areas influenced by underlying geology and naturally occurring minerals. The present study examined the relationship between heavy metal presence and soil microalgal occurrence across a range of human-impacted and undisturbed locations on Signy Island. Microalgae were identified based on cultures that developed after inoculation into an enriched medium. Twenty-nine microalgae representing Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta and Tribophyta were identified. High levels of As, Ca, Cd, Cu and Zn were detected in Gourlay Peninsula and North Point, both locations hosting dense penguin rookeries. Samples from Berntsen Point, the location of most intense human activity both today and historically, contained high levels of Pb. The contamination factor and pollution load index confirmed that the former locations were polluted by Cd, Cu and Zn, with these being of marine biogenic origin. Variation in the microalgal community was significantly correlated with concentrations of Mn, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cd, Co, Cr and Cu. However, the overall proportion of the total variation contributed by all metals was low (16.11%). Other factors not measured in this study are likely to underlie the majority of the observed variation in microalgal community composition between sampling locations.

Recent abrupt changes of CW Leonis may indicate that we are witnessing the moment that the central carbon star is evolving off the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) and entering into the pre-planetary nebula (PPN) phase. The recent appearance of a red compact peak at the predicted stellar position is possibly an unveiling event of the star, and the radial beams emerging from the stellar position resemble the feature of the PPN Egg Nebula. The increase of light curve over two decades is also extraordinary, and it is possibly related to the phase transition. Decadal-period variations are further found in the residuals of light curves, in the relative brightness of radial beams, and in the extended halo brightness distribution. Further monitoring of the recent dramatic and decadal-scale changes of this most well-known carbon star CW Leonis at the tip of AGB is still highly essential, and will help us gain a more concrete understanding on the conditions for transition between the late stellar evolutionary phases.

The therapeutic value of specific fibres is partly dependent on their fermentation characteristics. Some fibres are rapidly degraded with the generation of gases that induce symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), while more slowly or non-fermentable fibres may be more suitable. More work is needed to profile a comprehensive range of fibres to determine suitability for IBS. Using a rapid in vitro fermentation model, gas production and metabolite profiles of a range of established and novel fibres were compared. Fibre substrates (n 15) were added to faecal slurries from three healthy donors for 4 h with gas production measured using real-time headspace sampling. Concentrations of SCFA and ammonia were analysed using GC and enzymatic assay, respectively. Gas production followed three patterns: rapid (≥60 ml/g over 4 h) for fructans, carrot fibre and maize-derived xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS); mild (30–60 ml/g) for partially hydrolysed guar gum, almond shell-derived XOS and one type of high-amylose resistant starch 2 (RS2) and minimal (no differences with blank controls) for methylcellulose, another high-amylose RS2, acetylated or butyrylated RS2, RS4, acacia gum and sugarcane bagasse. Gas production correlated positively with total SCFA (r 0·80, P < 0·001) and negatively with ammonia concentrations (r –0·68, P < 0·001). Proportions of specific SCFA varied: fermentation of carrot fibre, XOS and acetylated RS2 favoured acetate, while fructans favoured butyrate. Gas production and metabolite profiles differed between fibre types and within fibre classes over a physiologically relevant 4-h time course. Several fibres resisted rapid fermentation and may be candidates for clinical trials in IBS patients.

This study provides a global, detailed, and complete energy-saving map of strong ocean currents from the absolute geostrophic velocities calculated from satellite altimetry data, with the focus on the strong Western Boundary Currents (WBCs) in the global ocean. Theoretically, the WBCs with speeds of 2–3 knots can reduce fuel consumption by 25–50% for vessels at a sailing speed of 6 knots. The fuel savings are greater for a lower sailing speed than for a higher sailing speed. For about 1·8 million motorised fishing vessels with a lower ship speed, strong currents can evidently save fuel, time and money. Since global fishing vessels generate roughly 130 million tonnes of CO2 per annum (FAO, 2012), effective utilisation of the energy-saving map could significantly reduce CO2 emissions from ship operations.

Answer Set Programming (ASP) is a powerful form of declarative programming used in areas such as planning or reasoning. ASP solvers enforce stable model semantics, which rule out solutions representing certain kinds of circular reasoning. Unfortunately, current ASP solvers are incapable of solving problems involving cyclic dependencies between multiple integer or continuous quantities effectively. In this paper, we generalize the notion of stable models to bound founded variables with arbitrary domains, where bounds on such variables need to be justified by some rule in the program in order for the model to be stable. We show how to handle significantly more general rule forms where bound founded variables can act as head or body variables, and where head and body variables can be related via complex constraints subject to certain monotonicity requirements. We describe a new unfounded set detection algorithm which allows us to enforce this generalization of the stable model semantics. We also show how these unfounded sets can be explained in order to allow effective conflict-directed clause learning. The new solver merges the best features of CP, SAT and ASP solvers and allows new types of problems to be solved very efficiently.

From the Surface Velocity Program (SVP) drifter current data, a detailed and complete track of strong ocean currents in the north-western Pacific is provided using the bin average method. The focus of this study is on the Kuroshio, the strong western boundary current of the North Pacific flowing northward along the east coast of Taiwan and then turning eastward off southern Japan. With its average flow speed of about 2 knots, the Kuroshio can significantly increase the ship's speed for a “super-slow-steaming” container ship travelling at speeds of 12 knots between the ports of Southeast Asia and Japan. By properly utilizing knowledge of strong ocean currents to follow the Kuroshio on the northbound runs and avoid it on the return trip, considerable fuel can be saved and the transit time can be reduced. In the future, the detailed Kuroshio saving-energy route could be built into electronic chart systems for all navigators and shipping routers.

A CO2-pulsed laser plasma deposition (CO2-PLD) system is installed and used for the quick synthesis of various hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. Each part of the CO2-PLD system, such as focusing of laser beam on the target surface, sample holder, shutter, heater, type of the gas, and gas flow rate, can be easily controlled independently to fit different experimental conditions. After installation of the system, a series of experiments were conducted using hBN and ZnO targets. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the entire surface (2 × 2 cm2) of the substrate is covered with the conical- and disk-shaped BN nanostructures and web-like highly dense ZnO nanowires, indicating a significantly short-time approach to grow mass product nanostructures. Raman spectroscopy identified the hexagonal structure of the synthesized samples.

Theoretical and experimental investigations are described of the linearized wave equation of supersonic flow with a single relaxation process. Firing-range experiments using a known model gas mixture with a single relaxation process are discussed. Qualitatively, it is shown that weak conical and spherical waves decay as predicted by theory. In addition, this decay can be determined quantitatively for conical disturbances; and, satisfactory agreement with theory is found. For application to unknown relaxation processes, it is suggested that observation of the damping of weak waves provides an additional tool for the study of fast rate processes.

We have successfully used hydrophobic direct wafer bonding along with hydrogen-induced layer splitting of germanium to transfer 700 nm thick, single-crystal germanium (100) films to silicon (100) substrates without using a metallic bonding layer. The metal-free nature of the bond makes the bonded wafers suitable for subsequent epitaxial growth of layered solar cells at high temperatures without concern about metal contamination of the device active region. Contact mode atomic force microscopy images of the transferred germanium surface generated by the formation of micro-bubbles and micro-cracks along the hydrogen-induced layer-splitting interface reveals minimum rms surface roughness of between 10 nm and 23 nm. Electrical measurements indicated ohmic I-V characteristics for germanium layers bonded to silicon substrates with ∼400 Ω cm−2 resistance at the interface. Triple-junction solar cell structures grown on these Ge/Si heterostructure templates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition show comparable photoluminescence intensity and minority carrier lifetime to a control structure grown on bulk Ge. The use of a molecular beam epitaxy Ge buffer layer to smooth the cleaved surface of the Ge heterostructure has been shown to smooth the rms surface roughness from ∼11 nm to as low as 1.5 nm with a mesa-like morphology that has a top surface roughness of under 1.0 nm giving a promising surface for improved solar cell growth on solar cell structures.

Prospective studies were conducted for nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections from February 1, 1994, to October 30,1995. Of 97 P aeruginosa isolates from 97 patients, 35 were resistant to ceftazidime. Logistic regression revealed previous cephalosporin or piperacillin use as independent risk factors for nosocomial ceftazidime-resistant P aeruginosa infection. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that four nosocomial ceftazidime-resistant P aeruginosa infections were caused by cross-infection, probably through medical personnel.

A mathematical model has been developed to predict the extent of sulphate reduction by sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in an underground nuclear waste disposal vault and the consequences for corrosion of the waste package. The model is based on a series of massbalance equations that describe the kinetics of sulphate reduction by two types of SRB (one organotrophic and one chemoheterotrophic), the growth and death of SRB, the supply and consumption of nutrients (acetate and hydrogen) and reactants (SO4 2−) and the consumption of sulphide by precipitation with aqueous Fe(II) or by container corrosion. The disposal vault is described by a series of 1-D mass-transport barriers representing the buffer and backfill materials and fractured rock. The model can also be used to simulate the effects of γ-radiation and desiccation of the buffer and backfill materials on the extent of microbial activity.

Microstructures of Barium Strontium Titanate (Ba, Sr)TiO3 [BST] thin film play an important role in determining the electrical properties of BST. In particular, it is found that the grain size distribution as a function of deposition conditions correlates with the dielectric constant of BST film. Traditionally, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) provides an accurate method for determining microstructures such as interface structure between BST and electrodes and BST grain size distribution. However, TEM analysis relies heavily upon successful sample preparation, and film adhesion for BST proves to be a difficult problem to overcome for successful sample preparation. With the state of the art Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), useful information can be obtained for BST and electrode microstructures requiring little or no sample preparation. A good correlation among TEM, SEM and AFM techniques is achieved which allows useful information of BST grain size distribution to he obtained via SEM and AFM analyses. Power spectral density (PSD) analysis of contrast enhanced AFM images proves to be an efficient method for estimating BST grain size distribution.