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Genome-scale metabolic models are widely used to enhance our understanding of metabolic features of organisms, host-pathogen interactions and to identify therapeutics for diseases. Here we present iTMU798, the genome-scale metabolic model of the mouse whipworm Trichuris muris . The model demonstrates the metabolic features of T. muris and allows the prediction of metabolic steps essential for its survival. Specifically, that Thioredoxin Reductase (TrxR) enzyme is essential, a prediction we validate in vitro with the drug auranofin. Furthermore, our observation that the T. muris genome lacks gsr-1 encoding Glutathione Reductase (GR) but has GR activity that can be inhibited by auranofin indicates a mechanism for the reduction of glutathione by the TrxR enzyme in T. muris . In addition, iTMU798 predicts seven essential amino acids that cannot be synthesised by T. muris , a prediction we validate for the amino acid tryptophan. Overall, iTMU798 is as a powerful tool to study not only the T. muris metabolism but also other Trichuris spp . in understanding host parasite interactions and the rationale design of new intervention strategies. In this work, Bay et al describe the construction of the first genome-scale metabolic model for the parasitic whipworm, Trichuris muris and use it to identify novel metabolic pathways and predict critical enzymes and essential metabolites for worm survival.

We present experimental results on inclusive spectra and mean multiplicities of negatively charged pions produced in inelastic p+p interactions at incident projectile momenta of 20, 31, 40, 80 and 158 GeV/ c ( s = 6.3, 7.7, 8.8, 12.3 and 17.3 GeV, respectively). The measurements were performed using the large acceptance NA61/SHINE hadron spectrometer at the CERN super proton synchrotron. Two-dimensional spectra are determined in terms of rapidity and transverse momentum. Their properties such as the width of rapidity distributions and the inverse slope parameter of transverse mass spectra are extracted and their collision energy dependences are presented. The results on inelastic p+p interactions are compared with the corresponding data on central Pb+Pb collisions measured by the NA49 experiment at the CERN SPS. The results presented in this paper are part of the NA61/SHINE ion program devoted to the study of the properties of the onset of deconfinement and search for the critical point of strongly interacting matter. They are required for interpretation of results on nucleus–nucleus and proton–nucleus collisions.

Inclusive production of [Formula omitted]-hyperons was measured with the large acceptance NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN SPS in inelastic p+p interactions at beam momentum of 158 [Formula omitted]. Spectra of transverse momentum and transverse mass as well as distributions of rapidity and x [Formula omitted] are presented. The mean multiplicity was estimated to be [Formula omitted]. The results are compared with previous measurements and predictions of the Epos, Urqmd and Fritiof models.

Attacks on web applications and web-based services were conducted using Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which is also used as the communication protocol of web-based applications. Due to the dynamic structure of web applications and the fact that they have many variables, detection and prevention of web-based attacks are made more difficult. In this study, a hybrid learning-based web application firewall (WAF) model is proposed to prevent web-based attacks, by using signature-based detection (SBD) and anomaly-based detection (ABD). Detection of known web-based attacks is done by using SBD, while detection of anomaly HTTP requests is done by using ABD. Learning-based ABD is implemented by using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Thus, an adaptation of the model against zero-day attacks is ensured by learning-based ABD by using ANN. The proposed model is tested by using WAF 2015, CSIC 2010 and ECML-PKDD datasets which are open source datasets. According to the test results, a high mean achievement percentage (96.59%) was obtained. Detection results are also compared to previous studies. After comparison, the proposed model promises higher performance than what the existing studies until now have to offer.

Most studies assessing vegetation response following control of invasive Tamarix trees along southwestern U.S. rivers have been small in scale (e.g., river reach), or at a regional scale but with poor spatial-temporal replication, and most have not included testing the effects of a now widely used biological control. We monitored plant composition following Tamarix control along hydrologic, soil, and climatic gradients in 244 treated and 172 reference sites across six U.S. states. This represents the largest comprehensive assessment to date on the vegetation response to the four most common Tamarix control treatments. Biocontrol by a defoliating beetle (treatment 1) reduced the abundance of Tamarix less than active removal by mechanically using hand and chain-saws (2), heavy machinery (3) or burning (4). Tamarix abundance also decreased with lower temperatures, higher precipitation, and follow-up treatments for Tamarix resprouting. Native cover generally increased over time in active Tamarix removal sites, however, the increases observed were small and was not consistently increased by active revegetation. Overall, native cover was correlated to permanent stream flow, lower grazing pressure, lower soil salinity and temperatures, and higher precipitation. Species diversity also increased where Tamarix was removed. However, Tamarix treatments, especially those generating the highest disturbance (burning and heavy machinery), also often promoted secondary invasions of exotic forbs. The abundance of hydrophytic species was much lower in treated than in reference sites, suggesting that management of southwestern U.S. rivers has focused too much on weed control, overlooking restoration of fluvial processes that provide habitat fr hydrophytic and floodplain vegetation. These results can help inform future management of Tamarix-infested rivers to restore hydrogeomorphic processes, increase native biodiversity and reduce abundance of noxious species.

The Tokai-to-Kamioka (T2K) neutrino experiment measures neutrino oscillations by using an almost pure muon neutrino beam produced at the J-PARC accelerator facility. The T2K muon monitor was installed to measure the direction and stability of the muon beam which is produced in conjunction with the muon neutrino beam. The systematic error in the muon beam direction measurement was estimated, using data and MC simulation, to be 0.28 mrad. During beam operation, the proton beam has been controlled using measurements from the muon monitor and the direction of the neutrino beam has been tuned to within 0.3 mrad with respect to the designed beam-axis. In order to understand the muon beam properties, measurement of the absolute muon yield at the muon monitor was conducted with an emulsion detector. The number of muon tracks was measured to be $(4.06\\pm 0.05\\pm 0.10)\\times 10^4$cm$^{-2}$ normalized with $4\\times 10^{11}$ protons on target with 250 kA horn operation. The result is in agreement with the prediction, which is corrected based on hadron production data.

Heavy, increasing recreation on Colorado's high peaks has created numerous social trails requiring restoration. We studied success of turf transplants 3 yr after transplanting on Mount Belford in the Sawatch Range, and Humboldt Peak in the Sangre de Cristo Range. Based on point-intercept data, sum of all vascular species' covers was 12% to 31% lower in transplanted plots than in control areas. We found no differences in canopy density and height between transplant and control plots on Mount Belford, while both were about 40% lower in transplants on Humboldt Peak. Species richness adjusted for plot size was slightly greater in transplant plots on Mount Belford and slightly lower on Humboldt Peak. On both peaks, we found greater absolute cover of grasses in transplant plots, while forb cover was lower. After 3 yr, turf transplants effectively established vegetation cover and maintained high species richness in these communities. Whenever turf is available, e.g., new trail construction, it should be used to restore closed social trails and campsites, and turf transplants can be considered in other ecosystems for small disturbances in high-value areas where restoration would otherwise be slow.

According to the literature, the number of port-site metastases in laparoscopic surgery varies considerably depending on the type of gas used for the pneumoperitoneum. In order to investigate this observation we studied the changes in blood, subcutaneous, and intra-abdominal pH during laparoscopy with helium, CO(2) and room air in a rat model. In addition, we looked at the influence of intra-abdominal pressure and duration of pneumoperitoneum on the pH during the laparoscopy. pH was measured by tonometry, intra-abdominally and subcutaneously. A pH electrode was additionally placed into the subcutaneous tissue and the results compared to those measured by tonometry. Blood samples were taken from a catheter in the carotid artery. The intra-abdominal pressure was 0, 3, 6, 9 mm Hg for 30 min in each case. We investigated the effect of pneumoperitoneum with CO(2), helium and air in randomized groups of 5 rats. In an additional series the pressure was held constant at 3 mm Hg and the pH was measured every 30 min. Due to the different absorption capacity of the peritoneum, laparoscopy with CO(2) decreases the subcutaneous pH from 7.35 to 6.81. Blood pH is reduced from 7.37 to 7.17 and the intra-abdominal pH from 7.35 to 6.24. Other, less absorbable gases induce smaller changes of blood and subcutaneous pH (only 10% of CO(2)). In a variance analysis the p value is less than 0.001. The influence of duration of laparoscopy (30 min vs. 90 min) on the subcutaneous pH is less compared to the influence of intra-abdominal pressure (0, 3, 6, 9 mm Hg). Depending on the type of gas (CO(2), air, helium) used for laparoscopy blood, subcutaneous and intra-abdominal pH are influenced differently. Because lower pH is known to impair local defense mechanisms, these results may be one explanation for the higher incidence of port-site metastasis in laparoscopy with CO(2) than with other gases, as reported in the literature.

In order to evaluate the stress and immunological response to laparoscopic and conventional colon resection we operated on male Wistar rats (350-380 g), performing either laparoscopic (n = 15) or open colon resection (n = 15). A third group (n = 10) underwent anesthesia only. Immediately before and after surgery as well as 1 and 7 days postoperatively a 1 ml sample of blood was taken from the retrobulbar veinous plexus. Stress (corticosterone) and immune parameters (neopterin and interleukin [IL] 1-beta) were measured. Furthermore, the body weight as a parameter of postoperative recovery was monitored. The analysis of variance showed significant differences between the three groups over a period of 1 week (p < 0.0001 for corticosterone, p = 0.0854 for IL 1-beta, p = 0. 0045 for neopterin). Additionally in a t-test significant differences were found between the laparoscopic and conventional group with regard to corticosterone (p = 0.08), to neopterin (p = 0. 045), and to IL 1-beta (p = 0.0043) at the end of the operation. One week after the operation the stress and immune parameters were back to normal levels in each group except IL 1-beta, but the recovery indicated by body weight was different according to the kind of the applied operative procedure: 7 days postoperatively the rats lost 5. 99% of their body weight after open surgery and only 2.4% after laparoscopic surgery. After anesthesia only the body weight increased by about 4.8%. Laparoscopic colon resection alters the stress and immune system of healthy rats less than open colon resection. This observation is confirmed by the quicker recovery in laparoscopically operated rats.

Thin membranes subject to multiaxial loadings may exhibit wrinkling phenomena. Modelling this phenomenon can be interesting if one wants to understand the origin of wrinkling and optimise the design of the membrane in order to avoid such kind of defect. The work, presented here aims at predicting wrinkling phenomena in thin hyperelastic membranes undergoing large deformation due to multiaxial loadings -using a finite element modelling tool for 3-D configurations. The constitutive equations used for modelling the membrane behaviour are hyperelastic models (the neo-Hookean model, the Mooney-Rivlin one and a third one with a higher degree of non-linearity). They have been implemented in a finite element code developed in our laboratory FORGE2005®, which is based on a mixed pressure-velocity formulation. The software is then applied to the deformation of a hyperelastic spherical form undergoing internal pressure. We show that the ability of tetrahedral elements to correctly predict wrinkling phenomena strongly depends on the various numerical parameters used (load increment, pressure ratio, mesh size, number of elements ...)