bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative performance analysis of Carbon Nanotube and Si-Nanotube based Field effect Transistors
Authors: Kumar Raj , Bala Shashi , Kumar Arvind
Published: January 2021

The continuous scaling of scaling of conventional planar transistors has migrated to nanoscale regime to achieve better performance of the device by mainstream semiconductor industry. To suppress the short channel effects arises in nanoscale devices, many 3D devices and materials have been proposed and investigated. Carbon Nanotube can be used as best materials for replacement of channel material MOSFET transistors due to its good electrical properties. Silicon nanotube field effect transistor is having two gates as an inner and outer gates, provides excellent electrostatic control and short channel effects immunity. In this paper, Carbon Nanotube Field Effect Transistor and Si- Nanotube field effect transistors have been designed and investigated. Performance of CNTFET and Si-NT MOSFET has been analysed and compared. These two field effect transistors may be considered for future of semiconductor industry.
Design and Simulation of a Multiband Slot Antenna for GPS/WLAN/WiMAX Systems Using CST
Authors: Nagaraju D. , Gupta Narbada Prasad
Published: January 2021

Design of a four band i.e. multiband slot antenna incorporating Global Positioning System, Wireless Local Area Networks (for IEEE 802.11 b&g and IEEE 802.11a) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is presented in this paper. The antenna is designed for frequency of 1.57GHz for GPS, 2.5GHz for IEEE 802.11 b&g WLAN, 3.5GHz for WiMAX and 5.3GHz for IEEE 802.11a WLAN system. The antenna configuration comprises of a rectangular slot with triangular cuts at the corners to achieve impedance matching. It is designed and simulated using CST Studio Suite. The simulated antenna is fabricated on the economical substrate i.e FR-4 using standard photolithography process and tested in vector network analyzer (Anritsu- MS2027C). The designed antenna shows exceptional results in terms of return loss, voltage standing wave ration (VSWR), radiation pattern and bandwidth. Results conclude that the designed antenna is well suited for various applications as mentioned.
Power quality monitoring for a solar PV grid controlled system at non-linear induction drives load
Authors: Gupta Akhil , Chanana Saurabh
Published: January 2021

This paper unveils the impact of non-linear induction motor drives on operation of transformer-less single-stage solar photovoltaic (SPV) grid tied inverter system. The system is controlled by an indirect type data-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique. A fuzzy-logic controlled (FLC) dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) is operated coordinating two non-linear induction motor drives load: direct torque flux control (DTFC) and field-oriented control (FOC). Importantly, power quality (PQ) analysis for FOC induction motor drive is validated with DTFC induction motor drive. Results reveal mitigation of unbalanced voltage sag and voltage swell among the SPV converter, load and grid during transient conditions produced by fault. The effectiveness of FLC-DVR at FOC drive load is demonstrated over DTFC drive load and linear load for validation. It is worth mentioning that controlling action of FLC-DVR is implemented effectively at non-linear loads. As illustrated by IEEE-519/1547 standard, a reduction in total harmonic distortion (THD) and DC offset current is reported in grid voltage and current for accuracy. The proposed framework illustrates a comparative PQ study to justify satisfactory performance under varying environmental conditions.
To Analyze Energy Band Diagram of N-Tunnel Field Effect Transistors (NTFET)
Authors: Bhatia Rajeev , Gill S.S.
Published: January 2021

In low power consumption devices an emerging device of transistor is Tunnel Field Effect Transistors (TFET).Although MOSFET (Metal Oxide Field Effect Transistors) having applications based on low energy usable electronics devices the power is reduced by reducing supply voltage but by decreasing supply voltage slow down the sub threshold swing. By the down scaling of MOSFET static power become high. As TFET having structure closer to MOSFET and working of TFET is based on p-i-n diode in which tunnel current flows between the source and channel bands. The low value of leakage current and sub threshold swing in TFET is used for low power applications as the switching in TFET is on the principle of modulating quantum tunneling through a barrier instead of modulating thermionic emission over a barrier as in MOSFET. The analysis on Energy band diagram of NTFET discussed in this paper.
Stability Analysis of JL FinFET based 6T SRAM cell
Authors: Kaundal S , Rana A K
Published: January 2021

In this work, the stability of junctionless (JL) FinFET SRAM cell has been analyzed using N-curve approach. Sentaurus TCAD device simulation and mixed mode simulations has been used for the analysis. JL FinFET based SRAM cells is shown to exhibit better write stability as compared its IM counterparts while the read stability degrades.
Optimizing load variations using demand side management in the presence of SPV generation
Authors: Gupta Preeti , Verma Yajvender Pal , Kumar Deepak
Published: January 2021

Demand Side Management (DSM) is a new concept that provides a viable and more efficient option to alter the net electricity consumption pattern without bringing much discomfort to the consumers. With the development of control and information technology, residential community provides a new potential demand side management entity to the distribution utilities to optimize their load profile. In this paper, the opportunities associated with Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) integrated distribution utilities residential consumer DSM to minimize the gap between the targeted and actual load profile are investigated. A load deferral DSM model to shift the operation of not so critical residential appliances along with the optimal energy dispatch model from the residential consumer side battery energy storage (BES) is presented. A centrally controlled DSM strategy to optimize the operating time of deferrable devices and BES bidirectional power flow has been proposed. The DSM results considering different scenarios with and without BES and load deferral are compared with the original case of without DSM. It has been observed that the DSM strategy in the presence of SPVs and battery storage can substantially reduce the overall variance of the actual load curve from the predicted load curve.
Investigation of optical and physical properties of zinc sodium bismuth borate glass system
Authors: Bhatia V. , Kumar D. , Kaur A. , Singh D. , Singh A. , Singh S. P.
Published: January 2021

A glass system with composition xZnO-(15-x)Na2O-15Bi2O3-70B2O3
(where x=0, 6, 8, 10, 12 mol %) have been prepared by conventional melt quenching technique in order to investigate the some physical and optical properties with impact of ZnO in the sodium bismuth borate glasses. The optical analysis of glass system is carried out by UV-Vis spectroscopic measurement technique. The optical study reveal that cut off wavelength and Urbach energy decreases while optical band gap increases with the addition of ZnO content. Further, the compositional dependence of different physical and optical parameters such as ion concentration, polaron radii, inter nuclear distance, molar refraction, molar polarizability, reflection loss, metallization criterion, refractive index and dielectric constant have also been evaluated.
Time fractional thermoelastic problem of a thick cylinder with non homogeneous material properties
Authors: Thakare Shivcharan , Warbhe M. S.
Published: January 2021

In this article, we assume a two dimensional thermoelastic problem of nonhomogeneous thick hollow cylinder within the context of fractional order derivative of order 0 < α ≤ 2. Convective heat exchange boundary conditions are applied at the curved surface, whereas the lower surface and the upper surface of the cylinder are considered at zero temperature. Furthermore cylinder is subjected to a sectional heating at the outer curved surface of cylinder. Let the material properties of the cylinder except Poisson’s ratio and density are considered to be expresses by a simple power law in axial direction. The solution of the thermoelastic problem is obtained in terms of trigonometric and Bessel’s functions. Both the thermal and mechanical behavior is analyzed by the influence of inhomogeneity. Numerical computations are carried out for a mixture of copper and tin metals for both homogeneous and nonhomogeneous cases. Results of numerical solutions are illustrated graphically for temperature distribution and thermal stresses for all the different values of the fractional-order parameter α with the help of Mathematica software.
Utilization of Additive Manufacturing in Orthotics and Prosthetic Devices Development
Authors: Banga H K , Kumar P , Kumar H
Published: January 2021

This research paper outfit a survey with quantitative information of existing 3D-in Orthotics and Prosthetic Devices. Prosthetic and orthotic devices can empower patients to recuperate versatility and limb limit post-stroke or expulsion; anyway the route toward making custom contraptions requires some speculation and work. At the present time the focal points and disadvantages of 3D-printed gadgets to empower improvement of current gadgets dependent on the requesting of orthotics and prostheses clients. A study was performed utilizing Scopus, Web of Science and areas identified with 3D-printing. Quantitative data on the mechanical and kinematic nuances and 3D-printing headway utilized was disconnected from the papers and goals. The diagram gives the general points of interest, the mechanical and kinematic conclusions of the contraptions and information regarding the 3D-printing development used for hands. Additive Manufacturing can improve the arrangement and progression of helpful parts and things. This development is applied for the gathering of adjusted and propelled things with different materials, along these lines performing it with lesser wastage of time and material. There is an expansion to achieve various adaptabilities by using unmistakable programming and inventive stages. Additive Manufacturing improves the exactness and steady nature of the arrangement, similarly as straightforwardness of structure. This advancement is directly open for improving the show of restorative part by giving surprising and inventive structure utilizing different materials with improved nature of the thing. This rising advancement gives a wide ability to future improvement.
Microstructure and texture evolutions in AZ80A magnesium alloy during high-temperature compression
Authors: Duan Xingwang , Liu Junjie , Li Peng , Liu Baosheng , Liu Jiachen
Published: January 2021

In the process of thermal deformation, the microstructure and texture evolutions of AZ80A magnesium alloy have an important influence on its properties. In order to reveal the evolutions of microstructure and texture of AZ80A magnesium alloy during hot deformation, isothermal compression tests were performed on a Gleeble-3800 thermal simulator at a temperature range of 623 K∼723 K, a strain rates range of 0.001 s−1∼1 s−1, and a deformation rate of 20%∼60%. Based on the analysis of the true stress-true strain curves under the given deformation conditions, the hyperbolic sinusoidal constitutive model and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) kinetics model were established by regression method, respectively. The DRX behavior, microstructure and texture evolutions during the thermal compression were then analyzed by optical microscopy (OM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The results show that an increasing deformation temperature and decreasing strain rate greatly support the development of DRX of AZ80A magnesium alloy. As the deformation rate increases, DRX of AZ80A alloy is gradually and more sufficiently developed, and the dominated deformation mechanism is gradually transformed from the {0001} base slip to {

10

1
¯

0

} cylinder slip. Moreover, the low-angle grain boundaries (between 5° and 75° in deformation rate of 20%) gradually transform into large-angle grain boundaries (between 50° and 90° in deformation rate of 60%). Besides, the texture is gradually transformed from a base texture paralleled to compression direction to a texture perpendicular to compression direction, where twinning, rather than slip, is the main deformation mechanism. The results in this study provides a guidance in the hot forming process of AZ80A magnesium alloy.
The Forest of Unintended Consequences: Anthropogenic Actions Trigger the Rise and Fall of Black Cherry
Authors: Royo Alejandro A , Vickers Lance A , Long Robert P , Ristau Todd E , Stoleson Scott H , Stout Susan L
Published: January 2021

The twentieth century confluence of clear-cutting, deer overabundance, and rising nitrogen deposition favored dominance by the shade-intolerant, unpalatable, and nitrogen-demanding black cherry (Prunus serotina) throughout the Allegheny Plateau of the eastern United States. The abundance of this species conferred unique and valuable ecological and economic benefits that shaped regional biodiversity and societies. Sustaining these values is increasingly difficult because black cherry, seemingly inexplicably, has experienced diminished establishment, growth, and survival in the twenty-first century. In the present article, we chronicle the change and assess underlying drivers through a literature review and new analyses. We found negative plant–soil microbial feedback loops and lowered nitrogen deposition are biologically, temporally, and geographically consistent with observed declines. The evidence suggests that black cherry dynamics are the unintended consequence of actions and policies ostensibly unconnected to forests. We suggest that these shifts are a bellwether of impending changes to forests, economies, and ownership patterns regionally and beyond.
What can the phylogeny ofclass I KNOXgenes and their expression patterns in land plants tell us about the evolution of shoot development?
Authors: Maksimova Anastasiia I , Berke Lidija , Salgado Marco G , Klimova Ekaterina A , Pawlowski Katharina , Romanova Marina A , Voitsekhovskaja Olga V
Published: January 2021

KNOX genes encode transcription factors (TFs), several of which act non-cell-autonomously. KNOX genes evolved in algae, and two classes, class I KNOX and class II KNOX genes, were already present in charophytes. In tracheophytes, class I KNOX genes are expressed in shoot apical meristems (SAMs) and thought to inhibit cell differentiation, whereas class II KNOX genes are expressed in mature organs regulating differentiation. In this review, we summarize the data available on gene families and expression patterns of class I and class II KNOX genes in embryophytes. The expression patterns of class I KNOX genes should be seen in the context of SAM structure and of leaf primordium development where the inhibition of cell differentiation needs to be lifted. Although the SAMs of angiosperms and gnetophytes almost always belong to the duplex type, several other types are distributed in gymnosperms, ferns, lycopods and bryophytes. KNOX gene families remained small (maximally five genes) in the representatives of bryophytes, lycopods and ferns examined thus far; however, they expanded to some extent in gymnosperms and, independently and much more strongly, in angiosperms. The growing sophistication of mechanisms to repress and re-induce class KNOX I expression played a major role in the evolution of leaf shape.
Detection and Localization of Abnormalities in Surveillance Video Using Timerider-Based Neural Network
Authors: Veluchamy S , Karlmarx L R , Mahesh K Michael
Published: January 2021

Automatic anomaly detection in surveillance videos is a trending research domain, which assures the detection of the anomalies effectively, relieves the time-consumed by the manual interpretation methods without the requirement of the domain knowledge about the anomalous object. Accordingly, this research work proposes an effective anomaly detection approach, named, TimeRide Neural network (TimeRideNN), by modifying the standard RideNN using the Taylor series such that an extra group of rider, named as timerider, is included in the standard rider optimization algorithm. Initially, the face in the videos is subjected to face detection using the Viola Jones algorithm. Then, the object tracking is performed using the knocker and holoentropy-based Bhattacharya distance, which is a modification of the Bhattacharya distance using the knocker and holoentropy. After that, the features, such as object-level features and speed-level features of the objects, are extracted and the features are employed to the proposed TimeRideNN classifier, which declares the anomalous objects in the video. The experimentation of the proposed anomaly detection method is done using the UCSD dataset (Ped1), subway dataset and QMUL junction dataset, and the analysis is performed based on accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. The proposed TimeRideNN classifier obtains the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 0.9724, 0.9894 and 0.9691, respectively.
Redesigning EU fiscal rules: from rules to standards
Authors: Blanchard Olivier , Leandro Alvaro , Zettelmeyer Jeromin
Published: January 2021

European Union (EU) fiscal rules have been suspended until at least the end of 2021. When they are reinstated, they will need to be modified, if only because of the high levels of debt. Various proposals have been made and more are to come, suggesting various changes and simplifications. In this paper, we take a step back and discuss how one should think about debt sustainability in the current and likely future EU economic environment. We argue that, given the complexity of the answer, it is an illusion to think that EU fiscal rules can be simple. But it is also an illusion to think that they can ever be complex enough to accommodate most relevant contingencies. This leads us to propose the abandonment of fiscal rules in favor of fiscal standards, that is, qualitative prescriptions that leave room for judgement together with a process to decide whether the standards are met. Central to this process would be country-specific assessments using stochastic debt sustainability analysis , led by national independent fiscal councils and/or the European Commission. Disputes between member states and the European Commission on application of the standards should preferably be adjudicated by an independent institution, such as the European Court of Justice(or a specialized chamber), rather than by the Council of the EU.
Canadian Registry of Electronic Device Outcomes: remote monitoring outcomes in the Abbott battery performance alert—a multicentre cohort
Authors: Kumar Sharath , Davis Jason , Thibault Bernard , Mangat Iqwal , Coutu Benoit , Bennett Matthew , Philippon Francois , Sandhu Roopinder , Sterns Laurence , Essebag Vidal , Nery Pablo , Wells George , Yee Raymond , Exner Derek , Krahn Andrew , Parkash Ratika
Published: January 2021

Aims

Cardiac implantable electronic devices with device advisories have the potential of device malfunction. Remote monitoring (RM) of devices has been suggested to allow the identification of abnormal device performance and permit early intervention. We sought to describe the outcomes of patients with and without RM in devices subject to the Abbott Premature Battery Depletion (PBD) advisory with data from a Canadian registry.

Methods and results

Patients with an Abbott device subject to the PBD advisory from nine implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implanting centres in Canada were included in the registry. The use of RM was identified from baseline and follow-up data in the registry. The primary outcome was detection of PBD and all-cause mortality. A total of 2666 patients were identified with a device subject to the advisory. In all, 1687 patients (63.2%) had RM at baseline. There were 487 deaths during follow-up. At a mean follow-up of 5.7 ± 0.7 years, mortality was higher in those without a remote monitor compared with RM at baseline (24.7% vs. 14.5%; P < 0.001). Pre-mature battery depletion was identified in 36 patients (2.1%) with RM vs. 7 (0.7%) without RM (P = 0.004). Time to battery replacement was significantly reduced in patients on RM (median 5 vs. 13 days, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

The use of RM in patients with ICD and cardiac resynchronization therapy under advisory improved detection of PBD, time to device replacement, and was associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality. The factors influencing the association with mortality are unknown and deserve further study.
National recruitment system for pre-registration pharmacist trainees in England and Wales: context, process and outcomes
Authors: Paudyal Vibhu , Gunner Ellie , Bowen Matthew , Dehele Inderpal , Shamim Atif , Khan Khalid , Fleming Gail
Published: January 2021

In England and Wales, a new National Recruitment Scheme (NRS) for pre-registration pharmacists was introduced in 2017. The NRS replaced the traditional method of employer-led recruitment or the national recruitment system previously limited to some hospital training programmes. NRS uses assessment methodology involving Multiple-Mini Interviews, Situational Judgement Tests and numeracy skills in ranking and appointing candidates to their preferred training providers through a centralised procedure. This commentary will describe the background, assessment methodology, outcomes of preliminary evaluations and priority research areas for the future in the context of the NRS.
Calculating prescription rates and addiction probabilities for the four most commonly prescribed opioids and evaluating their impact on addiction using compartment modelling
Authors: Rivas Samantha R , Tessner Alex C , Goldwyn Eli E
Published: January 2021

In 2016, more than 11 million Americans abused prescription opioids. The National Institute on Drug Abuse considers the opioid crisis a national addiction epidemic, as an increasing number of people are affected each year. Using the framework developed in mathematical modelling of infectious diseases, we create and analyse a compartmental opioid-abuse model consisting of a system of ordinary differential equations. Since $40\%$ of opioid overdoses are caused by prescription opioids, our model includes prescription compartments for the four most commonly prescribed opioids, as well as for the susceptible, addicted and recovered populations. While existing research has focused on drug abuse models in general and opioid models with one prescription compartment, no previous work has been done comparing the roles that the most commonly prescribed opioids have had on the crisis. By combining data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (which tracked the proportion of people who used or misused one of the four individual opioids) with data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (which counted the total number of prescriptions), we estimate prescription rates and probabilities of addiction for the four most commonly prescribed opioids. Additionally, we perform a sensitivity analysis and reallocate prescriptions to determine which opioid has the largest impact on the epidemic. Our results indicate that oxycodone prescriptions are both the most likely to lead to addiction and have the largest impact on the size of the epidemic, while hydrocodone prescriptions had the smallest impact.
Prescribing practices at a secondary healthcare setting of Islamabad, Pakistan: a descriptive cross-sectional study
Authors: Abbas Mateen , Inam Ayisha , Tahira Erum , Qamar Hiba , Shakil Javeria , Bashir Samra
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Irrational drug utilization is one of the key factors behind therapeutic failure, the emergence of antibiotic resistance, and a high incidence of adverse effects worldwide. This study was designed to assess drug use patterns, based on World Health Organization (WHO)/INRUD core drug use indicators and some additional parameters, in the secondary healthcare hospital of Islamabad, Pakistan.

Methods

The outpatient department (OPD) of the healthcare facility was randomly visited from December 2019 to March 2020 to prospectively collect data from the prescriptions and conduct patient interviews. A total of 2290 prescriptions were included in this study. The data analysis was done through SPSS software v23.0.

Key findings

The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter was 3.37. Polypharmacy was positively correlated with the age of the patients. Only 4.8% of the drugs were prescribed by generic name. There was frequent (41.5%) use of antibodies. However, the proportion of injectable drugs (12.3%) was within the optimum limit. Essential components of a prescription notably diagnosis, dosage form, method of administration, and duration of therapy were frequently missing. 87% of the prescribed drugs were from the National Essential Medicines List. 80% of the total prescribed drugs were available in the hospital pharmacy. Only 30% of the patients had correct dosage information, while only 20% of the drugs were correctly labelled.

Conclusion

This study suggests frequent non-compliant prescribing practices including polypharmacy, use of a brand name, antibiotics overuse, compromised legibility and completeness of prescription and inadequate patient counselling and drug labelling, in the secondary healthcare hospital of Islamabad, Pakistan.
Small Mammals as Reservoir for Zoonotic Agents in Afghanistan
Authors: Essbauer Sandra , Baumann Kathrin , Schlegel Mathias , Faulde Michael K , Lewitzki Jens , Sauer Sabine C , Frangoulidis Dimitrios , Riehm J M , Dobler Gerhard , Teifke Jens P , Meyer Hermann , Ulrich Rainer G
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Rodents and other small mammals can serve as reservoirs for a large number of zoonotic pathogens. A higher risk of infection with rodent-borne pathogens exists for humans with direct contact to rodents and/or their excretions, e.g., soldiers in operation areas. To date, little is known about endemic human pathogenic disease agents that are naturally associated with small mammals in Afghanistan. The aim of this study was to screen abundant rodents and insectivores collected from 2009 to 2012 in four field camps of the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in Northern Afghanistan for the presence of different pathogens.

Materials and Methods

Isolated nucleic acids from ear pinna were screened by real-time PCR for spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae and from liver samples for Francisella spp., Coxiella burnetii, Brucella spp., Yersinia pestis, and poxvirus. Chest cavity lavage (CCL) samples were tested for antibodies against SFG and typhus group (TG) rickettsiae, as well as against flaviviruses using an indirect immunofluorescence assay.

Results

Rickettsial DNA was detected in 7/750 (1%) ear pinna samples with one being identified as Rickettsia conorii. Antibodies against SFG rickettsiae were detected in 15.3% (n = 67/439) of the small mammals; positive samples were only from house mice (Mus musculus). Antibodies against TG rickettsiae were found in 8.2% (n = 36/439) of the samples, with 35 from house mice and one from gray dwarf hamster (Cricetulus migratorius). Flavivirus-reactive antibodies were detected in 2.3% (n = 10/439) of the investigated CCL samples; again positive samples were exclusively identified in house mice. All 199 investigated liver-derived DNA preparations were negative in the Francisella spp., C. burnetii, Brucella spp., Y. pestis, and poxvirus-specific PCRs.

Conclusions

Further investigations will have to prove the potential value of rodents in army camps as sentinel animals.
Does the Unity of Grounding Matter?
Authors: Akhlaghi Farbod
Published: January 2021

Is the notion of grounding arguably prevalent throughout moral philosophy the same as that found in metaphysics? Selim Berker has argued it is. This, he claims, has a ‘surprising’ consequence: many central claims in normative ethics become claims within both normative ethics and meta-ethics. I argue that whatever important consequences the unity of grounding may have for moral philosophy, it does not, pace Berker, entail anything significant regarding the relationship between normative ethics and meta-ethics.
Breaking the degeneracy between gas inflow and outflows with stellar metallicity: insights on M 101
Authors: Kang Xiaoyu , Chang Ruixiang , Kudritzki Rolf-Peter , Gong Xiaobo , Zhang Fenghui
Published: January 2021

An analytical chemical evolution model is constructed to investigate the radial distribution of gas-phase and stellar metallicity for star-forming galaxies. By means of the model, the gas-phase and stellar metallicity can be obtained from the stellar-to-gas mass ratio. Both the gas inflow and outflow processes play an important role in building the final gas-phase metallicity, and there exists degeneracy effect between the gas inflow and outflow rates for star-forming galaxies. On the other hand, stellar metallicity is more sensitive to the gas outflow rate than to the gas inflow rate, and this helps to break the parameter degeneracy for star-forming galaxies. We apply this analysis method to the nearby disc galaxy M 101 and adopting the classical χ2 methodology to explore the influence of model parameters on the resulted metallicity. It can be found that the combination of gas-phase and stellar metallicity is indeed more effective for constraining the gas inflow and outflow rates. Our results also show that the model with relatively strong gas outflows but weak gas inflow describes the evolution of M 101 reasonably well.
Cosmic rays across the star-forming galaxy sequence – I. Cosmic ray pressures and calorimetry
Authors: Crocker Roland M , Krumholz Mark R , Thompson Todd A
Published: January 2021

In the Milky Way (MW), cosmic rays (CRs) are dynamically important in the interstellar medium (ISM), contribute to hydrostatic balance, and may help regulate star formation. However, we know far less about the importance of CRs in galaxies whose gas content or star formation rate (SFR) differ significantly from those of the MW. Here, we construct self-consistent models for hadronic CR transport, losses, and contribution to pressure balance as a function of galaxy properties, covering a broad range of parameters from dwarfs to extreme starbursts. While the CR energy density increases from ∼1 eV cm−3 to ∼1 keV cm−3 over the range from sub-MW dwarfs to bright starbursts, strong hadronic losses render CRs increasingly unimportant dynamically as the SFR surface density increases. In MW-like systems, CR pressure is typically comparable to turbulent gas and magnetic pressure at the galactic mid-plane, but the ratio of CR to gas pressure drops to ∼10−3 in dense starbursts. Galaxies also become increasingly CR calorimetric and gamma-ray bright in this limit. The degree of calorimetry at fixed galaxy properties is sensitive to the assumed model for CR transport, and in particular to the time CRs spend interacting with neutral ISM, where they undergo strong streaming losses. We also find that in some regimes of parameter space hydrostatic equilibrium discs cannot exist, and in Paper II of this series we use this result to derive a critical surface in the plane of star formation surface density and gas surface density beyond which CRs may drive large-scale galactic winds.
Economic conditions, task shares, and overqualification
Authors: Summerfield Fraser
Published: January 2021

This article demonstrates that economic conditions affect job match quality by influencing the task shares of available jobs. Cognitive (reasoning/communication) and physical (sensory/coordination) task shares and education-based overqualification measures are generated from Canada’s Labour Force Survey, the Career Handbook, and the Occupational Information Network database. In unfavourable labour markets, cognitive task intensity decreases and physical task intensity rises. The task content of newly formed jobs is then shown to be an important empirical determinant of overqualification. A calibrated search model that accounts for these findings quantifies the costs of increased overqualification. Each percentage point increase in unemployment raises overqualification by 5.8 percentage points, partly due to changes in task shares. Economic output subsequently decreases by about 0.6%.
Performance of GeneXpert MTB/RIF for Diagnosing Tuberculosis Among Symptomatic Household Contacts of Index Patients in South Africa
Authors: Velen Kavindhran , Podewils Laura J , Shah N Sarita , Lewis James J , Dinake Tiro , Churchyard Gavin J , Reichler Mary , Charalambous Salome
Published: January 2021

Background

We describe the performance of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) among symptomatic household contacts (HHCs) of rifampicin-resistant and drug-sensitive index cases.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among HHCs of recently diagnosed (<2 weeks) smear-positive and Xpert-positive index cases in the Bojanala District, South Africa. The HHCs were screened for TB symptoms; persons with ≥1 TB symptom provided 1 sputum for smear microscopy, Xpert, and mycobacterial growth indicator tube (MGIT) culture. Diagnostic test performance of Xpert was determined using MGIT as the reference standard.

Results

From August 2013 to July 2015, 619 HHCs from 216 index cases were enrolled: 60.6% were female, median age was 22 years (interquartile range, 9–40), and 126 (20.4%) self-reported/tested human immunodeficiency virus positive. A total of 54.3% (336 of 619) of contacts had ≥1 TB symptom (cough, fever, night sweats, weight loss), 297 of 336 (88.4%) of which provided a sputum; 289 (97.3%) had complete testing and 271 were included in the analysis. In total, 42 (6.8%) of 619 HHCs had microbiologically confirmed TB. The MGIT identified 33 HHCs as positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis; of these, 7 were positive on Xpert resulting in a sensitivity of 21.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.0–38.9), specificity of 98.3% (95% CI, 95.6–99.5), positive predictive value of 63.6% (95% CI, 30.8–89.1), and negative predictive value of 90.0 (95% CI, 85.7–93.4).

Conclusions

Among symptomatic HHCs investigated for TB, Xpert performed suboptimally compared with MGIT culture. The poor performance of Xpert for diagnosing TB suggests that a more sensitive test, such a Xpert Ultra or culture, may be needed to improve yield of contact investigation, where feasible.
How the Field of Infectious Diseases Can Leverage Digital Strategy and Social Media Use During a Pandemic
Authors: Marcelin Jasmine R , Cortés-Penfield Nicolás , del Rio Carlos , Desai Angel , Echenique Ignacio , Granwehr Bruno , Lawal Folake , Kuriakose Kevin , Lee Dong Heun , Malinis Maricar , Ruidera Diandra , Siddiqui Javeed , Spec Andrej , Swartz Talia H
Published: January 2021

Rapid information dissemination is critical in a world changing rapidly due to global threats. Ubiquitous internet access has created new methods of information dissemination that are rapid, far-reaching, and universally accessible. However, inaccuracies may accompany rapid information dissemination, and rigorous evaluation of primary data through various forms of peer review is crucial. In an era in which high-quality information can save lives, it is critical that infectious diseases specialists are well versed in digital strategy to effectively disseminate information to colleagues and the community and diminish voices spreading misinformation. In this study, we review how social media can be used for rapid dissemination of quality information, benefits and pitfalls of social media use, and general recommendations for developing a digital strategy as an infectious diseases specialist. We will describe how the Infectious Diseases Society of America has leveraged digital strategy and social media and how individuals can amplify these resources to disseminate information, provide clinical knowledge, community guidance, and build their own person brand. We conclude in providing guidance to infectious diseases specialists in aiming to build and preserve public trust, consider their audience and specific goals, and use social media to highlight the value of the field of infectious diseases.
Intrinsic Justifications for Large-Cardinal Axioms
Authors: McCallum Rupert
Published: January 2021

We shall defend three philosophical theses about the extent of intrinsic justification based on various technical results. We shall present a set of theorems which indicate intriguing structural similarities between a family of “weak” reflection principles roughly at the level of those considered by Tait and Koellner and a family of “strong” reflection principles roughly at the level of those of Welch and Roberts, which we claim to lend support to the view that the stronger reflection principles are intrinsically justified as well as the weaker ones. We consider connections with earlier work of Marshall.
Widespread Pain Hypersensitivity and Lumbopelvic Impairments in Women Diagnosed with Endometriosis
Authors: Lara-Ramos Ana , Álvarez-Salvago Francisco , Fernández-Lao Carolina , Galiano-Castillo Noelia , Ocón-Hernández Olga , Mazheika Maryna , Salinas-Asensio Ma Mar , Mundo-López Antonio , Arroyo-Morales Manuel , Cantarero-Villanueva Irene , Artacho-Cordón Francisco
Published: January 2021

Objective

To explore hypersensitivity to pain and musculoskeletal impairments in the lumbopelvic area in women with and without endometriosis.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 66 women (41 women with endometriosis and 25 healthy women). Pain and related catastrophizing thoughts were assessed through a numeric rating scale, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), the slump test, and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Lumbopelvic muscles were evaluated through ultrasound imaging, flexor/extensor resistance tests, and the lumbopelvic stability test.

Results

Women with endometriosis showed increased self-reported intensity of current pelvic pain (CuPP), reduced local PPTs (42.8–64.7% in the affected area, P-value <.001) and higher prevalence of lumbar nerve root impingement/irritation pain and catastrophizing thoughts (P-value ≤.002). Moreover, affected women showed decreased thickness of transversus abdominis, reduced resistance of flexor and extensor trunk muscles and lower lumbopelvic stability (P-values <.030). Endometriosis stage and severity of CuPP were related to worse results in these parameters.

Conclusions

The presence of pain sensitization signs and lumbopelvic impairments, more pronounced in patients with stage IV endometriosis and moderate/severe CuPP, warrants the development of rehabilitation interventions targeting pain and lumbopelvic impairments in women with endometriosis.
Transfinitely Transitive Value
Authors: Kowalczyk Kacper
Published: January 2021

This paper develops transfinite extensions of transitivity and acyclicity in the context of population ethics. They are used to argue that it is better to add good lives, worse to add bad lives, and equally good to add neutral lives, where a life's value is understood as personal value. These conclusions rule out a number of theories of population ethics, feed into an argument for the repugnant conclusion, and allow us to reduce different-number comparisons to same-number ones. Challenges to these arguments are addressed, including the issue of comparing existence and non-existence in terms of personal value, the possibility of minimal quanta of time and life, and the meaningfulness of measuring closeness between outcomes with different population sizes. An asymmetry is uncovered between transfinite cycles of worseness and betterness, supporting a version of the weak procreative asymmetry. Transfinite transitivity principles are also favourably compared to the better-known principles of continuity.
A hybrid seesaw model and hierarchical neutrino flavor structures based on A4 symmetry
Authors: Aoki Mayumi , Kaneko Daiki
Published: January 2021

We propose a hybrid seesaw model based on $A_{4}$ flavor symmetry, which generates a large hierarchical flavor structure. In our model, tree-level and one-loop seesaw mechanisms predict different flavor structures in the neutrino mass matrix and generate a notable hierarchy among them. We find that such a hierarchical structure gives a large effective neutrino mass that can be accessible by next-generation neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. Majorana phases can also be predictable. The $A_{4}$ flavor symmetry in the model is spontaneously broken to the $Z_{2}$ symmetry, leading to a dark matter candidate that is assumed to be a neutral scalar field. The favored mass region of the dark matter is obtained by numerical computations of the relic abundance and the cross section of the nucleon. We also investigate the predictions of several hierarchical flavor structures based on $A_{4}$ symmetry for the effective neutrino mass and the Majorana phases, and find characteristic features depending on the hierarchical structures.
Healthcare utilization and economic burden of difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis: a cost-of-illness study
Authors: Roodenrijs Nadia M T , Welsing Paco M J , van der Goes Marlies C , Tekstra Janneke , Lafeber Floris P J G , Jacobs Johannes W G , van Laar Jacob M
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To determine the impact of difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) on (costs related to) healthcare utilization, other resource use and work productivity.

Methods

Data regarding healthcare utilization, other resource use and work productivity of 52 D2T (according to the EULAR definition) and 100 non-D2T RA patients were collected via a questionnaire and an electronic patient record review during a study visit. Annual costs were calculated and compared between groups. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to assess whether having D2T RA was associated with higher costs.

Results

Mean (95% CI) annual total costs were €37 605 (€27 689 – €50 378) for D2T and €19 217 (€15 647 – €22 945) for non-D2T RA patients (P<0.001). D2T RA patients visited their rheumatologist more frequently, were more often admitted to day-care facilities, underwent more laboratory tests and used more drugs (specifically targeted synthetic DMARDs), compared with non-D2T RA patients (P<0.01). In D2T RA patients, the main contributors to total costs were informal help of family and friends (28%), drugs (26%) and loss of work productivity (16%). After adjustment for physical functioning (HAQ), having D2T RA was no longer statistically significantly associated with higher total costs. HAQ was the only independent determinant of higher costs in multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

The economic burden of D2T RA is significantly higher than that of non-D2T RA, indicated by higher healthcare utilization and higher annual total costs. Functional disability is a key determinant of higher costs in RA.
Investigating the effects of bark extract and volatile oil of Pinus eldarica against cisplatin-induced genotoxicity on HUVECs cell line
Authors: Sharifan Amin , Etebari Mahmoud , Zolfaghari Behzad , Aliomrani Mehdi
Published: January 2021

Cisplatin is used for treating multiple types of cancers. Alongside its therapeutic effects, there are side effects, including cytotoxicity and genotoxicity for healthy cells, which are mainly related to radical oxygen species (ROS) production by the drug. These side effects could troublesome the treatment process. Previous studies have suggested that members of Pinaceae family are rich sources of antioxidant components. This article investigates the antioxidant activity (AA) of Pinus eldarica (Pinaceae) along with its cyto/genoprotective effects following cisplatin exposure on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cell line. Pinus eldarica’s hydroalcoholic bark extract (PEHABE) and P. eldarica’s needle volatile oil (PENVO) were prepared using maceration and hydrodistillation methods, respectively. PENVO was analysed via gas chromatograph–mass spectrometry, and the total phenolic content of PEHBAE was measured by folin–ciocalteu reagent. AA of both PEHABE and PENVO were determined using DPPH assay. Moreover, MTT test was used to determine the cytoprotective effects of both agents. Comet and micronucleus (MN) tests were also performed to investigate the genoprotective effect of P. eldarica. Germacrene D (35.72%) was the main component of PENVO. PEHABE showed higher AA compared with PENVO, with the highest AA observed at 25 and 250 μg/ml, respectively. Both PENVO and PEHABE were cytoprotective, with the latter having mitogenic effects on cells at 75, 100, and 200 μg/ml concentrations (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001). Also, both PEHABE and PENVO showed genoprotective effects against cisplatin in comet assay (P < 0.001). As PEHABE’s concentrations were increased, a reduced number of MN formation was observed after cisplatin’s exposure (P < 0.001). In conclusion, PEHABE had higher AA compared with PENVO, and both agents had cyto/genoprotective effects on HUVECs.
The Chromosome-Scale Genome Resource for Two Endophytic Fusarium species, F. culmorum and F. pseudograminearum
Authors: Shan Xiaoliang , Zhu Ying , Redman Regina , Rodriguez Russell J. , Yuan Zhilin
Published: January 2021

Genus Fusarium (Ascomycota, Hypocreales, Nectriaceae) includes many economically important plant pathogens that cause devastating diseases of a wide range of crops and trees. Interestingly, there is increasing evidence that some Fusarium species also live as endophytes and benefit plant growth and stress tolerance. In this work, we sequence the whole genomes of endophytic F. culmorum and F. pseudograminearum, isolated from a coastal dunegrass (Leymus mollis), using long-read single-molecule real-time sequencing technology. Their genomes are assembled into four chromosomes and a mitochondrial genome with a total assembly size of 40.05 and 42.90 M, respectively. This resource should not only facilitate functional studies designed to better understand what makes the two Fusarium species such successful plant-beneficial fungi but should also reveal their genome evolution and adaptation.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Novel and Emerging Capabilities that Can Provide a Holistic Understanding of the Plant Root Microbiome
Authors: Singer Esther , Vogel John P. , Northen Trent , Mungall Christopher J. , Juenger Thomas E.
Published: January 2021

In recent years, the root microbiome (i.e., microorganisms growing inside, on, or in close proximity to plant roots) has been shown to play an important role in plant health and productivity. Despite its importance, the root microbiome is challenging to study because of its complexity, heterogeneity, and subterranean location. Fortunately, root microbiome research has seen a tremendous influx of novel technologies (e.g., imaging tools, robotics, and molecular analyses), experimental platforms (e.g., micro- and mesocosms), and data integration, modeling, and prediction tools in the past decade that have greatly increased our ability to dissect the complex network of interactions between above- and belowground environmental parameters, plants, bacteria, and fungi that dictate soil and broader ecosystem health. Herein, we discuss methods that are currently used in root microbiome research and that can be expanded to phytobiome research in general ranging from laboratory studies to mesocosm-scale studies and, finally, to field studies; evaluate their relevance to ecosystem studies; and discuss future root microbiome research directions.