bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study of Zillennials in Uttarakhand Using RStudio
Authors: Rawat Dinesh , Rawat Kalpana
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to understand the behaviour of Zillennials.The study has used constructs like personal innovativeness, technologicalinnovativeness, gadget lovers, and technological opinion leadership for gain-ing insight into the overall behaviour of Zillennials. The study involvequantitative research where descriptive research design is used. This studymakes use of both primary and secondary data. Survey research method hasbeen used in this study where primary data is collected through a question-naire. The questionnaire consists of 16 items where each of these items isevaluated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree)to 5 (Strongly Agree). The data is collected from a sample of 300 studentsfrom various colleges of Pithoragarh belonging to the category of Zillennials.Purposive sampling technique is used to collect the data. The study usesdescriptive measures of central tendency, cronbach alpha, and confirmatoryfactor analysis technique. The data is analysed in RStudio with the helpof readxl, psych, lavaan, and summarytools packages. The results of thisstudy reveal that Zillennials in Uttarakhand have personal innovativeness andtechnological opinion leadership.
Jarlskog Determinant in Four Flavor Neutrino Oscillation Framework
Authors: Nautiyal Vivek Kumar , Koranga Bipin Singh , Padaliya Sanjay Kumar , Das Neelam , Shrivastava Ashish
Published: February 2023

The weak CP voilation in leptonic sector is potentially one of the key aspectto probe the physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). This article majorlyfocus on the Dirac CP phase effect on the Jarlskog Deteminant in four flavorneutrino framework. The calculations for the upper and lower bound of theJarlskog Determinant in 4 × 4 neutrino four flavor mixing matrix has alsobeen performed.
Numerical Forecasting of Covid-19 Epidemic in Odisha Using S.I.R Model: A Case Study
Authors: Kapoor S. , Jana Bidisha
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we study the effectiveness of SIR model (Susceptible- Infected-Removed) in predicting the future development of infectious disease causedby SARS-CoV-2 virus for the Indian state of Odisha. This model helps inchecking the effectiveness of controlling measures like lockdown policiesand helps in framing new strategies to control the spread of the disease.We formulate a set of differential equations to find the rate of change ofsusceptible, infected and removed population with respect to time and solveit using Euler’s method. Using the cumulative data of confirmed cases, wetry to find the answers to the question of COVID-19 surge. Also, through thiswe predict the trend in the spread of covid-19 in the state for the next fewmonths. The analysis includes data from March 1 (which is marked as thestart of second wave of COVID) to June 28, 2021. We propose predictionson various parameters and factors related to the spread of COVID-19 andon the number of susceptible, infected and removed population until June 2021. By comparing the daily recorded data with the data from our modelingapproaches, we conclude that the spread of COVID-19 can be under controlin all communities, if proper lockdown restrictions and strong policies areimplemented to control the infection rates.
Radial Orthogonal Median LBP (ROM-LBP): A Discriminant Local Descriptor in Light Variations for Face Recognition
Authors: Karanwal Shekhar , Diwakar Manoj
Published: February 2023

LBP and majority of its variants performs extremely well in front of moderatelight variations. But when light variations becomes severe then performanceof LBP and its variants is not satisfactory. Therefore there is a need of themore promising and impressive descriptor which performs well in harsh lightvariations. To complement these LBP based descriptors the proposed worklaunches the novel descriptor for Face Recognition (FR) in harsh lightningvariations. This proposed descriptor is called as Radial Orthogonal MedianLBP (ROM-LBP). The main demerit of these LBP based descriptors is thatthey all consider the uniform coordination between the neighbors and centerpixel. Which mean raw pixel intensity is used for the comparison with thecenter pixel. The proposed work eliminates this problem in the introduceddescriptor ROM-LBP, by replacing the raw pixels intensity with the medianof the radial points in each orthogonal position of the two separate groups.The generated median is then used for comparison with the center pixel.The respective codes obtained from both the groups are concatenated toform the ROM-LBP size. As region feature extraction is done therefore ROM-LBP develops the large feature size. To make more effective descriptor,the services of FLDA is used and then classification was conducted by SVMs.Experiments conducted on EYB and YB datasets demonstrates the ability ofthe proposed ROM-LBP against various LBP and non-LBP based descriptors.
Discrete and Continuum Modeling of Coulomb Friction Damping in Stone Blocks
Authors: Purohit Vinay , Emani Pavan Kumar
Published: February 2023

Friction plays an important role in creating damping mechanism in structures.In this paper a study was conducted to analyze coulomb friction damping andfrictional energy dissipation mechanism with stone blocks in a single degreeof freedom system by discrete and continuum modeling in finite element-based software ABAQUS. Discrete and continuum modeling approach wasused in this study. It was found that both approaches gave similar results.
Production of Taxol by Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Roots of Himalayan Yew (Taxus wallichiana Zucc.)
Authors: Adhikari Priyanka , Singh Mithilesh , Pandey Anita
Published: February 2023

Taxol® (generic name – Paclitaxel), the most promising chemotherapeuticagent was isolated from bark of different Taxus sp. As Taxus species arethreatened with extinction (endangered in Himalaya), thus it is imperativeto develop alternate and sustainable method for commercialization and scaleup production of paclitaxel. In this respect, physical and chemical parametersare effective and important key points for active compound production par-ticularly by using endophytic microbes. In the present study, five endophyticfungi isolated from the roots of Taxus wallichiana, are tested for paclitaxelproduction using biochemical and molecular methods. Subsequently, effectof physico-chemical parameters like temperature, pH, incubation time, andmedium constituents i.e., salt concentration, carbon and nitrogen sources onpaclitaxel production were also analyzed. Among isolates, two of the fungiviz. GBPI TWR F1 (Penicillium sp.) and GBPI TWR F5 (Aspergillus sp.)were found to be paclitaxel producing. The genomic DNA samples were sequenced to confirm the presence of two genes viz. 10-deacetylbaccatinIII-10-O-acetyl transferase (DBAT) and C-13 phenylpropanoid side chain-CoA acyltransferase (BAPT), implicated in paclitaxel biosynthesis. Boththe endophytes showed the amplicons of DBAT and BAPT genes. Resultsrevealed that after optimization of medium components and physical condi-tion, paclitaxel production was increased in both the endophytes, maximumpaclitaxel production i.e., 5.45 ± 0.98 mg/L was obtained by GBPI TWR F5(Aspergillus sp.) following 10 days of incubation at 15◦C in optimized S7liquid medium composition
T Violation in Four Flavour Neutrino Oscillation in Planck Scale
Authors: Koranga Bipin Singh , Jha Agam Kumar
Published: February 2023

The Planck scale effects have been studied in the four flavour, we discussthe Planck scale effects in the four flavour neutrino sector on the asymmetrybetween T-conjugate oscillation probabilities. ∆PT = P (να → νβ ) −P (νβ → να), for four flavor framework. In this paper, we also discusssome aspect of T violation effects in four flavor neutrino oscillation abovethe GUT scale.
Analysis of a Pre-Stressed Quadcopter Propeller Using Finite element Approach
Authors: Ahmad Faraz , Kumar Pushpendra , Patil Pravin P.
Published: February 2023

Quadcopter, a mechatronic device is now widely used due to its simplestructure and vertical take-off and landing capability. It consists of fourpropellers which can lift and propelled the Quadcopter in 3-D space. Thedifference in angular speeds of propellers works as a steering system andresponsible for attitude and altitude motion. Quadcopter self weight and payload is carried by the propellers itself, and a bad design of the propellermay lead to crack. Quadcopter propellers are also subjected to thrust forceand vibration during the flight. The main objective of this study is to findout the natural failure frequency of propeller. Two types of propellers havebeen designed in Creo 2.0 and analyzed in Ansys 16.2 for their vibrationfrequencies. Both the designs are analyzed with or without the thrust forceunder the vibration frequency. First six vibration modes have been calculatedfor both the propeller designs with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)material. The obtained simulation results have been compared and analyzedto sustain the failure frequency.
Machine Learning Based Prediction and Impact Analysis of Various Lockdown Stages of COVID-19 Outbreak – A Case Study of India
Authors: Singh Lakhwinder , Chattopadhyay Pallavi , Kaur Jaspreet , Chattopadhyay Kausik , Mishra Nitin
Published: February 2023

Various measures have been taken into account for the virus outbreak. Buthow much it successes to control outbreak to fights against COVID-19.Machine learning is used as a tool to study these complex impacts on variousstages of the epidemic. While India is forced to open up the economy afteran extended lockdown, the effect of lockdown, which is critical to decide thefuture course of action, is yet to be understood. The study suggests SupportVector Machine (SVM) and Polynomial Regression (PR) are better suited compared to Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) in scenarios consisting ofsparse and discrete events. The time-series memory of LSTM is outperformedby the contextual hyperplanes of SVM which classifies the data even moreprecisely. The study suggests while phase 1 of lockdown was effective, therest of them were not. Had India continued with lockdown 1, it would haveflattened the COVID-19 infection curve by mid of May 2020. With the currentrate, India will hit the 8 million mark by 23 October 2020. The SVM model isfurther integrated with an SIR (Susceptible, Infected and Recovered) modelof epidemiology, which suggests that 70% of India’s population is infectedby this pandemic during this 8 month and the peak reached in October 2020if vaccine not found. With increasing recovery rate increases the possibilityof decreasing COVID-19 cases. According to the SVM model’s prediction,90% of cases of COVID-19 will be end in February.
Point Measurement Techniques and Radar Remote Sensing Technique Using for Soil Moisture Estimation: A Literature Review
Authors: Chamoli Vivek , Prakash Rishi , Vidyarthi Anurag
Published: February 2023

In spite of the fact that previous researchers have utilized different systemsof moisture content assurance of soils. In this specific situation, analystshave built up a few systems for estimating the soil moisture eg., thermogravimetric, neutron dissipating, soil resistivity, dielectric methods and RadarRemote Sensing method using SAR (Synthetic-aperture radar) images. Bethat as it may, these methods are very mind boggling, costly (because of veryintricate hardware and gear) and henceforth past the span of many. This auditaccentuates that why it winds up basic to assess different techniques utilizedby the analysts for assurance of the soil moisture. Likewise, a necessity forfinding new soil moisture estimation methods or altering the current strategieshas been surveyed.
Investigation of NavIC and GPS Multipath Phase for Soil Moisture Studies
Authors: Shekhar Sushant , Prakash Rishi , Vidyarthi Anurag
Published: February 2023

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the multipath phase ofGlobal Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and volumetric moisture content(VMC) of soil. The carrier to noise ratio (C/No) data of multipath signals attwo different frequencies has been analyzed. The first one is India’s NavICL5 frequency (∼1176 MHz) and the second one is GPS L1 frequency (∼1575MHz). The received multipath signals are highly dependent on dielectricvalue of soil and the elevation angle of satellite. The relationship drawn forthe NavIC and GPS C/No data is based on multipath phase analysis andin situ soil moisture. The values of correlation coefficient observed betweenthese parameters were 0.9 and 0.63 for NavIC and GPS multipath signalrespectively. The result from both GNSS shows good sensitivity and couldbe used to estimate the soil moisture for agricultural land
Preparation of Silica Nano-Particles by Sol-Gel Method and Its Characterization
Authors: Bhatt Neha , Mishra Abhilasha , Goswami Rekha , Prasad Brijesh
Published: February 2023

Nano silica (SiO2) has an extensive range of products from manufacturing to scientific. The Sol-gel technique in the field of material science is receiving worldwide interest because of its versatility for synthesizing silica nanoparticles. It provides a controlled composition of organic/inorganic hybrid material because of its unique and low-cost processing. The silica nanoparticles were prepared by the sol-gel method via two different routes first is a base-catalyzed hydrolysis reaction and the second is an acid-catalyzed hydrolysis reaction. The prepared silica nanoparticles were characterized by techniques Particle size analysis, Zeta potential, Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). Particle size analysis showed the nano range of particle and zeta potential proves the stability of prepared sols. Observed peaks from IR spectra are confirming the presence of a silica network. The amorphous silica was verified by the absence of sharp peaks and the presence of a broad peak at a 2θ angle of 23.8 for the XRD analysis structure in the produced NPs.
Using SIR Model and Recurrence Formula to Predict the Spread of COVID-19 in Sambalpur: A Mathematical Study
Authors: Kapoor S. , Naik Roushnee
Published: February 2023

Corona Virus has spread across the globe and is creating havoc. Lockdownis being imposed worldwide depending on the number of cases. Everyoneare advised to wear masks, follow social distancing, and use hand sanitizersto keep them safe. But all these precautions are not enough to curb thespread of the disease. People are still getting infected even after taking properprecautions and obeying the lockdown rule. We need to know in advancethe approximate number of infected people so that we can devise betterprecautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus. So we use a simpleSIR Model and solve it using basic differentiation and integration techniquesand then use recurrence formula approach to predict the spread of COVID-19 in the city of Sambalpur of Odisha state. We compare the outcome of themodel with the real time data and we arrive at the conclusion that the modelis efficient in predicting the spread using the recurrence formula till the date05/06/2021.
“What is my experience of what I am in relation to people who I have shared my life with for the last 34 years?”: exploring care relationships at the end of life in two life-sharing communities for people with a learning disability
Authors: Jacobs Paula , Quayle Ethel , Wilkinson Heather
Published: February 2023

Old age is still an under-researched stage in the lives of people with a learning disability. Providing support to people towards the end of their lives can be challenging for services and involves complex ethical decision-making processes. This study explores the experiences of social care staff in two life-sharing communities where adults with a learning disability and staff live together. Four main themes were identified, highlighting different dimensions of care. These included an emphasis on relational care, responsive care and collaborative care, and an acknowledgement of barriers to care and caring that allowed people to live and die within the communities.
Barriers and facilitators to physical activity among informal carers: a systematic review of international literature
Authors: Lindsay Rosie K. , Vseteckova Jitka , Horne Joanna , Smith Lee , Trott Mike , De Lappe Joseph , Soysal Pinar , Pizzol Damiano , Kentzer Nichola
Published: February 2023

Physical activity is beneficial for overall health; however, informal carers may have lower levels of physical activity than non-carers. The primary aim of this systematic review was to identify barriers and facilitators to physical activity from the perspective of carers internationally, excluding the UK. The study found that barriers to physical activity include lack of time, fatigue, lack of motivation and lack of support. Facilitators of physical activity include health and well-being as a motivator, using physical activity as a coping mechanism, and social support. Participating with the care recipient and care duties were both barriers and facilitators depending on the study or participant.
A Critical Evaluation of Google Translation: The Case of English-Sorani Kurdish Translation
Authors: Rasul Sabir H.
Published: February 2023

Google Translate is one of the most frequently and actively used machine translation services worldwide. Sorani Kurdish, otherwise known as Central Kurdish, was officially added to Google Translate in May 2022. At the onset of the launch of Sorani Kurdish translation services, it is crucial to evaluate the quality of the translation and pave way for improvements, if necessary. Taking into consideration both linguistic and cultural aspects, this paper aims to critically investigate the accuracy of English-Sorani Kurdish translations produced by Google Translate. For this purposes, the paper has adopted a textual analysis approach based on the notion of equivalence to critically analyze samples of translations generated by Google Translate. The results suggest that Google Translate is largely accurate at morphological and syntactic levels but improvements are needed to improve minor deficiencies detected in rendering ‘future perfect tense’, ‘third conditional sentences’ and passive tenses, especially in the case of ‘present progressive’ and ‘past progressive’ tenses. With regard to the semantic level, Google Translate has proved accurate in processing polysemous words, but it has assumed a total failure in translating idioms and proverbs. At the cultural level, in over third-fourths of instances Google Translate renders English cultural terms into Sorani Kurdish accurately, whereas in nearly one-fourth of instances it offers inappropriate translation. As far as English into Sorani Kurdish translation is concerned, Google Translate can be deemed effective as a supportive translation tool but it is far from being perfect, and continuous improvements will be needed to respond to the deficiencies unearthed in this study.
A Critical Evaluation of The Existing Pedagogical Dimensions in Higher Education in KRI
Authors: Noriey Ismail M.
Published: February 2023

This research paper critically evaluates the significance of the existing pedagogical dimensions in higher education (HE) to reveal an understanding of these concepts in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) in higher education. The concept of pedagogical dimensions was first proposed by Amsler (2012), who looked at the significance of four pedagogical dimensions in higher education. The dimensions are considered to have immense effects on future university achievements and attainments: first, collaborative team teaching; second, thinking skills; third, explicit instructions; and fourth, cooperative learning. The present study was inspired by a newspaper headline “The Critical Pedagogy and Popular Education Matter Today,” by Amsler (2012), which establishes an understanding of the critical precepts in pedagogical dimensions in HE. In addition, it is dynamic that higher education educators recognize and interpret the existing pedagogical dimensions while developing pedagogical approaches and curricula in response. A mixed-method has been used to obtain reliable responses to the two main research questions, first, what are the challenges of educators in HE when they use pedological dimensions in the classroom? Second, to what measure do the critical pedagogy approaches involve academic achievement? The study implemented a structured interview with 13 educators and a questionnaire for 85 teachers to facilitate the data collection procedure. The findings of the first research question show five core main challenges educators face in HE by using pedagogical dimensions. The results of the second research question were redounding to the researcher in the field: they illustrate the four main factors that impact pedagogical approaches that address academic achievement. Thus, this is a root for skilled autonomy teachers to achieve academic accomplishment.
The Relationship between Structure of Discourse and Structure of Ideology A Socio-Cognitive Perspective
Authors:   Department of English Language, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Koya University, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Othamn Arazoo R. , Salih Salah M. ,   Department of English Language, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Koya University, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Published: February 2023

Whereas theoretical and political thought on the existence of ideologies has a long history, fewer focus has been given to their exact nature, socio-cognitive frameworks, discursive replication, and ideological discourse. This article investigates the relation between the structure of discourse and structure of ideology from the socio-cognitive perspective, adopting van Dijk’s (2006, 2008, and 2009) 'sociocognitive' approach. Moreover, ideologies are Ideologies pertain to the concepts and convictions of a group of individuals and the mental character and the psychological studies of ideologies are rare, the aim is to reveal how such cognitive phenomena are interconnected with discourse structures, verbal engagement, communication events and contexts, as well as society structures like dominance and social inequity. In order to understand the structures of discourse and to examine the nature and functions of ideologies in society, the structure of beliefs should be involved in the same way because they interact and subsequently are mutually related into systems. Ideologies' mental characteristics, including their nature as concepts or beliefs their relationship with views and knowledge, and their position as socially shared interpretations, will be discussed. Discourse structures and social structures are of distinct kinds, and the only way to connect them is through language users' mental representations of themselves as individuals and social members
The Mad Scientist’s Manipulation of Nature
Authors: Fatah Shokhan M. , Fahmi Saeed Ismael M.
Published: February 2023

The figure of the mad scientist pervades H. G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau. In the novel, the boundaries of human knowledge are frequently presented. Undeniably, what once seemed like a gothic scene is now an inevitable scientific certainty. For example, animal cloning is not a mere literary tale anymore. A scientist uses science for shaping our lives to a better form while a mad scientist uses science to threaten our lives. The mad scientist is still a scientist but with unusual and vast ambitions. They are irresponsible physicians who follow their unethical inquisitiveness. In The Island of Dr. Moreau, Wells attempts to illustrate the danger of misusing science, man’s manipulation on nature which is animal in this case, and the expected consequences of exploiting knowledge for the immoral procedure of vivisection. Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution highly contributed to people’s mental instability and uncertainty during the Victorian era. It has caused a kind of pessimism as people become doubtful of what once used to be fixed and firm. Since Darwin’s theory pervades The Island of Dr. Moreau, the same unsteadiness and fluidity of character is reflected in the novel. The same disappointment is reproduced. As a writer of science fiction, H. G. Wells aims at presenting an imaginary society and depicts a fictional island where it could be real anytime soon.
A Conceptual Metaphor-based Approach to Facilitate English Idiom Comprehension
Authors: Karim Hemn A. , Fatah Azad H.
Published: February 2023

The study explores the pedagogical feasibility of Conceptual Metaphor-based Approach to teaching idioms to Kurdish university-level EFL students to find out to what extent the approach enhances idiom comprehension, and whether it is better than traditionally practiced approaches accordingly. Additionally, the aim of this study is to check the L1 transfer and interference role in comprehension of idioms by the participants, and how idiom grouping under corresponding Conceptual Metaphors helps students in figuring out L1 equivalents. The quantitative data were based on and collected from testing 73 participants who were divided into an experimental and a control group. Results showed that the experimental group participants outscored the control group participants, and the difference was statistically significant. Though, the traditional group had better posttest scores in comparison to their pretest. Findings also reveal that clustering idioms around corresponding Conceptual Metaphors was more helpful than randomly listed idioms; L1 transfer was observed in the idioms that have exact equivalents or closest equivalents, and sharing the same Conceptual Metaphors was helpful in understanding and finding Kurdish idioms, particularly for the experimental group. Besides, L1 interference was noticeable in all types of idioms being exact or closest equivalent or having no equivalent linguistically. Meanwhile, literal translation was also relied on by the participants as a strategy due to probably a lack of conceptual metaphor knowledge
Silence of the Subaltern as Civil Disobedience in Harold Pinter’s Mountain Language
Authors: Ahmed Hawzhen R.
Published: February 2023

This paper examines the notion of silence as representing civil disobedience in Harold Pinter’s Mountain Language (1988). It argues that the old woman character in the play, who visits her imprisoned son, represents the figure of the speaking subaltern. The play’s portrayal of the subaltern’s rejection of the state oppression lies in Paulo de Medeiros’ argument that literature itself is a domain of resistance in the face of discrimination. The paper thus examines the act of the woman – mainly performed in an intentional manner – in Mountain Language in the light of David Thoreau’s arguments, in his Civil Disobedience – over the ideas of disobedience in a civil manner. The elderly woman, therefore, protests the state’s policy of commanding by means of silence, a performative act putting Spivak’s argumentation on the subaltern’s inability to speak in dialogue and at question. The elderly woman correspondingly encapsulates the notion of resistance move and rejection in the face of commanding authorities and suppressive governments. The subaltern’s silence is explored as being a matter of choice to annul the state’s systematic domination as exercised by the so-called superior groups. The paper therefore argues that the formula of silence is a reference to a new form of outspokenness; it is both a peaceful from of resilience and is an empowered space for the oppressed thereby expressing their rejection to the state’s divine laws.
The Fear of Freedom in Hyperreality and its Adverse Effect on Identity in Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho
Authors: Sharif Honya R. , Saeed Alan A.
Published: February 2023

Neoliberal ideology immensely celebrated individual and collective freedom, yet fell short of realizing that freedom itself can sometimes be the cause of fear and anxiety. In seeking to “liberate” the processes of capital accumulation, neoliberalism essentially created a form of hypercapitalism: a relatively new form of capitalism marked by the advancement in technology, media, and virtual reality. This economic system lead to a fragmentation of social life by allowing commercial or business interests to penetrate every aspect of human experience, leading to, what Jean Baudrillard called, a hyperreal mode of existence. In Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho (1991), the notorious Wall Street banker, Patrick Bateman follows an apparent decline from a cynical misanthrope to a psychotic serial killer within the free-market hyperreal environment of the Reagan era. The novel portrays a nightmarish vision of freedom, the unbearable anxiety it creates, and individual’s psychological urge to flee from it. Through three socio-psychological mechanisms, Erich Fromm calls, automation conformity, authoritarianism, and destructiveness, Patrick attempts to flee from the freedom that brings anxiety with itself. Although these unconscious attempts are employed to sooth Patrick’s loneliness and alienation, they do not solve the underlying problem. The cost is a crisis of Patrick’s individuality, subsequently forfeiting all comprehension of his own selfhood and identity.
Post‐exercise hypotension in male spontaneously hypertensive rats: The issue of calculation method
Authors: Krzesiak Amandine , Lavoie Julie L. , Sebille Stéphane , Cognard Christian , Bosquet Laurent , Delpech Nathalie
Published: February 2023

In spontaneously hypertensive rats, exercise can lead to a post‐exercise decrease in blood pressure, named post‐exercise hypotension (PEH). This can be following physical training but also after a single bout of mild to moderate exercise when measured with tail‐cuff or externalized catheter methods. Our aim was to assess the PEH obtained with different calculation methods and to compare the magnitude of this effect induced by a moderate‐intensity continuous exercise or a high‐intensity intermittent exercise. Thirteen 16‐week‐old male spontaneously hypertensive rats performed two types of aerobic exercise (continuous or intermittent) on a treadmill. Arterial pressure was recorded by telemetry for 24 h which was started 3 h before physical exercise. Based on the literature, PEH was first evaluated with two different baseline values, and then with three different approaches. We observed that the identification of PEH depended on the method used to measure the rest value, and that its amplitude was also influenced by the calculation approach and the type of exercise performed. Hence, the calculation method and the amplitude of the detected PEH can significantly influence their physiological and pathophysiological inferences.
A role for β‐catenin in diet‐induced skeletal muscle insulin resistance
Authors: Masson Stewart W. C. , Dissanayake Waruni C. , Broome Sophie C. , Hedges Christopher P. , Peeters Wouter M. , Gram Martin , Rowlands David S. , Shepherd Peter R. , Merry Troy L.
Published: February 2023

A central characteristic of insulin resistance is the impaired ability for insulin to stimulate glucose uptake into skeletal muscle. While insulin resistance can occur distal to the canonical insulin receptor‐PI3k‐Akt signaling pathway, the signaling intermediates involved in the dysfunction are yet to be fully elucidated. β‐catenin is an emerging distal regulator of skeletal muscle and adipocyte insulin‐stimulated GLUT4 trafficking. Here, we investigate its role in skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Short‐term (5‐week) high‐fat diet (HFD) decreased skeletal muscle β‐catenin protein expression 27% (p = 0.03), and perturbed insulin‐stimulated β‐cateninS552 phosphorylation 21% (p = 0.009) without affecting insulin‐stimulated Akt phosphorylation relative to chow‐fed controls. Under chow conditions, mice with muscle‐specific β‐catenin deletion had impaired insulin responsiveness, whereas under HFD, both mice exhibited similar levels of insulin resistance (interaction effect of genotype × diet p < 0.05). Treatment of L6‐GLUT4‐myc myocytes with palmitate lower β‐catenin protein expression by 75% (p = 0.02), and attenuated insulin‐stimulated β‐catenin phosphorylationS552 and actin remodeling (interaction effect of insulin × palmitate p < 0.05). Finally, β‐cateninS552 phosphorylation was 45% lower in muscle biopsies from men with type 2 diabetes while total β‐catenin expression was unchanged. These findings suggest that β‐catenin dysfunction is associated with the development of insulin resistance.
Protein kinase D1 (Prkd1) deletion in brown adipose tissue leads to altered myogenic gene expression after cold exposure, while thermogenesis remains intact
Authors: Crowder Mark K. , Shrestha Shristi , Cartailler Jean‐Philippe , Collins Sheila
Published: February 2023

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has in recent times been rediscovered in adult humans, and together with work from preclinical models, has shown to have the potential of providing a variety of positive metabolic benefits. These include lower plasma glucose, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced susceptibility to obesity and its comorbidities. As such, its continued study could offer insights to therapeutically modulate this tissue to improve metabolic health. It has been reported that adipose‐specific deletion of the gene for protein kinase D1 (Prkd1) in mice enhances mitochondrial respiration and improves whole‐body glucose homeostasis. We sought to determine whether these effects were mediated specifically through brown adipocytes using a Prkd1 brown adipose tissue (BAT) Ucp1‐Cre‐specific knockout mouse model, Prkd1BKO. We unexpectedly observed that upon both cold exposure and β3‐AR agonist administration, Prkd1 loss in BAT did not alter canonical thermogenic gene expression or adipocyte morphology. We took an unbiased approach to assess whether other signaling pathways were affected. RNA from cold‐exposed mice was subjected to RNA‐Seq analysis. These studies revealed that myogenic gene expression is altered in Prkd1BKO BAT after both acute and extended cold exposure. Given that brown adipocytes and skeletal myocytes share a common precursor cell lineage expressing myogenic factor 5 (Myf5), these data suggest that loss of Prkd1 in BAT may alter the biology of mature brown adipocytes and preadipocytes in this depot. The data presented herein clarify the role of Prkd1 in BAT thermogenesis and present new avenues for the further study of Prkd1 function in BAT.
Diabetes mellitus differently affects electrical membrane properties of vagal afferent neurons of rats
Authors: da Silva‐Alves Kerly Shamyra , Ferreira‐da‐Silva Francisco Walber , Coelho‐de‐Souza Andrelina Noronha , Weinreich Daniel , Leal‐Cardoso José Henrique
Published: February 2023

To study whether diabetes mellitus (DM) would cause electrophysiological alterations in nodose ganglion (NG) neurons, we used patch clamp and intracellular recording for voltage and current clamp configuration, respectively, on cell bodies of NG from rats with DM. Intracellular microelectrodes recording, according to the waveform of the first derivative of the action potential, revealed three neuronal groups (A0, Ainf, and Cinf), which were differently affected. Diabetes only depolarized the resting potential of A0 (from −55 to −44 mV) and Cinf (from −49 to −45 mV) somas. In Ainf neurons, diabetes increased action potential and the after‐hyperpolarization durations (from 1.9 and 18 to 2.3 and 32 ms, respectively) and reduced dV/dtdesc (from −63 to ‐52 V s−1). Diabetes reduced the action potential amplitude while increasing the after‐hyperpolarization amplitude of Cinf neurons (from 83 and −14 mV to 75 and −16 mV, respectively). Using whole cell patch clamp recording, we observed that diabetes produced an increase in peak amplitude of sodium current density (from −68 to −176 pA pF−1) and displacement of steady‐state inactivation to more negative values of transmembrane potential only in a group of neurons from diabetic animals (DB2). In the other group (DB1), diabetes did not change this parameter (−58 pA pF−1). This change in sodium current did not cause an increase in membrane excitability, probably explainable by the alterations in sodium current kinetics, which are also induced by diabetes. Our data demonstrate that diabetes differently affects membrane properties of different nodose neuron subpopulations, which likely have pathophysiological implications for diabetes mellitus.
Resilience of compound action potential peaks to high‐frequency firing in the mouse optic nerve
Authors: Hopper Amy J. , Beswick‐Jones Hana , Brown Angus M.
Published: February 2023

Action potential conduction in axons triggers trans‐membrane ion movements, where Na+ enters and K+ leaves axons, leading to disruptions in resting trans‐membrane ion gradients that must be restored for optimal axon conduction, an energy dependent process. The higher the stimulus frequency, the greater the ion movements and the resulting energy demand. In the mouse optic nerve (MON), the stimulus evoked compound action potential (CAP) displays a triple peaked profile, consistent with subpopulations of axons classified by size producing the distinct peaks. The three CAP peaks show differential sensitivity to high‐frequency firing, with the large axons, which contribute to the 1st peak, more resilient than the small axons, which produce the 3rd peak. Modeling studies predict frequency dependent intra‐axonal Na+ accumulation at the nodes of Ranvier, sufficient to attenuate the triple peaked CAP. Short bursts of high‐frequency stimulus evoke transient elevations in interstitial K+ ([K+]o), which peak at about 50 Hz. However, powerful astrocytic buffering limits the [K+]o increase to levels insufficient to cause CAP attenuation. A post‐stimulus [K+]o undershoot below baseline coincides with a transient increase in the amplitudes of all three CAP peaks. The volume specific scaling relating energy expenditure to increasing axon size dictates that large axons are more resilient to high‐frequency firing than small axons.
Relationship between intraventricular mechanical dyssynchrony and left ventricular systolic and diastolic performance: An in vivo experimental study
Authors: Monge García Manuel Ignacio , Jian Zhongping , Hatib Feras , Settles Jos J. , Cecconi Maurizio , Pinsky Michael R.
Published: February 2023

Left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD) refers to the nonuniformity in mechanical contraction and relaxation timing in different ventricular segments. We aimed to determine the relationship between LVMD and LV performance, as assessed by ventriculo‐arterial coupling (VAC), LV mechanical efficiency (LVeff), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and diastolic function during sequential experimental changes in loading and contractile conditions. Thirteen Yorkshire pigs submitted to three consecutive stages with two opposite interventions each: changes in afterload (phenylephrine/nitroprusside), preload (bleeding/reinfusion and fluid bolus), and contractility (esmolol/dobutamine). LV pressure–volume data were obtained with a conductance catheter. Segmental mechanical dyssynchrony was assessed by global, systolic, and diastolic dyssynchrony (DYS) and internal flow fraction (IFF). Late systolic LVMD was related to an impaired VAC, LVeff, and LVEF, whereas diastolic LVMD was associated with delayed LV relaxation (logistic tau), decreased LV peak filling rate, and increased atrial contribution to LV filling. The hemodynamic factors related to LVMD were contractility, afterload, and heart rate. However, the relationship between these factors differed throughout the cardiac cycle. LVMD plays a significant role in LV systolic and diastolic performance and is associated with hemodynamic factors and intraventricular conduction.
Downregulation of extramitochondrial BCKDH and its uncoupling from AMP deaminase in type 2 diabetic OLETF rat hearts
Authors: Ogawa Toshifumi , Kouzu Hidemichi , Osanami Arata , Tatekoshi Yuki , Sato Tatsuya , Kuno Atsushi , Fujita Yugo , Ino Shoya , Shimizu Masaki , Toda Yuki , Ohwada Wataru , Yano Toshiyuki , Tanno Masaya , Miki Takayuki , Miura Tetsuji
Published: February 2023

Systemic branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism is dysregulated in cardiometabolic diseases. We previously demonstrated that upregulated AMP deaminase 3 (AMPD3) impairs cardiac energetics in a rat model of obese type 2 diabetes, Otsuka Long‐Evans‐Tokushima fatty (OLETF). Here, we hypothesized that the cardiac BCAA levels and the activity of branched‐chain α‐keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH), a rate‐limiting enzyme in BCAA metabolism, are altered by type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and that upregulated AMPD3 expression is involved in the alteration. Performing proteomic analysis combined with immunoblotting, we discovered that BCKDH localizes not only to mitochondria but also to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where it interacts with AMPD3. Knocking down AMPD3 in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) increased BCKDH activity, suggesting that AMPD3 negatively regulates BCKDH. Compared with control rats (Long‐Evans Tokushima Otsuka [LETO] rats), OLETF rats exhibited 49% higher cardiac BCAA levels and 49% lower BCKDH activity. In the cardiac ER of the OLETF rats, BCKDH‐E1α subunit expression was downregulated, while AMPD3 expression was upregulated, resulting in an 80% lower AMPD3‐E1α interaction compared to LETO rats. Knocking down E1α expression in NRCMs upregulated AMPD3 expression and recapitulated the imbalanced AMPD3‐BCKDH expressions observed in OLETF rat hearts. E1α knockdown in NRCMs inhibited glucose oxidation in response to insulin, palmitate oxidation, and lipid droplet biogenesis under oleate loading. Collectively, these data revealed previously unrecognized extramitochondrial localization of BCKDH in the heart and its reciprocal regulation with AMPD3 and imbalanced AMPD3‐BCKDH interactions in OLETF. Downregulation of BCKDH in cardiomyocytes induced profound metabolic changes that are observed in OLETF hearts, providing insight into mechanisms contributing to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Intra‐ischemic hypothermia cardioprotection involves modulation of PTEN/Akt/ERK signaling and fatty acid oxidation
Authors: Justice Cody N. , Zhu Xiangdong , Li Jing , O'Donnell J. Michael , Vanden Hoek Terry L.
Published: February 2023

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) provides cardioprotection from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, it remains unknown how TH regulates metabolic recovery. We tested the hypothesis that TH modulates PTEN, Akt, and ERK1/2, and improves metabolic recovery through mitigation of fatty acid oxidation and taurine release. Left ventricular function was monitored continuously in isolated rat hearts subjected to 20 min of global, no‐flow ischemia. Moderate cooling (30°C) was applied at the start of ischemia and hearts were rewarmed after 10 min of reperfusion. The effect of TH on protein phosphorylation and expression at 0 and 30 min of reperfusion was investigated by western blot analysis. Post‐ischemic cardiac metabolism was investigated by 13C‐NMR. TH enhanced recovery of cardiac function, reduced taurine release, and enhanced PTEN phosphorylation and expression. Phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2 was increased at the end of ischemia but decreased at the end of reperfusion. On NMR analysis, TH‐treated hearts displayed decreased fatty acid oxidation. Direct cardioprotection by moderate intra‐ischemic TH is associated with decreased fatty acid oxidation, reduced taurine release, enhanced PTEN phosphorylation and expression, and enhanced activation of both Akt and ERK1/2 prior to reperfusion.
Embolic occlusion of internal carotid artery in conscious rats: Immediate effects of cerebral ischemia
Authors: Toung Thomas J. K. , Mehr Noah , Mirski Marek , Koehler Raymond C.
Published: February 2023

In most preclinical models of focal ischemic stroke, vascular occlusion is performed under general anesthesia. However, anesthetic agents exert confounding effects on mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), cerebrovascular tone, oxygen demand, and neurotransmitter receptor transduction. Moreover, the majority of studies do not use a blood clot, which more fully models embolic stroke. Here, we developed a blood clot injection model to produce large cerebral artery ischemia in unanesthetized rats. Under isoflurane anesthesia, an indwelling catheter was implanted in the internal carotid artery via a common carotid arteriotomy and preloaded with a 0.38‐mm‐diameter clot of 1.5, 3, or 6 cm length. After discontinuing anesthesia, the rat was returned to a home cage where it regained normal mobility, grooming, eating activity, and a stable recovery of MABP. One hour later, the clot was injected over a 10‐s period and the rats were observed for 24 h. Clot injection produced a brief period of irritability, then 15–20 min of complete inactivity, followed by lethargic activity at 20–40 min, ipsilateral deviation of the head and neck at 1–2 h, and limb weakness and circling at 2–4 h. Neurologic deficits, elevated MABP, infarct volume, and increased hemisphere water content varied directly with clot size. Mortality after 6‐cm clot injection (53%) was greater than that after 1.5‐cm (10%) or 3‐cm (20%) injection. Combined non‐survivor groups had the greatest MABP, infarct volume, and water content. Among all groups, the pressor response correlated with infarct volume. The coefficient of variation of infarct volume with the 3‐cm clot was less than that in published studies with the filament or standard clot models, and therefore may provide stronger statistical power for stroke translational studies. The more severe outcomes from the 6‐cm clot model may be useful for the study of malignant stroke.
Caffeine ingestion stimulates plasma carnitine clearance in humans
Authors: Wall Benjamin T. , Machin David , Dunlop Mandy V. , Stephens Francis B.
Published: February 2023

Increasing skeletal muscle carnitine content can manipulate fuel metabolism and improve exercise performance. Intravenous insulin infusion during hypercarnitinemia increases plasma carnitine clearance and Na+‐dependent muscle carnitine accretion, likely via stimulating Na+/K+ ATPase pump activity. We hypothesized that the ingestion of high‐dose caffeine, also known to stimulate Na+/K+ ATPase activity, would stimulate plasma carnitine clearance during hypercarnitinemia in humans. In a randomized placebo‐controlled study, six healthy young adults (aged 24 ± 5 years, height 175 ± 8 cm, and weight 70 ± 13 kg) underwent three 5‐h laboratory visits involving the primed continuous intravenous infusion of l‐carnitine (CARN and CARN + CAFF) or saline (CAFF) in parallel with ingestion of caffeine (CARN + CAFF and CAFF) or placebo (CARN) at 0, 2, 3, and 4 h. Regular blood samples were collected to determine concentrations of blood Na+ and K+, and plasma carnitine and caffeine, concentrations. Caffeine ingestion (i.e., CAFF and CARN + CAFF conditions) and l‐carnitine infusion (i.e., CARN and CARN + CAFF) elevated steady‐state plasma caffeine (to ~7 μg·mL−1) and carnitine (to ~400 μmol·L−1) concentrations, respectively, throughout the 5 h infusions. Plasma carnitine concentration was ~15% lower in CARN + CAFF compared with CARN during the final 90 min of the infusion (at 210 min, 356 ± 96 vs. 412 ± 94 μmol·L−1; p = 0.0080: at 240 min, 350 ± 91 vs. 406 ± 102 μmol·L−1; p = 0.0079: and at 300 min, 357 ± 91 vs. 413 ± 110 μmol·L−1; p = 0.0073, respectively). Blood Na+ concentrations were greater in CAFF and CARN + CAFF compared with CARN. Ingestion of high‐dose caffeine stimulates plasma carnitine clearance during hypercarnitinemia, likely via increased Na+/K+ ATPase activity. Carnitine co‐ingestion with caffeine may represent a novel muscle carnitine loading strategy in humans, and therefore manipulate skeletal muscle fuel metabolism and improve exercise performance.