bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An art of Research on concrete-Ternary blended
Authors: Srinivas Prabhu R , Gobinath R , Anuradha R , Yadav Bonthala Prabanjan
Published: December 2020

In this research, we experiment a ternary blended concrete, which is a concrete with silica fumes, GGBS, and Fly ash. By using sika viscocrete we achieved self compacting also, so it is a ternary blended self compacting geo polymer concrete. Three mixes were chosen namely M1, M2 and M3. The alkaline activator with different molarities were tried to get the optimum strength. The strength factors such as compressive strength and split tensile strength were carried out; similarly the fresh concrete properties such as slump test, flow table test, V-funnel test, U-Box Test & L Box test were carried out. The strength properties are did 7 days and 28 days. This research is mainly focused on fresh concrete properties of ternary blended self compacting geo polymer concrete.
Interventions in location specific technologies and material utilization through Women Technology Park in India
Authors: Mahesh V , Ramana Rao P V , Rajasri Reddy I , Kiran K , Gobinath R , Murthy P
Published: December 2020

For any developing country, rural infrastructure development and expanding farming and the non-farming economy will be the major area to look forward to inclusive growth. To eradicate poverty and to have holistic growth primary approach should be towards developing employment potential, creation of enterprises and livelihood enhancement in rural people through region-specific technologies using indigenously available resources. The establishment of Women Technology Park (WTP) proposed in this research work will lay emphasis on promoting appropriate technological inputs that may improve productivity. Also, the quality of farm and non-farm sectors will be enhanced with supreme livelihood options in tandem with skill enhancement and capacity building. They also promote developing management skills coupled with the entrepreneurial mindset and will enable them to introduce new and innovative technologies. This kind of parks will promote usage of indigenous resources with increased energy and ecosystem management. Hence, it is envisaged that this kind of establishments, if done such as “Technology parks” will help to create a concrete and also tangible socio-economic benefits to the rural society by provision of newer technological solutions, alternate training method implementation which will end up in unique skill development and also will increase the support rendered for their implementation. In this research work, authors considered four different location-specific techniques for interventions including weaving technology, metal art skill development, banana fiber extracting and usage, habitat and construction technology development. Through the establishment of WTP, these technologies were tested first, and the rural women were trained to sustain via usage of those technologies for their livelihood.
An IoT Based Obstacle Avoidance Robot Using Ultrasonic Sensor and Arduino
Authors: Mothe Rajesh , Tharun Reddy S. , Sunil G. , Sidhardha Chintoju
Published: December 2020

With the advance of technology in term of speed and modularity, the automation of robotic system comes into reality. In this paper an obstacle detection robot system explained for different purposes and applications. The ultra sonicrandrinfraredrsensors are actualized to distinguish obstacles on the robot’s way by imparting signsrtoranrinterfacedrmicrocontroller. The miniature regulator diverts therrobotrtormovera substitute way by inciting the motors in request to keep away from the distinguished obstacle. The exhibition assessment of the framework shows an exactness of 85 percentage and 0.15 likelihood of disappointment individually. Taking everything into account, an obstacle discovery circuit was effectively actualized utilizing the infrared and ultrasonic sensors that were mounted on the panel.
IoT based Earthquake and Hazardous Gases Detection in Coal Mines using Raspberry Pi
Authors: Ravitheja Gudla , Jeevana Jyothi K.
Published: December 2020

Eventually a day’s a consequence of a general temperature alteration and atmosphere changes there are attempting conditions in field of coal mine. To decrease the cost and improve the productivity close by thing quality the atomization in the field of coal mine is irrefutably essential, which will in addition reduce the mine laborers endeavors. This paper proposes a structure of a WSN with the assistance of Raspberry pi processor which can screen the temperature, diligence, gas and status of smoke in an underground mine. This structure in addition controls the ventilation requesting to mine laborers relying upon present atmosphere conditions inside the mine field. This structure uses low force, practical Raspberry pi, and a temperature sensor LM35, clamminess sensor, and smoke sensor, gas sensor for recognizing the mine atmosphere parameters and Wi-Fi for remote logging of information at focal locale to control the air state with the assistance of engine and valve control hardware. Standard coal mine watching structures will all things considered be wired structure frameworks, which anticipate an enormous action in coal mine guaranteed creation.
Analysis of New Methodologies applied in Teaching Engineering Graphics to have a Moderate Explanation
Authors: Rajesh Adla , Sammaiah P. , Kumar Pankaj , Ramesh Babu T S , Jakkula Sunil Kumar
Published: December 2020

Engineering Graphics is a subject dealt by the Mechanical faculty which is a common course for all the First yearB.Tech students. It is the only course where the entire inputs are carried on a drawing sheet and come out with a final considerable output. It is the new course where students have no basic knowledge before getting into the course. The instructor has to take a continuous 3 hours class which includes theory and practical which is scheduled only to have a smooth proper learning. Besides explaining the syllabus on the blackboard with chalk new methodologies should be implemented to have a better explanation which must reach the same content to every corner of the student. As there is advancement in every field, Engineering Graphics is proposed to have an advance teaching Methodology whereby every student is at most equally shared the same teaching content.
Materials study on a Telescopic Barbell design using Finite Element Model
Authors: Singh S K , Alok G , Ande R , Sai Priya P , Sai Mukesh G , Uday J
Published: December 2020

A telescopic barbell design is proposed, and its design is optimized by evaluating numerous scenarios based on geometry and materials, using COSMOSWorks® (now Solidworks Simulation®). The product is intended for general purpose strength training use and is designed to cater to the portability limitations of existing barbels, which are bulky and lengthy. The objective of this design study is to minimize the cost of manufacturing, by selecting a suitable economical material, provided the maximum deflection (stiffness criteria) and yield stress (strength criteria) is within the design constraints. The decision is not obvious, when strength, stiffness and cost criteria is to be met since high strength materials will weigh less (for the same load) but will cost more and vice versa. Hence, parametric design simulations must be done to choose the most optimum design, which meets the design constraints. Materials from three different steel categories (mild steel, stainless steel, and high strength steel) are selected and a total of 441 scenarios (147 per material) are simulated by parametric geometry alterations. The most economical design, which satisfies both strength and stiffness criteria, is selected and is further analyzed for contact stresses, to ensure these relatively high stresses do not penetrate deep inside the body. It is concluded in this study, with sufficient evidence, that A-36 (mild steel) is still the most economical material for this design, although it has the lowest yield strength, of the materials simulated. This is because the design should also satisfy the stiffness criteria and the Young’s Modulus for all the three grades of steel is very close. It is also concluded that design of barbells can be done based on global maximum stress values, rather than localized contact stresses, because edge/line contact is only present in the software environment, not in the physical service conditions.
Design And Cfd Analysis Of Combustion Chamber In IC Engine
Authors: Abhilash P , Praveen Kumar R , Rajesh Adla
Published: December 2020

Internal combustion engines are applicable in automobile and industrial applications. The main issue in internal combustion engines is lack of enhancement in heat transfer. Primarily heat transfer depends on charge supplied in combustion chamber. Design of combustion chamber done by Creo parametric software as per engine specifications with selective biofuels can improve the heat transfer. Current work investigates Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis on flow of fluids (ethanol, methanol, ethylene, propyl and gasoil) in combustion chamber made with materials steel and cast iron. The analysis helped in study of flow behavior. The flow is properly evaluated into chamber by inlet manifold. From the results heat transfer rate is maximum for propyl fluid. This enhancement is achieved by passing the fluid through inlet manifold considering minimum operating engine specifications and extremely increases the complete combustion. Thermal analysis was performed on combustion chamber made with dissimilar metals steel and cast iron to determine the temperature distribution and heat flux.
Performance enhancement of EV charger with Cuk converter and ABC algorithm
Authors: Sudhakar AVV , Manjusree Y , Teja MS
Published: December 2020

In this manuscript, an enhanced performance of Electric Vehicle (EV) charger (battery) by adopting Bridge Less (BL) Cuk converter and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm is investigated. Minimum numbers of switches are employed in this proposed methodology to charge the battery with optimum cost. Steady state input voltages and currents are obtained even though the EV charger operates with unbalanced load i.e. operated in underload, nominal load, or overload. It maintains constant battery parameters even under unbalance in input supply also. Robustness is achieved by operating BL-Cuk converter with ABC algorithm even with variation of 50% rise or decay in input voltage. Proposed technique utilizes reduced number of switches, so conduction losses are less and no need of DC link capacitor. Hence, balance voltage appears across the capacitor over the conventional EV charging approaches. Fly back converters are introduced to synchronize the AC supply, Cuk converter and EV charger.
Solution to economic load dispatch using quasi-oppositional based CoDE by considering transmission line losses
Authors: Vedik B. , Shiva Chandan Kumar , Vamshidhar K.
Published: December 2020

The main objective of economic dispatch problem is to optimally allocate the load demand among the generating stations such that there is decrease in production cost of the power generation. In the present paper, a quasi-oppositional based composite differential evolution (QOCoDE) technique is proposed to economic load dispatch (ELD) problem. The suggested method provides optimal solutions by combining various strategies in generating trial vector with suitable control parameter settings. The proposed technique is applied on various generating units by considering fixed boundary conditions and transmission losses. The obtained results are compared with various evolutionary algorithms. The results demonstrate the capability of QOCoDE to provide optimal solutions when compared to other evolutionary techniques.
Mathematical Modeling of Five-Phase and Three-Phase Induction Motor and their Result Comparison
Authors: Saikumar Veldandi Vamshi , Sathyavani B , Suresh J
Published: December 2020

in this paper, the mathematical model of three-phase and five-phase induction motors has been developed using PARK’S Transformation and implemented in MATLAB SIMULINK. This Mathematical modelling plays a key role in analyzing the system and its algorithms. Both the models have been tested under loaded and No load condition to find a comparative analysis. The main focus of this paper is to determine the increased capability of motor in switching from three phase to five phase.
Performance improvement of voltage controlled isolated wind power generation system consisting of linear and non-linear loads
Authors: Rajababu Durgam , Raghu Ram K
Published: December 2020

In an isolated mode operation of wind power generating system (WPGS), operating voltage and frequency are affected under sudden change of load because of more transient time, higher total harmonic distortion. To minimize the effects, the WEGS should be operated with suitable controller and the inverter should be operated with required pulse width modulation (PWM) technique. In this paper, the proposed WPGS is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink with adaptive voltage controller (AVC) and load current observer (LCO) and the inverter is operating with Unified voltage Space Vector PWM (USVPWM) technique to improve the transient behaviour of the system. The same proposed system is also simulated with conventional space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) techniques. The simulation results will be analyzed in various load conditions. The conventional SVPWM results compared with the USVPWM results like transient time, load voltage and load current total harmonic distortion under balanced three-phase load.
A Review And Implementation Of A Sun Position Tracker With A Twin-Axis Control
Authors: Sucharitha P , Subrahmanyam K B V S R , Vinay Kumar Reddy Ch. , Sharvani Y.
Published: December 2020

This paper presents operation of twin axis sun position system with solar array. The photo voltaic cell is an device which is employed to convert light energy into electricity by photo voltaic effect the facility is stored by using batteries. this is often one among mostly used renewable source of energy. it’s pollution free, causes no greenhouse gases, simple accessibility, convertibility to the electricity and maintenance free. Thanks to its advantages, the system with Light Emitting Diode used for street lighting purpose. A Sun Tracker with a Dual-Axis Control is used to manoeuvre upward or downward to trace the sunshine throughout the day. the automated tracking system is made to regulate the solar array to take care of perpendicular to the sun and to soak up maximum amount of sunshine. These trackers generate 40-45% of power. The working of sun tracking system depends on the sunshine dependent resistors. These resistors are used as sensors which resistance decreases with increase in candlepower. This technique is most reliable, efficient and straight forward in construction.
IoT-based Fire Detection and Prevention System
Authors: Hariveena . Ch , Anitha K. , Ramesh Potharaju
Published: December 2020

Fire identification in homes is important to prevent property loss due to both natural and triggered fire events. Fire identification will prove to be very critical since the difference between life and death may mean it. Fires will come from anywhere and at any moment, but the existence of a fire alarm device helps to keep the family safe. The need to get a fire alarm device isn’t seen by certain people. They just think they’re going to smell the fire and sprint out of time. The typical time for a building to burn down is just 60 seconds today. So the fire has probably consumed the house by the time you smell the fire and decide to run inside. The Internet of Things ( IoT) is a collection of wired and internet-accessible computers. In the IOT, the ‘Stuff’ may apply to any physical unit, ranging from a toaster to a vehicle. Over the Internet, these machines can be linked and help us manipulate or gather data from them. We will be using a wide range of sensors in this paper to sense the presence of fire and alert the watchman and fire officials to its presence. In addition, a preventive solution is often introduced by putting a sprinkler on it that sprinkles the water when the fire is sensed by smoke sensors.
Raspberry PI Based Smart Walking Stick
Authors: Ganesan M. , Hemanth. R , Gunalan. S , Hemprasad. J
Published: December 2020

People with walking disabilities or visually impaired, find it very difficult to function without any support and this makes them feel emotionally down leading to increased stress. The proposed work is an attempt to design and develop a walking stick which helps them to function independently and thereby increasing their morale. The main contribution of this work is to help a person in identifying the presence of an obstacle and take appropriate decision to bypass it. The stick is interfaced with a technology, consisting of a camera, voice recorder, speaker and Raspberry Pi, for making it intelligent. This stick can be of great help even for visually impaired.
Design of Transmission system Layout for an Agriculture Electrical All-Terrain Vehicle
Authors: Vamsi G.D.S. , Sheriff Mohammed Ajmal
Published: December 2020

Tractors are consequential mechanical support in the agricultural field. They break down and authoritatively mandates repair components, implementations, and cognizance on how to effect the rehabilitation. They require routine maintenance and clean fuel (fossil fuels or bio-diesel) and cause air pollution and infelicitous disposal leads to contamination of groundwater. The paper explains the design and development of a new transmission system of an electrical ATV(all-terrain vehicles) to satisfies the desiderata in the agriculture sector and to brief the parameters that are to be considered in the development of the new transmission system layout. This paper discusses the motor situating and the selection of the drive layout which satisfies the needs in the agriculture sector and also other necessary factors.
Effect of buffer layer index on short range surface plasmon polariton based TE pass polarizer
Authors: Sharma Vinod K , Kumar Dharmendra
Published: December 2020

We investigate theoretically the dependence of the extinction ratio, metal layer thickness and buffer thickness of a short length plasmonic polarizer on the buffer layer index. The polarizer section consists of a thin metal layer above the single mode dielectric waveguide separated by a low index dielectric buffer layer. Strong coupling between the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode and the guided mode takes place when their phase constants are matched. The SPP mode being of TM type, interacts with the guided TM mode and is completely absorbed by metal film due to resonant coupling between the two modes. The TE guided mode does not couple to the SPP mode and is passed un-attenuated through the polarizer. The buffer layer thickness can be optimized to maximize the TM mode attenuation and reduce the TE losses, which provides a large extinction ratio. Since the polarizer is based on the interference of the SPP mode and the waveguide mode, a periodic coupling of the field takes place between these two modes. It is shown that for properly optimized layer thicknesses, an extinction ratio exceeding 200 dB can be achieved for various buffer layer indices. Effect of buffer layer index on the polarizer length is also presented.
Invited Commentary: Baby Steps to a Learning Mental Health–Care System—Can We Do the Work?
Authors: Shiner Brian , Watts Bradley V
Published: December 2020

There are an infinite number of small decisions to be made in routine clinical practice, and most will never be the subject of prospective research studies. Rather than making these decisions arbitrarily, learning health-care systems leverage experience represented by electronic health record data and other sources to inform decision-making and improve clinical practice. While this approach has been elusive in mental health, Coulombe et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(7):1210–1219) use UK National Health Service data to evaluate a decision rule for antidepressant choice created using dynamic weighted survival modeling. Although the results are equivocal in this use case, the work suggests a path forward for data-driven decision-making in routine mental health care. Such approaches will be required to set the stage for a learning mental health care system.
Zooming irresponsibly down the slippery slope
Authors: Coren Daniel
Published: December 2020

I show that some famous arguments against moral responsibility — most notably, Galen Strawson’s Basic Argument and Susan Wolf’s Troubling Train of Thought — reason in an unnatural way: if a clearly has some property that results in our saying that a is F, and if b less clearly has that property, then it is the case that b is F. I argue that this problem is not present in reasons-responsiveness theories of responsibility. I do so by applying Boolos’s elegant technique of generating spanning conditionals from universal instantiations of mathematical induction premises.
Island colonization by a ‘rheophilic’ fish: the phylogeography ofGarra ceylonensis(Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Sri Lanka
Authors: Sudasinghe Hiranya , Dahanukar Neelesh , Raghavan Rajeev , Senavirathna Tharani , Shewale Dipeshwari J , Paingankar Mandar S , Amarasinghe Anjalie , Pethiyagoda Rohan , Rüber Lukas , Meegaskumbura Madhava
Published: December 2020

Despite exhibiting multiple morphological adaptations to living in swiftly flowing water (rheophily), Garra ceylonensis is one of the most widely distributed freshwater fish in Sri Lanka. It is thus an ideal organism to reconstruct the evolutionary history of a widespread, yet morphologically specialized, freshwater fish in a tropical-island setting. We analysed the phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships of G. ceylonensis based on two mitochondrial and one nuclear genes. G. ceylonensis is shown to be monophyletic, with a sister-group relationship to the Indian species Garra mullya. Our results suggest a single colonization of Sri Lanka by ancestral Garra, in the late Pliocene. This suggests that the Palk Isthmus, which was exposed for most of the Pleistocene, had a hydroclimate unsuited to the dispersal of fishes such as Garra. G. ceylonensis exhibits strong phylogeographic structure: six subclades are distributed as genetically distinct populations in clusters of contiguous river basins, albeit with two exceptions. Our data reveal one or more Pleistocene extirpation events, evidently driven by aridification, with relict populations subsequently re-colonizing the island. The phylogeographic structure of G. ceylonensis suggests inter-basin dispersal largely through headwater capture, likely facilitated by free-swimming post-larvae. The Peninsular-Indian species G. mullya comprises two genetically distinct parapatric clades, which may represent distinct species.
Macrophages: an indispensable piece of ovarian health
Authors: Zhang Zijing , Huang Lu , Brayboy Lynae
Published: December 2020

Macrophages are the most abundant immune cells in the ovary. In addition to their roles in the innate immune system, these heterogeneous tissue-resident cells are responsive to tissue-derived signals, adapt to their local tissue environment, and specialize in unique functions to maintain tissue homeostasis. Research in the past decades has established a strong link between macrophages and various aspects of ovarian physiology, indicating a pivotal role of macrophages in ovarian health. However, unlike other intensively studied organs, the knowledge of ovarian macrophages dates back to the time when the heterogeneity of ontogeny, phenotype, and function of macrophages was not fully understood. In this review, we discuss the evolving understanding of the biology of ovarian tissue-resident macrophages, highlight their regulatory roles in normal ovarian functions, review the association between certain ovarian pathologies and disturbed macrophage homeostasis, and finally, discuss the technologies that are essential for addressing key questions in the field.
Stoichiometric Ecotoxicology for a Multisubstance World
Authors: Peace Angela , Frost Paul C , Wagner Nicole D , Danger Michael , Accolla Chiara , Antczak Philipp , Brooks Bryan W , Costello David M , Everett Rebecca A , Flores Kevin B , Heggerud Christopher M , Karimi Roxanne , Kang Yun , Kuang Yang , Larson James H , Mathews Teresa , Mayer Gregory D , Murdock Justin N , Murphy Cheryl A , Nisbet Roger M , Pecquerie Laure , Pollesch Nathan , Rutter Erica M , Schulz Kimberly L , Scott J Thad , Stevenson Louise , Wang Hao
Published: December 2020

Nutritional and contaminant stressors influence organismal physiology, trophic interactions, community structure, and ecosystem-level processes; however, the interactions between toxicity and elemental imbalance in food resources have been examined in only a few ecotoxicity studies. Integrating well-developed ecological theories that cross all levels of biological organization can enhance our understanding of ecotoxicology. In the present article, we underline the opportunity to couple concepts and approaches used in the theory of ecological stoichiometry (ES) to ask ecotoxicological questions and introduce stoichiometric ecotoxicology, a subfield in ecology that examines how contaminant stress, nutrient supply, and elemental constraints interact throughout all levels of biological organization. This conceptual framework unifying ecotoxicology with ES offers potential for both empirical and theoretical studies to deepen our mechanistic understanding of the adverse outcomes of chemicals across ecological scales and improve the predictive powers of ecotoxicology.
Instagramming Diasporic Mobilities: The Black Travel Movement and Differential Spatial Racialization
Authors: Peters Charnell
Published: December 2020

The 2010s saw the onset of the Black Travel Movement—an influx of travel companies aimed at a rising Black customer base, whose travel habits are redefining a traditionally White industry. This study interrogates how Black travel companies produce representations that create new possibilities for Blackness on a global scale. To that end, this article forwards the concept of differential spatial racialization. Differential spatial racialization builds from the Critical Race Theory (CRT) concept of differential racialization to explicate how race and racial meanings change across spatial contexts. This article undertakes a narrative analysis of the Instagram accounts of two prominent Black travel companies, Travel Noire and Nomadness Travel Tribe. Results reveal how Travel Noire and Nomadness Travel Tribe minimize the presence of differential spatial racialization by drawing on discourses of global Blackness. Simultaneously, their homogenous depictions and curated posts erase and idealize processes of differential spatial racialization in Black travel.
Pubertal Testosterone and the Structure of the Cerebral Cortex in Young Men
Authors: Liao Zhijie , Patel Yash , Khairullah Ammar , Parker Nadine , Paus Tomas
Published: December 2020

Adolescence is a period of brain maturation that may involve a second wave of organizational effects of sex steroids on the brain. Rodent studies suggest that, overall, organizational effects of gonadal steroid hormones decrease from the prenatal/perinatal period to adulthood. Here we used multimodal magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether 1) testosterone exposure during adolescence (9–17 years) correlates with the structure of cerebral cortex in young men (n = 216, 19 years of age); 2) this relationship is modulated by the timing of testosterone surge during puberty. Our results showed that pubertal testosterone correlates with structural properties of the cerebral cortex, as captured by principal component analysis of T1 and T2 relaxation times, myelin water fraction, magnetization transfer ratio, fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity. Many of the correlations between pubertal testosterone and the cortical structure were stronger in individuals with earlier (vs. later) testosterone surge. We also demonstrated that the strength of the relationship between pubertal testosterone and cortical structure across the cerebral cortex varies as a function of inter-regional profiles of gene expression specific to dendrites, axonal cytoskeleton, and myelin. This finding suggests that the cellular substrate underlying the relationships between pubertal testosterone and cerebral cortex involves both dendritic arbor and axon.
Heritability of Functional Connectivity in Resting State: Assessment of the Dynamic Mean, Dynamic Variance, and Static Connectivity across Networks
Authors: Barber Anita D , Hegarty Catherine E , Lindquist Martin , Karlsgodt Katherine H
Published: December 2020

Recent efforts to evaluate the heritability of the brain’s functional connectome have predominantly focused on static connectivity. However, evaluating connectivity changes across time can provide valuable insight about the inherent dynamic nature of brain function. Here, the heritability of Human Connectome Project resting-state fMRI data was examined to determine whether there is a genetic basis for dynamic fluctuations in functional connectivity. The dynamic connectivity variance, in addition to the dynamic mean and standard static connectivity, was evaluated. Heritability was estimated using Accelerated Permutation Inference for the ACE (APACE), which models the additive genetic (h2), common environmental (c2), and unique environmental (e2) variance. Heritability was moderate (mean h2: dynamic mean = 0.35, dynamic variance = 0.45, and static = 0.37) and tended to be greater for dynamic variance compared to either dynamic mean or static connectivity. Further, heritability of dynamic variance was reliable across both sessions for several network connections, particularly between higher-order cognitive and visual networks. For both dynamic mean and static connectivity, similar patterns of heritability were found across networks. The findings support the notion that dynamic connectivity is genetically influenced. The flexibility of network connections, not just their strength, is a heritable endophenotype that may predispose trait behavior.
The physiological potential of anammox bacteria as revealed by their core genome structure
Authors: Okubo Takashi , Toyoda Atsushi , Fukuhara Kohei , Uchiyama Ikuo , Harigaya Yuhki , Kuroiwa Megumi , Suzuki Takuma , Murakami Yuka , Suwa Yuichi , Takami Hideto
Published: December 2020

We present here the second complete genome of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacterium, Candidatus (Ca.) Brocadia pituitae, along with those of a nitrite oxidizer and two incomplete denitrifiers from the anammox bacterial community (ABC) metagenome. Although NO2− reduction to NO is considered to be the first step in anammox, Ca. B. pituitae lacks nitrite reductase genes (nirK and nirS) responsible for this reaction. Comparative genomics of Ca. B. pituitae with Ca. Kuenenia stuttgartiensis and six other anammox bacteria with nearly complete genomes revealed that their core genome structure contains 1,152 syntenic orthologues. But nitrite reductase genes were absent from the core, whereas two other Brocadia species possess nirK and these genes were horizontally acquired from multiple lineages. In contrast, at least five paralogous hydroxylamine oxidoreductase genes containing candidate ones (hao2 and hao3) encoding another nitrite reductase were observed in the core. Indeed, these two genes were also significantly expressed in Ca. B. pituitae as in other anammox bacteria. Because many nirS and nirK genes have been detected in the ABC metagenome, Ca. B. pituitae presumably utilises not only NO supplied by the ABC members but also NO and/or NH2OH by self-production for anammox metabolism.
The Economic Legacy of Expulsion: Lessons from Post-War Czechoslovakia
Authors: Testa Patrick A
Published: December 2020

This article examines the long-run effects of forced migration on economic development in the origin economy, using Czechoslovakia’s expulsion of three million Germans after WWII. For identification, I use the discontinuity in ethnic composition at the border of the Sudetenland region where Germans lived. Germans had similar characteristics to Czechs, bypassing factors driving effects in other cases of forced migration, such as differences in human capital. The expulsion produced persistent disparities in population density, sector composition and educational attainment. I trace effects to selective initial resettlements and capital extraction following the expulsion, culminating in urban decay and human capital decline.
Aging Narratives Over 210 Years (1810–2019)
Authors: Ng Reuben , Chow Ting Yu Joanne
Published: December 2020

Objectives

The World Health Organization launched a recent global campaign to combat ageism, citing its ubiquity and insidious threat to health. The historical context that promoted this pernicious threat is understudied, and such studies lay the critical foundation for designing societal-level campaigns to combat it. We analyzed the trend and content of aging narratives over 210 years across multiple genres—newspaper, magazines, fiction, nonfiction books—and modeled the predictors of the observed trend.

Method

A 600-million-word dataset was created from the Corpus of Historical American English and the Corpus of Contemporary American English to form the largest structured historical corpus with over 150,000 texts from multiple genres. Computational linguistics and statistical techniques were applied to study the trend, content, and predictors of aging narratives.

Results

Aging narratives have become more negative, in a linear fashion (p = .003), over 210 years. There are distinct shifts: From uplifting narratives of heroism and kinship in the 1800s to darker tones of illness, death, and burden in the 1900s across newspapers, magazines, and nonfiction books. Fiction defied this trend by portraying older adults positively through romantic courtship and war heroism. Significant predictors of ageism over 210 years are the medicalization of aging, loss of status, warmth, competence, and social ostracism.

Discussion

Though it is unrealistic to reverse the course of ageism, its declining trajectory can be ameliorated. Our unprecedented study lay the groundwork for a societal-level campaign to tackle ageism. The need to act is more pressing given the Covid-19 pandemic where older adults are constantly portrayed as vulnerable.
Neuroinflammation Induction and Alteration of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Mice Following Developmental Exposure to Gossypol
Authors: Zhu Xiaoyan , Wu Yongji , Pan Jiarong , Li Cixia , Huang Jian , Cui Enhui , Chen Ziluo , Zhou Wentai , Chai Xuejun , Zhao Shanting
Published: December 2020

Background

Neurogenesis in the neonatal period involves the proliferation and differentiation of neuronal stem/progenitor cells and the establishment of synaptic connections. This process plays a critical role in determining the normal development and maturation of the brain throughout life. Exposure to certain physical or chemical factors during the perinatal period can lead to many neuropathological defects that cause high cognitive dysfunction and are accompanied by abnormal hippocampal neurogenesis and plasticity. As an endocrine disruptor, gossypol is generally known to exert detrimental effects in animals exposed under experimental conditions. However, it is unclear whether gossypol affects neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus during early developmental stages.

Methods

Pregnant Institute of Cancer Research mice were treated with gossypol at a daily dose of 0, 20, and 50 mg/kg body weight from embryonic day 6.5 to postnatal day (P) 21. The changes of hippocampal neurogenesis as well as potential mechanisms were investigated by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine labeling, behavioral tests, immunofluorescence, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and western-blot analyses.

Results

At P8, maternal gossypol exposure impaired neural stem cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus and decreased the number of newborn cells as a result of reduced proliferation of BLBP+ radial glial cells and Tbr2+ intermediate progenitor cells. At P21, the numbers of NeuN+ neurons and parvalbumin+ γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic interneurons were increased following 50 mg/kg gossypol exposure. In addition, gossypol induced hippocampal neuroinflammation, which may contribute to behavioral abnormalities and cognitive deficits and decrease synaptic plasticity.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that developmental gossypol exposure affects hippocampal neurogenesis by targeting the proliferation and differentiation of neuronal stem/progenitor cells, cognitive functions, and neuroinflammation. The present data provide novel insights into the neurotoxic effects of gossypol on offspring.
A Semicircle Law for Derivatives of Random Polynomials
Authors: Hoskins Jeremy G , Steinerberger Stefan
Published: December 2020

Let $x_1, \dots , x_n$ be $n$ independent and identically distributed real-valued random variables with mean zero, unit variance, and finite moments of all remaining orders. We study the random polynomial $p_n$ having roots at $x_1, \dots , x_n$. We prove that for $\ell \in \mathbb{N}$ fixed as $n \rightarrow \infty $, the $(n-\ell )-$th derivative of $p_n^{}$ behaves like a Hermite polynomial: for $x$ in a compact interval, a suitable rescaling of $p_n^{(n-\ell )}$ starts behaving like the $\ell -$th probabilists’ Hermite polynomial subject to a random shift. Thus, there is a universality phenomenon when differentiating a random polynomial many times: the remaining roots follow a Wigner semicircle distribution.
Legionella antimicrobial sensitivity testing: comparison of microbroth dilution with BCYE and LASARUS solid media
Authors: Portal Edward , Sands Kirsty , Portnojs Artjoms , Chalker Victoria J , Spiller Owen B
Published: December 2020

Objectives

There is a lack of international unification for AST methodology for Legionella pneumophila. Current literature contains multiple possible methods and this study compares each of them to determine methodological concordance.

Methods

Antibiotic susceptibility of 50 L. pneumophila strains was determined using broth microdilution (BMD), serial antimicrobial dilution in traditional buffered charcoal yeast extract (BCYE) agar (as well as comparison with gradient strip overlay on BCYE) and in a novel charcoal-free agar (LASARUS) for rifampicin, azithromycin, levofloxacin and doxycycline.

Results

The deviation of tested media relative to BMD highlighted the overall similarity of BMD and LASARUS across all antimicrobials tested (within one serial dilution). BCYE agar dilution showed an increased MIC of up to five serial dilutions relative to BMD, while MICs by gradient strip overlay on BCYE were elevated by two to three serial dilutions, with the exception of doxycycline, which was decreased by three serial dilutions relative to MIC values determined by BMD. The MIC range for azithromycin was wider than for other antimicrobials tested and found to be caused by the presence or absence of the lpeAB gene.

Conclusions

BMD-based antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methodology should be the internationally agreed gold standard for Legionella spp. AST, as is common for other bacterial species. Traditional BCYE gave significantly elevated MIC results and its use should be discontinued for Legionella spp., while MIC determination using LASARUS solid medium gave results concordant (within one serial dilution) with BMD for all antimicrobials tested. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to identify the lpeAB gene in UK isolates.
Effect of heat stress and feeding management on growth performance and physiological responses of finishing pigs
Authors: Serviento Aira Maye , Labussière Etienne , Castex Mathieu , Renaudeau David
Published: December 2020

This study aimed to determine whether pig responses to heat stress (HS) were directly due to heat exposure (regardless of feeding level and pattern) or were indirectly due to the reduction of feed intake (FI) and to determine if increasing feeding frequency (splitting heat increments) can improve pig response to HS. A total of 48 pigs (66.1 ± 1.7 kg) were allocated to four groups in three replicates. After 7 d in thermoneutral (TN) conditions (22 °C; period 1 [P1; day −7 to −1]), pigs were placed in either TN or HS (32 °C) conditions for 20 d (period 2 [P2; day 0 to 19]). The diet was provided either ad libitum (AL; 2 distributions/d) or pair-fed (PF8; 8 distributions/d) using HS–AL pigs as the reference group. Thus, the four experimental groups were TN–AL, HS–AL, TN–PF8, and HS–PF8. The daily ration of PF8 pigs was distributed at every 90-min intervals from 0900 to 1930 hours. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure with replicate (n = 3), experimental group (n = 4), and their interactions as fixed effects, and the REPEATED statement was used for repeated measures data. Pigs had a similar average daily feed intake (ADFI) during P1 (P > 0.05). In P2, HS–AL and PF8 pigs had lower ADFI (−19%), average daily gain (−25%), and final body weight (−6.1 kg) than TN–AL pigs (P < 0.01). TN–AL pigs had thicker backfat than TN–PF8 pigs (P < 0.05), while the HS pigs had intermediate results. HS pigs had a higher perirenal fat percentage based on the contrast analysis between PF8 pigs (P < 0.05). Thermoregulatory responses of pigs increased with HS exposure but did not differ between HS or between TN groups (P > 0.05). For TN pigs, variation in muscle temperature (Tmuscle) depended on feeding and physical activity, while for HS pigs, Tmuscle gradually increased throughout the day. The Tmuscle of PF8 pigs increased with each additional meal but plateaued earlier for HS–PF8 than TN–PF8 pigs; an increase in Tmuscle per meal was also lower in HS–PF8 than TN–PF8 (P < 0.05). Exposure to HS decreased plasma T3 and T4 (P < 0.05) and increased plasma creatinine (P < 0.05). Between the PF8 groups, HS pigs also had a transient increase in plasma insulin on day 8 (P < 0.05). The effect of HS on FI decreased the growth rate of pigs but there are heat-induced effects, such as altered physiological responses, which might explain the direct HS effects seen in other literature especially in terms of increased adiposity. The increased feed provision frequency in the present study did not improve the HS response of pigs.
Surgical approach for kidney transplantation under spinal anesthesia
Authors: Nawabi Atta , Sullivan Peter , De Ruyter Martin , Pichoff Amy , King Clay D , Nawabi Perwaiz
Published: December 2020

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It has been shown to improve quality of life as well as extending life of patients with ESRD as compared to renal replacement therapy (5-year survival rate of 68% after transplant vs 36% dialysis) (Hart A, Smith JM, Skeans MA. OPTN/SRTR 2015 annual data report: kidney. Am J Transplant 2017;17:21–116). Traditionally, patients undergo general endotracheal tube anesthesia for this surgery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, general anesthesia drugs and airway equipment were in short supply. Additionally, airway manipulation was avoided when possible due to concern for virus spread from aerosolizing procedures (i.e. intubation/extubation). In this case report, we review a 65-year-old female with an ESRD due to hypertension and diabetes that underwent deceased donor kidney transplant under spinal anesthesia. We will further discuss the benefits of spinal anesthesia in renal transplant operations.
Successful surgical management of a through-and-through right atrial penetrating injury with a complete transaction of the right internal mammary artery: a case report
Authors: Albabtain Ibrahim , Albargawi Ali , Almalki Sami A , Alnasser Mohammed
Published: December 2020

An injury to the pericardium or the great vessels is considered a true medical emergency, with a poor survival rate. The early identification and immediate response from all the medical services play a significant role in the management of this type of injury. In this case report, we report a young male patient brought to the emergency room (ER) after sustaining two stab wounds to the chest. We present the successful management of the patient from admission to the ER until discharge a few days later, after a successful surgical intervention for a penetrating cardiac injury.
Career Accomplishments of Public Health Service Alumni of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences: Classes of 1980-2017
Authors: Mangalmurti Naina , Dong Ting , Seide Witzard , Durning Steven J , Torre Dario M
Published: December 2020

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to report on the career accomplishments of Public Health Service (PHS) alumni from the Uniformed Services University (USU) School of Medicine (SOM) in several professional areas such as specialty choice, board certification rates, leadership roles, academic achievements, deployments, and length of service.

Materials and Methods

This study was conducted using the data obtained from the Long-Term Career Outcomes Study Alumni Survey. The cohort included all alumni who graduated from the SOM classes of 1980-2017. We analyzed the frequency distributions of the survey items of interest of the PHS alumni.

Results

Out of the 144 PHS alumni we reached, 39 responded, yielding a 27.1% response rate. 56.0% of PHS alumni entered primary care specialties and 97.0% were board certified in their first residency trained specialty. 30.6% of PHS alumni completed residency training in a military facility. 87.2% of PHS alumni have been in a leadership role since medical school, and 67.6% of PHS alumni currently hold a leadership role. 7.7% of PHS alumni have deployed for ≥30 days to a theater of combat operations. 66.7% and 71.8% of PHS alumni engaged in medical humanitarian and volunteering missions, respectively, and 75% of PHS alumni stayed in active duty longer than their initial commitment. 71.8% of PHS alumni were published in peer-reviewed journals and 17.6% were academically affiliated with USU.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that PHS alumni are likely to enter primary care specialties, engage in medical volunteering and humanitarian missions, frequently remain in uniform longer than their initial active duty commitment, and are affiliated with numerous universities and medical schools throughout their career. PHS alumni appear to be successfully meeting the mission set forth by the U.S. PHS.