bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formation of the Active Star-forming Region LHA 120-N 44 Triggered by Tidally Driven Colliding H i Flows
Authors: Tsuge Kisetsu , Sano Hidetoshi , Tachihara Kengo , Yozin Cameron , Bekki Kenji , Inoue Tsuyoshi , Mizuno Norikazu , Kawamura Akiko , Onishi Toshikazu , Fukui Yasuo
Published: January 2019

The second most active site of high-mass star formation next to R136 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is N44. We carried out a detailed analysis of H i at 60″ resolution by using the ATCA and Parkes data. We presented decomposition of the H i emission into two velocity components (the L and D components) with a velocity separation of ∼60 km s−1. In addition, we newly defined the I component whose velocity is intermediate between the L and D components. The D component was used to derive the rotation curve of the LMC disk, which is consistent with the stellar rotation curve. Toward the active cluster-forming region of LHA 120-N 44, the three velocity components of H i gas show signatures of dynamical interaction, including bridges and complementary spatial distributions. We hypothesize that the L and D components have been colliding with each other since 5 Myr ago, and the interaction triggered formation of the O and early-B stars ionizing N44. In the hypothesis, the I component is interpreted as decelerated gas in terms of momentum exchange in the collisional interaction of the L and D components. In the N44 region, the Planck submillimeter dust optical depth is correlated with the H i intensity, which is well approximated by a linear regression. We found that the N44 region shows a significantly steeper regression line than in the bar region, indicating less dust abundance in the N44 region, which is ascribed to the tidal interaction between the LMC and the SMC 0.2 Gyr ago.
Interpretation of the Diffuse Astrophysical Neutrino Flux in Terms of the Blazar Sequence
Authors: Palladino Andrea , Rodrigues Xavier , Gao Shan , Winter Walter
Published: January 2019

We study whether the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux can come from blazar jets—a subclass of active galactic nuclei—while it, at the same time, respects the blazar stacking limit based on source catalogs and is consistent with the observation from TXS 0506+056. We compute the neutrino flux from resolved and unresolved sources using an averaged, empirical relationship between electromagnetic spectrum and luminosity, known as the blazar sequence, for two populations of blazars (BL Lacs and FSRQs). Using a source model with realistic neutrino flux computations, we demonstrate that blazars can indeed power the diffuse neutrino flux at the highest energies and obey the stacking limit at the same time, and we derive the conditions for the baryonic loading (proton versus γ-ray luminosity) evolving over the blazar sequence. Under the hypothesis that low-luminosity blazars power the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux, we find that the dominant contribution of the diffuse flux up to PeV energies must come from unresolved BL Lacs with baryonic loadings larger than about 105—while only a very small contribution may come from resolved high-luminosity BL Lacs or FSRQs, which can be directly tested by the stacking limit. We find that the blazar TXS 0506+056 is on the verge of these populations in our baseline scenario, at a relatively high luminosity and redshift; as a consequence, we predict about 0.3 γ-ray-neutrino associations per year from the whole population, dominated by BL Lacs with

and z ∼ 0.1.
How Initial Size Governs Core Collapse in Globular Clusters
Authors: Kremer Kyle , Chatterjee Sourav , Ye Claire S. , Rodriguez Carl L. , Rasio Frederic A.
Published: January 2019

Globular clusters (GCs) in the Milky Way exhibit a well-observed bimodal distribution in core radii separating the so-called core-collapsed and non-core-collapsed clusters. Here, we use our Hénon-type Monte Carlo code, CMC, to explore initial cluster parameters that map into this bimodality. Remarkably, we find that by varying the initial size of clusters (specified in our initial conditions in terms of the initial virial radius, r

v
) within a relatively narrow range consistent with the measured radii of young star clusters in the local universe (r

v
≈ 0.5–5 pc), our models reproduce the variety of present-day cluster properties. Furthermore, we show that stellar-mass black holes (BHs) play an intimate role in this mapping from initial conditions to the present-day structural features of GCs. We identify “best-fit” models for three GCs with known observed BH candidates, NGC 3201, M22, and M10, and show that these clusters harbor populations of ∼50–100 stellar-mass BHs at present. As an alternative case, we also compare our models to the core-collapsed cluster NGC 6752 and show that this cluster likely contains few BHs at present. Additionally, we explore the formation of BH binaries in GCs and demonstrate that these systems form naturally in our models in both detached and mass-transferring configurations with a variety of companion stellar types, including low-mass main-sequence stars, white dwarfs, and sub-subgiants.
Evolution of Magnetized White Dwarf Binaries to Type Ia Supernovae
Authors: Ablimit Iminhaji , Maeda Keiichi
Published: January 2019

With the increasing number of observed magnetic white dwarfs (WDs), the role of the magnetic field of the WD in both single and binary evolutions should attract more attention. In this study, we investigate the WD/main-sequence star binary evolution with the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics code, by considering WDs with non-, intermediate, and high magnetic field strength. We mainly focus on how the strong magnetic field of the WD (in a polar-like system) affects the binary evolution toward Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). The accreted matter goes along the magnetic field lines and falls down onto polar caps, and it can be confined by the strong magnetic field of the WD, so that the enhanced isotropic pole-mass transfer rate can let the WD grow in mass even with a low mass donor with a low Roche-lobe overflow mass transfer rate. The results from the magnetic confinement model show that both the initial parameter space for SNe Ia and characteristics of the donors after SNe Ia are easily distinguishable from those found in previous SNe Ia progenitor models. The predicted natures of the donors are compatible with the non-detection of a companion in several SN remnants and nearby SNe.
Survey of Ionized Gas of the Galaxy, Made with the Arecibo Telescope (SIGGMA): Inner Galaxy Data Release
Authors: Liu Bin , Anderson L. D. , McIntyre Travis , Anish Roshi D. , Churchwell Ed , Minchin Robert , Terzian Yervant
Published: January 2019

The Survey of Ionized Gas of the Galaxy, Made with the Arecibo telescope (SIGGMA) provides a fully sampled view of the radio recombination line (RRL) emission from the portion of the Galactic plane visible with Arecibo. Observations use the Arecibo L-band Feed Array, which has a FWHM beam size of 3.′4. Twelve hydrogen RRLs from H163α to H174α are located within the instantaneous bandpass from 1225 MHz to 1525 MHz. We provide here cubes of average (“stacked”) RRL emission for the inner Galaxy region 32° ≤ ℓ ≤ 70°,

, with an angular resolution of 6′. The stacked RRL rms at 5.1 km s−1 velocity resolution is ∼0.65 mJy beam−1, making this the most sensitive large-scale fully sampled RRL survey extant. We use SIGGMA data to catalog 319 RRL detections in the direction of 244 known H ii regions, and 108 new detections in the direction of 79 H ii region candidates. We identify 11 carbon RRL emission regions, all of which are spatially coincident with known H ii regions. We detect RRL emission in the direction of 14 of the 32 supernova remnants (SNRs) found in the survey area. This RRL emission frequently has the same morphology as the SNRs. The RRL velocities give kinematic distances in agreement with those found in the literature, indicating that RRLs may provide an additional tool to constrain distances to SNRs. Finally, we analyze the two bright star-forming complexes: W49 and W51. We discuss the possible origins of the RRL emission in directions of SNRs W49B and W51C.
Probing the Cross-power of Unresolved Cosmic Infrared and X-Ray Backgrounds with Upcoming Space Missions
Authors: Kashlinsky A. , Arendt R. G. , Cappelluti N. , Finoguenov A. , Hasinger G. , Helgason K. , Merloni A.
Published: January 2019

The source-subtracted cosmic infrared background (CIB) fluctuations uncovered in deep Spitzer data cannot be explained by known galaxy populations and appear strongly coherent with unresolved cosmic X-ray background (CXB). This suggests that the source-subtracted CIB contains emissions from significantly abundant accreting black holes (BHs). We show that theoretically such populations would have the angular power spectrum that is largely independent of the epochs occupied by these sources, provided they are at z ≳ 4, offering an important test of the origin of the new populations. Using the current measurements we reconstruct the underlying soft X-ray CXB from the new sources and show that its fluctuations, while consistent with a high-z origin, have an amplitude that cannot be reached in direct measurements with the foreseeable X-ray space missions. This necessitates application of the methods developed by the authors to future IR and X-ray data sets, which must cover large areas of the sky in order to measure the signal with high precision. The LIBRAE project within ESA’s Euclid mission will probe source-subtracted CIB over ∼one-half of the sky at three near-IR bands, and its cross-power with unresolved CXB can be measured then from the concurrent eROSITA mission covering the same areas of the sky. We discuss the required methodology for this measurement and evaluate its projected signal-to-noise ratio to show the unique potential of this experimental configuration to accurately probe the CXB from the new BH sources and help identify their epochs.
Twenty years and counting with SADIE: Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices software and review of its adoption and use
Authors: Winder Linton , Alexander Colin , Griffiths Georgianne , Holland John , Wooley Chris , Perry Joe
Published: January 2019

SADIE (Spatial Analysis by Distance Indices) is designed specifically to quantify patterns in spatially-referenced count-based data. It was developed for dealing with data that can be considered ‘patchy’. Such distributions are commonly found, for example, in insect populations where discrete patches of individuals are often evident. The distributions of such populations have ‘hard edges’, with patches and gaps occurring spatially. In these cases variance of abundance does not vary smoothly, but discontinuously. In this paper we outline the use of SADIE and provide free access to the SADIE software suite, establishing Rethinking Ecology as its permanent home. Finally, we review the use of SADIE and demonstrate its use in a wide variety of sub-disciplines within the general field of ecology.
Estudio comparativo de normas para el análisis dinámico de una torre autosoportada bajo carga de viento
Authors: Martín P. , Fernández I. , Parnás V. E.
Published: January 2019

El estudio de los métodos de análisis dinámicos para la consideración de la carga de viento es de gran importancia en las torres autosoportadas de telecomunicaciones debido a que son estructuras altamente vulnerables a los vientos extremos. En Cuba el análisis de las torres autosoportadas se realiza según lo establecido en la norma cubana de viento NC-285:2003 (NC). Esta norma es de carácter general para todas las edificaciones y no presenta las particularidades del análisis de las torres reticuladas bajo carga de viento por esta razón es necesario evaluar sus diferencias con respecto a otras normas internacionales. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo comparar los valores de fuerzas en los elementos y desplazamientos en una torre autosoportada obtenidos de la aplicación de los métodos de análisis propuestos en las normas NC, ISO 4354- 2009 (ISO), AS/NZS1170.2-2011 (AS/NZ) y EC3: 2007 (EC3). La comparación entre las normas arrojó como resultado que las fuerzas axiales y desplazamientos obtenidos por la norma NC son menores que las obtenidos por las normas ISO, AS/NZ, EC3.
Real Time System Design for a Mobile Manipulator
Authors: Aviles Sánchez Oscar Fernando , Mauledoux Monroy Mauricio Felipe , Ribiano Oscar Gerardo , Valencia Angie Julieth
Published: January 2019

A mobile manipulator is defined as a mechanism composed by a serial manipulator located just above robotic platform. Besides, is a system with kinematic restrictions determined by an independent movement of the wheels and the degrees of freedom of the manipulator arm. The combination of the previous systems increases the advantages in terms of maneuverability, efficiency, range, between others. Another advantage of manipulator robot is the larger working space when it moves over a mobile platform allowing to reach different position on XY cartesian plane. Therefore, the design of a real-time system for a mobile manipulator will be shown in this paper.
Design of an Online Monitoring System of Lithium Ion Energy Storage Batteries for a Distributed Power Station
Authors: Haizhou Zhai
Published: January 2019

Aiming at the online monitoring of real-time operating of lithium-ion energy storage batteries for distributed power station, this paper studies the online monitoring system of lithium-ion energy storage batteries based on B/S network structure. The system consists of a battery status information collection unit, a centralized control unit, and a remote monitoring center. The battery status information collection unit detects the current, voltage, temperature and other parameters of the lithium ion energy storage battery in real time, transmits the data to the centralized control unit for data processing and real-time estimation of the SOC of the battery, and then the centralized control unit transmits the measurement parameters through the Internet network. The remote monitoring center monitors and analyzes the battery real-time status data, accurately calculates the battery SOC, realizes the online real-time monitoring of the lithium ion battery, prevents the lithium ion battery from overcharging, over-discharging, overheating, and promotes the safe and stable operation of the lithium-ion energy storage battery.
Tumor Microenvironment Modulates Immunological Outcomes of Myeloid Cells with mTORC1 Disruption
Authors: Ding Chuanlin , Sun Xiaomin , Wu Caijun , Hu Xiaoling , Zhang Huang-ge , Yan Jun
Published: January 2019

The role of the mTOR signaling pathway in different myeloid cell subsets is poorly understood in the context of tumor development. In this study, myeloid cell–specific Raptor knockout (KO) mice were used to determine the roles of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) in regulating macrophage function from Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) s.c. tumors and lung tumor metastasis. We found no difference in tumor growth between conditional Raptor KO and control mice in the s.c. tumor models, although depletion of mTORC1 decreased the immunosuppressive function of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). Despite the decreased immunosuppressive activity of TAM, M1-like TAM differentiation was impaired in the s.c. tumor microenvironment of mTORC1 conditional Raptor KO mice due to downregulated CD115 expression on macrophages. In addition, TNF-α production by mTORC1-deficient myeloid cells was also decreased in the s.c. LLC tumors. On the contrary, disruption of mTORC1 in myeloid cells promoted lung cancer metastasis. Accordingly, immunosuppressive interstitial macrophages/metastasis-associated macrophages (CD11b+F4/80high) were accumulated in the lungs of Raptor KO mice in the LLC lung metastasis model, leading to decreased Th1 responses. Taken together, our results demonstrate that differential tumor microenvironment dictates the immunological outcomes of myeloid cells, with mTORC1 disruption leading to different tumor growth phenotypes.
DNA Breaks in Ig V Regions Are Predominantly Single Stranded and Are Generated by UNG and MSH6 DNA Repair Pathways
Authors: Zanotti Kimberly J. , Maul Robert W. , Yang William , Gearhart Patricia J.
Published: January 2019

Antibody diversity is initiated by activation-induced deaminase (AID), which deaminates cytosine to uracil in DNA. Uracils in the Ig gene loci can be recognized by uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG) or mutS homologs 2 and 6 (MSH2–MSH6) proteins, and then processed into DNA breaks. Breaks in switch regions of the H chain locus cause isotype switching and have been extensively characterized as staggered and blunt double-strand breaks. However, breaks in V regions that arise during somatic hypermutation are poorly understood. In this study, we characterize AID-dependent break formation in JH introns from mouse germinal center B cells. We used a ligation-mediated PCR assay to detect single-strand breaks and double-strand breaks that were either staggered or blunt. In contrast to switch regions, V regions contained predominantly single-strand breaks, which peaked 10 d after immunization. We then examined the pathways used to generate these breaks in UNG- and MSH6-deficient mice. Surprisingly, both DNA repair pathways contributed substantially to break formation, and in the absence of both UNG and MSH6, the frequency of breaks was severely reduced. When the breaks were sequenced and mapped, they were widely distributed over a 1000-bp intron region downstream of JH3 and JH4 exons and were unexpectedly located at all 4 nt. These data suggest that during DNA repair, nicks are generated at distal sites from the original deaminated cytosine, and these repair intermediates could generate both faithful and mutagenic repair. During mutagenesis, single-strand breaks would allow entry for low-fidelity DNA polymerases to generate somatic hypermutation.
The influence of the business environment on the growth of informal businesses in Uganda
Authors: Struwig Fredrika W. , Krüger Janine , Nuwagaba Geoffrey
Published: January 2019

Background: Informal businesses are important drivers of economic growth, especially in developing countries. These informal businesses often do not survive their first year of existence, with anecdotal evidence citing various challenges from the business environment.Aim: This study explored the influence of business environmental challenges on the growth of informal businesses in Uganda.Setting: There are various challenges from the internal and external environment that impede the growth and survival of informal businesses in Uganda. From the internal business perspective, informal businesses have poor business processes and do not have proper business strategies on which to focus their business growth strategies. From the external environment perspective, informal businesses do not understand their suppliers adequately. In addition, there is a lack of research on the relationships between internal and external business environments and the growth of informal businesses.Method: Primary data were collected from 383 informal businesses using a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics in SPSS 21.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), while the relationship between the variables was determined using Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient and tested using regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The results showed that there was a significant positive directional relationship between the internal environment and the growth of informal businesses. However, there was a negative significant directional relationship between the external environment and the growth of informal businesses.Conclusions: Informal businesses should pay more attention to the internal environment and appropriate strategies should be developed and implemented to ensure their growth.
Re-evaluation of the diagnostic value of fractional exhaled nitric oxide & its impact in patients with asthma
Authors: He Lixiu , Wei Meihui , Luo Jian , Du Wen , Zhang Liangliang , Zhang Lanlan , Liu Chuntao
Published: January 2019

Background & objectives:

The diagnostic value of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in patients with asthma remains controversial. This study was aimed to re-evaluate the diagnostic value of FeNO in specific groups with asthma and identify potential factors associated with FeNO.

Methods:

FeNO measurement and bronchial provocation test (BPT) or bronchodilator test (BDT) were performed in patients with suggestive symptoms for asthma. Correlation analysis was performed, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate the accuracy of FeNO in diagnosis.

Results:

A total of 265 (66.3%) patients with asthma were identified in 400 individuals suspected to have asthma from October 2014 to June 2015. Positive correlations of gender (r=0.138, P=0.005), atopy (r=0.598, P<0.001) and rhinitis (r=0.485, P<0.001) but negative correlations of age (r=−0.220, P<0.001) and the cumulative methacholine dosage with a 20 per cent decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (r=−0.197, P<0.001) with FeNO were found. AUC of FeNO in whole population and patients with atopy and rhinitis was 0.728 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.675-0.781, P<0.001] and 0.752 (95% CI 0.640-0.865, P<0.001), while the cut-offs were 23.5 and 44.5 parts per billion (ppb), respectively, rendering sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 79.9, 54.7, 77.9, 58.1 and 78.7, 67.9, 89.2 and 48.7 per cent, respectively. The cut-off of FeNO with specificity of 90 per cent (FeNO90) for all patients and a sub-group of patients with atopy and rhinitis was 59.5 and 90.5 ppb, respectively, while FeNO90 decreased by 12 ppb with every 10 years.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Our findings show that the diagnostic value of FeNO varies in different groups of patients with asthma, thus, the cut-off point should be adjusted in different asthmatic sub-populations. A cut-off point of FeNO with a specificity >90 per cent could decrease the false-positive rate.
Protein quality & amino acid requirements in relation to needs in India
Authors: Shivakumar Nirupama , Minocha Sumedha , Kurpad Anura V.
Published: January 2019

The relevance of protein and its constituent amino acids (AAs) in the structure and function of the human body is well known. Accumulating evidence has conferred specific functional and regulatory roles for individual AAs, adding relevance to their requirements across different age groups. The methods for measuring AA requirements have progressed from the classical nitrogen balance to the current stable isotope-based AA balance methods. Requirements of most of the indispensable AA (IAA) have been estimated in healthy Indian population by the best available balance method and has shown to be higher than earlier 1985 WHO/FAO/UNU (World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization/United Nations University) recommendations. In addition, potential changes in the requirement, through adaptation to chronic undernutrition or to infection, have also been evaluated. In 2007, the WHO/FAO/UNU released a recommendation that increased the daily IAA requirement, based on primary evidence from Indian balance studies. This meant that to ensure that the new IAA requirements were met, individual foods or mixed diets needed to be assessed for their protein quality, or their ability to deliver the required amount of IAA. The recent FAO report on protein quality evaluation recommends the use of a new chemical AA score, the digestible IAA score (DIAAS), to replace the earlier protein digestibility corrected AA score. The DIAAS requires the determination of individual AA digestibility at the ileal level. A minimally invasive dual stable isotope tracer-based approach has been developed in India and has been used to determine digestibility of various foods in Indian adults and children. The increase in IAA requirements and subsequent protein quality requirements have implications for national regulatory frameworks, growth and development, and in turn, for economic and agricultural policy.
National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme
Authors: Yadav Kapil , Pandav Chandrakant S.
Published: January 2019

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) constitute a significant public health problem globally. In India, the entire population is prone to IDDs due to deficiency of iodine in the soil of the sub-continent and thus both animal and plant source food grown on the iodine-deficient soil. IDDs encompass the spectrum of disability and disease and include goitre, cretinism, hypothyroidism, abortion, stillbirth, brain damage, learning disabilities, mental retardation, psychomotor defects, hearing and speech impairment. Iodine deficiency is known to be the single largest cause of preventable brain damage. IDDs with their causal association with brain development, cognition, and learning disabilities impair the human resource development and progress of the country. The children born in iodine-deficient regions on an average have 13.5 intelligence quotient (IQ) points lesser than children born in iodine-sufficient regions. IDD control programme in India is a public health success story, with 92 per cent of the population consuming iodized salt. The partnership between government agencies, academic institutions, salt industry, development agencies and civil society has been key to achieve this success story. The sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency in India is within reach, what is required is accelerated and coordinated effort by all key stakeholder at national and State level.
Glucose & energy homeostasis
Authors: Giridharan N.V.
Published: January 2019

Glucose in our body is maintained within a narrow range by the humoral control and a ‘lipostat’ system regulated by leptin from adipose tissues, which keep our accumulated fat stores in check. Any disturbance in this delicately poised homeostasis could be disastrous as it can lead to obesity and its associated metabolic manifestations. Laboratory animals, especially rodents, have contributed to our knowledge in understanding this physiological mechanism through an array of genetic and non-genetic animals developed over the years. Two rat mutant obese models-Wistar inbred at National Institute of Nutrition (WNIN)/Ob-obese rats with normal glucose levels and WNIN/GR-Ob-obese with impaired glucose tolerance were developed in the National Centre for Laboratory Animal Sciences (Now ICMR-National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research) at Hyderabad, India. These animals are unique, as, unlike the earlier models, they show all types of degenerative disorders associated with obesity, within a single system. Thus they show impairment in all the major organs of the body - liver, pancreas, kidney, bones, muscles, gonads, brain, eyes, and are sensitive to diet manipulations, have compromised immunity, often develop tumours and have reduced life span. One may argue that there are limitations to one's interpretations from animal studies to human application, but then one cannot shut one's eyes to the new lessons they have taught us in modifying our life styles.
Nutrigenomics
Authors: Reddy V. Sudhakar , Palika Ravindranadh , Ismail Ayesha , Pullakhandam Raghu , Reddy G. Bhanuprakash
Published: January 2019

The hierarchical information flow through DNA-RNA-protein-metabolite collectively referred to as ‘molecular fingerprint’ defines both health and disease. Environment and food (quality and quantity) are the key factors known to affect the health of an individual. The fundamental concepts are that the transition from a healthy condition to a disease phenotype must occur by concurrent alterations in the genome expression or by differences in protein synthesis, function and metabolites. In other words, the dietary components directly or indirectly modulate the molecular fingerprint and understanding of which is dealt with nutrigenomics. Although the fundamental principles of nutrigenomics remain similar to that of traditional research, a collection of comprehensive targeted/untargeted data sets in the context of nutrition offers the unique advantage of understanding complex metabolic networks to provide a mechanistic understanding of data from epidemiological and intervention studies. In this review the challenges and opportunities of nutrigenomic tools in addressing the nutritional problems of public health importance are discussed. The application of nutrigenomic tools provided numerous leads on biomarkers of nutrient intake, undernutrition, metabolic syndrome and its complications. Importantly, nutrigenomic studies also led to the discovery of the association of multiple genetic polymorphisms in relation to the variability of micronutrient absorption and metabolism, providing a potential opportunity for further research toward setting personalized dietary recommendations for individuals and population subgroups.
Micronutrient status of Indian population
Authors: Gonmei Zaozianlungliu , Toteja G.S.
Published: January 2019

Micronutrients play an important role in the proper growth and development of the human body and its deficiency affects the health contributing to low productivity and vicious cycle of malnutrition, underdevelopment as well as poverty. Micronutrient deficiency is a public health problem affecting more than one-fourth of the global population. Several programmes have been launched over the years in India to improve nutrition and health status of the population; however, a large portion of the population is still affected by micronutrient deficiency. Anaemia, the most common form of micronutrient deficiency affects almost 50 to 60 per cent preschool children and women, while vitamin A deficiency and iodine-deficiency disorders (IDD) have improved over the years. This review focuses on the current scenario of micronutrient (anaemia, vitamin A, iodine, vitamin B12, folate, ferritin, zinc, copper and vitamin C) status in the country covering national surveys as well as recent studies carried out.
National control programme against nutritional blindness due to vitamin A deficiency
Authors: Vijayaraghavan K.
Published: January 2019

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) among 1-5 yr old children is reported to be widely prevalent in Southeast Asia and some parts of Africa. It is the leading cause of preventable blindness in young children in the low-income countries in the world. Children even with milder signs of VAD have higher risk of morbidity and mortality. Inadequate dietary intakes of vitamin A with poor bioavailability associated with frequent infections are the primary contributory factors. Currently available approaches to control VAD are ensuring adequate intakes of vitamin A in daily diets, fortification of foods consumed regularly particularly among the low-income communities and periodic administration of massive dose of vitamin A supported by public health interventions and reinforced by behaviour change communication. Under the National Programme in India, six monthly administration of mega dose of vitamin A to 6-59 month old children has been implemented since 1970, to prevent particularly blindness due to VAD and control hypovitaminosis A. Despite inadequate coverage and poor implementation of the programme, blindness due to VAD in children has almost disappeared, though subclinical VAD is still widely prevalent. Based on the results of meta-analysis of eight trials, which indicated that vitamin A supplementation to children aged 6-59 months reduced child mortality rates by about 23 per cent, the World Health Organization made a strong recommendation that in areas with VAD as a public health problem, vitamin A supplementation should be given to infants and children of 6-59 months of age as a public health intervention to reduce child morbidity and improve child survival. At present, in India, there is a need for change in policy with respect to the national programme to opt for targeted instead of universal distribution. However, NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, which formulates policies and provides technical support to the Government of India, recommends strengthening of the National Programme for control of VAD through six monthly vitamin A supplementation along with health interventions. Eventually, the goal is to implement food based and horticulture-based interventions harmonizing with public health measures, food fortification and capacity building of functionaries for elimination of VAD.
Pros & cons of some popular extreme weight-loss diets
Authors: Joshi Shilpa , Mohan Viswanathan
Published: January 2019

Obesity has now become a huge public health issue not only in the developed world but also in developing countries. In view of the health hazards associated with obesity and more importantly for cosmetic reasons, many people, particularly the youth, have started resorting to ‘extreme’ weight-loss diets to achieve a rapid reduction in weight. These extreme diets are either very low in carbohydrate or very low in fat. Such extreme diets not only make the diet unbalanced but also have safety issues. Moreover, these are not sustainable in the long run. The weight that is lost is regained within a short period of time when people go off these extreme diets. This explains why the popularity of most extreme diets peaks as well as wanes rapidly. Instead of resorting to such extreme diets, correction of obesity is best achieved with balanced, healthy, nutritious diets which are low in calories, combined with adequate physical activity (exercise). Motivational counselling can also help people to initiate weight loss and sustain this weight loss over longer periods of time.
A review of selected nutrition & health surveys in India
Authors: Rathi Komal , Kamboj Preeti , Bansal Priyanka Gupta , Toteja G.S.
Published: January 2019

Assessment of the status of health and nutrition of a population is imperative to design and implement sound public health policies and programmes. The various extensive national health and nutrition surveys provide national-level information on different domains of health. These provide vital information and statistics for the country, and the data generated are used to identify the prevalence and risk factors for the diseases and health challenges faced by a country. This review describes the various national health and nutrition surveys conducted in India and also compares the information generated by each of these surveys. These include the National Family Health Survey, District Level Household Survey, Annual Health Survey, National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau Survey, Rapid Survey on Children and Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey.
National Institute of Nutrition
Authors: Gavaravarapu SubbaRao M. , Hemalatha R.
Published: January 2019

The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has reached a remarkable milestone of completing 100 years of exemplary service to the nation. The long journey that started in a humble one-room laboratory at Coonoor (now in Tamil Nadu) in 1918 to a colossus of the nutrition research in the country today is dotted with several interesting vignettes. The NIN has always been at the forefront of need-based, pragmatic research. Its large-scale community-based interventions have been of great practical value in the nation's fight against malnutrition. The evolution of nutrition as a modern science almost coincides with the growth of the Institute. Being the oldest in the fraternity of institutes under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the NIN has grown from strength to strength due to the sheer relevance of its contributions in furthering nutrition science and promoting public health in the country. This article provides a historical overview of the evolution and contributions of ICMR-NIN in the areas of nutrition, food safety, public health and policy.
Assessment of digital elevation models to obtain morphometric characteristics in relief transition region
Authors: Ficher Kevin Nunes , Pereira Donizete Dos Reis , Oliveira Josiane Silva , Almeida André Quintão de , Uliana Eduardo Morgan
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) in the morphometric characterization of a basin located in a transitional region between the São Francisco Plateau, São Francisco Depression and Espinhaço Range reliefs. For the study, four DEMs were generated by interpolation of the SRTM data and topographic maps, using the Topo To Raster interpolator with and without mapped hydrography support, available in ArcGIS® 9.3 software. Another DEM was obtained from the SRTM original data. From the generated DEMs, the morphometric characteristics of the basin were determined and compared to those obtained from topographic maps, denominated reference (REF), by means of percentage errors. The evaluation was also performed in a qualitative way, comparing the drainage and the basin delineations. In general, the DEMs obtained with the support of the mapped hydrography (SRTM-TRH and CT-TRH) provided the best results, with small errors, mainly for the main morphometric characteristics of the basin, drainage area and main river length, which ranged from 0.38 to 1.12% and 5.28 to 7.07%, respectively. On the other hand, the DEMs generated without the support of the mapped hydrography (SRTM-O, SRTM-TR and CT-TR) presented major errors mainly in determining the drainage area and length of the main river, which varied from 18.1 to 26.6% and 26.7 to 34.4%, respectively. These occurred due to a deviation of the main river in the São Franciscana Depression region, which allows us to conclude on the necessity and importance of evaluating DEMs before their use.
Qualified Hoses for Marine Applications
Authors:   Hydraulic Hose and Hose Fittings Committee
Published: January 2019

The following list consists of hose data provided as of December 2018, and is for convenience in determining acceptability of nonmetallic flexible hose assemblies intended for usage under 46 CFR 56.60-25. Where the maximum allowable working pressure (MAWP) or type of fitting is not specified, use the manufacturer's recommended MAWP or type of fitting. This list has been compiled by SAE Staff from information provided by the manufacturers whose product listings appear in this document.

Manufacturers wishing to list their products in this document shall:

a

Successfully test their hose to the requirements of SAE J1942, Table 1.

b

Submit a letter of certification to the SAE J1942 test requirements for each specific type of hose tested (see sample table on page 4) along with the test results. All sizes should be included in the same letter which must also include all of the information necessary to make a SAE J1942-1 listing.

c

The SAE will review the letter and may, at their discretion, request to see further test results. A copy of the submittal letter marked “Accepted for Listing” will be returned to the applicant upon approval.

d

The cutoff date for inclusion of a hose listing in the annual SAE Handbook is September 30, of the preceding year. However, listed hoses may be used on vessels as soon as the “Accepted for Listing” letter is issued by the SAE.

Next publication of this listing is scheduled to take place in December 2019. If you wish to include additional hoses in the 2019 publication of this list, please submit your Certified List to SAE by September 2019.
Magnetic signatures of natural and anthropogenic sources of urban dust aerosol
Authors: Liu Haijiao , Yan Yan , Chang Hong , Chen Hongyun , Liang Lianji , Liu Xingxing , Qiang Xiaoke , Sun Youbin
Published: January 2019

Abstract. The characteristics of urban dust aerosols and the contributions
of their natural and anthropogenic sources are of scientific interest as well
as being of substantial sociopolitical and economic concern. Here we present
a comprehensive study of dust flux, magnetic parameters, magnetic
particulate morphology, and elemental compositions of atmospheric dustfall
originating from natural dust sources in East Asia and local anthropogenic
sources in Xi'an, China. The results reveal a significant inverse
relationship between seasonal variations of dust flux and magnetic
susceptibility (χ). By comparing dust flux and χ records, the
relative contributions of dust from local anthropogenic sources are
estimated. Analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with
energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) indicate that magnetic particulate from
different sources has distinct morphological and elemental characteristics.
Detrital magnetic particles originating from natural sources are
characterized by relatively smooth surfaces with Fe and O as the major
elements and a minor contribution from Ti. The anthropogenic particles have
angular, spherical, aggregate, and porous shapes with distinctive
contributions from marker elements, including S, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mn, and Ca.
Our results demonstrate that this multidisciplinary approach is effective in
distinguishing dust particles derived from distant natural sources and local
anthropogenic sources and for the quantitative assessment of contributions from
the two end-members.
Source apportionment of highly time resolved trace elements during
a firework episode from a rural freeway site in Switzerland
Authors: Rai Pragati , Furger Markus , Slowik Jay , Canonaco Francesco , Fröhlich Roman , Hüglin Christoph , Minguillón María Cruz , Petterson Krag , Baltensperger Urs , Prévôt André S. H.
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Trace element measurements in PM10 were performed with 1 h time resolution at a rural freeway site during summer 2015 in Switzerland using the Xact multi-metals monitor. On average the Xact 625 elements (without accounting for oxygen and other associated elements) make up about 20 % of the total PM10 mass (14.6 µg m−3). Subsequently, a source apportionment by positive matrix factorization (PMF) implemented via the Source Finder software (SoFi Pro) was applied. Eight different sources were identified (notable elements in brackets) for PM10: fireworks-I (K, S, Ba, Cl), fireworks-II (K), sea salt (Cl), secondary sulfate (S), background dust (Si, Ti), road dust (Ca), traffic-related (Fe) and industrial (Zn, Pb). The major components were secondary sulfate and traffic-related followed by background dust and road dust factors, explaining 21 %, 20 %, 18 % and 16 % of the analysed PM10 elemental mass, respectively, with the factor mass not corrected for oxygen content. Further, there are minor contributions (on the order of a few percent) of sea salt and industrial sources. The regionally influenced secondary sulfate factor experiences negligible resuspension, and concentrations are similar throughout the day. The significant loads of the traffic-related and road dust factors with strong diurnal variations highlight the continuing importance of vehicle-related air pollutants at this site. Enhanced control of PMF using SoFi Pro allowed for a successful apportionment of transient sources such as the two firework factors and sea salt, which remained mixed when analysed by unconstrained PMF.
Secondary organic aerosol
enhanced by increasing atmospheric oxidizing capacity in
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), China
Authors: Feng Tian , Zhao Shuyu , Bei Naifang , Wu Jiarui , Liu Suixin , Li Xia , Liu Lang , Qian Yang , Zhou Weijian , Cao Junji , Li Guohui
Published: January 2019

Abstract. The implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan in China since 2013 has profoundly altered the ambient pollutants in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH). Here we show observations of substantially increased O3 concentration (about 30 %) and a remarkable increase in the ratio of organic carbon (OC) to elemental carbon (EC) in BTH during the autumn from 2013 to 2015, revealing an enhancement in atmospheric oxidizing capacity (AOC) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. To explore the impacts of increasing AOC on the SOA formation, a severe air pollution episode from 3 to 8 October 2015 with high O3 and PM2.5 concentrations is simulated using the WRF-Chem model. The model performs reasonably well in simulating the spatial distributions of PM2.5 and O3 concentrations over BTH and the temporal variations of PM2.5, O3, NO2, OC, and EC concentrations in Beijing compared to measurements. Sensitivity studies show that the change in AOC substantially influences the SOA formation in BTH. A sensitivity case characterized by a 31 % O3 decrease (or 36 % OH decrease) reduces the SOA level by about 30 % and the SOA fraction in total organic aerosol by 17 % (from 0.52 to 0.43). Spatially, the SOA decrease caused by reduced AOC is ubiquitous in BTH, but the spatial relationship between SOA concentrations and the AOC is dependent on the SOA precursor distribution. Studies on SOA formation pathways further show that, when the AOC is reduced, the SOA from oxidation, partitioning of semi-volatile POA and co-emitted intermediate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) decreases remarkably, followed by those from anthropogenic and biogenic VOCs. Meanwhile, the SOA decrease in the irreversible uptake of glyoxal and methylglyoxal on aerosol surfaces is negligible.
Assessing the impact of different liquid water permittivity models on the fit between model and observations
Authors: Lonitz Katrin , Geer Alan J.
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Permittivity models for microwave frequencies of
liquid water below 0 ∘C (supercooled liquid water) are poorly
constrained due to limited laboratory experiments and observations,
especially for high microwave frequencies. This uncertainty translates
directly into errors in retrieved liquid water paths of up to 80 %. This
study investigates the effect of different liquid water permittivity models
on simulated brightness temperatures by using the all-sky assimilation
framework of the Integrated Forecast System. Here, a model configuration with
an improved representation of supercooled liquid water has been used. The
comparison of five different permittivity models with the current one shows a
small mean reduction in simulated brightness temperatures of at most 0.15 K
at 92 GHz on a global monthly scale. During austral winter, differences
occur more prominently in the storm tracks of the Southern Hemisphere and in
the intertropical convergence zone with values of around 0.5 to 1.5 K.
Compared to the default Liebe (1989) approach, the permittivity models
of Stogryn et al. (1995), Rosenkranz (2015) and
Turner et al. (2016) all improve fits between observations and all-sky
brightness temperatures simulated by the Integrated Forecast System. In
cycling data assimilation these newer models also give small improvements in
short-range humidity forecasts when measured against independent
observations. Of the three best-performing models, the
Stogryn et al. (1995) model is not quite as beneficial as the other two,
except at 183 GHz. At this frequency, Rosenkranz (2015) and
Turner et al. (2016) look worse because they expose a scattering-related
forward model bias in frontal regions. Overall, Rosenkranz (2015) is
favoured due to its validity up to 1 THz, which will support future
submillimetre missions.
Energetic electron enhancements under radiation belt (L
Authors: Suvorova Alla V. , Dmitriev Alexei V. , Parkhomov Vladimir A.
Published: January 2019

Abstract. An unusual event of deep injections of > 30 keV electrons from the radiation belt to low L shells (L  30 keV electrons at L