bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatial assemblage and interference competition of introduced Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) in a Himalayan river network: Implications for native fish conservation
Authors: Sharma Aashna , Dubey Vineet Kumar , Johnson Jeyaraj Antony , Rawal Yogesh Kumar , Sivakumar Kuppusamy 
Published: September 2021

AbstractOften regarded as a potential threat to the native fish fauna worldwide, the Brown Trout (Salmo trutta), has successfully established its population in the majority of the Himalayan rivers post its introduction dating back to the eighteenth century. Over the years, the species has gained infamy as a sport fish and is considered a profitable source of income to the locals ensuing a heightened propagule pressure due to lack of appropriate management actions. No comprehensive study has been conducted to date in order to understand the mechanism by which the Brown Trout poses threat to the native fish populations. Through the present study, we could assess its competition with the native Snow Trout (Schizothorax richardsonii) to understand the spatial assemblage of both the species across space in Tirthan, a pristine high-altitude river of the western Himalaya. River Tirthan is one of the major tributaries of River Beas traversing for most of its stretch within the protected boundaries of the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area. A total of 108 sampling points were chosen from confluence to origin of rivers/streams, ranging from 989 to 3677msl. A total of 28 explanatory variables were recorded at each point. Overall, the Brown Trout adults were found to be greater in relative abundance (66.1%) than the Snow Trout adults (33.9%). The fingerlings of Snow Trout on the other hand, were distinctively high in relative abundance (61.9%) than those of the invasive Brown Trout (38.1%). Non-native trout showed higher abundance in the higher stream orders i.e. in the main streams while natives mostly restricted themselves to the lower order streams. Redundancy analysis (RDA) for species and environmental covariates resulted in 40.75% of constrained variance with higher eigen values for Redundancy analysis1 and Redundancy analysis2. Ward’s minimum variance clustering of Hellinger transformed data revealed sites agglomerating into six reasonable distinct subgroups with respect to species abundances. Immature individuals of non-native and native trout used similar habitat conditions, but they differed in using habitats at adult stage. Our results show a competitive dominance of Brown Trout in terms of higher abundance and maximum space utilization that highlight an urgent action for preventing its introductions to new areas. We recommend a national policy of ‘The Indian Invasive Species Act’ and management level interventions to control overstocking in the areas of established population.
Establishment and impact of exotic Cyprinus carpio (Common Carp) on native fish diversity in Buxar stretch of River Ganga, India
Authors: Ray Archisman , Johnson Canciyal , Manna Ranjan Kumar , Baitha Raju , Gupta Subhadeep Das , Tiwari Nitish Kumar , Swain Himanshu Sekhar , Das Basanta Kumar 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The catch pattern of the exotic Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) and their relationship with water quality along with maturity status of fishes were assessed during 2017-2019 to understand overall establishment and impact of the species in Buxar stretch of River Ganga in West Bihar, India. A total of 64 fish species were recorded including two exotic fishes (C. carpio and Oreochromis niloticus) from the river stretch during the study period. The annual production data depicted Cyprinus carpio to be the most dominating fish species encountered from the study area sharing 57.07% (by weight) during the period 2017-19. Calculated average ‘Invasion coefficient index (Ix)’of 0.25 in entire three-year study period revealed that the invasion has moderately impacted the indigenous fish diversity. Landing of Indian Major Carp (IMC) indicated severe decline (76.4 - 95.6%) in comparison to the catch data recorded earlier from Buxar. Data generated on sex structure of Common Carp indicated that the overall sex ratio showed positive recruitment within the smaller size range of 282-307 mm and thus avails a competitive breeding advantage over other carp fishes. Gut content of Common Carp from the stretch observed major share of phytoplankton (81.04%) and zooplankton (17.18%) and thus there are significant dietary overlap of Common Carp with other valuable species. The stretch has been impacted with anthropogenic loading as identified through significantly higher water specific conductivity (580 µScm-1), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (3 mgl-1), etc. in drastically reduced water discharge regime. Among different water parameters, river flow, Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Total Phosphate showed positive whereas specific conductivity showed negative correlation with Common Carp seasonal abundance. Future conservation management measures may be formulated keeping in view of the identified factors through the present study for reducing the impending risks of the invasive fish species in Buxar stretch of River Ganga.
Assessment of new method of posterior spinal fusion in the treatment of patients with posttraumatic kyphotic deformity of the thoracic and lumbar spine
Authors: Ptashnikov D. A. , Magomedov S. S. , Rominskiy S. P. , Mytyga P. G. 
Published: September 2021

Objective. To carry out a comparative analysis of two methods of the posterior bone block formation (with autograft bone chips or with a whole vertebral arch) and to assess the rate of bone block formation, the degree of surgery invasiveness and the patient-reported cosmetic satisfaction with the results.Material and Methods. The study involved 31 patients with kyphotic deformity of the thoracic spine, of which 15 patients underwent spinal fusion using autograft bone chips (control group), and 16 were operated on using a new technique with a whole vertebral arch. The results of treatment were assessed using a modified MacNab scale. During the follow-up period from 1.5 to 2 years, pain syndrome was assessed according to VAS, quality of life according the Oswestry Disability Index, and cosmetic satisfaction was assessed using the SRS-22 scale.Results. In the course of the work, it was revealed that in patients who were operated on using new method, the time of bone block formation according to CT data was shorter, the overall satisfaction with surgery result was higher (mainly due to the absence of a cosmetic defect), and the indicators of the operation duration and blood loss did not differ compared to those in the control group.Conclusion. Based on the results obtained, spinal fusion using a whole vertebral arch can be recommended in clinical practice for surgical interventions in patients with kyphotic deformities of the spine.
Chronic infectious lesions of the cervical spine in adults: monocentric cohort analysis and literature review
Authors: Naumov D. G. , Tkach S. G. , Mushkin A. Yu. , Makogonova M. E. 
Published: September 2021

Objective. To analyze the results of surgical treatment of chronic infectious cervical spondylitis and literature data.Material and Methods. Design: retrospective monocentric cohort study for 2017–2020. The study included medical history and clinical and instrumental data of 25 patients who underwent 28 reconstructive surgeries on the suboccipital (n1 = 3) and subaxial (n2 = 25) spine. The average follow-up period was 1 year 2 months ± 4 months. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22.0.Results. The effect of the duration of the therapeutic pause (p = 0.043) and the T1 slope (T1S) (p = 0.022) on the intensity of vertebrogenic pain syndrome was established. When assessing the parameters of the sagittal balance a direct relationship between the age of patients and the value of cervical sagittal vertical axis (CSVA) (p = 0.035) was revealed, while CSVA (p = 0.514) and neck tilt angle (NTA) (p = 0.617) did not significantly affect the intensity of vertebral pain syndrome. The extent of vertebral destruction did not affect either the intensity of vertebral pain (p = 0.872) or the indices of the sagittal balance: CSVA (p = 0.116), T1S (p = 0.154), and NTA (p = 0.562). A significant predictor of postoperative complications is the level of comorbidity with an index of 7 or more (p = 0.027) according to the Charlson scale.Conclusion. The leading predictors of complications of surgical treatment of cervical infectious spondylitis are the Charlson comorbidity index (7 points or more) and the variant of anterior reconstruction (the use of a blocked extraspinal plate). The factors influencing the intensity of vertebrogenic pain syndrome in this pathology are the duration of the therapeutic pause and the magnitude of T1S compensation. Anterior reconstruction of the cervical spine in the presence of infectious spondylitis provides a correction of the sagittal balance parameters, with the possibility of long-term maintaining the achieved values.
Legal, Tax and Accounting Treatment of Cryptocurrencies in Mexico
Authors: Delva Benavides Juan Emmanuel , Torres Amaya Francisco Ernesto 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This study analyzes the legal implications of the operations with cryptocurrencies in Mexico, which are offered by financial technology institutions. Even though there is a Fintech Law, the regulation is not clear, and laws are lacking. This scenario is a consequence of categorizing the cryptocurrencies as digital assets but omitting in other laws like the Tax, Civil or Commercial Code. The conclusion assembles the possibility of extending and providing greater certainty to cryptocurrencies within the Mexican legislation by harmonizing the laws.
Historic nucleic acids isolated by Friedrich Miescher contain RNA besides DNA
Authors: Thess Andreas , Hoerr Ingmar , Panah Benyamin Yazdan , Jung Günther , Dahm Ralf 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
One hundred fifty years ago, Friedrich Miescher discovered DNA when he isolated “Nuclein”—as he named it—from nuclei of human pus cells. Miescher recognized his isolate as a new type of molecule equal in importance to proteins. He realised that it is an acid of large molecular weight and high phosphorus content. Subsequently, he discovered Nuclein also in the nuclei of other cell types, realised that it chemically defines the nucleus, and speculated on its role in proliferation, heredity and fertilisation. While now universally recognised as the discoverer of DNA, whether Miescher also discovered RNA has not yet been addressed. To determine whether his isolation also yielded RNA, we first reproduced his historic protocols. Our resulting modern Nuclein contained a significant percentage of RNA. Encouraged by this result, we then analysed a sample of Nuclein isolated by Miescher from salmon sperm. Assuming that the RNA present in this sample had degraded to nucleobases, we tested for the presence of uracil in the historic Nuclein. Detection of significant levels of uracil by LC-UV-MS demonstrates that Miescher isolated both forms of nucleic acid—DNA and RNA—and underlines the fundamental nature of his discovery for the field of molecular genetics.
Disaffiliation amongst academically elite students in Singapore: the role of a non-standard variety of English
Authors: Lu Luke 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This article seeks to examine whether and how a non-standard variety of English (i.e. Singlish) might contribute to (dis)affiliation amongst a multinational group of academically elite students in Singapore. Using interview data when informants expressed ideologies about Singlish and Standard English, I argue that informants tended to orient to two different social fields in interviews: a field of education where Standard English is consistently valued by them, and an informal field of socialisation where the value of Singlish is contested. Differences in valuation of Singlish suggest disaffiliation between two groups of academically elite students: (a) immigrants from China who arrived more recently and do not value Singlish; (b) localised peer groups (including immigrants and Singaporeans) who claim to value and practise Singlish in their informal interactions. There are implications for our understanding of the role of vernaculars in processes of transnational migration, and Singlish as a local marker of solidarity.
A Study on Thermal and Electrical Conductivities of Ethylene-Butene Copolymer Composites with Carbon Fibers
Authors: Hamid Y. , Svoboda P. 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Ethylene-butene copolymer (EBC)/carbon-fiber (CF) composites can be utilized as an electromechanical material due to their ability to change electric resistance with mechanical strain. The electro-mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of ethylene butene copolymer (EBC) composites with carbon fibers were studied. Carbon fibers were introduced to EBC with various concentrations (5 to 25 wt%). The results showed that carbon fibers’ addition to EBC improves the electric conductivity up to 10 times. Increasing the load up to 2.9 MPa will raise the electric resistance change by 4 500% for a 25% fiber sample. It is also noted that the EBC/CF composites’ electric resistance underwent a dramatic increase in raising the strain. For example, the resistance change was around 13 times higher at 15% strain compared to 5% strain. The thermal conductivity tests showed that the addition of carbon fibers increases the thermal conductivity by 40%, from 0.19 to 0.27 Wm–1K–1.
Basic Study of Extensional Flow Mixing for the Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in Polypropylene by Using Capillary Extrusion
Authors: Matsumoto K. , Tanaka T. 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This study evaluated the mixing effect of simple uniaxial extensional flow for the dispersion of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into polypropylene (PP) as a nonpolar matrix. An only converging flow allowed for a high strain rate and was suitable for the compounding process. The extensional flow was characterized from the entrance pressure drop (ΔP0) at the converging section. Thus, in this study, capillary extrusion was employed to generate uniaxial extensional flow. Based on the hypothesis that the dispersion of nanofillers depends on the magnitude of flow-induced stress, ΔP0, which related to extensional stress, was measured directly during capillary extrusion by using an orifice die. The influences of the mass flow rate and the hole diameter in the orifice die, which affected ΔP0, on the extrusion of PP nanocomposites with an MWCNT loading of 1.0 wt.% were studied. The extruded samples were collected, and the dispersion state was evaluated based on the melt viscoelastic properties, volume resistivity, and morphological observations by optical microscopy (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The agglomeration area of the MWCNTs decreased with higher ΔP0 (higher mass flow rate and smaller hole diameter), which increased the uniformity of the dispersion. Moreover, the influence of the length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio of the hole in the capillary die on the dispersion state of the MWCNTs was investigated. A higher L/D ratio of the capillary die did not improve the dispersion state, although shear and extensional stresses were provided.
The Effect of Nanosilicates on the Performance of Polyethylene Terephthalate Films Prepared by Twin-Screw Extrusion
Authors: Ghanbari A. , Heuzey M.-C. , Carreau P. J. 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films were prepared by cast extrusion using a twin-screw extruder with a severe screw profile. The effect of an organically modified montmorillonite on thermal, mechanical, optical, and barrier properties of the PET films were investigated. Morphological characterization of the nanocomposite films was performed by employing wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) followed by image analysis. The results unfold a mixed morphology for the nanocomposite films with more than 95% exfoliated and intercalated silicate layer structures, depending on the screw rotation speed. The remarkable dispersion of the organoclay particles at the nano-level is discussed in terms of solubility parameter and favorable interactions between PET macromolecules and organic modifier of the nanoclay. The crystal content of the nanocomposite films and their cold and hot crystallization temperatures confirmed the role of silicate nanolayers as a heterogeneous nucleating agent. While all nanocomposite films exhibit higher haze values in comparison to the neat PET samples, incorporation of 2 wt% nanoclay brought about 25% increase in tensile modulus and barrier properties. A range of screw rotation speeds with optimized properties in terms of haze, morphology, thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties is suggested.
Fetoscopic laser ablation therapy in monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated at a single centre over 10 years: a retrospective study
Authors: Fichera Anna , Azzaretto Vita Valentina , Fratelli Nicola , Mancino Sara , Marella Daria , Negri Beatrice , Valcamonico Adriana , Zanardini Cristina , Frusca Tiziana , Sartori Enrico , Prefumo Federico 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Objectives
To review experience with fetoscopic laser ablation of placental anastomoses to treat monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies complicated by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) in a single centre over a ten-year period.

Methods
A retrospective study on 142 MCDA twin pregnancies complicates by TTTS treated with equatorial laser ablation of placental anastomoses (2008–2018). Solomon technique was also applied after 2013. Survival rates, neonatal outcome, intraoperative and post-laser complications were recorded, and prognostic factors analysed.

Results
A total of 133 cases were included in the final analysis; 41 patients were at stage II (30.8%), 73 were at stage III (62.9%), while only 12 (9%) at stage I and two patients (1.7%) at stage IV. Solomon technique was applied in 39 cases (29.3%). Survival of both twins was 51.1% (68/133), of a single twin 20.3% (27/133), and of at least one 71.5% (95/133), with an overall survival of 61.3% (163/266). TAPS and recurrent TTTS occurred in 8 (6%) and 15 (11.3%) patients. Survival of both fetuses increased over time (44.6 vs. 57.3%). A posterior placenta (p<0.003) and the use of the Solomon technique (p<0.02) were more frequent in cases with survival of both fetuses, while TTTS recurrence was significantly associated to the loss of one or two fetuses (p<0.01). Such associations were confirmed at logistic regression analysis.

Conclusions
Survival of both twins can improve over time and seems to be favourably associated with a placenta in the posterior location and the use of the Solomon technique.
Nonlinear buckling behavior of hybrid composites with different notch types
Authors: Erdem Serkan , Gur Mustafa , Kaman Mete Onur 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
In this study, the effect of change of notch type on non-linear buckling behavior in composite plates was investigated experimentally and numerically. The composite plate is produced by applying the vacuum infusion method using carbon and aramid hybrid woven fabric and epoxy. Primarily, in the composite plates, a circular hole in the middle, a U single edge notch and semicircle double edge notches are formed. The specimens were subjected to buckling tests, being placed on their two edges, while the others were free. Afterwards, the load displacement graphs of the plates under pressure load were obtained experimentally for the behavior before and after buckling. In the numerical study, non-linear buckling analysis was performed using the finite element method. As a result, experimental and numerical buckling behaviors were obtained in accordance with each other. Since the net cross section bearing the pressure load is equal for all notch types, an effective difference between the maximum damage loads has not been achieved. So, the variation of notch type does not change the load displacement behavior characteristics of the plates after buckling. However, due to the unsymmetrical geometry in U notched plates, an uneven change in horizontal displacements along the width of the plate was achieved. The maximum stress concentration formed around the notch increased after buckling with the increase of displacement in vertical direction.
Effects of chromic acid anodizing on fatigue behavior of 7050 T7451 aluminum alloy
Authors: İlhan Çağrı , Gürbüz Rıza 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The effect of chromic acid anodizing (CAA) surface treatment on 7050 T7451 aluminum alloy was presented in this study in terms of fatigue behavior. CAA is a treatment against corrosion by producing aluminum oxide layer (Al2O3) at the surface. However, fatigue performance of 7050 T7451 is affected by the coating. In this study, eight different CAA processes were examined with regard to etching stage of pre-treatments by using an alkaline etchant and/or acid etchants with various immersion times. Optical microscopic examinations were applied in order to determine pitting characteristics for the selection of CAA process parameters before fatigue tests. A CAA process was selected among eight processes in terms of pitting characteristics in order to apply fatigue specimens. Four fatigue test groups were determined to investigate bare condition of 7050 T7451 and sub-stages of the CAA particularly. Constant amplitude axial fatigue tests were conducted on specimens at 91 Hz at stress ratio (R) -1 until run-out criteria, which was 106 cycles. Fatigue life reduction was determined due to pretreatments of CAA. Fracture surfaces of the specimens were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) to investigate morphology and crack initiation sites.
Effect of post-weld heat treatment on microstructure and corrosion properties of multi-layer super duplex stainless steel welds
Authors: Tian Lei , Gao Zhanqi , Han Yongdian 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
To investigate the influence of post-weld heat treatment on the microstructure and corrosion properties of super duplex stainless steel welded joints, multi-layer multi-pass welding of 2507 super duplex stainless steel by tungsten argon arc welding was performed using an ER2594 welding wire. The microstructures of the welded joints before and after post-weld heat treatment at 1150 °C, 1170 °C and 1190 °C were observed, and the mechanical and corrosion properties were tested. The post-weld heat treatment changed the austenite content and morphology of the welded joint and improved the corrosion resistance of different parts of the weld metal. The choice of various solution heat treatment temperatures affected the change in austenite content in the weld zone and the degree of diffusion and homogenization of the alloy elements. After post-weld heat treatment at 1170 °C, the two-phase ratios in each area of the weld were the most suitable and uniform, and the overall mechanical and corrosion properties of the joint were more uniform.