bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Znanja i stavovi učitelja o prilagodbi likovne kulture umjetnički darovitoj djeci
Authors: Ravlić Dijana
Published: July 2019

Umjetnički darovita djeca pripadaju skupini djece s posebnim potrebama. Prepoznavanje karakteristika umjetnički darovite djece od velike je važnosti budući da mogu pogrešno biti dijagnosticirana kao hiperaktivna djeca. Cilj je ovog rada ispitati znanje i stavove učitelja o prilagođavanju Likovne kulture umjetnički darovitoj djeci. U uvodnom dijelu rada navedene su definicije opće darovitosti te su opisane karakteristike darovite djece. Nadalje, opisuje se likovna kreativnost te karakteristike umjetnički darovite djece, kao i prilagođavanje Likovne kulture umjetnički darovitoj djeci. Empirijski dio rada odnosi se na istraživanje temeljeno na anonimnom upitniku u kojem su sudjelovala 93 učitelja razredne nastave. Rezultati ovog istraživanja pokazuju da učitelji imaju pozitivan stav prema prilagodbi Likovne kulture umjetnički darovitoj djeci te dosta visoko znanje o umjetnički darovitoj djeci. Ipak, ne postoji statistički značajna povezanost između
tih dviju varijabli. Zaključeno je da većina učitelja smatra kako bi satnica Likovne kulture trebala biti veća od trenutne te bi se na taj način osigurala i kvalitetnija nastava.
A Wearable Wireless Sensor Network Node for Prevention of Physical Injuries
Authors: Heiduk Tobias , Thike Aye Min , Excell Peter S. , Osanlou Ardeshir
Published: July 2019

The economic burden of healthcare provision is continually rising. To combat this, targeted preventative measures have been proposed, together with encouragement of healthier lifestyle, enhanced health data collection and empowerment of patients in disease prevention and monitoring. A major cause of impairment is muscular strain and/or bone damage caused by sports injuries in the young, or falling in the elderly. To address such issues, a wearable wireless inertial sensor network is proposed which monitors body dynamics for probable disruptive incidents. The sensor node consists of a combined accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer, linked to a micro controller to gather information from the sensor and a wireless transceiver for communication with the network. A miniaturised wearable prototype was designed and realised in hardware.
The Cascade Carry Array Multiplier – A Novel Structure of Digital Unsigned Multipliers for Low-Power Consumption and Ultra-Fast Applications
Authors: Sadeghi Mohsen , Zahedi Mahya , Ali Maaruf
Published: July 2019

This article presents a low power consumption, high speed multiplier, based on a lowest transistor count novel structure when compared with other traditional multipliers. The proposed structure utilizes 4×4-bit adder units, since it is the base structure of digital multipliers. The main merits of this multiplier design are that: it has the least adder unit count; ultra-low power consumption and the fastest propagation delay in comparison with other gate implementations. The figures demonstrate that the proposed structure consumes 32% less power than using the bypassing Ripple Carry Array (RCA) implementation. Moreover, its propagation delay and adder units count are respectively about 31% and 8.5% lower than the implementation using the bypassing RCA multiplier. All of these simulations were carried out using the HSPICE circuit simulation software in 0.18 μm technology at 1.8 V supply voltage. The proposed design is thus highly suitable in low power drain and high-speed arithmetic electronic circuit applications.
Tensiones y distensiones entre turistificación y comunidad. El patrimonio como conflicto y el conflicto como patrimonio
Authors: Montaño Óscar Salguero , Cota Ariana Sánchez , Rodríguez Medela Juan
Published: July 2019

En este debate queremos contribuir a la problematización de las nociones de comunidad, patrimonio y turismo, para comprender, a partir del caso de Granada, qué está sucediendo en nuestros centros históricos, qué repercusiones tiene para el sostenimiento de las vidas en estos barrios y cómo sus propias comunidades lo están enfrentando. Partimos de la tensión que genera la patrimonialización de los barrios históricos, a partir de –por ejemplo- las declaraciones como Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO. Estas, si bien surgen como herramienta para la conservación de los elementos culturales singulares, contribuyen a la mercantilización de estos y de las zonas donde se ubican, a través del fomento de un turismo cultural que se ha ido masificando hasta el punto de tener consecuencias negativas en la calidad de vida de los barrios, ya sea a nivel de vivienda, de comercio de proximidad, de espacio público, de movilidad, llegando a poner en una situación crítica la esencia de estos barrios que aporta una vecindad en “peligro de extinción”. Una amenaza reconocida y en proceso de confrontación por una vecindad organizada que no solo quiere padecer el problema sino contribuir a su solución.
Sources and Geographical Origins of PM10 in Metz (France) Using Oxalate as a Marker of Secondary Organic Aerosols by Positive Matrix Factorization Analysis
Authors: Petit Jean-Eudes , Pallarès Cyril , Favez Olivier , Alleman Laurent Y. , Bonnaire Nicolas , Rivière Emmanuel
Published: July 2019

An original source apportionment study was conducted on atmospheric particles (PM10) collected in Metz, one of the largest cities of Eastern France. A Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis was applied to a sampling filter-based chemical dataset obtained for the April 2015 to January 2017 period. Nine factors were clearly identified, showing mainly contributions from anthropogenic sources of primary PM (19.2% and 16.1% for traffic and biomass burning, respectively) as well as secondary aerosols (12.3%, 14.5%, 21.8% for sulfate-, nitrate-, and oxalate-rich factors, respectively). Wood-burning aerosols exhibited strong temporal variations and contributed up to 30% of the PM mass fraction during winter, while primary traffic concentrations remained relatively constant throughout the year. These two sources are also the main contributors during observed PM10 pollution episodes. Furthermore, the dominance of the oxalate-rich factor among other secondary aerosol factors underlines the role of atmospheric processing to secondary organic aerosol loadings which are still poorly characterized in this region. Finally, Concentration-Weighted Trajectory (CWT) analysis were performed to investigate the geographical origins of the apportioned sources, notably illustrating a significant transport of both nitrate-rich and sulfate-rich factors from Northeastern Europe but also from the Balkan region.
Soft X-Ray Spectroscopy of Rare-Earth Elements in LHD Plasmas
Authors: Suzuki Chihiro , Koike Fumihiro , Murakami Izumi , Tamura Naoki , Sudo Shigeru , O’Sullivan Gerry
Published: July 2019

Soft X-ray spectra from high Z rare-earth (lanthanide) elements have been systematically observed in optically thin, high-temperature plasmas produced in the Large Helical Device (LHD), a facility for magnetically confined fusion research. It has been demonstrated that the discrete and quasicontinuum (UTA) spectral features from highly charged lanthanide ions are observed depending on the plasma temperature. The analyses of the measured spectra are ongoing by comparisons with theoretical calculations and/or previous experimental data available. The discrete spectra recorded in high-temperature conditions are dominated by individual lines of Ge- to Ni-like ions, while prominent peaks in the narrowed UTA spectra observed in low-temperature conditions are well explained by the transitions of Ag- to Rh-like ions.
Physicochemical and Biological Examination of Two Glatiramer Acetate Products
Authors: Komlosh Arthur , Weinstein Vera , Loupe Pippa , Hasson Tal , Timan Bracha , Konya Attila , Alexander Jessica , Melamed-Gal Sigal , Nock Steffen
Published: July 2019

Herein we compared 40 mg/mL lots of the active ingredient, glatiramer acetate, manufactured by Mylan/Natco to the active ingredient, glatiramer acetate in Copaxone (Teva Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., Netanya Israel) using physicochemical (PCC) methods and biological assays. No differences were seen between the Mylan/Natco and Teva lots with some low resolution release PCC assays (amino acid analysis, molecular weight distribution, interaction with Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250). Changes in polydispersity between Mylan/Natco and Copaxone lots were found using size exclusion chromatography and the high resolution PCC method, known as Viscotek, and suggestive of a disparity in the homogeneity of mixture, with a shift towards high molecular weight polypeptides. Using RPLC-2D MALLS, 5 out of 8 Mylan/Natco lots fell outside the Copaxone range, containing a high molecular weight and high hydrophobicity subpopulation of polypeptides not found in Copaxone lots. Cation exchange chromatography showed differences in the surface charge distribution between the Copaxone and Mylan/Natco lots. The Mylan/Natco lots were found to be within Copaxone specifications for the EAE model, monoclonal and polyclonal binding assays and the in vitro cytotoxicity assay, however higher IL-2 secretion was shown for three Mylan/Natco lots in a potency assay. These observations provide data to inform the ongoing scientific discussion about the comparability of glatiramer acetate in Copaxone and follow-on products.
Synergy between Auranofin and Celecoxib against Colon Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo through a Novel Redox-Mediated Mechanism
Authors: Han Yi , Chen Ping , Zhang Yanyu , Lu Wenhua , Ding Wenwen , Luo Yao , Wen Shijun , Xu Ruihua , Liu Panpan , Huang Peng
Published: July 2019

Recent study suggests that auranofin (AF), a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, has selective anticancer activity in various experimental models. Its clinical applications in cancer treatment, however, have been hampered due in part to its relatively moderate activity as a single agent. In this study, we performed a high-throughput screening of the FDA-approved drug library for clinical compounds that potentiate the anticancer activity auranofin, and unexpectedly identified an anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib (CE) that potently enhanced the therapeutic activity of AF in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, AF/CE combination induced severe oxidative stress that caused ROS-mediated inhibition of hexokinase (HK) and a disturbance of mitochondrial redox homeostasis, resulting in a significant decrease of ATP generation. The CE-induced ROS increase together with AF-medicated inhibition of thioredoxin reductase cause a shift of Trx2 to an oxidized state, leading to degradation of MTCO2 and dysfunction of the electron transport chain. Our study has identified a novel drug combination that effectively eliminates cancer cells in vivo. Since AF and CE are FDA-approved drugs that are currently used in the clinic, it is feasible to translate the findings of this study into clinical applications for cancer treatment.
A Comprehensive Review of Autophagy and Its Various Roles in Infectious, Non-Infectious, and Lifestyle Diseases: Current Knowledge and Prospects for Disease Prevention, Novel Drug Design, and Therapy
Authors: Khandia Rekha , Dadar Maryam , Munjal Ashok , Dhama Kuldeep , Karthik Kumaragurubaran , Tiwari Ruchi , Yatoo Mohd. Iqbal , Iqbal Hafiz M.N. , Singh Karam Pal , Joshi Sunil K. , Chaicumpa Wanpen
Published: July 2019

Autophagy (self-eating) is a conserved cellular degradation process that plays important roles in maintaining homeostasis and preventing nutritional, metabolic, and infection-mediated stresses. Autophagy dysfunction can have various pathological consequences, including tumor progression, pathogen hyper-virulence, and neurodegeneration. This review describes the mechanisms of autophagy and its associations with other cell death mechanisms, including apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis, and autosis. Autophagy has both positive and negative roles in infection, cancer, neural development, metabolism, cardiovascular health, immunity, and iron homeostasis. Genetic defects in autophagy can have pathological consequences, such as static childhood encephalopathy with neurodegeneration in adulthood, Crohn’s disease, hereditary spastic paraparesis, Danon disease, X-linked myopathy with excessive autophagy, and sporadic inclusion body myositis. Further studies on the process of autophagy in different microbial infections could help to design and develop novel therapeutic strategies against important pathogenic microbes. This review on the progress and prospects of autophagy research describes various activators and suppressors, which could be used to design novel intervention strategies against numerous diseases and develop therapeutic drugs to protect human and animal health.
Information Theory Applications in Signal Processing
Authors: Cruces Sergio , Martín-Clemente Rubén , Samek Wojciech
Published: July 2019

The birth of Information Theory, right after the pioneering work of Claude Shannon and his celebrated publication of the paper “A mathematical theory of Communication” [...]
Multiobjective Optimization of a Plate Heat Exchanger in a Waste Heat Recovery Organic Rankine Cycle System for Natural Gas Engines
Authors: Valencia Guillermo , Núñez José , Duarte Jorge
Published: July 2019

A multiobjective optimization of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) evaporator, operating with toluene as the working fluid, is presented in this paper for waste heat recovery (WHR) from the exhaust gases of a 2 MW Jenbacher JMS 612 GS-N.L. gas internal combustion engine. Indirect evaporation between the exhaust gas and the organic fluid in the parallel plate heat exchanger (ITC2) implied irreversible heat transfer and high investment costs, which were considered as objective functions to be minimized. Energy and exergy balances were applied to the system components, in addition to the phenomenological equations in the ITC2, to calculate global energy indicators, such as the thermal efficiency of the configuration, the heat recovery efficiency, the overall energy conversion efficiency, the absolute increase of engine thermal efficiency, and the reduction of the break-specific fuel consumption of the system, of the system integrated with the gas engine. The results allowed calculation of the plate spacing, plate height, plate width, and chevron angle that minimized the investment cost and entropy generation of the equipment, reaching 22.04 m2 in the heat transfer area, 693.87 kW in the energy transfer by heat recovery from the exhaust gas, and 41.6% in the overall thermal efficiency of the ORC as a bottoming cycle for the engine. This type of result contributes to the inclusion of this technology in the industrial sector as a consequence of the improvement in thermal efficiency and economic viability.
Double-Granule Conditional-Entropies Based on Three-Level Granular Structures
Authors: Mu Taopin , Zhang Xianyong , Mo Zhiwen
Published: July 2019

Rough set theory is an important approach for data mining, and it refers to Shannon’s information measures for uncertainty measurements. The existing local conditional-entropies have both the second-order feature and application limitation. By improvements of hierarchical granulation, this paper establishes double-granule conditional-entropies based on three-level granular structures (i.e., micro-bottom, meso-middle, macro-top ), and then investigates the relevant properties. In terms of the decision table and its decision classification, double-granule conditional-entropies are proposed at micro-bottom by the dual condition-granule system. By virtue of successive granular summation integrations, they hierarchically evolve to meso-middle and macro-top, to respectively have part and complete condition-granulations. Then, the new measures acquire their number distribution, calculation algorithm, three bounds, and granulation non-monotonicity at three corresponding levels. Finally, the hierarchical constructions and achieved properties are effectively verified by decision table examples and data set experiments. Double-granule conditional-entropies carry the second-order characteristic and hierarchical granulation to deepen both the classical entropy system and local conditional-entropies, and thus they become novel uncertainty measures for information processing and knowledge reasoning.
Study on Size Design of Shaft Protection Rock/Coal Pillars in Thick Soil and Thin Rock Strata
Authors: Han Jihuan , Zou Jiuqun , Hu Chenchen , Yang Weihao
Published: July 2019

To prevent serious shaft deflection disasters under asymmetric mining conditions, it is urgent to solve the problem of designing shaft protection rock pillar (SPRP) sizes in thick soil and thin rock strata. In this paper, based on the parallel mining model and the perpendicular mining model, a dynamic prediction model that can describe the horizontal movement of the shaft was established by the probability integration method and the Knothe time function. Next, according to the measured data of the shaft deflection in the Guotun Coal Mine, a back analysis was used to calculate the prediction parameters that were suitable for the deep soil strata. Based on the mining model, the variation law of the horizontal deflection displacement of the shaft and SPRP size was obtained. The results showed that the final displacements of the shaft under the two ideal mining models were equal, while the parallel mining model was superior to the perpendicular mining model at the initial stage of mining. The horizontal displacement of the shaft head had a nonlinear negative correlation with the SPRP, and the SPRP size in thick soil and thin rock strata calculated by the parallel mining model was more reasonable. For the Guotun Coal Mine, when the soil movement angle was 57.8% of the actual value, the horizontal displacement of the main shaft head was reduced by 87%. The results have important theoretical and practical value in preventing shaft deflection in thick soil and thin rock strata.
T2S2G: A Novel Two-Tier Secure Smart Grid Architecture to Protect Network Measurements
Authors: Aziz Israa T. , Jin Hai , Abdulqadder Ihsan H. , Alturfi Sabah M. , Alobaidi Wisam H. , Flaih Firas M.F.
Published: July 2019

False data injection (FDI) attacks are a major security threat to smart grid (SG) communication systems. In FDI attacks, the attacker has the ability of modifying the measurements transmitted by smart grid entities such as smart meters, buses, etc. Many solutions have been proposed to mitigate FDI attacks in the SG. However, most of these solutions rely on centralized state estimation (SE), which is computationally expensive. To engulf this problem in FDI attack detection and to improve security of SGs, this paper proposes novel two-tier secure smart grid (T2S2G) architecture with distributed SE. In T2S2G, measurement collection and SE are involved in first tier while compromised meter detection is involved in second tier. Initially the overall SG system is divided into four sections by the weighted quad tree (WQT) method. Each section is provided with an aggregator, which is responsible to perform SE. Measurements from power grids are collected by remote terminal units (RTUs) and encrypted using a parallel enhanced elliptic curve cryptography (PEECC) algorithm. Then the measurements are transmitted to the corresponding aggregator. Upon collected measurements, aggregator estimates state using the amended particle swarm optimization (APSO) algorithm in a distributed manner. To verify authenticity of aggregators, each aggregator is authenticated by a logical schedule based authentication (LSA) scheme at the control server (CS). In the CS, fuzzy with a neural network (FNN) algorithm is employed for measurements classification. Our proposed T2S2G shows promising results in the following performance metrics: Estimation error, number of protected measurements, detection probability, successful detection rate, and detection delay.
DSP Implementation of a Neural Network Vector Controller for IPM Motor Drives
Authors: Sun Yang , Li Shuhui , Ramezani Malek , Balasubramanian Bharat , Jin Bian , Gao Yixiang
Published: July 2019

This paper develops a neural network (NN) vector controller for an interior mounted permanent magnet (IPM) motor by using a Texas Instrument TMS320F28335 digital signal processor (DSP). The NN controller is developed based on the complete state-space equation of an IPM motor and it is trained to achieve optimal control according to approximate dynamic programming (ADP). A DSP-based NN control system is built for an IPM motor drives system, and a high efficient DSP program is developed to implement the NN control algorithm while considering the limited memory and computing capability of the TMS320F28335 DSP. The DSP-based NN controller is able to manage IPM motor control in linear, over, and six-step modulation regions to improve the efficiency of IPM drives and to allow for the full utilization of DC bus voltage with space-vector pulse-width modulation (SVPWM). The experiment results show that the proposed NN controller is able to operate with a sampling period of 0.1ms, even with limited DSP resources of up to 150 MHz cycle time, which is applicable in practical motor industrial implementations. The NN controller has demonstrated a better current and speed tracking performance than the conventional standard vector controller for IPM operation in both the linear and over-modulation regions.
A High-Resolution Algorithm for Supraharmonic Analysis Based on Multiple Measurement Vectors and Bayesian Compressive Sensing
Authors: Zhuang Shuangyong , Zhao Wei , Wang Qing , Wang Zhe , Chen Lei , Huang Songling
Published: July 2019

Supraharmonics emitted by electrical equipment have caused a series of electromagnetic interference in power systems. Conventional supraharmonic analysis algorithms, e.g., discrete Fourier transform (DFT), have a relatively low frequency resolution with a given observation time. Our previous work supplied a significant improvement on the frequency resolution based on multiple measurement vectors and orthogonal matching pursuit (MMV-OMP). In this paper, an improved algorithm for supraharmonic analysis, which employs Bayesian compressive sensing (BCS) for further improving the frequency resolution, is proposed. The performance of the proposed algorithm on the simulation signal and experimental data show that the frequency resolution can be improved by about a magnitude compared to that of the MMV-OMP algorithm, and the signal frequency estimation error is about 20 times better. In order to identify the signals in two adjacent frequency grids with one resolution, a normalized inner product criterion is proposed and verified by simulations. The proposed algorithm shows a potential for high-accuracy supraharmonic analysis.
Multi-Objective Optimal Charging Control of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Power Distribution Systems
Authors: Li Wei , Lin Zhiyun , Cai Kai , Zhou Hanyun , Yan Gangfeng
Published: July 2019

With the increasing popularity of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), the coordinated charging of PHEVs has become an important issue in power distribution systems. This paper employs a multi-objective optimization model for coordinated charging of PHEVs in the system, in which the problem of valley filling and total cost minimization are both investigated under the system’s technical constraints. To this end, a hierarchical optimal algorithm combining the water-filling-based algorithm with the consensus-based method is proposed to solve the constrained optimization problem. Moreover, a moving horizon approach is adopted to deal with the case where PHEVs arrive and leave randomly. We show that the proposed algorithm not only enhances the stability of the power load but also achieves the global minimization of vehicle owners charging costs, and its implementation is convenient in the multi-level power distribution system integrating the physical power grid with a heterogeneous information network. Numerical simulations are presented to show the desirable performance of the proposed algorithm.
A Super-Twisting Sliding-Mode Stator Flux Observer for Sensorless Direct Torque and Flux Control of IPMSM
Authors: Chen Junlei , Chen Shuo , Wu Xiang , Tan Guojun , Hao Jianqi
Published: July 2019

The scheme based on direct torque and flux control (DTFC) as well as active flux is a good choice for the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) sensorless control. The precision of the stator flux observation is essential for this scheme. However, the performance of traditional observers like pure integrator and the low-pass filter (LPF) is severely deteriorated by disturbances, especially dc offset. Recently, a sliding-mode stator flux observer (SMFO) was proposed to reduce the dc offset in the estimated stator flux. However, it cannot eliminate the dc offset totally and will cause the chattering problem. To solve these problems, a novel super-twisting sliding-mode stator flux observer (STSMFO) is proposed in this paper. Compared with SMFO, STSMFO can reduce the chattering and fully eliminate the dc offset without any amplitude and phase compensation. Then, the precision of the stator flux and rotor position can be greatly improved over a wide speed region. The detailed mathematical analysis has been given for comparing it with another three traditional observers. The numerical simulations and experimental testing with an IPMSM drive platform have been implemented to verify the capability of the proposed sensorless scheme.
Global CO2 Emission-Related Geotechnical Engineering Hazards and the Mission for Sustainable Geotechnical Engineering
Authors: Chang Ilhan , Lee Minhyeong , Cho Gye-Chun
Published: July 2019

Global warming and climate change caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have rapidly increased the occurrence of abnormal climate events, and both the scale and frequency of geotechnical engineering hazards (GEHs) accordingly. In response, geotechnical engineers have a responsibility to provide countermeasures to mitigate GEHs through various ground improvement techniques. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive review of the possible correlation between GHG emissions and GEHs using statistical data, a review of ground improvement methods that have been studied to reduce the carbon footprint of geotechnical engineering, and a discussion of the direction in which geotechnical engineering should proceed in the future.
Hybrid Bio-Inspired Computational Heuristic Paradigm for Integrated Load Dispatch Problems Involving Stochastic Wind
Authors: Jamal Raheela , Men Baohui , Khan Noor Habib , Raja Muhammad Asif Zahoor
Published: July 2019

In this research work, bio-inspired computational heuristic algorithms (BCHAs) integrated with active-set algorithms (ASA) were designed to study integrated economics load dispatch problems with valve point effects involving stochastic wind power. These BCHAs are developed through variants of genetic algorithms based on a different set of routines for reproduction operators in order to make exploration and exploitation in the entire search space for finding the global optima, while the ASA is used for rapid local refinements of the results. The designed schemes are estimated on different load dispatch systems consisting of a combination of thermal generating units and wind power plants with and without valve point loading effects. The accuracy, convergence, robustness and complexity of the proposed schemes has been examined through comparative studies based on a sufficiently large number of independent trails and their statistical observations in terms of different performance indices.
Maintaining the Sense of Agency in Semi-Autonomous Robot Conferencing
Authors: Tanaka Kazuaki , Takenouchi Kota , Ogawa Kohei , Yoshikawa Yuichiro , Nishio Shuichi , Ishiguro Hiroshi
Published: July 2019

In semi-autonomous robot conferencing, not only the operator controls the robot, but the robot itself also moves autonomously. Thus, it can modify the operator’s movement (e.g., adding social behaviors). However, the sense of agency, that is, the degree of feeling that the movement of the robot is the operator’s own movement, would decrease if the operator is conscious of the discrepancy between the teleoperation and autonomous behavior. In this study, we developed an interface to control the robot head by using an eye tracker. When the robot autonomously moves its eye-gaze position, the interface guides the operator’s eye movement towards this autonomous movement. The experiment showed that our interface can maintain the sense of agency, because it provided the illusion that the autonomous behavior of a robot is directed by the operator’s eye movement. This study reports the conditions of how to provide this illusion in semi-autonomous robot conferencing.
Welfare of Fish—No Longer the Elephant in the Room
Authors: Saraiva João L. , Arechavala-Lopez Pablo
Published: July 2019

The concept of fish welfare is fairly recent and was overlooked for many years, based on a popular misconception that fish were “stupid” creatures devoid of any kind of sentience or mental capability [...]
Standing Out in a Big Crowd: High Cultural and Economic Value of Naso unicornis in the Insular Pacific
Authors: Taylor Brett M.
Published: July 2019

Hundreds of fish species are harvested in coral-reef fisheries in the Indo-Pacific region using a variety of fishing gears. This diversity makes the economics, ecology, and management of reef-associated fisheries inherently complex. However, across insular fisheries spanning the tropical Pacific, one species consistently dominates contemporary fisheries catch: the bluespine unicornfish (Naso unicornis, Acanthuridae). I evaluated the relative contribution of N. unicornis to commercial fisheries in the insular Pacific region from long-term (>1 year) fishery surveys across various jurisdictions and provide evidence of the contemporary cultural value of this species. Overall, evidence suggests that N. unicornis is the most commercially-valuable reef-associated fish species across the insular Pacific. This notion, coupled with a diverse representation of N. unicornis across Pacific cultures, suggests that the species is presently underappreciated in its role in coastal fisheries across Pacific Island nations.
Injection of Deformable Capsules in a Reservoir: A Systematic Analysis
Authors: Coclite Alessandro , Gambaruto Alberto M.
Published: July 2019

Motivated by red blood cell dynamics and injectable capsules for drug delivery, in this paper, a computational study of capsule ejection from a narrow channel into a reservoir is undertaken for a combination of varying deformable capsule sizes and channel dimensions. A mass-spring membrane model is coupled to an Immersed Boundary–Lattice Boltzmann model solver. The aim of the present work is the description of the capsules’ motion, deformation and the response of the fluid due to the complex particles’ dynamics. The interactions between the capsules affect the local velocity field and are responsible for the dynamics observed. Capsule membrane deformability is also seen to affect inter-capsule interaction. We observe that the train of three particles locally homogenises the velocity field and the leading capsule travels faster than the other two trailing capsules. Variations in the size of reservoir do not seem to be relevant, while the ratio of capsule diameter to channel diameter as well as the ratio of capsule diameter to inter-capsule spacing play a major role. This flow set-up has not been covered in the literature, and consequently we focus on describing capsule motion, membrane deformation and fluid dynamics, as a preliminary investigation in this field.
The Influence of β-Cyclodextrin on the Reduction of Cholesterol Content in Egg and Duck Liver Pâté
Authors: Alonso Leocadio , Calvo María V. , Fontecha Javier
Published: July 2019

The use of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to reduce cholesterol is increasing in food research due to its affinity for non-polar molecules such as cholesterol. The objective of this study was to study the ability of β-CD to remove cholesterol in natural egg, powdered egg, and duck liver pâté and its effect on individual fatty acids. A concentration of 5% of β-CD was found to be a suitable amount to remove 80.04 ± 4.96–82.12 ± 5.36% of cholesterol from yolk and powdered eggs and 80.21 ± 5.28% of cholesterol from duck liver pâté. β-CD complexed to cholesterol was precipitated and removed by centrifugation. Individual fatty acid compositions did not differ (p < 0.05) between the controls and the products treated with 5% β-CD.
Human Sperm Chromosomes: To Form Hairpin-Loops, Or Not to Form Hairpin-Loops, That Is the Question
Authors: Ioannou Dimitrios , Tempest Helen G.
Published: July 2019

Background: Genomes are non-randomly organized within the interphase nucleus; and spermatozoa are proposed to have a unique hairpin-loop configuration, which has been hypothesized to be critical for the ordered exodus of the paternal genome following fertilization. Recent studies suggest that the hairpin-loop model of sperm chromatin organization is more segmentally organized. The purpose of this study is to examine the 3D organization and hairpin-loop configurations of chromosomes in human spermatozoa. Methods: Three-color sperm-fluorescence in-situ hybridization was utilized against the centromeres, and chromosome p- and q-arms of eight chromosomes from five normozoospermic donors. Wide-field fluorescence microscopy and 3D modelling established the radial organization and hairpin-loop chromosome configurations in spermatozoa. Results: All chromosomes possessed reproducible non-random radial organization (p < 0.05) and formed discrete hairpin-loop configurations. However, chromosomes preferentially formed narrow or wide hairpin-loops. We did not find evidence to support the existence of a centralized chromocenter(s) with centromeres being more peripherally localized than one or both of their respective chromosome arms. Conclusion: This provides further evidence to support a more segmental organization of chromatin in the human sperm nucleus. This may be of significance for fertilization and early embryogenesis as specific genomic regions are likely to be exposed, remodeled, and activated first, following fertilization.
Does Cardiorespiratory Fitness Moderate the Association between Occupational Stress, Cardiovascular Risk, and Mental Health in Police Officers?
Authors: Schilling René , Colledge Flora , Ludyga Sebastian , Pühse Uwe , Brand Serge , Gerber Markus
Published: July 2019

Background: Chronic exposure to occupational stress may lead to negative health consequences. Creating less stressful work environments and making employees physically and psychologically more resilient against stress are therefore two major public health concerns. This study examined whether cardiorespiratory fitness moderated the association between occupational stress, cardiovascular risk, and mental health. Methods: Stress was assessed via the Effort-Reward Imbalance and Job Demand-Control models in 201 police officers (36% women, Mage = 38.6 years). Higher levels of blood pressure, blood lipids, blood sugar, and unfavorable body composition were considered as cardiovascular risk factors. Burnout, insomnia and overall psychological distress were used as mental health indicators. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with a submaximal bicycle test. Results: High cardiorespiratory fitness levels were associated with a reduced cardiometabolic risk, whereas high stress levels were associated with better mental health. Among participants who perceived a high Effort-Reward Imbalance, those with high fitness levels showed lower overall cardiovascular risk scores than their colleagues with low fitness levels. Conclusions: Work health programs for police officers should consider the early screening of burnout, sleep disturbances, and overall mental wellbeing. To increase cardiovascular health, including fitness tests in routine health checks and promoting physical activity to further increase cardiorespiratory fitness appears worthwhile.
Perspectives on Heavy Metal Soil Testing Among Community Gardeners in the United States: A Mixed Methods Approach
Authors: Hunter Candis , Williamson Dana , Gribble Matthew , Bradshaw Halle , Pearson Melanie , Saikawa Eri , Ryan P. , Kegler Michelle
Published: July 2019

Community gardens offer numerous benefits, but there are also potential risks from exposure to chemical contaminants in the soil. Through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior, this mixed methods study examined community gardeners’ beliefs and intentions to conduct heavy metal soil testing. The qualitative component involved five focus groups of community garden leaders in Atlanta, Georgia. Qualitative analysis of the focus group data revealed that heavy metal soil contamination was not frequently identified as a common gardening hazard and several barriers limited soil testing in community gardens. The focus group results informed the development of a questionnaire that was administered to 500 community gardeners across the United States. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the soil testing intention was associated with attitude (aOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.34, 4.53), subjective norms (aOR = 3.39 95% CI: 2.07, 5.57), and perceived behavioral control (aOR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.99). Study findings have implications for interventions involving community garden risk mitigation, particularly gardens that engage children and vulnerable populations.
Who Benefits from National Estuaries? Applying the FEGS Classification System to Identify Ecosystem Services and their Beneficiaries
Authors: Yee Susan Harrell , Sullivan Angelica , Williams Kathleen C. , Winters Kirsten
Published: July 2019

In spite of their perceived value, the widespread implementation of ecosystem services assessments has been limited because of perceptions of being too technical, too expensive, or requiring special expertise. For example, federal estuary management programs have widely used ecosystem services concepts to frame management issues and communicate with stakeholders. Yet, indicators assessed, monitored, and reported in estuarine management still have traditionally focused on ecological conditions, with weak connections, if any, to social or economic outcomes. Approaches are needed which expand the range of ecosystem services that can be considered, link ecosystem services explicitly to different stakeholder groups, facilitate effective communication with economists and other social scientists, and expand the array of available valuation techniques. We applied the concept of final ecosystem goods and services to review the broad suite of ecosystem services and their beneficiaries relevant to the management of two federal programs for estuary management, the National Estuary Program (NEP) and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). The Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System provided a structured framework for connecting ecosystem services to their beneficiaries and the environments providing them. Document analysis of management plans assessed the degree to which these programs consider ecosystem services, their beneficiaries, and habitats within the estuarine watershed. The hierarchical list of final ecosystem goods and services generated from document analysis serves as a tool for defining management goals, identifying stakeholders, developing meaningful indicators, and conducting valuation studies in estuarine management planning efforts. Though developed here for estuarine management, the keyword hierarchy and final ecosystem goods and services approach have broad applicability and transferability to other environmental management scenarios.
Spatiotemporal Associations between PM2.5 and SO2 as well as NO2 in China from 2015 to 2018
Authors: Li Ke , Bai Kaixu
Published: July 2019

Given the critical roles of nitrates and sulfates in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) formation, we examined spatiotemporal associations between PM2.5 and sulfur dioxide (SO2) as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in China by taking advantage of the in situ observations of these three pollutants measured from the China national air quality monitoring network for the period from 2015 to 2018. Maximum covariance analysis (MCA) was applied to explore their possible coupled modes in space and time. The relative contribution of SO2 and NO2 to PM2.5 was then quantified via a statistical modeling scheme. The linear trends derived from the stratified data show that both PM2.5 and SO2 decreased significantly in northern China in terms of large values, indicating a fast reduction of high PM2.5 and SO2 loadings therein. The statistically significant coupled MCA mode between PM2.5 and SO2 indicated a possible spatiotemporal linkage between them in northern China, especially over the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. Further statistical modeling practices revealed that the observed PM2.5 variations in northern China could be explained largely by SO2 rather than NO2 therein, given the estimated relatively high importance of SO2. In general, the evidence-based results in this study indicate a strong linkage between PM2.5 and SO2 in northern China in the past few years, which may help to better investigate the mechanisms behind severe haze pollution events in northern China.
Comparison of Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Somalis Living in Norway and Somaliland
Authors: Ahmed Soheir H. , Marjerrison Niki , Kjøllesdal Marte Karoline Råberg , Stigum Hein , Htet Aung Soe , Bjertness Espen , Meyer Haakon E. , Madar Ahmed A.
Published: July 2019

Objective: We aimed to assess and compare cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and predict the future risk of CVD among Somalis living in Norway and Somaliland. Method: We included participants (20–69 years) from two cross-sectional studies among Somalis living in Oslo (n = 212) and Hargeisa (n = 1098). Demographic data, history of CVD, smoking, alcohol consumption, anthropometric measures, blood pressure, fasting serum glucose, and lipid profiles were collected. The predicted 10-year risk of CVD was calculated using Framingham risk score models. Results: In women, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher in Hargeisa compared to Oslo (p < 0.001), whereas no significant differences were seen in men. The ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was significantly higher in Hargeisa compared to Oslo among both men (4.4 versus 3.9, p = 0.001) and women (4.1 versus 3.3, p < 0.001). Compared to women, men had higher Framingham risk scores, but there were no significant differences in Framingham risk scores between Somalis in Oslo and Hargeisa. Conclusion: In spite of the high body mass index (BMI) in Oslo, most CVD risk factors were higher among Somali women living in Hargeisa compared to those in Oslo, with similar patterns suggested in men. However, the predicted CVD risks based on Framingham models were not different between the locations.
Children’s Exposure to Television Food Advertising Contributes to Strong Brand Attachments
Authors: Kelly Bridget , Boyland Emma , King Lesley , Bauman Adrian , Chapman Kathy , Hughes Clare
Published: July 2019

Children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing is one factor contributing to childhood obesity. The impact of marketing on children’s weight likely occurs via a cascade pathway, through influences on children’s food brand awareness, emotional responses, purchasing and consumption. Thus, building emotional attachments to brands is a major marketing imperative. This study explored Australian children’s emotional attachments to food and drink brands and compared the strength of these attachments to their food marketing exposure, using television viewing as a proxy indicator. A cross-sectional face-to-face survey was conducted with 282 Australian children (8–12 years). Children were asked to indicate their agreement/disagreement with statements about their favourite food and drink brands, as an indicator of the strength and prominence of their brand attachments. Questions captured information about minutes/day of television viewing and the extent that they were exposed to advertising (watched live or did not skip through ads on recorded television). For those children who were exposed to advertisements, their age and commercial television viewing time had significant effects on food and drink brand attachments (p = 0.001). The development of brand attachments is an intermediary pathway through which marketing operates on behavioural and health outcomes. Reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing should be a policy priority for governments towards obesity and non-communicable disease prevention.
Sexting, Mental Health, and Victimization Among Adolescents: A Literature Review
Authors: Gassó Aina M. , Klettke Bianca , Agustina José R. , Montiel Irene
Published: July 2019

The practice of creating and sharing sexual images via technological devices, known as sexting, has received crescent attention in the past years, especially due to the increase of adolescent engagement in this behavior. Although consensual sexting is not prima facie a crime, as some research has shown, it has the potential to be a risky behavior, and a threshold to get exposure to dangerous kinds of victimization as sextortion, online grooming or cyberbullying. In this context, teenagers represent a vulnerable group due to their limited ability of self-regulation, their high susceptibility to peer pressure, their technophilia, and their growing sexual curiosity. The present paper aims to review the scientific literature to analyze the relationship between mental health and sexting as a potentially risky behavior and its association with online victimization. The results and implications will be discussed.
In Vitro Acquisition of Specific Small Interfering RNAs Inhibits the Expression of Some Target Genes in the Plant Ectoparasite Xiphinema index
Authors: Marmonier Aurélie , Perfus-Barbeoch Laetitia , Rancurel Corinne , Boissinot Sylvaine , Favery Bruno , Demangeat Gérard , Brault Véronique
Published: July 2019

Xiphinema index is an important plant parasitic nematode that induces direct damages and specifically transmits the Grapevine fanleaf virus, which is particularly harmful for grapevines. Genomic resources of this nematode species are still limited and no functional gene validation technology is available. RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful technology to study gene function and here we describe the application of RNAi on several genes in X. index. Soaking the nematodes for 48 h in a suspension containing specific small interfering RNAs resulted in a partial inhibition of the accumulation of some targeted mRNA. However, low reproducible silencing efficiency was observed which could arise from X. index silencing pathway deficiencies. Indeed, essential accustomed proteins for these pathways were not found in the X. index proteome predicted from transcriptomic data. The most reproducible silencing effect was obtained when targeting the piccolo gene potentially involved in endo-exocytosis of synaptic molecules. This represents the first report of gene silencing in a nematode belonging to the Longidoridae family.