bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emissions Effects of Energy Storage for Frequency Regulation: Comparing Battery and Flywheel Storage to Natural Gas
Authors: Pareis Eric , Hittinger Eric
Published: January 2021

With an increase in renewable energy generation in the United States, there is a growing need for more frequency regulation to ensure the stability of the electric grid. Fast ramping natural gas plants are often used for frequency regulation, but this creates emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels. Energy storage systems (ESSs), such as batteries and flywheels, provide an alternative frequency regulation service. However, the efficiency losses of charging and discharging a storage system cause additional electrical generation requirements and associated emissions. There is not a good understanding of these indirect emissions from charging and discharging ESSs in the literature, with most sources stating that ESSs for frequency regulation have lower emissions, without quantification of these emissions. We created a model to estimate three types of emissions (CO2, NOX, and SO2) from ESSs providing frequency regulation, and compare them to emissions from a natural gas plant providing the same service. When the natural gas plant is credited for the generated electricity, storage systems have 33% to 68% lower CO2 emissions than the gas turbine, depending on the US eGRID subregion, but higher NOX and SO2 emissions. However, different plausible assumptions about the framing of the analysis can make ESSs a worse choice so the true difference depends on the nature of the substitution between storage and natural gas generation.
Catalytic Membrane Ozonation
Authors: Psaltou Savvina , Mitrakas Manassis , Zouboulis Anastasios
Published: January 2021

Catalytic membrane ozonation is a hybrid process that combines membrane filtration and catalytic ozonation. The membrane deposited with an appropriate solid material acts as catalyst. As a consequence, the catalytic membrane contactor can act simultaneously as contactor (i.e., improving the transfer/dissolution of gaseous ozone into the liquid phase), as well as reactor (i.e., oxidizing the organic compounds). It can be used in water and wastewater treatment limiting the disadvantages of membrane filtration (i.e., lower removal rates of emerging contaminants or fouling occurrence) and ozonation (i.e., selective oxidation, low mineralization rates, or bromate (BrO3−) formation). The catalytic membrane ozonation process can enhance the removal of micropollutants and bacteria, inhibit or decrease the BrO3− formation and additionally, restrict the membrane fouling (i.e., the major/common problem of membranes’ use). Nevertheless, the higher operational cost is the main drawback of these processes.
Trends of Online Search of COVID-19 Related Terms in Cyprus
Authors: Anastasiou Marios , Pantavou Katerina , Yiallourou Anneza , Bonovas Stefanos , Nikolopoulos Georgios K.
Published: January 2021

Knowledge of trends in web searches provides useful information for various purposes, including responses to public health emergencies. This work aims to analyze the popularity of internet search queries for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and COVID-19 symptoms in Cyprus. Query data for the term Coronavirus were retrieved from Google Trends website between 19 January and 30 June 2020. The study focused on Cyprus and the four most populated cities: Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, and Paphos. COVID-19 symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, and myalgia were considered in the analysis. Daily and weekly search volumes were described, and their correlation with the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and important announcements or events were examined. Three periods of interest peaks were identified in Cyprus. The highest interest in COVID-19-related terms was found in the city of Paphos. The most popular symptoms were fever and cough, and the symptom with the highest increase in popularity was myalgia. At the beginning of the pandemic, the search volume of COVID-19 grew substantially when governments, major organizations, and high-profile figures, globally and locally, made important announcements regarding COVID-19. Health authorities in Cyprus and elsewhere could benefit from constantly monitoring the online interest of the population in order to get timely information that could be used in public health planning and response.
Early Selection of Tree Species for Regeneration in Degraded Woodland of Southeastern Congo Basin
Authors: Kyalamakasa Jean Marc Kaumbu , Mulambi Michel Mpundu Mubemba , Mukonzo Emery Kasongo Lenge , Shutcha Mylor Ngoy , Tekeu Honoré , Nkombe Alphonse Kalambulwa , Khasa Damase
Published: January 2021

Miombo woodland (MW) has several multi-purpose forest species, which are over-exploited for agriculture, charcoal and logging. Industrial plantations are among the promising solutions for sustainable management of MW, but high-yielding MW species are still lacking in the forestry sector. In this context, the present study assessed the growth of MW species, with respect to their early (ES) or late (LS) successional status. Seedling development was assessed for eight tree species, which were ES (Combretum collinum, Pterocarpus tinctorius) and LS (Brachystegia boehmii, B. longifolia, B. spiciformis, B. wangermeana, Julbernardia globiflora, J. paniculata), 1, 2 and 4 years after planting. Germination and survival varied in relation to ontogenetic traits of the species, but not the successional status, as was the case for growth and productivity. Seed germination was 60% to 88% for all species (except C. collinum). Seedling survivorship was greater than 70% for most species, except for J. paniculata (36%). ES species have greater growth compared to LS, due to the allocation of biomass to diameter and the length of the root, respectively, from the early stage of seedling development. These two strategies of biomass allocation are positively correlated with height. We further observed two distinct phases of seedling development (0–2 and 2–4 years) for all species. Growth differences among LS species were identified 4 years after planting. Based on seedling biomass, B. spiciformis, C. collinum and P. tinctorius are the most productive potential candidates for reforestation of degraded MW. We concluded that seedling growth and productivity varied according to strategies of biomass allocation that were related to successional status (ES (Chipya group) versus LS (Miombo group)) and to age following planting.
Microbial and Chemical Analysis of Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts from Chambourcin Hybrid Grapes for Potential Use in Winemaking
Authors: Feng Chun , Du Xue , Wee Josephine
Published: January 2021

Native microorganisms present on grapes can influence final wine quality. Chambourcin is the most abundant hybrid grape grown in Pennsylvania and is more resistant to cold temperatures and fungal diseases compared to Vitis vinifera. Here, non-Saccharomyces yeasts were isolated from spontaneously fermenting Chambourcin must from three regional vineyards. Using cultured-based methods and ITS sequencing, Hanseniaspora and Pichia spp. were the most dominant genus out of 29 fungal species identified. Five strains of Hanseniaspora uvarum, H. opuntiae, Pichia kluyveri, P. kudriavzevii, and Aureobasidium pullulans were characterized for the ability to tolerate sulfite and ethanol. Hanseniaspora opuntiae PSWCC64 and P. kudriavzevii PSWCC102 can tolerate 8–10% ethanol and were able to utilize 60–80% sugars during fermentation. Laboratory scale fermentations of candidate strain into sterile Chambourcin juice allowed for analyzing compounds associated with wine flavor. Nine nonvolatile compounds were conserved in inoculated fermentations. In contrast, Hanseniaspora strains PSWCC64 and PSWCC70 were positively correlated with 2-heptanol and ionone associated to fruity and floral odor and P. kudriazevii PSWCC102 was positively correlated with a group of esters and acetals associated to fruity and herbaceous aroma. Microbial and chemical characterization of non-Saccharomyces yeasts presents an exciting approach to enhance flavor complexity and regionality of hybrid wines.
Trends in Growth Modeling in Fisheries Science
Authors: Flinn Shane A. , Midway Stephen R.
Published: January 2021

Growth models estimate life history parameters (e.g., growth rates and asymptotic size) that are used in the management of fisheries stocks. Traditionally in fisheries science, it was common to fit one growth model—the von Bertalanffy growth model—to size-at-age data. However, in recent years, fisheries science has seen an increase in the number of growth models available and the evaluation of multiple growth models for a given species or study. We reviewed n = 196 peer-reviewed age and growth studies and n = 50 NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) regional stock assessments to examine trends in the use of growth models and model selection in fisheries over time. Our results indicate that the total number of age and growth studies increased annually since 1988 with a slight proportional increase in the use of multi-model frameworks. Information theoretic approaches are replacing goodness-of-fit and a priori model selection in fisheries studies; however, this trend is not reflected in NOAA stock assessments, which almost exclusively rely on the von Bertalanffy growth model. Covariates such as system (e.g., marine or fresh), location of study, diet, family, maximum age, and range of age data used in model fitting did not contribute to which model was ultimately the best fitting, suggesting that there are no large-scale patterns of specific growth models being applied to species with common life histories or other attributes. Given the importance and ubiquity of growth modeling to fisheries science, a historical and contemporary understanding of the practice is critical to evaluate improvements that have been made and future challenges.
Designing a Low-Fat Food Packaging: Comparing Consumers’ Responses in Virtual and Physical Shopping Environments
Authors: Vila-López Natalia , Kuster-Boluda Ines , Alacreu-Crespo Adrian
Published: January 2021

This paper aims to test to what extent emotional responses towards a low-fat product presented virtually converge with emotional responses toward this product when presented physically. Second, we want to probe if low-order emotions (physiological/unconscious responses) and high-order emotions (cognitive/conscious responses) converge to explain healthy product choices. To this end, 83 young participants were engaged in our experiment. Two packaging design variables were manipulated with the help of a real company (the color and the message), so that six different packages were created. Two different buying contexts were simulated: A virtual context and a physical context. Physiological responses were continuously recorded in both contexts (heart rates, electro-dermal responses, and eye muscle reactions). At the end, participants provided cognitive responses in a questionnaire concerning the selected package. Our results have demonstrated that low-order emotions remain stable (from a virtual to a physical environments). Virtual simulations elections and real product elections are correlated (X2 = 40.493; p < 0.02). Physiological and cognitive responses do not converge. Correlations between unconscious responses (low-order emotions) and self-reported measures (high-order emotions) was contrary to expectations (negative sign). Only low-order emotions explain product choices. On the contrary, real packaging choice and high-order emotions correlated inversely (the t values were significant but negative).
Impact of the Persistence of Three Essential Oils with Antifungal Activities on Stored Wheat Grains, Flour, and Baked Products
Authors: Juárez Zaida N. , Bach Horacio , Bárcenas-Pozos María E. , Hernández Luis R.
Published: January 2021

Wheat grains are exposed to several plagues after harvesting and during storage. These plagues include bacteria, fungi, and insects with detrimental outcomes to their quality and heavy losses to the farmers. Fungi are of special interest because of their ability to produce mycotoxins with health concerns. Once grains are harvested, synthetic fungicides, which are sprayed before long-term storage, normally control fungi; however, these synthetic products represent a health concern because of their toxicities. Previously, we reported the antifungal activity of the essential oils extracted from Porophyllum linaria, Agastache mexicana, and Buddleja perfoliata against fungal strains isolated from stored wheat. In this study, we sprayed wheat grains with the same essential oils to measure their persistence interval and to prepare baked products to assess potential changes in their physical properties. The persistence interval of the essential oils in grains indicated that it takes between 63 and 134 days to eliminate 90% of the original compounds. This extended time of the compounds in the grains together with a lack of physical properties modifications of the flour and baked products (post-treatment) suggest that the presence of oils in the grains is potentially safe to use. The solid data denote the technological feasibility of the treatment and the possible management of residues through adequate safety intervals.
Inactivation of Foodborne Viruses by High-Pressure Processing (HPP)
Authors: Govaris Alexander , Pexara Andreana
Published: January 2021

High-pressure processing (HPP) is an innovative non-thermal food preservation method. HPP can inactivate microorganisms, including viruses, with minimal influence on the physicochemical and sensory properties of foods. The most significant foodborne viruses are human norovirus (HuNoV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), human rotavirus (HRV), hepatitis E virus (HEV), human astrovirus (HAstV), human adenovirus (HuAdV), Aichi virus (AiV), sapovirus (SaV), and enterovirus (EV), which have also been implicated in foodborne outbreaks in various countries. The HPP inactivation of foodborne viruses in foods depends on high-pressure processing parameters (pressure, temperature, and duration time) or non-processing parameters such as virus type, food matrix, water activity (aw), and the pH of foods. HPP was found to be effective for the inactivation of foodborne viruses such as HuNoV, HAV, HAstV, and HuAdV in foods. HPP treatments have been found to be effective at eliminating foodborne viruses in high-risk foods such as shellfish and vegetables. The present work reviews the published data on the effect of HPP processing on foodborne viruses in laboratory media and foods.
Effect of Microencapsulation on Survival at Simulated Gastrointestinal Conditions and Heat Treatment of a Non Probiotic Strain, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 48M, and the Probiotic Strain Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938
Authors: Malmo Clorinda , Giordano Irene , Mauriello Gianluigi
Published: January 2021

Cells of the probiotic strain Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and of the non-probiotic strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 48M were microencapsulated in alginate matrix by emulsion technique. Survival of microorganisms in the microcapsules was tested against gastrointestinal (GI) simulated conditions and heat stress. Results demonstrated that the microencapsulation process improved vitality of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 48M cells after GI conditions exposure, allowing survival similarly to the probiotic Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938. Moreover, microencapsulation was able to protect neither Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 nor Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 48M cells when exposed to heat treatments. Microencapsulated Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 cells were still able to produce reuterin, an antimicrobial agent, as well as free cells.
Differences in Astringency Subqualities Evaluated by Consumers and Trained Assessors on Sangiovese Wine Using Check-All-That-Apply (CATA)
Authors: Rinaldi Alessandra , Vecchio Riccardo , Moio Luigi
Published: January 2021

The astringency of red wine represents an important factor of quality and liking evaluation by consumers, but it is sometimes associated to a negative feature. We studied the differences in astringency subqualities of Sangiovese wines between consumers and trained assessors. Wines belonging to three denominations (Chianti Classico, Toscana, Morellino di Scansano) and a Chianti Classico specification (Chianti Riserva), from three price ranges (low, medium, high) were evaluated. Regular wine consumers and trained panel assessed the wines applying the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) questionnaire relative to six astringency attributes (silk, velvet, dry, aggressive, hard, mouthcoat). Differences between panels were more associated with the high-price wines, which were characterised by negative subqualities for consumers. Preference maps revealed that mouthcoat was the term mainly associated with consumers’ liking, while other subqualities as persistent, rich, and full-body, provided by the trained assessors, may represent the drivers of liking for Sangiovese wine. This study has demonstrated that a trained sensory panel provides highly valuable information regarding the mouthfeel characteristics of Sangiovese wines and the attributes driving consumer liking.
A High Amylose Wheat Diet Improves Gastrointestinal Health Parameters and Gut Microbiota in Male and Female Mice
Authors: Lim See Meng , Choo Jocelyn M. , Li Hui , O’Rielly Rebecca , Carragher John , Rogers Geraint B. , Searle Iain , Robertson Sarah A. , Page Amanda J. , Muhlhausler Beverly
Published: January 2021

High amylose wheat (HAW) contains more resistant starch than standard amylose wheat (SAW) and may have beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health. However, it is currently unclear whether these effects differ according to the level of HAW included in the diet or between males and females. Male and female C57BL/6 mice (n = 8/group/sex) were fed SAW65 (65% SAW; control), HAW35 (35% HAW), HAW50 (50% HAW) or HAW65 (65% HAW) diet for eight weeks. Female but not male, mice consuming any amount of HAW exhibited accelerated gastric emptying compared to SAW65 group. In both sexes, relative colon weights were higher in the HAW65 group compared to SAW65 group and in females, relative weights of the small intestine and cecum were also higher in the HAW65 group. In females only, colonic expression of Pyy and Ocln mRNAs were higher in the HAW65 group compared to HAW35 and HAW50 groups. In both sexes, mice consuming higher amounts of HAW (HAW50 or HAW65) had increased fecal bacterial load and relative abundance of Bacteroidetes phylum and reduced relative abundance of Firmicutes compared to SAW65 group. These data are consistent with a beneficial impact of HAW on gastrointestinal health and indicate dose-dependent and sex-specific effects of HAW consumption.
γ-PGA-Rich Chungkookjang, Short-Term Fermented Soybeans: Prevents Memory Impairment by Modulating Brain Insulin Sensitivity, Neuro-Inflammation, and the Gut–Microbiome–Brain Axis
Authors: Jeong Do-Youn , Ryu Myeong Seon , Yang Hee-Jong , Park Sunmin
Published: January 2021

Fermented soybean paste is an indigenous food for use in cooking in East and Southeast Asia. Korea developed and used its traditional fermented foods two thousand years ago. Chungkookjang has unique characteristics such as short-term fermentation (24–72 h) without salt, and fermentation mostly with Bacilli. Traditionally fermented chungkookjang (TFC) is whole cooked soybeans that are fermented predominantly by Bacillus species. However, Bacillus species are different in the environment according to the regions and seasons due to the specific bacteria. Bacillus species differently contribute to the bioactive components of chungkookjang, resulting in different functionalities. In this review, we evaluated the production process of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA)-rich chungkookjang fermented with specific Bacillus species and their effects on memory function through the modulation of brain insulin resistance, neuroinflammation, and the gut–microbiome–brain axis. Bacillus species were isolated from the TFC made in Sunchang, Korea, and they included Bacillus (B.) subtilis, B. licheniformis, and B. amyloliquefaciens. Chungkookjang contains isoflavone aglycans, peptides, dietary fiber, γ-PGA, and Bacillus species. Chungkookjangs made with B. licheniformis and B. amyloliquefaciens have higher contents of γ-PGA, and they are more effective for improving glucose metabolism and memory function. Chungkookjang has better efficacy for reducing inflammation and oxidative stress than other fermented soy foods. Insulin sensitivity is improved, not only in systemic organs such as the liver and adipose tissues, but also in the brain. Chungkookjang intake prevents and alleviates memory impairment induced by Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral ischemia. This review suggests that the intake of chungkookjang (20–30 g/day) rich in γ-PGA acts as a synbiotic in humans and promotes memory function by suppressing brain insulin resistance and neuroinflammation and by modulating the gut–microbiome–brain axis.
Mineral Biofortification of Vegetables as a Tool to Improve Human Diet
Authors: Buturi Camila Vanessa , Mauro Rosario Paolo , Fogliano Vincenzo , Leonardi Cherubino , Giuffrida Francesco
Published: January 2021

Vegetables represent pillars of good nutrition since they provide important phytochemicals such as fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, as well as minerals. Biofortification proposes a promising strategy to increase the content of specific compounds. As minerals have important functionalities in the human metabolism, the possibility of enriching fresh consumed products, such as many vegetables, adopting specific agronomic approaches, has been considered. This review discusses the most recent findings on agronomic biofortification of vegetables, aimed at increasing in the edible portions the content of important minerals, such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iodine (I), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and silicon (Si). The focus was on selenium and iodine biofortification thus far, while for the other mineral elements, aspects related to vegetable typology, genotypes, chemical form, and application protocols are far from being well defined. Even if agronomic fortification is considered an easy to apply technique, the approach is complex considering several interactions occurring at crop level, as well as the bioavailability of different minerals for the consumer. Considering the latter, only few studies examined in a broad approach both the definition of biofortification protocols and the quantification of bioavailable fraction of the element.
Analysis of the Effects of the Viscous Thermal Losses in the Flute Musical Instruments
Authors: Abou Haidar Gaby , Moreau Xavier , Abi Zeid Daou Roy
Published: January 2021

This article presents the third part of a larger project whose final objective is to study and analyse the effects of viscous thermal losses in a flute wind musical instrument. After implementing the test bench in the first phase and modelling and validating the dynamic behaviour of the simulator, based on the previously implemented test bench (without considering the losses in the system) in the second phase, this third phase deals with the study of the viscous thermal losses that will be generated within the resonator of the flute. These losses are mainly due to the friction of the air inside the resonator with its boundaries and the changes of the temperature within this medium. They are mainly affected by the flute geometry and the materials used in the fabrication of this instrument. After modelling these losses in the frequency domain, they will be represented using a system approach where the fractional order part is separated from the system’s transfer function. Thus, this representation allows us to study, in a precise way, the influence of the fractional order behaviour on the overall system. Effectively, the fractional behavior only appears much below the 20 Hz audible frequencies, but it explains the influence of this order on the frequency response over the range [20–20,000] Hz. Some simulations will be proposed to show the effects of the fractional order on the system response.
Boltzmann Distributed Replicator Dynamics: Population Games in a Microgrid Context
Authors: Chica-Pedraza Gustavo , Mojica-Nava Eduardo , Cadena-Muñoz Ernesto
Published: January 2021

Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) have been used to solve several optimization problems in control systems. MAS allow understanding the interactions between agents and the complexity of the system, thus generating functional models that are closer to reality. However, these approaches assume that information between agents is always available, which means the employment of a full-information model. Some tendencies have been growing in importance to tackle scenarios where information constraints are relevant issues. In this sense, game theory approaches appear as a useful technique that use a strategy concept to analyze the interactions of the agents and achieve the maximization of agent outcomes. In this paper, we propose a distributed control method of learning that allows analyzing the effect of the exploration concept in MAS. The dynamics obtained use Q-learning from reinforcement learning as a way to include the concept of exploration into the classic exploration-less Replicator Dynamics equation. Then, the Boltzmann distribution is used to introduce the Boltzmann-Based Distributed Replicator Dynamics as a tool for controlling agents behaviors. This distributed approach can be used in several engineering applications, where communications constraints between agents are considered. The behavior of the proposed method is analyzed using a smart grid application for validation purposes. Results show that despite the lack of full information of the system, by controlling some parameters of the method, it has similar behavior to the traditional centralized approaches.
Necessary Optimality Conditions for a Class of Control Problems with State Constraint
Authors: Korytowski Adam , Szymkat Maciej
Published: January 2021

An elementary approach to a class of optimal control problems with pathwise state constraint is proposed. Based on spike variations of control, it yields simple proofs and constructive necessary conditions, including some new characterizations of optimal control. Two examples are discussed.
Relativistic Effects of Rotation in γ-ray Pulsars—Invited Review
Authors: Osmanov Zaza
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we consider the relativistic effects of rotation in the magnetospheres of γ-ray pulsars. The paper reviews the progress achieved in this field during the last three decades. For this purpose, we examine the direct centrifugal acceleration of particles and the corresponding limiting factors: the constraints due to the curvature radiation and the inverse Compton scattering of electrons against soft photons. Based on the obtained results, the generation of parametrically excited Langmuir waves and the corresponding Landau–Langmuir centrifugal drive are studied.
Analysis of the Open Cluster NGC 2281
Authors: Terrell Dirk , Gross John , Cooney Walter
Published: January 2021

BV observations of an approximately 68′×48′ field centered on the open cluster NGC 2281 and covering more than 400 nights from 2013 to 2018 are presented. The photometric observations were transformed to the standard system using standards from the American Association of Variable Star Observers Photometric All-sky Survey (APASS) DR10 and analyzed with Gaia DR2 parallaxes and proper motions to determine the distance, age, and metallicity of the cluster. The discovery of an eclipsing binary in the field is discussed.
The Diagnostic Value of CD11b Expression on Peripheral Blood Neutrophils for Detection of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis
Authors: Hendy Olfat M. , El Haddad Omkolsoum M. , Ghoniem Enas M. , Diab Karema A. , Khalil Fatma Omar , Elshemy Eman E. , Abdelmageed Neamat Abdelmageed , Attia Mohamed H.
Published: January 2021

Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is associated with the highest mortality among end-stage cirrhotic liver disease patients. Neutrophil CD11b expression increases on the neutrophil surface within 5 min of exposure to bacteria. Paracentesis remains the only accepted method for accurate evaluation of patients, with many drawbacks; hence, a diagnostic noninvasive marker with a very high sensitivity and high diagnostic accuracy is very necessary. Aim of the study: to evaluate the neutrophil CD11b as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of SBP, comparing its sensitivity and specificity to other traditional methods. Patients and Methods: 200 patients who had liver cirrhosis with ascites were recruited to the Hepatology department inpatient wards of the National Liver Institute, Menoufia University. They were divided into Group I: 100 patients with SBP and Group II: 100 patients with non SBP ascites. All studied patients were subjected to full clinical examination, abdominal ultrasound, paracentesis, and laboratory investigations including ascetic fluid (AF) examinations. The CD11b expression and its mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) were assessed on peripheral blood neutrophils by flowcytometry. Results: There was a significant increase in the MFI of CD11b in the SBP group compared to the non SBP group. At cut off >20 for MFI of CD11b with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100% can discriminate between SBP and non SBP cases followed by ascetic fluid TLC examination at a cut off 0.26 (×103) with a sensitivity of 92%, and specificity of 96%, then, AF neutrophil count at cut off 0.25 (×103) with a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 100%, and AF culture examination with a sensitivity of 56% and specificity of 100%. Conclusion: The measurement of CD11b MFI on peripheral blood neutrophils is a useful non-invasive marker with high sensitivity and specificity to predict SBP compared with other methods. Further large-scale studies are needed to study the value of CD11b MFI level in the SBP follow-up therapy.
Defining the Flow—Using an Intersectional Scientific Methodology to Construct a VanguardSTEM Hyperspace
Authors: Isler Jedidah C. , Berryman Natasha V. , Harriot Anicca , Vilfranc Chrystelle L. , Carrington Léolène J. , Lee Danielle N.
Published: January 2021

#VanguardSTEM is an online community and platform that centers the experiences of women, girls, and non-binary people of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. We publish original and curated content, using cultural production, to include a multiplicity of identities as worthy of recognition and thus redefine STEM identity and belonging. #VanguardSTEM is rooted firmly in Queer, Black feminisms which delineate that the experiences and critiques of Black women matter and that these insights can foster a restorative and regenerative construction of the cultures in which we exist. In describing how #VanguardSTEM descended from counterspaces, we draw on speculative fiction to define a #VanguardSTEM hyperspace as a fluid “place-time” that is born digital and enabled by social media, but materializes in the physical world for specific purposes. As Black women in STEM, we consider how our situated knowledges and scientific expertise inform our process. We propose an intersectional scientific methodology to address the influence of embodied observation, embedded context and collective impact on scientific inquiry. Through #VanguardSTEM, we assert, without apology, the right of Black, Indigenous, women of color and non-binary people of color to self-advocate by fully representing ourselves and our STEM identities and interests, without assimilation.
Clinical Spectrum and Genetic Diagnosis of 54 Consecutive Patients Aged 0–25 with Bilateral Cataracts
Authors: Bell Suzannah , Malka Samantha , Lloyd Ian Christopher , Moosajee Mariya
Published: January 2021

Childhood cataract affects 2.5–3.5 per 10,000 children in the UK, with a genetic mutation identified in 50–90% of bilateral cases. However, cataracts can also manifest in adolescence and early adulthood in isolation, as part of a complex ocular phenotype or with systemic features making accurate diagnosis more challenging. We investigate our real-world experience through a retrospective review of consecutive bilateral cataract patients (0–25 years) presenting to the ocular genetics service at Moorfields Eye Hospital between 2017 and 2020. Fifty-four patients from 44 unrelated families were identified, with a median age of 13.5 years (range 1 to 68 years) and a median age at diagnosis of 43.9 months IQR (1.7–140.3 months); 40.7% were female and 46.3% were Caucasian. Overall, 37 patients from 27 families (61.4%) were genetically solved (50%) or likely solved (additional 11.4%), with 26 disease-causing variants (8 were novel) in 21 genes; the most common were crystallin genes, in 8 (29.6%) families, with half occurring in the CRYBB2 gene. There was no significant difference in the molecular diagnostic rates between sporadic and familial inheritance (P = 0.287). Associated clinical diagnoses were retinal dystrophies in five (18.5%) and aniridia in three (11.1%) families. Bilateral cataracts were the presenting feature in 27.3% (6/22) of either complex or syndromic cases, and isolated cataract patients were 11.5 years younger (rank-sum Z = 3.668, P = 0.0002). Prompt genetic investigation with comprehensive panel testing can aid with diagnosis and optimise management of cataract patients.
Train Fast While Reducing False Positives: Improving Animal Classification Performance Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Moreni Mael , Theau Jerome , Foucher Samuel
Published: January 2021

The combination of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with deep learning models has the capacity to replace manned aircrafts for wildlife surveys. However, the scarcity of animals in the wild often leads to highly unbalanced, large datasets for which even a good detection method can return a large amount of false detections. Our objectives in this paper were to design a training method that would reduce training time, decrease the number of false positives and alleviate the fine-tuning effort of an image classifier in a context of animal surveys. We acquired two highly unbalanced datasets of deer images with a UAV and trained a Resnet-18 classifier using hard-negative mining and a series of recent techniques. Our method achieved sub-decimal false positive rates on two test sets (1 false positive per 19,162 and 213,312 negatives respectively), while training on small but relevant fractions of the data. The resulting training times were therefore significantly shorter than they would have been using the whole datasets. This high level of efficiency was achieved with little tuning effort and using simple techniques. We believe this parsimonious approach to dealing with highly unbalanced, large datasets could be particularly useful to projects with either limited resources or extremely large datasets.
A Study of eHealth from the Perspective of Social Sciences
Authors: Uribe-Toril Juan , Ruiz-Real José Luis , Nievas-Soriano Bruno José
Published: January 2021

The field of social sciences has become increasingly important in eHealth. Patients currently engage more proactively with health services. This means that eHealth is linked to many different areas of Social Sciences. The main purpose of this research is to analyze the state-of-the-art research on eHealth from the perspective of social sciences. To this end, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science database. The main findings show the evolution of publications, the most influential countries, the most relevant journals and papers, and the importance of the different areas of knowledge. Although there are some studies on eHealth within social sciences, most of them focus on very specific aspects and do not develop a holistic analysis. Thus, this paper contributes to academia by analyzing the state-of-the-art of research, as well as identifying the most relevant trends and proposing future lines of research such as the potential of eHealth as a professional training instrument, development of predictive models in eHealth, analysis of the eHealth technology acceptance model (TAM), efficient integration of eHealth within public systems, efficient budget management, or improvement in the quality of service for patients.
Why Do Patients Leave against Medical Advice? Reasons, Consequences, Prevention, and Interventions
Authors: Albayati Asseel , Douedi Steven , Alshami Abbas , Hossain Mohammad A. , Sen Shuvendu , Buccellato Vito , Cutroneo Anamarrie , Beelitz Jason , Asif Arif
Published: January 2021

Background: A patient decides to leave the hospital against medical advice. Is this an erratic eccentric behavior of the patient, or a gap in the quality of care provided by the hospital? With a significant and increasing prevalence of up to 1–2% of all hospital admissions, leaving against medical advice affects both the patient and the healthcare provider. We hereby explore this persistent problem in the healthcare system. We searched Medline and PubMed within the last 10 years, using the keywords “discharge against medical advice,” “DAMA,” “leave against medical advice,” and “AMA.” We retrospectively reviewed 49 articles in our project. Ishikawa fishbone root cause analysis (RCA) was employed to explore reasons for leaving against medical advice (AMA). This report presents the results of the RCA and highlights the consequences of discharge against medical advice (DAMA). In addition, the article explores preventive strategies, as well as interventions to ameliorate leaving AMA.
A New Perspective of Urban–Rural Differences: The Impact of Social Support on the Mental Health of the Older Adults: A Case from Shaanxi Province, China
Authors: Zhang Chi , Zhang Sifeng , Niu Qing
Published: January 2021

With the increase in aging in China, the health problems of older adults, especially mental health problems, have become a concern for the whole society. This article selected urban and rural older adults and analyzed the impact of social support on their mental health using a binary logistic model. It was found that under the current urban–rural dichotomy, the effects of social support on the mental health of urban and rural older adults are significantly different. In social support, first, the fairness and satisfaction with the social security system only had a significant effect on the mental health of urban older adults and had no significant effect on the rural older adults. Second, the closeness of contact with grassroots community workers had a significant impact on the mental health of older adults in urban and rural areas. From informal social support, the mental health of rural older adults was mainly influenced by the support of their children, reflecting the influence of the traditional culture of “filial piety”. Furthermore, the mental health of urban older adults was mainly influenced by neighborhood support, reflecting the importance of “close neighbors are better than distant relatives”. Based on the results of the empirical study, this article suggests that to promote the mental health of older adults, we should start by strengthening the formal social support system, establishing high-quality community service facilities, and emphasizing the role of informal social support.
Factors Affecting Social Media Users’ Emotions Regarding Food Safety Issues: Content Analysis of a Debate among Chinese Weibo Users on Genetically Modified Food Security
Authors: Xiong Hao , Lv Shangbin
Published: January 2021

Social media is gradually building an online information environment regarding health. This environment is filled with many types of users’ emotions regarding food safety, especially negative emotions that can easily cause panic or anger among the population. However, the mechanisms of how it affects users’ emotions have not been fully studied. Therefore, from the perspective of communication and social psychology, this study uses the content analysis method to analyze factors affecting social media users’ emotions regarding food safety issues. In total, 371 tweet samples of genetically modified food security in Sina Weibo (similar to Twitter) were encoded, measured, and analyzed. The major findings are as follows: (1) Tweet account type, tweet topic, and emotion object were all significantly related to emotion type. Tweet depth and objectivity were both positively affected by emotion type, and objectivity had a greater impact. (2) Account type, tweet topic, and emotion object were all significantly related to emotion intensity. When the depths were the same, emotion intensity became stronger with the decrease in objectivity. (3) Account type, tweet topic, emotion object, and emotion type were all significantly related to a user’s emotion communication capacity. Tweet depth, objectivity, and user’s emotion intensity were positively correlated with emotion communication capacity. Positive emotions had stronger communication capacities than negative ones, which is not consistent with previous studies. These findings help us to understand both theoretically and practically the changes and dissemination of user’s emotions in a food safety and health information environment.
Individualised Risk Assessments for Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism: New Frontiers in the Era of Direct Oral Anticoagulants
Authors: Wang Julie , Lim Hui Yin , Ho Prahlad
Published: January 2021

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and is associated with high recurrence rates. The introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in the 2010s has changed the landscape of VTE management. DOACs have become the preferred anticoagulant therapy for their ease of use, predictable pharmacokinetics, and improved safety profile. Increasingly, guidelines have recommended long term anticoagulation for some indications such as following first unprovoked major VTE, although an objective individualised risk assessment for VTE recurrence remains elusive. The balance of preventing VTE recurrence needs to be weighed against the not insignificant bleeding risk, which is cumulative with prolonged use. Hence, there is a need for an individualised, targeted approach for assessing the risk of VTE recurrence, especially in those patients in whom the balance between benefit and risk of long-term anticoagulation is not clear. Clinical factors alone do not provide the level of discrimination required on an individual level. Laboratory data from global coagulation assays and biomarkers may provide enhanced risk assessment ability and are an active area of research. A review of the prediction models and biomarkers for assessing VTE recurrence risk is provided, with an emphasis on contemporary developments in the era of DOACs and global coagulation assays.
Granite Landscapes, Geodiversity and Geoheritage—Global Context
Authors: Migoń Piotr
Published: January 2021

Granite geomorphological sceneries are important components of global geoheritage, but international awareness of their significance seems insufficient. Based on existing literature, ten distinctive types of relief are identified, along with several sub-types, and an overview of medium-size and minor landforms characteristic for granite terrains is provided. Collectively, they tell stories about landscape evolution and environmental changes over geological timescale, having also considerable aesthetic values in many cases. Nevertheless, representation of granite landscapes and landforms on the UNESCO World Heritage List and within the UNESCO Global Geopark network is relatively scarce and only a few properties have been awarded World Heritage status in recognition of their scientific value or unique scenery. Much more often, reasons for inscription resided elsewhere, in biodiversity or cultural heritage values, despite very high geomorphological significance. To facilitate future global comparative analysis a framework is proposed that can be used for this purpose.
Social Barriers and the Hiatus from Successful Green Stormwater Infrastructure Implementation across the US
Authors: Qi Jingyi , Barclay Nicole
Published: January 2021

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), a nature-inspired, engineered stormwater management approach, has been increasingly implemented and studied especially over the last two decades. Though recent studies have elucidated the social benefits of GSI implementation in addition to its environmental and economic benefits, the social factors that influence its implementation remain under-explored thus, there remains a need to understand social barriers on decisions for GSI. This review draws interdisciplinary research attention to the connections between such social barriers and the potentially underlying cognitive biases that can influence rational decision making. Subsequently, this study reviewed the agent-based modeling (ABM) approach in decision support for promoting innovative strategies in water management for long-term resilience at an individual level. It is suggested that a collaborative and simultaneous effort in governance transitioning, public engagement, and adequate considerations of demographic constraints are crucial to successful GSI acceptance and implementation in the US.
Robust Vegetation Parameterization for Green Roofs in the EPA Stormwater Management Model (SWMM)
Authors: Iffland Ronja , Förster Kristian , Westerholt Daniel , Pesci María Herminia , Lösken Gilbert
Published: January 2021

In increasingly expanding cities, roofs are still largely unused areas to counteract the negative impacts of urbanization on the water balance and to reduce flooding. To estimate the effect of green roofs as a sustainable low impact development (LID) technique on the building scale, different approaches to predict the runoff are carried out. In hydrological modelling, representing vegetation feedback on evapotranspiration (ET) is still considered challenging. In this research article, the focus is on improving the representation of the coupled soil–vegetation system of green roofs. Relevant data to calibrate and validate model representations were obtained from an existing field campaign comprising several green roof test plots with different characteristics. A coupled model, utilizing both the Penman–Monteith equation to estimate ET and the software EPA stormwater management model (SWMM) to calculate the runoff, was set up. Through the application of an automatic calibration procedure, we demonstrate that this coupled modelling approach (Kling–Gupta efficiency KGE = 0.88) outperforms the standard ET representation in EPA SWMM (KGE = −0.35), whilst providing a consistent and robust parameter set across all green roof configurations. Moreover, through a global sensitivity analysis, the impact of changes in model parameters was quantified in order to aid modelers in simplifying their parameterization of EPA SWMM. Finally, an improved model using the Penman–Monteith equation and various recommendations are presented.