bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Study of Using Biometrics to Identify Patient and Procedure
Authors: Sohn Jason W. , Kim Haksoo , Park Samuel B. , Lee Soyoung , Monroe James I. , Malone Thomas B. , Kinsella Timothy , Yao Min , Kunos Charles , Lo Simon S. , Shenk Robert , Machtay Mitchell
Published: December 2020

Purpose

To reduce patient and procedure identification errors by human interactions in radiotherapy delivery and surgery, a Biometric Automated Patient and Procedure Identification System (BAPPIS) was developed. BAPPIS is a patient identification and treatment procedure verification system using fingerprints.

Methods

The system was developed using C++, the Microsoft Foundation Class Library, the Oracle database system, and a fingerprint scanner. To register a patient, the BAPPIS system requires three steps: capturing a photograph using a web camera for photo identification, taking at least two fingerprints, and recording other specific patient information including name, date of birth, allergies, etc. To identify a patient, the BAPPIS reads a fingerprint, identifies the patient, verifies with a second fingerprint to confirm when multiple patients have same fingerprint features, and connects to the patient’s record in electronic medical record (EMR) systems. To validate the system, 143 and 21 patients ranging from 36 to 98 years of ages were recruited from radiotherapy and breast surgery, respectively. The registration process for surgery patients includes an additional module, which has a 3D patient model. A surgeon could mark ‘O’ on the model and save a snap shot of patient in the preparation room. In the surgery room, a webcam displayed the patient’s real-time image next to the 3D model. This may prevent a possible surgical mistake.

Results

1,271 (96.9%) of 1,311 fingerprints were verified by BAPPIS using patients’ 2nd fingerprints from 143 patients as the system designed. A false positive recognition was not reported. The 96.9% completion ratio is because the operator did not verify with another fingerprint after identifying the first fingerprint. The reason may be due to lack of training at the beginning of the study.

Conclusion

We successfully demonstrated the use of BAPPIS to correctly identify and recall patient’s record in EMR. BAPPIS may significantly reduce errors by limiting the number of non-automated steps.
An Experimenter's Influence on Motor Enhancements: The Effects of Letter Congruency and Sensory Switch-Costs on Multisensory Integration
Authors: Barutchu Ayla , Spence Charles
Published: December 2020

Multisensory integration can alter information processing, and previous research has shown that such processes are modulated by sensory switch costs and prior experience (e.g., semantic or letter congruence). Here we report an incidental finding demonstrating, for the first time, the interplay between these processes and experimental factors, specifically the presence (vs. absence) of the experimenter in the testing room. Experiment 1 demonstrates that multisensory motor facilitation in response to audiovisual stimuli (circle and tone with no prior learnt associations) is higher in those trials in which the sensory modality switches than when it repeats. Those participants who completed the study while alone exhibited increased RT variability. Experiment 2 replicated these findings using the letters “b” and “d” presented as unisensory stimuli or congruent and incongruent multisensory stimuli (i.e., grapheme-phoneme pairs). Multisensory enhancements were inflated following a sensory switch; that is, congruent and incongruent multisensory stimuli resulted in significant gains following a sensory switch in the monitored condition. However, when the participants were left alone, multisensory enhancements were only observed for repeating incongruent multisensory stimuli. These incidental findings therefore suggest that the effects of letter congruence and sensory switching on multisensory integration are partly modulated by the presence of an experimenter.
Clinical Psychological Figures in Healthcare Professionals: Resilience and Maladjustment as the “Cost of Care”
Authors: Merlo Emanuele Maria , Stoian Anca Pantea , Motofei Ion G. , Settineri Salvatore
Published: December 2020

Background: The health professionals are involved in the paths of care for patients with different medical conditions. Their life is frequently characterized by psychopathological outcomes so that it is possible to identify consistent burdens. Besides the possibility to develop pathological outcomes, some protective factors such as resilience play a fundamental role in facilitating the adaptation process and the management of maladaptive patterns. Personal characteristics and specific indexes such as burdens and resilience are essential variables useful to study in-depth ongoing conditions and possible interventions. The study was aimed at highlighting the presence and the relations among factors as personal variables, burdens, and resilience, to understand health professionals' specific structure and functions.

Methods: The observation group was composed of 210 participants, 55 males (26.2%), and 155 females (73.8%), aged from 18 to 30 years old with a mean age of 25.92 years old (SD = 3.33). The study considered personal characteristics of the subjects, such as age, gender, years of study, days of work per week, hours of work per week, and years of work. Our study had been conducted with the use of measures related to burdens (Caregivers Burden Inventory) and resilience (Resilience Scale for Adults).

Results: The performed analyses consisted of descriptive statistics, correlations, and regressions among the considered variables. Several significant correlations emerged among personal characteristics, CBI, and RSA variables. Specifically, age and work commitment indexes appeared to be significantly related to the development of burdens, differently from the years of study. Significant correlations emerged among personal and RSA variables, indicating precise directions for both domains. Age and gender were identified as predictors to perform multivariate regression analyses concerning CBI factors. Significant dependence relations emerged with reference to all CBI variables.

Conclusion: Pathological outcomes and resilience factors represent two sides of the health professionals' experiences, also known as “invisible patients.” Greater knowledge about present conditions and future possibilities is a well-known need in literature so that the current analyses considered fundamental factors. In line with state of the art, future studies are needed in order to deepen elusive phenomena underlying maladjustment.
The Promise of a Multi-Disciplinary, Mixed-Methods Approach to Inform Insect Pest Management: Evidence From Wyoming Alfalfa
Authors: Jabbour Randa , Noy Shiri
Published: December 2020

Pest management strategies involve a complex set of considerations, circumstances, and decision-making. Existing research suggests that farmers are reflexive and reflective in their management choices yet continue to employ curative rather than preventative strategies, and opt for chemical over biological solutions. In this piece, we detail work from a two-year, multidisciplinary, mixed-methods study of insect pest management strategies in alfalfa in Wyoming, integrating data from four focus groups, a statewide survey, and biological sampling of production fields. We outline how these different sources of data together contribute to a more complete understanding of the challenges and strategies employed by farmers, and specifically on biological pest control. We applied this approach across alfalfa hay and seed crop systems. Relatively few farmers acknowledged biological control in focus groups or surveys, yet biological exploration yielded abundant parasitism of common pest alfalfa weevil. On the other hand, parasitism of seed alfalfa pestLyguswas far less common and patchy across fields. It is only in integrating quantitative and qualitative, biological and social data that we are able to generate a more complete portrait of the challenges and opportunities of working with farmers to embrace a preventative paradigm. In doing so, we offer insights on possible barriers to the adoption of preventative insect management strategies and provide a case study of integrating social science and biophysical techniques to better understand opportunities to expand biological pest control in cropping systems.
Development and Validation of an Automated Video Tracking Model for Stabled Horses
Authors: Kil Nuray , Ertelt Katrin , Auer Ulrike
Published: December 2020

Changes in behaviour are often caused by painful conditions. Therefore, the assessment of behaviour is important for the recognition of pain, but also for the assessment of quality of life. Automated detection of movement and the behaviour of a horse in the box stall should represent a significant advancement. In this study, videos of horses in an animal hospital were recorded using an action camera and a time-lapse mode. These videos were processed using the convolutional neural network Loopy for automated prediction of body parts. Development of the model was carried out in several steps, including annotation of the key points, training of the network to generate the model and checking the model for its accuracy. The key points nose, withers and tail are detected with a sensitivity of more than 80% and an error rate between 2 and 7%, depending on the key point. By means of a case study, the possibility of further analysis with the acquired data was investigated. The results will significantly improve the pain recognition of horses and will help to develop algorithms for the automated recognition of behaviour using machine learning.
Structure and Stability of Gas Adsorption Complexes in Periodic Porous Solids as Studied by VTIR Spectroscopy: An Overview
Authors: R. Delgado Montserrat
Published: December 2020

Variable-temperature infrared (VTIR) spectroscopy is an instrumental technique that enables structural characterization of gas-solid adsorption complexes by analysis of meaningful vibrational modes, and simultaneous determination of the standard enthalpy change (ΔH0) involved in the gas adsorption process, which allows one to quantify the stability of the corresponding complex. This is achieved by a van’t Hoff analysis of a set of IR spectra recorded over a sufficiently large temperature range. Herein, the use of this versatile spectroscopic technique is demonstrated by reviewing its application to the study of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and dinitrogen adsorption on several (alkaline) zeolites, which can be regarded as the archetype of periodic porous solids.
Off-Axis Diffractive Optics for Compact Terahertz Detection Setup
Authors: Komorowski Paweł , Surma Mateusz , Walczakowski Michał , Zagrajek Przemysław , Siemion Agnieszka
Published: December 2020

Medical and many other applications require small-volume setups enabling terahertz imaging. Therefore, we aim to develop a device for the in-reflection examination of the samples. Thus, in this article, we focus on the diffractive elements for efficient redirection and focusing of the THz radiation. A terahertz diffractive optical structure has been designed, optimized, manufactured (using extrusion-based 3D printing) and tested. Two manufacturing methods have been used—direct printing of the structures from PA12, and casting of the paraffin structures out of 3D-printed molds. Also, the limitations of the off-axis focusing have been discussed. To increase the efficiency, an iterative algorithm has been proposed that optimizes off-axis structures to focus the radiation into small focal spots located far from the optical axis, at an angle of more than 30 degrees. Moreover, the application of higher-order kinoform structure design allowed the maintaining of the smallest details of the manufactured optical element, using 3D printing techniques.
Sorghum Flour: A Valuable Ingredient for Bakery Industry?
Authors: Apostol Livia , Belc Nastasia , Gaceu Liviu , Oprea Oana Bianca , Popa Mona Elena
Published: December 2020

The information from this study may provide opportunities for industrial application of sorghum seed flour as a useful bakery ingredient and a suitable alternative source of functional compounds to whole wheat flour. The chemical composition of sorghum was evaluated compared to that of wheat whole flour, showing high contents of mineral and fibers. Next were evaluated the dough rheological properties of flour mixtures using Mixolab equipment, “Chopin+” protocol. Finally, six bread samples were obtained from wheat flour with addition of sorghum seed flour in various percentages, in which three samples were fortified with Lactobacillus plantarum compared to the other three bread samples without the addition of any lactic acid bacteria. All six bread sample were compared to a control bread sample with wheat flour type 550. The results show the fat and raw fiber were higher in sorghum compared to whole wheat flour. Also, the content of magnesium, potassium, and iron were much higher than in whole wheat flour. A significant improvement of the sensorial characteristics was observed in bread samples in which lactic acid bacteria was used.
Evolution of Whispering Gallery Modes in Li-Doped ZnO Hexagonal Micro- and Nanostructures
Authors: Ariza Rocío , Sotillo Belén , Pavón Fernando , Urbieta Ana , Fernández Paloma
Published: December 2020

The formation of optical cavities in Li-doped ZnO nanostructures was investigated. By means of the vapor–solid method, long micro- and nanostructures with a hexagonal cross-section were grown. These morphologies were favorable for Fabry-Pérot and whispering gallery modes to appear. A variety of structures with different sections was studied using µ-photoluminescence in both the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations, showing well-pronounced optical resonant modes. The results showed a dominance of whispering gallery modes that were in good agreement with the calculated refractive index. The quality factor (Q) and finesse (F) were estimated, which demonstrated the quality of Li:ZnO structures as optical cavities.
Estimation of PM2.5 Concentrations in New York State: Understanding the Influence of Vertical Mixing on Surface PM2.5 Using Machine Learning
Authors: Hung Wei-Ting , Lu Cheng-Hsuan (Sarah) , Alessandrini Stefano , Kumar Rajesh , Lin Chin-An
Published: December 2020

In New York State (NYS), episodic high fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations associated with aerosols originated from the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest states have been reported. In this study, machine learning techniques, including multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN), were used to estimate surface PM2.5 mass concentrations at air quality monitoring sites in NYS during the summers of 2016–2019. Various predictors were considered, including meteorological, aerosol, and geographic predictors. Vertical predictors, designed as the indicators of vertical mixing and aloft aerosols, were also applied. Overall, the ANN models performed better than the MLR models, and the application of vertical predictors generally improved the accuracy of PM2.5 estimation of the ANN models. The leave-one-out cross-validation results showed significant cross-site variations and were able to present the different predictor-PM2.5 correlations at the sites with different PM2.5 characteristics. In addition, a joint analysis of regression coefficients from the MLR model and variable importance from the ANN model provided insights into the contributions of selected predictors to PM2.5 concentrations. The improvements in model performance due to aloft aerosols were relatively minor, probably due to the limited cases of aloft aerosols in current datasets.
Prostaglandin E2 and Cancer: Insight into Tumor Progression and Immunity
Authors: Finetti Federica , Travelli Cristina , Ercoli Jasmine , Colombo Giorgia , Buoso Erica , Trabalzini Lorenza
Published: December 2020

The involvement of inflammation in cancer progression has been the subject of research for many years. Inflammatory milieu and immune response are associated with cancer progression and recurrence. In different types of tumors, growth and metastatic phenotype characterized by the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, stemness, and angiogenesis, are increasingly associated with intrinsic or extrinsic inflammation. Among the inflammatory mediators, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) supports epithelial tumor aggressiveness by several mechanisms, including growth promotion, escape from apoptosis, transactivation of tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors, and induction of angiogenesis. Moreover, PGE2 is an important player in the tumor microenvironment, where it suppresses antitumor immunity and regulates tumor immune evasion, leading to increased tumoral progression. In this review, we describe the current knowledge on the pro-tumoral activity of PGE2 focusing on its role in cancer progression and in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment.
Isoform- and Paralog-Switching in IR-Signaling: When Diabetes Opens the Gates to Cancer
Authors: Scalia Pierluigi , Giordano Antonio , Martini Caroline , Williams Stephen J.
Published: December 2020

Insulin receptor (IR) and IR-related signaling defects have been shown to trigger insulin-resistance in insulin-dependent cells and ultimately to give rise to type 2 diabetes in mammalian organisms. IR expression is ubiquitous in mammalian tissues, and its over-expression is also a common finding in cancerous cells. This latter finding has been shown to associate with both a relative and absolute increase in IR isoform-A (IR-A) expression, missing 12 aa in its EC subunit corresponding to exon 11. Since IR-A is a high-affinity transducer of Insulin-like Growth Factor-II (IGF-II) signals, a growth factor is often secreted by cancer cells; such event offers a direct molecular link between IR-A/IR-B increased ratio in insulin resistance states (obesity and type 2 diabetes) and the malignant advantage provided by IGF-II to solid tumors. Nonetheless, recent findings on the biological role of isoforms for cellular signaling components suggest that the preferential expression of IR isoform-A may be part of a wider contextual isoform-expression switch in downstream regulatory factors, potentially enhancing IR-dependent oncogenic effects. The present review focuses on the role of isoform- and paralog-dependent variability in the IR and downstream cellular components playing a potential role in the modulation of the IR-A signaling related to the changes induced by insulin-resistance-linked conditions as well as to their relationship with the benign versus malignant transition in underlying solid tumors.
Alterations of Glycosphingolipid Glycans and Chondrogenic Markers during Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Chondrocytes
Authors: Xu Liang , Hanamatsu Hisatoshi , Homan Kentaro , Onodera Tomohiro , Miyazaki Takuji , Furukawa Jun-ichi , Hontani Kazutoshi , Tian Yuan , Baba Rikiya , Iwasaki Norimasa
Published: December 2020

Due to the limited intrinsic healing potential of cartilage, injury to this tissue may lead to osteoarthritis. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can be differentiated into chondrocytes, are a promising source of cells for cartilage regenerative therapy. Currently, however, the methods for evaluating chondrogenic differentiation of iPSCs are very limited; the main techniques are based on the detection of chondrogenic genes and histological analysis of the extracellular matrix. The cell surface is coated with glycocalyx, a layer of glycoconjugates including glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and glycoproteins. The glycans in glycoconjugates play important roles in biological events, and their expression and structure vary widely depending on cell types and conditions. In this study, we performed a quantitative GSL-glycan analysis of human iPSCs, iPSC-derived mesenchymal stem cell like cells (iPS-MSC like cells), iPS-MSC-derived chondrocytes (iPS-MSC-CDs), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), and BMSC-derived chondrocytes (BMSC-CDs) using glycoblotting technology. We found that GSL-glycan profiles differed among cell types, and that the GSL-glycome underwent a characteristic alteration during the process of chondrogenic differentiation. Furthermore, we analyzed the GSL-glycome of normal human cartilage and found that it was quite similar to that of iPS-MSC-CDs. This is the first study to evaluate GSL-glycan structures on human iPS-derived cartilaginous particles under micromass culture conditions and those of normal human cartilage. Our results indicate that GSL-glycome analysis is useful for evaluating target cell differentiation and can thus support safe regenerative medicine.
A Highly Sensitive Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Genotyping Platform for EGFR Mutations in Plasma from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients
Authors: Shin Jung-Young , Kim Jeong-Oh , Lee Mi-Ran , Kim Seo Ree , Beck Kyongmin Sarah , Kang Jin Hyoung
Published: December 2020

Sel-CapTM, a digital enrichment next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based cancer panel, was assessed for detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations in plasma for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and for application in monitoring EGFR resistance mutation T790M in plasma following first-line EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) treatment. Using Sel-Cap, we genotyped plasma samples collected from 185 patients for mutations Ex19del, L858R, and T790M, and compared results to those of PNAclampTM tumor biopsy (reference method, a peptide nucleic acid-mediated polymerase chain reaction clamping) and two other NGS liquid biopsies. Over two-thirds of activating mutations (Ex19del and L858R), previously confirmed by PNAclamp, were detected by Sel-Cap, which is 4–5 times more sensitive than NGS liquid biopsy. Sel-Cap showed particularly high sensitivity for T790M (88%) and for early-stage plasma samples. The relationship between initial T790M detection in plasma and progression-free survival (PFS) following first-line EGFR-TKIs was evaluated in 34 patients. Patients with T790M detected at treatment initiation (±3 months) had significantly shorter PFS than patients where T790M was first detected >3 months post treatment initiation (median PFS: 5.9 vs. 26.5 months; p < 0.0001). However, time from T790M detection to disease progression was not significantly different between the two groups (median around 5 months). In conclusion, Sel-Cap is a highly sensitive platform for EGFR mutations in plasma, and the timing of the first appearance of T790M in plasma, determined via highly sensitive liquid biopsies, may be useful for prediction of disease progression of NSCLC, around 5 months in advance.
BRCA1/2 Variants and Metabolic Factors: Results From a Cohort of Italian Female Carriers
Authors: Oliverio Andreina , Bruno Eleonora , Colombo Mara , Paradiso Angelo , Tommasi Stefania , Daniele Antonella , Terribile Daniela Andreina , Magno Stefano , Guarino Donatella , Manoukian Siranoush , Peissel Bernard , Radice Paolo , Pasanisi Patrizia
Published: December 2020

Women carriers of pathogenic variants (mutations) in the BRCA1/2 genes face a high lifetime risk of developing breast cancer (BC) and/or ovarian cancer (OC). However, metabolic factors may influence BRCA penetrance. We studied the association of metabolic factors with BRCA1/2 variants and the risk effect of metabolic exposures in relation to the position of the mutations within the BRCA1/2. Overall, 438 women carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations, aged 18–70, with or without a previous diagnosis of BC/OC and without metastases, who joined our randomized dietary trial, were included in the study. The pathogenic variants were divided, according to their predicted effect, into loss of function (LOF) and nonsynonymous variants. The association between metabolic exposures and variants were analyzed by a logistic regression model. LOF variant carriers showed higher levels of metabolic parameters compared to carriers of nonsynonymous variants. LOF variant carriers had significantly higher levels of plasma glucose and serum insulin than nonsynonymous variant carriers (p = 0.03 and p < 0.001, respectively). This study suggests that higher insulin levels are significantly associated with LOF variants. Further investigations are required to explore the association of metabolic factors with LOF variants and the mechanisms by which these factors may affect BRCA-related cancer risk.
Angiopoietin-2 Combined with Radiochemotherapy Impedes Glioblastoma Recurrence by Acting in an Autocrine and Paracrine Manner: A Preclinical Study
Authors: Helaine Charly , Ferré Aurélie E. , Leblond Marine M. , Pérès Elodie A. , Bernaudin Myriam , Valable Samuel , Petit Edwige
Published: December 2020

(1) We wanted to assess the impact of Ang2 in RCT-induced changes in the environment of glioblastoma. (2) The effect of Ang2 overexpression in tumor cells was studied in the GL261 syngeneic immunocompetent model of GB in response to fractionated RCT. (3) We showed that RCT combined with Ang2 led to tumor clearance for the GL261-Ang2 group by acting on the tumor cells as well as on both vascular and immune compartments. (4) In vitro, Ang2 overexpression in GL261 cells exposed to RCT promoted senescence and induced robust genomic instability, leading to mitotic death. (5) Coculture experiments of GL261-Ang2 cells with RAW 264.7 cells resulted in a significant increase in macrophage migration, which was abrogated by the addition of soluble Tie2 receptor. (6) Together, these preclinical results showed that, combined with RCT, Ang2 acted in an autocrine manner by increasing GB cell senescence and in a paracrine manner by acting on the innate immune system while modulating the vascular tumor compartment. On this preclinical model, we found that an ectopic expression of Ang2 combined with RCT impedes tumor recurrence.
On Secret Sharing with Newton’s Polynomial for Multi-Factor Authentication
Authors: Bezzateev Sergey , Davydov Vadim , Ometov Aleksandr
Published: December 2020

Security and access control aspects are becoming more and more essential to consider during the design of various systems and the tremendous growth of digitization. One of the related key building blocks in this regard is, essentially, the authentication process. Conventional schemes based on one or two authenticating factors can no longer provide the required levels of flexibility and pro-activity of the access procedures, thus, the concept of threshold-based multi-factor authentication (MFA) was introduced, in which some of the factors may be missing, but the access can still be granted. In turn, secret sharing is a crucial component of the MFA systems, with Shamir’s schema being the most widely known one historically and based on Lagrange interpolation polynomial. Interestingly, the older Newtonian approach to the same problem is almost left without attention. At the same time, it means that the coefficients of the existing secret polynomial do not need to be re-calculated while adding a new factor. Therefore, this paper investigates this known property of Newton’s interpolation formula, illustrating that, in specific MFA cases, the whole system may become more flexible and scalable, which is essential for future authentication systems.
Evaluation of Quadrature Signal Generation Methods with Reduced Computational Resources for Grid Synchronization of Single-Phase Power Converters through Phase-Locked Loops
Authors: Lamo Paula , Pigazo Alberto , Azcondo Francisco J.
Published: December 2020

Low-cost single-phase grid connected converters require synchronization with the grid voltage to obtain a better response and protection under diverse conditions, such as frequency perturbations and distortion. Phase-locked loops (PLLs) have been used in this scenario. This paper describes a set of quadrature signal generators for single-phase PLLs; compares the performances by means of simulation tests considering diverse operation conditions of the electrical grid; proposes strategies to reduce the computational burden, considering fixed-point digital implementations; and provides both descriptive and quantitative comparisons of the required mathematical operations and memory units for implementation of the analyzed single-phase PLLs.
Research of PVDF Energy Harvester Cantilever Parameters for Experimental Model Realization
Authors: Cepenas Mindaugas , Peng Bingzhong , Andriukaitis Darius , Ravikumar Chandana , Markevicius Vytautas , Dubauskiene Neringa , Navikas Dangirutis , Valinevicius Algimantas , Zilys Mindaugas , Merfeldas Audrius , Hinov Nikolay
Published: December 2020

Piezoelectric energy harvesters have been extensively researched for use with wireless sensors or low power consumption electronic devices. Most of the piezoelectric energy harvesters cannot generate enough power for potential applications. In this study, we explore the parameters, including gap and proof mass, that can affect the damping of the cantilever to optimize the design of the energy harvester. A finite analysis is conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics software. Usually, this type of simulation is performed using the loss factor. However, it is known that results from the loss factor produce models that do not fit the experimental data well. In fact, the result of output voltage using the loss factor is 50% higher than the real value, which is due to ignoring the adverse effect of a superimposing mechanical damping of different constituent materials. In order to build a true model, Rayleigh damping coefficients are measured to use in a simulation. This resulted in a closer fit of modeling and experimental data, and a 5 times better output voltage from the optimized energy harvester compared with using the smallest gap and mass.
An Optimum Design of Clocked AC-DC Charge Pump Circuits for Vibration Energy Harvesting
Authors: Ye Jinming , Tanzawa Toru
Published: December 2020

This paper shows how clocked AC-DC charge pump circuits can be optimally designed to have the minimum circuit area for small form factor vibration energy harvesting. One can determine an optimum number of stages with simple equations and then determine the capacitance of each pump capacitor to have a target output current at a target output voltage. The equations were verified under a wide range of design parameters by comparing the output current with the simulated one. The output current of the circuit designed by the equations was in good agreement with the simulated result, to within 5% for 98% of the 1600 designs with different parameters. We also propose a design flow to help designers determine the initial design parameters of a clocked AC-DC charge pump circuit (i.e., the number of stages, capacitance per stage, and the total size of rectifying devices) under the condition that the saturation current of a unit of the rectifying device, clock frequency, amplitude of the voltage generated by the energy transducer, target output voltage, and target output current are given. SPICE simulation results validated theoretical results with an error of 3% in terms of the output current when a clocked AC-DC charge pump was designed to output current of 1 μA at 2.5 V from a vibration energy harvester with an AC voltage amplitude of 0.5 V.
Use of an Artificial Neural Network to Assess the Degree of Training of an Operator of Selected Devices Used in Precision Agriculture
Authors: Trzyniec Karolina , Kowalewski Adam
Published: December 2020

The article concerns the issue of automatic recognition of the moment of achieving the desired degree of training of an operator of devices used in precision agriculture. The aim of the research was to build a neural model that recognizes when an operator has acquired the skill of operating modern navigation on parallel strips used in precision agriculture. To conduct the test, a standard device to assist the operator in guiding the machine along given paths, eliminating overlaps, was selected. The thesis was proven that the moment of operator training (meaning driving along designated paths with an accuracy of up to eight centimeters) can be automatically recognized by a properly selected artificial neural network. This network was learned on the basis of data collected during the observation of the operator training process, using a criterion defined by experts. The data collected in the form of photos of the actual and designated route was converted into numerical data and entered into the network input. The output shows the binary evaluation of the trip. It has been shown that the developed neural model will allow the determining of the moment when operators acquire the skills to drive a vehicle along the indicated path and thus shorten the training time.
Evidences of Different Drought Sensitivity in Xylem Cell Developmental Processes in South Siberia Scots Pines
Authors: Belokopytova Liliana V. , Fonti Patrick , Babushkina Elena A. , Zhirnova Dina F. , Vaganov Eugene A.
Published: December 2020

Research Highlights: This study emphasized the importance of multi-parameter analyses along ecological gradients for a more holistic understanding of the complex mechanism of tree-ring formation. Background and Objectives: The analysis of climatic signals from cell anatomical features measured along series of tree-rings provides mechanistic details on how environmental drivers rule tree-ring formation. However, the processes of cell development might not be independent, limiting the interpretation of the cell-based climatic signal. In this study, we investigated the variability, intercorrelations and climatic drivers of wood anatomical parameters, resulting from consequent cell developmental processes. Materials and Methods: The study was performed on thin cross-sections from wood cores sampled at ~1.3 m stem height from mature trees of Pinus sylvestris L. growing at five sampling sites along an ecological gradient from cold and wet to hot and dry within continental Southern Siberia. Tracheid number per radial file, their diameters and wall thicknesses were measured along the radial direction from microphotographs for five trees per site. These parameters were then averaged at each site for earlywood and latewood over the last 50 tree rings to build site chronologies. Their correlations among themselves and with 21-day moving climatic series were calculated. Results: Our findings showed that wood formation was not simply the result of environmentally driven independent subprocesses of cell division, enlargement and wall deposition. These processes appear to be interconnected within each zone of the ring, as well as between earlywood and latewood. However, earlywood parameters tend to have more distinctive climatic responses and lower intercorrelations. On the other hand, there are clear indications that the mechanisms of cell division and enlargement share similar climatic drivers and are more sensitive to water limitation than the process of wall deposition. Conclusions: Indications were provided that (i) earlywood formation left a legacy on latewood formation, (ii) cell division and enlargement shared more similar drivers between each other than with wall deposition, and (iii) the mechanism of cell division and enlargement along the gradient switch from water to heat limitations at different thresholds than wall deposition.
Effect of Thinning on Forest Scenic Beauty in a Black Pine Forest in Central Italy
Authors: De Meo Isabella , Cantiani Paolo , Paletto Alessandro
Published: December 2020

Forest management practices determine changes in stand characteristics and consequently influence public perception of forest scenic beauty visually appreciated by visitors. To understand the relationship between forest management practices and public perception, the present study evaluated the effects of thinning on the forest scenic beauty analyzing visitors’ preferences towards images of forest managed in different ways. The investigation was implemented in a black pine (Pinus nigra spp.) forest located in Central Italy, where a designed thinning experiment was conducted during the winter of 2016. Silvicultural interventions were based on three options: traditional thinning (medium-intensity thinning from below), selective thinning, and absence of intervention (control). Then, through the face-to-face administration of a questionnaire to a sample of 200 visitors, visitors’ aesthetic preferences for stands’ characteristics affected by management interventions were assessed. The survey also investigated the perception of the effect of silvicultural treatments on the scenic beauty using pairwise comparison method. Results evidence a strong relation between scenic beauty and forest attributes. In particular, the results show that visitors prefer mixed forest with varying tree heights and layers, and consequently a high and variable quantity of light reaching the soil. Results also show that visitors prefer managed forests, and both kinds of thinning have a positive effect on the scenic beauty.
Emerging Technologies for Aerial Decontamination of Food Storage Environments to Eliminate Microbial Cross-Contamination
Authors: Oliveira Márcia , Tiwari Brijesh K. , Duffy Geraldine
Published: December 2020

Air is recognized as an important source of microbial contamination in food production facilities and has the potential to contaminate the food product causing food safety and spoilage issues for the food industry. Potential for aerial microbial contamination of food can be a particular issue during storage in cold rooms when the food is not packaged and is exposed to contaminated air over a prolonged period. Thus, there are potential benefits for the food industry for an aerial decontamination in cold storage facilities. In this paper, aerial decontamination approaches are reviewed and challenges encountered for their applications are discussed. It is considered that current systems may not be completely effective and environmentally friendly, therefore, it is of great significance to consider the development of nonresidual and verified decontamination technologies for the food industry and, in particular, for the cold storage rooms.
Cooperation through Image Scoring: A Replication
Authors: Russell Yvan I. , Stoilova Yana , Dosoftei Aura-Adriana
Published: December 2020

“Image scoring” is a type of social evaluation, originally used in agent-based models, where the reputation of another is numerically assessed. This phenomenon has been studied in both theoretical models and real-life psychology experiments (using human participants). The latter are aimed to create conditions in the laboratory where image scoring can be elicited. One influential paper is that of Wedekind and Milinski (2000), WM. Our paper is a replication of that study, deliberately employing very similar methodology to the original. Accordingly, we had six groups of ten participants play an economic game. In each round, each player was randomly paired with another player whose identity was unknown. The participant was given a binary choice of either (1) donating money to that person, or (2) not donating money. In each round, the player was passively exposed to information about the past generosity of the other player. In our study, we successfully replicated the central result of WM. Participants in our replication gave significantly more money to partners with higher image scores (more generous reputations) than those with lower image scores (less generous reputations). This paper also provides a critical review of the methodology of WM and the study of image scoring.
Performance and Training Load Profiles in Recreational Male Trail Runners: Analyzing Their Interactions during Competitions
Authors: Matos Sérgio , Clemente Filipe Manuel , Silva Rui , Pereira Joel , Cancela Carral José María
Published: December 2020

Endurance sports like trail running constitute an extensive individual modality causing numerous physiological changes to occur in the athlete. In this sense, an adequate monitoring of training load appears to be essential to improve competition performance. The aim of this study was two-fold: (i) to analyze trail runners’ weekly load variations in the four weeks leading up to a trail running competition, and (ii) to determine the relationship between the runners’ pacing in competitions and their physical fitness and workload parameters. Twenty-five amateur male trail runners (age: 36.23 ± 8.30 years old; minimum International Trail Running Association performance index: 600) were monitored daily for the duration of a season (52 weeks). External load (distance covered, pace) and internal load (rate of perceived exertion) were measured daily. Additionally, weekly workload measures of acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR), training monotony, and training strain were calculated. The runners were also assessed for maximal aerobic speed (MAS) every four months. No significant differences in workload measures (p > 0.05) were observed in the four weeks leading up to each short trail competition; however, leading up to the long trail, ultra-trail medium, and ultra-trail long/extra-long competitions, the differences in the runners’ workload measures were significant (p < 0.05). In the short trail, pace was found to be moderately correlated with the ACWR of total distance (r = −0.334) and with training monotony of rate of perceived exertion (RPE) (r = −0.303). In the ultra-trail, a large correlation was observed between pace and elevation accumulated (r = 0.677). We concluded that significant workload differences from one week to the next only occurred in preparation for longer-distance competitions, with sudden acute load decreases and very low ACWR values reported mainly in weeks 1 and 2 of the taper. Meaningful relationships were found between performance (pace) and MAS for longer trails and between pace and MAS for ultra-trail competitions.
Tools to Support Self-Care Monitoring at Home: Perspectives of Patients with Heart Failure
Authors: Aamodt Ina Thon , Strömberg Anna , Hellesø Ragnhild , Jaarsma Tiny , Lie Irene
Published: December 2020

Self-care monitoring at home can be a challenge for patients with heart failure (HF). Tools that leverage information and communication technology (ICT), comprise medical devices, or have written material may support their efforts at home. The aim of this study was to describe HF patients’ experiences and their prioritization of tools that support, or could support, self-care monitoring at home. A descriptive qualitative design employing semi-structured interviews was used with HF patients living at home and attending an HF outpatient clinic in Norway. We used a deductive analysis approach, using the concept of self-care monitoring with ICT tools, paper-based tools, medical devices, and tools to consult with healthcare professionals (HCPs) as the categorization matrix. Nineteen HF patients with a mean age of 64 years participated. ICT tools are used by individual participants to identify changes in their HF symptoms, but are not available by healthcare services. Paper-based tools, medical devices, and face-to-face consultation with healthcare professionals are traditional tools that are available and used by individual participants. HF patients use traditional and ICT tools to support recognizing, identifying, and responding to HF symptoms at home, suggesting that they could be used if they are available and supplemented by in-person consultation with HCPs.
The Preliminary Effects of a Multi-Recess School Intervention: Using Accelerometers to Measure Physical Activity Patterns in Elementary Children
Authors: Farbo David , Maler Laura C. , Rhea Deborah J.
Published: December 2020

This pilot study used accelerometers to investigate the effectiveness of a multiple recess school intervention on physical activity patterns in younger elementary children using a post-test only with nonequivalent groups design. First and second grade students (N = 157) participating in a larger study, the LiiNK Project® (Let’s inspire innovation ‘N Kids), wore accelerometers for the duration of the school day for two weeks to measure physical activity intensity and number of steps taken daily. Students attended either an intervention school (N = 90), participating in four 15-min unstructured, outdoor recesses and one 15-min character development lesson daily, or a control school (N = 67), participating in two 15-min unstructured, outdoor recesses daily and no character development program. The intervention students, grades 1 and 2, took more steps (p < 0.001) and time spent in moderate (p < 0.001) and vigorous (p < 0.001) physical activity (MVPA) than the control school students. Intervention students averaged approximately 900 more steps per day than the control school students. These results show young children given 60 min of recess daily continue to increase physical activity patterns over those with 30 min of recess daily. Next steps are to evaluate if children demonstrate healthier body fat levels as a result of these higher patterns of MVPA daily.
Association between Time Spent on Smart Devices and Change in Refractive Error: A 1-Year Prospective Observational Study among Hong Kong Children and Adolescents
Authors: Do Chi-wai , Chan Lily Y. L. , Tse Andy C. Y. , Cheung Teris , So Billy C. L. , Tang Wing Chun , Yu W. Y. , Chu Geoffrey C. H. , Szeto Grace P. Y. , Lee Regina L. T. , Lee Paul H.
Published: December 2020

This study examined the association between smart device usage and the 1-year change in refractive error among a representative sample of Hong Kong children and adolescents aged 8–14 years. A total of 1597 participants (49.9% male, mean age 10.9, SD 2.0) who completed both baseline (2017–2018) and 1-year follow-up (2018–2019) eye examinations were included in the present study. The non-cycloplegic auto-refractive error was measured and the average spherical equivalent refraction (SER) was analyzed. The participants also self-reported their smart device usage at baseline. Multivariate regression adjusted for age, sex, baseline SER, parents’ short-sightedness, BMI, time spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and caregiver-reported socio-economic status showed that, compared with the reference group (<2 h per day on both smartphone and tablet usages), those who spent ≥2 h per day using a smartphone and <2 h per day using a tablet had a significantly negative shift in refractive error (1-year change in SER −0.25 vs. −0.09 D, p = 0.01) for the right eye, while the level of significance was marginal (1-year change −0.28 vs. −0.15 D, p = 0.055) for the left eye. To conclude, our data suggested spending at most 2 h per day on both smartphones and tablets.
Cardiometabolic Risk Factor in Obese and Normal Weight Individuals in Community Dwelling Men
Authors: Kim Hyunsoo , Kim Kijeong , Shin Sohee
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) in community dwelling men based on a combination of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). This cross-sectional study was based on 867 males between the ages of 20 and 71 years. Subjects were categorized into 4 groups by BMI and WC (Group 1, BMI < 25 kg/m2 and WC < 90 cm; Group 2, BMI < 25 kg/m2 and WC > 90 cm; Group 3, BMI > 25 kg/m2 and WC < 90 cm; and Group 4 BMI > 25 kg/m2 and WC > 90 cm). The proportion of subjects with a normal weight with high WC was 3.2%. Among normal weight men with the high range of WC, significantly high Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CI were found for hypertriglyceridemia (3.8, 1.8–8.2) and high blood glucose (3.2, 1.5–6.9). The probability that the general obesity group (Group 3) had one CRF was around twice that of the reference group (Group 1) (1.9 to 2.1 times), but Group 2 had probability more than 4 times higher (4.3 to 4.6 times). In community dwelling adult men, normal weight with high waist circumference was associated with the highest cardiometabolic risk. In conclusion, follow-up screening of those with high WC may be necessary to detect and prevent cardiometabolic diseases, particularly for men with a normal weight.