bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sliding Dynamics of Parallel Graphene Sheets: Effect of Geometry and Van Der Waals Interactions on Nano-Spring Behavior
Authors: Crisafulli Alessandro , Khodayari Ali , Mohammadnejad Shahin , Fasano Matteo
Published: March 2018

Graphene and carbon nanotubes are promising materials for nanoelectromechanical systems. Among other aspects, a proper understanding of the sliding dynamics of parallel graphene sheets or concentric nanotubes is of crucial importance for the design of nano-springs. Here, we analytically investigate the sliding dynamics between two parallel, rigid graphene sheets. In particular, the analysis focuses on configurations in which the distance between the sheets is kept constant and lower than the equilibrium interlayer spacing of graphite (unstable configurations). The aim is to understand how the interlayer force due to van der Waals interactions along the sliding direction changes with the geometrical characteristics of the configuration, namely size and interlayer spacing. Results show metastable equilibrium positions with completely faced sheets, namely a null force along the sliding direction, whereas net negative/positive forces arise when the sheets are approaching/leaving each other. This behavior resembles a molecular spring, being able to convert kinetic into potential energy (van der Waals potential), and viceversa. The amplitude of both storable energy and entrance/exit forces is found to be proportional to the sheet size, and inversely proportional to their interlayer spacing. This model could also be generalized to describe the behavior of configurations made of concentric carbon nanotubes, therefore allowing a rational design of some elements of carbon-based nanoelectromechanical systems.
Money and Pay-As-You-Go Pension
Authors: Yasuoka Masaya
Published: March 2018

This paper presents examination of how a pension policy affects income growth and the inflation rate in a utility model. Even if the contribution rate of pension increases because of an aging society, an aging society increases income growth and the inflation rate. Moreover, this paper presents examination of the optimal growth rate of the money supply. Because of the pension policy, the optimal growth rate of money stock changes. This result is intuitive because a pay-as-you-go pension changes capital accumulation. Therefore, the income growth rate should be changed to raise the welfare of all generations.
Rejecting Platonism: Recovering Humanity in Mathematics Education
Authors: Peck Frederick
Published: March 2018

In this paper, I consider a pervasive myth in mathematics education, that of Plato-formalism. I show that this myth is ahistorical, acultural, and harmful, both for mathematics and for society. I argue that, as teachers, we should reject the myth of Plato-formalism and instead understand mathematics as a human activity. This philosophy humanizes mathematics and implies that math education should be active, cultural, historical, social, and critical—helping students learn formal mathematics, while also learning that mathematics shapes their lives, that this shaping is a result of human work and choices, and that students are empowered to shape those choices.
Design and Application Space Exploration of a Domain-Specific Accelerator System
Authors: Feng Fan , Li Li , Wang Kun , Fu Yuxiang , He Guoqiang , Pan Hongbing
Published: March 2018

Domain-specific accelerators are a reaction adapting to device scaling and the dark silicon era. This paper describes a radar signal processing oriented configurable accelerator and the application space exploration of the system. The system is built around accelerator engines and general-purpose processors (GPPs) that make it suitable for intensive computing kernel acceleration and complex control tasks. It is geared toward high-performance radar digital signal processing; we characterize the applications and find that each of them contains a series of serializable kernels. Taking advantage of this discovery, we design an algorithm pool that shares the same computation resource and memory resource, and each algorithm is size reconfigurable. On the other hand, shared on-chip addressable scratchpad memory eliminates unnecessary explicit data copy between accelerators. Performance of the system is evaluated from measurements performed both on an FPGA SoC test chip and on a prototype chip fabricated by CMOS 40 nm technology. The experimental results show that for different algorithms, the proposed system achieves 1.9× to 10.1× performance gain compared with a state-of-the-art TI DSP chip. In order to characterize the application of the system, a complex real-life task is adopted, and the results show that it can obtain high throughput and desirable precision.
A Procedure for Modeling Photovoltaic Arrays under Any Configuration and Shading Conditions
Authors: Gonzalez Montoya Daniel , Bastidas-Rodriguez Juan , Trejos-Grisales Luz , Ramos-Paja Carlos , Petrone Giovanni , Spagnuolo Giovanni
Published: March 2018

Photovoltaic (PV) arrays can be connected following regular or irregular connection patterns to form regular configurations (e.g., series-parallel, total cross-tied, bridge-linked, etc.) or irregular configurations, respectively. Several reported works propose models for a single configuration; hence, making the evaluation of arrays with different configuration is a considerable time-consuming task. Moreover, if the PV array adopts an irregular configuration, the classical models cannot be used for its analysis. This paper proposes a modeling procedure for PV arrays connected in any configuration and operating under uniform or partial shading conditions. The procedure divides the array into smaller arrays, named sub-arrays, which can be independently solved. The modeling procedure selects the mesh current solution or the node voltage solution depending on the topology of each sub-array. Therefore, the proposed approach analyzes the PV array using the least number of nonlinear equations. The proposed solution is validated through simulation and experimental results, which demonstrate the proposed model capacity to reproduce the electrical behavior of PV arrays connected in any configuration.
Lambda-Based Data Processing Architecture for Two-Level Load Forecasting in Residential Buildings
Authors: Nugraha Gde , Musa Ardiansyah , Cho Jaiyoung , Park Kishik , Choi Deokjai
Published: March 2018

Building energy management systems (BEMS) have been intensively used to manage the electricity consumption of residential buildings more efficiently. However, the dynamic behavior of the occupants introduces uncertainty problems that affect the performance of the BEMS. To address this uncertainty problem, the BEMS may implement load forecasting as one of the BEMS modules. Load forecasting utilizes historical load data to compute model predictions for a specific time in the future. Recently, smart meters have been introduced to collect electricity consumption data. Smart meters not only capture aggregation data, but also individual data that is more frequently close to real-time. The processing of both smart meter data types for load forecasting can enhance the performance of the BEMS when confronted with uncertainty problems. The collection of smart meter data can be processed using a batch approach for short-term load forecasting, while the real-time smart meter data can be processed for very short-term load forecasting, which adjusts the short-term load forecasting to adapt to the dynamic behavior of the occupants. This approach requires different data processing techniques for aggregation and individual of smart meter data. In this paper, we propose Lambda-based data processing architecture to process the different types of smart meter data and implement the two-level load forecasting approach, which combines short-term and very short-term load forecasting techniques on top of our proposed data processing architecture. The proposed approach is expected to enhance the BEMS to address the uncertainty problem in order to process data in less time. Our experiment showed that the proposed approaches improved the accuracy by 7% compared to a typical BEMS with only one load forecasting technique, and had the lowest computation time when processing the smart meter data.
Proposal for a General Atmospheric Correction Method of Breakdown and Withstand Voltages of Air-Gap Insulated Configurations Based on a Streamer–Leader Differentiated Model of the Breakdown Process
Authors: Schubert Uwe , Shirvani Ali , Schmidt Uwe , Kornhuber Stefan , Kynast Ede
Published: March 2018

Current atmospheric correction methods for breakdown and withstand voltages in long air-gap configurations show deviations in comparison to measurement data when applied to correct for unusual or atypical atmospheric conditions (i.e., altitudes above 2000 m a.s.l.). The corresponding standards IEC 60060 and IEC 60071 show inconsistencies, although both are being based upon the same measurements and empirical models. In its first part, the concept paper at hand presents the current knowledge and problems of atmospheric correction. In the second part, the authors outline the possible steps for a necessary new investigation as well as the algorithm of a hypothetical correction method. The proposed research is based upon the recent knowledge that any breakdown process in air-gap insulation consists of the sub-processes streamer and leader. While their characteristics seem to be independent of configuration and voltage form, their ratio and proportion varies, which, in turn, defines the value of breakdown voltage. Therefore, the authors propose a sub-process differentiated, measurement-based evaluation of the atmospheric influences air pressure, air humidity, air conductivity and temperature. The main goal is to develop a generic physical model of the breakdown process.
Fuzzy Load-Shedding Strategy Considering Photovoltaic Output Fluctuation Characteristics and Static Voltage Stability
Authors: Li Sheng , Wei Zhinong , Ma Yanan
Published: March 2018

Based on the equilibrium point equations of a classic three-node system integrated with a large-scale photovoltaic cell (PV) power plant, the impact of PV output fluctuation on the saddle-node bifurcation (SNB) was derived and analyzed. When PV runs in a unity power factor and the PV output active power Ppv is not too large (several hundred MW and below), the PV output fluctuation has little effect on the SNB point position and load margin index, so that the load margin index can be calculated online using the SNB point at Ppv = 0 pu. On the other hand, the local reactive power compensation in the load center can effectively raise the load bus voltage and make the voltage stability problem become more concealed; the traditional under-voltage load-shedding (UVLS) strategy only carries out load shedding when the bus voltage amplitude is below the specified value and cannot effectively maintain the system static voltage stability in some occasions. In this paper, a fuzzy load-shedding strategy considering the impact of PV output fluctuations for the large-scale PV grid-connected system was designed, taking the load bus voltage amplitude and load margin index as fuzzy input variables, and the load-shedding command as a fuzzy output variable. Nine fuzzy IF-THEN rules were extracted for the fuzzy controller and the corresponding practical calculation method of load-shedding quantity was put forward. The simulation results of the classic three-node system and IEEE 14-bus system, both with a 100 MW PV power plant, verified the effectiveness of the fuzzy load-shedding controller whose input variable load margin index was calculated using the SNB point when the PV active power output was 0. The designed fuzzy load-shedding strategy can compensate for the defect—that the traditional UVLS strategy cannot effectively guarantee the system static voltage stability—and it can be widely used in power grids integrated with PV power plants whose scales are at a level of several hundred MW and below.
An Original Transformer and Switched-Capacitor (T & SC)-Based Extension for DC-DC Boost Converter for High-Voltage/Low-Current Renewable Energy Applications: Hardware Implementation of a New T & SC Boost Converter
Authors: Padmanaban Sanjeevikumar , Bhaskar Mahajan , Maroti Pandav , Blaabjerg Frede , Fedák Viliam
Published: March 2018

In this article a new Transformer and Switched Capacitor-based Boost Converter (T & SC-BC) is proposed for high-voltage/low-current renewable energy applications. The proposed T & SC-BC is an original extension for DC-DC boost converter which is designed by utilizing a transformer and switched capacitor (T & SC). Photovoltaic (PV) energy is a fast emergent segment among the renewable energy systems. The proposed T & SC-BC combines the features of the conventional boost converter and T & SC to achieve a high voltage conversion ratio. A Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller is compulsory and necessary in a PV system to extract maximum power. Thus, a photovoltaic MPPT control mechanism also articulated for the proposed T & SC-BC. The voltage conversion ratio (Vo/Vin) of proposed converter is (1 + k)/(1 − D) where, k is the turns ratio of the transformer and D is the duty cycle (thus, the converter provides 9.26, 13.88, 50/3 voltage conversion ratios at 78.4 duty cycle with k = 1, 2, 2.6, respectively). The conspicuous features of proposed T & SC-BC are: (i) a high voltage conversion ratio (Vo/Vin); (ii) continuous input current (Iin); (iii) single switch topology; (iv) single input source; (v) low drain to source voltage (VDS) rating of control switch; (vi) a single inductor and a single untapped transformer are used. Moreover, the proposed T & SC-BC topology was compared with recently addressed DC-DC converters in terms of number of components, cost, voltage conversion ratio, ripples, efficiency and power range. Simulation and experimental results are provided which validate the functionality, design and concept of the proposed approach.
Influence of the Elastic Dilatation of Mining-Induced Unloading Rock Mass on the Development of Bed Separation
Authors: Zhu Weibing , Yu Shengchao , Xu Jingmin
Published: March 2018

Understanding how mining-induced strata movement, fractures, bed separation, and ground subsidence evolve is an area of great importance for the underground coal mining industry, particularly for disaster control and sustainable mining. Based on the rules of mining-induced strata movement and stress evolution, accumulative dilatation of mining-induced unloading rock mass is first proposed in this paper. Triaxial unloading tests and theoretical calculation were used to investigate the influence of elastic dilatation of mining-induced unloading rock mass on the development of bed separation in the context of district No. 102 where a layer of super-thick igneous sill exists in the Haizi colliery. It is shown that the elastic dilatation coefficient of mining-induced unloading hard rocks and coal were 0.9~1.0‰ and 2.63‰ respectively under the axial load of 16 MPa, which increased to 1.30~1.59‰ and 4.88‰ when the axial load was 32 MPa. After successively excavating working faces No. 1022 and No. 1024, the elastic dilatation of unloading rock mass was 157.9 mm, which represented approximately 6.3% of the mining height, indicating the elastic dilatation of mining-induced unloading rock mass has a moderate influence on the development of bed separation. Drill hole detection results after grouting, showed that only 0.33 m of the total grouting filling thickness (1.67 m) was located in the fracture zone and bending zone, which verified the result from previous drill hole detection that only small bed separation developed beneath the igneous sill. Therefore, it was concluded that the influences of elastic dilatation of mining-induced unloading rock mass and bulking of caved rock mass jointly contributed to the small bed separation space beneath the igneous sill. Since the accurate calculation of the unloading dilatation of rock mass is the fundamental basis for quantitative calculation of bed separation and surface subsidence, this paper is expected to be a meaningful beginning point and could provide a useful reference for future, related research.
Study on the Effect of Iron-Based Deoxidizing Inhibitors for Coal Spontaneous Combustion Prevention
Authors: Hao Chaoyu , Chen Yanling , Wang Jiren , Deng Cunbao , Xu Guang , Dai Fengwei , Si Rui , Wang Hongfei , Wang Haoyu
Published: March 2018

To improve the prevention of spontaneous coal combustion, reduced iron powder and other ingredients should be added together to form an iron-based deoxidizing inhibitor, with the dual effect of oxygen consumption and inhibition. The oxygen consumption rate of the inhibitor was studied through experiments. According to the theory of coordination resistance, the coordination resistance of Fe3+ was studied via the density functional method. Subsequently, a comparative experiment of the effects on spontaneous coal combustion was conducted. The research shows that several kinds of common resistance agents that are added to the reduced iron powder can consume oxygen. However, the rate of oxygen consumption varies. Fe3+ produced by the reduced iron powder indicates a strong coordination resistance. When compared with traditional inhibitors of Mg2+, Fe3+ has a stronger inhibition effect on the N, P, and S reactive groups in coal. The overall inhibitory effect is better than that of traditional inhibitors, because of the increased oxygen consumption and the coordination resistance of Fe3+ on the basis of traditional inhibitors.
A Case Study of Control and Improved Simplified Swarm Optimization for Economic Dispatch of a Stand-Alone Modular Microgrid
Authors: Zhang Xianyong , Yeh Wei-chang , Jiang Yunzhi , Huang Yaohong , Xiao Yingwang , Li Li
Published: March 2018

Due to the complex configuration and control framework, the conventional microgrid is not cost-effective for engineering applications with small or medium capacity. A stand-alone modular microgrid with separated AC bus and decentralized control strategy is proposed in this paper. Each module is a self-powered system, which consists of wind and solar power, a storage battery, load and three-port converter. The modules are interconnected by three-port converters to form the microgrid. Characteristics, operation principle, control of the modular microgrid and the three-port converter are analyzed in detail. Distributed storage batteries enable power exchanges among modules to enhance economic returns. Economic dispatch of the stand-alone modular microgrid is a mixed-integer programming problem. A day-ahead operation optimization model including fuel cost, battery operation cost, and power transmission cost is established. Because there are so many constraints, it is difficult to produce a feasible solution and even more difficult to have an improved solution. An improved simplified swarm optimization (iSSO) method is therefore proposed. The iSSO scheme designs the new update mechanism and survival of the fittest policy. The experimental results from the demonstration project on DongAo Island reflect the effectiveness of the stand-alone modular microgrid and the economic dispatch strategy based on the iSSO method.
Does Plant Knowledge within Urban Forests and Parks Directly Influence Visitor Pro-Environmental Behaviors
Authors: Sat Gungor Beyza , Chen Jiquan , Wu Susie , Zhou Peiling , Shirkey Gabriela
Published: March 2018

Urban parks and forests provide many services to society and are becoming essential components within urban landscapes worldwide. While substantial research and actions have been taken to understand various ecosystem services of urban forests and parks, significantly less effort has been made on people’s perceptions toward the effectiveness of these services. In addressing the above research needs, we conducted a field survey and hypothesized that an individual’s knowledge will lead to different pro-environmental behaviors in urban forests and parks. Using the Toledo, Ohio, USA as our study site, we collected 267 interviews from five of the area’s most frequented urban parks. A three-way ANOVA and two Partial Least Square Structural Equation Models quantified the causal relationship among demography, plant knowledge, environmental knowledge, and pro-environmental behaviors. We found that: (1) different levels of plant knowledge will have different influences on environmental behaviors; (2) pro-environmental behavioral models can be based on planned behaviors or habitual behaviors; and that (3) gender may not be an influential factor in determining pro-environmental behaviors. Environmental knowledge, especially plant knowledge, plays a key role in fostering pro-environmental behaviors. Therefore, we reason that disseminating plant knowledge education materials will profoundly raise visitors’ pro-environmental behaviors.
Impact of Wort Amino Acids on Beer Flavour: A Review
Authors: Ferreira Inês , Guido Luís
Published: March 2018

The process by which beer is brewed has not changed significantly since its discovery thousands of years ago. Grain is malted, dried, crushed and mixed with hot water to produce wort. Yeast is added to the sweet, viscous wort, after which fermentation occurs. The biochemical events that occur during fermentation reflect the genotype of the yeast strain used, and its phenotypic expression is influenced by the composition of the wort and the conditions established in the fermenting vessel. Although wort is complex and not completely characterized, its content in amino acids indubitably affects the production of some minor metabolic products of fermentation which contribute to the flavour of beer. These metabolic products include higher alcohols, esters, carbonyls and sulfur-containing compounds. The formation of these products is comprehensively reviewed in this paper. Furthermore, the role of amino acids in the beer flavour, in particular their relationships with flavour active compounds, is discussed in light of recent data.
Betaine in Cereal Grains and Grain-Based Products
Authors: Filipčev Bojana , Kojić Jovana , Krulj Jelena , Bodroža-Solarov Marija , Ilić Nebojša
Published: March 2018

Betaine is a non-essential nutrient which performs several important physiological functions in organisms. Abundant data exist to suggest that betaine has a potential for prevention of chronic diseases and that its dietary intake may contribute to overall health enhancement. Several studies have pointed out that the betaine status of the general population is inadequate and have suggested nutritional strategies to improve dietary intake of betaine. Cereal-based food has been implicated as the major source of betaine in the Western diet. This review summarizes the results on the betaine content in various cereals and related products. Attention has been given to the betaine content in gluten-free grains and products. It also discusses the stability of betaine during processing (cooking, baking, extrusion) and possibilities to increase betaine content by fortification.
Single Micrometer-Sized Gels: Unique Mechanics and Characters for Applications
Authors: Yanagisawa Miho , Watanabe Chiho , Fujiwara Kei
Published: March 2018

Microgels—small gels of submicron to micron size—are widely used in food, cosmetics and biomedical applications because of their biocompatibility and/or fast response to external environments. However, the properties of “single” microgels have not been characterized due to limitations in preparation technologies and measurement methods for single microgels with sizes in the multi-micrometer range. The synthesis of multiple shapes of single microgels and their characterization are important for further functionalization and application of gel-based materials. In this review, we explain the recent advancements in microgel fabrication and characterization methods for single microgels. The first topic discussed includes the self-assembly methods for single microgel fabrication using physical phenomena such as phase separation, interfacial wetting and buckling instability. The second topic deals with methods for analyzing the mechanics of single microgels and the differences between their mechanical characteristics and those of bulk gels. The recent progress in the fabrication and characterization of single microgels will bring important insights to the design and functionalization of gel-based materials.
Chiral Assembly Preferences and Directing Effects in Supramolecular Two-Component Organogels
Authors: Edwards William , Smith David
Published: March 2018

The impact of chirality on the self-assembly of supramolecular gels is of considerable importance, as molecular-scale programming can be translated into nanostructuring and ultimately affect macroscopic performance. This paper explores the effect of chirality on the assembly of two-component gels comprised of a second-generation dendritic lysine peptide acid, containing three chiral centres, and an amine. This combination forms an acid–amine complex that assembles into nanofibres through peptide-peptide hydrogen bonds, leading to organogels. With achiral amines, a racemic mixture of l,l,l and d,d,d dendritic peptide acids surprisingly forms the best gels—more commonly, mixing enantiomers suppresses gelation. Thermodynamic studies demonstrate that depending on the amine, the greater stability of heterochiral gels can either be entropically or enthalpically driven. With amines possessing “R” chirality, the l,l,l peptide acid consistently forms more effective gels than its d,d,d analogue. Furthermore, in mixed gels, l,l,l sometimes imposes its assembly preference onto d,d,d. In summary, this paper demonstrates a rare example in which heterochiral gels are preferred, and also explores directing effects when each component in a two-component gel is chiral.
Genome-Wide Identification of the Alba Gene Family in Plants and Stress-Responsive Expression of the Rice Alba Genes
Authors: Verma Jitendra , Wardhan Vijay , Singh Deepali , Chakraborty Subhra , Chakraborty Niranjan
Published: March 2018

Architectural proteins play key roles in genome construction and regulate the expression of many genes, albeit the modulation of genome plasticity by these proteins is largely unknown. A critical screening of the architectural proteins in five crop species, viz., Oryza sativa, Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, Cicer arietinum, and Vitis vinifera, and in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana along with evolutionary relevant species such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Physcomitrella patens, and Amborella trichopoda, revealed 9, 20, 10, 7, 7, 6, 1, 4, and 4 Alba (acetylation lowers binding affinity) genes, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis of the genes and of their counterparts in other plant species indicated evolutionary conservation and diversification. In each group, the structural components of the genes and motifs showed significant conservation. The chromosomal location of the Alba genes of rice (OsAlba), showed an unequal distribution on 8 of its 12 chromosomes. The expression profiles of the OsAlba genes indicated a distinct tissue-specific expression in the seedling, vegetative, and reproductive stages. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of the OsAlba genes confirmed their stress-inducible expression under multivariate environmental conditions and phytohormone treatments. The evaluation of the regulatory elements in 68 Alba genes from the 9 species studied led to the identification of conserved motifs and overlapping microRNA (miRNA) target sites, suggesting the conservation of their function in related proteins and a divergence in their biological roles across species. The 3D structure and the prediction of putative ligands and their binding sites for OsAlba proteins offered a key insight into the structure–function relationship. These results provide a comprehensive overview of the subtle genetic diversification of the OsAlba genes, which will help in elucidating their functional role in plants.
Engineering the Salt-Inducible Ectoine Promoter Region of Halomonas elongata for Protein Expression in a Unique Stabilizing Environment
Authors: Stiller Lisa , Galinski Erwin , Witt Elisabeth
Published: March 2018

It has been firmly established that organic osmolytes (compatible solutes) of halophilic Bacteria and Archaea have positive effects on conformation and activity of proteins, and may therefore improve their functional production. In particular, the amino acid derivative ectoine is known for its conformational stabilization, aggregation suppression, and radical protection properties. The natural producer and industrial production strain Halomonas elongata accumulates ectoine in the cytoplasm, and as a result offers a unique stabilizing environment for recombinant proteins. For the construction of broad hoast range vector systems with fluorescent reporter proteins, we chose the salt-inducible promoter region of the ectoine gene cluster (promA). A closer inspection of the genetic background revealed that its combination of sigma 38 (σ38) and sigma 70 (σ70) promoters was followed by a weak ribosomal binding site (RBS). This inspired a systematic approach for the construction of a promA-based vector series with a synthetic RBS region using the RBS Calculator v2.0, which resulted in a greatly improved salt-dependent expression—even in a deletion construct lacking the σ38 promoter. To expand the application range of this expression system, we looked further into the possible export of recombinant proteins into the periplasm. Both sec and tat leader sequences from H. elongata proved to be suitable for directed periplasmic transport into an extreme environment of freely selectable ionic strength.
Home Hospitalization for Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: Opportunities and Strategies for Improved Health Outcomes
Authors: Voudris Konstantinos , Silver Marc
Published: March 2018

Importance: Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization among patients over the age of 65 in the United States and developed countries, posing a significant economic burden to the health care systems. More than half of the patients with HF will be readmitted to the hospital within 6 months from discharge, leading not only to increased health care related expenses but also functional decline, iatrogenic injuries and in-hospital infections. With the increasing prevalence of HF, there is a substantial need for innovative delivery care models that can provide hospital level of care at a patient’s home. Observations: Home hospitalization was originally used to safely manage chronically ill patients with general medical (stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, deep vein thrombosis, community acquired pneumonia) and surgical conditions and was associated with improved patient satisfaction and improvement in activity of daily living status. This had no clear effect on readmission or cost. When hospital at home care model was applied to HF patients it demonstrated increased time to readmission, reduced index costs and improved health related quality of life, with no significant differences in adverse events. Eligible patients should be selected based on multiple factors taking into consideration applicable limitations and comorbidities. Conclusions and Relevance: Providing in-hospital level care to the patient’s house presents a reliable alternative, yielding multiple benefits both for the patient, as well as the health care system. Formulating a well-defined model is necessary before wide implementation.
Impact of Land Use Change on Flow and Sediment Yields in the Khokana Outlet of the Bagmati River, Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Pokhrel Bijay K.
Published: March 2018

Land use changes are a key factor for altering hydrological response, and understanding its impacts can help to develop a sustainable and pragmatic strategy in order to preserve a watershed. The objective of this research is to estimate the impact of land use changes on Bagmati river discharge and sediment yield at the Khokana gauging station of the Kathmandu valley outlet. This study analyzes the impact of land use changes from the year 2000 to 2010 using a semi-distributed hydrological, Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The Load Estimator (LOADEST) simulates sediment loads on limited available sediment data. Sensitivity analysis is performed using the ParaSole (Parameter Solution) method within SWAT Calibration and Uncertainty Procedure (SWAT-CUP), which shows that Linear parameters for calculating the maximum amount of sediment that can be re-entrained during channel sediment routing is a most sensitive parameter that affect the hydrological response of the watershed. Monthly discharge and sediment data from 1995 to 2002 are used for calibration and remaining monthly discharge and sediment data from 2003 to 2010 are used for validation. Four statistical parameters including the Coefficient of Determination (R2), Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), RMSE-observations’ standard deviation ratio (RSR), and Percentage Bias (PBIAS) are estimated in order to evaluate the model performance. The results show a very good agreement between monthly measured and simulated discharge data as indicated by R2 = 0.88, NSE = 0.90, RSR = 0.34, and PBIAS = 0.03. The model shows nearly the same performance also with sediment data. The land use change data shows about a 6% increase in built-up areas from the years 2000 to 2010, whereas the remaining areas such as Forest, Shrub, Grass, Agriculture, Open Field, and Rivers/Lakes are decreased. The surface runoff contribution to stream flow and sediment yields are increased by 27% and 5% respectively. In the contrary, lateral flow contribution to stream flow and groundwater contribution to stream flow are decreased by 25% and 21%, respectively.
The Epidemiology of Unintentional and Violence-Related Injury Morbidity and Mortality among Children and Adolescents in the United States
Authors: Ballesteros Michael , Williams Dionne , Mack Karin , Simon Thomas , Sleet David
Published: March 2018

Injuries and violence among young people have a substantial emotional, physical, and economic toll on society. Understanding the epidemiology of this public health problem can guide prevention efforts, help identify and reduce risk factors, and promote protective factors. We examined fatal and nonfatal unintentional injuries, injuries intentionally inflicted by other (i.e., assaults and homicides) among children ages 0–19, and intentionally self-inflicted injuries (i.e., self-harm and suicides) among children ages 10–19. We accessed deaths (1999–2015) and visits to emergency departments (2001–2015) for these age groups through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), and examined trends and differences by age, sex, race/ethnicity, rural/urban status, and injury mechanism. Almost 13,000 children and adolescents age 0–19 years died in 2015 from injury and violence compared to over 17,000 in 1999. While the overall number of deaths has decreased over time, there were increases in death rates among certain age groups for some categories of unintentional injury and for suicides. The leading causes of injury varied by age group. Our results indicate that efforts to reduce injuries to children and adolescents should consider cause, intent, age, sex, race, and regional factors to assure that prevention resources are directed at those at greatest risk.
Parents’ Experiences of Suicide-Bereavement: A Qualitative Study at 6 and 12 Months after Loss
Authors: Ross Victoria , Kõlves Kairi , Kunde Lisa , De Leo Diego
Published: March 2018

The death of a child by suicide is a severe trauma, placing parents at greater risk of psychological morbidity and physical health problems compared to other causes of death. However, few studies have examined the aftermath and bereavement experience for parents following the death of a child to suicide, limiting the ability to guide effective postvention services through empirical research. The current study, which was part of a larger longitudinal investigation of suicide bereavement in Queensland, Australia, examined the individual experiences of both mothers and fathers bereaved by suicide over time, specifically at the six month and 12 month time points after their loss. Bereaved parents who had provided written consent to be contacted for research purposes were identified through the Queensland Suicide Register, and took part in individual, semi-structured interviews. Generic qualitative analysis identified three key themes: searching for answers and sense-making, coping strategies and support, and finding meaning and purpose. Some participants showed indications of meaning-making and post-traumatic growth at 12 months after the suicide. According to the dual process model of bereavement, it is likely that participants were still oscillating between sense-making and meaning making, indicating that adapting to bereavement is a dynamic and fluctuating process.
Patient as a Partner in Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention
Authors: Wałaszek Marta , Kołpa Małgorzata , Wolak Zdzisław , Różańska Anna , Wójkowska-Mach Jadwiga
Published: March 2018

Objectives: The objective of the study was getting to know the knowledge and attitudes towards hand hygiene (HH) among Polish patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: 459 respondents replied to the survey: 173 (37.6%) patients and 286 (62.3%) HCWs; 57 HCWs were additionally interviewed. Results: Few HCWs knew and used the “5 moments for HH” in the required situations. Both patients and HCWs rated HH of other HCWs poorly: only 75% of patients and 54% of HCWs noticed the application of HH before blood sample collection, but 1/2 of interviewed HCWs did not encounter a request for HH from a patient. According to interviews, 23 (40%) HCWs did not admonish others when they did not use HH. Seventy-five percent of patients and HCWs claimed that, in the past, in schools the toilets were poorly stocked, but the situation improved with the passage of time. Conclusions: There are barriers with resspect to treating patients as partners in HH in Polish hospitals and HCWs’ lack of compliance with the “5 moments for HH” significantly reduces patients’ safety. Practice implications: Education regarding HH should be conducted for the whole society from an early age: lack of proper supplies in school bathrooms impedes the development of positive HH habits.
Health Impacts and Economic Costs of Air Pollution in the Metropolitan Area of Skopje
Authors: Martinez Gerardo , Spadaro Joseph , Chapizanis Dimitris , Kendrovski Vladimir , Kochubovski Mihail , Mudu Pierpaolo
Published: March 2018

Background: Urban outdoor air pollution, especially particulate matter, remains a major environmental health problem in Skopje, the capital of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Despite the documented high levels of pollution in the city, the published evidence on its health impacts is as yet scarce. Methods: we obtained, cleaned, and validated Particulate Matter (PM) concentration data from five air quality monitoring stations in the Skopje metropolitan area, applied relevant concentration-response functions, and evaluated health impacts against two theoretical policy scenarios. We then calculated the burden of disease attributable to PM and calculated the societal cost due to attributable mortality. Results: In 2012, long-term exposure to PM2.5 (49.2 μg/m3) caused an estimated 1199 premature deaths (CI95% 821–1519). The social cost of the predicted premature mortality in 2012 due to air pollution was estimated at between 570 and 1470 million euros. Moreover, PM2.5 was also estimated to be responsible for 547 hospital admissions (CI95% 104–977) from cardiovascular diseases, and 937 admissions (CI95% 937–1869) for respiratory disease that year. Reducing PM2.5 levels to the EU limit (25 μg/m3) could have averted an estimated 45% of PM-attributable mortality, while achieving the WHO Air Quality Guidelines (10 μg/m3) could have averted an estimated 77% of PM-attributable mortality. Both scenarios would also attain significant reductions in attributable respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions. Conclusions: Besides its health impacts in terms of increased premature mortality and hospitalizations, air pollution entails significant economic costs to the population of Skopje. Reductions in PM2.5 concentrations could provide substantial health and economic gains to the city.
Reconsidering the Relationship between Air Pollution and Deprivation
Authors: Bailey Nick , Dong Guanpeng , Minton Jon , Pryce Gwilym
Published: March 2018

This paper critically examines the relationship between air pollution and deprivation. We argue that focusing on a particular economic or social model of urban development might lead one to erroneously expect all cities to converge towards a particular universal norm. A naive market sorting model, for example, would predict that poor households will eventually be sorted into high pollution areas, leading to a positive relationship between air pollution and deprivation. If, however, one considers a wider set of theoretical perspectives, the anticipated relationship between air pollution and deprivation becomes more complex and idiosyncratic. Specifically, we argue the relationship between pollution and deprivation can only be made sense of by considering processes of risk perception, path dependency, gentrification and urbanization. Rather than expecting all areas to eventually converge to some universal norm, we should expect the differences in the relationship between air pollution and deprivation across localities to persist. Mindful of these insights, we propose an approach to modeling which does not impose a geographically fixed relationship. Results for Scotland reveal substantial variations in the observed relationships over space and time, supporting our argument.
The Role of Circulating Free DNA and MicroRNA in Non-Invasive Diagnosis of HBV- and HCV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Pezzuto Francesca , Buonaguro Luigi , Buonaguro Franco , Tornesello Maria
Published: March 2018

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third and the fifth leading cause of cancer related death worldwide in men and in women, respectively. HCC generally has a poor prognosis, with a very low 5-year overall survival, due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Early tumour detection and timely intervention are the best strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality in HCC patients. Histological evaluation of liver biopsies is the gold standard for cancer diagnosis, although it is an invasive, time-consuming and expensive procedure. Recently, the analysis of circulating free DNA (cfDNA) and RNA molecules released by tumour cells in body fluids, such as blood serum, saliva and urine, has attracted great interest for development of diagnostic assays based on circulating liver cancer molecular biomarkers. Such “liquid biopsies” have shown to be useful for the identification of specific molecular signatures in nucleic acids released by cancer cells, such as gene mutations and altered methylation of DNA as well as variations in the levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Body fluids analysis may represent a valuable strategy to monitor liver disease progression in subjects chronically infected with hepatitis viruses or cancer relapse in HCC treated patients. Several studies showed that qualitative and quantitative assays evaluating molecular profiles of circulating cell-free nucleic acids could be successfully employed for early diagnosis and therapeutic management of HCC patients. This review describes the state of art on the use of liquid biopsy for cancer driver gene mutations, deregulated DNA methylation as well as miRNA levels in HCC diagnosis.
Distribution of Glutathione-Stabilized Gold Nanoparticles in Feline Fibrosarcomas and Their Role as a Drug Delivery System for Doxorubicin—Preclinical Studies in a Murine Model
Authors: Zabielska-Koczywąs Katarzyna , Wojtalewicz Anna , Użarowska Ewelina , Klejman Agata , Wojtkowska Agata , Dolka Izabella , Wojnicki Marek , Sobczak Katarzyna , Wójcik Michał , Shen Haifa , Ferrari Mauro , Lechowski Roman
Published: March 2018

Feline injection site sarcomas (FISS) are malignant skin tumors with high recurrence rates despite the primary treatment of radical surgical resections. Adjunctive radiotherapy or chemotherapy with doxorubicin is mostly ineffective. Cellular and molecular causes of multidrug resistance, specific physio-chemical properties of solid tumors impairing drug transport, and the tumor microenvironment have been indicated for causing standard chemotherapy failure. Gold nanoparticles are promising imaging tools, nanotherapeutics, and drug delivery systems (DDS) for chemotherapeutics, improving drug transport within solid tumors. This study was conducted to assess the distribution of 4-nm glutathione-stabilized gold nanoparticles in FISS and their influence on kidney and liver parameters in nude mice. The role of gold nanoparticles as a doxorubicin DDS in FISS was examined to determine the potential reasons for failure to translate results from in vitro to in vivo studies. Grade III tumors characterized by a large area of necrosis at their core displayed positive immuneexpression of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) at both the periphery and within the tumor core near the area of necrosis. Gold nanoparticles did not cause necrosis at the injection site and had no negative effect on liver and kidney parameters in nude mice. Gold nanoparticles accumulated in the tumor core and at the periphery and co-internalized with TAM—an important observation and potential therapeutic target warranting further investigation. The large area of necrosis and high immunoexpression of TAM, indicating “pro-tumor macrophages”, may be responsible for FISS tumor progression and therapeutic failure. However, further studies are required to test this hypothesis.
New Gene Markers for Metabolic Processes and Homeostasis in Porcine Buccal Pouch Mucosa during Cells Long Term-Cultivation—A Primary Culture Approach
Authors: Dyszkiewicz-Konwińska Marta , Nawrocki Mariusz , Huang Yan , Bryja Artur , Celichowski Piotr , Jankowski Maurycy , Błochowiak Katarzyna , Mehr Katarzyna , Bruska Małgorzata , Nowicki Michał , Zabel Maciej , Kempisty Bartosz
Published: March 2018

The oral mucosal tissue is a compound structure composed of morphologically and physiologically different cell types. The morphological modification involves genetically determined lifespan, which may be recognized as the balance between cell survival and apoptosis. Although the biochemical processes and pathways in oral mucosa, with special regards to drug transport, delivery, and metabolism, are well known, the cellular physiological homeostasis in this tissue requires further investigation. The porcine buccal pouch mucosal cells (BPMCs) collected from 20 pubertal crossbred Landrace gilts, were used in this study. Immediately after recovery, the oral mucosa was separated micro-surgically, and treated enzymatically. The dispersed cells were transferred into primary in vitro culture systems for a long-term cultivation of 30 days. After each step of in vitro culture (IVC), the cells were collected for isolation of total RNA at 24 h, 7, 15, and 30 days of IVC. While the expression was analyzed for days 7, 15, and 30, the 24th hour was used as a reference for outcome calibration. The gene expression profile was determined using Affymetrix microarray assays and necessary procedures. In results, we observed significant up-regulation of SCARB1, PTGS2, DUSP5, ITGB3, PLK2, CCL2, TGFB1, CCL8, RFC4, LYN, ETS1, REL, LIF, SPP1, and FGER1G genes, belonging to two ontological groups, namely “positive regulation of metabolic process”, and “regulation of homeostatic process” at 7 day of IVC as compared to down-regulation at days 15 and 30. These findings suggest that the metabolic processes and homeostatic regulations are much more intense in porcine mucosal cells at day 7 of IVC. Moreover, the increased expression of marker genes, for both of these ontological groups, may suggest the existence of not only “morphological lifespan” during tissue keratinization, but also “physiological checkpoint” dedicated to metabolic processes in oral mucosa. This knowledge may be useful for preclinical experiments with drugs delivery and metabolism in both animals and humans.