bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Community Health Systems Perceived by Physicians and Pharmacists: A Qualitative Study with Gap Analysis
Authors: Park Sohyun , Kang Ji Eun , Choi Hee Jung , Kim Chung-Jong , Chung Eun Kyoung , Kim Sun Ah , Rhie Sandy Jeong
Published: December 2019

Antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) is one of the most important strategies for managing infectious disease treatment and preventing antimicrobial resistance. The successful implementation of ASP in the community health system (CHS) has been challenging. We evaluated perceptions of current ASP, potential setbacks of ASP implementation, and future demands on ASP services among physicians and pharmacists in the CHS. The qualitative research was conducted through in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions with 11 physicians and 11 pharmacists. In addition, a quantitative gap analysis was conducted to assess the different awareness and demands on services of ASP and preferred antimicrobial-related problems (ARP). In overall, perceptions of ASP varied by profession. The identified setbacks were unorganized institutional leadership, the undefined roles of healthcare professionals, a lack of reimbursement, the hierarchical structure of the health system, and the labor-intensive working environment of pharmacy services. Although demands for ASP improvement were similar among professionals, they had different preferences in prioritizing each service item of ASP/ARP development and the profession responsible for each service. Continuous administrative and financial investments, understanding ASP contents, ASP-specific information technology, and interdisciplinary collaboration with good communication among healthcare professions are needed to continue the progression of ASP.
Mutual Influences between Nitric Oxide and Paraoxonase 1
Authors: Marín Marta , Moya Carlos , Máñez Salvador
Published: December 2019

One of the best consolidated paradigms in vascular pharmacology is that an uncontrolled excess of oxidizing chemical species causes tissue damage and loss of function in the endothelial and subendothelial layers. The fact that high-density lipoproteins play an important role in preventing such an imbalance is integrated into that concept, for which the expression and activity of paraoxonases is certainly crucial. The term paraoxonase (aryldialkyl phosphatase, EC 3.1.8.1) encompasses at least three distinct isoforms, with a wide variation in substrate affinity, cell and fluid localization, and biased expression of polymorphism. The purpose of this review is to determine the interactions that paraoxonase 1 has with nitric oxide synthase, its reaction product, nitric oxide (nitrogen monoxide, NO), and its derived reactive species generated in an oxidative medium, with a special focus on its pathological implications.
Fine Particle Emissions from Sauna Stoves: Effects of Combustion Appliance and Fuel, and Implications for the Finnish Emission Inventory
Authors: Tissari Jarkko , Väätäinen Sampsa , Leskinen Jani , Savolahti Mikko , Lamberg Heikki , Kortelainen Miika , Karvosenoja Niko , Sippula Olli
Published: December 2019

Sauna Stoves (SS) are simple wood combustion appliances used mainly in Nordic countries. They generate emissions that have an impact on air quality and climate. In this study, a new measurement concept for comparing the operation, thermal efficiency, and real-life fine particle and gaseous emissions of SS was utilized. In addition, a novel, simple, and universal emission calculation procedure for the determination of nominal emission factors was developed for which the equations are presented for the first time. Fine particle and gaseous concentrations from 10 different types of SS were investigated. It was found that each SS model was an individual in relation to stove performance: stove heating time, air-to-fuel ratio, thermal efficiency, and emissions. Nine-fold differences in fine particle mass (PM1) concentrations, and about 90-fold differences in concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were found between the SS, when dry (11% moisture content) birch wood was used. By using moist (18%) wood, particle number and carbon monoxide concentrations increased, but interestingly, PM1, PAH, and black carbon (BC) concentrations clearly decreased, when comparing to dry wood. E.g., PAH concentrations were 5.5–9.6 times higher with dry wood than with moist wood. Between wood species, 2–3-fold maximum differences in the emissions were found, whereas about 1.5-fold differences were observed between bark-containing and debarked wood logs. On average, the emissions measured in this study were considerably lower than in previous studies and emission inventories. This suggests that overall the designs of sauna stoves available on the market have improved during the 2010s. The findings of this study were used to update the calculation scheme behind the inventories, causing the estimates for total PM emissions from SS in Finland to decrease. However, wood-fired sauna stoves are still estimated to be the highest individual emission source of fine particles and black carbon in Finland.
Seasonal and Diurnal Cycles of Surface Boundary Layer and Energy Balance in the Central Andes of Perú, Mantaro Valley
Authors: Flores-Rojas José Luis , Cuxart Joan , Piñas-Laura Manuel , Callañaupa Stephany , Suárez-Salas Luis , Kumar Shailendra , Moya-Alvarez Aldo S. , SIlva Yamina
Published: December 2019

The present study presents a detailed analysis of the diurnal and monthly cycles the surface boundary layer and of surface energy balance in a sparse natural vegetation canopy on Huancayo observatory (12.04 ∘ S, 75.32 ∘ W, 3313 m ASL), which is located in the central Andes of Perú (Mantaro Valley) during an entire year (May 2018–April 2019). We used a set of meteorological sensors (temperature, relative humidity, wind) installed in a gradient tower 30 m high, a set of radiative sensors to measure all irradiance components, and a set of tensiometers and heat flux plate to measure soil moisture, soil temperatures and soil heat flux. To estimate turbulent energy fluxes (sensible and latent), two flux–gradient methods: the aerodynamic method and the Bowen-ratio energy-balance method were used. The ground heat flux at surface was estimated using a molecular heat transfer equation. The results show minimum mean monthly temperatures and more stable conditions were observed in June and July before sunrise, while maximum mean monthly temperatures in October and November and more unstable conditions in February and March. From May to August inverted water vapor profiles near the surface were observed (more intense in July) at night hours, which indicate a transfer of water vapor as dewfall on the surface. The patterns of wind direction indicate well-defined mountain–valley circulation from south-east to south-west especially in fall–winter months (April–August). The maximum mean monthly sensible heat fluxes were found in June and September while minimum in February and March. Maximum mean monthly latent heat fluxes were found in February and March while minimum in June and July. The surface albedo and the Bowen ratio indicate semi-arid conditions in wet summer months and extreme arid conditions in dry winter months. The comparisons between sensible heat flux ( Q H ) and latent heat flux ( Q E ), estimated by the two methods show a good agreement (R 2 above 0.8). The comparison between available energy and the sum of Q E and Q H fluxes shows a good level of agreement (R 2 = 0.86) with important imbalance contributions after sunrise and around noon, probably by advection processes generated by heterogeneities on the surface around the Huancayo observatory and intensified by the mountain–valley circulation.
Improved EOG Artifact Removal Using Wavelet Enhanced Independent Component Analysis
Authors: Issa Mohamed F. , Juhasz Zoltan
Published: December 2019

Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are frequently contaminated with unwanted electrooculographic (EOG) artifacts. Blinks and eye movements generate large amplitude peaks that corrupt EEG measurements. Independent component analysis (ICA) has been used extensively in manual and automatic methods to remove artifacts. By decomposing the signals into neural and artifactual components and artifact components can be eliminated before signal reconstruction. Unfortunately, removing entire components may result in losing important neural information present in the component and eventually may distort the spectral characteristics of the reconstructed signals. An alternative approach is to correct artifacts within the independent components instead of rejecting the entire component, for which wavelet transform based decomposition methods have been used with good results. An improved, fully automatic wavelet-based component correction method is presented for EOG artifact removal that corrects EOG components selectively, i.e., within EOG activity regions only, leaving other parts of the component untouched. In addition, the method does not rely on reference EOG channels. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other component rejection and wavelet-based EOG removal methods in its accuracy both in the time and the spectral domain. The proposed new method represents an important step towards the development of accurate, reliable and automatic EOG artifact removal methods.
JAK2 Inhibition Impairs Proliferation and Sensitises Cervical Cancer Cells to Cisplatin-Induced Cell Death
Authors: Morgan Ethan L. , Macdonald Andrew
Published: December 2019

Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the underlying cause of ~5% of all human cancers, including the majority of cervical carcinomas and many other ano-genital and oral cancers. A major challenge remains to identify key host targets of HPV and to reveal how they contribute to virus-mediated malignancy. The HPV E6 oncoprotein aberrantly activates the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) transcription factor and this is achieved by a virus-driven increase in the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in HPV positive cervical cancers cells. Crucially, STAT3 activity is essential for the proliferation and survival of cervical cancer cells, suggesting that targeting STAT3 may have therapeutic potential. Unfortunately, the development of direct STAT3 inhibitors has been problematic in the clinic due to toxicity issues identified in early stage trials. To overcome this issue, we focused on the protein Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), which phosphorylates STAT3 and is essential for STAT3 activation. Here, we demonstrate that inhibiting JAK2 reduces cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in HPV transformed cervical cancer cells. We further establish that this is due to inhibition of phosphorylation of the JAK2 substrates STAT3 and STAT5. Finally, we demonstrate that the clinically available JAK2 inhibitor Ruxolitinib synergises with cisplatin in inducing apoptosis, highlighting JAK2 as a promising therapeutic target in HPV-driven cancers.
The Interplay between Inflammation, Anti-Angiogenic Agents, and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Perspectives for Renal Cell Cancer Treatment
Authors: Brighi Nicole , Farolfi Alberto , Conteduca Vincenza , Gurioli Giorgia , Gargiulo Stefania , Gallà Valentina , Schepisi Giuseppe , Lolli Cristian , Casadei Chiara , De Giorgi Ugo
Published: December 2019

Treatment options for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been expanding in the last years, from the consolidation of several anti-angiogenic agents to the approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The rationale for the use of immunomodulating agents derived from the observation that RCC usually shows a diffuse immune-cell infiltrate. ICIs target Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes Antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed death 1 (PD-1), or its ligand (PD-L1), showing promising therapeutic efficacy in RCC. PD-L1 expression is associated with poor prognosis; however, its predictive role remains debated. In fact, ICIs may be a valid option even for PD-L1 negative patients. The establishment of valid predictors of treatment response to available therapeutic options is advocated to identify those patients who could benefit from these agents. Both local and systemic inflammation contribute to tumorigenesis and development of cancer. The interplay of tumor-immune status and of cancer-related systemic inflammation is pivotal for ICI-treatment outcome, but there is an unmet need for a more precise characterization. To date, little is known on the role of inflammation markers on PD-1 blockade in RCC. In this paper, we review the current knowledge on the interplay between inflammation markers, PD-1 axis, and anti-angiogenic agents in RCC, focusing on biological rationale, implications for treatment, and possible future perspectives.
Switching to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors upon Response to Targeted Therapy; The Road to Long-Term Survival in Advanced Melanoma Patients with Highly Elevated Serum LDH?
Authors: Schouwenburg Maartje G. , Suijkerbuijk Karijn P.M. , Koornstra Rutger H.T. , Jochems Anouk , van Zeijl Michiel C.T. , van den Eertwegh Alfons J.M. , Haanen John B.A.G. , Aarts Maureen J.B. , van Akkooi Alexander C.J. , van den Berkmortel Franchette W.P.J. , de Groot Jan Willem B. , Hospers Geke A.P. , Kapiteijn Ellen , Kruit Wim H. , Piersma Djura , van Rijn Rozemarijn S. , ten Tije Albert J. , Vreugdenhil Gerard , van der Hoeven Jacobus J.M. , Wouters Michel W.J.M.
Published: December 2019

The prognosis of patients with advanced melanoma has improved dramatically. However, the clinical outcomes of patients with highly elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) remain very poor. The aim of this study was to explore whether patients with normalized LDH after targeted therapy could benefit from subsequent treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Data from all patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma with a highly elevated serum LDH at baseline (≥2× upper limit of normal) receiving first-line targeted therapy between 2012 and 2019 in the Netherlands were collected. Patients were stratified according to response status to targeted therapy and change in LDH at start of subsequent treatment with ICI. Differences in overall survival (OS) between the subgroups were compared using log-rank tests. After a median follow-up of 35.1 months, median OS of the total study population (n = 360) was 4.9 months (95% CI 4.4–5.4). Of all patients receiving subsequent treatment with ICI (n = 113), survival from start of subsequent treatment was significantly longer in patients who had normalized LDH and were still responding to targeted therapy compared to those with LDH that remained elevated (median OS 24.7 vs. 1.1 months). Our study suggests that introducing ICI upon response to targeted therapy with normalization of LDH could be an effective strategy in obtaining long-term survival in advanced melanoma patients with initial highly elevated serum LDH.
A Stilbenoid Isorhapontigenin as a Potential Anti-Cancer Agent against Breast Cancer through Inhibiting Sphingosine Kinases/Tubulin Stabilization
Authors: Subedi Lalita , Teli Mahesh Kumar , Lee Jae Hyuk , Gaire Bhakta Prasad , Kim Mi-hyun , Kim Sun Yeou
Published: December 2019

Isorhapontigenin (ISO), a tetrahydroxylated stilbenoid, is an analog of resveratrol (Rsv). The various biological activities of Rsv and its derivatives have been previously reported in the context of both cancer and inflammation. However, the anti-cancer effect of ISO against breast cancer has not been well established, despite being an orally bioavailable dietary polyphenol. In this study, we determine the anti-cancer effects of ISO against breast cancer using MCF7, T47D, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. We observed that ISO induces breast cancer cell death, cell cycle arrest, oxidative stress, and the inhibition of cell proliferation. Additionally, sphingosine kinase inhibition by ISO controlled tubulin polymerization and cancer cell growth by regulating MAPK/PI3K-mediated cell cycle arrest in MCF7 cells. Interestingly, SPHK1/2 gene silencing increased oxidative stress, cell death, and tubulin destabilization in MCF7 cells. This suggests that the anti-cancer effect of ISO can be regulated by SPHK/tubulin destabilization pathways. Overall, ISO successfully induced breast cancer cell death and cell growth arrest, suggesting this phytochemical is a better alternative for breast cancer treatment. Further studies in animal models could confirm the potency and usability of ISO over Rsv for targeting breast cancer, potentially posing an alternative candidate for improved therapy in the near future.
Prognostic Immune Cell Profiling of Malignant Pleural Effusion Patients by Computerized Immunohistochemical and Transcriptional Analysis
Authors: Wu Chengguang , Mairinger Fabian , Casanova Ruben , Batavia Aashil A. , Leblond Anne-Laure , Soltermann Alex
Published: December 2019

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a severe condition of advanced tumors without effective therapy. We used digitalized immunohistochemical and transcriptional approaches to investigate the prognostic influence of immune cells and expression variance of associated immunomodulatory molecules in MPE. Cytology tissue microarrays were constructed from MPE cell blocks of 155 patients with five tumor entities. Immune cells lineage markers were quantified by computational cytopathology on immunohistochemistry. mRNA expression analysis of nine lineage markers and 17 immunomodulators was performed by NanoString. Immunohistochemically quantified high B cells to leukocytes ratio (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.70, p-value = 0.043) and low neutrophils to leukocytes ratio (HR = 1.78, p-value = 0.003) were favorable prognosticators for overall survival independent of tumor entity. Correspondingly, patients with high B cells but low neutrophils gene expression signature showed longer median overall survival of 500 days (HR = 2.29, p-value = 0.009). Regarding targetable molecule expressions, lung adenocarcinomas were characterized by high PD-L1, but mesothelioma by high LAG-3. Ovarian carcinoma was least immunogenic. Independent of tumor entity, the condition of the immune system in MPE liquids is able to provide additional prognostic cytologic information. Combined analysis of lineage specific markers and related immunomodulators may direct immune-based therapeutic decisions.
Nickel-Modified TS-1 Catalyzed the Ammoximation of Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Authors: Yang Dandan , Wang Haiyan , Wang Wenhua , Peng Sihua , Yang Xiuzhen , Xu Xingliang , Jia Shouhua
Published: December 2019

In this paper, five kinds of transition metal-modified titanium silicalite-1 (M-TS-1) were prepared by an ultrasonic impregnation method. We studied their catalytic performances in the ammoximation of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). The various M-TS-1 catalysts revealed distinct differences in their MEK ammoximation activity. The nickel-modified TS-1 (Ni-TS-1), especially 3 wt % Ni-TS-1, exhibited a satisfactory conversion of MEK (99%) associated with a high selectivity of methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO) (99.3%), which was 6% higher than that of TS-1 under the same conditions. Moreover, the catalyst showed excellent recyclability and the reactivity could be completely recovered after regeneration. The catalysts were characterized by Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectra (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and so on. It was demonstrated that the skeleton structure of TS-1 was basically maintained and the electron environment of the Ti active site was changed after the nickel modification, which can optimize the adsorption capacity and the activation for H2O2. Meanwhile, the surface nickel species reduced the surface acidity of the catalyst, which provided an appropriate pH and inhibited the deep oxidation of oxime.
The Emerging Role of Gβ Subunits in Human Genetic Diseases
Authors: Malerba Natascia , De Nittis Pasquelena , Merla Giuseppe
Published: December 2019

Environmental stimuli are perceived and transduced inside the cell through the activation of signaling pathways. One common type of cell signaling transduction network is initiated by G-proteins. G-proteins are activated by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and transmit signals from hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling factors, thus controlling a number of biological processes that include synaptic transmission, visual photoreception, hormone and growth factors release, regulation of cell contraction and migration, as well as cell growth and differentiation. G-proteins mainly act as heterotrimeric complexes, composed of alpha, beta, and gamma subunits. In the last few years, whole exome sequencing and biochemical studies have shown causality of disease-causing variants in genes encoding G-proteins and human genetic diseases. This review focuses on the G-protein β subunits and their emerging role in the etiology of genetically inherited rare diseases in humans.
Glucose Transporter 3 Is Essential for the Survival of Breast Cancer Cells in the Brain
Authors: Kuo Min-Hsun , Chang Wen-Wei , Yeh Bi-Wen , Chu Yeh-Shiu , Lee Yueh-Chun , Lee Hsueh-Te
Published: December 2019

Breast cancer brain metastasis commonly occurs in one-fourth of breast cancer patients and is associated with poor prognosis. Abnormal glucose metabolism is found to promote cancer metastasis. Moreover, the tumor microenvironment is crucial and plays an active role in the metabolic adaptations and survival of cancer cells. Glucose transporters are overexpressed in cancer cells to increase glucose uptake. The glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) is a high-affinity glucose transporter that is highly expressed in mammalian neurons. GLUT3 is also overexpressed in several malignant brain tumors. However, the role of GLUT3 in breast cancer brain metastasis remains unknown. The results of the present study demonstrated that GLUT3 is highly overexpressed in brain metastatic breast cancers and mediates glucose metabolic reprogramming. Furthermore, knockdown of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) could directly regulate GLUT3 expression in brain metastatic breast cancer cells. Notably, we verified and provided a novel role of GLUT3 in mediating glucose metabolism and assisting breast cancer cells to survive in the brain to promote brain metastasis.
Chemically-Defined, Xeno-Free, Scalable Production of hPSC-Derived Definitive Endoderm Aggregates with Multi-Lineage Differentiation Potential
Authors: Sahabian Anais , Sgodda Malte , Naujok Ortwin , Dettmer Rabea , Dahlmann Julia , Manstein Felix , Cantz Tobias , Zweigerdt Robert , Martin Ulrich , Olmer Ruth
Published: December 2019

For the production and bio-banking of differentiated derivatives from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in large quantities for drug screening and cellular therapies, well-defined and robust procedures for differentiation and cryopreservation are required. Definitive endoderm (DE) gives rise to respiratory and digestive epithelium, as well as thyroid, thymus, liver, and pancreas. Here, we present a scalable, universal process for the generation of DE from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Optimal control during the differentiation process was attained in chemically-defined and xeno-free suspension culture, and high flexibility of the workflow was achieved by the introduction of an efficient cryopreservation step at the end of DE differentiation. DE aggregates were capable of differentiating into hepatic-like, pancreatic, intestinal, and lung progenitor cells. Scale-up of the differentiation process using stirred-tank bioreactors enabled production of large quantities of DE aggregates. This process provides a useful advance for versatile applications of DE lineages, in particular for cell therapies and drug screening.
MicroRNAs as Prognostic Markers in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients—A Systematic Review
Authors: Barraclough Jennifer Y. , Joan Michelyn , Joglekar Mugdha V. , Hardikar Anandwardhan A. , Patel Sanjay
Published: December 2019

Background: The potential utility of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of multiple disease states has been an area of great interest since their discovery. In patients with cardiovascular disease, there is a large pool of literature amassed from the last decade assessing their diagnostic and prognostic potential. This systematic review sought to determine whether existing literature supports the use of miRNAs as prognostic markers after an Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) presentation. Methods: A systematic review of published articles from 2005–2019 using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was undertaken independently by two reviewers. Studies addressing prognosis in an ACS population yielded 32 studies and 2 systematic reviews. Results/conclusion: 23 prospective studies reported significant differences in miRNA levels and 16 compared the predictive power of miRNAs. The most common miRNAs assessed included miR-133a, -208b, -21, -1, -34a, -150, and -423, shown to be involved in cell differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Barriers to the use of miRNAs as prognostic markers include bias in miRNA selection, small sample size, variable normalization of data, and adjustment for confounders. Therefore, findings from this systematic review do not support the use of miRNAs for prognostication post-ACS beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors, existing risk scores, and stratifications tools.
Ubiquitin-Like Post-Translational Modifications (Ubl-PTMs): Small Peptides with Huge Impact in Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Lachiondo-Ortega Sofia , Mercado-Gómez Maria , Serrano-Maciá Marina , Lopitz-Otsoa Fernando , Salas-Villalobos Tanya B , Varela-Rey Marta , Delgado Teresa C. , Martínez-Chantar María Luz
Published: December 2019

Liver fibrosis is characterized by the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins including collagen that occurs in most types of chronic liver disease. Even though our knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of liver fibrosis has deeply improved in the last years, therapeutic approaches for liver fibrosis remain limited. Profiling and characterization of the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, and more specifically NEDDylation and SUMOylation ubiquitin-like (Ubls) modifications, can provide a better understanding of the liver fibrosis pathology as well as novel and more effective therapeutic approaches. On this basis, in the last years, several studies have described how changes in the intermediates of the Ubl cascades are altered during liver fibrosis and how specific targeting of particular enzymes mediating these ubiquitin-like modifications can improve liver fibrosis, mainly in in vitro models of hepatic stellate cells, the main fibrogenic cell type, and in pre-clinical mouse models of liver fibrosis. The development of novel inhibitors of the Ubl modifications as well as novel strategies to assess the modified proteome can provide new insights into the overall role of Ubl modifications in liver fibrosis.
Preparation and Characterization of Fluoride-Incorporated Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Coatings on the AZ31 Magnesium Alloy
Authors: Fu Lingxia , Yang Yanxia , Zhang Longlong , Wu Yuanzhi , Liang Jun , Cao Baocheng
Published: December 2019

In this study, films with different fluorine contents were prepared on an AZ31 magnesium alloy by using plasma electrolytic oxidation to study the corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility of the alloy. The morphology of the coating surface, phase, and chemical elements were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). The changes in the corrosion resistance with different fluorine contents were investigated by electrochemical experiments, hydrogen evolution, and long-term immersion tests. In addition, murine fibroblast L-929 cells were adopted for in vitro cytotoxicity tests using the cell counting kit (CCK)-8 assay, and the morphology of the cells was observed simultaneously by inverted microscopy. The results showed that the main form of the fluorine ions in the plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings was magnesium fluoride (MgF2). In addition, the corrosion resistance and cytocompatibilities of the coatings were improved by the addition of fluoride ions. When the content of potassium fluoride reached 10 g/L, the cell compatibility and corrosion resistance were the best, a finding which provides a basis for the clinical applications of the AZ31 magnesium alloy in the biomedical field.
Crystal Structures and High-Temperature Vibrational Spectra for Synthetic Boron and Aluminum Doped Hydrous Coesite
Authors: Miao Yunfan , Pang Youwei , Ye Yu , Smyth Joseph R. , Zhang Junfeng , Liu Dan , Wang Xiang , Zhu Xi
Published: December 2019

Coesite, a high-pressure SiO2 polymorph, has drawn extensive interest from the mineralogical community for a long time. In this study, we synthesized hydrous coesite samples with different B and Al concentrations at 5 and 7.5 GPa (1273 K). The B concentration could be more than 400 B/106Si with about 300 ppmw H2O, while the Al content can be as much as 1200 to 1300 Al/106Si with CH2O restrained to be less than 10 ppmw. Hence, B-substitution may prefer the mechanism of Si4+ = B3+ + H+, whereas Al-substitution could be dominated by 2Si4+ = 2Al3+ + OV. The doped B3+ and Al3+ cations may be concentrated in the Si1 and Si2 tetrahedra, respectively, and make noticeable changes in the Si–O4 and Si–O5 bond lengths. In-situ high-temperature Raman and Fourier Transformation Infrared (FTIR) spectra were collected at ambient pressure. The single crystals of coesite were observed to be stable up to 1500 K. The isobaric Grüneisen parameters (γiP) of the external modes (<350 cm−1) are systematically smaller in the Al-doped samples, as compared with those for the Al-free ones, while most of the OH-stretching bands shift to higher frequencies in the high temperature range up to ~1100 K
Application of Continuous Wavelet Transform and Convolutional Neural Network in Decoding Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface
Authors: Lee Hyeon Kyu , Choi Young-Seok
Published: December 2019

The motor imagery-based brain-computer interface (BCI) using electroencephalography (EEG) has been receiving attention from neural engineering researchers and is being applied to various rehabilitation applications. However, the performance degradation caused by motor imagery EEG with very low single-to-noise ratio faces several application issues with the use of a BCI system. In this paper, we propose a novel motor imagery classification scheme based on the continuous wavelet transform and the convolutional neural network. Continuous wavelet transform with three mother wavelets is used to capture a highly informative EEG image by combining time-frequency and electrode location. A convolutional neural network is then designed to both classify motor imagery tasks and reduce computation complexity. The proposed method was validated using two public BCI datasets, BCI competition IV dataset 2b and BCI competition II dataset III. The proposed methods were found to achieve improved classification performance compared with the existing methods, thus showcasing the feasibility of motor imagery BCI.
A Hybrid Short-Term Load Forecasting Framework with an Attention-Based Encoder–Decoder Network Based on Seasonal and Trend Adjustment
Authors: Meng Zhaorui , Xu Xianze
Published: December 2019

Accurate electrical load forecasting plays an important role in power system operation. An effective load forecasting approach can improve the operation efficiency of a power system. This paper proposes the seasonal and trend adjustment attention encoder–decoder (STA–AED), a hybrid short-term load forecasting approach based on a multi-head attention encoder–decoder module with seasonal and trend adjustment. A seasonal and trend decomposing technique is used to preprocess the original electrical load data. Each decomposed datum is regressed to predict the future electric load value by utilizing the encoder–decoder network with the multi-head attention mechanism. With the multi-head attention mechanism, STA–AED can interpret the prediction results more effectively. A large number of experiments and extensive comparisons have been carried out with a load forecasting dataset from the United States. The proposed hybrid STA–AED model is superior to the other five counterpart models such as random forest, gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), gated recurrent units (GRUs), Encoder–Decoder, and Encoder–Decoder with multi-head attention. The proposed hybrid model shows the best prediction accuracy in 14 out of 15 zones in terms of both root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE).
Hybrid Detection of Intermittent Cyber-Attacks in Networked Power Systems
Authors: Kontouras Efstathios , Tzes Anthony , Dritsas Leonidas
Published: December 2019

This article addresses the concept of a compound attack detection mechanism, that links estimation-based and set-theoretic methods, and is mainly focused on the disclosure of intermittent data corruption cyber-attacks. The detection mechanism is developed as a security enhancing tool for the load-frequency control loop of a networked power system that consists of several interconnected control areas. The dynamics of the power network are derived in observable form in the discrete-time domain, considering that an adversary corrupts the frequency measurements of certain control areas by means of a bias injection cyber-attack. Simulations indicate that an estimation-based detector is unable to discern an intermittent attack, especially when the latter one occurs at the same time as changes in the power load. The detector can be improved by exploiting the safe operation constraints imposed on the state variables of the system. It is shown that the disclosure of intermittent data corruption cyber-attacks in the presence of unknown power load changes is guaranteed only when the estimation-based detector is combined with its set-theoretic counterpart. To this end, a robust invariant set for the networked power system is computed and an alarm is triggered whenever the state vector exits this set. Simulations indicate that the above detectors can operate jointly in terms of a hybrid scheme, which enhances their detection capabilities.
Evaluating Greenery around Streets Using Baidu Panoramic Street View Images and the Panoramic Green View Index
Authors: Chen Xu , Meng Qingyan , Hu Die , Zhang Linlin , Yang Jian
Published: December 2019

Urban street-side greenery, as an indispensable element of urban green spaces, is beneficial to residents’ physical and mental health. As readily available internet data, street view images have been widely used in urban green spaces research. While the relevant research using multiple images from different directions at a sampling point, researchers need to calculate the index of visible vegetation cover for many times. However, one Baidu panoramic street view image can cover the 360° view similar to that of a pedestrian. In this study, we selected 9644 points at 50-m intervals along the street lines in the central district of Sanya city, China, and acquired panoramic images via the Baidu application programming interface (API). The sky pixels were detected within the Baidu panoramic street view images using a proposed reflectance indicator. The green vegetation was extracted according to the Back Propagation (BP) neural-network method. Our proposed method was validated by comparing the results of the manual recognition and PSPNet method, and the accuracy met the requirements of the study. The Panoramic Green View Index (PGVI) was proposed to quantitatively evaluate greenery around streets. The authors found that the highest frequency value in the distribution was 0.075, which accounted for 32% of the total sample points, and the average PGVI value in this study area was low; the PGVI values between different roads varied greatly, and primary roads tended to have higher PGVI values than other roads. This case study proved that the PGVI is well suited for evaluating greenery around streets. We suggest that the PGVI derived from Baidu panoramic street view images may be a useful tool for city managers to support urban green spaces planning and management.
A Mathematical Model for the Integrated Optimization of Harvest and Transport Scheduling of Forest Products
Authors: Santos Paulo Amaro Velloso Henriques dos , Silva Arinei Carlos Lindbeck da , Arce Julio Eduardo , Augustynczik Andrey Lessa Derci
Published: December 2019

The costs related to forest harvesting and wood transport are key to the economic viability of forest investments. These operations compose a major share of the total cost of wood production and thus need to be conducted in an efficient manner. In this paper, we propose a novel optimization model to tackle this issue and perform the daily and weekly plan of harvesting operations, in order to minimize the costs related to the machinery operation, movement, and wood transportation, subject to demand constraints. Our results show that transportation costs dominate the total cost of these operations. The model proposed is appropriate and can be effectively applied to optimize the operational planning of harvesting activities. Nevertheless, instances with a large number of stands may lead to a substantial increase in the complexity and computational burden. We conclude that operations research techniques can provide a solid basis for decision-making in harvest scheduling problems and increase the efficiency of forest management.
A Multilevel Analysis of Neighbourhood, School, Friend and Individual-Level Variation in Primary School Children’s Physical Activity
Authors: Salway Ruth , Emm-Collison Lydia , Sebire Simon J. , Thompson Janice L. , Lawlor Deborah A. , Jago Russell
Published: December 2019

Physical activity is influenced by individual, inter-personal and environmental factors. In this paper, we explore the variability in children’s moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at different individual, parent, friend, school and neighbourhood levels. Valid accelerometer data were collected for 1077 children aged 9, and 1129 at age 11, and the average minutes of MVPA were derived for weekdays and weekends. We used a multiple-membership, multiple-classification model (MMMC) multilevel model to compare the variation in physical activity outcomes at each of the different levels. There were differences in the proportion of variance attributable to the different levels between genders, for weekdays and weekends, at ages 9 and 11. The largest proportion of variability in MVPA was attributable to individual variation, accounting for half of the total residual variability for boys, and two thirds of the variability for girls. MVPA clustered within friendship groups, with friends influencing peer MVPA. Including covariates at the different levels explained only small amounts (3%–13%) of variability. There is a need to enhance our understanding of individual level influences on children’s physical activity.
New Fixed Assets Investment Project Environmental Performance and Influencing Factors—An Empirical Analysis in China’s Optics Valley
Authors: Deng Fumin , Jin Yanan , Ye Meng , Zheng Shuangyi
Published: December 2019

Civilization prospers when the ecology prospers, and civilization decays when the ecology decays. As an effective indicator of sustainable development of economy and resource environment, environmental performance can comprehensively reflect the actual level of coordinated development of the economy and environment system. This paper exemplifies China’s Optics Valley to evaluate its environmental performances and research the influencing factors of new fixed assets investment projects, for which a new fixed assets investment project environmental performance assessment system was constructed. The measurement model for the system was constructed using a generalized data envelopment analysis (DEA) with undesirable output to evaluate the environmental performances of the new fixed assets investment projects in China’s Optical Valley from 2011 to 2016. The multi-regression model with eight environmental performance hypotheses was established to determine the key influencing factors and to propose targeted countermeasures to enhance low-carbon innovation and promote low-carbon economic development. The results indicated that implementing new fixed assets investment project energy conservation assessments and reviews in high-tech areas could assist companies and the government in achieving better management.
The Distribution and Accessibility of Urban Parks in Beijing, China: Implications of Social Equity
Authors: Feng Shu , Chen Liding , Sun Ranhao , Feng Zhiqiang , Li Junran , Khan Muhammad Sadiq , Jing Yongcai
Published: December 2019

As public service facilities, urban parks offer many benefits for daily life and social activities for residents. However, the accessibility of public parks to urban residents is often unevenly distributed in spaces that cannot be utilized fully. Here, we used the urban parks in Beijing, China as a case study and examined the relationship between urban park accessibility and population distribution at different administrative levels. Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve were used to evaluate the social equity of urban park accessibility, and the location quotient was used to identify the spatial difference between urban parks and resident population. The results of our study show that the urban park accessibility varies at district and subdistrict levels and that places with more urban parks usually have higher accessibility. Very importantly, the spatial equity is different from the social equity, a mismatch exists between the spatial distribution of urban parks and population, particularly for the elderly residents. These results generate valuable insights, as, in China and many developing countries, current urban public green space planning only uses the ratio of public green space to urban construction land and the per capita public green area.
The Effects of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction on Individual Quadriceps Muscle Thickness and Circulating Biomarkers
Authors: Yang Jae-Ho , Eun Seung-Pyo , Park Dong-Ho , Kwak Hyo-Bum , Chang Eunwook
Published: December 2019

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) frequently results in quadriceps atrophy. The present study investigated the effect of ACLR on the muscle thickness of the different constituent muscles of the quadriceps and circulating biomarkers related to muscle atrophy and hypertrophy. Fourteen subjects underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction following injury. Quadriceps muscle thicknesses were measured using ultrasound, and circulating biomarkers in the blood were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) at the preoperative visit (PRE) and at two postoperative visits (PO1, PO2) in the early stages post-surgery. Differences between time points were analyzed using one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. The most important finding was that severe muscle atrophy occurred in the vastus intermedius (VI) after ACLR (PRE: 20.45 ± 6.82 mm, PO1: 16.05 ± 6.13 mm, PO2: 13.18 ± 4.7 mm, F = 59.0, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the myostatin level was slightly increased, and IGF-1 was significantly reduced throughout the entire period. Therefore, we suggest that inducing selective hypertrophy in the vastus intermedius during the process of rehabilitation would be important for athletes and individuals who engage in explosive sports. Moreover, inhibiting myostatin level increases and maintaining IGF-1 levels in the early phase of recovery after ACLR to prevent muscle atrophy may provide a pharmaceutical option for rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods
Authors: Krzysztofik Michal , Wilk Michal , Wojdała Grzegorz , Gołaś Artur
Published: December 2019

Background: Effective hypertrophy-oriented resistance training (RT) should comprise a combination of mechanical tension and metabolic stress. Regarding training variables, the most effective values are widely described in the literature. However, there is still a lack of consensus regarding the efficiency of advanced RT techniques and methods in comparison to traditional approaches. Methods: MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus databases were searched from 1996 to September 2019 for all studies investigating the effects of advanced RT techniques and methods on muscle hypertrophy and training variables. Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria and were consequently included for the quality assessment and data extraction. Results: Concerning the time-efficiency of training, the use of agonist–antagonist, upper–lower body supersets, drop and cluster sets, sarcoplasma stimulating training, employment of fast, but controlled duration of eccentric contractions (~2s), and high-load RT supplemented with low-load RT under blood flow restriction may provide an additional stimulus and an advantage to traditional training protocols. With regard to the higher degree of mechanical tension, the use of accentuated eccentric loading in RT should be considered. Implementation of drop sets, sarcoplasma stimulating training, low-load RT in conjunction with low-load RT under blood flow restriction could provide time-efficient solutions to increased metabolic stress. Conclusions: Due to insufficient evidence, it is difficult to provide specific guidelines for volume, intensity of effort, and frequency of previously mentioned RT techniques and methods. However, well-trained athletes may integrate advanced RT techniques and methods into their routines as an additional stimulus to break through plateaus and to prevent training monotony.
Influences of Built Environment with Hilly Terrain on Physical Activity in Dalian, China: An Analysis of Mediation by Perceptions and Moderation by Social Environment
Authors: Sun Peijin , Lu Wei , Song Yan , Gu Zongchao
Published: December 2019

Neighborhood built environment may influence residents’ physical activity, but evidence of non-major Chinese cities is lacking. We investigated the impact of five socio-demographic characteristics, 10 objectively assessed environment characteristics, eight perceived neighborhood attributes, and social environment on physical activity and health outcomes (sense of community, body mass index, as well as self-reported health status). We also examined (1) five conceptually comparable perceived neighborhood attributes as mediators of the relationship between objective environment attributes and physical activity; (2) other perceived indicators and social environment as moderators of those relationships, using the mediation analysis in regression. Objectively assessed residential density, land use mix, street connectivity, and accessibility were curvilinearly and/or linearly related to physical activity. The slope of terrain was inversely associated with body mass index (BMI). None of the perceived attributes were found as mediators probably due to the weak associations between subjective and objective environments. High density facilitated physical activity but hindered the sense of community. Further, the perceived aesthetic and safety were associated with physical activity. Additionally, social environment moderated the positive associations of all perceived environments (except for slope) and sense of community. The present study demonstrated that both physical and social environment attributes significantly correlated with physical activity in Dalian.