bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-Cost Method for 3D Body Measurement Based on Photogrammetry Using Smartphone
Authors: Stark Erich , Haffner Oto , Kučera Erik
Published: March 2022

This paper is focused on the possibilities of data collection via photogrammetry methods, using smartphone cameras and post-processing. The aim of this paper is to refer to progressive technologies that are part of smartphone devices, which bring more performance and variability of usage year by year. The theoretical part starts with looking to the past, describing problems of measurements and solutions invented by famous mathematicians, which we use nowadays. The following section deals with the background of measuring the human body and photogrammetry. The next section is about measuring and using calibration methods. The results section presents the architecture design of the system and a visual representation of how the application works. The result of processing a 3D person is a data object with measurements in real world metric units with minimum deviation. The conclusion is that we created our own low-cost method for 3D body measurement which partially or completely removes the shortcomings that were identified during the review of similar solutions. Our method is based on the use of open-source libraries, the use of a single smartphone mobile device and the creation of a true 3D human body model.
Affirmative Ant Colony Optimization Based Support Vector Machine for Sentiment Classification
Authors: Hamdi Mohammed
Published: March 2022

Sentiment analysis is part of contextual text mining, which detects, extracts and supports an organization in understanding their brand or service in social sentiment while monitoring the reviews provided by customers in online shops. The rise of online shopping and digitalization is practically achieved, and the quality of products is tough for users to judge. There is no model to find out about the same or unlike a set of people with similar sentiment analysis concerning online product evaluations. In this paper optimization-based classification algorithm is proposed namely, Affirmative Ant Colony Optimization Based Support Vector Machine (AACOSVM) to classify sentiments provided by customers in online shopping. This paper provides a new Ant Colony Optimization method via providing a novel pheromone model for support vector machine optimization parameters in two steps. The first one is statute of state transition, and the second step is statute of state updates. They aim to allow the ants to use the fake pheromone path to pick parameters and to motivate ants to create subsets having the least classification mistakes. The proposed work includes product review datasets from Amazon to assess the performance of the AACOSVM against existing classifiers, namely, Entropy-Based Classifier (EBC) and Enhanced Feature Attention Network (EFAN). Various review datasets are accessible at Amazon for various items. This research effort has identified a dataset from DVDs, books, kitchen appliances and electronics from the many multiple available review datasets. It utilizes the natural foraging behavior of ants towards searching for food to identify and classify the sentiments present in the product reviews. AACOSVM is evaluated using two standard data mining performance metrics, namely F-Measure and Classification Accuracy. Results indicate that the proposed classification algorithm AACOSVM achieves better F-Measure and Classification Accuracy than the EBC and EFAN classifiers.
Vibration Prediction of Flying IoT Based on LSTM and GRU
Authors: Hong Jun-Ki
Published: March 2022

Drones, flying Internet of Things (IoT), have been widely used in several industrial fields, including rescue, delivery, military, and agriculture. Motors connected to a drone’s propellers play a crucial role in its movement. However, once the motor is damaged, the drone is at risk of falling. Thus, to prevent the drone from falling, an accurate and reliable prediction of motor vibration is necessary. In this study, four types of time series vibration data collected in the time domain from motors are predicted using long short-term memory (LSTM) and gated recurrent unit (GRU), and the accuracy and time efficiency of the predicted and actual vibration waveforms are compared and examined. According to the simulation results, the coefficient of determination, R2, and the root mean square error values obtained from the actual and predicted vibrations by the LSTM and GRU are similar. Furthermore, both the LSTM and GRU show excellent performance in forecasting future motor vibration, but GRU can predict future vibration about 22.79% faster than LSTM.
Calculation of the Strength of Vortex Currents Induced by Vortex Generators on Flat Plates and the Evaluation of Their Performance
Authors: Zhang Zhaohuang , Li Weiwei
Published: March 2022

Vortex generators are used to overturn the momentum of the flow in the boundary layer, thereby preventing flow separation, and are broadly used in aviation, wind power, heat exchange, and different fields. It has been determined that the capability of an eddy current generator to manipulate the boundary layer is proportional to the intensity of the vortex strength it excites. Although the mathematical notion of vortex strength is very well defined, there are difficulties in figuring out vortex strength in applications. This article proposes a calculation method based on confidence intervals and contour eddy current intensity. Meanwhile, the contemporary overall performance evaluation of vortex generators is frequently obtained in a roundabout way through their consequences on feature factors (e.g., lift coefficients, etc.), and techniques for the direct assessment of a vortex generator’s overall performance are no longer available. To address this situation, the article derives the performance evaluation criterion of the equal height vortex generators, the harmonic intensity factor (K=ωpeak r′), based on the Biot–Savart theorem.
Nexus between Technological Innovation, Renewable Energy, and Human Capital on the Environmental Sustainability in Emerging Asian Economies: A Panel Quantile Regression Approach
Authors: Esquivias Miguel Angel , Sugiharti Lilik , Rohmawati Hilda , Rojas Omar , Sethi Narayan
Published: March 2022

The goal of this study was to examine the interlinkage of renewable energy, technology innovation, human capital, and governance on environment quality by using a panel quantile regression in Asian emerging economies over the period of 1990–2019. The results indicated that higher economic growth, population density, technological innovation in renewable energy, and exploitation of natural resources have significantly raised CO2 emissions in emerging Asia. Furthermore, larger capital, more use of renewable energy, green technology, and human capital development can improve environmental sustainability in Asia. As for governances, proxied by corruption rates, no evidence indicated that it has resulted in more damage, unlike earlier studies have suggested. The findings indicated that the three channels exposed in the Kuznets hypothesis can serve as a reference for proposals for environmental policies (scale of consumption, energy composition, and choice of technologies). There are opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions through investments in human development, investing in new technologies to increase efficiency in energy (generation and consumption), increasing working capital (GCF), and migrating to more environmentally friendly energy. The negative link between carbon dioxide emissions and economic growth, increases in population density, and exploitation of natural resources can compromise the achievement of sustainable environmental goals.
Numbers, Please: Power- and Voltage-Related Indices in Control of a Turbine-Generator Set
Authors: Sokólski Paweł , Rutkowski Tomasz A. , Ceran Bartosz , Złotecka Daria , Horla Dariusz
Published: March 2022

This paper discusses the proper selection and interpretation of aggregated control performance indices values mirroring the quality of electrical energy generation by a turbine-generator set cooperating with a power system. Typically, a set of basic/classical and individual indices is used in energy engineering to ensure the mirroring feature and is related to voltage, frequency and active or reactive power deviations from their nominal values desired in the power system. In this paper, aggregated indices based on the sum of weighted integral indices are proposed, verified and built based on the well-known indices originating from control theory. These include an integral of the squared error (ISE) and an integral of the squared error multiplied by time (ITSE), applicable whenever an in-depth analysis and evaluation of various control strategies of the generation system is to be performed. In the reported research, the computer simulation tests verified their effectiveness in assessing the generated electricity on the example of a turbine-generator set controlled using a predictive control technology as well as applicability, proven by numerous simulation results to take various and different in nature requirements into account efficiently, in the form of a single aggregated index.
Reduction in the Cogging Torques in the DCEFSM Motor by Changing the Geometry of the Rotor Teeth
Authors: Bień Andrzej , Drabek Tomasz , Kara Dawid , Kołacz Tomasz
Published: March 2022

The paper presents the results of FEM 2D computational studies of a three-phase Direct Current Excited Flux Switching Machine (DCEFSM) electric motor with 15 rotor teeth and 36 stator teeth. The aim of the research was to minimize the cogging torque of the machine by changing the geometry of the rotor teeth and the size of the air gap between the stator and the rotor, with the operating torques unchanged. Computational studies were carried out on the influence of the width of the rotor teeth, the radius of the rounding of their corners, and the size of the air gap on the cogging torque and machine operating torques. The results of the calculations made it possible to select the dimensions of the rotor and the air gap in such a way that the maximum cogging torque was reduced more than six-fold, with the machine operating torques being unchanged. The calculations also showed that it is not possible to increase the value of the operational torques by further changes in the geometry of the rotor teeth and the size of the air gap of the machine.
Using Energy Storage-Based Grid Forming Inverters for Operational Reserve in Hybrid Diesel Microgrids
Authors: Hernandez-Alvidrez Javier , Darbali-Zamora Rachid , Flicker Jack D. , Shirazi Mariko , VanderMeer Jeremy , Thomson William
Published: March 2022

In remote arctic communities, where access to a bulk electrical grid interconnection is not available, the implementation of islanded microgrids has been the most viable way to produce and distribute electricity services to their inhabitants. Historically, these islanded grids have relied primarily on diesel generators or hydropower resources to supply the baseload. However, this practice can result in increased expense due to the high costs associated with fuel transportation and the significant amounts of on-site storage necessary when fuel transportation is unavailable during winter months. In order to mitigate this problem, arctic microgrids have started to transition to a hybrid-source operational mode by incorporating renewable energy sources that are inherently variable in nature, such as wind or solar. Due to their highly stochastic behavior, these hybrid-source islanded microgrids can pose potential issues related to power quality due to introduction of rapid net load fluctuations and inability of diesel generators to respond rapidly. In addition, non-firm stochastic sources can require significant idling diesel generator resources to serve as spinning reserves, which is inefficient and wasteful. This work studies the problems that may arise in the transient dynamics of a real-world hybrid diesel microgrid when subjected to a loss of wind generation. Moreover, this work proposes a transition from a diesel spinning reserve to a battery energy-storage system (BESS) operating reserve scheme. The study of the proposed transition is important in establishing the fundamental implication of transient dynamics and the potential benefits of integrating a BESS as a spinning reserve in terms of stability, frequency nadir, and transient voltage deviation. The methods to investigate and validate the transient dynamics relied on both electromagnetic simulation models of GFMIs and a commercially available GFMI in an experimental power hardware-in-the-loop setup. The simulation results showed that the proposed operating reserve scheme improves the power quality of the system in terms of voltage deviation and frequency nadir when the microgrid is subjected to a loss of wind generation scenario. Depending on the simulation cases, adding a GFMI reduced the frequency nadir between 65.3% and 86.7%. Moreover, the reductions in the voltage deviations improved between 3.6% and 23.0%. From these results it can be concluded that the integration of a GFMI can reduce the frequency nadir in a hybrid diesel microgrid, and in turn, reduce diesel consumption, which improves system reliability while reducing fuel expenses. Furthermore, the novelty of this work relies on the fact that the offline simulation results were validated using a power hardware-in-the-loop platform that incorporated a 100 kVA commercially available GFMI as the device under test.
Doping Colloidal Quantum Dot Materials and Devices for Photovoltaics
Authors: Meng Lingju , Wang Xihua
Published: March 2022

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals have generated tremendous interest because of their solution processability and robust tunability. Among such nanocrystals, the colloidal quantum dot (CQD) draws the most attention for its well-known quantum size effects. In the last decade, applications of CQDs have been booming in electronics and optoelectronics, especially in photovoltaics. Electronically doped semiconductors are critical in the fabrication of solar cells, because carefully designed band structures are able to promote efficient charge extraction. Unlike conventional semiconductors, diffusion and ion implantation technologies are not suitable for doping CQDs. Therefore, researchers have creatively developed alternative doping methods for CQD materials and devices. In order to provide a state-of-the-art summary and comprehensive understanding to this research community, we focused on various doping techniques and their applications for photovoltaics and demystify them from different perspectives. By analyzing two classes of CQDs, lead chalcogenide CQDs and perovskite CQDs, we compared different working scenarios of each technique, summarized the development in this field, and raised our own future perspectives.
Green but Unpopular? Analysis on Purchase Intention of Heat Pump Water Heaters in China
Authors: Bai Shucai , Li Fangyi , Xie Wu
Published: March 2022

Consumers are always influenced by external information before making decisions to purchase energy-saving electric appliances. However, the effects of different information sources are overlooked by previous studies. As a kind of green and safe appliance, the Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) is expected to be popular in the Chinese market. This study, based on an investigation in eastern China, will reveal the attitudes of potential consumers to HPWHs and verify the effects of different information sources. The results show that official information (Information from enterprises and governments) can arouse consumers’ positive attitudes toward HPWHs, yet can significantly reduce perceived usefulness among consumers, while unofficial information (Information from relatives and friends) negatively affects their attitudes. Although HPWHs are billed as energy-saving and eco-friendly appliances, consumers can obtain different information from online or offline interpersonal communications to obtain user feedback (which might be negative) before purchase. Some suggestions are proposed to promote energy-saving appliances.
Asymmetric Neutral Point Diode Clamped Topology with Reduced Component Count for Switched Reluctance Machine Drive
Authors: Scholtz Pieter Antonie , Gitau Michael Njoroge
Published: March 2022

The Reduced Asymmetric Neutral Point Clamped converter topology for unipolar driven, multiphase switched reluctance machines is proposed in this paper. This topology shares similarities with the conventional NPC and Asymmetric-NPC topologies, however it is unique in that the components for the capacitor string and outer semiconductor switches are shared among all the phases for a reduced component count. Some switching state combinations are not possible during commutation overlap between motor phases, resulting in minor torque transients during regenerative braking. A custom modulation scheme is implemented with fixed frequency, phase-shifted carrier waveforms that allow for automatic balancing of the neutral point voltage and interleaved switching of the semiconductor switches. A simple torque observer control architecture is used with minor adjustments for arbitrating torque contribution priorities between phases during handover.
The Role of Trees Outside Forests in the Cultural Landscape of the Colline del Prosecco UNESCO Site
Authors: Santoro Antonio , Piras Francesco , Fiore Beatrice , Frassinelli Niccolò , Bazzurro Alessandra , Agnoletti Mauro
Published: March 2022

The multifunctional role of Trees Outside Forests (TOF) is largely recognized in scientific literature, but they are still rarely considered in forest inventories and planning, with consequent underestimation of their role and amount. In addition, their cultural role has rarely been considered both at scientific and management level as well as in UNESCO sites. TOF characterize many European cultural landscapes, including the one of the Colline del Prosecco, inscribed in 2019 in the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the reasons of the inclusion, in fact, is the landscape mosaic made of vineyards interspersed with small woodlands and tree rows. This paper focuses on two types of TOF, Small Woods and Linear Tree Formations (TOF NON A/U). Their detailed mapping and the performing of different spatial analysis allowed us to assess their role and to provide data for future monitoring and for local forest planning. Results confirmed that TOF NON A/U are one of the main features of the UNESCO site landscape: despite the limited overall surface (1.95% of the area), 931 different patches have been identified. Spatial analysis highlighted the key landscape and ecological roles, acting as intermediate features between large forest patches, and also an important role for hydrological protection (they can be found also in slopes above 80% of inclination). The study provided a detailed mapping and database of one of the main features of the Colline del Prosecco UNESCO site cultural landscape, verifying the multifunctional role of TOF NON A/U and the necessity to include them into local forest planning, but also suggesting their inclusion in national forest inventories.
The Relationship between Carving Work and Timber Features: A Database for the Italian Wooden Statuary
Authors: Macchioni Nicola , Sozzi Lorena , Fidanza Giovan Battista
Published: March 2022

Wood has a wide range of applications in the artistic field, most of the time used as a support for works of art, for example, in panel paintings. Compared with stones and metals, wood is by far the material most utilised for sculptures. Through the identification of wood species, a study of timbers used in statuary in Europe, with a deeper exploration of the works of art preserved in Italy, can provide further insights for historical–artistic studies. Indeed, in reality, generic wood does not exist, but there are different timbers. This is a notion that the wood fine carving artists/craftsmen knew well. The initial idea of this study was to verify whether timber features could influence the formal results in figurative carving; therefore, a specific database that had been developed to catalogue the carving works was used for which the identification of wood species was carried out through reliable methodologies. The aim of this research was to analyse the relationship between the timber species used in statuary, the formal results of carving, and the thickness of the preparatory layer, through the data stored in a specific database, called ArISStArt. It contains a sort of registry of artistic carving and inlay works: For each artefact, a record was compiled consisting of different fields, which contains the historical–artistic information available, including the images of the artefact and also types of timber/s used for its creation, with a link to the relative field. The number of the recorded artefacts is, at present, 480. On most of the artefacts, more than one sample was taken; therefore, the total number of identifications carried out corresponds to 691. Based on the results, the vast majority of wooden statuary is carved from hardwoods, more specifically hardwoods, with diffuse porosity and small variations in density within the growth ring. The timber most present is poplar, followed by lime and walnut. With the listed three timbers, almost 80% of the artefacts recorded in ArISStArt were created.
Effect of High Pressure on the Properties of Chocolate Fillings during Long-Term Storage
Authors: Panda António , Coelho Patrícia , Alvarenga Nuno B. , Silva João Lita da , Lampreia Célia , Santos Maria Teresa , Pinto Carlos A. , Amaral Renata A. , Saraiva Jorge A. , Dias João
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of high-pressure processing (HPP) on the long-term storage of chocolate fillings at room temperature, compared with conventional storage at lower temperatures. Dark chocolate fillings were treated at different pressure levels, holding times and stored at 20 °C for 12 months. Unprocessed batches were stored at 4 °C and at −12 °C. Moisture, water activity (aw), pH, colour, G′1Hz and indigenous microflora were measured at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months of storage. Results showed that 600 MPa/20 min processing was the most effective controlling mesophilic group, presenting 3.8 log cfu/g after 12 months of storage, and inactivating moulds and yeasts after HPP treatment. Colour was affected by storage, including a reduction in the L* parameter in all conditions to final values between 37.8 and 39.3, while the a* parameter increased during storage time at −12 °C and 4 °C to final values of around 12, and parameter b* decreased at storage temperature 20 °C to 5.3. Storage time affected the rheological behaviour of HPP-treated samples, increasing G′1Hz from the 2nd to 12th month of storage time to the final values between 1603 kPa and 2139 kPa. Moisture, aw and pH were not affected by HPP treatment nor storage time.
Consumer Preference for Food Bundles under Cognitive Load: A Grocery Shopping Experiment
Authors: Carroll Kathryn A. , Samek Anya , Zepeda Lydia
Published: March 2022

Product bundling is a common retail marketing strategy. The bundling of food items has the potential to increase profits in the grocery sector, particularly for fresh produce, which often has lower profit margins. Although prior work suggests consumers prefer bundles because they require less cognitive effort to select, no study has yet experimentally manipulated cognitive load when food bundles are included in the choice set. To test whether bundle preference differs when cognitive resources are constrained, a grocery shopping experiment was conducted with 250 consumers in the midwestern U.S., in a laboratory that featured a grocery store display. Consumers who grocery shopped under cognitive load had a higher odds of selecting a food bundle even when the bundle did not offer a price discount. Results suggest food bundles may be preferred because they require less cognitive effort to process, which could benefit consumers by simplifying the grocery shopping experience. Additional factors found to influence food bundle selection included whether the bundled items were perceived as being complementary and hunger levels. Food bundles could help lessen cognitive effort associated with grocery shopping and may especially appeal to those who do not enjoy food shopping.
Ovarian Transcriptomic Analysis of Ninghai Indigenous Chickens at Different Egg-Laying Periods
Authors: Huang Xuan , Zhou Wei , Cao Haiyue , Zhang Haiyang , Xiang Xin , Yin Zhaozheng
Published: March 2022

Egg production is an essential indicator of poultry fertility. The ovary is a crucial organ involved in egg production; however, little is known about the key genes and signaling pathways involved in the whole egg-laying cycle of hens. In order to explore the mechanism of egg production at different stages of the egg-laying process, ovarian tissues from four chickens were randomly selected for transcriptome analysis at each of the three ages (145 d, 204 d, and 300 d in the early, peak, and late stages of egg laying). A total of 12 gene libraries were constructed, and a total of 8433 differential genes were identified from NH145d vs. NH204d, NH145d vs. NH300d and NH300d vs. NH204d (Ninghai 145-day-old, Ninghai 204-day-old, and Ninghai 300-day-old), with 1176, 1653 and 1868 up-regulated genes, and 621, 1955 and 1160 down-regulated genes, respectively. In each of the two comparison groups, 73, 1004, and 1030 differentially expressed genes were found to be co-expressed. We analyzed the differentially expressed genes and predicted nine genes involved in egg production regulation, including LRP8, BMP6, ZP4, COL4A1, VCAN, INHBA, LOX, PTX3, and IHH, as well as several essential egg production pathways, such as regulation adhesion molecules (CAMs), calcium signaling pathways, neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction. Transcriptional analysis of the chicken ovary during different phases of egg-lay will provide a useful molecular basis for study of the development of the egg-laying ovary.
Identification of Genomic Regions and Sources for Wheat Blast Resistance through GWAS in Indian Wheat Genotypes
Authors: Phuke Rahul M. , He Xinyao , Juliana Philomin , Kabir Muhammad R. , Roy Krishna K. , Marza Felix , Roy Chandan , Singh Gyanendra P. , Chawade Aakash , Joshi Arun K. , Singh Pawan K.
Published: March 2022

Wheat blast (WB) is a devastating fungal disease that has recently spread to Bangladesh and poses a threat to the wheat production in India, which is the second-largest wheat producing country in the world. In this study, 350 Indian wheat genotypes were evaluated for WB resistance in 12 field experiments in three different locations, namely Jashore in Bangladesh and Quirusillas and Okinawa in Bolivia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the genome were obtained using DArTseq® technology, and 7554 filtered SNP markers were selected for a genome-wide association study (GWAS). All the three GWAS approaches used identified the 2NS translocation as the only major source of resistance, explaining up to 32% of the phenotypic variation. Additional marker-trait associations were located on chromosomes 2B, 3B, 4D, 5A and 7A, and the combined effect of three SNPs (2B_180938790, 7A_752501634 and 5A_618682953) showed better resistance, indicating their additive effects on WB resistance. Among the 298 bread wheat genotypes, 89 (29.9%) carried the 2NS translocation, the majority of which (60 genotypes) were CIMMYT introductions, and 29 were from India. The 2NS carriers with a grand mean WB index of 6.6 showed higher blast resistance compared to the non-2NS genotypes with a mean index of 46.5. Of the 52 durum wheats, only one genotype, HI 8819, had the 2NS translocation and was the most resistant, with a grand mean WB index of 0.93. Our study suggests that the 2NS translocation is the only major resistance source in the Indian wheat panel analysed and emphasizes the urgent need to identify novel non-2NS resistance sources and genomic regions.
HSF1-Activated Non-Coding Stress Response: Satellite lncRNAs and Beyond, an Emerging Story with a Complex Scenario
Authors: Vourc’h Claire , Dufour Solenne , Timcheva Kalina , Seigneurin-Berny Daphné , Verdel André
Published: March 2022

In eukaryotes, the heat shock response is orchestrated by a transcription factor named Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1). HSF1 is mostly characterized for its role in activating the expression of a repertoire of protein-coding genes, including the heat shock protein (HSP) genes. Remarkably, a growing set of reports indicate that, upon heat shock, HSF1 also targets various non-coding regions of the genome. Focusing primarily on mammals, this review aims at reporting the identity of the non-coding genomic sites directly bound by HSF1, and at describing the molecular function of the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) produced in response to HSF1 binding. The described non-coding genomic targets of HSF1 are pericentric Satellite DNA repeats, (sub)telomeric DNA repeats, Short Interspersed Nuclear Element (SINE) repeats, transcriptionally active enhancers and the NEAT1 gene. This diverse set of non-coding genomic sites, which already appears to be an integral part of the cellular response to stress, may only represent the first of many. Thus, the study of the evolutionary conserved heat stress response has the potential to emerge as a powerful cellular context to study lncRNAs, produced from repeated or unique DNA regions, with a regulatory function that is often well-documented but a mode of action that remains largely unknown.
Engaging the Ethics of the Future: The Aftertimes as Emotional, Material and Temporal Accumulation in the Spanish Animation Film Birdboy: The Forgotten Children
Authors: Alvarez-Sancho Isabel
Published: March 2022

In this essay I analyze the critically acclaimed movie, Birdboy: The Forgotten Children, a dystopic animated film based on the graphic novel Psiconautas. It takes place on an island populated by anthropomorphic animals, most of them young, who live in a time after an industrial accident destroyed the livelihood of its inhabitants. Birdboy and some of his friends try to escape their reality either by taking drugs or by attempting to abandon the island, but they are hunted by police, by the gang of rats that inhabits the dump, and by their hallucinations. In the end, although they do not achieve their goals, Birdboy and his friend Dinky reunite in an inner paradise. Drawing on various theoretical approaches, such as Hannah Arendt’s notion of new beginnings and Timothy Morton’s sustained project of ecological critique, I study the ways Birdboy represents time and engages with the ethics of the future. Birdboy’s universe is marked by emotional, physical, and temporal accumulation. The interconnection of sentient and non-sentient beings on the island shows the impact of legacies and the difficulty of creating radical new beginnings. Birdboy’s story is ultimately a call for responsibility for the future rooted in the awareness that everything leaves a trace.
Testing the Effectiveness of a Blended Intervention to Reduce Suicidal Ideation among School Adolescents in Chile: A Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Núñez Daniel , Gaete Jorge , Meza Daniela , Andaur Javiera , Robinson Jo
Published: March 2022

Suicidal ideation is prevalent in adolescents and is a marker for subsequent psychiatric vulnerability and symptom severity. Literature shows that blended care (integrating online and offline components in a treatment process) could improve the effectiveness and adherence of interventions targeting suicidal ideation in adolescents, but the evidence is inconclusive. Thus, we will test the effectiveness of a blended intervention to reduce suicidal ideation (primary outcome) in school settings using a single-blind two-armed cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT). The internet-based component corresponds to the Reframe-IT, a program encompassing eight online sessions based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles. The face-to-face intervention will be delivered through four CBT sessions. Additionally, we will assess the effect of the intervention on the following secondary outcomes: suicidal attempts, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills. Primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at post-intervention, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Finally, we will explore the mediation role of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral correlates of suicide on the effect of the intervention. Results will inform whether the intervention can reduce suicide among school adolescents and be implemented on a large scale in Chile.
Changes in Health-Related Behaviours and Mental Health in a UK Public Sample during the First Set of COVID-19 Public Health Restrictions
Authors: Wilson Jason J. , Smith Lee , Yakkundi Anita , Jacob Louis , Martin Suzanne , Grabovac Igor , McDermott Daragh T. , López-Bueno Rubén , Barnett Yvonne , Butler Laurie T. , Schuch Felipe B. , Armstrong Nicola C. , Tully Mark A.
Published: March 2022

Public health restrictions, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, have had potentially wide-ranging, unintended effects on health-related behaviours such as diet and physical activity and also affected mental health due to reduced social interactions. This study explored how health-related behaviours and mental health were impacted in a sample of the UK public during the first set of COVID-19 public health restrictions. Two online surveys were administered in the UK, one within the first three months of the restrictions (Timepoints 1 (T1—involving pre-pandemic recall) and 2/T2) and another ten weeks later (Timepoint 3/T3). Moderate–vigorous physical activity (MVPA), outdoor time, sitting time, screen time and sexual activity were self-reported. Diet was assessed using the Dietary Instrument for Nutrition Education questionnaire. Mental health was measured using the short-form Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and Becks’ Anxiety and Depression Inventories. Differences between timepoints were explored using the Friedman, Wilcoxon signed-rank, McNemar and McNemar–Bowker tests. Two hundred and ninety-six adults (74% under 65 years old; 65% female) provided data across all timepoints. Between T1 and T2, MVPA, time outdoors and sexual activity decreased while sitting, and screen time increased (p < 0.05). Between T2 and T3, saturated fat intake, MVPA, time outdoors, and mental wellbeing increased while sitting, screen time and anxiety symptoms decreased (p < 0.05). This study found that depending on the level of COVID-19 public health restrictions in place, there appeared to be a varying impact on different health-related behaviours and mental health. As countries emerge from restrictions, it is prudent to direct necessary resources to address these important public health issues.
Changes in the Second Ventilatory Threshold Following Individualised versus Standardised Exercise Prescription among Physically Inactive Adults: A Randomised Trial
Authors: Martini Alex D. , Dalleck Lance C. , Mejuto Gaizka , Larwood Trent , Weatherwax Ryan M. , Ramos Joyce S.
Published: March 2022

The second ventilatory threshold (VT2) is established as an important indicator of exercise intensity tolerance. A higher VT2 allows for greater duration of higher intensity exercise participation and subsequently greater reductions in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of standardised and individualised exercise prescription on VT2 among physically inactive adults. Forty-nine physically inactive male and female participants (48.6 ± 11.5 years) were recruited and randomised into a 12-week standardised (n = 25) or individualised (n = 24) exercise prescription intervention. The exercise intensity for the standardised and individualised groups was prescribed as a percentage of heart rate reserve (HRR) or relative to the first ventilatory threshold (VT1) and VT2, respectively. Participants were required to complete a maximal graded exercise test at pre-and post-intervention to determine VT1 and VT2. Participants were categorised as responders to the intervention if an absolute VT2 change of at least 1.9% was attained. Thirty-eight participants were included in the analysis. A significant difference in VT2 change was found between individualised (pre vs. post: 70.6% vs. 78.7% maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max)) and standardised (pre vs. post: 72.5% vs. 72.3% VO2max) exercise groups. Individualised exercise prescription was significantly more efficacious (p = 0.04) in eliciting a positive response in VT2 (15/19, 79%) when compared to the standardised exercise group (9/19, 47%). Individualised exercise prescription appears to be more efficacious than standardised exercise prescription in eliciting a positive VT2 change among physically inactive adults. Increasing VT2 allows for greater tolerance to higher exercise intensities and therefore greater cardiovascular health outcomes.
Serum 25(OH) Vitamin D Levels in Pregnant Women with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Case-Control Study
Authors: Ferrer-Sánchez Nazaret , Díaz-Goicoechea Marina , Mayoral-Cesar Victoria , García-Solbas Silvia , Nievas-Soriano Bruno José , Parrón-Carreño Tesifón , Fernández-Alonso Ana María
Published: March 2022

The physiological changes during pregnancy may increase the risk of complications in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vitamin D is a fat-soluble secosteroid hormone and its role in immunity is appears to be of particular importance in this recent pandemic. Nevertheless, there is little research about the role of vitamin D levels regarding COVID-19 in pregnant women to date. This study aimed to establish a relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in pregnant women and COVID-19. A comparative case-control study was performed with a study population of 256 pregnant women (82 pregnant women with infection and 174 women in control group). Serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in pregnant women with COVID-19 infection than in those without infection. In addition, 89% of COVID-19-positive pregnant women had 25(OH)D deficiency, while in the control group the percentage was 75.30%, finding statistically significant differences (ORa = 2.68; 95% CI 1.19–6.06; p = 0.01). Our results find a relationship between vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and COVID-19 infection. This finding could be relevant for actual clinical practice. Thus, more research is needed in this field.
Dynamic Driving Mechanism of Dual Structural Effects on the Correlation between Economic Growth and CO2 Emissions: Evidence from a Typical Transformation Region
Authors: Cai Yu , Duan Haiyan , Luo Zhiqiang , Duan Zhiyuan , Wang Xian’en
Published: March 2022

How will the dual structural effects, represented by industrial structure and energy structure, affect the future correlation between economic growth and CO2 emissions? Taking Jilin Province as an example, this study explores the dynamic driving mechanism of dual structural effects on the correlation between economic growth and CO2 emissions by innovatively building an integrated simulation model from 1995 to 2015 and setting different scenarios from 2016 to 2050. Correspondingly, the concept of marginal utility and the method of variance decomposition analysis are introduced to reveal the mechanism. The results show that the energy structure is different while the industrial structure tends to be similar when CO2 emissions reach the peak under different scenarios. The slower the dual structure adjustment, the more significant the upward trend appears before the peak. The contribution of the dual structural effects to CO2 emissions caused by unit GDP growth is basically the same in peak year. With the transformation of socio-economy, the positive driving effect of the industrial structure will gradually weaken, while the negative driving effect of the energy structure will gradually increase. The methods and results presented can provide insights into sensible trade-offs of CO2 emissions and economic growth in different countries/regions during structural transitions.
School Principals’ Work Participation in an Extended Working Life—Are They Able to, and Do They Want to? A Quantitative Study of the Work Situation
Authors: Nilsson Kerstin , Oudin Anna , Arvidsson Inger , Håkansson Carita , Österberg Kai , Leo Ulf , Persson Roger
Published: March 2022

The objective of this study is to increase the knowledge regarding school principals’ work situations by examining the associations between various factors and the school principals’ assessments of their ability or wish to work until 65 years of age or longer. The 1356 participating school principals in this study were aged between 50 and 64 years of age. Individual and work factors were evaluated in relation to two dichotomized outcomes: i.e., can work and want to work beyond 65 years of age, respectively. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models were used to specify bivariate and multivariate cross-sectional logistic regression models that accounted for repeated measurements. The results showed that, both in 2018 and 2019, about 83% of the school principals stated that they could work and about 50% stated that they wanted to work until 65 years of age and beyond. School principals’ exhaustion symptoms and experiences of an excessive burden were statistically significantly associated with whether they both could not and did not want to work beyond 65 years of age. Additionally, the school principals’ experiences of support from the executive management in the performance of their managerial duties was of primary importance for whether the school principals wanted to work until 65 years of age and beyond. To conclude, it is important that school principals receive sufficient support from the management to cope with their often very stressful leadership tasks so that they have the opportunity to be able and willing to continue working their entire working life. The study strengthens the robustness of the theoretical SwAge model regarding the investigated factors related to determinant factors for a sustainable working life and as a basis for developing practical tools for increased employability for people of older ages.
Social Class Priming Effect on Prosociality: Evidence from Explicit and Implicit Measures
Authors: Zhang Shan , Zang Xinlei , Zhang Sainan , Zhang Feng
Published: March 2022

Although abundant research has explored the relationship between social class and prosociality, it remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the effect of social class priming on prosociality among college students. Experiment 1 was an explicit experiment in which we employed the MacArthur scale to prime participants’ social class and then used a donation task. The results showed that students in a low social class priming group had more donation behaviors compared to ones in a high social class priming group. Experiment 2 was an implicit experiment in which we used a single category implicit association test (SC-IAT) to investigate the relationship between the self-concepts of different social classes and prosociality after priming participants’ social class. The results indicated that students in a low social class priming condition had a stronger connection between self-concepts and prosocial inclinations than ones in a high social class priming condition. Thus, our study demonstrated that students primed with low social class were more prosocial than those primed with high social class, and supported the empathy-altruism theory of prosocial behavior. These findings are of great practical significance to promote prosocial behavior of individuals of different social classes.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Daily Life, Physical Exercise, and General Health among Older People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Interview Study
Authors: Leite Nilton João Chantre , Raimundo Armando Manuel Mendonça , Mendes Romeu Duarte Carneiro , Marmeleira José Francisco Filipe
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant alterations to and implications for the lives of millions of people, and especially for those with pre-existing medical conditions. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of older people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) throughout the first 9 months of the pandemic, with emphasis on the habits of physical exercise. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. The data consist of telephone interviews of seventeen older people with T2DM (10 women and 7 men, aged 62–76 years). Using thematic analysis, five themes were generated: (1) an altered social and relational life; (2) changes in routine and attitude regarding physical activity behaviour; (3) home-related activities gained relevance; (4) health and well-being impact and management; and (5) thoughts about the post-pandemic period. The increase in the number of cases and the fear of becoming infected with COVID-19 limited the social (i.e., contact with family and/or friends) and functional (i.e., daily routine, the habit of exercising) lives of these people, reverberating negatively on their health and well-being. Feelings of isolation, loneliness, anxiety were common. The findings of this study help to better understand the impact of the pandemic and determine areas of need for future interventions. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to provide support for older people with T2DM and tackle the negative effect of the pandemic, including the reduction in physical activity.
Estimating the Bioaccumulation Potential of Hydrophobic Ultraviolet Stabilizers Using Experimental Partitioning Properties
Authors: Do Anh T. Ngoc , Kim Yoonsub , Ha Yeonjeong , Kwon Jung-Hwan
Published: March 2022

Although hydrophobic ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers are an emerging environmental concern because of their widespread occurrence, persistence, and bioaccumulation potential, experimental values of their partitioning properties required for risk assessment are scarce. In this study, n-octanol-water partition (Kow) and lipid–water partition constants (Klipw), which are key parameters for environmental risk assessment, were experimentally determined for five selected hydrophobic UV stabilizers (UV326, UV327, UV328, UV329, and UV531) based on third-phase partitioning among polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), water, and n-octanol/lipid. The partition constants between PDMS and water (KPDMSw), obtained using the dynamic permeation method were used to derive Kow and Klipw. The obtained log Kow and log Klipw values were in the ranges of 7.08–7.94 and 7.50–8.34, respectively, indicating that the UV stabilizers exhibited a high bioaccumulation potential in aquatic environments. The experimental Kow and Klipw values obtained in this study provide valuable information for the evaluation of the fate, distribution, bioavailability, and toxicity of the UV stabilizers in aquatic environments.
Mechanisms of Action of Non-Canonical ECF Sigma Factors
Authors: Marcos-Torres Francisco Javier , Moraleda-Muñoz Aurelio , Contreras-Moreno Francisco Javier , Muñoz-Dorado José , Pérez Juana
Published: March 2022

Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors are subunits of the RNA polymerase specialized in activating the transcription of a subset of genes responding to a specific environmental condition. The signal-transduction pathways where they participate can be activated by diverse mechanisms. The most common mechanism involves the action of a membrane-bound anti-sigma factor, which sequesters the ECF sigma factor, and releases it after the stimulus is sensed. However, despite most of these systems following this canonical regulation, there are many ECF sigma factors exhibiting a non-canonical regulatory mechanism. In this review, we aim to provide an updated and comprehensive view of the different activation mechanisms known for non-canonical ECF sigma factors, detailing their inclusion to the different phylogenetic groups and describing the mechanisms of regulation of some of their representative members such as EcfG from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, showing a partner-switch mechanism; EcfP from Vibrio parahaemolyticus, with a phosphorylation-dependent mechanism; or CorE from Myxococcus xanthus, regulated by a metal-sensing C-terminal extension.