bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Multiple Myeloma and the Role of Melphalan in the Era of Modern Therapies—Current Research and Clinical Approaches
Authors: Poczta Anastazja , Rogalska Aneta , Marczak Agnieszka
Published: April 2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for 10% of all hematological malignancies, and it is the second most common hematological neoplasm for which chemotherapy is an important pharmacological treatment. High dose melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplantation remains the standard of treatment for transplant-eligible patients with MM. In this review, we describe aspects of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of melphalan therapy and related compounds. In addition, we describe the use of melphalan in innovative therapies for the treatment of MM, including the development of drug carriers to reduce systemic toxicity, combination therapy to improve the effectiveness of cancer therapy, and the chemical modification of the melphalan molecule to improve antitumor activity.
Spectrum of DICER1 Germline Pathogenic Variants in Ovarian Sertoli–Leydig Cell Tumor
Authors: De Paolis Elisa , Paragliola Rosa , Concolino Paola
Published: April 2021

Sertoli–Leydig Cell Tumors (SLCTs) are rare ovarian sex cord-stromal neoplasms, which predominantly affect adolescents and young female adults. The SLCTs clinical diagnosis and treatment remains challenging due to the rarity and the varied presentation. A large majority of SLCTs are unilateral, but also bilateral neoplasms have been reported, sometimes in the context of DICER1 syndrome. In fact, the most significant discovery regarding the molecular genetics basis of SLCTs was the finding of somatic and germline pathogenic variants in the DICER1 gene. The DICER1 protein is a key component of the micro-RNA processing pathway. Germline DICER1 pathogenic variants are typically inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern and are most often loss-of-function variants dispersed along the length of the gene. Contrarily, DICER1-related tumors harbor a characteristic missense “RNase IIIb hotspot” mutation occurring in trans, or, less frequently, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) event involving the wild-type allele. While DICER1 mutations have been identified in approximately 60% of SLCTs, especially in the moderately or poorly differentiated types, there are only a few case reports of ovarian SLCT with underlying germline DICER1 mutations. In this review, we focus on the molecular genetic features of SLCT, performing an extensive survey of all germline pathogenic variants modifying the whole sequence of the DICER1 gene. We point out that DICER1 genetic testing, coupled with an accurate variants classification and timely counseling, is of crucial importance in the clinical management of ovarian SLCT-affected patients.
Association between Low-Grade Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CINP) and Survival in Patients with Metastatic Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas
Authors: Catalano Martina , Aprile Giuseppe , Ramello Monica , Conca Raffaele , Petrioli Roberto , Roviello Giandomenico
Published: April 2021

The combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine demonstrated greater efficacy than gemcitabine alone but resulted in higher rates of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CINP) in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC). We aimed to evaluate the correlation between the development of treatment-related peripheral neuropathy and the efficacy of nab-P/Gem combination in these patients. mPC patients treated with nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 as a first-line therapy were included. Treatment-related adverse events, mainly peripheral neuropathy, were categorized using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria scale, version 4.02. Efficacy outcomes, including overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PSF), and disease control rate (DCR), were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier model. A total of 153 patients were analyzed; of these, 47 patients (30.7%) developed grade 1–2 neuropathy. PFS was 7 months (95% CI (6–7 months)) for patients with grade 1–2 neuropathy and 6 months (95% CI (5–6 months)) for patients without peripheral neuropathy (p = 0.42). Median OS was 13 months (95% CI (10–18 months)) and 10 months (95% CI (8–13 months)) in patients with and without peripheral neuropathy, respectively (p = 0.04). DCR was achieved by 83% of patients with grade 1–2 neuropathy and by 58% of patients without neuropathy (p = 0.03). In the multivariate analysis, grade 1–2 neuropathy was independently associated with OS (HR 0.65; 95% CI, 0.45–0.98; p = 0.03). nab-P/Gem represents an optimal first-line treatment for mPC patients. Among possible treatment-related adverse events, peripheral neuropathy is the most frequent, with different grades and incidence. Our study suggests that patients experiencing CINP may have a more favorable outcome, with a higher disease control rate and prolonged median survival compared to those without neuropathy.
Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction: PET, CMR and CT Assessment
Authors: Tonet Elisabetta , Pompei Graziella , Faragasso Evelina , Cossu Alberto , Pavasini Rita , Passarini Giulia , Tebaldi Matteo , Campo Gianluca
Published: April 2021

Microvascular dysfunction is responsible for chest pain in various kinds of patients, including those with obstructive coronary artery disease and persistent symptoms despite revascularization, or those with myocardial disease without coronary stenosis. Its diagnosis can be performed with an advanced imaging technique such as positron emission tomography, which represents the gold standard for diagnosing microvascular abnormalities. In recent years, cardiovascular magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography have demonstrated to be emerging modalities for microcirculation assessment. The identification of microvascular disease represents a fundamental step in the characterization of patients with chest pain and no epicardial coronary disease: its identification is important to manage medical strategies and improve prognosis. The present overview summarizes the main techniques and current evidence of these advanced imaging strategies in assessing microvascular dysfunction and, if present, their relationship with invasive evaluation.
Launching Adversarial Attacks against Network Intrusion Detection Systems for IoT
Authors: Papadopoulos Pavlos , Thornewill von Essen Oliver , Pitropakis Nikolaos , Chrysoulas Christos , Mylonas Alexios , Buchanan William J.
Published: April 2021

As the internet continues to be populated with new devices and emerging technologies, the attack surface grows exponentially. Technology is shifting towards a profit-driven Internet of Things market where security is an afterthought. Traditional defending approaches are no longer sufficient to detect both known and unknown attacks to high accuracy. Machine learning intrusion detection systems have proven their success in identifying unknown attacks with high precision. Nevertheless, machine learning models are also vulnerable to attacks. Adversarial examples can be used to evaluate the robustness of a designed model before it is deployed. Further, using adversarial examples is critical to creating a robust model designed for an adversarial environment. Our work evaluates both traditional machine learning and deep learning models’ robustness using the Bot-IoT dataset. Our methodology included two main approaches. First, label poisoning, used to cause incorrect classification by the model. Second, the fast gradient sign method, used to evade detection measures. The experiments demonstrated that an attacker could manipulate or circumvent detection with significant probability.
Efficacy of Core Stability in Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain
Authors: Frizziero Antonio , Pellizzon Giacomo , Vittadini Filippo , Bigliardi Davide , Costantino Cosimo
Published: April 2021

(1) Background: Management of chronic low back pain (cLBP) is often multidisciplinary, involving a combination of treatments, including therapeutic exercises. Core stability exercises aim to improve pain and disability in cLBP increasing spinal stability, neuromuscular control, and preventing shear force that causes injury to the lumbar spine. The purpose of this study was to review the available evidence about the effectiveness in reducing pain and improving disability of core stability exercises for non-specific cLBP. (2) Methods: We perform a systematic research on common Medline databases: PubMed, Pedro, and Cochrane Library. Search results were limited to articles written in English and published between January 2005 and November 2020.The search provided a total of 420 articles. Forty-nine articles met the inclusion criteria and 371 articles were excluded. (3) Results: Core stability provides great therapeutic effects in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain reducing pain intensity, functional disability, and improving quality of life, core muscle activation, and thickness. Evidences suggest that core stability is more effective than rest or no/minimal intervention and combination with other types of exercise for cLBP have shown grater efficacy. (4) Conclusion: Core stability could be proposed in a comprehensive approach in cLBP, the combination with other modalities of therapeutic exercise should be promoted. Patient compliance is crucial to determine the efficacy of the intervention.
The VISIONE Video Search System: Exploiting Off-the-Shelf Text Search Engines for Large-Scale Video Retrieval
Authors: Amato Giuseppe , Bolettieri Paolo , Carrara Fabio , Debole Franca , Falchi Fabrizio , Gennaro Claudio , Vadicamo Lucia , Vairo Claudio
Published: April 2021

This paper describes in detail VISIONE, a video search system that allows users to search for videos using textual keywords, the occurrence of objects and their spatial relationships, the occurrence of colors and their spatial relationships, and image similarity. These modalities can be combined together to express complex queries and meet users’ needs. The peculiarity of our approach is that we encode all information extracted from the keyframes, such as visual deep features, tags, color and object locations, using a convenient textual encoding that is indexed in a single text retrieval engine. This offers great flexibility when results corresponding to various parts of the query (visual, text and locations) need to be merged. In addition, we report an extensive analysis of the retrieval performance of the system, using the query logs generated during the Video Browser Showdown (VBS) 2019 competition. This allowed us to fine-tune the system by choosing the optimal parameters and strategies from those we tested.
Modeling Study on the Asymmetry of Positive and Negative Storm Surges along the Southeastern Coast of China
Authors: Chu Dongdong , Niu Haibo , Qiao Wenli , Jiao Xiaohui , Zhang Xilin , Zhang Jicai
Published: April 2021

In this paper, a three-dimensional storm surge model was developed based on the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) by the hindcasts of four typhoon-induced storm surges (Chan-hom, Mireille, Herb, and Winnie). After model validation, a series of sensitivity experiments were conducted to explore the effects of key parameters in the wind and pressure field (forward speed, radius of maximum wind (RMW), inflow angle, and central pressure), typhoon path, wind intensity, and topography on the storm surge and surge asymmetry between sea level rise (positive surge) and fall (negative surge) along the southeastern coast of China (SCC). The model results show that lower central pressure and larger RMW could lead to stronger surge asymmetry. A larger inflow angle results in a stronger surge asymmetry. In addition, the path of Chan-hom is the most dangerous path type for the Zhoushan Archipelago area, and that of Winnie follows next. The model results also indicate that the non-linear interaction between wind field and pressure field tends to weaken the peak surge elevation. The effect of topography on storm surges indicates that the peak surge elevation and its occurrence time, as well as the surge asymmetry, increase with a decreasing slope along the SCC.
Numerical Model Study of Prototype Drop Tests on Cube and Cubipod® Concrete Armor Units Using the Combined Finite–Discrete Element Method
Authors: Scaravaglione Giulio , Latham John-Paul , Xiang Jiansheng
Published: April 2021

This paper aims to evaluate the structural strength of unreinforced concrete armor units (CAU), named Cubipod®, used on rubble-mound breakwaters and coastal structures, through a numerical methodology using the combined finite–discrete element method (FDEM). A numerical modeling methodology is developed to reproduce the results of an experimental examination published by Medina et al. (2011) of a free-fall drop test performed on a 15 t conventional Cubic block and a 16 t Cubipod® unit. The field results of the Cube drop tests were used to calibrate the model. The numerically simulated response to the Cubipod® test is then discussed in the context of a validation study. The calibration process and validation study provide insights into the sensitivity of breakage to tensile strength and collision angle, as well as a better understanding of the crushing and cracking damage of this unit under drop test impact conditions.
Spatial Patterns of Macrozoobenthos Assemblages in a Sentinel Coastal Lagoon: Biodiversity and Environmental Drivers
Authors: Boutoumit Soilam , Bououarour Oussama , El Kamcha Reda , Pouzet Pierre , Zourarah Bendahhou , Benhoussa Abdelaziz , Maanan Mohamed , Bazairi Hocein
Published: April 2021

This study presents an assessment of the diversity and spatial distribution of benthic macrofauna communities along the Moulay Bousselham lagoon and discusses the environmental factors contributing to observed patterns. In the autumn of 2018, 68 stations were sampled with three replicates per station in subtidal and intertidal areas. Environmental conditions showed that the range of water temperature was from 25.0 °C to 12.3 °C, the salinity varied between 38.7 and 3.7, while the average of pH values fluctuated between 7.3 and 8.0. In vegetated habitats, biomass values of the seagrass Zostera noltei Hornemann ranged between 31.7 gDW/m² and 170.2 gDW/m² while the biomass of the seagrass Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande between 54.2 gDW/m² and 84.7 gDW/m². Sediment analyses showed that the lagoon is mainly composed of sandy and silty sediments. We recorded 37,165 individuals of macrofauna distributed in 63 taxa belonging to 50 families, with a mean abundance value of 4582.8 ind/m² and biomass average of 22.2 g/m². Distance-based linear modeling analysis (DISTLM) identified sediment characteristics, water parameters and habitat type (biomass of Z. noltei) as the major environmental drivers influencing macrozoobenthos patterns. Our results clearly revealed that the hydrographic regime (marine and terrestrial freshwater), sediment distribution and characteristics and the type of habitat (vegetated vs. unvegetated substrate) are the key factors determining the species composition and patterns of macrozoobenthos assemblages.
Molecular Characterization of Fungal Pigments
Authors: Valenzuela-Gloria Miriam S. , Balagurusamy Nagamani , Chávez-González Mónica L. , Aguilar Oscar , Hernández-Almanza Ayerim , Aguilar Cristóbal N.
Published: April 2021

The industrial application of pigments of biological origin has been gaining strength over time, which is mainly explained by the increased interest of the consumer for products with few synthetic additives. So, the search for biomolecules from natural origin has challenged food scientists and technologists to identify, develop efficient and less consuming strategies for extraction and characterization of biopigments. In this task, elucidation of molecular structure has become a fundamental requirement, since it is necessary to comply with compound regulatory submissions of industrial sectors such as food, pharmaceutical agrichemicals, and other new chemical entity registrations. Molecular elucidation consists of establishing the chemical structure of a molecule, which allows us to understand the interaction between the natural additive (colorant, flavor, antioxidant, etc) and its use (interaction with the rest of the mixture of compounds). Elucidation of molecular characteristics can be achieved through several techniques, the most common being infrared spectroscopy (IR), spectroscopy or ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-VIS), nuclear-resonance spectroscopy (MAGNETIC MRI), and mass spectrometry. This review provides the details that aid for the molecular elucidation of pigments of fungal origin, for a viable and innocuous application of these biopigments by various industries.
Selective Targeting of Epigenetic Readers and Histone Deacetylases in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives
Authors: Ghiboub Mohammed , Elfiky Ahmed M. I. , de Winther Menno P. J. , Harker Nicola R. , Tough David F. , de Jonge Wouter J.
Published: April 2021

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) and bromodomain-containing proteins (BCPs) play a key role in chromatin remodeling. Based on their ability to regulate inducible gene expression in the context of inflammation and cancer, HDACs and BCPs have been the focus of drug discovery efforts, and numerous small-molecule inhibitors have been developed. However, dose-limiting toxicities of the first generation of inhibitors, which typically target multiple HDACs or BCPs, have limited translation to the clinic. Over the last decade, an increasing effort has been dedicated to designing class-, isoform-, or domain-specific HDAC or BCP inhibitors, as well as developing strategies for cell-specific targeted drug delivery. Selective inhibition of the epigenetic modulators is helping to elucidate the functions of individual epigenetic proteins and has the potential to yield better and safer therapeutic strategies. In accordance with this idea, several in vitro and in vivo studies have reported the ability of more selective HDAC/BCP inhibitors to recapitulate the beneficial effects of pan-inhibitors with less unwanted adverse events. In this review, we summarize the most recent advances with these strategies, discussing advantages and limitations of these approaches as well as some therapeutic perspectives, focusing on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Potential of Erythrocyte Membrane Lipid Profile as a Novel Inflammatory Biomarker to Distinguish Metabolically Healthy Obesity in Children
Authors: Jauregibeitia Iker , Portune Kevin , Rica Itxaso , Tueros Itziar , Velasco Olaia , Grau Gema , Castaño Luis , Di Nolfo Federica , Ferreri Carla , Arranz Sara
Published: April 2021

Metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) has been described as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, without metabolic disorders traditionally associated with obesity. Beyond this definition, a standardized criterion, for adults and children, has not been established yet to explain the absence of those metabolic disorders. In this context, biomarkers of inflammation have been proposed as suitable candidates to describe MHO. The use of mature red blood cell fatty acid (RBC FA) profile is here proposed since its membrane lipidome includes biomarkers of pro- and anti-inflammatory conditions with a strict relationship with metabolic and nutritional status. An observational study was carried out in 194 children (76 children with obesity and 118 children with normal weight) between 6 and 16 years old. RBC FAs were analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). An unsupervised hierarchical clustering method was conducted on children with obesity, based on the RBC FA profile, to isolate the MHO cluster. The MHO cluster showed FA levels similar to children with normal weight, characterized by lower values of arachidonic acid, (total ω-6 FA, ω6/ω3 FA ratios and higher values for EPA, DHA, and total ω-3 FA) (for all of them p ≤ 0.01) compared to the rest of the children with obesity (obese cluster). The MHO cluster also presented lipid indexes for higher desaturase enzymatic activity and lower SFA/MUFA ratio compared to the obese cluster. These differences are relevant for the follow-up of patients, also in view of personalized protocols providing tailored nutritional recommendations for the essential fatty acid intakes.
Parcel Management and Perceived Ecosystem Services and Disservices in the Exurbs of a Midwestern County in the United States
Authors: Davis Amélie Yvonne , Freund Andrew , Dumyahn Sarah Lynn , Mendoza Ryan , Muniz Torres Aura , Boone Michelle Dawn
Published: April 2021

Exurban development is a prominent land use in the United States of America, particularly in the Midwest, where much of it occurs on farmland and remnant woodlands. While exurbanization may affect ecosystem services, its impact could be modulated by management decisions made by residents. We aimed to uncover how exurban residents in a midwestern county perceived ecosystem services and disservices provided by their property based on 26 semi-structured interviews of landowners on parcels between 1 and 20 acres with a pond in unincorporated areas. We found the ecosystem services people associated most with their land are classified as cultural services (dominated by recreation services), while the most common mentioned disservices were classified as regulating disservices. Many ecosystem services that would be categorized as supporting or regulating services were not mentioned by interviewees, including microclimate stabilization, carbon sequestration, disease regulation, and maintenance of genetic diversity. Residents spent an average of 1.4 h/acre each week managing their properties. However, as parcel size and forest cover increased, the residents reported managing less surface area. Our study suggested that residents cultivate landscape features that directly benefit them and view many of the services that benefit regional biodiversity and ecosystem processes as disservices, which, to rectify, may require coordinated landscape-level management or local policies/incentives.
Prebiotic Peptides Based on the Glycocodon Theory Analyzed with FRET
Authors: Nahalka Jozef , Hrabarova Eva
Published: April 2021

In modern protein–carbohydrate interactions, carbohydrate–aromatic contact with CH–π interactions are used. Currently, they are considered driving forces of this complexation. In these contacts, tryptophan, tyrosine, and histidine are preferred. In this study, we focus on primary prebiotic chemistry when only glycine, alanine, aspartic acid, and valine are available in polypeptides. In this situation, when the aromatic acids are not available, hydrogen-bonding aspartic acid must be used for monosaccharide complexation. It is shown here that (DAA)n polypeptides play important roles in primary “protein”–glucose recognition, that (DGG)n plays an important role in “protein”–ribose recognition, and that (DGA)n plays an important role in “protein”–galactose recognition. Glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger, which still has some ancient prebiotic sequences, is chosen here as an example for discussion.
CARD8 SNP rs11672725 Identified as a Potential Genetic Variant for Adult-Onset Still’s Disease
Authors: Hung Wei-Ting , Chen Yi-Ming , Hung Shuen-Iu , Chen Hsin-Hua , Gung Ning-Rong , Hsieh Chia-Wei , Tang Kuo-Tung , Chen Der-Yuan
Published: April 2021

Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD), an autoinflammatory disorder, is related to the dysregulation of NLR3-containing a pyrin domain (NLRP3)-inflammasome signaling. We aimed to investigate the associations of genetic polymorphisms of NLRP3-inflammasome signaling with AOSD susceptibility and outcome and to examine their functional property. Fifty-three candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in NLRP3-inflammasome response were genotyped using Sequenom MassArray on the samples from 66 AOSD patients and 128 healthy controls. The significant SNPs were validated by direct sequencing using a TaqMan SNP analyzer. Serum levels of associated gene products were examined by ELISA. One SNP rs11672725 of CARD8 gene was identified to be significantly associated with AOSD susceptibility by using MassArray and subsequent replication validation (p = 3.57 × 10−7; odds ratio 3.02). Functional assays showed that serum CARD8 levels were significantly lower in AOSD patients (median, 10,524.6 pg/mL) compared to controls (13,964.1 pg/mL, p = 0.005), while levels of caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly higher in patients (107.1 pg/mL, 2.1 pg/mL, and 1495.8 pg/mL, respectively) than those in controls (99.0 pg/mL, 1.0 pg/mL, and 141.4 pg/mL, respectively). Patients carrying rs11672725CC genotype had significantly higher serum caspase-1 and IL-18 levels (121.3 pg/mL and 1748.6 pg/mL) compared to those with CT/TT genotypes (72.6 pg/mL, p = 0.019 and 609.3 pg/mL, p = 0.046). A higher proportion of patients with rs11672725CC genotype had a systemic pattern of disease outcome, which was linked to low CARD8 levels. A novel variant, rs11672725, of the CARD8 gene was identified as a potential genetic risk for AOSD. Patients carrying the rs11672725CC genotype and C allele had low CARD8 levels, and were predisposed to a systemic pattern with an elevated expression of inflammasome signaling.
Butyrate: A Link between Early Life Nutrition and Gut Microbiome in the Development of Food Allergy
Authors: Di Costanzo Margherita , De Paulis Nicoletta , Biasucci Giacomo
Published: April 2021

Increased prevalence of food allergies in the last thirty years has been attributed to lifestyle changes in Westernized countries. Among the environmental factors, nutritional factors and their interaction with the gut microbiome in early life are thought to have an important role in the observed epidemiological change. The gut microbiome synthesizes bacterial metabolites, which represent a link among gut microbiome, nutrition, and immune system. The main metabolites produced by gut microbiome are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs have multiple beneficial effects on human health including protective effects in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Among SCFAs, butyrate is essential for maintaining gut immune homeostasis and exerts a pivotal role in immune tolerance with strong anti-inflammatory effects in allergic diseases. Recent findings suggest that butyrate takes part in the development of immunological tolerance to food, especially in the first 1000 days of life. Herein, we provide a critical review of the scientific literature on the role of butyrate for prevention and treatment of food allergies with focus on the complex interplay among early life nutrition, gut microbiome, and immune system.
Cognition as a Mechanical Process
Authors: Friedman Robert
Published: April 2021

Cognition is often defined as a dual process of physical and non-physical mechanisms. This duality originated from past theory on the constituent parts of the natural world. Even though material causation is not an explanation for all natural processes, phenomena at the cellular level of life are modeled by physical causes. These phenomena include explanations for the function of organ systems, including the nervous system and information processing in the cerebrum. This review restricts the definition of cognition to a mechanistic process and enlists studies that support an abstract set of proximate mechanisms. Specifically, this process is approached from a large-scale perspective, the flow of information in a neural system. Study at this scale further constrains the possible explanations for cognition since the information flow is amenable to theory, unlike a lower-level approach where the problem becomes intractable. These possible hypotheses include stochastic processes for explaining the processes of cognition along with principles that support an abstract format for the encoded information.
Social Support Is Related to the Use of Adaptive Emotional Regulation Strategies in Ecuadorian Adolescents in Foster Care
Authors: Trueba Ana F. , Pluck Graham
Published: April 2021

Adolescents in foster care are exposed to maltreatment and inadequate social support which can have lasting repercussions on their emotional development. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of social support on the use of emotional regulation strategies in Ecuadorian adolescents in foster care and non-foster peers. This study recruited 181 adolescents, 56 in foster care and 123 non-foster peers, from various locations in Quito, Ecuador. Participants completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Using linear regression, we found that being in foster care was related to lower perceived social support. The non-foster care control group reported using more emotion regulation strategies, both adaptive and maladaptive (acceptance, rumination, refocusing to planning, and self-blaming), than the foster care group. Greater social support was associated with the use of more positive strategies (reappraisal, positive refocusing, and refocusing to planning) and less maladaptive strategies (catastrophizing). Youth in foster care have less social support than their non-foster peers. This puts them at risk, as social support has an important role in the use of healthy emotion regulation skills in adolescents.
Conference Accreditation and Need of a Bibliometric Measure to Distinguish Predatory Conferences
Authors: Makvandi Pooyan , Nodehi Anahita , Tay Franklin R.
Published: April 2021

Academic conferences offer scientists the opportunity to share their findings and knowledge with other researchers. However, the number of conferences is rapidly increasing globally and many unsolicited e-mails are received from conference organizers. These e-mails take time for researchers to read and ascertain their legitimacy. Because not every conference is of high quality, there is a need for young researchers and scholars to recognize the so-called “predatory conferences” which make a profit from unsuspecting researchers without the core purpose of advancing science or collaboration. Unlike journals that possess accreditation indices, there is no appropriate accreditation for international conferences. Here, a bibliometric measure is proposed that enables scholars to evaluate conference quality before attending.
FES Cycling and Closed-Loop Feedback Control for Rehabilitative Human–Robot Interaction
Authors: Cousin Christian , Duenas Victor , Dixon Warren
Published: April 2021

For individuals with movement impairments due to neurological injuries, rehabilitative therapies such as functional electrical stimulation (FES) and rehabilitation robots hold vast potential to improve their mobility and activities of daily living. Combining FES with rehabilitation robots results in intimately coordinated human–robot interaction. An example of such interaction is FES cycling, where motorized assistance can provide high-intensity and repetitive practice of coordinated limb motion, resulting in physiological and functional benefits. In this paper, the development of multiple FES cycling testbeds and safeguards is described, along with the switched nonlinear dynamics of the cycle–rider system. Closed-loop FES cycling control designs are described for cadence and torque tracking. For each tracking objective, the authors’ past work on robust and adaptive controllers used to compute muscle stimulation and motor current inputs is presented and discussed. Experimental results involving both able-bodied individuals and participants with neurological injuries are provided for each combination of controller and tracking objective. Trade-offs for the control algorithms are discussed based on the requirements for implementation, desired rehabilitation outcomes and resulting rider performance. Lastly, future works and the applicability of the developed methods to additional technologies including teleoperated robotics are outlined.
Social Media and the Variable Impact of Violence Reduction Interventions: Re-Examining Focused Deterrence in Philadelphia
Authors: Hyatt Jordan M. , Densley James A. , Roman Caterina G.
Published: April 2021

Focused deterrence is a gang violence reduction strategy that relies on a unique mix of strong enforcement messages from law enforcement and judicial officials coupled with the promise of additional services. At the heart of the intervention is a coordinated effort to communicate the costs and consequences of gun violence to identified gang members during face-to-face meetings and additional community messaging. In Philadelphia, focused deterrence was implemented between 2013 and 2016, and although an impact evaluation showed a significant decrease in shootings in targeted areas relative to matched comparison neighborhoods, the effect on targeted gangs was not universal, with some exhibiting no change or an increase in gun-related activity. Here, we employ data on group-level social media usage and content to examine the correlations with gun violence. We find that several factors, including the nature of social media activity by the gang (e.g., extent of activity and who is engaging), are associated with increases in the average rate of gang-attributable shootings during the evaluation period, while content-specific variables (e.g., direct threats towards rivals and law enforcement) were not associated with increases in shootings. Implications for violence reduction policy, including the implementation of focused deterrence, are discussed.
Circle in Space—Space in Circle: A Study of Ratio between Open Space and Built-Up Area in Historical Circular Objects
Authors: Jović Biljana Stanislav , Čučaković Aleksandar Acim , Grbić Mihailo Nebojsa
Published: April 2021

Many cities nowadays explore different circular designs as new sustainable city concepts in different urban aspects. The new trend, as part of the adaptation for climate change, is a strategy of increasing the number of urban open spaces, and circular plan design could be a sustainable approach to urban development. This paper provides a historical overview of various examples of circular objects containing built structures and open spaces from the Neolithic to the present. The Built-Up Area (BUA) and Open Space (OS) relationships are shown histogramically for 36 objects arranged chronologically. The morphospace analysis was performed to determine any possible regularity in the relationships of parts of circular objects. For the purpose of this research, three variables were chosen. First, all selected historical examples of circular objects were divided into two main categories: objects with a total diameter smaller than 300 m and objects with a total diameter bigger than 300 m. Additionally, the selected circular objects were divided by their type of open space to better understand their spatial position. The largest number of analyzed objects belongs to the Parks–Gardens category, followed by settlements, and then earth works, sacral objects and circular buildings, with the smallest number of circular objects being in the category of allotments and plazas. The second variable was Jam area and % of Jam. The buildings are of different sizes up to several hundred m2, and the areas range up to several hundred ha. The total area to OS ratio ranges from 0% (for Large Serdab) to 100% (for multiple objects). There is a similar situation with the diameter ratios (total and “jam”). Additionally, the final variable was the historical position of the selected circular objects. Circular objects belong to all historical periods from the Neolithic to the present. The aim of this research was to explore the relationship between OS and BUA in various circular objects with different diameters of open spaces and find out if there was any regularity in this relationship. The morphospace analysis of this research indicates that there is no clear regularity in the relationship between the built-up area and the open space, but the aspects and research results shown here contribute to sustainability since the circular design approach could play a key role in future circular design processes.
Modeling the Underlying Drivers of Natural Vegetation Occurrence in West Africa with Binary Logistic Regression Method
Authors: Asenso Barnieh Beatrice , Jia Li , Menenti Massimo , Jiang Min , Zhou Jie , Zeng Yelong , Bennour Ali
Published: April 2021

The occurrence of natural vegetation at a given time is determined by interplay of multiple drivers. The effects of several drivers, e.g., geomorphology, topography, climate variability, accessibility, demographic indicators, and changes in human activities on the occurrence of natural vegetation in the severe drought periods and, prior to the year 2000, have been analyzed in West Africa. A binary logistic regression (BLR) model was developed to better understand whether the variability in these drivers over the past years was statistically significant in explaining the occurrence of natural vegetation in the year 2000. Our results showed that multiple drivers explained the occurrence of natural vegetation in West Africa at p < 0.05. The dominant drivers, however, were site-specific. Overall, human influence indicators were the dominant drivers in explaining the occurrence of natural vegetation in the selected hotspots. Human appropriation of net primary productivity (HANPP), which is an indicator of human socio-economic activities, explained the decreased likelihood of natural vegetation occurrence at all the study sites. However, the impacts of the remaining significant drivers on natural vegetation were either positive (increased the probability of occurrence) or negative (decreased the probability of occurrence), depending on the unique environmental and socio-economic conditions of the areas under consideration. The study highlights the significant role human activities play in altering the normal functioning of the ecosystem by means of a statistical model. The research contributes to a better understanding of the relationships and the interactions between multiple drivers and the response of natural vegetation in West Africa. The results are likely to be useful for planning climate change adaptation and sustainable development programs in West Africa.
Resistance to Change and Perceived Risk as Determinants of Water-Saving Intention
Authors: Sarabia-Sanchez Francisco J. , Riquelme Isabel P. , Bruno Juan Manuel
Published: April 2021

Both the academic literature and global organizations have emphasized the need for responsible water consumption, as stated in Sustainable Development Goal 12. However, individuals’ water-saving behaviors in their current state are not enough. This situation entails a resistance to change (RC) in consumer habits and a lack of perceived risk of scarcity. The novelty of this study lies in examining the influence of RC (through its emotional, cognitive, and confidence components) and perceived risk on water-saving intention. Interviews (n = 384) were conducted in the southeast Mediterranean area of Spain by interviewers using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The results of the structural equation modeling show that the perceived risk and the components of cognitive rigidity and negative emotions exert a direct influence on water-saving habits and an indirect influence on water-saving intention. None of the components of RC directly influence intention, and a lack of confidence in the outcomes of water saving does not influence water-saving habits or water-saving intention. In addition to the results obtained, the novelty of the work lies in the idea that in order to influence the perception of the risk of water scarcity through awareness campaigns, it is better to use an emotional message rather than showing facts or information because this does not drive water-saving behavior.
Energy Consumption Estimation of the Electric Bus Based on Grey Wolf Optimization Algorithm and Support Vector Machine Regression
Authors: Qin Wei , Wang Linhong , Liu Yuhan , Xu Cheng
Published: April 2021

Electric buses have many significant advantages, such as zero emissions and low noise and energy consumption, making them play an important role in saving the operation cost of bus companies and reducing urban traffic pollution emissions. Therefore, in recent years, many cities in the world dedicate to promoting the electrification of public transport vehicles. Whereas due to the limitation of on-board battery capacity, the driving range of electric buses is relatively short. The accurate estimation of energy consumption on the electric bus routes is the premise of conducting bus scheduling and optimizing the layout of charging facilities. This study collected the actual operation data of three electric bus routes in Meihekou City, China, and established the support vector machine regression (SVR) model by taking the state of charge (SOC), trip travel time, mean environment temperature and air-conditioning operation time as the independent variables; while the energy consumptions of the route operations served as the dependent variables. Furthermore, the grey wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm was adopted to select the optimal parameters of the proposed model. Finally, a support vector machine regression model based on the grey wolf optimization algorithm (GWO-SVR) is proposed. Three real bus lines were taken as examples to validate the model. The results show that the mean average percentage error is 14.47% and the mean average error is 0.7776. In addition, the estimation accuracy and training time of the proposed model are superior to the genetic algorithm-back propagation neural network model and grid-search support vector machine regression model.
Can Drones Map Earth Cracks? Landslide Measurements in North Greece Using UAV Photogrammetry for Nature-Based Solutions
Authors: Koutalakis Paschalis D. , Tzoraki Ourania A. , Prazioutis Georgios I. , Gkiatas Georgios T. , Zaimes George N.
Published: April 2021

The accuracy of photogrammetry for geohazards monitoring has improved within the last years because of the “drone revolution”. This study is an attempt to perform morphometric measurements in a landslide event that took place near the village Nea Zichni in Northern Greece. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro was selected to capture orthoimages of the entire area including the landslide event but also other adjusted disaster phenomena. The images were loaded in the commercial software Pix4D in order to produce orthomosaics and digital surface models of the area. The georeferenced results were further analyzed in ArcGIS in order to digitize and estimate the morphometric parameters of the landslide, such as its area and volume, but also to detect cracks and plot the tensile cracking directions. We conclude that the methodology and produced outputs are crucial for the responsible authorities to detect, monitor and mitigate natural disasters such as landslide events and other mass movements. The best practices to control mass movements are nature-based solutions such as soil bioengineering and proper vegetation cover assisted by engineering measures. Finally, our goal is to frequently monitor the landslide phenomenon in order to determine its evolution.
Living Heritage in the Urban Landscape. Case Study of the Budapest World Heritage Site Andrássy Avenue
Authors: Szilágyi Kinga , Lahmar Chaima , Rosa Camila Andressa Pereira , Szabó Krisztina
Published: April 2021

Historic allées and urban avenues reflect a far-sighted and forward-thinking design attitude. These compositions are the living witnesses of olden times, suggesting permanence. However, the 20th century’s urban development severely damaged the environment, therefore hundred-year-old mature trees are relatively rare among city avenues’ stands. Due to the deteriorated habitat conditions, replantation may be necessary from time to time. However, there are a large number of replanted allées and urban avenues considered historical monuments, according to the relevant international literature in urban and living heritage’s preservation. The renewal often results in planting a different, urban tolerant taxon, as seen in several examples reviewed. Nevertheless, the allée remains an essential urban structural element, though often with a changed character. The Budapest Andrássy Avenue, a city and nature connection defined in the late 19th century’s urban landscape planning, aimed to offer a splendid link between city core and nature in Városliget Public Park. The 19–20th century’s history and urban development are well documented in Hungarian and several English publications, though current tree stock stand and linear urban green infrastructure as part of the urban landscape need a detailed survey. The site analyses ran in 2020–early 2021 created a basis for assessing the allées and the whole avenue as an urban ecosystem and a valuable case study of contemporary heritage protection problems. Andrassy Avenue, the unique urban fabric, architecture, and promenades have been a world heritage monument of cultural value since 2002. The allées became endangered despite reconstruction type maintenance efforts. The presented survey analyses the living heritage’s former renewal programs and underlines the necessity of new reconstruction concepts in urban heritage protection. We hypothesize that urban green infrastructure development, the main issue in the 21st century to improve the urban ecological system and human liveability, may support heritage protection. The Budapest World Heritage Site is worthwhile for a complex renewal where the urban green ecosystem supply and liveable, pedestrian-friendly urban open space system are at the forefront to recall the once glorious, socially and aesthetically attractive avenue.
The Relationship of Corporate Social Responsibility on Digital Platforms, Electronic Word-of-Mouth, and Consumer-Company Identification: An Application of Social Identity Theory
Authors: Ma Rui , Cherian Jacob , Tsai Wen-Hsien , Sial Muhammad Safdar , Hou Li , Álvarez-Otero Susana
Published: April 2021

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an ever-evolving concept in the field of business management. Even in 2021, its boundaries are evolving and researchers are linking the concept of CSR to different variables to achieve different outcomes. However, the concept of CSR in the healthcare sector is not well-explored in prior literature. The current study is an application of social identity theory to induce electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) from consumers for a specific brand, through its CSR engagement on social media (CSRS) and consumer-company identification (CCI) in the healthcare sector of an emerging economy. The data of the current survey were collected from different patients of four large hospitals in a large city through a self-administered questionnaire (paper-pencil technique). To validate different hypotheses of the current study, the authors employed the structural-equation-modeling (SEM) technique using AMOS software. The output of SEM analysis confirmed that CSRS positively influences eWOM, and CCI mediates this relationship. The findings of the current study will be helpful for policymakers in the healthcare industry to improve their understanding of CSRS and CCI, inducing eWOM through the lens of social identity theory.