bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling of Selected Lighting Parameters of LED Panel
Authors: Baran Krzysztof , Różowicz Antoni , Wachta Henryk , Różowicz Sebastian
Published: July 2020

Semiconductor light sources are currently the fastest growing and most energy efficient group of light sources used in lighting technology. Their lighting parameters, such as luminous flux, correlated color temperature and color rendering index depend on the value of the forward current, as well as the temperature of the junction. LED source manufacturers usually specify, in data sheets, the effect of junction temperature and forward current on the luminous flux for individual light sources. The difficulty, however, is the correct determination of temperature and then lighting parameters, by simulation methods for multi-source lighting systems. Determining the junction temperature which affects lighting parameters is particulary important in the case of LED panels and luminaires, where thermally coupled LED sources shaping the output lighting parameters are in close proximity to each other. Additionally, other factors influencing the temperature distribution of sources, such as the design and geometry of the cooling system, the design of the printed circuit and thermal interface material used, should be considered. The article is a continuation of the publication in this journal where the influence of factors influencing the temperature distribution of the LED panel is presented. The purpose of the research in this article was to confirm the possibility of using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, as well as to determine the accuracy of the results obtained in the temperature analysis of the multi-source LED panel, and in determining the output lighting parameters of the LED panel based on it. In this article, based on previously published research, a LED panel model with a cooling system was made, and then the CFD software determined the junction temperature of all light sources. The determined temperature of the LED sources constituted the basis for determining the output lighting parameters of the panel: luminous flux, color temperature and color rendering index. The simulation results were verified by real measurements on the constructed LED panel prototype. The LED panel temperature difference between the simulation results and the real results on the prototype did not exceed 5%. Moreover, the error of lighting parameters between the simulation results obtained and the results on the LED panel prototype in the worst case was 4.36%, which proves the validity and accuracy of simulation studies.
Consumers’ Perceptions of the Supply of Tap Water in Crisis Situations
Authors: Pietrucha-Urbanik Katarzyna , Rak Janusz R.
Published: July 2020

This paper first presents the results of polling on the subject of potable water in crisis situations, with respondents from south-eastern Poland’s Subcarpathian region asked for their opinions on the level of nuisance associated with water supply interruptions and water quality, levels of consumption and water companies’ quality of service. Among the respondents 53% regard the quality of the water they receive as satisfactory, while a quarter see it as only average. However, respondents are relatively satisfied with the corporate response when supplies are interrupted, as methods and means of notification are judged effective by 60%. Continuing with work to assess possibilities for water companies to improve their performance in crisis situations, the present study generates an Analytical Hierarchy Process allowing recipients to determine importance criteria where quality of service is concerned. This could facilitate management by water companies, providing for centralised control and comparison that help secure services of appropriate quality. The process can also help protect different groups of recipients, as safety is evaluated through analysis of functioning, and of failures and losses.
Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) in Historical Buildings: Opportunities and Constraints
Authors: Rosa Flavio
Published: July 2020

In this work, we investigate the potential of using last generation photovoltaic systems in traditional building components of historical buildings. The multifunctional photovoltaic components also open new application and implementation horizons in the field of energy retrofitting in historical buildings. Some of the Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) solutions lend themselves optimally to solving the problems of energy efficiency in historical buildings. For the next few years, Italian legislation foresees increasing percentages of energy production from renewable sources, including historical buildings. The opportunities and constraints analysed are presented through a specific approach, typical of building processes for innovative technological BIPV solutions on historical buildings.
Skin Color in Apple Fruit (Malus × domestica): Genetic and Epigenetic Insights
Authors: Wang Wuqian , Celton Jean-Marc , Buck-Sorlin Gerhard , Balzergue Sandrine , Bucher Etienne , Laurens François
Published: July 2020

Apple skin color is an important trait for organoleptic quality. In fact, it has a major influence on consumer choice. Skin color is, thus, one of the most important criteria taken into account by breeders. For apples, most novel varieties are so-called “mutants” or “sports” that have been identified in clonal populations. Indeed, many “sports” exist that show distinct phenotypic differences compared to the varieties from which they originated. These differences affect a limited number of traits of economic importance, including skin color. Until recently, the detailed genetic or epigenetic changes resulting in heritable phenotypic changes in sports was largely unknown. Recent technological advances and the availability of several high-quality apple genomes now provide the bases to understand the exact nature of the underlying molecular changes that are responsible for the observed phenotypic changes observed in sports. The present review investigates the molecular nature of sports affected in apple skin color giving arguments in favor of the genetic or epigenetic explanatory models.
Machinability Research of the Most Common Invasive Tree Species in Slovenia
Authors: Merhar Miran , Gornik Bučar Dominika , Merela Maks
Published: July 2020

This article investigates the quality of the machining surface of the five most common invasive tree species in Slovenia, i.e., black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), boxelder maple (Acer negundo L.), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). The machining tests were made according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D1666-17 standard, where the quality of the surfaces after planing, routing and turning were evaluated with visual assessment, and the area and profile roughness parameters were also determined on selected specimens. The results showed that boxelder maple, horse chestnut and honey locust can be machined very well in all the studied operations, with the best results in routing and a little less good by turning, whereas the tree of heaven had the best quality in planing, and the worst by turning. Among all studied tree species, the black locust had the worst quality in planing, but the quality at routing was very similar to other tested species. The research also showed that there is little or no significant relationship between the qualities of the various types of machining for tested tree species.
Expandable Graphite as a Fire Retardant for Cellulosic Materials—A Review
Authors: Mazela Bartłomiej , Batista Anyelkis , Grześkowiak Wojciech
Published: July 2020

A diversity of chemicals is used to produce fire retardants (FRs); some of the main group of chemicals are hazardous to the environment as well as to human life; however, expandable graphite (EG) can be a gateway to a more environmentally friendly FRs or intumescent fire retardants (IFRs). Researchers define intumescent as the swelling of a particular substance placed between a heat source and an underlying substrate when they are heated. EG is a material with extraordinary thermophysical and mechanical properties. The referred EG properties are unparalleled. EG is a low-density carbon material having a series of unique properties: developed specific surface, binder-free pressing capacity, stability to aggressive media, and low thermal conductivity. Therefore, EG is a promising material both for research work and for industrial applications. The primary goal of this literature review was to report current knowledge on the use of EG as a fire retardant for cellulose and cellulose-modified materials. EG is produced, among other methods, by thermal shock of graphite oxide under forming gas. When exposed to heat, EG will expand. The expansion mechanism was presented in this review. Equally important to this review is the knowledge related to cellulose thermal degradation and cellulose impact on the development of science and technology.
Innovative Topologies and Algorithms for Neural Networks
Authors: Graziani Salvatore , Xibilia Maria Gabriella
Published: July 2020

The introduction of new topologies and training procedures to deep neural networks has solicited a renewed interest in the field of neural computation. The use of deep structures has significantly improved the state of the art in many applications, such as computer vision, speech and text processing, medical applications, and IoT (Internet of Things). The probability of a successful outcome from a neural network is linked to selection of an appropriate network architecture and training algorithm. Accordingly, much of the recent research on neural networks is devoted to the study and proposal of novel architectures, including solutions tailored to specific problems. The papers of this Special Issue make significant contributions to the above-mentioned fields by merging theoretical aspects and relevant applications. Twelve papers are collected in the issue, addressing many relevant aspects of the topic.
Intrusion Detection for in-Vehicle Communication Networks: An Unsupervised Kohonen SOM Approach
Authors: Barletta Vita Santa , Caivano Danilo , Nannavecchia Antonella , Scalera Michele
Published: July 2020

The diffusion of embedded and portable communication devices on modern vehicles entails new security risks since in-vehicle communication protocols are still insecure and vulnerable to attacks. Increasing interest is being given to the implementation of automotive cybersecurity systems. In this work we propose an efficient and high-performing intrusion detection system based on an unsupervised Kohonen Self-Organizing Map (SOM) network, to identify attack messages sent on a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. The SOM network found a wide range of applications in intrusion detection because of its features of high detection rate, short training time, and high versatility. We propose to extend the SOM network to intrusion detection on in-vehicle CAN buses. Many hybrid approaches were proposed to combine the SOM network with other clustering methods, such as the k-means algorithm, in order to improve the accuracy of the model. We introduced a novel distance-based procedure to integrate the SOM network with the K-means algorithm and compared it with the traditional procedure. The models were tested on a car hacking dataset concerning traffic data messages sent on a CAN bus, characterized by a large volume of traffic with a low number of features and highly imbalanced data distribution. The experimentation showed that the proposed method greatly improved detection accuracy over the traditional approach.
Composition of the Essential Oil and Insecticidal Activity of Launaea taraxacifolia (Willd.) Amin ex C. Jeffrey Growing in Nigeria
Authors: Owolabi Moses S. , Ogundajo Akintayo L. , Alafia Azeezat O. , Ajelara Kafayat O. , Setzer William N.
Published: July 2020

The rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) is a pest of stored grain products such as rice, wheat, and corn. Essential oils represent a green environmentally-friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides for controlling stored-product insect pests. Launaea taraxacifolia is a leafy vegetable plant found in several parts of Nigeria. The leaves are eaten either fresh as a salad or cooked as a sauce. The essential oil obtained from fresh leaves of L. taraxacifolia was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty-nine compounds were identified, accounting for 100% of the oil composition. The major component classes were monoterpene hydrocarbons (78.1%), followed by oxygenated monoterpenoids (16.2%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (2.1%), oxygenated sesquiterpenoids (0.3%), and non-terpenoid derivatives (3.3%). The leaf essential oil was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons including limonene (48.8%), sabinene (18.8%), and (E)-β-ocimene (4.6%), along with the monoterpenoid aldehyde citronellal (11.0%). The contact insecticidal activity of L. taraxacifolia essential oil against Sitophilus oryzae was carried out; median lethal concentration (LC50) values of topical exposure of L. taraxacifolia essential oil were assessed over a 120-h period. The LC50 values ranged from 54.38 μL/mL (24 h) to 10.10 µL/mL (120 h). The insecticidal activity of the L. taraxacifolia essential oil can be attributed to major components limonene (48.8%), sabinene (18.8%), and citronellal (11.0%), as well as potential synergistic action of the essential oil components. This result showed L. taraxacifolia essential oil may be considered as a useful alternative to synthetic insecticides.
Evaluating the Residual Nitrite Concentrations of Bacon in the United Kingdom
Authors: Crowe William , Elliott Christopher T , Green Brian D
Published: July 2020

The preservative sodium nitrite is added to processed meat with the intention of preventing the growth of Clostridium botulinum, but this also influences product flavour and colour. The World Health Organisation has declared nitrites to be ‘probably carcinogenic’. Use is permitted by the European Union but its addition is limited to 100 mg/kg in all processed meat, except bacon, which is limited to 175 mg/kg. At present, there is no independent peer-reviewed literature assessing the residual nitrite levels in bacon in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, this is the largest study of residual nitrite concentrations in bacon that has ever been conducted. A total of 89 different commercially available bacon samples were collected, and analysed using flow injection analysis to determine their residual nitrite content. The mean residual nitrite concentration for all bacon samples was 10.80 mg/kg. Residual nitrite levels did not differ between smoked and unsmoked bacon. Middle cut bacon (26.00 mg/kg) had significantly higher residual nitrite concentrations than back bacon (8.87 mg/kg; p = 0.027), and medallion bacon (4.47 mg/kg; p = 0.008). This study shows that there is large variation in the mean residual nitrite levels of bacon sold in the UK and all the reported values are within current regulatory limits. Despite this, it appears that many manufacturers could decrease the amount that they are currently using in their products.
Freeze-Drying Technology in Foods
Authors: Prosapio Valentina , Lopez-Quiroga Estefania
Published: July 2020

Freeze-drying (or lyophilisation) is a drying method, largely employed in the food industry [...]
Can We Use Gene-Editing to Induce Apomixis in Sexual Plants?
Authors: Scheben Armin , Hojsgaard Diego
Published: July 2020

Apomixis, the asexual formation of seeds, is a potentially valuable agricultural trait. Inducing apomixis in sexual crop plants would, for example, allow breeders to fix heterosis in hybrid seeds and rapidly generate doubled haploid crop lines. Molecular models explain the emergence of functional apomixis, i.e., apomeiosis + parthenogenesis + endosperm development, as resulting from a combination of genetic or epigenetic changes that coordinate altered molecular and developmental steps to form clonal seeds. Apomixis-like features and synthetic clonal seeds have been induced with limited success in the sexual plants rice and maize by using gene editing to mutate genes related to meiosis and fertility or via egg-cell specific expression of embryogenesis genes. Inducing functional apomixis and increasing the penetrance of apomictic seed production will be important for commercial deployment of the trait. Optimizing the induction of apomixis with gene editing strategies that use known targets as well as identifying alternative targets will be possible by better understanding natural genetic variation in apomictic species. With the growing availability of genomic data and precise gene editing tools, we are making substantial progress towards engineering apomictic crops.
Development of 14 Microsatellite Markers for Zoonotic Tapeworm Dibothriocephalus dendriticus (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea)
Authors: Bazsalovicsová Eva , Minárik Gabriel , Šoltys Katarína , Radačovská Alžbeta , Kuhn Jesper A. , Karlsbakk Egil , Skírnisson Karl , Králová-Hromadová Ivica
Published: July 2020

Dibothriocephalus dendriticus is one of the causative agents of the fish-borne zoonosis diphyllobothriosis. Polymorphic microsatellite markers were originally developed for future genetic studies using microsatellite library screening and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Out of 128 microsatellite candidates selected after NGS analysis, 126 yielded PCR products of the expected size. A declared repetitive motif was confirmed in 92 loci by Sanger sequencing. The level of polymorphism was tested by fragment analysis. Statistical tests for observed and expected heterozygosities and deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium revealed 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci suitable for studies on the finer genetic structure of global populations of D. dendriticus.
Differential Alternative Splicing Genes and Isoform Regulation Networks of Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) Infected with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Authors: Ma Jin-Qi , Xu Wen , Xu Fei , Lin Ai , Sun Wei , Jiang Huan-Huan , Lu Kun , Li Jia-Na , Wei Li-Juan
Published: July 2020

Alternative splicing (AS) is a post-transcriptional level of gene expression regulation that increases transcriptome and proteome diversity. How the AS landscape of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) changes in response to the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is unknown. Here, we analyzed 18 RNA-seq libraries of mock-inoculated and S. sclerotiorum-inoculated susceptible and tolerant B. napus plants. We found that infection increased AS, with intron retention being the main AS event. To determine the key genes functioning in the AS response, we performed a differential AS (DAS) analysis. We identified 79 DAS genes, including those encoding splicing factors, defense response proteins, crucial transcription factors and enzymes. We generated coexpression networks based on the splicing isoforms, rather than the genes, to explore the genes’ diverse functions. Using this weighted gene coexpression network analysis alongside a gene ontology enrichment analysis, we identified 11 modules putatively involved in the pathogen defense response. Within these regulatory modules, six DAS genes (ascorbate peroxidase 1, ser/arg-rich protein 34a, unknown function 1138, nitrilase 2, v-atpase f, and amino acid transporter 1) were considered to encode key isoforms involved in the defense response. This study provides insight into the post-transcriptional response of B. napus to S. sclerotiorum infection.
Telomere Dynamics in the Diploid and Triploid Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Assessed by Q-FISH Analysis
Authors: Panasiak Ligia , Dobosz Stefan , Ocalewicz Konrad
Published: July 2020

Changes of telomere length with age were assessed in diploid and triploid rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) females in the cross-sectional study using Q-FISH technique. Triploid trout as sterile do not invest an energy in gametogenesis and continue to grow, whereas fertile diploid individuals suffer from declines in growth and survival during sexual maturation. However, triploid and diploid specimens exhibited similar patterns of telomere dynamics. Telomere length in the embryos, larvae and one-year-old juveniles did not change significantly. In the second year after hatching, subadults exhibited substantially shortened telomeres, while significant increase of the telomere length was reported in the three-year-old adults. On the other hand, correlation between telomere length and body size was observed in the triploid, but not in the diploid rainbow trout. Telomere shortening observed in two-year-old subadults may have been associated with the premature period of the fast growth in rainbow trout. Similar pattern of the telomere dynamics reported in the fertile diploids and sterile triploids indicated processes related to reproduction did not affect telomere dynamics in this species. Unexpected increase of the telomere length reported during the third year of life confirmed that in rainbow trout telomeric DNA shortens and lengthens, depending on the developmental stage.
Single-Step Genomic Evaluations from Theory to Practice: Using SNP Chips and Sequence Data in BLUPF90
Authors: Lourenco Daniela , Legarra Andres , Tsuruta Shogo , Masuda Yutaka , Aguilar Ignacio , Misztal Ignacy
Published: July 2020

Single-step genomic evaluation became a standard procedure in livestock breeding, and the main reason is the ability to combine all pedigree, phenotypes, and genotypes available into one single evaluation, without the need of post-analysis processing. Therefore, the incorporation of data on genotyped and non-genotyped animals in this method is straightforward. Since 2009, two main implementations of single-step were proposed. One is called single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) and uses single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) to construct the genomic relationship matrix; the other is the single-step Bayesian regression (ssBR), which is a marker effect model. Under the same assumptions, both models are equivalent. In this review, we focus solely on ssGBLUP. The implementation of ssGBLUP into the BLUPF90 software suite was done in 2009, and since then, several changes were made to make ssGBLUP flexible to any model, number of traits, number of phenotypes, and number of genotyped animals. Single-step GBLUP from the BLUPF90 software suite has been used for genomic evaluations worldwide. In this review, we will show theoretical developments and numerical examples of ssGBLUP using SNP data from regular chips to sequence data.
A New Strategy to Increase Production of Genoprotective Bioactive Molecules from Cotyledon-Derived Silybum marianum L. Callus
Authors: Gad Dina , Elhaak Mahmoud , Pompa Andrea , Mattar Magdy , Zayed Mohamed , Fraternale Daniele , Dietz Karl-Josef
Published: July 2020

There is a need to enhance the production of bioactive secondary metabolites and to establish new production systems, e.g., for liver-protective compounds of Silybum marianum seeds. Quantifying and identifying the produced phytochemicals, and examining their protective effects against genotoxic agents, is of great interest. This study established a protocol for the qualitative and quantitative production of hepatoprotective compounds in cotyledon-derived Silybum marianum callus through optimized supplementation of the MS medium with the growth regulators 2,4-D, benzylaminopurine, myoinositol, and asparagine. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) allowed for identification and quantification of the produced compounds. None of the growth medium combinations supported a detectable production of silymarin. Instead, the generated calli accumulated phenolic acids, in particular chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid, as revealed by HPLC and mass spectrometric analysis. 4-Nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPD) was employed in the AMES-test with Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 because it is a potent mutagen for this strain. Results revealed that callus extract had a high anti-genotoxic activity with respect to standard silymarin but more evident with respect seed extract. The callus produced chlorogenic acid and dicaffeoylquinic acid, which revealed higher bioactivity than silymarin. Both compounds were not formed or could not be detected in the seeds of Silybum marianum Egyptian ecotype.
Integrating Deep Supervised, Self-Supervised and Unsupervised Learning for Single-Cell RNA-seq Clustering and Annotation
Authors: Chen Liang , Zhai Yuyao , He Qiuyan , Wang Weinan , Deng Minghua
Published: July 2020

As single-cell RNA sequencing technologies mature, massive gene expression profiles can be obtained. Consequently, cell clustering and annotation become two crucial and fundamental procedures affecting other specific downstream analyses. Most existing single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data clustering algorithms do not take into account the available cell annotation results on the same tissues or organisms from other laboratories. Nonetheless, such data could assist and guide the clustering process on the target dataset. Identifying marker genes through differential expression analysis to manually annotate large amounts of cells also costs labor and resources. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel end-to-end cell supervised clustering and annotation framework called scAnCluster, which fully utilizes the cell type labels available from reference data to facilitate the cell clustering and annotation on the unlabeled target data. Our algorithm integrates deep supervised learning, self-supervised learning and unsupervised learning techniques together, and it outperforms other customized scRNA-seq supervised clustering methods in both simulation and real data. It is particularly worth noting that our method performs well on the challenging task of discovering novel cell types that are absent in the reference data.
Investigation of the Risk Factors and Associated Co-Morbid Conditions among Patients with Colorectal Cancer in Trinidad
Authors: Chattu Vijay Kumar , Gopie Priya , Singh Rajiv K. , Singh Kimberly , Singh Sachin , Singh Sarah , Smith Javanna , Sookram Vitra , Saunders DeAngello , Thomas Krissi
Published: July 2020

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer, and the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. In Trinidad and Tobago, it is the third most common type of cancer in both sexes. Since there is scanty research on the risk factors associated with CRC, this study was conducted to determine the correlation between risk factors, including associated comorbid conditions, and CRC in Trinidad. A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst diagnosed CRC patients (>18 years) using a pre-tested questionnaire consisting of sections on demographic data, lifestyle before diagnosis, quality of life, and depression status. Additional information such as recurrence of cancer, Body Mass Index (BMI), Hypertension (HT), blood glucose levels and family history of cancer were collected from the medical records. Of the total participants, the majority were males (58%), and the mean age of diagnosis in both sexes was 65 years. The retrospective chart review showed that 68% were found to have a comorbid condition (Diabetes or HT). Upon review of the medical records, 93.2% of the subjects did not have a familial history. However, the questionnaire data showed that 73% of subjects had a family history. Around 50% of CRC patients were alcohol consumers and 30% were cigarette smokers prior to their cancer diagnosis. Interestingly, a majority of patients (91%) had never been screened for CRC prior to their diagnosis. Subjects with CRC displayed minimal depression, indicating that being diagnosed with CRC did not have a grave impact on their state of mind or quality of life. Our findings showed that prevalence of CRC was higher in males and amongst individuals of African descent. However, larger prospective studies may be warranted to fully demonstrate this effect.
Effects of Dietary Supplements on the Bioaccessibility of Se, Zn and Cd in Rice: Preliminary Observations from In Vitro Gastrointestinal Simulation Tests
Authors: Zhang Ru , Li Yonghua , Xu Yuefeng , Zang Zhenfeng , Li Hairong , Wang Li
Published: July 2020

Trace elements such as selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) are essential elements in the human body, while cadmium (Cd) has no physiological function. A high proportion of people consume dietary supplements to enhance the performance of the body or alter the nutrient contents within the body. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the interaction effects of several popular dietary supplements on the bioaccessibility of Se, Zn and Cd in rice with the hope of identifying dietary supplements that can increase rice Se and Zn bioaccessibility but decrease rice Cd bioaccessibility. The results from in vitro gastrointestinal simulation tests showed that the bioaccessibility of these elements in rice was in the order of Cd (52.07%) > Zn (36.63%) > Se (10.19%) during the gastric phase and Zn (26.82%) > Cd (18.72%) > Se (14.70%) during the intestinal phase. The bioaccessibility of Se during the intestinal phase was greater than that during the gastric phase, and the bioaccessibility of Zn and Cd were the opposite. The bioaccessibility of Se significantly increased in response to vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE), vitamin B6 (VB6) and vitamin B9 (VB9), especially VC, which also increased the bioaccessibility of Zn and decreased that of Cd. Procyanidins (OPC), methionine (Met) and coenzyme Q10 (Q10) significantly reduced the bioaccessibility of Se. These results suggest that the reasonable use of dietary supplements can effectively regulate the in vivo contents of trace elements, which provide valuable information for developing health interventions to address problems for specific people, especially selenium-deficient people.
Bilateral Foot Orthoses Elicit Changes in Gait Kinematics of Adolescents with Down Syndrome with Flatfoot
Authors: Galafate Daniele , Pournajaf Sanaz , Condoluci Claudia , Goffredo Michela , Di Girolamo Gabriella , Manzia Carlotta Maria , Pellicciari Leonardo , Franceschini Marco , Galli Manuela
Published: July 2020

Background: Subjects with Down Syndrome (DS) are characterized by specific physiological alterations, including musculoskeletal abnormalities. Flat Foot (FF), caused by hypotonia and ligament laxity, represents one of the most common disabling disorders in this population. Conservative treatments promote the use of orthopaedic insoles and plantar supports. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Foot Orthoses (FOs) on the gait pattern of subjects with DS, assessing the biomechanical effects associated with their use. Methods: Twenty-nine subjects were screened under two conditions—walking barefoot (WB); with shoes and insoles (WSI), during three trials for each. Assessments were performed through the 3D gait analysis, using an optoelectronic system, force platforms, and video recording. Specifically, synthetic indices of gait kinematics, i.e., gait profile score (GPS) and gait variable score (GVS) were calculated and compared with Wilcoxon signed-rank test, to evaluate between-conditions. Results: Significant variations were found in GVS foot progression index, representative of foot rotation during walking, in adolescents only. Conclusions: Bilateral FOs has a positive immediate impact on gait quality in adolescents with DS, as confirmed by quantitative analysis. FOs prescription is an evidence-based early approach to slow down biomechanical abnormalities and prevent relative symptoms.
Social and Behavioral Health Factors Associated with Violent and Mature Gaming in Early Adolescence
Authors: Charmaraman Linda , Richer Amanda M. , Moreno Megan A.
Published: July 2020

We examined how risk level of video games, measured by maturity and violence level, was associated with behavioral health, social impacts, and online social interactions. School-based surveys in two different cohorts assessed self-reported gaming behaviors, health, and social media use. For Study 1, our 700 participants were 52% female and 48% White (mean age 12.7). Middle school students who played the high-risk games reported higher depressive symptoms and problematic internet behaviors, less sleep, more time spent playing games, and higher frequency of checking social media than non-gaming students. Those who played high-risk games were less likely to play alone and to play with strangers than those who played minimal-risk games. For Study 2, our 772 participants were 50% female and 57% White (mean age 12.6). Similar to Study 1, we found that those who played the high-risk games spent significantly more time playing games, were more interactive with other players, and had poorer sleep outcomes than non-high-risk gamers. Additionally, playing high-risk games had significantly different social impacts of gaming compared to less-risky gaming, including spending more money on games, spending less time on homework and with family or skipping meals due to gaming. Mature and violent content of video games and amount of online social interaction associated with gaming play a strong role in behavioral health and social impacts within families. These results can inform guidelines to intervene when problematic behaviors emerge.
Burnout Syndrome and Work-Related Stress in Physical and Occupational Therapists Working in Different Types of Hospitals: Which Group Is the Most Vulnerable?
Authors: Kim Ju-Hyun , Kim Ae-Ryoung , Kim Myung-Gwan , Kim Chul-Hyun , Lee Ki-Hoon , Park Donghwi , Hwang Jong-Moon
Published: July 2020

Because of the nature of their work, physical and occupational therapists are at high risk of burnout, which is associated with decreased job satisfaction, medical errors, and mental wellbeing in healthcare professionals. To well manage and minimize potential impact of burnout, risk factors should be determined. This study examined burnout and job stress in physical and occupational therapists in various Korean hospital settings. Physical and occupational therapists from several rehabilitation facilities in South Korea completed a survey between March–May 2019. A set of questionnaires, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Job Content Questionnaire, were distributed to all participants. In total, 325 professionals (131 men and 194 women) were recruited. Burnout and work-related stress differed significantly according to several factors. Hospital size, gender, and age were the main contributory factors affecting at least two dimensions of the questionnaires. The more vulnerable group consisted of female therapists in their 20s at small- or medium-sized hospitals with low scores for quality of life. High levels of job stress and burnout were observed in female therapists in their 20s at small- or medium-sized hospitals. Hospitals and society should create suitable environments and understand the nature of therapists’ work to improve healthcare.
Recognition of 16–18-Year-Old Adolescents for Guiding Physical Activity Interventions: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bhatti Sunbal N. , Watkin Emma , Butterfill James , Li Jian-Mei
Published: July 2020

Adolescence is a rapid life stage requiring special attention wherein personal autonomy is developed to govern independent lifestyles. Unhealthy lifestyles are integral to prevailing adolescent physical inactivity patterns. Understudied 16–18-year-olds were investigated to establish physical activity prevalences and influencing health-related lifestyle factors. Adolescents were recruited randomly across 2017–2019 from Farnborough College of Technology and North Kent College, UK. Demographic and health-related lifestyle information were gathered anonymously and analysed using SAS® 9.4 software. Among the 414 adolescents included (48.3% male and 51.7% female), the mean (standard deviation (SD)) age was 16.9 (0.77). Approximately 15.2% smoked and 20.8% were overweight/obese. There were 54.8% perceiving themselves unfit and 33.3% spent >4 h/day on leisure-time screen-based activity. Around 80.4% failed to meet the recommended fruit/vegetable daily intake and 90.1% failed to satisfy UK National Physical Activity Guidelines, particularly females (p = 0.0202). Physical activity levels were significantly associated with gender, body mass index, smoking status, leisure sedentary screen-time, fruit/vegetable consumption and fitness perceptions. Those who were female, overweight/obese, non-smoking, having poor fitness perceptions, consuming low fruit/vegetables and engaging in excess screen-based sedentariness were the groups with lowest physical activity levels. Steering physical activity-oriented health interventions toward these at-risk groups in colleges may reduce the UK’s burden of adolescent obesity.
The Drag Crisis Phenomenon on an Elite Road Cyclist—A Preliminary Numerical Simulations Analysis in the Aero Position at Different Speeds
Authors: Forte Pedro , Morais Jorge E. , P. Neiva Henrique , Barbosa Tiago M. , Marinho Daniel A.
Published: July 2020

The drag crisis phenomenon is the drop of drag coefficient (Cd) with increasing Reynolds number (Re) or speed. The aim of this study was to assess the hypothetical drag crisis phenomenon in a sports setting, assessing it in a bicycle–cyclist system. A male elite-level cyclist was recruited for this research and his competition bicycle, helmet, suit, and shoes were used. A three-dimensional (3D) geometry was obtained with a 3D scan with the subject in a static aero position. A domain with 7 m of length, 2.5 m of width and 2.5 m of height was created around the cyclist. The domain was meshed with 42 million elements. Numerical simulations by computer fluid dynamics (CFD) fluent numerical code were conducted at speeds between 1 m/s and 22 m/s, with increments of 1 m/s. The drag coefficient ranged between 0.60 and 0.95 across different speeds and Re. The highest value was observed at 2 m/s (Cd = 0.95) and Re of 3.21 × 105, whereas the lower Cd was noted at 9 m/s (Cd = 0.60) and 9.63 × 105. A drag crisis was noted between 3 m/s and 9 m/s. Pressure Cd ranged from 0.35 to 0.52 and the lowest value was observed at 3 m/s and the highest at 2 m/s. The viscous drag coefficient ranged between 0.15 and 0.43 and presented a trend decreasing from 4 m/s to 22 m/s. Coaches, cyclists, researchers, and support staff must consider that Cd varies with speed and Re, and the bicycle–cyclist dimensions, shape, or form may affect drag and performance estimations. As a conclusion, this preliminary work noted a drag crisis between 3 m/s and 9 m/s in a cyclist in the aero position.
Long-Term Perspectives of a School-Based Intervention to Promote Active School Transportation
Authors: Savolainen Eva , Rutberg Stina , Backman Ylva , Lindqvist Anna-Karin
Published: July 2020

There is a global need for sustainable interventions that increase physical activity among children, and active school transportation (AST) can promote physical activity among schoolchildren. Therefore, an intervention based on gamification, empowerment, and social cognitive theory was initiated in 2016 to promote AST. The aim of this study was to follow up on participants’ experiences one and two years after the AST intervention was initiated. Data were collected through focus groups and individual interviews which were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Thirty-one pupils (2017), and forty pupils (2018) aged 9–10 years, two teachers (2017, 2018) and one principal (2018) participated in the study. The result is presented as one main theme; “Unity for an active community-An intervention towards making the active choice the easy choice” and three sub-themes; “Well begun is half done-Engagement sparks motivation”, “It takes two to tango-Keep moving with gamifications and togetherness” and “Jumping on the bandwagon–From project to everyday use.” The results show that the concept of the intervention was attractive to re-use and that it created a habit to use AST among the children. Interventions to promote AST can benefit from the use of engagement, togetherness, and gamification.
Positive Deviance for Dual-Method Promotion among Women in Uganda: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Kosugi Hodaka , Shibanuma Akira , Kiriya Junko , Ong Ken Ing Cherng , Mucunguzi Stephen , Muzoora Conrad , Jimba Masamine
Published: July 2020

Dual-method use is the most reliable form of protection against unintended pregnancies and human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections (HIV/STIs). Although dual-method use remains uncommon among women in stable relationships, some women do practice it. In this study, we explored the barriers that make dual-method use rare and the behaviors of women who practice dual-method use using a positive deviance framework in Uganda. We screened 150 women using highly effective contraceptives at five health facilities. We identified nine women who practiced dual-method use and 141 women who did not. In a qualitative study, we conducted in-depth interviews with all nine women practicing dual-method use and 10 women randomly selected out of the 141 who did not. We performed a thematic analysis using the positive deviance framework. Regardless of practicing dual-method use or not, women faced perceived barriers against dual-method use, such as partner’s objection, distrust, shyness about introducing condoms into marital relationships, and limited access to condoms. However, women practicing dual-method use had higher levels of risk perception about unintended pregnancies and HIV/STIs. They also engaged in unique behaviors, such as influencing their partners’ condom use by initiating discussions, educating their partners on sexual risks and condom use, and obtaining condoms by themselves. These findings will be useful in developing effective community-led and peer-based interventions promoting dual-method use to reduce the dual burden of unintended pregnancies and HIV/STIs among women in Uganda.
A Developmental Model for Predicting Sport Participation among Female Korean College Students
Authors: Park Sung-Un , Lee Chung Gun , Kim Dong-Kyu , Park Jong-Hwa , Jang Deok-Jin
Published: July 2020

Although participating in regular physical activity has many benefits, female Korean college students tend to have much lower participation rates than their male counterparts. An effective means of increasing physical activity among female college students is sport participation. The purpose of this study is to incorporate three types of psychological needs from self-determination theory as precursor background variables into the theory of planned behavior to predict sport participation among female Korean college students. Our dataset consisted of 494 female undergraduate students attending Kyung Hee University in South Korea. Using structural equation modeling, the direct and indirect effects of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and psychological needs satisfaction such as competency, relatedness, and autonomy were examined. Although attitude towards and perceived behavioral control over sport participation were significantly associated with intention in all three models, subjective norm was not significantly associated with intention in any model. Satisfaction of the psychological needs for competency, relatedness, and autonomy had positive indirect effects on sport participation. This study underscores the importance of addressing the satisfaction of these three basic psychological needs when designing future sport promotion interventions for female college students.
Tilt in Online Poker: Loss of Control and Gambling Disorder
Authors: Moreau Axelle , Chauchard Émeline , Sévigny Serge , Giroux Isabelle
Published: July 2020

Online poker is a form of gambling where an element of skill may influence the outcome of the game. ‘Tilt’ in poker describes an episode during which the player can no longer control their game by rational decisions. It leads to a loss of control over the game, a loss of emotional regulation, higher cognitive distortion, and a loss of money. This phenomenon, experienced by most players, could be the gateway to excessive gambling. The aim of this study was to assess the links between the frequency of tilt episodes, cognitive distortion, anxiety, depression, sensation seeking and excessive online poker gambling. Our sample is composed of 291 online poker players, with a mean age of 33.8 years (SD = 10.6). Participants completed an online self-assessment questionnaire, measuring the frequency of tilt episodes, cognitive distortion, anxiety, depression and impulsivity. The findings indicated that the frequency of tilt episodes and cognitive distortion were the only significant predictors of excessive online gambling (respectively, r = 0.49 and r = 0.20). Tilt frequency and cognitive distortion were strongly correlated (GRCS, r = 0.60), moderate to low correlations were found for tilt and anxiety (HADS, r = 0.40), and positive and negative urgency (UPPS, r = 0.27). To date, tilt has seldom been studied, and could improve our understanding of online poker gamblers. It could be a new means of identifying at risk gamblers, and thus facilitating preventive measures specifically adapted to this population.
Spatiotemporal Patterns in River Water Quality and Pollution Source Apportionment in the Arid Beichuan River Basin of Northwestern China Using Positive Matrix Factorization Receptor Modeling Techniques
Authors: Xiao Lele , Zhang Qianqian , Niu Chao , Wang Huiwei
Published: July 2020

Deteriorating surface water quality has become an important environmental problem in China. In this study, river water quality was monitored in July (wet season) and October (dry season) 2019 at 26 sites, and a water quality index (WQI) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model were used to assess surface water quality and identify pollution sources in the Beichuan River basin, Qinghai Province, China. The results showed that 53.85% and 76.92% of TN, 11.54% and 34.62% of TP, 65.38% and 76.92% of Fe, and 11.54% and 15.38% of Mn samples in the dry and wet seasons, respectively, exceeded the Chinese Government’s Grade III standards for surface water quality. The spatial variation in water quality showed that it gradually deteriorated from upstream to downstream as a result of human activity. The temporal variation showed that water quality was poorer in the wet season than in the dry season because of the rainfall runoff effect. The PMF model outputs showed that the primary sources of pollution in the wet season were mineral weathering and organic pollution sources, domestic and industrial sewage, and agricultural and urban non-point pollution sources. However, in the dry season, the primary sources were mineral weathering and organic pollution sources, industrial sewage, and domestic sewage. Our results suggest that the point pollution sources (domestic and industrial sewage) should be more strictly controlled, as a priority, in order to prevent the continued deterioration in water quality.