bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Energy, Environmental and Economic Performance of an Urban Community Hybrid Distributed Energy System
Authors: Fichera Alberto , Marrasso Elisa , Sasso Maurizio , Volpe Rosaria
Published: May 2020

Energy systems face great challenges from both the supply and demand sides. Strong efforts have been devoted to investigate technological solutions aiming at overcoming the problems of fossil fuel depletion and the environmental issues due to the carbon emissions. Hybrid (activated by both renewables and fossil fuels) distributed energy systems can be considered a very effective and promising technology to replace traditional centralized energy systems. As a most peculiar characteristic, they reduce the use of fossil sources and transmission and distribution losses along the main power grid and contribute to electric peak shaving and partial-loads losses reduction. As a direct consequence, the transition from centralized towards hybrid decentralized energy systems leads to a new role for citizens, shifting from a passive energy consumer to active prosumers able to produce energy and distribute energy. Such a complex system needs to be carefully modelled to account for the energy interactions with prosumers, local microgrids and main grids. Thus, the aim of this paper is to investigate the performance of a hybrid distributed energy system serving an urban community and modelled within the framework of agent-based theory. The model is of general validity and estimates (i) the layout of the links along which electricity is distributed among agents in the local microgrid, (ii) electricity exchanged among agents and (iii) electricity exported to the main power grid or imported from it. A scenario analysis has been conducted at varying the distance of connection among prosumers, the installed capacity in the area and the usage of links. The distributed energy system has been compared to a centralized energy system in which the electricity requests of the urban community are satisfied by taking electricity from the main grid. The comparison analysis is carried out from an energy, environmental and economic point of view by evaluating the primary energy saving, avoided carbon dioxide emissions and the simple payback period indices.
Abnormality Detection of Cast-Resin Transformers Using the Fuzzy Logic Clustering Decision Tree
Authors: Lee Chin-Tan , Horng Shih-Cheng
Published: May 2020

Failures of cast-resin transformers not only reduce the reliability of power systems, but also have great effects on power quality. Partial discharges (PD) occurring in epoxy resin insulators of high-voltage electrical equipment will result in harmful effects on insulation and can cause power system blackouts. Pattern recognition of PD is a useful tool for improving the reliability of high-voltage electrical equipment. In this work, a fuzzy logic clustering decision tree (FLCDT) is proposed to diagnose the PD concerning the abnormal defects of cast-resin transformers. The FLCDT integrates a hierarchical clustering scheme with the decision tree. The hierarchical clustering scheme uses splitting attributes to divide the data set into suspended clusters according to separation matrices. The hierarchical clustering scheme is regarded as a preprocessing stage for classification using a decision tree. The whole data set is divided by the hierarchical clustering scheme into some suspended clusters, and the patterns in each suspended cluster are classified by the decision tree. The FLCDT was successfully adopted to classify the aberrant PD of cast-resin transformers. Classification results of FLCDT were compared with two software packages, See5 and CART. The FLCDT performed much better than the CART and See5 in terms of classification precisions.
Comparative and Relational Trajectory of Economic Growth and Greenhouse Gas Emission: Coupled or Decoupled?
Authors: Huh Taewook
Published: May 2020

This study looks at the global trajectory of the relationship between GDP (gross domestic product) and CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission in the time-series, comparative, and transitional point of view (from Y1992 to Y2014). It sets up a measurement framework and compares thirty-seven countries (thirty-six OECD countries and China) through the fuzzy-set ideal type analysis while focusing on the comparative and relational types. This research found that economic growth (GDP) and environmental problems (CO2 emissions) are tied together in a very solid path-dependent relationship. Particularly, the analysis of comparisons among OECD countries and China shows that the relationship between GDP and CO2 emissions is very firmly coupled, unlike the previous non-combination of one-dimensional statistics that are based on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. In short, it draws out and highlights the research implications that the existing conventions regarding the relationship between sustained economic growth and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions reductions are ill-founded at the international comparative level. This paper reiterates the importance of relevant regulatory policies in order to reduce the harmful external effects of GHG and a need for policy measures to solve the problem in the long term.
Design of a Multi-Robot System for Wind Turbine Maintenance
Authors: Franko Josef , Du Shengzhi , Kallweit Stephan , Duelberg Enno , Engemann Heiko
Published: May 2020

The maintenance of wind turbines is of growing importance considering the transition to renewable energy. This paper presents a multi-robot-approach for automated wind turbine maintenance including a novel climbing robot. Currently, wind turbine maintenance remains a manual task, which is monotonous, dangerous, and also physically demanding due to the large scale of wind turbines. Technical climbers are required to work at significant heights, even in bad weather conditions. Furthermore, a skilled labor force with sufficient knowledge in repairing fiber composite material is rare. Autonomous mobile systems enable the digitization of the maintenance process. They can be designed for weather-independent operations. This work contributes to the development and experimental validation of a maintenance system consisting of multiple robotic platforms for a variety of tasks, such as wind turbine tower and rotor blade service. In this work, multicopters with vision and LiDAR sensors for global inspection are used to guide slower climbing robots. Light-weight magnetic climbers with surface contact were used to analyze structure parts with non-destructive inspection methods and to locally repair smaller defects. Localization was enabled by adapting odometry for conical-shaped surfaces considering additional navigation sensors. Magnets were suitable for steel towers to clamp onto the surface. A friction-based climbing ring robot (SMART— Scanning, Monitoring, Analyzing, Repair and Transportation) completed the set-up for higher payload. The maintenance period could be extended by using weather-proofed maintenance robots. The multi-robot-system was running the Robot Operating System (ROS). Additionally, first steps towards machine learning would enable maintenance staff to use pattern classification for fault diagnosis in order to operate safely from the ground in the future.
Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Eitan Avri , Rosen Gillad , Herman Lior , Fishhendler Itay
Published: May 2020

The adoption of renewable energies contributes to sustainable development worldwide. Entrepreneurs are key agents in facilitating their promotion, as they improve the mix of the means of production and thus transform renewable energy technologies into viable energy systems. Nonetheless, the literature tends to treat entrepreneurs as a homogeneous group, thus preventing comprehensive understanding of their motivations, behaviors, capabilities, and effects. This study addresses this research gap by identifying and categorizing the various characteristics of these entrepreneurs and developing an integrated classification method. Four examples of renewable energy entrepreneurs, in China, Denmark, Germany, and India, are analyzed according to the proposed classification method, while demonstrating their differences. Thus, through proposing a new analytical typology, this study improves our understanding of renewable energy entrepreneurs and their significant role in the promotion of renewable energy worldwide.
RUE Index as a Tool to Improve the Energy Intensity of Container Terminals—Case Study at Port of Valencia
Authors: Cloquell-Ballester Víctor , Lo-Iacono-Ferreira Vanesa G. , Artacho-Ramírez Miguel Ángel , Capuz-Rizo Salvador F.
Published: May 2020

A container terminal is a high energy demanding organization. Giving priority to the investments that have a better impact on the minimization of energy consumption is a prime concern of the management board of the Port Authority and container terminals. This study presents a tool for the classification of the processes that take place in the port. The Relevant Use of Energy (RUE) index is described and applied to a case study, the Port Authority of Valencia, which is the main port of the Mediterranean in container traffic. Three different functional units have been discussed for the assessment: Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU), cargo handled, and several container ships that operate in the port. The implementation of specific projects following the recommendation of the RUE Index validated the tool and allowed a reduction of the energy intensity of 29.5%, and a 40% reduction of the cost of energy per TEU between 2008 and 2016. However, there is still room for improvement, and project lines are proposed for this matter. A partnership between the RUE Index and an energy management system ISO 50001 certified and ensures quality data giving confidence to the decision-making process of the management board.
Solar Photovoltaic Panels with Finned Phase Change Material Heat Sinks
Authors: Singh Preeti , Khanna Sourav , Newar Sanjeev , Sharma Vashi , Reddy K. , Mallick Tapas , Becerra Victor , Radulovic Jovana , Hutchinson David , Khusainov Rinat
Published: May 2020

Phase change material (PCM) based passive cooling of photovoltaics (PV) can be highly productive due to high latent heat capacity. However, the low rate of heat transfer limits its usefulness. Thus, the presented work aims at the improvement in PV cooling by using finned PCM (FPCM) heat sinks. In the present study, PCM heat sink and FPCM heat sinks were investigated numerically for PV cooling and the extracted heat is used for space heating. 4 kWp PV, PV-PCM and PV-FPCM systems were studied under the weather conditions of Southeast of England. It was observed that the PCM heat sinks can drop the peak PV temperature by 13 K, whereas FPCM heat sinks can enhance the PV cooling by 19 K. The PCM heat sinks can increase the PV electrical efficiency from 13% to 14%. Moreover, the daily electricity generation can be boosted by 7% using PCM and 8% by using FPCM heat sinks. In addition, 7 kWh of thermal output was achieved using the FPCM heat sink, and the overall efficiency of system increased from 13% to 19%.
A Modern Data-Mining Approach Based on Genetically Optimized Fuzzy Systems for Interpretable and Accurate Smart-Grid Stability Prediction
Authors: Gorzałczany Marian B. , Piekoszewski Jakub , Rudziński Filip
Published: May 2020

The main objective and contribution of this paper was/is the application of our knowledge-based data-mining approach (a fuzzy rule-based classification system) characterized by a genetically optimized interpretability-accuracy trade-off (by means of multi-objective evolutionary optimization algorithms) for transparent and accurate prediction of decentral smart grid control (DSGC) stability. In particular, we aim at uncovering the hierarchy of influence of particular input attributes upon the DSGC stability. Moreover, we also analyze the effect of possible "overlapping" of some input attributes over the other ones from the DSGC-stability perspective. The recently published and available at the UCI Database Repository Electrical Grid Stability Simulated Data Set and its input-aggregate-based concise version were used in our experiments. A comparison with 39 alternative approaches was also performed, demonstrating the advantages of our approach in terms of: (i) interpretable and accurate fuzzy rule-based DSGC-stability prediction and (ii) uncovering the hierarchy of DSGC-system’s attribute significance.
Recovery and Utilization of Low-Grade Waste Heat in the Oil-Refining Industry Using Heat Engines and Heat Pumps: An International Technoeconomic Comparison
Authors: Gangar Nikunj , Macchietto Sandro , Markides Christos N.
Published: May 2020

We assess the technoeconomic feasibility of onsite electricity and steam generation from recovered low-grade thermal energy in oil refineries using organic Rankine cycle (ORC) engines and mechanical vapour compression (MVC) heat pumps in various countries. The efficiencies of 34 ORC and 20 MVC current commercial systems are regressed against modified theoretical models. The resulting theoretical relations predict the thermal efficiency of commercial ORC engines within 4–5% and the coefficient of performance (COP) of commercial MVC heat pumps within 10–15%, on average. Using these models, the economic viability of ORC engines and MVC heat pumps is then assessed for 19 refinery streams as a function of heat source and sink temperatures, and the available stream thermal energy, for gas and electricity prices in selected countries. Results show that: (i) conversion to electrical power with ORC engines is, in general, economically feasible for heat-source temperatures >70 °C, however with high sensitivity to energy prices; and (ii) steam generation in MVC heat pumps, even more sensitive to energy prices, is in some cases not economical under any conditions—it is only viable with high gas/low electricity prices, for large heat sources (>2 MW) and higher temperatures (>140 °C). In countries and conditions with positive economics, payback periods down to two years are found for both technologies.
Erosion Characteristics and the Corresponding Self-Resonating Oscillations of Cavitating Jet on Oblique Surfaces
Authors: Liu Boshen , Ma Fei
Published: May 2020

The erosion and the corresponding self-resonating oscillations of the cavitating jet were experimentally investigated on the oblique surfaces. To evaluate the intensities of erosion and self-resonating oscillations of the jet, mass loss, surface morphology of the eroded specimens, upstream fluctuating pressure and unsteady cavitation noise were obtained at a series of stand-off distance ratios l d / d t in the cases where the oblique angles are α = 0°, 5°, 15° and 30°. In the low l d / d t range, with the increase of α , the erosion gradually transforms from two isolated circular erosion rings at α = 0° into irregular oval shaped rings at α = 5° and separated horseshoe shaped rings at α = 15°. The self-resonating oscillations and cavitation were weak in this range because the dominating frequency f 0 is away from the design frequency of the organ-pipe nozzle, resulting in the depressed aggressive ability in the low l d / d t range. With increasing l d / d t , the cavitation is enhanced before the self-resonating oscillations achieving more energy. The spectral decomposition reveals the existence of an intermediate state at the optimum standoff distance, where the energy of self-resonating oscillations and the cavitation reach a balance to realize the severest erosion damage.
A Reservoir Operation Policy Using Inter-Basin Water Transfer for Maximizing Hydroelectric Benefits in Brazil
Authors: Passos de Aragão Anderson , Teixeira Leite Asano Patrícia , de Andrade Lira Rabêlo Ricardo
Published: May 2020

The Hydrothermal Coordination problem consists of determining an operation policy for hydroelectric and thermoelectric plants within a given planning horizon. In systems with a predominance of hydraulic generation, the operation policy to be adopted should specify the operation of hydroelectric plants, so that hydroelectric resources are used economically and reliably. This work proposes the implementation of reservoir operation rules, using inter-basin water transfer through an optimization model based on Network Flow and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The proposed algorithm aims to obtain an optimized operation policy of power generation reservoirs and consequently to maximize the hydroelectric benefits of the hydrothermal generation system, to reduce the use of thermoelectric plants, the importation and/or energy deficit and to reduce the cost associated with meeting the demand and reduce CO2 emissions from combustion of fossil fuels used by thermoelectric plants. In order to illustrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach, it was evaluated by optimizing two case studies using a system with four hydroelectric plants. The first case study does not consider transfer and water and the second case study uses water transfer between rivers. The obtained results illustrate that the proposed model allowed to maximize the hydroelectric resources of a hydrothermal generation system with economy and reliability.
Life Cycle Assessment of Community-Based Sewer Mining: Integrated Heat Recovery and Fit-For-Purpose Water Reuse
Authors: Cabling Ludwig Paul B. , Kobayashi Yumi , Davies Evan G. R. , Ashbolt Nicholas J. , Liu Yang
Published: May 2020

Municipal sewage contains significant embedded resources in the form of chemical and thermal energy. Recent developments in sustainable technology have pushed for the integration of resource recovery from household wastewater to achieve net zero energy consumption and carbon-neutral communities. Sewage heat recovery and fit-for-purpose water reuse are options to optimize the resource recovery potential of municipal wastewater. This study presents a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) focused on global warming potential (GWP), eutrophication potential (EUP), and human health carcinogenic potential (HHCP) of an integrated sewage heat recovery and water reuse system for a hypothetical community of 30,000 people. Conventional space and water heating components generally demonstrated the highest GWP contribution between the different system components evaluated. Sewage-heat-recovery-based district heating offered better environmental performance overall. Lower impact contributions were demonstrated by scenarios with a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and chlorination prior to water reuse applications compared to scenarios that use more traditional water and wastewater treatment technologies and discharge. The LCA findings show that integrating MBR wastewater treatment and water reuse into a district heating schema could provide additional environmental savings at a community scale.
Evaluation of Selected Accelerated Above-Ground Durability Testing Methods for Wood after Ten Years Exposure
Authors: Singh Tripti , Page Dave
Published: May 2020

Traditional benchmark wood durability testing methods such as stake tests take many years to give conclusive results, and in-ground tests do not always indicate the efficacy of preservatives in above-ground situations. To find test methods that would shorten the time required for wood evaluation for above-ground end uses, a series of different types of accelerated durability tests were set up. Five types of test: ground proximity, two types of decking, flat panels and double layer, were reassessed after ten years to determine whether the decay rankings given to the various types of preservative had changed over the extended exposure period. Exposure conditions varied between tests, with ground proximity being close to ground, and the double layer test carried out in very wet conditions, while raised decking and flat panel tests were relatively dry. In all of these tests, the preservative retention was 25% of the normal H3 retention. The results indicated that the ground proximity tests gave the fastest and most reliable results. Flat panels contained the next highest decay rates, followed by ground-level decking, double layer and raised decking. The evaluation and comparison of these five test methods after ten years’ field exposure confirmed the trend and relative decay rate that was observed at four-year exposure. The use of a regression model for prediction showed a statistically significant overall relationship between decay scores in 2011 and 2017 (coefficient = 0.14 ± 0.07, d.f. = 345.7, t = 2.038, p = 0.042). When resistance to decay was compared between preservatives, copper-chrome arsenate (CCA)-treated pine and naturally durable spotted gum samples were in better conditions than pine treated with any of the other preservatives.
Study of Fishmeal Substitution on Growth Performance and Shelf-Life of Giltheadsea Bream (Sparusaurata)
Authors: Zaragozá Patricia , Martínez-Llorens Silvia , Fernández-Segovia Isabel , Vivancos José-Luis , Tomas-Vidal Ana , Fuentes Ana , Ros-Lis José Vicente , Martínez-Máñez Ramón , Barat José Manuel
Published: May 2020

In this work the effect of partial or total replacement of fishmeal by plant protein sources and krill and squid meal on growth performance and shelf-life of gilthead sea bream was evaluated. Plant protein dietswith 50 g kg−1 of krill and 100 g kg−1 of squid were supplemented with synthetic amino acidsand at the end of the growing period weight showed no significant differences. The spoilage process of the fish was followed by physicochemical and microbiological measurements together with a colorimetric sensor array (CSA) specially designed for that purpose. The changes in the physicochemical parameters and microbial growth showed that shelf-life of samples were in all cases lower than ninedays. The CSA was not able to show significant differences between both diets, confirming the physicochemical and microbiological results. The fact that the type of feed had no effect on the freshness parameters studied demonstrates that total fishmeal replacement with plant protein blends in the proportions used in this work could be an excellent alternative for feed formulation in aquaculture.
Recent Numerical Advances in Fluid Mechanics
Authors: San Omer
Published: May 2020

In recent decades, the field of computational fluid dynamics has made significant advances in enabling advanced computing architectures to understand many phenomena in biological, geophysical, and engineering fluid flows [...]
Antibiotic Activity Screened by the Rheology of S. aureus Cultures
Authors: Portela Raquel , Valcovo Filipe , Almeida Pedro L. , Sobral Rita G. , Leal Catarina R.
Published: May 2020

Multidrug resistant bacteria are one of the most serious public health threats nowadays. How bacteria, as a population, react to the presence of antibiotics is of major importance to the outcome of the chosen treatment. In this study we addressed the impact of oxacillin, a β-lactam, the most clinically relevant class of antibiotics, in the viscosity profile of the methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain COL. In the first approach, the antibiotic was added, at concentrations under the minimum inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC), to the culture of S. aureus and steady-state shear flow curves were obtained for discrete time points during the bacterial growth, with and without the presence of the antibiotic, showing distinct viscosity progress over time. The different behaviors obtained led us to test the impact of the sub-inhibitory concentration and a concentration that inhibited growth. In the second approach, the viscosity growth curves were measured at a constant shear rate of 10 s−1, over time. The obtained rheological behaviors revealed distinctive characteristics associated to the presence of each concentration of the tested antibiotic. These results bring new insights to the bacteria response to a well-known bacteriolytic antibiotic.
Shaping of Planetary Nebulae by Exoplanets
Authors: Keaveney Nicola , Boyle Laura , Redman Matt
Published: May 2020

(1) Background: We investigate the hypothesis that exoplanet engulfment can help explain the observed non-spherical planetary nebula population, as a complementary shaping mechanism to the binary hypothesis. The aim is to investigate the extent to which massive planets can explain the population of non-spherical planetary nebulae; (2) Methods: This research utilises a new tool to calculate the planet-fraction of planetary nebulae progenitor stars called simsplash; (3) Results: we conclude that ∼15–30% of non-spherical planetary nebulae around single stars will have a history in which they engulfed a massive planet on the AGB; and (4) Conclusions: Engulfment of massive exoplanets may contribute significantly to the formation of non-spherical planetary nebulae around single stars, yet appears to be insufficient to explain them all.
Star Formation in the Ultraviolet
Authors: Vink Jorick S.
Published: May 2020

With the launch of JWST and the upcoming installation of extremely large telescopes, the first galaxies in our Universe will finally be revealed. Their light will be dominated by massive stars, which peak in in the ultra-violet (UV) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Star formation is the key driver of the evolution of our Universe. At young ages, within 10 Million years, both high and low mass stars generate complex UV emission processes which are poorly understood yet are vital for interpreting high red-shift line emission. For these reasons, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) will devote 1000 orbits to obtaining a UV Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES). The purpose of this Overview is to outline the basic physical principles driving UV emission processes from local (within 100 parsecs of) star formation, ranging from huge star-forming complexes containing hundreds of massive and very-massive stars (VMS), such as 30 Doradus (the Tarantula Nebula) in the neighboring Magellanic Clouds (only 50 kpc away), to galaxies near and far, out to the epoch of Cosmic Reionization.
Mainshock Anticipated by Intra-Sequence Ground Deformations: Insights from Multiscale Field and SAR Interferometric Measurements
Authors: Brozzetti Francesco , Mondini Alessandro Cesare , Pauselli Cristina , Mancinelli Paolo , Cirillo Daniele , Guzzetti Fausto , Lavecchia Giusy
Published: May 2020

The 2016 Central Italy seismic sequence was characterized by two main events: 24 August, Mw 6, and 30 October, Mw 6.5. We carried out high-resolution field sampling and DInSAR analysis of the coseismic and intra-sequence ground deformations along the Mt Vettore-Mt Bove causative fault (VBF). We found that during the intra-sequence period (24 August–30 October), the ground experienced some deformations whose final patterns seemed to be retraced and amplified by the following mainshock. We interpreted that (i) immediately after the 24 August earthquake, the deformation observed in the southern VBF expanded northwards and westwards over a Length of Deforming Ground (LDG) ranging between 28.7 and 36.3 km, and (ii) it extended to the whole portion of the hanging wall that was later affected by mainshock coseismic deformation. Assuming the LDG to be an indicator for an expected (=coseismic) surface rupture length and using known scaling functions, we obtained 6.4 ≤ Mw ≤ 6.7 for a possible incoming earthquake, which is consistent with the mainshock magnitude. We suggest that the evolution of the ground deformations after a significant seismic event might provide insights on the occurrence of new earthquakes with magnitudes comparable to or larger than the former.
Optimal Initial Blood Pressure in Intensive Care Unit Patients with Non-Traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage
Authors: Wei Ming-Cheng , Kornelius Edy , Chou Ying-Hsiang , Yang Yi-Sun , Huang Jing-Yang , Huang Chien-Ning
Published: May 2020

Blood pressure (BP) control is crucial for minimizing the risk of mortality and hematoma growth in patients with acute intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to determine the optimal BP range associated with improved patient outcomes. From the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III database, we identified 1493 patients (age, 18–99 years) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with non-traumatic ICH. The 3-day and 14-day mortality of ICU admissions were compared at different BP ranges. Generalized additive models were used to assess the optimal range of initial mean arterial pressure, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure, and these were identified to be 70–100, 120–150, and 60–100 mmHg, respectively. The 3-day or 14-day mortality showed U-shaped correlations with BP ranges. Our results show that an initial SBP between 120 and 150 mmHg is associated with minimal risk of mortality risk. This recommendation can assist physicians to achieve better outcomes for patients with ICH.
Stunting and Physical Fitness. The Peruvian Health and Optimist Growth Study
Authors: Santos Carla , Bustamante Alcibíades , Vasconcelos Olga , Pereira Sara , Garganta Rui , Tani Go , Hedeker Donald , Katzmarzyk Peter T. , Maia José
Published: May 2020

Stunting, defined as linear growth retardation, is a serious public health problem in developing countries. We aimed to (1) describe the prevalence of stunting in Peruvian youth living in three geographical regions, and to (2) determine height and physical fitness (PF) differences between stunted and normal-growth children across age and sex. We sampled 7918 subjects (7074 normal-growth and 844 stunted), aged 6–15 year, from sea-level, Amazon and high-altitude regions of Peru. PF was assessed with standardized tests, and stunting was computed following World Health Organization (WHO) standards. A two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) model was used. Results showed that stunting prevalence increased with age (from 6% at 6 year to 18.4% at 15 year in girls, and 9.3% at 6 year to 16.4% at 15 year in boys); was higher in boys (12.3%) than in girls (9.3%), and was higher in the Amazon region (25.3%), followed by high-altitude (24.3%) and sea-level (8.1%). Stunting had a negative overall impact on girls’ and boys’ statures. Further, the age-by-stunting interactions were statistically significant for both sexes, and significant differences in height varied to some degree across age. Stunted children performed worse in handgrip and standing long jump, but outperformed their normal-growth peers in shuttle-run (only boys), and in 12 min run. Further, significant differences in the age-by-stunting interaction occurred in all PF tests, varying to some degree across age. In conclusion, stunting significantly affects Peruvian youth’s PF levels, and this influence is sex-, age- and PF test-specific.
Who Reports Low Interactive Psychology Status? An Investigation Based on Chinese Coal Miners
Authors: Han Shuai , Chen Hong , Long Ruyin
Published: May 2020

In mine safety and health research, psychological issues have always been neglected. This paper aims to identify the psychological perceptions of workers with respect to the mine environment and interpersonal environment across the whole production system. A survey was designed that measured the miners’ demographic details and perceptions of two affect-based interactions; three resource-based interactions for the manager, supervisor, co-worker; and three actual environment interactions. A total of 642 frontline coal miners from six mines located in six provinces in China completed the survey. The main results indicated that that miners reported low psychology status, especially those over 51 years old, with a monthly income of 2000–4000 and junior school education. Second, there was a high proportion of inferior value in environmental interactions. Meanwhile, the miners’ interactions with their co-workers were perceived as the most positive and those with their managers as the least in interpersonal interactions. Third, there were significant differences in sub-dimension interactions (actual environment, resource-based, affect-based interactions) that certainly existed in these interactive roles. Additionally, the dissociated type of miners with manager and supervisor (low resource and affect-based interaction) reached 23.99~24.45%. This study revealed the inner psychological risk factors for safety and health work in coal mines and provides an essential guideline for mining industries.
Perceived Health Impacts of Watershed Development Projects in Southern India: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Pradyumna Adithya , Mishra Arima , Utzinger Jürg , Winkler Mirko S.
Published: May 2020

Watershed development (WSD) projects—planned for over 100 million ha in semi-arid areas of India—should enhance soil and water conservation, agricultural productivity and local livelihood, and contribute to better nutrition and health. Yet, little is known about the health impacts of WSD projects, especially on nutrition, vector breeding, water quality and the distribution of impacts. We conducted a qualitative study to deepen the understanding on perceived health impacts of completed WSD projects in four villages of Kolar district, India. Field data collection comprised: (i) focus group discussions with local women (n = 2); (ii) interviews (n = 40; purposive sampling) with farmers and labourers, project employees and health workers; and (iii) transect walks. Our main findings were impacts perceived on nutrition (e.g., food security through better crop survival, higher milk consumption from livestock, alongside increased pesticide exposure with expanded agriculture), potential for mosquito larval breeding (e.g., more breeding sites) and through opportunistic activities (e.g., reduced mental stress due to improved water access). Impacts perceived varied between participant categories (e.g., better nutrition in woman-headed households from livelihood support). Some of these findings, e.g., potential negative health implications, have previously not been reported. Our observations informed a health impact assessment of a planned WSD project, and may encourage implementing agencies to incorporate health considerations to enhance positive and mitigate negative health impacts in future WSD projects.
Detection of Exotic Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae) at International Airports in Europe
Authors: Ibáñez-Justicia Adolfo , Smitz Nathalie , den Hartog Wietse , van de Vossenberg Bart , De Wolf Katrien , Deblauwe Isra , Van Bortel Wim , Jacobs Frans , Vaux Alexander G. C. , Medlock Jolyon M. , Stroo Arjan
Published: May 2020

In Europe, the air-borne accidental introduction of exotic mosquito species (EMS) has been demonstrated using mosquito surveillance schemes at Schiphol International Airport (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Based upon these findings and given the increasing volume of air transport movements per year, the establishment of EMS after introduction via aircraft is being considered a potential risk. Here we present the airport surveillance results performed by the Centre for Monitoring of Vectors of the Netherlands, by the Monitoring of Exotic Mosquitoes (MEMO) project in Belgium, and by the Public Health England project on invasive mosquito surveillance. The findings of our study demonstrate the aircraft mediated transport of EMS into Europe from a wide range of possible areas in the world. Results show accidental introductions of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, as well as exotic Anopheles and Mansonia specimens. The findings of Ae. albopictus at Schiphol airport are the first evidence of accidental introduction of the species using this pathway in Europe. Furthermore, our results stress the importance of the use of molecular tools to validate the morphology-based species identifications. We recommend monitoring of EMS at airports with special attention to locations with a high movement of cargo and passengers.
How Large Was the Mortality Increase Directly and Indirectly Caused by the COVID-19 Epidemic? An Analysis on All-Causes Mortality Data in Italy
Authors: Magnani Corrado , Azzolina Danila , Gallo Elisa , Ferrante Daniela , Gregori Dario
Published: May 2020

Objective: Overall mortality is a relevant indicator of the population burden during an epidemic. It informs on both undiagnosed cases and on the effects of health system disruption. Methods: We aimed at evaluating the extent of the total death excess during the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy. Data from 4433 municipalities providing mortality reports until April 15th, 2020 were included for a total of 34.5 million residents from all Italian regions. Data were analyzed by region, sex and age, and compared to expected from 2015–2019. Results: In both genders, overall mortality was stable until February 2020 and abruptly increased from March 1st onwards. Within the municipalities studied, 77,339 deaths were observed in the period between March 1st to April 15th, 2020, in contrast to the 50,822.6 expected. The rate ratio was 1.11 before age 60 and 1.55 afterwards. Both sexes were affected. The excess was greater in the regions most affected by COVID-19 but always exceeded the deaths attributed to COVID-19. The extrapolation to the total Italian population suggests an excess of 45,033 deaths in the study period, while the number of COVID–19 deaths was 21,046. Conclusion: Our paper shows a large death excess during the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy; greater than the number attributed to it. Possible causes included both the undetected cases and the disruption of the Health Service organization. Timely monitoring of overall mortality based on unbiased nationwide data is an essential tool for epidemic control.
Let Nature Be Thy Medicine: A Socioecological Exploration of Green Prescribing in the UK
Authors: Robinson Jake M. , Jorgensen Anna , Cameron Ross , Brindley Paul
Published: May 2020

Prescribing nature-based health interventions (green prescribing)—such as therapeutic horticulture or conservation activities—is an emerging transdisciplinary strategy focussed on reducing noncommunicable diseases. However, little is known about the practice of, and socioecological constraints/opportunities associated with, green prescribing in the UK. Furthermore, the distribution of green prescribing has yet to be comprehensively mapped. In this study, we conducted a socioecological exploration of green prescribing. We deployed online questionnaires to collect data from general practitioners (GPs) and nature-based organisations (NBOs) around the UK and conducted spatial analyses. Our results indicate that GPs and NBOs perceive and express some common and distinct constraints to green prescribing. This highlights the need to promote cross-disciplinary communication pathways. Greenspace presence and abundance within close proximity (100 and 250 m) to GP surgeries (but not greenness—as a proxy for vegetation cover) and NBO presence within 5 km were associated with higher levels of green prescribing provision. Lower levels of deprivation were associated with higher frequency of NBOs. This suggests that the availability of greenspaces and NBOs could be important for green prescribing provision, but there could be greater opportunities in less deprived areas. Important foci for future research should be to establish transdisciplinary collaborative pathways, efficient infrastructure management and a common vocabulary in green prescribing—with the overall aim of reducing inequalities and enhancing planetary health.
Studying Public Perception about Vaccination: A Sentiment Analysis of Tweets
Authors: Raghupathi Viju , Ren Jie , Raghupathi Wullianallur
Published: May 2020

Text analysis has been used by scholars to research attitudes toward vaccination and is particularly timely due to the rise of medical misinformation via social media. This study uses a sample of 9581 vaccine-related tweets in the period 1 January 2019 to 5 April 2019. The time period is of the essence because during this time, a measles outbreak was prevalent throughout the United States and a public debate was raging. Sentiment analysis is applied to the sample, clustering the data into topics using the term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) technique. The analyses suggest that most (about 77%) of the tweets focused on the search for new/better vaccines for diseases such as the Ebola virus, human papillomavirus (HPV), and the flu. Of the remainder, about half concerned the recent measles outbreak in the United States, and about half were part of ongoing debates between supporters and opponents of vaccination against measles in particular. While these numbers currently suggest a relatively small role for vaccine misinformation, the concept of herd immunity puts that role in context. Nevertheless, going forward, health experts should consider the potential for the increasing spread of falsehoods that may get firmly entrenched in the public mind.
Toward a Better “Person–Environment Fit” through Items Calibration of the SIS-C
Authors: Arias Víctor B. , Amor Antonio M. , Verdugo Miguel A. , Fernández María , Arias Benito , Aza Alba
Published: May 2020

The Supports Intensity Scale–Children’s Version (SIS-C) is the only available tool to assess extraordinary support needs for children and adolescents with intellectual disability. In past years, several works have proclaimed the need for its ongoing improvement as a measurement instrument. To contribute to this line of research, the goal of this work is to analyze the reliability of the SIS-C and its usefulness to distinguish between different levels of intensity of support needs. To address this, 814 children and adolescents with intellectual disability (M = 11.13 years; SD = 3.41) were assessed using the SIS-C Spanish version. Item response theory analyses were conducted to estimate latent scores and assess measurement quality along the support needs continuum. The SIS-C items showed good overall discrimination and information values, and none showed problems that required their removal or modification. However, all the scales composing the SIS-C showed problems in discerning high levels of intensity of support needs, especially for children and adolescents with severe/profound intellectual disability. This ceiling effect may be an obstacle for both research and practice involving the SIS-C. Implications for research and practice are discussed, and future lines of research for improving the SIS-C are provided.
Visual Exposure of Rock Outcrops in the Context of a Forest Disease Outbreak Simulation Based on a Canopy Height Model and Spectral Information Acquired by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Balková Marie , Bajer Aleš , Patočka Zdeněk , Mikita Tomáš
Published: May 2020

This research was focused on the study of visual exposure evolution in the locality of the Drátenická skála nature monument (in the Czech Republic) and the surrounding forest complex in terms of history and through modelling for further possible stand development. The local forests underwent conversion from a natural fir-beech composition to an intensive spruce monoculture with few insect pests or windbreak events to an actual bark beetle infestation. Historic maps, landscape paintings, photographs, and orthophotos served as the basic materials for the illustration of the past situation. Further development was modelled using canopy height models and spectral properties captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As an example, the possible situation of total mortality among coniferous spruce trees after a bark beetle outbreak was modelled. Other options and a practical use of such preprocessed data are, for example, a model for opening and transforming the stands around the rock as one of the ongoing outcrop management trends in the protected landscape area (PLA) of Žďárské vrchy.
The Neuropeptide System and Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases: Mechanisms and Management
Authors: Kasprzak Aldona , Adamek Agnieszka
Published: May 2020

Colorectal cancer (CRC), classified as the third most prevalent cancer worldwide, remains to be a clinical and research challenge. It is estimated that ~50% of CRC patients die from distant metastases, with treatment of this complication still posing significant difficulties. While liver metastasis (LM) cascade is known in the literature, its mechanisms are still unclear and remain studied in different research models. A connection is suggested between nervous system dysfunctions and a range of Neurotransmitters (Nts) (including Neuropeptides, NPs), Neurotrophins (Ntt) and their receptors (Rs) in CRC liver metastasis development. Studies on the role of NP/NP-Rs in the progression and metastasis of CRC, show the complexity of brain–tumor interactions, caused by their different forms of release to the extracellular environment (endocrine, autocrine, paracrine and neurocrine). Many stages of LM are connected to the activity of pro-inflammatory, e.g., Corticotropin-releasing Hormone Receptor 1 (CRHR1), Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Neurotensin (NT), anti-inflammatory, e.g., Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide (CGRP), CRHR2 and Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) or dual role neuropeptides, e.g., Substance P (SP). The regulation of the local immunological profile (e.g., CRH/CRHRs), dysfunctions of enteroprotective role of NPs on epithelial cells (e.g., NT/NT-R), as well as structural-functional changes in enteric nervous system innervation of the tumor are also important. More research is needed to understand the exact mechanisms of communication between the neurons and tumor cells. The knowledge on the mechanisms regulating tumor growth and different stages of metastasis, as well as effects of the action of a numerous group of Nts/NPs/Ntt as growth factors, have implications for future therapeutic strategies. To obtain the best treatment outcomes, it is important to use signaling pathways common for many NPs, as well to develop a range of broad-spectrum antagonists. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the importance of neuroactive molecules in the promotion of the invasion-metastasis cascade in CRC, as well as the improvements of clinical management of CRC liver metastasis.
Crossbridge Recruitment Capacity of Wild-Type and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy-Related Mutant Troponin-T Evaluated by X-ray Diffraction and Mechanical Study of Cardiac Skinned Fibers
Authors: Yamaguchi Maki , Kimura Masako , Ohno Tetsuo , Nakahara Naoya , Akiyama Nobutake , Takemori Shigeru , Yagi Naoto
Published: May 2020

X-ray diffraction and tension measurement experiments were conducted on rat left ventricular skinned fibers with or without “troponin-T treatment,” which exchanges the endogenous troponin T/I/C complex with exogenous troponin-T. These experiments were performed to observe the structural changes in troponin-T within a fiber elicited by contractile crossbridge formation and investigate the abnormality of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-related troponin-T mutants. The intensity of the troponin reflection at 1/38.5 nm−1 was decreased significantly by ATP addition after treatment with wild-type or mutant troponin-T, indicating that crossbridge formation affected the conformation of troponin-T. In experiments on cardiac fibers treated with the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-related mutants E244D- and K247R-troponin-T, treatment with K247R-troponin-T did not recruit contracting actomyosin to a greater extent than wild-type-troponin-T, although a similar drop in the intensity of the troponin reflection occurred. Therefore, the conformational change in K247R-troponin-T was suggested to be unable to fully recruit actomyosin interaction, which may be the cause of cardiomyopathy.