bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Becoming an Expert Teacher: Assessing Expertise Growth in Peer Feedback Video Recordings by Lexical Analysis
Authors: Bent Marije , Velazquez-Godinez Erick , de Jong Frank
Published: October 2021

Teacher education enables students to grow from ‘novice’ into ‘starting expert’ teachers. In this study, students’ textual peer feedback on video recordings of their teaching practice was analysed to determine the growth of their expertise in relation to blended curriculum design. The degree to which curriculum and literature influenced their feedback was assessed by semantic network analysis of prominent words from the literature that was studied, as well as the lexical richness and semantic cohesion of students’ peer feedback and reflections. The lexical richness and the semantic cohesion increased significantly by the end of the semester. This means that students incorporated new vocabulary and maintained semantic consistency while using the new words. Regarding the semantic network analysis, we found stronger connections between the topics being discussed by the students at the end of the semester. Active use of video and peer feedback enhances students’ active knowledge base, thus furthering effective teaching.
A Literature Review on Intelligent Services Applied to Distance Learning
Authors: da Silva Lidia Martins , Dias Lucas Pfeiffer Salomão , Rigo Sandro , Barbosa Jorge Luis Victória , Leithardt Daiana R. F. , Leithardt Valderi Reis Quietinho
Published: October 2021

Distance learning has assumed a relevant role in the educational scenario. The use of Virtual Learning Environments contributes to obtaining a substantial amount of educational data. In this sense, the analyzed data generate knowledge used by institutions to assist managers and professors in strategic planning and teaching. The discovery of students’ behaviors enables a wide variety of intelligent services for assisting in the learning process. This article presents a literature review in order to identify the intelligent services applied in distance learning. The research covers the period from January 2010 to May 2021. The initial search found 1316 articles, among which 51 were selected for further studies. Considering the selected articles, 33% (17/51) focus on learning systems, 35% (18/51) propose recommendation systems, 26% (13/51) approach predictive systems or models, and 6% (3/51) use assessment tools. This review allowed for the observation that the principal services offered are recommendation systems and learning systems. In these services, the analysis of student profiles stands out to identify patterns of behavior, detect low performance, and identify probabilities of dropouts from courses.
Describing the Development of the Assessment of Biological Reasoning (ABR)
Authors: Schellinger Jennifer , Enderle Patrick J. , Roberts Kari , Skrob-Martin Sam , Rhemer Danielle , Southerland Sherry A.
Published: October 2021

Assessments of scientific reasoning that capture the intertwining aspects of conceptual, procedural and epistemic knowledge are often associated with intensive qualitative analyses of student responses to open-ended questions, work products, interviews, discourse and classroom observations. While such analyses provide evaluations of students’ reasoning skills, they are not scalable. The purpose of this study is to develop a three-tiered multiple-choice assessment to measure students’ reasoning about biological phenomena and to understand the affordances and limitations of such an assessment. To validate the assessment and to understand what the assessment measures, qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed, including read-aloud, focus group interviews and analysis of large sample data sets. These data served to validate our three-tiered assessment called the Assessment of Biological Reasoning (ABR) consisting of 10 question sets focused on core biological concepts. Further examination of our data suggests that students’ reasoning is intertwined in such a way that procedural and epistemic knowledge is reliant on and given meaning by conceptual knowledge, an idea that pushes against the conceptualization that the latter forms of knowledge construction are more broadly applicable across disciplines.
Engineering Students’ Industrial Internship Experience Perception and Satisfaction: Work Experience Scale Validation
Authors: Nogueira Teresa , Magano José , Fontão Eunice , Sousa Marina , Leite Ângela
Published: October 2021

An essential aspect of higher education institutions’ academic curricula for engineering courses is the students’ industrial internship programs. In the literature, it is well accepted that such programs provide valuable learning outcomes and increase the graduates’ employment prospects. Thus, it is paramount to evaluate the internship programs’ quality to identify opportunities to improve their design and implementation. However, that evaluation typically depends on self-designed academic assessment surveys of questionable validity. The purpose of this paper is to assess engineering students’ perceptions of their internship experiences. For that purpose, the validation of a recently adapted version of the Work Experience Questionnaire (WEQ) was carried out on a sample of 447 engineering students that participated in industrial internship programs offered by Portuguese public universities and polytechnic schools. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to confirm the suitability of the model proposed by the WEQ’s authors on this study’s sample. The psychometric qualities were evaluated through convergent and discriminant validity. The results showed that the model fit the sample well, and convergent and discriminant validity was established. The general competencies subscale was the most important for the participants—specifically, the competency of solving problems. Differences concerning the WEQ and gender, company size, and compensation were found and discussed. This study provides researchers in the field with a new tool validated explicitly for engineering students.
Associations between Cues of Sexual Desire and Sexual Attitudes in Portuguese Women
Authors: Silva Juliana , Ferreira Susana , Barros Vanessa , Mourão Ana , Corrêa Gabriela , Caridade Sónia , Sousa Hélder Fernando Pedrosa e , Dinis Maria Alzira Pimenta , Leite Ângela
Published: October 2021

Sexuality is defined as a multidimensional experience that involves genital, mental, and bodily components. It is also assumed as a basic condition inherent to the human existence that encourages the search for love, intimacy, sex, and proximity to others. The main objective of this study is to assess the relationship between cues of sexual desire and sexual attitudes in Portuguese women. This is a cross-sectional study with 804 Portuguese women to whom the protocol was applied. It included an informed consent, a sociodemographic questionnaire, a questionnaire related to intimacy, a scale of sexual attitudes, and the scale of cues of sexual desire. The protocol was applied via Google Forms due to the current pandemic situation (COVID-19). Differences were found in sexual attitudes and the cues of sexual desire in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, as well as in terms of women’s intimacy. Significant correlations were found between the brief sexual attitudes scale (BSAS) and the cues of sexual desire scale (CSDS). Age, sexual orientation, relation nature, sexual practices, visual proximity cues, erotic explicit cues, and sensory explicit cues explain, altogether, 25% of the total sexual attitudes. Additionally, age, sexual orientation, the relation’s nature, sexual practices, visual proximity cues, emotional bonding cues, romantic implicit cues, erotic explicit cues, and sensory explicit cues explain, altogether, 30% of the permissiveness. Sexual attitudes are developed under the influence of sociodemographic variables, variables related to women’s intimacy, and cues of sexual desire, which are new data in the study of sexual attitudes and have implications at the level of gender issues.
Detection and Direction-of-Arrival Estimation of Weak Spread Spectrum Signals Received with Antenna Array
Authors: Magiera Jarosław
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a method for the joint detection and direction of arrival (DOA) estimation of low probability of detection (LPD) signals. The proposed approach is based on using the antenna array to receive spread-spectrum signals hidden below the noise floor. Array processing exploits the spatial correlation between phase-delayed copies of the signal and allows us to evaluate the parameter used to make the decision about the presence of LPD transmission. The DOA estimation is based on the covariance between signals received by sensors for the fixed geometry of the antenna array. Moreover, the paper provides a method for mitigating narrowband interferences prior to signal detection. The presented methods were verified through simulations which proved that the confident detection of a one-second transmission in an additive white Gaussian noise channel is possible even when the noise is 24 dB higher than the power of the received signal. The performance of DOA estimation is analyzed in a wide range of signal-to-noise and interference-to-noise ratios. It is found that the DOA may be estimated with an RMS error not exceeding 10 degrees, even if interference occupies 15% of the analyzed frequency band.
Lightweight Cryptography for the Encryption of Data Communication of IoT Devices
Authors: Sokol Ivan , Hubinský Peter , Chovanec Ľuboš
Published: October 2021

We are at the beginning of the age of the Internet of things. Soon, we will be surrounded by smart homes, cities, and infrastructure. To achieve this vision, millions of devices will have to be able to communicate with each other. The demands for communication channels will increase significantly. An increasing amount of data will be transmitted with a requirement of minimal delay. The capacities of transmission systems can be quickly depleted. Building new communication channels is very time consuming but also financially demanding. To maximize existing infrastructure, we should pay attention today to the issue of transmitted data. One of the ways is to focus attention on reducing the volume of transmitted data. In this paper, we present a method of reducing the volume of data transmission between a server and an IoT device, focusing on the bandwidth, transmission security, and system resources of the IoT device. The required reduction is achieved by data compression and replacing the SSL/TLS cryptographic protocol with lightweight cryptography based on the Vernam cipher principle. The original SSL/TLS protocol is still used for device management needs only.
Preliminary Design of a Heat Pipe-Cooled Blanket for CFETR
Authors: Wang Dianle , Guo Yun
Published: October 2021

Blankets are a difficult problem for fusion engineering design. Because of the complex flow channels, the design, production, processing, and accident maintenance of blankets are all huge challenges for traditional water/gas-cooled blankets. Blankets are the bridge for heat transfer and tritium production. A high-performance blanket with simplified structure is obviously beneficial for engineering, safety, and the economy. In this study, gravity heat pipes instead of coolant flow channels are adopted to remove the heat. Compared with coolant-cooled systems, heat pipes may be simpler and more reliable. The in-vessel and in-box loss of coolant accident (LOCA) will not occur because there is no coolant in the blanket. Moreover, a damaged heat pipe may be replaced easily compared to a damaged water-cooled blanket. In this study, a hypothetical heat pipe-cooled blanket for the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) was proposed and one module of the blanket was analyzed by numerical simulation. The results were compared with those of a water-cooled blanket, and the temperature distribution of the heat pipe-cooled blanket is more uniform. This study verified the preliminary feasibility of heat pipe-cooled blankets and provided a fresh idea for blanket design.
Digital Mental Health Amid COVID-19
Authors: Balcombe Luke , De Leo Diego
Published: October 2021

Digital Mental Health is information and communication technology used in mental health services delivered or boosted through the Internet and related technologies, smartphone and wearable technologies as well as immersive solutions (e.g., Virtual Reality and video games). It is predominantly used as self-help services or with the assistance of a (para-)professional and/or artificial intelligence for the provision of mental health promotion as well as mental ill-health identification, prevention and intervention.
Role of Vitamin D in Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Condoleo Valentino , Pelaia Corrado , Armentaro Giuseppe , Severini Giandomenico , Clausi Elvira , Cassano Velia , Miceli Sofia , Fiorentino Teresa Vanessa , Succurro Elena , Arturi Franco , Andreozzi Francesco , Sesti Giorgio , Sciacqua Angela
Published: October 2021

Vitamin D represents a group of secosteroids involved in the calcium and phosphate metabolism. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxylcalciferol, exerts its biological mechanisms via the VDR (vitamin D receptor) which acts as a regulator of several target genes. Hypovitaminosis D is associated with many diseases, which are not only limited to the metabolism of the skeleton, but growing evidence links the deficit of vitamin D to cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and neoplastic diseases. In regard to the cardiovascular system, current evidence shows the presence of VDR in endothelial cells. Moreover, both in vitro and animal experimental models demonstrated that the deficit of vitamin D can promote endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis development. Vitamin D can interfere with vascular functions also by affecting the production of vasodilator mediators. VDR is also expressed in left ventricle cardiomyocytes, and hypovitaminosis D can relate to cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Randomized clinical trials (RCT) designed to prove the therapeutic role of vitamin D supplementation have been inconclusive to date. The aim of this review is to highlight the main interactions between vitamin D metabolism and cardiovascular diseases; thus, focusing on pathogenic mechanisms and related clinical manifestations.
Mixed-Severity Wildfire as a Driver of Vegetation Change in an Arizona Madrean Sky Island System, USA
Authors: Poulos Helen M. , Freiburger Michael R. , Barton Andrew M. , Taylor Alan H.
Published: October 2021

Fire is a powerful natural disturbance influencing vegetation patterns across landscapes. Recent transitions from mixed-species forests to post-fire shrublands after severe wildfire is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon in pine-oak and conifer forest ecosystems in southwestern North America. However, we know little about how variation in fire severity influences other common forest types in the region. In this study, we evaluated fire-induced changes in woody plant community composition and forest structure in Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona in the United States that hosts a diverse set of vegetation types. Cluster analysis of the pre-fire vegetation data identified three dominant pre-fire vegetation types including juniper woodland, piñon forest, and pine-oak forest. All vegetation types experienced significant tree mortality across a wide range of size classes and species, from forests to shrublands. The magnitude of change within sample plots varied with fire severity, which was mediated by topography. Significant shifts in dominance away from coniferous obligate seeder trees to resprouting hardwoods and other shrubs occurred across all vegetation types in response to the fire. Regeneration from seed can be episodic, but projected increases in aridity and fire frequency may promote continued dominance by hardwoods and fire- and drought-resistant shrub communities, which is a regional forest management concern as wildfire size and severity continue to increase throughout the southwestern USA.
Diets and Stable Isotope Signatures of Native and Nonnative Leucisid Fishes Advances Our Understanding of the Yellowstone Lake Food Web
Authors: Glassic Hayley C. , Guy Christopher S. , Koel Todd M.
Published: October 2021

(1) Many forage fishes, such as Leucisids (minnows) have depauperate studies on diet composition or stable isotope signatures, as these fishes are often only viewed as food for higher trophic levels. The need exists to understand and document the diet and stable isotope signatures of Leucisids (redside shiner, longnose dace, lake chub) in relation to the community ecology and food-web dynamics in Yellowstone Lake, especially given an invasive piscivore introduction and potential future effects of climate change on the Yellowstone Lake ecosystem. (2) Diet data collected during summer of 2020 were analyzed by species using proportion by number, frequency of occurrence, and mean proportion by weight, and diet overlap was compared using Schoener’s index (D). Stable isotope (δ15N and δ13C) values were estimated by collecting tissue during the summer of 2020 by species, and isotopic overlap was compared using 40% Bayesian ellipses. (3) Nonnative redside shiners and lake chub had similar diets, and native longnose dace diet differed from the nonnative Leucisids. Diet overlap was also higher between the nonnative Leucisids, and insignificant when comparing native and nonnative Leucisids. No evidence existed to suggest a difference in δ15N signatures among the species. Longnose dace had a mean δ13C signature of −15.65, indicating an decreased reliance on pelagic prey compared to nonnative Leucisids. Nonnative redside shiners and lake chub shared 95% of isotopic niche space, but stable isotope overlap was <25% for comparisons between native longnose dace and the nonnative Leucisids. (4) This study established the diet composition and stable isotope signatures of Leusicids residing in Yellowstone Lake, thus expanding our knowledge of Leucisid feeding patterns and ecology in relation to the native and nonnative species in the ecosystem. We also expand upon our knowledge of Leucisids in North America. Additionally, quantifying minnow diets can provide a baseline for understanding food web response to invasive suppression management actions.
Influence of Particle Mass Fraction over the Turbulent Behaviour of an Incompressible Particle-Laden Flow
Authors: Duque-Daza Carlos Alberto , Ramirez-Pastran Jesus , Lain Santiago
Published: October 2021

The presence of spherical solid particles immersed in an incompressible turbulent flow was numerically investigated from the perspective of the particle mass fraction (PMF or ϕm), a measure of the particle-to-fluid mass ratio. Although a number of different changes have been reported to be obtained by the presence of solid particles in incompressible turbulent flows, the present study reports the findings of varying ϕm in the the turbulent behaviour of the flow, including aspects such as: turbulent statistics, skin-friction coefficient, and the general dynamics of a particle-laden flow. For this purpose, a particle-laden turbulent channel flow transporting solid particles at three different friction Reynolds numbers, namely Reτ=180, 365, and 950, with a fixed particle volume fraction of ϕv=10−3, was employed as conceptual flow model and simulated using large eddy simulations. The value adopted for ϕv allowed the use of a two-way coupling approach between the particles and the flow or carrier phase. Three different values of ϕm were explored in this work ϕm≈1,2.96, and 12.4. Assessment of the effect of ϕm was performed by examining changes of mean velocity profiles, velocity fluctuation profiles, and a number of other relevant turbulence statistics. Our results show that attenuation of turbulence activity of the carrier phase is attained, and that such attenuation increases with ϕm at fixed Reynolds numbers and ϕv. For the smallest Reynolds number case considered, flows carrying particles with higher ϕm exhibited lower energy requirements to sustain constant fluid mass flow rate conditions. By examining the flow velocity field, as well as instantaneous velocity components contours, it is shown that the attenuation acts even on the largest scales of the flow dynamics, and not only at the smaller levels. These findings reinforce the concept of a selective stabilising effect induced by the solid particles, particularly enhanced by high values of ϕm, which could eventually be exploited for improvement of energetic efficiency of piping or equivalent particles transport systems.
A Comparison of Fresh Pork Colour Measurements by Using Four Commercial Handheld Devices
Authors: Wei Xinyi , Lam Stephanie , Bohrer Benjamin M. , Uttaro Bethany , López-Campos Oscar , Prieto Nuria , Larsen Ivy L. , Juárez Manuel
Published: October 2021

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of different low-cost instruments to measure pork colour in comparison to Minolta spectrophotometers and industry subjective standards. Canadian pork colour standards and commercial meat (252 loin chops and 46 tenderloins) were measured using two Minolta (CM 700D) spectrophotometers, four Nix sensors (two Nix Pro II and two Nix QC), and four Spectro devices (two Spectro 1 and two Spectro 1 Pro). Using Bland-Altman plots, all hand-held devices revealed similar performance on colour coordinates, except for the Nix Pro II, which had more variability on a* value, and Spectro 1 Pro on b* value, when compared to Minolta measurements. Low RSD values (< 5%) were obtained from repeated measurements on Canadian colour standards. The trend of colour coordinates on colour scores (0–6) were similar for all four commercial instruments, except for a* from Nix Pro and b* from Spectro 1. The correlation coefficients between subjective standards and colour coordinates from the Nix and Spectro devices were slightly higher than the Minolta spectrophotometers. Even though Nix and Spectro 1 series instruments generated different absolute colour coordinate values on meat samples, these pocket-size instruments presented great reliability to measure pork surface colour. However, operational limitations of the instruments, such as the internal calibration time between samples for the Spectro 1 series, should also be considered.
Use of Rapid Capillary Zone Electrophoresis to Determine Amino Acids Indicators of Herring Ripening during Salting
Authors: Felisiak Katarzyna , Szymczak Mariusz
Published: October 2021

Currently, herring fillets are salted with acetic acid to activate muscle proteases. This causes a change in the composition of free amino acids, compared to salting of whole fish with viscera proteases. Therefore, old indicators of the ripening dynamics of salted fish based on amino acids are not current. Determination of free amino acids can be performed by many methods, but most are labor intensive and expensive. Therefore, a capillary electrophoresis method without derivatization (CZE) was used to determine the actual ripening rates of salted herring fillets. A group of hydrophobic and basic amino acids were determined in trichloroacetic acid (TCA) extracts of meat and brine to develop 16 indicators. Statistical regression analysis of the indicators (R2adj, RMSE, cluster analysis) followed by principal component analysis (PCA) correlation analysis of the indicators vs sensory evaluation parameters of texture and TPA-hardness of salted fillet meat allowed the choice of the most precise indicators. The best indicator in meat was Phe/Tyr-height, which value increased during salting. A more precise indicator of ripening was His/Tyr-height in brine, which value decreased during salting. Sensory evaluation parameters of salted herring texture correlated strongly with TPA-hardness and traditional indicators such as non-protein nitrogen and protein hydrolysis product fraction content. However, the most precise indicators were those obtained from amino acids determined by the CZE method. Results obtained in this study may be suitable for fast monitoring of the salted herring ripening process in industry.
BIKE: Dietary Exposure Model for Foodborne Microbiological and Chemical Hazards
Authors: Ranta Jukka , Mikkelä Antti , Suomi Johanna , Tuominen Pirkko
Published: October 2021

BIKE is a Bayesian dietary exposure assessment model for microbiological and chemical hazards. A graphical user interface was developed for running the model and inspecting the results. It is based on connected Bayesian hierarchical models, utilizing OpenBUGS and R in tandem. According to occurrence and consumption data given as inputs, a specific BUGS code is automatically written for running the Bayesian model in the background. The user interface is based on shiny app. Chronic and acute exposures are estimated for chemical and microbiological hazards, respectively. Uncertainty and variability in exposures are visualized, and a few optional model structures can be used. Simulated synthetic data are provided with BIKE for an example, resembling real occurrence and consumption data. BIKE is open source and available from github.
Effect of Cold Smoking and Natural Antioxidants on Quality Traits, Safety and Shelf Life of Farmed Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) Fillets, as a Strategy to Diversify Aquaculture Products
Authors: Messina Concetta Maria , Arena Rosaria , Ficano Giovanna , Randazzo Mariano , Morghese Maria , La Barbera Laura , Sadok Saloua , Santulli Andrea
Published: October 2021

Aquaculture has been playing a leading role over the years to satisfy the global growing demand for seafood. Moreover, innovative techniques are necessary to increase the competitiveness, sustainability and profitability of the seafood production chain, exploiting new species from the aquaculture, such as meagre (Argyrosomus regius), to develop value-added products and diversify their production. In the present work, the effectiveness of cold smoking combined with antioxidants (SA) compared to cold smoking alone (S) on meagre fillets, the quality and shelf life were investigated. Sensory, biochemical, physical–chemical and microbiological analyses were performed on the smoked fillets during vacuum-packaged storage for 35 days at 4 ± 0.5 °C. The results showed positive effects of the SA treatment on the biochemical parameters of meagre fillets. The total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) in smoked meagre fillets was significantly lower in the SA treatment at the end of storage compared to the S treatment. Moreover, SA had a positive effect on lipid peroxidation. Lower values of malondialdehyde (mg MDA/kg) were observed in the SA treatment during preservation compared to the S treatment. This work will contribute to the growth of the fish production chain, producing a value-added fish product by exploiting meagre, whose production has been increasing over decades.
Gluten-Free Cereal Products and Beverages: A Review of Their Health Benefits in the Last Five Years
Authors: Khairuddin Muhammad Arif Najmi , Lasekan Ola
Published: October 2021

In the past decades, food products and beverages made from gluten-free cereals were initially created for certain groups of people who experience gluten-related disorders such as wheat allergies, gluten ataxia, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and the most well-known, celiac disease. Nowadays, the consumption of gluten-free products is not only restricted to targeted groups, but it has become a food trend for normal consumers, especially in countries such as the UK, the US, and some European countries, who believe that consuming a gluten-free product is a healthier choice compared to normal gluten-containing products. However, some research studies have disapproved of this claim because the currently available gluten-free products in the market are generally known to be lower in proteins, vitamins, and minerals and to contain higher lipids, sugar, and salt compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. The use of other gluten-free cereals such as sorghum, millet, and teff as well as pseudo cereals such as buckwheat and quinoa has gained significant interest in research in terms of their various potential health benefits. Hence, this review highlights the potential health benefits of some gluten-free cereals and pseudo cereals apart from corn and rice in the last decade. The potential health benefits of gluten-free products such as bread, pasta, crackers, and cookies and the health benefits of some other non-alcoholic beverages made from gluten-free cereals and pseudo cereals are reported.
Lipase Addition Promoted the Growth of Proteus and the Formation of Volatile Compounds in Suanzhayu, a Traditional Fermented Fish Product
Authors: Jiang Cuicui , Liu Mengyang , Yan Xu , Bao Ruiqi , Liu Aoxue , Wang Wenqing , Zhang Zuoli , Liang Huipeng , Ji Chaofan , Zhang Sufang , Lin Xinping
Published: October 2021

This work investigated the effect of lipase addition on a Chinese traditional fermented fish product, Suanzhayu. The accumulation of lactic acid and the decrease of pH during the fermentation were mainly caused by the metabolism of Lactobacillus. The addition of lipase had little effect on pH and the bacterial community structure but promoted the growth of Proteus. The addition of lipase promotes the formation of volatile compounds, especially aldehydes and esters. The formation of volatile compounds is mainly divided into three stages, and lipase had accelerated the fermentation process. Lactobacillus, Enterococcus and Proteus played an important role not only in inhibition of the growth of Escherichia-Shigella, but also in the formation of flavor. This study provides a rapid fermentation method for the Suanzhayu process.
Phytochemical Fortification in Fruit and Vegetable Beverages with Green Technologies
Authors: Artés-Hernández Francisco , Castillejo Noelia , Martínez-Zamora Lorena , Martínez-Hernández Ginés Benito
Published: October 2021

Background: Phytochemical, bioactive and nutraceutical compounds are terms usually found in the scientific literature related to natural compounds found in plants linked to health-promoting properties. Fruit and vegetable beverages (mainly juice and smoothies) are a convenient strategy to enhance the consumption of horticultural commodities, with the possibility of being fortified with plant byproducts to enhance the content of bioactive compounds. Objective: This review aims to analyse the different green technologies applied in beverage processing with a fortification effect on their health promoting compounds. Results: Fortification can be performed by several strategies, including physical elicitors (e.g., processing technologies), plant/algae extract supplementation, and fermentation with probiotics, among others. Thermal processing technologies are conventionally used to ensure the preservation of food safety with a long shelf life, but this frequently reduces nutritional and sensory quality. However, green non-thermal technologies (e.g., UV, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, ultrasounds, cold plasma, etc.) are being widely investigated in order to reduce costs and make possible more sustainable production processes without affecting the nutritional and sensory quality of beverages. Conclusions: Such green processing technologies may enhance the content of phytochemical compounds through improvement of their extraction/bioaccessibility and/or different biosynthetic reactions that occurred during processing.
Dynamics of Microbial Inactivation and Acrylamide Production in High-Temperature Heat Treatments
Authors: Peñalver-Soto Jose Lucas , Garre Alberto , Aznar Arantxa , Fernández Pablo S. , Egea Jose A.
Published: October 2021

In food processes, optimizing processing parameters is crucial to ensure food safety, maximize food quality, and minimize the formation of potentially toxigenic compounds. This research focuses on the simultaneous impacts that severe heat treatments applied to food may have on the formation of harmful chemicals and on microbiological safety. The case studies analysed consider the appearance/synthesis of acrylamide after a sterilization heat treatment for two different foods: pureed potato and prune juice, using Geobacillus stearothermophilus as an indicator. It presents two contradictory situations: on the one hand, the application of a high-temperature treatment to a low acid food with G. stearothermophilus spores causes their inactivation, reaching food safety and stability from a microbiological point of view. On the other hand, high temperatures favour the appearance of acrylamide. In this way, the two objectives (microbiological safety and acrylamide production) are opposed. In this work, we analyse the effects of high-temperature thermal treatments (isothermal conditions between 120 and 135 °C) in food from two perspectives: microbiological safety/stability and acrylamide production. After analysing both objectives simultaneously, it is concluded that, contrary to what is expected, heat treatments at higher temperatures result in lower acrylamide production for the same level of microbial inactivation. This is due to the different dynamics and sensitivities of the processes at high temperatures. These results, as well as the presented methodology, can be a basis of analysis for decision makers to design heat treatments that ensure food safety while minimizing the amount of acrylamide (or other harmful substances) produced.
Prebiotic Effect of Maitake Extract on a Probiotic Consortium and Its Action after Microbial Fermentation on Colorectal Cell Lines
Authors: De Giani Alessandra , Bovio Federica , Forcella Matilde Emma , Lasagni Marina , Fusi Paola , Di Gennaro Patrizia
Published: October 2021

Maitake (Grifola frondosa) is a medicinal mushroom known for its peculiar biological activities due to the presence of functional components, including dietary fibers and glucans, that can improve human health through the modulation of the gut microbiota. In this paper, a Maitake ethanol/water extract was prepared and characterized through enzymatic and chemical assays. The prebiotic potential of the extract was evaluated by the growth of some probiotic strains and of a selected probiotic consortium. The results revealed the prebiotic properties due to the stimulation of the growth of the probiotic strains, also in consortium, leading to the production of SCFAs, including lactic, succinic, and valeric acid analyzed via GC-MSD. Then, their beneficials effect were employed in evaluating the vitality of three different healthy and tumoral colorectal cell lines (CCD841, CACO-2, and HT-29) and the viability rescue after co-exposure to different stressor agents and the probiotic consortium secondary metabolites. These metabolites exerted positive effects on colorectal cell lines, in particular in protection from reactive oxygen species.
A Variety of New Traveling Wave Packets and Conservation Laws to the Nonlinear Low-Pass Electrical Transmission Lines via Lie Analysis
Authors: Riaz Muhammad Bilal , Awrejcewicz Jan , Jhangeer Adil , Junaid-U-Rehman Muhammad
Published: October 2021

This research is based on computing the new wave packets and conserved quantities to the nonlinear low-pass electrical transmission lines (NLETLs) via the group-theoretic method. By using the group-theoretic technique, we analyse the NLETLs and compute infinitesimal generators. The resulting equations concede two-dimensional Lie algebra. Then, we have to find the commutation relation of the entire vector field and observe that the obtained generators make an abelian algebra. The optimal system is computed by using the entire vector field and using the concept of abelian algebra. With the help of an optimal system, NLETLs convert into nonlinear ODE. The modified Khater method (MKM) is used to find the wave packets by using the resulting ODEs for a supposed model. To represent the physical importance of the considered model, some 3D, 2D, and density diagrams of acquired results are plotted by using Mathematica under the suitable choice of involving parameter values. Furthermore, all derived results were verified by putting them back into the assumed equation with the aid of Maple software. Further, the conservation laws of NLETLs are computed by the multiplier method.
(k, ψ)-Proportional Fractional Integral Pólya–Szegö- and Grüss-Type Inequalities
Authors: Aljaaidi Tariq A. , Pachpatte Deepak B. , Abdo Mohammed S. , Botmart Thongchai , Ahmad Hijaz , Almalahi Mohammed A. , Redhwan Saleh S.
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this research was to discover a novel method to recover k-fractional integral inequalities of the Pólya–Szegö-type. We employ these generalized inequalities to investigate some new fractional integral inequalities of the Grüss-type. More precisely, we generalize the proportional fractional operators with respect to another strictly increasing continuous function ψ. Then, we state and prove some of its properties and special cases. With the help of this generalized operator, we investigate some Pólya–Szegö- and Grüss-type fractional integral inequalities. The functions used in this work are bounded by two positive functions to obtain Pólya–Szegö- and Grüss-type k-fractional integral inequalities in a new sense. Moreover, we discuss some new special cases of the Pólya–Szegö- and Grüss-type inequalities through this work.
Generalizations of the Nonlinear Henry Inequality and the Leray–Schauder Type Fixed Point Theorem with Applications to Fractional Differential Inclusions
Authors: Hamlat Zouaoui , Graef John R. , Ouahab Abdelghani
Published: October 2021

The authors give some singular versions of the Gronwall–Bihari–Henry inequalities. They also establish a multivalued version of the Leray–Schauder alternative in strictly star-shaped sets. Based on these new fractional inequalities and fixed point theorem, they study an initial value problem for fractional differential inclusions with delay.
Incorporating Rheological Nonlinearity into Fractional Calculus Descriptions of Fractal Matter and Multi-Scale Complex Fluids
Authors: Rathinaraj Joshua David John , McKinley Gareth H. , Keshavarz Bavand
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we use ideas from fractional calculus to study the rheological response of soft materials under steady-shearing flow conditions. The linear viscoelastic properties of many multi-scale complex fluids exhibit a power-law behavior that spans over many orders of magnitude in time or frequency, and we can accurately describe this linear viscoelastic rheology using fractional constitutive models. By measuring the non-linear response during large step strain deformations, we also demonstrate that this class of soft materials often follows a time-strain separability principle, which enables us to characterize their nonlinear response through an experimentally determined damping function. To model the nonlinear response of these materials, we incorporate the damping function with the integral formulation of a fractional viscoelastic constitutive model and develop an analytical framework that enables the calculation of material properties such as the rate-dependent shear viscosity measured in steady-state shearing flows. We focus on a general subclass of fractional constitutive equations, known as the Fractional Maxwell Model, and consider several different analytical forms for the damping function. Through analytical and computational evaluations of the shear viscosity, we show that for sufficiently strong damping functions, for example, an exponential decay of fluid memory with strain, the observed shear-thinning behavior follows a power-law response with exponents that are set by the power-law indices of the linear fractional model. For weak damping functions, however, the power-law index of the high shear rate viscosity is set by the terminal behavior of the damping function itself at large strains. In the limit of a very weak damping function, the theoretical formulation predicts an unbounded growth of the shear stress with time and a continuously growing transient viscosity function that does not converge to a meaningful steady-state value. By determining the leading terms in our analytical solution for the viscosity at both low and high shear rates, we construct an approximate analytic expression for the rate-dependent viscosity. An error analysis shows that, for each of the damping functions considered, this closed-form expression is accurate over a wide range of shear rates.
A Deep Learning BiLSTM Encoding-Decoding Model for COVID-19 Pandemic Spread Forecasting
Authors: Shahin Ahmed I. , Almotairi Sultan
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has widely spread with an increasing infection rate through more than 200 countries. The governments of the world need to record the confirmed infectious, recovered, and death cases for the present state and predict the cases. In favor of future case prediction, governments can impose opening and closing procedures to save human lives by slowing down the pandemic progression spread. There are several forecasting models for pandemic time series based on statistical processing and machine learning algorithms. Deep learning has been proven as an excellent tool for time series forecasting problems. This paper proposes a deep learning time-series prediction model to forecast the confirmed, recovered, and death cases. Our proposed network is based on an encoding–decoding deep learning network. Moreover, we optimize the selection of our proposed network hyper-parameters. Our proposed forecasting model was applied in Saudi Arabia. Then, we applied the proposed model to other countries. Our study covers two categories of countries that have witnessed different spread waves this year. During our experiments, we compared our proposed model and the other time-series forecasting models, which totaled fifteen prediction models: three statistical models, three deep learning models, seven machine learning models, and one prophet model. Our proposed forecasting model accuracy was assessed using several statistical evaluation criteria. It achieved the lowest error values and achieved the highest R-squared value of 0.99. Our proposed model may help policymakers to improve the pandemic spread control, and our method can be generalized for other time series forecasting tasks.
Pain Assessment for Individuals with Advanced Dementia in Care Homes: A Systematic Review
Authors: Felton Nansi , Lewis Jennifer S. , Cockburn Sarah-Jane , Hodgson Margot , Dawson Shoba
Published: October 2021

Pain is prevalent in older people, especially in those with advanced dementia who have communication impairments. Although pain is recognised to be present in this population, it is often under-assessed and ineffectively managed. The assessment of pain in advanced dementia is extremely challenging and complex, particularly in institutional settings such as care homes. This study systematically reviews the literature to examine and characterise the evidence for the use of pain assessment tools in care homes with individuals living with advanced dementia. Relevant publications were sourced from electronic bibliometric medical databases including AMED, CINAHL Plus, Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, TRIP Pro, Google Scholar, and HINARI. The database search was supplemented by screening citations and reference lists, in addition to a grey literature searches. The search identified 2221 studies, among which 26 were included in the review. The majority of the studies were observational, which created a rich source of data to create four major themes. The findings were informed and shaped by working with key stakeholders to develop a conceptual model that can contribute to developing evidence-based practice. This highlights the importance of a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to pain assessment in this population, which is beyond the use of tools.
Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Chinese Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Repeated-Measure Study throughout One Year
Authors: Ning Ke , Chen Si-Tong , Chi Xinli , Liang Kaixin
Published: October 2021

Though we know physical activity (PA) decreased while sedentary behavior (SB) increased compared to that before the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about subsequent changes in PA and SB throughout one year in the post-pandemic era. This study aimed to examine the changes in PA and SB in a sample of Chinese young adults using a four-wave repeated-measure design during the pandemic. A total of 411 participants provided self-reported data of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., sex, age), PA, and SB. Nonparametric tests and generalized estimating equations were conducted. Results revealed significant changes in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and SB. The MVPA of Wave 1, 2, and 3 was significantly less than that of Wave 4 (p < 0.001); the LPA of Wave 1 and 2 was significantly less than that of Wave 4; the SB of Wave 1 was significantly more than that of Wave 4 (p < 0.05). Being female was the only predictor of changes in MVPA (Beta = −0.311, p< 0.001). Being female (Beta = 0.115, p = 0.003) and perceived family affluence (Beta = −0.059, p< 0.001) were predictors of changes in SB. As such, PA was less, while SB was more during the early stages of the pandemic. With the progress of the pandemic stages, health behaviors in young adults have been gradually improved. Sex and perceived family affluence were two important factors in predicting health behaviors. Our results can inform efficient policies or interventions in the COVID-19 era and future similar public health events.
Technical Non-Invasive Study of an 18th Century Novo-Hispanic Panel Painting
Authors: Pérez Miguel , Cano Nathael , Ruvalcaba-Sil José Luis , Mitrani Alejandro , de Lucio Oscar G.
Published: October 2021

Purísima Concepción, a large-format and unusual panel painting attributed to the 18th century, based on style and the common aspect of the visual tradition of the Virgin Mary found in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, is sheltered at the Museo Ex-convento San Agustín Acolman-INAH, México, an institution opened in late 1920, and one of the oldest museums in México. In this work, we present the material characterization of the surface layer of the painting by means of a non-invasive methodology, resulting from the combination of imaging and spectroscopic techniques. Analysis of hyperspectral images employing methods such as spectral angle mapper and principal component analysis allowed us to describe spatial distribution of the pigments and manufacturing methods, while XRF and FORS allowed us to record the complex and diverse color palette employed to achieve effects such as brightness, hue, saturation, and even the covering power of this painting.
Applying International Guidelines on Historic Building’s Retrofit in New Zealand: A Critical Context View
Authors: Paschoalin Rachel , Isaacs Nigel
Published: October 2021

Interest in the energy retrofit of historic buildings reflects the current drive to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. New Zealand (NZ), unlike Europe and USA, has no country-specific guidelines considering heritage conservation, energy efficiency, reduced carbon emissions and cost. The paper explores benefits to NZ from a policy and practice perspective from such procedures. The adoption of tailored retrofit guidelines would contribute to the national goal of reduced GHG emissions by 2050. The case study investigates the relevance and challenges of assessments such as heritage impact, life-cycle carbon assessment and life-cycle costing for historic building renovations. Through interviews with a range of experts, the results for hypothetical retrofits of a heritage building are evaluated. The interviews reveal how possible trade-offs among different assessment criteria (e.g., energy, cost, carbon footprint and heritage impact) are considered by different specialist groups, as well as exploring the benefits and barriers, and providing recommendations for future renovation guidance. The main findings highlight the importance of a life-cycle perspective and of conservation plans for heritage assessment. The experts all agreed that from a conservation perspective, there was no one energy retrofit solution that fits all building types and cases.