bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Image Segmentation of Brain MRI Based on LTriDP and Superpixels of Improved SLIC
Authors: Wang Yu , Qi Qi , Shen Xuanjing
Published: February 2020

Non-uniform gray distribution and blurred edges often result in bias during the superpixel segmentation of medical images of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To this end, we propose a novel superpixel segmentation algorithm by integrating texture features and improved simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC). First, a 3D histogram reconstruction model is used to reconstruct the input image, which is further enhanced by gamma transformation. Next, the local tri-directional pattern descriptor is used to extract texture features of the image; this is followed by an improved SLIC superpixel segmentation. Finally, a novel clustering-center updating rule is proposed, using pixels with gray difference with original clustering centers smaller than a predefined threshold. The experiments on the Whole Brain Atlas (WBA) image database showed that, compared to existing state-of-the-art methods, our superpixel segmentation algorithm generated significantly more uniform superpixels, and demonstrated the performance accuracy of the superpixel segmentation in both fuzzy boundaries and fuzzy regions.
Evaluating the Impact of Building Information Modeling (BIM) on Mass House Building Projects
Authors: Sarvari Hadi , Chan Daniel W. M. , Rakhshanifar Mansooreh , Banaitiene Nerija , Banaitis Audrius
Published: February 2020

This paper aims to identify and investigate the factors affecting the goals of mass-housing building projects due to the use of building information modeling (BIM). A descriptive-survey method was used to collect necessary data. Fifty respondents from the target sectors and experts in the field of modeling building information participated in self-selection survey. The tools of collecting data included three questionnaires regarding three phases of construction work: pre-construction, during construction and post-construction, which were developed based on the three indices of cost, time and quality. The face, content and construct validity of the questionnaires were confirmed after several rounds of testing. The reliability coefficient of the pre-construction, during the construction and post-construction questionnaires were 0.923, 0.917 and 0.876, respectively. The results show that the F-statistic is significant for the difference between the three groups (pre-construction, during construction and post-construction) at the 0.01 level. The results confirmed that BIM has a great influence on a project in terms of meeting time, cost and quality objectives through the whole life cycle of a construction project: during pre-construction, construction, and post-construction stages.
The Effects of the Crystalline Phase of Zirconia on C–O Activation and C–C Coupling in Converting Syngas into Aromatics
Authors: Wang Sheng , Fang Yue , Huang Zhen , Xu Hualong , Shen Wei
Published: February 2020

Zirconia has recently been used as an efficient catalyst in the conversion of syngas. The crystalline phases of ZrO2 in ZrO2/HZSM-5 bi-functional catalysts have important effects on C–O activation and C–C coupling in converting syngas into aromatics and been investigated in this work. Monoclinic ZrO2 (m-ZrO2) and tetragonal ZrO2 (t-ZrO2) were synthesized by hydrothermal and chemical precipitation methods, respectively. The results of in situ diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTs) revealed that there were more active hydroxyl groups existing on the surface of m-ZrO2, and CO temperature programmed desorption (CO-TPD) results indicated that the CO adsorption capacity of m-ZrO2 was higher than that of t-ZrO2, which can facilitate the C–O activation of m-ZrO2 for syngas conversion compared to that of t-ZrO2. And the CO conversion on the m-ZrO2 catalyst was about 50% more than that on the t-ZrO2 catalyst. 31P and 13C magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) analysis revealed a higher acid and base density of m-ZrO2 than that of t-ZrO2, which enhanced the C–C coupling. The selectivity to CH4 on the m-ZrO2 catalyst was about 1/5 of that on the t-ZrO2 catalyst in syngas conversion. The selectivity to C2+ hydrocarbons over m-ZrO2 or t-ZrO2 as well as the proximity of the ZrO2 sample and HZSM-5 greatly affected the further aromatization in converting syngas into aromatics.
Viscoelastic Hemostatic Assays: Moving from the Laboratory to the Site of Care—A Review of Established and Emerging Technologies
Authors: Hartmann Jan , Murphy Matthew , Dias Joao D.
Published: February 2020

Viscoelastic-based techniques to evaluate whole blood hemostasis have advanced substantially since they were first developed over 70 years ago but are still based upon the techniques first described by Dr. Hellmut Hartert in 1948. Today, the use of thromboelastography, the method of testing viscoelastic properties of blood coagulation, has moved out of the research laboratory and is now more widespread, used commonly during surgery, in emergency departments, intensive care units, and in labor wards. Thromboelastography is currently a rapidly growing field of technological advancement and is attracting significant investment. This review will first describe the history of the viscoelastic testing and the established first-generation devices, which were developed for use within the laboratory. This review will then describe the next-generation hemostasis monitoring devices, which were developed for use at the site of care for an expanding range of clinical applications. This review will then move on to experimental technologies, which promise to make viscoelastic testing more readily available in a wider range of clinical environments in the endeavor to improve patient care.
Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of Equilibrium Debye Plasmas
Authors: Colonna Gianpiero , Laricchiuta Annarita
Published: February 2020

The thermodynamic and transport properties of weakly non-ideal, high-density partially ionized hydrogen plasma are investigated, accounting for quantum effects due to the change in the energy spectrum of atomic hydrogen when the electron–proton interaction is considered embedded in the surrounding particles. The complexity of the rigorous approach led to the development of simplified models, able to include the neighbor-effects on the isolated system while remaining consistent with the traditional thermodynamic approach. High-density conditions have been simulated assuming particle interactions described by a screened Coulomb potential.
Entropy of Conduction Electrons from Transport Experiments
Authors: Pérez Nicolás , Wolf Constantin , Kunzmann Alexander , Freudenberger Jens , Krautz Maria , Weise Bruno , Nielsch Kornelius , Schierning Gabi
Published: February 2020

The entropy of conduction electrons was evaluated utilizing the thermodynamic definition of the Seebeck coefficient as a tool. This analysis was applied to two different kinds of scientific questions that can—if at all—be only partially addressed by other methods. These are the field-dependence of meta-magnetic phase transitions and the electronic structure in strongly disordered materials, such as alloys. We showed that the electronic entropy change in meta-magnetic transitions is not constant with the applied magnetic field, as is usually assumed. Furthermore, we traced the evolution of the electronic entropy with respect to the chemical composition of an alloy series. Insights about the strength and kind of interactions appearing in the exemplary materials can be identified in the experiments.
An Engineering-Problem-Based Short Experiment Project on Finite Element Method for Undergraduate Students
Authors: Guo Yanjie , Yang Lijuan , Chen Xuefeng , Yang Lei
Published: February 2020

How to cultivate students’ engineering practice ability in the digital manufacturing period is a difficult problem. This paper presents a finite element analysis experiment project for undergraduate students. The goals of implementing finite element modeling in this project are to enhance students’ understanding of theoretical mechanics and to introduce computational methods to undergraduate students at an early stage during their undergraduate education. The students are required to use different methods to analyze the stress state of a typical engineering structure and seek the optimal design. Then, the experiment score is divided into two parts according to the course objectives. We analyzed the score distribution to find the limitations of teaching. The feedback from the students demonstrate that the experiment case from the engineering project can increase their interest in learning and applying the acquired knowledge. After comparisons, our conclusion is that outcome-based education (OBE) can effectively improve the quality of classroom teaching, and this experimental project can improve students’ engineering practice ability and obtain satisfactory teaching results.
Optimization of Public Transport Services to Minimize Passengers’ Waiting Times and Maximize Vehicles’ Occupancy Ratios
Authors: Hartmann Tolić Ivana , Nyarko Emmanuel Karlo , Ceder Avishai (Avi)
Published: February 2020

Determining the best timetable for vehicles in a public transportation (PT) network is a complex problem, especially because it is just necessary to consider the requirements and satisfaction of passengers as the requirements of transportation companies. In this paper, a model of the PT timetabling problem which takes into consideration the passenger waiting time (PWT) at a station and the vehicle occupancy ratio (VOR) is proposed. The solution aims to minimize PWT and maximize VOR. Due to the large search space of the problem, we use a multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm to arrive at the solution of the problem. The results of the proposed method are compared with similar results from the existing literature.
Design of Soft-Switching Hybrid DC-DC Converter with 2-Phase Switched Capacitor and 0.8nH Inductor for Standard CMOS Process
Authors: Choi Minho , Jeong Deog-Kyoon
Published: February 2020

A soft-switching hybrid DC-DC converter with a 2-phase switched capacitor is proposed for the implementation of a fully-integrated voltage regulator in a 65 nm standard CMOS process. The soft-switching operation is implemented to minimize power loss due to the parasitic capacitance of the flying capacitor. The 2-phase switched capacitor topology keeps the same resonance value for every soft-switching operation, resulting in minimizing the voltage imbalance of the flying capacitor. The proposed adaptive timing generator digitally calibrates the turn-on delay of switches to achieve a complete soft-switching operation. The simulation results show that the proposed soft-switching hybrid DC-DC converter with a 2-phase 2:1 switched capacitor improves the efficiency by 5.1% and achieves 79.5% peak efficiency at a maximum load current of 250 mA.
Assessment of Sectoral Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Potentials for 2030
Authors: Blok Kornelis , Afanador Angélica , van der Hoorn Irina , Berg Tom , Edelenbosch Oreane Y. , van Vuuren Detlef P.
Published: February 2020

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of greenhouse gas emission reduction potentials for 2030 based on the assessment of detailed sectoral studies. The overview updates a previous assessment that dates back more than ten years. We find a total emission reduction potential of 30–36 GtCO2e compared to a current-policies baseline of 61 GtCO2e. The energy production and conversion sector is responsible for about one third of this potential and the agriculture, buildings, forestry, industry, and transport sectors all contribute substantially to the total potential. The potential for 2030 is enough to bridge the gap towards emissions pathways that are compatible with a maximum global temperature rise of 1.5–2 °C compared to preindustrial levels.
Performance of a Solar Thermoelectric Power-Harvesting Device Based on an All-Glass Solar Heat Transfer Pipe and Gravity-Assisted Heat Pipe with Recycling Air Cooling and Water Cooling Circuits
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Wu Yafeng , Li Wenbin , Xu Daochun
Published: February 2020

For the purpose of collecting solar radiation for energy conversion and utilization and improving the output performance of thermoelectric power-generation components, a new solar thermoelectric conversion device based on an all-glass solar heat transfer pipe and gravity-assisted heat pipe with recycling air cooling and water cooling circuits is designed. The uniqueness of the device lies in the combination of gravity-assisted heat pipes with excellent thermal conductivity and a direct air-cooled mode, a fin-cooled mode, and two solar-driven water-cooling modes with different flow rates. Based on the structure, the device can realize four separate output modes and multiple composite output modes and has practical significance for meeting different load power requirements, such as wireless sensors and electronics. Under a state of regular illumination from 3.14 × 104 lx to 10.04 × 104 lx, with one thermoelectric power generator (TEG) in one mode, the peak output voltage and power values of the device in single-output mode range from 183.1 mV to 370.7 mV and 33.5 mW to 137.2 mW, respectively, proving the feasibility of the proposed device. The energy supply of the above structure is completely obtained from the natural environment, and this aspect provides a high reference value for the cross-research of natural environment energy utilization and thermoelectric energy-conversion technology.
Development of Energy Benchmarks for Office Buildings Using the National Energy Consumption Database
Authors: Kim Hye Gi , Kim Sun Sook
Published: February 2020

In an effort to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings, it is necessary to first evaluate the energy performance of those buildings. Since it is difficult to obtain detailed information on existing buildings, the challenge is how to conduct reliable energy performance assessments with this limited information. As a result, many countries have adopted evaluation systems based on measured energy consumption data for existing buildings. This study aims to analyze the building energy consumption and characteristics using Korea’s national building database and provide an energy performance benchmark for continuous management of the energy performance of existing buildings. We analyzed the relationship between the basic statistical characteristics of the information collected from the national integrated energy database and energy consumption. The total floor area was found to be closely related to energy consumption, and various regression analysis methods were applied and compared to develop a benchmark to explain the trends of energy consumption according to the increase in total floor area. Finally, the developed benchmarks were used to evaluate energy consumption and examine the feasibility of the benchmarks.
Comparison of the Evaporation and Condensation Heat Transfer Coefficients on the External Surface of Tubes in the Annulus of a Tube-in-Tube Heat Exchanger
Authors: Tang Weiyu , Kukulka David John , Li Wei , Smith Rick
Published: February 2020

An experimental study was carried out to explore the heat transfer characteristics on the outside of smooth and enhanced tubes, during evaporation and condensation of R134A in the annulus of a tube-in-tube heat exchanger. The three-dimensional enhanced surface tube consisted of primary enhancement patterns and secondary patterns; results were compared to the performance of an equivalent smooth tube. The equivalent external diameter of the inside horizontal copper tubes used in this study was 19.05 mm, while the outer tube varied in size, allowing a comparison of heat transfer for different annulus dimensions. Tests were conducted with a fixed inlet/outlet vapor quality and a constant saturation temperature for varied mass velocities in the range of 30 to 100 kg/(m2∙s). For condensation, the ratio of heat transfer coefficient enhancement (enhanced tube/ smooth tube) was up to 1.78; this can be attributed to the turbulence increase, as well as liquid film re-distribution, produced from the dimples. Furthermore, the condensation heat transfer coefficient increased rapidly with increasing mass flux. For flow boiling in the annulus between the 1EHT tube and outer tube, the heat transfer coefficient during boiling was 11–36% higher when compared to the smooth tube at xave = 0.35, while the performance of the 1EHT tube was not as good as the smooth tube at xave = 0.5. The heat transfer deterioration can be explained by decreased effective nucleate flow boiling heat transfer area and the flow pattern transition between a slug/wavy-stratified flow to wavy-stratified flow.
Thermal Degradation Kinetics and FT-IR Analysis on the Pyrolysis of Pinus pseudostrobus, Pinus leiophylla and Pinus montezumae as Forest Waste in Western Mexico
Authors: Alvarado Flores José Juan , Rutiaga Quiñones José Guadalupe , Ávalos Rodríguez María Liliana , Alcaraz Vera Jorge Víctor , Espino Valencia Jaime , Guevara Martínez Santiago José , Márquez Montesino Francisco , Alfaro Rosas Antonio
Published: February 2020

For the first time, a study has been carried out on the pyrolysis of wood residues from Pinus pseudostrobus, Pinus leiophylla and Pinus montezumae, from an area in Western México using TGA analysis to determine the main kinetic parameters (Ea and Z) at different heating rates in a N2 atmosphere. The samples were heated from 25 °C to 800 °C with six different heating rates 5–30 °C min−1. The Ea, was calculated using different widely known mathematical models such as Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose. The Ea value of 126.58, 123.22 and 112.72 kJ/mol (P. pseudostrobus), 146.15, 143.24 and 132.76 kJ/mol (P. leiophylla) and 148.12, 151.8 and 141.25 kJ/mol (P. montezumae) respectively, was found for each method. A variation in Ea with respect to conversion was observed with the three models used, revealing that pyrolysis of pines progresses through more complex, multi-stage kinetics. FT-IR spectroscopy was conducted to determine the functional groups present in the three species of conifers. This research will allow future decisions to be made, and possibly, to carry out this process in a biomass reactor and therefore the production of H2 for the generation of energy through a fuel cell.
Performance Analysis of a Stirling Engine Hybrid Power System
Authors: Jimenez Zabalaga Pablo , Cardozo Evelyn , Choque Campero Luis A. , Araoz Ramos Joseph Adhemar
Published: February 2020

The Bolivian government’s concerns that are related to reducing the consumption of diesel fuel, which is imported, subsidized, and provided to isolated electric plants in rural communities, have led to the implementation of hybrid power systems. Therefore, this article presents the performance analysis in terms of energy efficiency, economic feasibility, and environmental sustainability of a photovoltaic (PV)/Stirling battery system. The analysis includes the dynamic start-up and cooling phases of the system, and then compares its performance with a hybrid photovoltaic (PV)/diesel/battery system, whose configuration is usually more common. Both systems were initially optimized in size using the well-known energy optimization software tool, HOMER. An estimated demand for a hypothetical case study of electrification for a rural village of 102 households, called “Tacuaral de Mattos”, was also considered. However, since the characteristics of the proposed systems required a detailed analysis of its dynamics, a dynamic model that complemented the HOMER analysis was developed using MATLAB Simulink TM 8.9. The results showed that the PV/Stirling battery system represented a higher performance option to implement in the electrification project, due to its good environmental sustainability (69% savings in CO2 emissions), economic criterion (11% savings in annualized total cost), and energy efficiency (5% savings in fuel energy conversion).
Estimation of the Discharge of Sunscreens in Aquatic Environments of the Mexican Caribbean
Authors: Casas-Beltran Diego Armando , Hernández-Pedraza Miguel , Alvarado-Flores Jesús
Published: February 2020

Tourist growth in Quintana Roo, Mexico has brought with it an increase of pollution by sunscreens to aquatic ecosystems, which represents an environmental risk because of the chemical components of sunscreens that can negatively affect human health and aquatic ecosystems. However, the magnitude of pollution in aquatic environments is unknown. Consequently, we sought to estimate the contamination by sunscreens based on usage and tourism statistics. Our estimate indicates that the water in Quintana Roo will receive nearly 4367.25 tons of chemicals from sunscreens used by residents and tourists over a period of 18 years (2007 to 2025). On average, each tourist stays in Quintana Roo for 3.45 days, and 89.9% of these visitors apply sunscreen, although only the 83.7% engage in water activities. Additionally, 30.4% of residents engage in water activities for an average of 1.5 days/year. We considered direct sunscreen contaminant contamination, which occurs from the application of sunscreen and subsequent water activities, as well as indirect contamination, which occurs when people wash their skin with drinking water that then enters the drainage system. Our analysis indicated that the greatest contribution of sunscreen to the karst aquifer of Quintana Roo, is direct. Chemicals dissolved in water are a danger to aquatic life and human health.
Influence of Soil Characteristics and Land Use Type on Existing Fractions of Radioactive 137Cs in Fukushima Soils
Authors: Mensah Akwasi Dwira , Terasaki Akimi , Aung Han Phyo , Toda Hiroto , Suzuki Sohzoh , Tanaka Haruo , Onwona-Agyeman Siaw , Omari Richard Ansong , Bellingrath-Kimura Sonoko Dorothea
Published: February 2020

Radioactive cesium (137Cs) in distinct soil fractions provides key information to its bioavailability, and therefore determining the effect of soil characteristics and land use types on existing fractions of 137Cs in soils is important for predicting future 137Cs mobility in Fukushima. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of soil characteristics and land use types on sequentially extracted fractions of 137Cs in Fukushima. In this study, five coniferous forest soils, eight arable soils, and eight paddy rice soils were sampled in 2012 and 2013. The 137Cs in the soils were separated into four fractions; water-soluble, exchangeable, organic matter-bound and residual fractions. More than 90% of the soil 137Cs fraction for arable and paddy rice soils was found in the residual fraction, implying significantly reduced bioavailable 137Cs with higher fixation. In contrast, forest soils measured higher exchangeable and organic matter-bound fractions of 5%–33% and 9%–44%, respectively, implying future 137Cs mobility in the forest ecosystem. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) between the organic matter fraction and residual fraction in both arable and paddy rice soils. There was a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) for both exchangeable and residual fractions with cation exchange capacity (CEC), total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) values in arable soils. Organic matter content influenced both exchangeable and residual fractions. It was not clear whether organic matter played a direct role in 137Cs fixation or mobility in the agricultural soils. In paddy rice soils, the organic matter fraction showed a significant negative correlation with TC and TN values. Soil pH was significantly negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with both water-soluble and residual fractions in forest soils but positively (p < 0.1) with the organically bound 137Cs fraction.
Geographical Gradients of Genetic Diversity and Differentiation among the Southernmost Marginal Populations of Abies sachalinensis Revealed by EST-SSR Polymorphism
Authors: Kitamura Keiko , Uchiyama Kentaro , Ueno Saneyoshi , Ishizuka Wataru , Tsuyama Ikutaro , Goto Susumu
Published: February 2020

Research Highlights: We detected the longitudinal gradients of genetic diversity parameters, such as the number of alleles, effective number of alleles, heterozygosity, and inbreeding coefficient, and found that these might be attributable to climatic conditions, such as temperature and snow depth. Background and Objectives: Genetic diversity among local populations of a plant species at its distributional margin has long been of interest in ecological genetics. Populations at the distribution center grow well in favorable conditions, but those at the range margins are exposed to unfavorable environments, and the environmental conditions at establishment sites might reflect the genetic diversity of local populations. This is known as the central-marginal hypothesis in which marginal populations show lower genetic variation and higher differentiation than in central populations. In addition, genetic variation in a local population is influenced by phylogenetic constraints and the population history of selection under environmental constraints. In this study, we investigated this hypothesis in relation to Abies sachalinensis, a major conifer species in Hokkaido. Materials and Methods: A total of 1189 trees from 25 natural populations were analyzed using 19 EST-SSR loci. Results: The eastern populations, namely, those in the species distribution center, showed greater genetic diversity than did the western peripheral populations. Another important finding is that the southwestern marginal populations were genetically differentiated from the other populations. Conclusions: These differences might be due to genetic drift in the small and isolated populations at the range margin. Therefore, our results indicated that the central-marginal hypothesis held true for the southernmost A. sachalinensis populations in Hokkaido.
Extending a Conceptual Framework for Junior Doctors’ Career Decision Making and Rural Careers: Explorers versus Planners and Finding the ‘Right Fit’
Authors: Cuesta-Briand Beatriz , Coleman Mathew , Ledingham Rebekah , Moore Sarah , Wright Helen , Oldham David , Playford Denese
Published: February 2020

This study uses data from a Rural Clinical School of Western Australia (RCSWA) and WA Country Health (WACHS) study on rural work intentions among junior doctors to explore their internal decision-making processes and gain a better understanding of how junior doctors make decisions along their career pathway. This was a qualitative study involving junior doctor participants in postgraduate years (PGY) 1 to 5 undergoing training in Western Australia (WA). Data was collected through semi-structured telephone interviews. Two main themes were identified: career decision-making as an on-going process; and early career doctors’ internal decision-making process, which fell broadly into two groups (‘explorers’ and ‘planners’). Both groups of junior doctors require ongoing personalised career advice, training pathways, and career development opportunities that best “fit” their internal decision-making processes for the purposes of enhancing rural workforce outcomes.
Custom-Made Foot Orthoses Reduce Pain and Fatigue in Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. A Pilot Study
Authors: Reina-Bueno María , Vázquez-Bautista Carmen , Palomo-Toucedo Inmaculada C. , Domínguez-Maldonado Gabriel , Castillo-López José Manuel , Munuera-Martínez Pedro V.
Published: February 2020

Background: Pain and fatigue are major clinical manifestations in patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). The aim of this study is to measure change of the effects of custom-made foot orthotics on some manifestations related to EDS, such as foot pain, foot functionality, fatigue, and quality of life. Methods: Thirty-six patients with EDS wore foot orthoses for three months. Foot pain, foot-related disability, foot functionality, fatigue, and quality of life were measured using the 11-point Numeric Rating Scale, the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index, the Foot Function Index, the Fatigue Severity Score, and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey questionnaires, respectively, at the beginning and after 3 months. Results: Participants demonstrated significantly improved foot pain (p = 0.002), disability related to foot pain (p < 0.001), foot functionality (p = 0.001), fatigue (p < 0.007), and mental health-related quality of life (p = 0.016). The physical health-related quality of life did not show significant changes. Conclusions: The use of custom-made foot orthoses help in the management of the symptoms by participants. This study could contribute to the foot specialists being considered as an additional member in multidisciplinary teams that are trying to develop an approach for patients with EDS.
A Hierarchical Age–Period–Cohort Analysis of Breast Cancer Mortality and Disability Adjusted Life Years (1990–2015) Attributable to Modified Risk Factors among Chinese Women
Authors: Mubarik Sumaira , Wang Fang , Malik Saima Shakil , Shi Fang , Wang Yafeng , Nawsherwan  , Yu Chuanhua
Published: February 2020

Limited studies quantified the age, period, and cohort effects attributable to different risk factors on mortality rates (MRs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to breast cancer among Chinese women. We used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) in 2017. Mixed-effect and hierarchical age–period–cohort (HAPC) models were used to assess explicit and implicit fluctuations in MRs and DALYs attributable to different breast cancer associated risk factors. As the only risk factor, high body mass index (HBMI) showed continuously increasing trends in MRs and DALYs across ages, periods, and cohorts. Age, recent periods (2010–2015), and risk factor HBMI showed significant positive effect on MRs and DALYs (p < 0.05). Moreover, we reported significant interaction effects of older age and period in recent years in addition to the interplay of older age and risk factor HBMI on MRs and DALYs. Increased age and obesity contribute to substantially raised breast cancer MRs and DALYs in China and around the globe. These discoveries shed light on protective health policies and provision of healthy lifestyle for improving the subsequent breast cancer morbidity and mortality for China, as well as other related Asian regions that are presently facing the same public health challenges.
Network-Based Genetic Profiling Reveals Cellular Pathway Differences Between Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma and Follicular Thyroid Adenoma
Authors: Hossain Md. Ali , Asa Tania Akter , Rahman Md. Mijanur , Uddin Shahadat , Moustafa Ahmed A. , Quinn Julian M. W. , Moni Mohammad Ali
Published: February 2020

Molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and progression of malignant thyroid cancers, such as follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs), and how these differ from benign thyroid lesions, are poorly understood. In this study, we employed network-based integrative analyses of FTC and benign follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA) lesion transcriptomes to identify key genes and pathways that differ between them. We first analysed a microarray gene expression dataset (Gene Expression Omnibus GSE82208, n = 52) obtained from FTC and FTA tissues to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Pathway analyses of these DEGs were then performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) resources to identify potentially important pathways, and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) were examined to identify pathway hub genes. Our data analysis identified 598 DEGs, 133 genes with higher and 465 genes with lower expression in FTCs. We identified four significant pathways (one carbon pool by folate, p53 signalling, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation signalling, and cell cycle pathways) connected to DEGs with high FTC expression; eight pathways were connected to DEGs with lower relative FTC expression. Ten GO groups were significantly connected with FTC-high expression DEGs and 80 with low-FTC expression DEGs. PPI analysis then identified 12 potential hub genes based on degree and betweenness centrality; namely, TOP2A, JUN, EGFR, CDK1, FOS, CDKN3, EZH2, TYMS, PBK, CDH1, UBE2C, and CCNB2. Moreover, transcription factors (TFs) were identified that may underlie gene expression differences observed between FTC and FTA, including FOXC1, GATA2, YY1, FOXL1, E2F1, NFIC, SRF, TFAP2A, HINFP, and CREB1. We also identified microRNA (miRNAs) that may also affect transcript levels of DEGs; these included hsa-mir-335-5p, -26b-5p, -124-3p, -16-5p, -192-5p, -1-3p, -17-5p, -92a-3p, -215-5p, and -20a-5p. Thus, our study identified DEGs, molecular pathways, TFs, and miRNAs that reflect molecular mechanisms that differ between FTC and benign FTA. Given the general similarities of these lesions and common tissue origin, some of these differences may reflect malignant progression potential, and include useful candidate biomarkers for FTC and identifying factors important for FTC pathogenesis.
Understanding Open Defecation in the Age of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Agency, Accountability, and Anger in Rural Bihar
Authors: Jain Anoop , Wagner Ashley , Snell-Rood Claire , Ray Isha
Published: February 2020

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, India’s flagship sanitation intervention, set out to end open defecation by October 2019. While the program improved toilet coverage nationally, large regional disparities in construction and use remain. Our study used ethnographic methods to explore perspectives on open defecation and latrine use, and the socio-economic and political reasons for these perspectives, in rural Bihar. We draw on insights from social epidemiology and political ecology to explore the structural determinants of latrine ownership and use. Though researchers have often pointed to rural residents’ preference for open defecation, we found that people were aware of its many risks. We also found that (i) while sanitation research and “behavior change” campaigns often conflate the reluctance to adopt latrines with a preference for open defecation, this is an erroneous conflation; (ii) a subsidy can help (some) households to construct latrines but the amount of the subsidy and the manner of its disbursement are key to its usefulness; and (iii) widespread resentment towards what many rural residents view as a development bias against rural areas reinforces distrust towards the government overall and its Swachh Bharat Abhiyan-funded latrines in particular. These social-structural explanations for the slow uptake of sanitation in rural Bihar (and potentially elsewhere) deserve more attention in sanitation research and promotion efforts.
The Influence of Physical Activity, Diet, Weight Status and Substance Abuse on Students’ Self-Perceived Health
Authors: Moral-García José Enrique , Agraso-López Antonio David , Ramos-Morcillo Antonio Jesús , Jiménez Alfredo , Jiménez-Eguizábal Alfredo
Published: February 2020

The objective of this study was to determine the level and relationship between the self-perceived health of adolescents in relation to the level of practice of physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, weight status and consumption of substance abuse, such as alcohol and tobacco. A total of 516 adolescent students between the ages of 12 and 16 completed a series of questionnaires to assess their health, physical activity, compliance with the Mediterranean diet and alcohol and tobacco consumption. Adolescents who practice more physical activity have better health and greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The level of health is higher among adolescents with greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet, evidencing better health among those who consume less tobacco. These results show the need to involve the educational community, families and the media to promote healthy lifestyle habits that can help physical activity and sports professionals in the development of theoretical–practical proposals aimed at improving the health of students.
Influence of Benz[a]anthracene on Bone Metabolism and on Liver Metabolism in Nibbler Fish, Girella punctata
Authors: Zanaty Mohamed I. , Sawada Niina , Kitani Yoichiro , Nassar Hossam F. , Mahmoud Hamada M. , Hayakawa Kazuichi , Sekiguchi Toshio , Ogiso Shouzo , Tabuchi Yoshiaki , Urata Makoto , Matsubara Hajime , Takeuchi Yutaka , Hattori Atsuhiko , Srivastav Ajai K. , Amornsakun Thumronk , Suzuki Nobuo
Published: February 2020

It has been reported that spinal deformity was induced in developing fish by the addition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To examine the mechanism of the disruption of fish bone metabolism, the effect of benz[a]anthracene (BaA), a kind of PAH, on plasma calcium, inorganic phosphorus, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts was investigated in this study. We also measured several plasma components to analyze the toxicity of BaA on other metabolisms. BaA (1 or 10 ng/g body weight) was intraperitoneally injected (four times) into nibbler fish during breeding, for 10 days, and it was indicated, for the first time, that injecting high doses of BaA to nibbler fish induced both hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia. Furthermore, in the scales of nibbler fish treated with high doses of BaA, both osteoclastic and osteoblastic marker messengerRNA (mRNA) expressions decreased. These results are a cause of disruption of bone metabolism and, perhaps, the induction of spinal deformities. In addition, we found that total protein, metabolic enzymes in the liver, total cholesterol, free cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels significantly decreased in BaA-injected fish. These results indicate that BaA may affect liver diseases and emphasize the importance of prevention of aquatic PAH pollution.
Relationship Between Traffic Volume and Accident Frequency at Intersections
Authors: Retallack Angus Eugene , Ostendorf Bertram
Published: February 2020

Driven by the high social costs and emotional trauma that result from traffic accidents around the world, research into understanding the factors that influence accident occurrence is critical. There is a lack of consensus about how the management of congestion may affect traffic accidents. This paper aims to improve our understanding of this relationship by analysing accidents at 120 intersections in Adelaide, Australia. Data comprised of 1629 motor vehicle accidents with traffic volumes from a dataset of more than five million hourly measurements. The effect of rainfall was also examined. Results showed an approximately linear relationship between traffic volume and accident frequency at lower traffic volumes. In the highest traffic volumes, poisson and negative binomial models showed a significant quadratic explanatory term as accident frequency increases at a higher rate. This implies that focusing management efforts on avoiding these conditions would be most effective in reducing accident frequency. The relative risk of rainfall on accident frequency decreases with increasing congestion index. Accident risk is five times greater during rain at low congestion levels, successively decreasing to no elevated risk at the highest congestion level. No significant effect of congestion index on accident severity was detected.
The Global Challenge to Prevent Breast Cancer: Surfacing New Ideas to Accelerate Prevention Research
Authors: Anthis Nicholas J. , Kavanaugh-Lynch Marion H. E.
Published: February 2020

Despite increases in screening and advances in treatment, breast cancer continues to be the most common cancer and cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide, and breast cancer rates have remained steady for decades. A new focus on population-level primary prevention is needed to tackle this disease at the most fundamental level. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of breast cancer research funds currently go to prevention. The California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) seeks to change this. In order to accelerate breast cancer primary prevention efforts, in 2018, CBCRP launched the Global Challenge to Prevent Breast Cancer, a prize competition to foster and disseminate new and innovative prevention research ideas. This Special Issue highlights the results of the Global Challenge and other CBCRP primary prevention efforts.
Outcome Impacts Due to Pathogen-Specific Antimicrobial Resistance: A Narrative Review of Published Literature
Authors: Jiang Tingting , Chen Xiang-Sheng
Published: February 2020

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global threat to not only public health impacts but also clinical and economic outcomes. During the past decades, there have been many studies focusing on surveillance, mechanisms, and diagnostics of AMR in infectious diseases but the impacts on public health, clinical and economic outcomes due to emergence of these AMRs are rarely studied and reported. This review was aimed to summarize the findings from published studies to report the outcome impacts due to AMR of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV and briefly discuss the implications for application to other infectious diseases. PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar databases were used for search of empirical and peer-reviewed papers reporting public health, clinical and economic outcomes due to AMR of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. Papers published through 1 December 2019 were included in this review. A total of 76 studies were included for this review, including 16, 49 and 11 on public health, clinical and economic outcomes, respectively. The synthesized data indicated that the emergence and spread of AMR of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV have resulted in adverse public health, clinical and economic outcomes. AMR of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV results in significant adverse impacts on public health, clinical and economic outcomes. Evidence from this review suggests the needs to consider the similar studies for other infectious diseases.
Association between Neighborhood Environment and Quality of Sleep in Older Adult Residents Living in Japan: The JAGES 2010 Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Watanabe Michiko , Shobugawa Yugo , Tashiro Atsushi , Ota Asami , Suzuki Tsubasa , Tsubokawa Tomoko , Kondo Katsunori , Saito Reiko
Published: February 2020

Poor sleep is associated with lifestyle, however, few studies have addressed the association between sleep quality and the neighborhood environment. This study aimed to investigate the associations between living environment factors and sleep quality in older people. Participants were community-dwelling people aged ≥65 years who participated in the 2010 Japanese Gerontological Evaluation Study. The data of 16,650 people (8102 men, 8548 women) were analyzed. Sleep quality (good or poor) was evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire. Multilevel Poisson regression analysis stratified by depressive status (measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 [GDS]) was conducted with sleep quality as the dependent variable and social and physical environmental factors as explanatory variables. The 12,469 non-depressive respondents and 4181 depressive respondents were evaluated. The regression analysis indicated that non-depressive participants slept better if they lived in environments with few hills or steps (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.56–0.9) and with places where they felt free to drop in (PR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.26–0.98). For depressive participants, these associations were not evident. Living alone, poor self-rated health, low income, and unemployment were associated with poor sleep quality. In addition to support with these individual factors, improving environmental factors at the neighborhood level may improve the sleep quality of community-dwelling older adults.
A New Financing Model for Tuberculosis (TB) Care in China: Challenges of Policy Development and Lessons Learned from the Implementation
Authors: Long Qian , Jiang Weixi , Dong Di , Chen Jiaying , Xiang Li , Li Qiang , Huang Fei , Lucas Henry , Tang Shenglan
Published: February 2020

Background: With support from the Gates Foundation, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) introduced a new financing model for tuberculosis (TB) care. This paper reviews the development of the associated financing policies and payment methods in three project sites and analyzes the factors impacting on policy implementation and outcomes. Methods: We reviewed policy papers and other relevant documents issued in the project sites. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with key stakeholders at provincial, city and county levels. Thematic analysis was applied to identify themes and develop interpretations. Results: The China CDC guideline proposed the introduction of a case-based payment based on TB treatment clinical pathways, increased reimbursement rates and financial assistance for the poorest TB patients. Contrary to expectations, TB patients with complications and/or comorbidities were often excluded from the program by hospitals that were concerned the cost of care would exceed the case-based payment ceiling. In addition, doctors frequently prescribed services and/or drugs beyond the coverage of the benefit package for those in the program. Consequently, actual reimbursement rates were low and poor patients still faced a heavy financial burden, though the utilization of services increased, especially by poorer patients. Qualitative interviews revealed three main factors affecting payment policy implementation. They were: hospital managers’ concern on the potential for reduced revenue generation; their fear that patients would regard the service provided as sub-standard if they were not prescribed the full range of available treatments; and a lack of mechanisms to effectively monitor and support the implementation process. Conclusions: While the intervention had some success in improving access to TB care, the challenges of implementing the policy in what proved to be an unreceptive and often antagonistic context resulted in divergences from the original design that frustrated its aim of reducing the financial burden on patients.