bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NURSING AND ELDERLY CARE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS AGEISM
Authors: Çayir Yilmaz Merve , Ince Fatma Zehra
Published: February 2019

Background: Perceptions of individuals and society about the elderly are reflected in the services provided to them.  These reflections might be revealed   in various fields such as health care services and sufficient job opportunities, or they could be revealed in the issue of discrimination against the elderly, which is a problem emerging in advanced ages.

Objective: This study aims to identify the relationship between nursing and elderly care program students’ attitudes towards ageism.

Methods: This study, which is descriptive and relational method, was conducted between November and December, 2016. The participants were 220 students. The data were collected through a questionnaire, and the Ageism Attitude Scale, and were analyzed using t-test, two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). 

Findings: Results show that the students generally had positive attitudes towards ageism. Nursing department students received significantly higher scores in the Limiting the Elderly Person’s Life sub-dimension and Ageism Attitude Scale in comparison to Elderly Care Program students.  3rd year nursing department students had higher scores in the Ageism Attitudes Scale in comparison to 1st and 2nd year nursing department students and students in the Elderly Care Program. “Positive Discrimination towards the Elderly” sub-dimension and the “Ageism Attitudes Scale” total scores were found to be significantly higher in nursing department students according to the variable of desire to work in a geriatric service in the future. (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This study found that students had positive attitudes towards ageism, and nursing students’ Ageism Attitudes Scale mean scores were higher than those of elderly care program students. More comprehensive studies are needed in order to improve students’ attitudes towards elderly people.
EFFECT OF PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR RELAXATION ON ANXIETY LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE UNDERGOING HEMODIALYSIS IN THE GENERAL HOSPITAL OF TUGUREJO SEMARANG, INDONESIA
Authors: Astuti Ary , Anggorowati Anggorowati , Johan Andrew
Published: February 2019

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis suffer changes in lifestyle, which cause physical and psychosocial problems, particularly anxiety. Progressive muscular relaxation is considered as an intervention to reduce anxiety.
Objective: This study aims to examine the effect of progressive muscular relaxation in in reducing anxiety in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.
Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental design involved 78 respondents, with 38 randomly assigned in the intervention and control group. The progressive muscular relaxation was performed on 14 muscle groups for 4-week period. Hamilton anxiety rating scale was used to measure anxiety. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed for data analyses.
Results: The results showed a statistically significant difference in anxiety values between the intervention and control group with p-value 0.000 (<0.05).
Conclusion: There was a significant effect of progressive muscular relaxation in reducing anxiety in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. The results of this study is expected to be one reference in making the  progressive muscular relaxation as a nursing intervention in reducing anxiety in patients undergoing hemodialysis.
POOR APPEARANCE AS A NEVER ENDING STIGMATIZATION FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
Authors: Saputra Fauzan
Published: February 2019

N/A
HOME CARE NURSES’ ROLES IN ENHANCING QUALITY OF NURSING CARE FOR PATIENTS AT HOME: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
Authors: Ligita Titan
Published: February 2019

Background: Provision of health care service at home is one of the advanced forms of care for patients being discharged from hospitalization. Little is known about the experience of nurses providing home care services through a nursing home-care model especially in Indonesian context.

Objective: This study aims to explore the experience in order to increase understanding on the form of home care provision, and consequently the nurses may understand the form of home care globally.

Methods: This study employed a phenomenological design and performed interview in the process of data collection. Data were analysed by using content analysis.

Results: The main contexts of home care nurse experiences were generated. There were definition and role of home care nurses, the involvement of family members in the provision of care, the facilitating and hindering factors contributed to home care provision as well as manual on providing home care nursing.

Conclusion: The implication from this study is that nursing care should be given to the patients continuously and consequently the need for family involvement is important. Additionally, in providing the home care, a proper manual is needed by home care nurses as the guidance to give best quality of care to patients.
Параметри художньої культури на межі класичного, некласичного та постнекласичного образу світу
Authors: Kysla Nataliia
Published: February 2019

У статті з позицій нових наукових досліджень розглядаються параметри художньої культури та напрями її трансформації. Виділено провідні характеристики образу світу в різних культурологічних параметрах, за якими відбувається формування стильових систем у проекції на різні види мистецтва. Розкрито особливості художньої культури на різних етапах бачення образу світу в класичну, некласичну та постнекласичну культурні епохи.
«Altri canti d'amor tenero arciero» з «Восьмої книги» мадригалів Клаудіо Монтеверді: цілісність музичної композиції
Authors: Pieshkova Veronika
Published: February 2019

Вперше в українському музикознавстві мадригал «Altri canti d'Amor tenero arciero» представлений з підрядковим перекладом на українську мову. Висвітлюються принципи роботи композитора з поетичним текстом та використання музично-риторичних фігур. Конкретизуються характерні риси роботи композитора з поетичним текстом у даному мадригалі. Виявляється логіка створення цілісної музичної композиції.
Принципи сучасного арт-менеджменту у проведенні заходів ІХ Міжнародної Пасхальної асамблеї-2017
Authors: Rozhok Oleksandr
Published: February 2019

У статті розглянуто програми заходів під час Пасхальних асамблей, наголошено, що, формуючи їх зміст, їх організатори популяризують духовну музику, сучасне музичне виконавство. Згідно з принципами сучасного арт-управління (арт-менеджменту), важливого значення набувають критерії формування програм проведення таких акцій. Так, започаткована 2009 року, Асамблея об’єднала найкращих виконавців України ідеєю духовності під гаслом «Господи, Господи, силою Твоєю!». Від самого початку головною умовою участі в ній було виконання канонічної духовної хорової музики. Її організатори надавали перевагу духовним творам, які звучать під час Пасхальних богослужінь. Щороку ці програми збагачувалися й урізноманітнювалися відповідно до мети і завдань заходу. Програми ІІ Асамблеї-2010 мали свою специфіку – репертуарну і виконавську, боце вже був міжнародний захід. VІ Міжнародна Пасхальна асамблея-2014 відбувалась під новим гаслом – «Духовність єднає Україну» відповідно до особливої соціально-політичної ситуації, яка склалася в Україні наприкінці 2013–початку 2014 років, і це логічно відбилося у змісті програм. Під час VІІ Міжнародної Пасхальної асамблеї-2015 організатори прагнули наголосити на її миротворчій місії, протистояти дестабілізаційним викликам сучасності. Охарактеризовано заходи ІХ Міжнародної Пасхальної асамблеї-2017 – музичні діалоги, тематичні вечори, музичні присвяти, вечори пам’яті, конференції, благодійні концерти, розкрито їх значення у розкритті духовного і творчого потенціалу українського суспільства як основи для налагодження мирних відносин з іншими народами. Формуючи програми заходів, організатори і керівники проекту дбають, щоб під час їх проведення панувало творче піднесення, щоб мистецтво сприяло згуртуванню духовних сил у суспільстві, зміцнювало міжнаціональні відносини, підносило роль культурного діалогу й утверджувало його як єдино мирний і перспективний в сучасному світі.
Ноктюрн ор. 16 І. Я. Падеревського: стильовий та інтерпретаційний аспекти
Authors: Nechepurenko Viktoria
Published: February 2019

Мета статті. Виявити стильові особливості Ноктюрну ор. 16 №4 І. Я. Падеревського, а також інтерпретаційну варіантність його тексту на прикладі виконавських версій К. Кіннера і Х. Рутковського. Проаналізувати індивідуальні риси композитора на прикладі даного твору. Методологія дослідження передбачає застосування теорії інтерпретації, розробленої В. Г. Москаленко, а також історичного та компаративного аналізу, які слугують підвалинами у даній розвідці. Наукова новизна дослідження полягає у тому, що вперше в українському музикознавстві проаналізовано Ноктюрн І.Я. Падеревського у стильовому та інтерпретаційному аспектах. Висновки. Обраний для аналізу твір І. Падеревського є яскравим зразком пізньоромантичної фортепіанної мініатюри. В ньому, з одного боку проявляється відданість створеній Ф. Шопеном традиції, а з іншого – присутні тенденції музичної мови доби fin de siècle. Прикладом багатогранності музичного тексту Ноктюрну І. Падеревського стають дві виконавські версії створені Х. Рутковським і К. Кіннером.
Simuleringar tränar förmågan att leda klassrummet
Authors: Samuelsson Marcus , Colnerud Gunnel , Ragnemalm Eva , Arvola Mattias , Nordvall Mathias
Published: February 2019

Många lärarstudenter lämnar lärarutbildningen med brister i förmågan att leda klassrummet – enligt dem själva. Genom datorsimuleringar har lärarstudenter fått ett nytt och effektivt sätt att träna upp sin förmåga att leda klassrummet utan att verkliga elever kommer till skada. Det visar ett forskningsprojekt 1 vid Linköpings universitet.
Forskares tillträde till förskolan – barn som gatekeepers
Authors: Simonsson Maria , Thorell Mia
Published: February 2019

Forskaren som studerar barndomar utifrån barns perspektiv på förskolan kommer nära barns vardag och deras världar. Barnen bidrar själva med information om sina liv till forskningen, men gör det på sina villkor. Vår forskning visar att barnens eget medgivande i forskningssammanhangen är viktigare än föräldrarnas och personalens.
Lek för att utveckla sociala förmågor på fritidshemmet
Authors: Elvstrand Helene , Eneland Caroline , Karlsson Marie , Sjöö Christian
Published: February 2019

Lek är något som sker hela tiden och på olika sätt bland barn. På Ektorpsringens fritidshem har vi pedagoger de senaste åren arbetat för att utveckla vår medvetenhet och vårt förhållningssätt kring lek. I artikeln beskriver vi och exemplifierar arbetssätt för att utveckla lek på fritidshemmet som pedagogisk metod.
Populärvetenskapens förklarande ljus
Authors: Pelger Susanne
Published: February 2019

Att skriva för en bredare allmänhet är inte bara en akademisk plikt. Det kan också ge insikter hos skribenten själv – en effekt som blir tydlig när studenter i naturvetenskap och teknik vid Lunds universitet skriver populärvetenskapligt om sitt ämne.
Lärarens metodval – avgörande för vilka matematiska förmågor eleverna kan utveckla
Authors: Engvall Margareta
Published: February 2019

Vad får elever möjlighet att lära sig beroende på vilka metoder som används i matematikundervisningen? Frågan har tidigare bearbetats i en avhandling 1 som här aktualiseras på nytt.
Fokusgruppssamtal om svåra frågor
Authors: Markström Ann-Marie , Münger Ann-Charlott
Published: February 2019

Orosanmälningar till socialtjänsten hör till en av de arbetsuppgifter som upplevs som svåra i förskola och skola. I ett aktuellt forskningsprojekt har fokusgruppssamtal visat sig vara en fruktbar metod för att tillsammans i grupp bearbeta, diskutera och reflektera över hur man i förskola och skola kan identifiera och stödja barn som bevittnar i våld i hemmet. Detta projekt har väckt frågan om en bredare användning av fokusgruppssamtal som pedagogiskt verktyg i förskola och skola.
Att utveckla arbetet med lek på fritidshem - Erfarenheter från ett aktionsforskningsprojekt
Authors: Lago Lina , Elvstrand Helene , Ekeroth-Mahrs Marie , Gustafsson Carina , Hermansson Linn , Pettersson Andreas , Svärd Eva , Vermaat Elizabeth , Östling Veronica
Published: February 2019

Lek är något som är centralt för fritidshemmets verksamhet och som har en stark tradition men som ibland tas för given och därför blir oreflekterad. Genom att arbeta aktivt med lek så har vi tillsammans varit tvungna att ifrågasätta våra förgivettaganden om lek och därmed kunnat utveckla arbetet med lek. I denna artikel beskrivs erfarenheterna från ett aktionsforskningsprojekt i vilket fritidspedagoger/lärare i fritidshem på Grebyskolan och forskare från Linköpings universitet tillsammans har arbetat med att utveckla lek i fritidshem.
Inrutad pedagogik – serietidningen som verktyg i skolan
Authors: Wallner Lars
Published: February 2019

Serietidningar i skolan gör det möjligt för elever att arbeta med handling och känsla i berättelser och visar hur lärares och elevers personliga erfarenheter med serier bidrar till klassrumsarbetet.
Familjeaktiv inskolning i förskolan – nya roller för förskolepedagoger
Authors: Karlsson Ingrid
Published: February 2019

När inskolning av barn i förskolan på betydande sätt förändras, uppstår behov av nya förhållningssätt till barn och föräldrar. Nya professionella roller för förskolepedagoger (förskollärare och barnskötare) skapas. Dessa roller skiljer sig betydligt från de roller som intogs tidigare. Denna artikel fokuserar dessa nya pedagogroller och deras betydelse mot bakgrund av tidigare former av inskolningsmodell (er).
Computation of Compact Distributions of Discrete Elements
Authors: Chen Jie , Yang Gang , Yang Meng
Published: February 2019

In our daily lives, many plane patterns can actually be regarded as a compact distribution of a number of elements with certain shapes, like the classic pattern mosaic. In order to synthesize this kind of pattern, the basic problem is, with given graphics elements with certain shapes, to distribute a large number of these elements within a plane region in a possibly random and compact way. It is not easy to achieve this because it not only involves complicated adjacency calculations, but also is closely related to the shape of the elements. This paper attempts to propose an approach that can effectively and quickly synthesize compact distributions of elements of a variety of shapes. The primary idea is that with the seed points and distribution region given as premise, the generation of the Centroidal Voronoi Tesselation (CVT) of this region by iterative relaxation and the CVT will partition the distribution area into small regions of Voronoi, with each region representing the space of an element, to achieve a compact distribution of all the elements. In the generation process of Voronoi diagram, we adopt various distance metrics to control the shape of the generated Voronoi regions, and finally achieve the compact element distributions of different shapes. Additionally, approaches are introduced to control the sizes and directions of the Voronoi regions to generate element distributions with size and direction variations during the Voronoi diagram generation process to enrich the effect of compact element distributions. Moreover, to increase the synthesis efficiency, the time-consuming Voronoi diagram generation process was converted into a graphical rendering process, thus increasing the speed of the synthesis process. This paper is an exploration of elements compact distribution and also carries application value in the fields like mosaic pattern synthesis.
Design Optimization of a VX Gasket Structure for a Subsea Connector Based on the Kriging Surrogate Model-NSGA-II Algorithm Considering the Load Randomness
Authors: Zeng Wei , Ren Tao , Yu Lijun , Huang Jingjing
Published: February 2019

The VX gasket is an important part of the wellhead connector for a subsea Christmas tree. Optimization of the gasket’s structure can improve the connector’s sealing performance. In this paper, we develop an optimization approach for the VX gasket structure, taking into consideration working load randomness, based on the Kriging surrogate model-NSGA-II algorithm. To guarantee the simulation accuracy, a random finite element (R-FE) model of the connector’s sealing structure was constructed to calculate the gasket’s sealing performance under random working load conditions. The working load’s randomness was simulated using the Gaussian distribution function. To improve the calculation efficiency of the sealing performance for individuals within the initial populations, Kriging surrogate models were constructed. These models accelerated the optimization speed, where the training sample was obtained using an experimental method design and the constructed R-FE model. The effectiveness of the presented approach was verified in the context of a subsea Christmas tree wellhead connector, which matched the 20'' casing head. The results indicated that the proposed method is effective for VX gasket structure optimization in subsea connectors, and that efficiency was significantly enhanced compared to the traditional FE method.
An Improved Genetic Algorithm for Emergency Decision Making under Resource Constraints Based on Prospect Theory
Authors: Chen Leiwen , Wang Yingming , Guo Geng
Published: February 2019

The study of emergency decision making (EDM) is helpful to reduce the difficulty of decision making and improve the efficiency of decision makers (DMs). The purpose of this paper is to propose an innovative genetic algorithm for emergency decision making under resource constraints. Firstly, this paper analyzes the emergency situation under resource constraints, and then, according to the prospect theory (PT), we further propose an improved value measurement function and an emergency loss levels weighting algorithm. Secondly, we assign weights for all emergency locations using the best–worst method (BWM). Then, an improved genetic algorithm (GA) based on prospect theory (PT) is established to solve the problem of emergency resource allocation between multiple emergency locations under resource constraints. Finally, the analyses of example show that the algorithm can shorten the decision-making time and provide a better decision scheme, which has certain practical significance.
Decision Support Application for Energy Consumption Forecasting
Authors: Jozi Aria , Pinto Tiago , Praça Isabel , Vale Zita
Published: February 2019

Energy consumption forecasting is crucial in current and future power and energy systems. With the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources, with high associated uncertainty due to the dependence on natural conditions (such as wind speed or solar intensity), the need to balance the fluctuation of generation with the flexibility from the consumer side increases considerably. In this way, significant work has been done on the development of energy consumption forecasting methods, able to deal with different forecasting circumstances, e.g., the prediction time horizon, the available data, the frequency of data, or even the quality of data measurements. The main conclusion is that different methods are more suitable for different prediction circumstances, and no method can outperform all others in all situations (no-free-lunch theorem). This paper proposes a novel application, developed in the scope of the SIMOCE project (ANI|P2020 17690), which brings together several of the most relevant forecasting methods in this domain, namely artificial neural networks, support vector machines, and several methods based on fuzzy rule-based systems, with the objective of providing decision support for energy consumption forecasting, regardless of the prediction conditions. For this, the application also includes several data management strategies that enable training of the forecasting methods depending on the available data. Results show that by this application, users are endowed with the means to automatically refine and train different forecasting methods for energy consumption prediction. These methods show different performance levels depending on the prediction conditions, hence, using the proposed approach, users always have access to the most adequate methods in each situation.
A Deep Temporal Neural Music Recommendation Model Utilizing Music and User Metadata
Authors: Zheng Hai-Tao , Chen Jin-Yuan , Liang Nan , Sangaiah Arun Kumar , Jiang Yong , Zhao Cong-Zhi
Published: February 2019

Deep learning shows its superiority in many domains such as computing vision, nature language processing, and speech recognition. In music recommendation, most deep learning-based methods focus on learning users’ temporal preferences using their listening histories. The cold start problem is not addressed, however, and the music characteristics are not fully exploited by these methods. In addition, the music characteristics and the users’ temporal preferences are not combined naturally, which cause the relatively low performance of music recommendation. To address these issues, we proposed a Deep Temporal Neural Music Recommendation model (DTNMR) based on music characteristics and the users’ temporal preferences. We encoded the music metadata into one-hot vectors and utilized the Deep Neural Network to project the music vectors to low-dimensional space and obtain the music characteristics. In addition, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks are utilized to learn about users’ long-term and short-term preferences from their listening histories. DTNMR alleviates the cold start problem in the item side using the music medadata and discovers new users’ preferences immediately after they listen to music. The experimental results show DTNMR outperforms seven baseline methods in terms of recall, precision, f-measure, MAP, user coverage and AUC.
Quantification of Active Structural Path for Vibration Reduction Control of Plate Structure under Sinusoidal Excitation
Authors: Hong Dongwoo , Kim Byeongil
Published: February 2019

The engines of electric and hybrid vehicles cause vibration and noise with complex frequency spectra. This tendency is observed especially for mid-frequency components. Therefore, there are limitations in achieving vibration attenuation using only structural changes, which is the conventional isolation method. A smart structure-based active engine mounting system is a core technology that can continuously improve the noise, vibration, and harshness performance under various operating conditions by continuously controlling the dynamic characteristics of the mount. It can replace the existing mount technology which supports the engine by realizing both static and dynamic stiffness. This study focuses on vibration reduction for a typical mid-frequency excitation. Based on a source–path–receiver structure, a mathematical model for a 3D plate structure with three active paths is proposed. The amplitude and phase of the actuator were calculated for the reduction of given vibrations on the basis of the model. When controlling with the proposed method, it was necessary to perform a large amount of computation and to newly define the modeling according to the structural change. To solve this inconvenience, the NLMS (normalized least mean squares) algorithm was applied, and the results were compared. It is shown that the application of the NLMS algorithm to perform the overall vibration reduction is more effective than the previous method.
Time-Scaling Properties of Sunshine Duration Based on Detrended Fluctuation Analysis over China
Authors: Jiang Lei , Zhang Jiping , Fang Yan
Published: February 2019

The spatial and temporal variabilities of the daily Sunshine Duration (SSD) time series from the Chinese Meteorological Administration during the 1954–2009 period are examined by the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) method. As a whole, weak long-range correlations (LRCs) are found in the daily SSD anomaly records over China. LRCs are also verified by shuffling the SSD records. The proportion of the stations with LRCs accounts for about 97% of the total. Many factors affect the scaling properties of the daily SSD records such as sea-land difference and Tibetan Plateau landform and so on. We find land use and land cover as one of the important factors closely links to LRCs of the SSD. Strong LRCs of the SSD mainly happen in underlying surface of deserts and crops, while weak LRCs occur in forest and grassland. Further studies of scaling behaviors are still necessary to be performed due to the complex underlying surface and climate system.
Awake Testing during Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery Predicts Postoperative Stimulation Side Effect Thresholds
Authors: Walker Harrison C. , Faulk Jesse , Rahman AKM Fazlur , Gonzalez Christopher L. , Roush Patrick , Nakhmani Arie , Crowell Jason L. , Guthrie Barton L.
Published: February 2019

Despite substantial experience with deep brain stimulation for movement disorders and recent interest in electrode targeting under general anesthesia, little is known about whether awake macrostimulation during electrode targeting predicts postoperative side effects from stimulation. We hypothesized that intraoperative awake macrostimulation with the newly implanted DBS lead predicts dose-limiting side effects during device activation in clinic. We reviewed 384 electrode implants for movement disorders, characterized the presence or absence of stimulus amplitude thresholds for dose-limiting DBS side effects during surgery, and measured their predictive value for side effects during device activation in clinic with odds ratios ±95% confidence intervals. We also estimated associations between voltage thresholds for side effects within participants. Intraoperative clinical response to macrostimulation led to adjustments in DBS electrode position during surgery in 37.5% of cases (31.0% adjustment of lead depth, 18.2% new trajectory, or 11.7% both). Within and across targets and disease states, dose-limiting stimulation side effects from the final electrode position in surgery predict postoperative side effects, and side effect thresholds in clinic occur at lower stimulus amplitudes versus those encountered in surgery. In conclusion, awake clinical testing during DBS targeting impacts surgical decision-making and predicts dose-limiting side effects during subsequent device activation.
Cell-Free DNA Variant Sequencing Using CTC-Depleted Blood for Comprehensive Liquid Biopsy Testing in Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Keup Corinna , Storbeck Markus , Hauch Siegfried , Hahn Peter , Sprenger-Haussels Markus , Tewes Mitra , Mach Pawel , Hoffmann Oliver , Kimmig Rainer , Kasimir-Bauer Sabine
Published: February 2019

Liquid biopsy analytes such as cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) exhibit great potential for personalized treatment. Since cfDNA and CTCs are considered to give additive information and blood specimens are limited, isolation of cfDNA and CTC in an “all from one tube” format is desired. We investigated whether cfDNA variant sequencing from CTC-depleted blood (CTC-depl. B; obtained after positive immunomagnetic isolation of CTCs (AdnaTest EMT-2/Stem Cell Select, QIAGEN)) impacts the results compared to cfDNA variant sequencing from matched whole blood (WB). Cell-free DNA was isolated using matched WB and CTC-depl. B from 17 hormone receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HR+/HER2−) metastatic breast cancer patients (QIAamp MinElute ccfDNA Kit, QIAGEN). Cell-free DNA libraries were constructed (customized QIAseq Targeted DNA Panel for Illumina, QIAGEN) with integrated unique molecular indices. Sequencing (on the NextSeq 550 platform, Illumina) and data analysis (Ingenuity Variant Analysis) were performed. RNA expression in CTCs was analyzed by multimarker quantitative PCR. Cell-free DNA concentration and size distribution in the matched plasma samples were not significantly different. Seventy percent of all variants were identical in matched WB and CTC-depl. B, but 115/125 variants were exclusively found in WB/CTC-depl. B. The number of detected variants per patient and the number of exclusively detected variants per patient in only one cfDNA source did not differ between the two matched cfDNA sources. Even the characteristics of the exclusively detected cfDNA variants in either WB or CTC-depl. B were comparable. Thus, cfDNA variants from matched WB and CTC-depl. B exhibited no relevant differences, and parallel isolation of cfDNA and CTCs from only 10 mL of blood in an “all from one tube” format was feasible. Matched cfDNA mutational and CTC transcriptional analyses might empower a comprehensive liquid biopsy analysis to enhance the identification of actionable targets for individual therapy strategies.
Synergistic Effect of Photocatalytic Degradation of Hexabromocyclododecane in Water by UV/TiO2/persulfate
Authors: Li Qiang , Wang Lifang , Fang Xuhui , Zhang Li , Li Jingjiu , Xie Hongyong
Published: February 2019

In this work, the elimination of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is explored by using photodegradation of the UV/TiO2 system, the UV/potassium persulfate (KPS) system, and the homo/heterogeneous UV/TiO2/KPS system. The experimental results show that the dosages of TiO2 and potassium persulfate have optimum values to increase the degradation degree. HBCD can be almost completely degraded and 74.3% of the total bromine content is achieved in the UV/TiO2/KPS homo/heterogeneous photocatalysis, much more than in the UV/persulfate system and the UV/TiO2 system. Roles of radicals SO4•− and OH• in the photocatalysis systems are discussed based on experimental measurements. The high yield of the concentration of bromide ions and decreased pH value indicates that synergistic effects exist in the UV/TiO2/KPS homo/heterogeneous photocatalysis, which can mineralize HBCD into inorganic small molecules like carboxylic acids, CO2 and H2O, thus much less intermediates are formed. The possible pathways of degradation of HBCD in the UV/TiO2/KPS system were also analyzed by GC/MS. This work will have practical application potential in the fields of pollution control and environmental management.
Ex Vivo Expansion of Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Therapeutic Purposes: Lessons from Development and the Niche
Authors: Tajer Parisa , Pike-Overzet Karin , Arias Sagrario , Havenga Menzo , Staal Frank J.T.
Published: February 2019

Expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for therapeutic purposes has been a “holy grail” in the field for many years. Ex vivo expansion of HSCs can help to overcome material shortage for transplantation purposes and genetic modification protocols. In this review, we summarize improved understanding in blood development, the effect of niche and conservative signaling pathways on HSCs in mice and humans, and also advances in ex vivo culturing protocols of human HSCs with cytokines or small molecule compounds. Different expansion protocols have been tested in clinical trials. However, an optimal condition for ex vivo expansion of human HSCs still has not been found yet. Translating and implementing new findings from basic research (for instance by using genetic modification of human HSCs) into clinical protocols is crucial to improve ex vivo expansion and eventually boost stem cell gene therapy.
Chronic Hypoxia Enhances β-Oxidation-Dependent Electron Transport via Electron Transferring Flavoproteins
Authors: Fuhrmann Dominik C. , Olesch Catherine , Kurrle Nina , Schnütgen Frank , Zukunft Sven , Fleming Ingrid , Brüne Bernhard
Published: February 2019

Hypoxia poses a stress to cells and decreases mitochondrial respiration, in part by electron transport chain (ETC) complex reorganization. While metabolism under acute hypoxia is well characterized, alterations under chronic hypoxia largely remain unexplored. We followed oxygen consumption rates in THP-1 monocytes during acute (16 h) and chronic (72 h) hypoxia, compared to normoxia, to analyze the electron flows associated with glycolysis, glutamine, and fatty acid oxidation. Oxygen consumption under acute hypoxia predominantly demanded pyruvate, while under chronic hypoxia, fatty acid- and glutamine-oxidation dominated. Chronic hypoxia also elevated electron-transferring flavoproteins (ETF), and the knockdown of ETF–ubiquinone oxidoreductase lowered mitochondrial respiration under chronic hypoxia. Metabolomics revealed an increase in citrate under chronic hypoxia, which implied glutamine processing to α-ketoglutarate and citrate. Expression regulation of enzymes involved in this metabolic shunting corroborated this assumption. Moreover, the expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 increased, thus pointing to fatty acid synthesis under chronic hypoxia. Cells lacking complex I, which experienced a markedly impaired respiration under normoxia, also shifted their metabolism to fatty acid-dependent synthesis and usage. Taken together, we provide evidence that chronic hypoxia fuels the ETC via ETFs, increasing fatty acid production and consumption via the glutamine-citrate-fatty acid axis.
Inter-Vehicle Communication Protocol Design for a Yielding Decision at an Unsignalized Intersection and Evaluation of the Protocol Using Radio Control Cars Equipped with Raspberry Pi
Authors: Yajima Hayato , Takami Kazumasa
Published: February 2019

The Japanese government aims to introduce self-driven vehicles by 2020 to reduce the number of accidents and traffic jams. Various methods have been proposed for traffic control at accident-prone intersections to achieve safe and efficient self-driving. Most of them require roadside units to identify and control vehicles. However, it is difficult to install roadside units at all intersections. This paper proposes an inter-vehicle communication protocol that enables vehicles to transmit their vehicle information and moving direction information to nearby vehicles. Vehicles identify nearby vehicles using images captured by vehicle-mounted cameras. These arrangements make it possible for vehicles to exchange yielding intention at an unsignalized intersection without using a roadside unit. To evaluate the operations of the proposed protocol, we implemented the protocol in Raspberry Pi computers, which were connected to cameras and mounted on radio control cars and conducted experiments. The experiments simulated an unsignalized intersection where both self-driven and human-driven vehicles were present. The vehicle that had sent a yielding request identified the yielding vehicle by recognizing the colour of each radio control car, which was part of the vehicle information, from the image captured by its camera. We measured a series of time needed to complete the yielding sequence and evaluated the validity of yielding decisions.
DSCBlocks: An Open-Source Platform for Learning Embedded Systems Based on Algorithm Visualizations and Digital Signal Controllers
Authors: Álvarez Ariza Jonathan
Published: February 2019

DSCBlocks is an open-source platform in hardware and software developed in JavaFX, which is focused on learning embedded systems through Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs). These devices are employed in industrial and educational sectors due to their robustness, number of peripherals, processing speed, scalability and versatility. The platform uses graphical blocks designed in Google’s tool Blockly that can be used to build different Algorithm Visualizations (AVs). Afterwards, the algorithms are converted in real-time to C language, according to the specifications of the compiler for the DSCs (XC16) and they can be downloaded in one of the two models of development board for the dsPIC 33FJ128GP804 and dsPIC 33FJ128MC802. The main aim of the platform is to provide a flexible environment, drawing on the educational advantages of the AVs with different aspects concerning the embedded systems, such as declaration of variables and functions, configuration of ports and peripherals, handling of Real-Time Operating System (RTOS), interrupts, among others, that are employed in several fields such as robotics, control, instrumentation, etc. In addition, some experiments that were designed in the platform are presented in the manuscript. The educational methodology and the assessment provided by the students (n = 30) suggest that the platform is suitable and reliable to learn concepts relating to embedded systems.
QoS-Based DWBA Algorithm for NG-EPON
Authors: Rafiq Ammar , Hayat Muhammad Faisal
Published: February 2019

The next-generation Ethernet passive optical network (NG-EPON) is basically classified into two architectures on the basis of the wavelength sharing by the optical network units (ONUs). The single scheduling domain (SSD) and multi-scheduling domain (MSD) EPON are the two different design architectures for NG-EPON. A vital task in NG-EPON is to design dynamic wavelength bandwidth allocation (DWBA) algorithms that can meet the future demands of the network subscribers. A number of DWBA algorithms have been designed for time and wavelength division multiplex (TWDM) EPON. The existing DWBA algorithms for TWDM-EPON could be used in MSD-EPON by making necessary parametric changes. The design and implementation of new DWBA algorithms for MSD-EPON are still required specifically. In this paper, we have proposed a quality of service (QoS)-based DWBA algorithm for NG-EPON. We have comparatively analyzed our proposed DWBA with the existing algorithms like earlier finished time (EFT), weighted bipartite matching (WBM), and earlier finished time with void filling (EFT-VF). The results show that our proposed DWBA algorithm performs better as compared to EFT, WBM, and EFT-VF on the basis of average packet delay and average completion time for NG-EPON.
Reducing Voltage Volatility with Step Voltage Regulators: A Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of Korean Solar Photovoltaic Distributed Generation
Authors: Jeong Yu-Cheol , Lee Eul-Bum , Alleman Douglas
Published: February 2019

To meet the United Nation’s sustainable development energy goal, the Korean Ministry of Commerce announced they would increase renewable energy generation to 5.3% by 2029. These energy sources are often produced in small-scale power plants located close to the end users, known as distributed generation (DG). The use of DG is an excellent way to reduce greenhouse gases but has also been found to reduce power quality and safety reliability through an increase in voltage volatility. This paper performs a life-cycle cost analysis on the use of step voltage regulators (SVR) to reduce said volatility, simulating the impact they have on existing Korean solar photovoltaic (PV) DG. From the data collected on a Korean Electrical Power Corporation 30 km/8.2 megawatts (MW) feeder system, SVRs were found to increase earnings by one million USD. SVR volatile voltage mitigation increased expected earnings by increasing the estimated allowable PV power generation by 2.7 MW. While this study is based on Korean PV power generation, its findings are applicable to any DG sources worldwide.
Free Amino Nitrogen in Brewing
Authors: Hill Annie E. , Stewart Graham G.
Published: February 2019

The role of nitrogenous components in malt and wort during the production of beer has long been recognized. The concentration and range of wort amino acids impact on ethanolic fermentation by yeast and on the production of a range of flavour and aroma compounds in the final beer. This review summarizes research on Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) within brewing, including various methods of analysis.
A Multi-Agent Architecture for Data Analysis
Authors: Lombardo Gianfranco , Fornacciari Paolo , Mordonini Monica , Tomaiuolo Michele , Poggi Agostino
Published: February 2019

ActoDatA (Actor Data Analysis) is an actor-based software library for the development of distributed data mining applications. It provides a multi-agent architecture with a set of predefined and configurable agents performing the typical tasks of data mining applications. In particular, its architecture can manage different users’ applications; it maintains a high level of execution quality by distributing the agents of the applications on a dynamic set of computational nodes. Moreover, it provides reports about the analysis results and the collected data, which can be accessed through either a web browser or a dedicated mobile APP. After an introduction about the actor model and the software framework used for implementing the software library, this article underlines the main features of ActoDatA and presents its experimentation in some well-known data analysis domains.
PheWAS-Based Systems Genetics Methods for Anti-Breast Cancer Drug Discovery
Authors: Gao Min , Quan Yuan , Zhou Xiong-Hui , Zhang Hong-Yu
Published: February 2019

Breast cancer is a high-risk disease worldwide. For such complex diseases that are induced by multiple pathogenic genes, determining how to establish an effective drug discovery strategy is a challenge. In recent years, a large amount of genetic data has accumulated, particularly in the genome-wide identification of disorder genes. However, understanding how to use these data efficiently for pathogenesis elucidation and drug discovery is still a problem because the gene–disease links that are identified by high-throughput techniques such as phenome-wide association studies (PheWASs) are usually too weak to have biological significance. Systems genetics is a thriving area of study that aims to understand genetic interactions on a genome-wide scale. In this study, we aimed to establish two effective strategies for identifying breast cancer genes based on the systems genetics algorithm. As a result, we found that the GeneRank-based strategy, which combines the prognostic phenotype-based gene-dependent network with the phenotypic-related PheWAS data, can promote the identification of breast cancer genes and the discovery of anti-breast cancer drugs.
Village and Heritage in China: A Discussion on the Influence and Future of Heritage Work in Rural Areas
Authors: Stojević Iva
Published: February 2019

Over the past few decades, China has gone through a number of changes, and no community has been more impacted by these changes than the rural community. This paper takes a look at how heritage influences rural communities in these turbulent times. The paper focuses on three ways in which heritage is present in rural communities: Ecomuseums, rural tourism and archaeological heritage. While there are differences between all three modes, their similarities are defined by common issues addressed in this paper, such as the persisting top-down approaches, traditions in government systems, and issues native to rural areas that prevent active participation in heritage and sustainable tourism.
The Effect of the Treatment at a Pain Clinic on the Patients’ Assessment of Their Pain Intensity and the Incidence of Mental Disorders in the form of Anxiety, Depression, and Aggression
Authors: Kosson Dariusz , Kołacz Marcin , Gałązkowski Robert , Rzońca Patryk , Lisowska Barbara
Published: February 2019

The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of the treatment given to patients in a pain clinic on their assessment of pain intensity and the incidence of emotional disturbances in the form of anxiety, depression, and aggression. The study was conducted from January 2014 to April 2018 among patients under the care of two Warsaw pain clinics. The study tools were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale—Modified Version (HADS-M) and the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). The project enrolled 325 patients, with women comprising 60.62% of patients, and the age bracked of 65–79 years comprising 39.38% of patient. The major reasons for attending the pain clinic were osteoarticular pain (44.92%) and neuropathic pain (42.77%). The therapy applied lowered the patients’ pain intensity (4.98 vs. 3.83), anxiety (8.71 vs. 8.12), aggression (3.30 vs. 3.08), and the overall HADS-M score (18.93 vs. 17.90), which shows that the treatment of both the pain symptoms and the associated emotional disturbances in the form of anxiety and aggression was effective. Sex is a factor affecting pain intensity. The level of mental disorders was influenced by the sex and age of the patients and how long they had been treated in the pain clinics.
Mortality Risk and Risk Factors in Patients with Posttraumatic Epilepsy: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Lin Wei-Jun , Harnod Tomor , Lin Cheng-Li , Kao Chia-Hung
Published: February 2019

Aim: Use the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to determine whether patients with posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) have an increased risk of mortality. Methods: Patients ≥20 years old ever admitted because of head injury (per International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes 850–854 and 959.01) during 2000–2012 were enrolled into a traumatic brain injury (TBI) cohort. The TBI cohort was divided into with PTE (ICD-9-CM code 345) and posttraumatic nonepilepsy (PTN) cohorts. We compared the PTE and PTN cohorts in terms of age, sex, and comorbidities. We calculated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause mortality risk in these cohorts. Results: Patients with PTE had a higher incidence rate (IR) of mortality than did patients with TBI alone (IR per 1000 person-years: 71.8 vs. 27.6), with an aHR 2.31 (95% CI = 1.96–2.73). Patients with PTE aged 20–49, 50–64, and ≥65 years had, respectively, 2.78, 4.14, and 2.48 times the mortality risk of the PTN cohort. Patients with any comorbidity and PTE had 2.71 times the mortality risk as patients in the PTN cohort. Furthermore, patients with PTE had 28.2 increased hospital days and 7.85 times as frequent medical visits per year compared with the PTN cohort. Conclusion: Taiwanese patients with PTE had approximately 2 times the mortality risk and an increased medical burden compared to patients with TBI only. Our findings provide crucial information for clinicians and the government to improve TBI outcomes.
Characteristics of Gut Microbiota in Sows and Their Relationship with Apparent Nutrient Digestibility
Authors: Niu Qing , Li Pinghua , Hao Shuaishuai , Kim Sung Woo , Du Taoran , Hua Jindi , Huang Ruihua
Published: February 2019

The gut microbiota plays important roles in animal health and nutrient digestibility. The characteristics of gut microbiota population in grower pigs and their correlation with apparent nutrient digestibility were assessed in previous study. Here we studied characteristics of intestinal microbiota of sows and analyzed their relationships with apparent nutrient (ether extract (EE), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF)) digestibility. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most dominant phyla, approximately 73% of the total sequences. Treponema, Oscillibacter and Lactobacillus were the most dominant generas, more than 49% of the total sequences. The microbiota of sows clustered separately from the microbiota of grower pigs at the age of D28 D60, D90 and D150. The abundance of Clostridium and Turicibacter was positively correlated with apparent EE digestibility. The abundance of Anaerofustis and Robinsoniella in sow fecal samples was positively correlated with apparent CF digestibility. The abundance of Collinsella and Sutterella was positively correlated with apparent NDF digestibility. The abundance of Clostridium, Collinsella, Robinsoniella and Turicibacter was positively correlated with apparent ADF digestibility. Sows have their unique gut microbial structure compared with grower pigs and some of them participate in the digestive process of different nutrients.