bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Experience and Determinants of the Food Choices and Eating Practices of Elderly Thai People: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Chalermsri Chalobol , Herzig van Wees Sibylle , Ziaei Shirin , Ekström Eva-Charlotte , Muangpaisan Weerasak , Rahman Syed Moshfiqur
Published: November 2020

Over the past decade, Thailand has experienced a rapid increase in its elderly population. Many unfavorable health outcomes among elderly people are associated with nutrition. Nutrition in elderly people is affected by physical, mental, and social factors. This study explored the food choices and dietary practices among community-dwelling elderly people in Thailand from the perspective of both caregivers and the elderly people themselves. Six focus group discussions and six semistructured interviews were conducted in the Samut Sakhon Province of Thailand. Deductive thematic analyses were conducted based on the “food choice process model framework.” The results show that physical and mental factors and societal factors are important determinants of food choices. Moreover, a changing food environment and economic factors were found to affect food choices. Issues of trust in food safety and food markets were highlighted as growing issues. Therefore, fostering healthy food choice interventions that consider both environmental and societal aspects is necessary.
Understanding the Origin of the Regioselectivity in Non-Polar [3+2] Cycloaddition Reactions through the Molecular Electron Density Theory
Authors: Domingo Luis , Ríos Gutiérrez Mar , Castellanos Soriano Jorge
Published: November 2020

The regioselectivity in non-polar [3+2] cycloaddition (32CA) reactions has been studied within the Molecular Electron Density Theory (MEDT) at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level. To this end, the 32CA reactions of nine simplest three-atom-components (TACs) with 2-methylpropene were selected. The electronic structure of the reagents has been characterized through the Electron Localisation Function (ELF) and the Conceptual DFT. The energy profiles of the two regioisomeric reaction paths and ELF topology of the transition state structures are studied to understand the origin of the regioselectivity in these 32CA reactions. This MEDT study permits to conclude that the least electronegative X1 end atom of these TACs controls the asynchronicity in the C−X (X=C, N, O) single bond formation, and consequently, the regioselectivity. This behaviour is a consequence of the fact that the creation of the non-bonding electron density required for the formation of the new single bonds has a lower energy demand at the least electronegative X1 atom than at the Z3 one.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Therapy Improved Spasms and Sleep Disturbance in Smith–Magenis Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Momosaki Ken , Kido Jun , Matsumoto Shirou , Ozasa Shiro , Nakamura Kimitoshi
Published: November 2020

Smith–Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a complex disorder characterized by variable mental retardation, sleep disturbances, craniofacial and skeletal anomalies, self-injurious and attention-seeking behaviors, and speech and motor delays. The case of a 14-month-old girl with SMS who was experiencing spasm clusters and sleep disturbances with sleep–wake intervals of 1.5 to 2 h persisting from the neonatal period was examined. The patient’s spasms stopped and interictal electroencephalography did not show epileptic discharges after undergoing a high-dose adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy. Moreover, the patient’s sleep cycle stabilized 1 month after receiving the ACTH therapy. Dramatic reductions in the patient’s self-injurious behaviors were also noted. At 1 year following ACTH treatment, the patient’s improved sleep was maintained. High-dose ACTH treatment was considered to contribute to the normal adaptation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis by regulating the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone, resulting in improvement of the patient’s infantile spasms and sleep disturbances.
The Challenges of a Children’s Hospital during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Pediatric Surgeon’s Point of View
Authors: Pelizzo Gloria , Costanzo Sara , Maestri Luciano , Selvaggio Giorgio , Pansini Andrea , Zuccotti Gian , Zoia Elena , De Filippis Giuseppe , Visconti Alessandro , Calcaterra Valeria
Published: November 2020

During the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) emergency, in the pediatric surgical setting, it has been essential to avoid and contain infections as well as to protect both the patients and the surgical team. During this emergency, procedures and workflow were adapted to provide the safest possible environment for both the surgical team and the patients. Pediatric surgical activities were reorganized during the COVID-19 pandemic at the “Vittore Buzzi” Children’s Hospital, which is a pediatric/maternal hospital located in Milan (Lombardy Region), Italy. Resources were optimized in order to maintain high levels of care and quality of assistance. During the COVID-19 emergency, the pediatric surgical department at the “Vittore Buzzi” Children’s Hospital became an acute care surgical service. For the reorganization of surgical activities, institutional protocols were adapted in order to preserve the pediatric-specific characteristics of our service; five crucial points were specifically addressed. The pediatric surgical procedures carried out during the initial two months of the Italian lockdown are also reported. Continuity of care was maintained for children affected by severe diseases, such as tumors and neurosurgical conditions, whose treatment could not be deferred. Telemedicine and telecommunication were adopted as quick-support modalities for pre- and post-operative care. This reorganization allowed us to preserve the “pediatric specificity” and all care-related procedures offered at this high-quality/high-volume surgical care referral center.
Carob Seeds: Food Waste or Source of Bioactive Compounds?
Authors: Santonocito Debora , Granata Giuseppe , Geraci Corrada , Panico Annamaria , Siciliano Edy Angela , Raciti Giuseppina , Puglia Carmelo
Published: November 2020

(1) Background: For centuries, carob fruit has been used in the food field, while carob seeds have been mainly considered as food waste. Nowadays, there has been considerable attention toward the recovery of the waste plant matrices as possible sources of functional compounds with health properties. Therefore, our goal was to evaluate the health properties of carob seed extracts, and to study the effects of the ripening process on the chemical composition of the extracts. (2) Methods: After the mechanical separation of seeds from carob fruit, an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was performed to maximize and preserve the quality of bioactive compounds. Seed extracts were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) for the content of bioactive polyphenols, and were finally analyzed by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), NO Scavenger (NO) and advanced glyoxidation end products (AGEs) assays, in order to estimate the antioxidant potential of the active compounds. (3) Results: Although both seed extracts of carob unripe (CAR-UR) and ripe (CAR-R) showed an interesting antioxidant activity, CAR-R had greater activity due to the procyanidins content. (4) Conclusions: Based on the obtained results, carob seed extracts could be regarded as interesting source of bioactive antioxidant compounds for a potential application in nutraceutical and food supplement fields.
Alleviation of Collagen-Induced Arthritis by Crotonoside through Modulation of Dendritic Cell Differentiation and Activation
Authors: Lin Shih-Chao , Lin Chi-Chien , Li Shiming , Lin Wan-Yi , Lehman Caitlin W. , Bracci Nicole R. , Tsai Sen-Wei
Published: November 2020

Crotonoside, a guanosine analog originally isolated from Croton tiglium, is reported to be a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor with immunosuppressive effects on immune cells. Due to its potential immunotherapeutic effects, we aimed to evaluate the anti-arthritic activity of crotonoside and explore its immunomodulatory properties in alleviating the severity of arthritic symptoms. To this end, we implemented the treatment of crotonoside on collagen-induced arthritic (CIA) DBA/1 mice and investigated its underlying mechanisms towards pathogenic dendritic cells (DCs). Our results suggest that crotonoside treatment remarkably improved clinical arthritic symptoms in this CIA mouse model as indicated by decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the serum and suppressed expression of co-stimulatory molecules, CD40, CD80, and MHC class II, on CD11c+ DCs from the CIA mouse spleens. Additionally, crotonoside treatment significantly reduced the infiltration of CD11c+ DCs into the synovial tissues. Our in vitro study further demonstrated that bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) exhibited lower yield in numbers and expressed lower levels of CD40, CD80, and MHC-II when incubated with crotonoside. Furthermore, LPS-stimulated mature DCs exhibited limited capability to prime antigen-specific CD4+ and T-cell proliferation, cytokine secretions, and co-stimulatory molecule expressions when treated with crotonoside. Our pioneer study highlights the immunotherapeutic role of crotonoside in the alleviation of the CIA via modulation of pathogenic DCs, thus creating possible applications of crotonoside as an immunosuppressive agent that could be utilized and further explored in treating autoimmune disorders in the future.
Synanthropic Plants as an Underestimated Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals: A Case of Galeopsis bifida (Lamiaceae)
Authors: Olennikov Daniil N.
Published: November 2020

Hemp nettle (Galeopsis bifida Boenn.) is a synanthropic species of the Lamiaceae family that is widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and Siberia. Galeopsis bifida is deeply embedded in the ethnomedical tradition of Asian healers; however, this plant is still poorly characterized, both chemically and pharmacologically. To study Siberian populations of G. bifida, we used high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array and electrospray triple quadrupole mass detection for metabolic profiling. Ninety compounds were identified, including iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, hydroxycinnamates, and flavone glycosides, most of which were identified in G. bifida for the first time, while some phenolics were found to have potential chemotaxonomic significance in the Lamiaceae family and Galeopsis genus. An unequal quantitative distribution of the selected metabolites was observed within separate organs of the G. bifida plant, characterized by high accumulation of most compounds within the aerial part of the plant (leaves, flowers). Analysis of the content of specific chosen compounds within the leaves of different populations of G. bifida from Eastern Siberia revealed the existence of two chemical types based on metabolic specifics: the southern type accumulates flavone glucuronides, while the northern type tends to accumulate high levels of phenylpropanoids and acylated flavone glucosides. The first study of the bioactivity of G. bifida extract demonstrated that the herb has low toxicity in acute experiments and expresses antioxidant potential against free radicals in the form of DPPH˙, ABTS˙+, and superoxide radical, as well as high ferric reducing antioxidant power, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and protective action in the carotene bleaching assay. In general, our results suggest the herb of G. bifida as a new, prospective synanthropic plant for medical application.
Plant-Derived Chemicals: A Source of Inspiration for New Drugs
Authors: Seidel Veronique
Published: November 2020

Plants have a long history of use as traditional remedies to treat a range of diseases and the diverse chemicals that they produce have provided great inspiration for the design of new drugs to date. Many plants have yet to be investigated for the presence of biologically-active products. This Special Issue presents a collection of scientific studies which report on the medicinal potential of plants. It also highlights the importance of preserving ethnobotanical knowledge and plant biodiversity worldwide to sustain future drug discovery from plant sources.
A Physics-Informed Assembly of Feed-Forward Neural Network Engines to Predict Inelasticity in Cross-Linked Polymers
Authors: Ghaderi Aref , Morovati Vahid , Dargazany Roozbeh
Published: November 2020

In solid mechanics, data-driven approaches are widely considered as the new paradigm that can overcome the classic problems of constitutive models such as limiting hypothesis, complexity, and accuracy. However, the implementation of machine-learned approaches in material modeling has been modest due to the high-dimensionality of the data space, the significant size of missing data, and limited convergence. This work proposes a framework to hire concepts from polymer science, statistical physics, and continuum mechanics to provide super-constrained machine-learning techniques of reduced-order to partly overcome the existing difficulties. Using a sequential order-reduction, we have simplified the 3D stress–strain tensor mapping problem into a limited number of super-constrained 1D mapping problems. Next, we introduce an assembly of multiple replicated neural network learning agents (L-agents) to systematically classify those mapping problems into a few categories, each of which were described by a distinct agent type. By capturing all loading modes through a simplified set of dispersed experimental data, the proposed hybrid assembly of L-agents provides a new generation of machine-learned approaches that simply outperform most constitutive laws in training speed, and accuracy even in complicated loading scenarios. Interestingly, the physics-based nature of the proposed model avoids the low interpretability of conventional machine-learned models.
Hydrophilic Surface Functionalization of Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering
Authors: Niemczyk-Soczynska Beata , Gradys Arkadiusz , Sajkiewicz Pawel
Published: November 2020

Electrospun polymer nanofibers have received much attention in tissue engineering due to their valuable properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradation ability, appropriate mechanical properties, and, most importantly, fibrous structure, which resembles the morphology of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. However, they are usually hydrophobic and suffer from a lack of bioactive molecules, which provide good cell adhesion to the scaffold surface. Post-electrospinning surface functionalization allows overcoming these limitations through polar groups covalent incorporation to the fibers surface, with subsequent functionalization with biologically active molecules or direct deposition of the biomolecule solution. Hydrophilic surface functionalization methods are classified into chemical approaches, including wet chemical functionalization and covalent grafting, a physiochemical approach with the use of a plasma treatment, and a physical approach that might be divided into physical adsorption and layer-by-layer assembly. This review discusses the state-of-the-art of hydrophilic surface functionalization strategies of electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering applications. We highlighted the major advantages and drawbacks of each method, at the same time, pointing out future perspectives and solutions in the hydrophilic functionalization strategies.
A Critical Review on Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Composites as Advanced Materials for Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Emerging Organic Pollutants from Wastewater
Authors: Zango Zakariyya Uba , Jumbri Khairulazhar , Sambudi Nonni Soraya , Ramli Anita , Abu Bakar Noor Hana Hanif , Saad Bahruddin , Rozaini Muhammad Nur’ Hafiz , Isiyaka Hamza Ahmad , Jagaba Ahmad Hussaini , Aldaghri Osamah , Sulieman Abdelmoneim
Published: November 2020

Water-borne emerging pollutants are among the greatest concern of our modern society. Many of these pollutants are categorized as endocrine disruptors due to their environmental toxicities. They are harmful to humans, aquatic animals, and plants, to the larger extent, destroying the ecosystem. Thus, effective environmental remediations of these pollutants became necessary. Among the various remediation techniques, adsorption and photocatalytic degradation have been single out as the most promising. This review is devoted to the compilations and analysis of the role of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their composites as potential materials for such applications. Emerging organic pollutants, like dyes, herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and perfluorinated alkyl substances, have been extensively studied. Important parameters that affect these processes, such as surface area, bandgap, percentage removal, equilibrium time, adsorption capacity, and recyclability, are documented. Finally, we paint the current scenario and challenges that need to be addressed for MOFs and their composites to be exploited for commercial applications.
Development of Laser Drilling Strategy for Thick Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composites (CFRP)
Authors: Ahmad Sobri Sharizal , Heinemann Robert , Whitehead David
Published: November 2020

Composites from carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRPs) play a significant role in modern manufacturing. They are typically used in aerospace and other industries that require high strength-to-weight ratios. Composite machining, however, remains a challenging job and sometimes is hampered by poor efficiency. Despite considerable research being conducted over the past few years on the machining of composite materials, the material nevertheless suffers from delamination, fibre loss, and imperfect finishing of the fuselage. Laser technology is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative approach to cutting and drilling composites. Experiments have been conducted with a CFRP thickness of 25.4 mm using fibre laser to test the effect of the machining parameters on the primary performance measurements. In this study, different machining criteria are used to assess the fibre laser ability of thick CFRP composites for drilling operation. The experimental findings revealed that a fibre laser is capable of penetrating a thick CFRP to a depth of 22 mm by using a novel drilling procedure.
Application Properties Analysis as a Dielectric Capacitor of End-of-Life Tire-Reinforced HDPE
Authors: Marín-Genescà Marc , García-Amorós Jordi , Mujal-Rosas Ramon , Massagués Vidal Lluís , Colom Fajula Xavier
Published: November 2020

The purpose of the present research is to obtain waste of polymeric composite as an insulator capacitive application. Rubber materials, once they end their useful life, may be difficult to reuse or recycle. At present, research only uses one tire recycling method, which involves grinding and separating steel and fibers from vulcanized rubber, and then using the rubber particles for industrial capacitors. The methodology for this research is to compare the permittivity (ε′ and ε″) between high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and the polymer matrix compound, consisting of an HDPE polymeric matrix blended with end-of-life tire particles (ground tire rubber (GTR)), to analyze the feasibility of using such tires as electrically insulating materials (dielectrics). The incorporation of carbon black in the GTR compounds modifies conductivity; GTRs carry a significant amount of carbon black, and therefore some electrical properties may change significantly compared to highly insulating polymer substrates. The performed experimental study is based on a dynamic electric analysis (DEA) test developed in the frequency range of 10−2 Hz to 3 MHz and at different temperatures (from 35 to 70 °C) of different samples type: HDPE neat and HDPE compounds with 10%, 20% and 40% of GTR loads. A sample’s electrical behavior is checked for its dependence on frequency and temperature, focused on the permittivity property; this is a key property for capacitive insulators and is key for examining the possible applications in this field, for HDPE + GTR blends. Results for the permittivity behavior and the loss factor show different electrical behavior. For a neat HDPE sample, no dependence with frequency nor temperature is shown. However, with the addition of 10%, 20%, and 40% amount of GTR the HDPE compounds show different behaviors: for low frequencies, interfacial polarization relaxation is seen, due to the Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars (MWS) effect, performed in heterogeneous materials. In order to analyze thermal and morphological properties the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used. Results obtained show that adding waste tire particles in an HDPE matrix allows HDPE + 40% GTR blends to act as a dielectric in capacitors, increasing the capacitor dielectric efficiency in the low frequencies due to the MWS effect, which increases the dielectric constant.
Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Polymerized 2-Ethyl-2-oxazoline Based Thin Films for Biomedical Purposes
Authors: Mazánková Věra , Sťahel Pavel , Matoušková Petra , Brablec Antonín , Čech Jan , Prokeš Lubomír , Buršíková Vilma , Stupavská Monika , Lehocký Marián , Ozaltin Kadir , Humpolíček Petr , Trunec David
Published: November 2020

Polyoxazoline thin coatings were deposited on glass substrates using atmospheric pressure plasma polymerization from 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline vapours. The plasma polymerization was performed in dielectric barrier discharge burning in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure. The thin films stable in aqueous environments were obtained at the deposition with increased substrate temperature, which was changed from 20 ∘C to 150 ∘C. The thin film deposited samples were highly active against both S. aureus and E. coli strains in general. The chemical composition of polyoxazoline films was studied by FTIR and XPS, the mechanical properties of films were studied by depth sensing indentation technique and by scratch tests. The film surface properties were studied by AFM and by surface energy measurement. After tuning the deposition parameters (i.e., monomer flow rate and substrate temperature), stable films, which resist bacterial biofilm formation and have cell-repellent properties, were achieved. Such antibiofouling polyoxazoline thin films can have many potential biomedical applications.
Room-Temperature Self-Standing Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Electrolytes for Electrochemical Devices
Authors: Gomez Iñaki , Alesanco Yolanda , Blázquez Jose Alberto , Viñuales Ana , Colmenares Luis C.
Published: November 2020

The trend of research towards more sustainable materials is pushing the application of biopolymers in a variety of unexplored fields. In this regard, hydrogels are attracting significant attention as electrolytes for flexible electrochemical devices thanks to their combination of ionic conductivity and mechanical properties. In this context, we present the use of cellulose-based hydrogels as aqueous electrolytes for electrochemical devices. These materials were obtained by crosslinking of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) with divinyl sulfone (DVS) in the presence of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), creating a semi-IPN structure. The reaction was confirmed by NMR and FTIR. The small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) technique revealed that the rheological properties could be conveniently varied by simply changing the gel composition. Additionally, the hydrogels presented high ionic conductivity in the range of mS cm−1. The ease of synthesis and processing of the hydrogels allowed the assembly of an all-in-one electrochromic device (ECD) with high transmittance variation, improved switching time and good color efficiency. On the other hand, the swelling ability of the hydrogels permits the tuning of the electrolyte to improve the performance of a printed Zinc/MnO2 primary battery. The results prove the potential of cellulose-based hydrogels as electrolytes for more sustainable electrochemical devices.
A Review on Individual and Combination Technologies of UV-C Radiation and Ultrasound in Postharvest Handling of Fruits and Vegetables
Authors: Esua Okon Johnson , Chin Nyuk Ling , Yusof Yus Aniza , Sukor Rashidah
Published: November 2020

Ultraviolet-C radiation and ultrasound technology are widely accepted and continuously being appraised as alternatives to conventional thermal techniques for decontamination of fruits and vegetables. However, studies in these areas have presented challenges related to quality, safety, limited capability, and cost of energy. This review paper presents an up-to-date summary of applications of ultraviolet-C radiation and ultrasound technology for postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables from relevant literature. The limitations associated with applications of ultraviolet-C radiation and ultrasound technology individually has prompted their combination alongside other antimicrobial strategies for enhanced bactericidal effect. The combination of ultraviolet-C radiation and ultrasound technology as a hurdle approach also provides enhanced efficiency, cost effectiveness, and reduced processing time without compromising quality. The review includes further scope of industrial-led collaboration and commercialization of ultraviolet-C radiation and ultrasound technology such as scale-up studies and process optimization.
Study on Production, Domestic and Ecological Benefits of Reservoir Water Supply Based on Emergy Analysis
Authors: Guan Xinjian , Jiang Pengkun , Meng Yu , Qin Haidong , Lv Hong
Published: November 2020

As an important water conservancy project, it is necessary to evaluate its water supply benefit. Based on the emergy analysis theory, a reservoir water supply benefits evaluation model (RWSBEM) was established. Firstly, the emergy transformity of natural and engineering water body was calculated. Secondly, the water resource values (WRV) of different water users (industrial, agricultural, domestic, ecological) were calculated. Finally, combined with the water supply situation of the reservoir, the various water supply benefits of the reservoir were calculated. Taking Hekoucun reservoir as an example, its ecological water supply benefit is the largest and agriculture is the smallest, followed by industry and life. The results showed that the trend of WRV was domestic > industry > ecology > agriculture, which reflected the contribution and utility of water resources in different industries. Under the condition of current water resources, the planned water supply benefits of the reservoir can be guaranteed in the wet and normal years, but in the dry years, the ecological benefit will be reduced. Therefore, the industry water-saving needs to be further strengthened, and the interannual regulation function of the reservoir should be applied more effectively to maximize the comprehensive benefits of reservoir water supply.
Spiritual Reports from Long-Term HIV Survivors: Reclaiming Meaning While Confronting Mortality
Authors: Desrosiers Kyle
Published: November 2020

Reports from Long-term HIV Survivors: Reclaiming Meaning while Confronting Mortality presents research completed by Kyle Desrosiers in conjunction with the Baylor University Institute for Oral History. Applying lifespan theory to spiritual development, it discusses the narratives of four American long-term HIV survivors from Latter-day Saints, Roman Catholic (2), and Conservative Jewish backgrounds. The fifth profile is from a Protestant pastor with an HIV ministry in a rural area. These profiles are five selected from among 10 interviews with HIV-positive people and caregivers across America now archived by the author at Baylor University. Questions directing this research were: how does HIV status affect participants’ relationship to their religious communities, identities, and spiritualties?; what narratives emerge from lifespan perspectives of HIV-positive and queer participants?; and what spiritual practices, mythos, and beliefs evolve/remain as a product of living at the margins of religion and society, alongside coping with a deadly global epidemic? This project reports narratives of change, continuity, and meaning-making to discuss how several gay/queer men from a range of ethnic and faith backgrounds have used spirituality and worldview to navigate life.
When Rituals Fail: Confessions of Doping in Elite Sports
Authors: Blazer Annie
Published: November 2020

In the nineteenth century, Protestant reformers declared: Sport builds character. They described sport as ethically valuable and as an experiential tool to teach values and cooperation. However, sports have long raised ethical challenges when it comes to fairness in competition. This article examines controversies over performance enhancing drugs and pays attention to the rituals of confession at play for those caught doping. Nineteenth-century revivalist Charles Finney formalized a ritual practice that became known as the “anxious bench”. Finney would demand that a sinner sit on the bench, separated from others because of their sinfulness, and confess their sinful ways in order to re-devote themselves to God and goodness. Turning to steroid use in Major League Baseball and Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal, I consider how rituals of confession based on the anxious bench failed to redeem these athletes because the athletes themselves resisted the premise. Rituals of confession preserve an underlying ideology that sport is morally valuable. When these rituals fail, they reveal less noble structural motivations that lead to doping in the first place like monetary reward, intense pressure to perform, and the entertainment demands of elite sport.
Long-Range Automatic Detection, Acoustic Signature Characterization and Bearing-Time Estimation of Multiple Ships with Coherent Hydrophone Array
Authors: Zhu Chenyang , Seri Sai Geetha , Mohebbi-Kalkhoran Hamed , Ratilal Purnima
Published: November 2020

Three approaches for instantaneous wide-area analysis of ship-radiated underwater sound, each focusing on a different aspect of that sound, received on a large-aperture densely-sampled coherent hydrophone array have been developed. (i) Ship’s narrowband machinery tonal sound is analyzed via temporal coherence using Mean Magnitude-Squared Coherence (MMSC) calculations. (ii) Ship’s broadband amplitude-modulated cavitation noise is examined using Cyclic Spectral Coherence (CSC) analysis that provides estimates for propeller blade pass rotation frequency, shaft rotation frequency, and hence the number of propeller blades. (iii) Mean power spectral densities (PSD) averaged across broad bandwidths are calculated in order to detect acoustically energetic ships. Each of these techniques are applied after beamforming of the received acoustic signals on a coherent hydrophone array, leading to significantly enhanced signal-to-noise ratios for simultaneous detection, bearing-time estimation and acoustic signature characterization of multiple ships over continental-shelf scale regions. The approaches are illustrated with underwater recordings of a 160-element coherent hydrophone array for six ocean vessels, that are located at a variety of bearings and ranges out to 200 km from the array, in the Norwegian Sea in February 2014. The CSC approach is shown to also be useful for automatic detection and bearing-time estimation of repetitive marine mammal vocalizations, providing estimates for inter-pulse-train and inter-pulse intervals from CSC spectra cyclic fundamental and first recurring peak frequencies respectively.
Validation of Satellite Sea Surface Temperatures and Long-Term Trends in Korean Coastal Regions over Past Decades (1982–2018)
Authors: Lee Eun-Young , Park Kyung-Ae
Published: November 2020

Validation of daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) data from 1982 to 2018 was performed by comparison with quality-controlled in situ water temperature data from Korea Meteorological Administration moored buoys and Korea Oceanographic Data Center observations in the coastal regions around the Korean Peninsula. In contrast to the relatively high accuracy of the SSTs in the open ocean, the SSTs of the coastal regions exhibited large root-mean-square errors (RMSE) ranging from 0.75 K to 1.99 K and a bias ranging from −0.51 K to 1.27 K, which tended to be amplified towards the coastal lines. The coastal SSTs in the Yellow Sea presented much higher RMSE and bias due to the appearance of cold water on the surface induced by vigorous tidal mixing over shallow bathymetry. The long-term trends of OISSTs were also compared with those of in situ water temperatures over decades. Although the trends of OISSTs deviated from those of in situ temperatures in coastal regions, the spatial patterns of the OISST trends revealed a similar structure to those of in situ temperature trends. The trends of SSTs using satellite data explained about 99% of the trends in in situ temperatures in offshore regions (>25 km from the shoreline). This study discusses the limitations and potential of global SSTs as well as long-term SST trends, especially in Korean coastal regions, considering diverse applications of satellite SSTs and increasing vulnerability to climate change.
An Autonomous Log Storage Management Protocol with Blockchain Mechanism and Access Control for the Internet of Things
Authors: Hsu Chien-Lung , Chen Wei-Xin , Le Tuan-Vinh
Published: November 2020

As the Internet of Things (IoT) has become prevalent, a massive number of logs produced by IoT devices are transmitted and processed every day. The logs should contain important contents and private information. Moreover, these logs may be used as evidences for forensic investigations when cyber security incidents occur. However, evidence legality and internal security issues in existing works were not properly addressed. This paper proposes an autonomous log storage management protocol with blockchain mechanism and access control for the IoT. Autonomous model allows sensors to encrypt their logs before sending it to gateway and server, so that the logs are not revealed to the public during communication process. Along with blockchain, we introduce the concept “signature chain”. The integration of blockchain and signature chain provides efficient management functions with valuable security properties for the logs, including robust identity verification, data integrity, non-repudiation, data tamper resistance, and the legality. Our work also employs attribute-based encryption to achieve fine-grained access control and data confidentiality. The results of security analysis using AVSIPA toolset, GNY logic and semantic proof indicate that the proposed protocol meets various security requirements. Providing good performance with elliptic curve small key size, short BLS signature, efficient signcryption method, and single sign-on solution, our work is suitable for the IoT.
Identification of Heart Sounds with an Interpretable Evolving Fuzzy Neural Network
Authors: de Campos Souza Paulo Vitor , Lughofer Edwin
Published: November 2020

Heart problems are responsible for the majority of deaths worldwide. The use of intelligent techniques to assist in the identification of existing patterns in these diseases can facilitate treatments and decision making in the field of medicine. This work aims to extract knowledge from a dataset based on heart noise behaviors in order to determine whether heart murmur predilection exists or not in the analyzed patients. A heart murmur can be pathological due to defects in the heart, so the use of an evolving hybrid technique can assist in detecting this comorbidity team, and at the same time, extract knowledge through fuzzy linguistic rules, facilitating the understanding of the nature of the evaluated data. Heart disease detection tests were performed to compare the proposed hybrid model’s performance with state of the art for the subject. The results obtained (90.75% accuracy) prove that in addition to great assertiveness in detecting heart murmurs, the evolving hybrid model could be concomitant with the extraction of knowledge from data submitted to an intelligent approach.
Wearable Sensors Detect Differences between the Sexes in Lower Limb Electromyographic Activity and Pelvis 3D Kinematics during Running
Authors: Moltó Iván Nacher , Albiach Juan Pardo , Amer-Cuenca Juan José , Segura-Ortí Eva , Gabriel Willig , Martínez-Gramage Javier
Published: November 2020

Each year, 50% of runners suffer from injuries. Consequently, more studies are being published about running biomechanics; these studies identify factors that can help prevent injuries. Scientific evidence suggests that recreational runners should use personalized biomechanical training plans, not only to improve their performance, but also to prevent injuries caused by the inability of amateur athletes to tolerate increased loads, and/or because of poor form. This study provides an overview of the different normative patterns of lower limb muscle activation and articular ranges of the pelvis during running, at self-selected speeds, in men and women. Methods: 38 healthy runners aged 18 to 49 years were included in this work. We examined eight muscles by applying two wearable superficial electromyography sensors and an inertial sensor for three-dimensional (3D) pelvis kinematics. Results: the largest differences were obtained for gluteus maximus activation in the first double float phase (p = 0.013) and second stance phase (p = 0.003), as well as in the gluteus medius in the second stance phase (p = 0.028). In both cases, the activation distribution was more homogeneous in men and presented significantly lower values than those obtained for women. In addition, there was a significantly higher percentage of total vastus medialis activation in women throughout the running cycle with the median (25th–75th percentile) for women being 12.50% (9.25–14) and 10% (9–12) for men. Women also had a greater range of pelvis rotation during running at self-selected speeds (p = 0.011). Conclusions: understanding the differences between men and women, in terms of muscle activation and pelvic kinematic values, could be especially useful to allow health professionals detect athletes who may be at risk of injury.
A Benchmark of Data Stream Classification for Human Activity Recognition on Connected Objects
Authors: Khannouz Martin , Glatard Tristan
Published: November 2020

This paper evaluates data stream classifiers from the perspective of connected devices, focusing on the use case of Human Activity Recognition. We measure both the classification performance and resource consumption (runtime, memory, and power) of five usual stream classification algorithms, implemented in a consistent library, and applied to two real human activity datasets and three synthetic datasets. Regarding classification performance, the results show the overall superiority of the Hoeffding Tree, the Mondrian forest, and the Naïve Bayes classifiers over the Feedforward Neural Network and the Micro Cluster Nearest Neighbor classifiers on four datasets out of six, including the real ones. In addition, the Hoeffding Tree and—to some extent—the Micro Cluster Nearest Neighbor, are the only classifiers that can recover from a concept drift. Overall, the three leading classifiers still perform substantially worse than an offline classifier on the real datasets. Regarding resource consumption, the Hoeffding Tree and the Mondrian forest are the most memory intensive and have the longest runtime; however, no difference in power consumption is found between classifiers. We conclude that stream learning for Human Activity Recognition on connected objects is challenged by two factors which could lead to interesting future work: a high memory consumption and low F1 scores overall.
Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for Millimetric-Scale Temperature Monitoring of Cardiac Tissue Undergoing Radiofrequency Ablation: A Feasibility Assessment
Authors: Zaltieri Martina , Allegretti Greta , Massaroni Carlo , Schena Emiliano , Cauti Filippo Maria
Published: November 2020

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the most widely used technique for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. A variety of factors, such as the electrode tip shape, the force exerted on the tissue by the catheter and the delivered power, combine to determine the temperature distribution, and as consequence, the lesion shape and size. In this context, being able to know the temperature reached in the myocardium during the RFA can be helpful for predicting the lesion dimensions to prevent the occurrence of undesired tissue damage. The catheters used so far in such procedures provide single-point temperature measurements within the probe (by means of embedded thermocouples or thermistors), so no information regarding the temperature changes occurring in myocardial tissues can be retrieved. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of fiber Bragg grating sensors (FBGs) to perform multi-point and millimetric-scale temperature measurements within myocardium subjected to RFA. The assessment has been performed on ex vivo porcine myocardium specimens undergoing RFA. Data show the feasibility of the proposed solution in providing spatial temperature distribution within the myocardial tissue during the entire RFA. These high-resolved measurements may allow reconstructing the temperature distribution in the tissue. This study lays the foundations for the implementation of 3D thermal maps to investigate how the supplied power, treatment time, force of contact and irrigation flow of the catheter influence the thermal effects within the tissue.
Emotion Regulation and Employability: The Mediational Role of Ambition and a Protean Career among Unemployed People
Authors: Panari Chiara , Tonelli Michela , Mazzetti Greta
Published: November 2020

Literature on job searching suggests that emotion regulation has an impact on employability, but this relationship is far from being explained; furthermore, most of the studies have been conducted among students or workers. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between emotion regulation and employability among unemployed people, analyzing the role of ambition and protean career orientation as possible factors in such a relationship. Participants were 228 unemployed subjects who had requested individual counselling for job searching; data were collected by means of a self-report questionnaire. Results confirmed that emotion regulation is related to employability, both through a direct relationship and through an indirect effect of ambition and protean career orientation.
Clothing Disposal Behavior of Taiwanese Consumers with Respect to Environmental Protection and Sustainability
Authors: Lai Chih-Chun , Chang Ching-Erh
Published: November 2020

Large quantities of clothing are routinely discarded, ending up in landfills that contribute to the environmental crisis; hence, it is worthwhile investigating how to dispose of this waste in a sustainable way. This study considered environmental values and prosocial behavior from behaviorism theory. The aim was to set up an environmental protection model for the sustainable disposal of consumer clothing. A structural equation modeling analysis of 407 undergraduate and postgraduate consumer data in Taiwan revealed that consumers’ choice to donate clothing was influenced by environmental values and prosocial behaviors. Clothing resale was influenced by the factor of prosocial behavior. However, prosocial consumers used other disposal patterns instead of resale. Clothing reuse was not influenced by either environmental values or prosocial behavior. The behaviorism theory model is effective in analyzing the factors influencing sustainable clothing disposal. To face clothing waste issues, one can intensify traditional values of industriousness and thriftiness, and of compassion and sympathy to others, to accelerate the promotion of the sustainable disposal of clothing.
An Open Data and Citizen Science Approach to Building Resilience to Natural Hazards in a Data-Scarce Remote Mountainous Part of Nepal
Authors: Parajuli Binod Prasad , Khadka Prakash , Baskota Preshika , Shakya Puja , Liu Wei , Pudasaini Uttam , B.C. Roniksh , Paul Jonathan , Buytaert Wouter , Vij Sumit
Published: November 2020

The citizen science approach has gained momentum in recent years. It can enable both experts and citizen scientists to co-create new knowledge. Better understanding of local environmental, social, and geographical contexts can help in designing appropriate plans for sustainable development. However, a lack of geospatial data, especially in the context of developing countries, often precludes context-specific development planning. This study therefore tests an innovative approach of volunteer citizen science and an open mapping platform to build resilience to natural hazards in the remote mountainous parts of western Nepal. In this study, citizen scientists and mapping experts jointly mapped two districts of Nepal (Bajhang and Bajura) using the OpenStreetMap (OSM) platform. Remote mapping based on satellite imagery, capacity building, and mobilization of citizen scientists was performed to collect the data. These data were then uploaded to OSM and later retrieved in ArcGIS to produce a usable map that could be exploited as a reference resource for evidence-based decision-making. The collected data are freely accessible to community members as well as government and humanitarian actors, and can be used for development planning and risk reduction. By piloting in two communities of western Nepal, we found that using open data platforms for collecting and analyzing location-based data has a mutual benefit for researchers and communities. Such data could be vital in understanding the local landscape, environmental risk, and distribution of resources. Furthermore, they enable both researchers and local people to transfer technical knowledge, collect location-specific data, and use them for better decision-making.
Estimating Soil Water Content and Evapotranspiration of Winter Wheat under Deficit Irrigation Based on SWAP Model
Authors: Wang Xiaowen , Cai Huanjie , Li Liang , Wang Xiaoyun
Published: November 2020

Deficit irrigation strategy is essential for sustainable agricultural development in arid regions. A two−year deficit irrigation field experiment was conducted to study the water dynamics of winter wheat under deficit irrigation in Guanzhong Plain in Northwest China. Three irrigation levels were implemented during four growth stages of winter wheat: 100%, 80% and 60% of actual evapotranspiration (ET) measured by the lysimeter with sufficient irrigation treatment (CK). The agro−hydrological model soil−water−atmosphere−plant (SWAP) was used to simulate the components of the farmland water budget. Sensitivity analysis for parameters of SWAP indicated that the saturated water content and water content shape factor n were more sensitive than the other parameters. The verification results showed that the SWAP model accurately simulated soil water content (average relative error (MRE) < 21.66%, root mean square error (RMSE) < 0.07 cm3 cm−3) and ET (R2 = 0.975, p < 0.01). Irrigation had an important impact on actual plant transpiration, but the actual soil evaporation had little change among different treatments. The average deep percolation was 14.54 mm and positively correlated with the total irrigation amount. The model established using path analysis and regression methods for estimating ET performed well (R2 = 0.727, p < 0.01). This study provided effective guidance for SWAP model parameter calibration and a convenient way to accurately estimate ET with fewer variables.