bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Alternative Methodology to Compute the Geometric Tortuosity in 2D Porous Media Using the A-Star Pathfinding Algorithm
Authors: Espinoza-Andaluz Mayken , Pagalo Javier , Ávila Joseph , Barzola-Monteses Julio
Published: April 2022

Geometric tortuosity is an essential characteristic to consider when studying a porous medium’s morphology. Knowing the material’s tortuosity allows us to understand and estimate the different diffusion transport properties of the analyzed material. Geometric tortuosity is useful to compute parameters, such as the effective diffusion coefficient, inertial factor, and diffusibility, which are commonly found in porous media materials. This study proposes an alternative method to estimate the geometric tortuosity of digitally created two-dimensional porous media. The porous microstructure is generated by using the PoreSpy library of Python and converted to a binary matrix for the computation of the parameters involved in this work. As a first step, porous media are digitally generated with porosity values from 0.5 to 0.9; then, the geometric tortuosity is determined using the A-star algorithm. This approach, commonly used in pathfinding problems, improves the use of computational resources and complies with the theory found in the literature. Based on the obtained results, the best geometric tortuosity–porosity correlations are proposed. The selection of the best correlation considers the coefficient of determination value (99.7%) with a confidence interval of 95%.
Dual-Mechanism Absorptive Metasurface with Wideband 20 dB RCS Reduction
Authors: Yuan Fang , Chen Qiang , Zheng Yuejun , Fu Yunqi
Published: April 2022

This paper presents a dual-mechanism method to design a single-layer absorptive metasurface with wideband 20 dB RCS reduction by simultaneously combining the absorption and phase cancellation mechanisms. The metasurface comprises two kinds of absorbing unit cells with 10 dB absorption performance but different reflection phases. The impedance condition for 20 dB RCS reduction is theoretically analyzed considering both the absorption and the phase cancellation based on the two unit cells, and the relationship between the surface impedance and the reflection phase/amplitude is revealed. According to these analyses, two unit cells with absorption performance and different reflection phases are designed and utilized to realize the absorptive metasurface. Numerical and experimental results show that the single-layer absorptive metasurface features wideband 20 dB RCS within 11.5–16 GHz with a thickness of only 3 mm.
Crystalline State Hydrogen Bonding of 2-(2-Hydroxybenzylidene)Thiazolo[3,2-a]Pyrimidines: A Way to Non-Centrosymmetric Crystals
Authors: Agarkov Artem S. , Litvinov Igor A. , Gabitova Elina R. , Ovsyannikov Alexander S. , Dorovatovskii Pavel V. , Shiryaev Andrey K. , Solovieva Svetlana E. , Antipin Igor S.
Published: April 2022

Thiazolopyrimidines are attractive to medical chemists as new antitumor agents due to their high inhibiting activity towards the tumor cells replication process and easy modification of their structure by varying of the number and nature of substituents. The presence of asymmetric C5 carbon atoms requires the development of racemic mixture separation procedures for these heterocycles. One of the more effective ways is the crystallization of a racemic compound as a conglomerate. A prerequisite for such separation is the formation of non-centrosymmetric crystals presenting Sohncke space groups. For the construction of chiral supramolecular ensembles in a crystalline state, hydrogen bonds were chosen as supramolecular synthons. In this context, salicylic derivatives at the C2 atom of thiazolopyrimidines were synthesized. The crystal structures of the obtained compounds were established by SCXRD. The regularities of the solvent’s influence on the crystal packaging were revealed. The conditions for the preparation of crystals with the chiral space group due to intermolecular hydrogen bonds were discovered.
Effect of Post-Deformation Annealing on Structure and Properties of Nickel-Enriched Ti-Ni Shape Memory Alloy Deformed in Various Initially Deformation-Induced Structure States
Authors: Komarov Victor , Karelin Roman , Khmelevskaya Irina , Yusupov Vladimir , Gunderov Dmitry
Published: April 2022

The effect of post-deformation annealing (PDA) of nickel-enriched Ti-50.9 at.% Ni shape memory alloy deformed in various initially deformation-induced structure states on the structure and properties was studied. The phase composition, temperature ranges of martensitic transformations and structure were studied using X-ray diffractometry and TEM. Mechanical and functional properties were determined using Vickers hardness tests and thermomechanical method using a bending mode for recovery strain inducing. The PDA at 430 °C (1 h) of the nickel-enriched Ti-Ni SMA with the dynamically recovered, dynamically polygonized or dynamically recrystallized structures after compressing deformation leads to the precipitation of finely dispersed (nanosized) Ti3Ni4 particles. The most significant increase of the completely recoverable strain (from 8.8 to 11.8%) and shape recovery rate (from 88 to 100%) as compared to the reference treatment is observed after PDA of the alloy with the dynamically polygonized structure.
Psychological Determinants of Men’s Adherence to Cascade Screening for BRCA1/2
Authors: Ongaro Giulia , Petrocchi Serena , Calvello Mariarosaria , Bonanni Bernardo , Feroce Irene , Pravettoni Gabriella
Published: April 2022

BRCA1/2 germline mutations predispose carriers to an increased risk of breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and skin cancer. Men and women are equally likely to pass on or inherit the pathogenic variant. However, there is evidence that male relatives are less involved in cascade screening than female ones. At the same time, little attention has been given to the research on psychological determinants of men’s adherence to cascade screening in BRCA1/2-positive families. Applying some principles of the Health Action Process Approach model, the present research tested a model of relationships on the adherence to BRCA1/2 cascade testing guidelines. The sample comprised 115 men’s first-degree relatives of women with verified germline mutations (Mage = 41.93; SD = 17.27). A pre–post test design was applied. Significant associations emerged between the intention to uptake BRCA1/2 genetic testing and age, parental status, breast cancer risk perception, self-referred outcome expectancies, perceived benefit, coping self-efficacy, and planning. Higher perceived benefit predicted increases in intention, and higher intention and coping self-efficacy predicted increases in planning. Intention was a positive total mediator of the relationship between benefit and planning. On a theoretical level, our findings partially supported the Health Action Process Approach as a valuable model based on which interventions could be developed in the context of cascade screening for BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Those results supported the importance of integrated genetic counselling sessions with a strict collaboration between geneticists and psychologists together with interventions planned to increase men’s self-monitoring ability to support their self-efficacy.
Geographic Patterns of Vascular Plant Diversity and Endemism Using Different Taxonomic and Spatial Units
Authors: Luebert Federico , Fuentes-Castillo Taryn , Pliscoff Patricio , García Nicolás , Román María José , Vera Diego , Scherson Rosa A.
Published: April 2022

Estimation of biodiversity patterns in poorly known areas is hampered by data availability and biased collecting efforts. To overcome the former, patterns can be estimated at higher taxonomic levels and larger spatial units. To deal with the latter, species distribution models (SDMs) can be employed. We explored the ability of higher-rank taxonomic units to surrogate patterns of species diversity at different aggregation levels and the use of SDMs to correct collection bias. We used Chile as a study case and employed three biodiversity measures (taxon richness, weighted endemism and turnover), four spatial aggregation levels or resolutions (100, 75, 50 and 25 km grid cells) and three taxonomic levels (species, genera and operational taxonomic units (OTUs)) to evaluate the spatial agreement of biodiversity measures. OTUs are monophyletic groups at the finest taxonomic resolution given the available phylogenetic information. We used a specimen database of 3684 species (84%) of the Chilean vascular flora and evaluated its redundancy. Agreement in spatial patterns was calculated using the fuzzy Kappa index. SDMs were generated for the three taxonomic levels to estimate taxon richness. For each spatial aggregation level, we calculated agreement between specimen-based and SDM-based richness and surrogacy among taxonomic levels with and without SDMs. Density of sampling for specimen-based data allowed for a resolution of 25 km before reaching a critical low redundancy value for all taxonomic levels. Genera and OTUs are good surrogates of species for all biodiversity measures, but their predictive power decreases with spatial scale. Agreement in richness patterns between taxonomic levels is greatest for SDMs at 100 and 75 km resolution, suggesting that biodiversity patterns are best estimated at 75 km resolution using SDMs for this data set. While these results cannot be extrapolated beyond the study area, this framework can be implemented in other data-deficient regions to describe biodiversity patterns and to choose the appropriate aggregation level for downstream biodiversity studies, such as spatial phylogenetics, where species-level data availability is a more generalized problem, since sequence data are normally available for only few species.
Milk Properties and Morphological Characteristics of the Donkey Mammary Gland for Development of an Adopted Milking Machine—A Review
Authors: Kaskous Shehadeh , Pfaffl Michael W.
Published: April 2022

Donkey milk (DM) has been known in the world for 5000 years for its benefits for human nutrition and health. Nowadays, DM has become more and more attractive as a commercial product. DM contains several physiologically functional components, including high-quality whey proteins, vitamins, important minerals, unsaturated fatty acid and bioactive components. Therefore, it is not only consumed as food but also as a remedy. The average daily milk yield of a female donkey over the entire lactation season was 1.57 ± 1.12 kg/day and fluctuated between 0.20 and 6.00 kg/day. Average milk concentrations (±SD) of fat, protein, lactose, total solids and ash in DM were 0.63 ± 0.41%, 1.71 ± 0.24%, 6.34 ± 0.37%, 9.11 ± 0.95% and 0.39 ± 0.04%, respectively. Interestingly, DM is similar in composition to mare’s milk, and both are similar to mother’s milk. The anatomical and morphological properties of the mammary gland of the female donkey are special and can be compared with those of mare udders. However, the cistern cavity of the mammary gland of female donkeys is characterized by the presence of multiple pockets that open directly into the teat, instead of a single cistern cavity. Therefore, the mammary gland capacity in donkey mare is low and milking technique and routine are of most importance. So far there is no special milking machine for female donkeys and mares. The milking machines used nowadays were initially designed for smaller sheep and goat udders. The company Siliconform, Germany, has set itself the task of developing an optimized milking machine for donkey mares, which is adapted to the anatomical and morphological properties of the donkey mammary gland. Furthermore, it should achieve a physiologically ideal milking process meeting high animal welfare standards for increased milk production with high quality standards.
MRI Appearance of Focal Lesions in Liver Iron Overload
Authors: Pecorelli Anna , Franceschi Paola , Braccischi Lorenzo , Izzo Federica , Renzulli Matteo , Golfieri Rita
Published: April 2022

Liver iron overload is defined as an accumulation of the chemical element Fe in the hepatic parenchyma that exceeds the normal storage. When iron accumulates, it can be toxic for the liver by producing inflammation and cell damage. This can potentially lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as to other liver lesions depending on the underlying condition associated to liver iron overload. The correct assessment of liver iron storage is pivotal to drive the best treatment and prevent complication. Nowadays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best non-invasive modality to detect and quantify liver iron overload. However, due to its superparamagnetic properties, iron provides a natural source of contrast enhancement that can make challenging the differential diagnosis between different focal liver lesions (FLLs). To date, a fully comprehensive description of MRI features of liver lesions commonly found in iron-overloaded liver is lacking in the literature. Through an extensive review of the published literature, we aim to summarize the MRI signal intensity and enhancement pattern of the most common FLLs that can occur in liver iron overload.
S-100 Immunohistochemical Positivity in Rhabdomyoma: An Underestimated Potential Diagnostic Pitfall in Routine Practice
Authors: Palicelli Andrea , Ramponi Antonio , Valente Guido , Boldorini Renzo , Balbo Mussetto Annalisa , Zanelli Magda
Published: April 2022

A 66-year-old man presented with a 2.8 cm lesion of the left vocal cord. On contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans, the tumor extended to the supraglottis, subglottis, paraglottic space and anterior commissure, causing partial obstruction of the laryngeal lumen. At another hospital, a fragmented incisional biopsy was diagnosed as a granular cell tumor, as to the S-100 immunohistochemical positivity. After excision, the tumor revealed to be an adult-type laryngeal rhabdomyoma. The typical cytoplasmic rod-like inclusions and cross striations were more evident in the second specimen. We confirmed the unusual S-100 immunohistochemical positivity (variable intensity, >90% of tumor cells). Muscle markers were not performed on the previous biopsy, resulting positive in our specimen (Desmin: strong, diffuse expression; Smooth Muscle Actin: strong staining in 10% of tumor cells). Melan-A, CD68, GFAP, pan-cytokeratins, CEA, calretinin and neurofilaments resulted negative. To our brief, systematic literature review, S-100 positivity (usually variable, often weak or patchy/focal) was globally found in 19/34 (56%) adult-type rhabdomyomas of the head and neck region. Especially on fragmented biopsy material, the differential diagnoses of laryngeal rhabdomyomas may include granular cell tumors, oncocytic tumors of the salivary glands or of different origin, and paragangliomas.
A Rare Case of Amyloidoma of the Chest Wall Presented with Fever of Unknown Origin
Authors: Huang Hsien-Po , Tsai Shang-Feng
Published: April 2022

Amyloidoma of the chest wall is an uncommon entity, consisting of a solitary tumor-like deposit of amyloid. Until now, while rarely reported, it was mostly presented with back pain and swelling. Here, we report the first case of a chest wall amyloidoma initially presented with fever of unknown origin. Due to the rarity of the lesion as a primary entity, protein electrophoresis and long-term follow-up are required. In addition, patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis are particularly at risk for such acquired amyloidosis. However, soft-tissue tumors, considered as amyloidoma, is also rare in patients with long-term hemodialysis. For patients with a fever of unknown primary origin, clinicians should keep amyloidoma in mind, especially in high-risk populations.
Application of the Kvaal Method in Age Estimation of the Serbian Population Based on Dental Radiographs
Authors: Zdravkovic Dejan , Jovanovic Milica , Papic Milos , Ristic Vladimir , Milojevic Samanovic Andjela , Kocovic Aleksandar , Sovrlic Miroslav , Vuletic Miona , Misic Aleksandra , Mladenovic Rasa , Milosavljevic Marko , Todic Jelena
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Kvaal method in determining the age of a Serbian population. In this retrospective descriptive study, 170 dental patients (age range 16–77 years) were included. The measurements of six types of teeth were performed on digital orthopantomography radiographs according to the Kvaal method. Statistical inter-observer and intra-observer reliabilities were calculated to evaluate the reproducibility of the measurements, as well as to examine the correlation between chronological age and measured values. The evaluation revealed a substantial difference (over 12 years) between chronological and estimated age. The P ratio had the strongest correlation with chronological age for the maxillary central (r = ±0.293) and lateral incisors (r = ±0.240), whereas the pulp/root width ratio at level A had the strongest correlation for the mandibular first premolars (r = ±0.270). The lowest SD values, for measurements on teeth 15/25 (SD = 125,787), had the most accurate correlation with age. Thus, we can conclude that the original Kvaal method is not applicable in the age estimation of the Serbian population. For future research, we suggest using cone beam computer tomography as a precise technology to evaluate the applicability of Kvaal and other methods for age estimation.
Development and Validation of Rapid In-House Diagnostic ELISA Kits for Detection of Human Orthopneumovirus in Clinical Samples
Authors: Aziz Ibrahim M. , Farrag Mohamed A. , Bhat Rauf , Ahmed Anwar , Alkubaisi Noorah A. , Alzayed Rasha M. , Dudin Gani Asa , Almajhdi Fahad N.
Published: April 2022

Currently, the standard assay employed to diagnose human orthopneumovirus infection is real-time reverse transcriptase PCR assay (rRT-PCR), a costly and time-consuming procedure that requires the manipulation of infectious viruses. In addition to RT-PCR, serological tests can complement the molecular diagnostic methods and have proven to be important tools in sero-surveillance. In this study, we report the development, optimization, and validation of a novel and rapid in-house diagnostic ELISA kit to detect human orthopneumovirus in clinical samples. We developed three sensitive ELISA formats through the immunization of rats with novel recombinant pPOE-F or pPOE-TF vectors. The two vectors expressed either the full-length (pPOE-F) or the truncated form (pPOE-TF) of the fusion (F) protein. The developed ELISA kits were optimized for coating buffer, capture antibody, blocking buffer, sample antigen, detection antibodies, and peroxidase-conjugated antibody, and validated using 75 rRT-PCR-confirmed nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) human orthopneumovirus samples and 25 negative samples collected from hospitalized children during different epidemic seasons between 2014 and 2017. Our results indicate that rats immunized with pPOE-F or pPOE-TF showed significant induction of high levels of MPAs. Validation of the ELISA method was compared to the rRT-PCR and the sensitivity hierarchy of these developed ELISA assays was considered from highest to lowest: indirect competitive inhibition ELISA (93.3%) > indirect antigen-capture ELISA (90.6%) > direct antigen-capture ELISA (86.6%). The development of the rapid in-house diagnostic ELISA kits described in this study demonstrates that a specific, rapid and sensitive test for human orthopneumovirus antigens could be successfully applied to samples collected from hospitalized children during different epidemics and can help in the efficient diagnosis of respiratory syncytial viral infections.
Perceived Didactic Curricular Effectiveness of In-Person vs. Virtual Formats amongst Fourth-Year Dental Students
Authors: Bowers Robert D. , Young Lance Brendan , Comnick Carissa L. , Kasundra Hariyali P. , Barwacz Christopher A.
Published: April 2022

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic altered the methodologies of dental education delivery, resulting in both immediate and more enduring changes. To assess student perceptions of learning effectiveness, graduating dental students from the class of 2020 were surveyed to identify student comfort with technology and content retention, individual motivation and mental focus, and access to resources pertaining to an abrupt transition to a virtual learning didactic seminar approach in March 2020. Methods: a voluntary, 18-question electronic survey was distributed to fourth-year dental students prior to graduation to assess perceptions of learning outcomes and preferences of a virtual seminar format relative to previous in-person didactic seminars experienced. Results: 34 of 80 dental students (42.5%) completed the electronic survey. Comfort and retention of concepts through virtual learning were reported ≥ by 91% and 85% of the respondents, respectively. Increased distractions and multitasking were reported with virtual learning in 56% and 71%, respectively. Desires to have all teaching conducted through virtual learning platforms was reported at 21%. Conclusions: the positive student responses obtained when comparing virtual to in-person seminars in the survey assessment demonstrates the long-term potential for such delivery modalities to be intentionally incorporated into an evolving predoctoral curriculum in a hybrid nature.
Dental Students’ Knowledge, Confidence, Ability, and Self-Reported Difficulties in Periodontal Education: A Mixed Method Pilot Study
Authors: Mofidi Amirsalar , Perez Arnaldo , Kornerup Ida , Levin Liran , Ortiz Silvia , Lai Hollis , Green Jacqueline , Kim Seongju , Gibson Monica P.
Published: April 2022

Evidence on periodontal education areas in which students have difficulties and their factors are limited. In this study, third- and fourth-year dental students’ knowledge was assessed as well as their confidence and ability in five periodontal educational areas using a mixed-method approach. A survey was used to collect data related to history-taking, medical examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up. Student answers were compared to the consensual answers of an expert panel using the cosine-similarity index (CSI). Descriptive statistics assessed confidence and ability for diagnosis. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data on reported reasons for difficulties in periodontal education. A content analysis was employed to analyze the interview data. Eighteen third- and fourth-year dental students completed the survey and eleven were interviewed. Students’ knowledge was adequate regarding diagnosis and treatment planning. Third-year students’ median CSI were 0.93 and 0.89, respectively. Fourth-year students’ median CSI were 0.9 and 0.93, respectively. Students felt confident in history-taking and examination but lacked confidence and ability in diagnosis and treatment planning. Reported reasons for difficulties in periodontal education were linked to both preclinical and clinical pedagogical issues. Further improvements in preclinical and clinical periodontal education are needed to address students’ lack of knowledge, confidence, and skills in key periodontal areas.
An Efficient Object Navigation Strategy for Mobile Robots Based on Semantic Information
Authors: Guo Yu , Xie Yuanyan , Chen Yue , Ban Xiaojuan , Sadoun Balqies , Obaidat Mohammad S.
Published: April 2022

In recent years, the rapid development of computer vision makes it possible for mobile robots to be more intelligent. Among the related technologies, the visual SLAM system allows the mobile robot to locate itself, build the map, and provide a navigation strategy to execute follow-up tasks, such as searching for objects in unknown environment according to the observed information. However, most of the existing studies are meant to provide a predefined trajectory for the robot or allow the robot to explore blindly and randomly, which undoubtedly affects the efficiency of the object navigation process and goes against with the idea of “intelligent”. To solve the above problems, an efficient object navigation strategy is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a semantic association model is obtained by using the Mask R-CNN and skip-gram to conduct correlation analysis of common indoor objects. Then, with the help of the above model and ROS framework, an effective object navigation strategy is designed to enable the robot to find the given target efficiently. Finally, the classical ORB-SLAM2 system method is integrated to help the robot build a high usability environment map and find passable paths when moving. Simulation results validated that the proposed strategy can efficiently help the robot to navigate to the object without human intervention.
Human Detection in Aerial Thermal Images Using Faster R-CNN and SSD Algorithms
Authors: Akshatha K. R. , Karunakar A. Kotegar , Shenoy Satish B. , Pai Abhilash K. , Nagaraj Nikhil Hunjanal , Rohatgi Sambhav Singh
Published: April 2022

The automatic detection of humans in aerial thermal imagery plays a significant role in various real-time applications, such as surveillance, search and rescue and border monitoring. Small target size, low resolution, occlusion, pose, and scale variations are the significant challenges in aerial thermal images that cause poor performance for various state-of-the-art object detection algorithms. Though many deep-learning-based object detection algorithms have shown impressive performance for generic object detection tasks, their ability to detect smaller objects in the aerial thermal images is analyzed through this study. This work carried out the performance evaluation of Faster R-CNN and single-shot multi-box detector (SSD) algorithms with different backbone networks to detect human targets in aerial view thermal images. For this purpose, two standard aerial thermal datasets having human objects of varying scale are considered with different backbone networks, such as ResNet50, Inception-v2, and MobileNet-v1. The evaluation results demonstrate that the Faster R-CNN model trained with the ResNet50 network architecture out-performed in terms of detection accuracy, with a mean average precision (mAP at 0.5 IoU) of 100% and 55.7% for the test data of the OSU thermal dataset and AAU PD T datasets, respectively. SSD with MobileNet-v1 achieved the highest detection speed of 44 frames per second (FPS) on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU. Fine-tuning the anchor parameters of the Faster R-CNN ResNet50 and SSD Inception-v2 algorithms caused remarkable improvement in mAP by 10% and 3.5%, respectively, for the challenging AAU PD T dataset. The experimental results demonstrated the application of Faster R-CNN and SSD algorithms for human detection in aerial view thermal images, and the impact of varying backbone network and anchor parameters on the performance improvement of these algorithms.
Integrated Equipment for Parkinson’s Disease Early Detection Using Graph Convolution Network
Authors: He Yefei , Yang Tao , Yang Cheng , Zhou Hong
Published: April 2022

There is an increasing need to diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD) in an early stage. Existing solutions mainly focused on traditional ways such as MRI, thus suffering from the ease-of-use issue. This work presents a new approach using video and skeleton-based techniques to solve this problem. In this paper, an end-to-end Parkinson’s disease early diagnosis method based on graph convolution networks is proposed, which takes patients’ skeletons sequence as input and returns the diagnosis result. The asymmetric dual-branch network architecture is designed to process global and local information separately and capture the subtle manifestation of PD. To train the network, we present the first Parkinson’s disease gait dataset, PD-Walk. This dataset consists of 95 PD patients and 96 healthy people’s walking videos. All the data are annotated by experienced doctors. Furthermore, we implement our method on portable equipment, which has been in operation in the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Experiments show that our method can achieve 84.1% accuracy and achieve real-time performance on the equipment in the real environment. Compared with traditional solutions, the proposed method can detect suspicious PD symptoms quickly and conveniently. Integrated equipment can be easily placed in hospitals or nursing homes to provide services for elderly people.
Performance Comparison of LMNO Cathodes Produced with Pullulan or PEDOT:PSS Water-Processable Binders
Authors: Brilloni Alessandro , Marchesini Francesco , Poli Federico , Petri Elisabetta , Soavi Francesca
Published: April 2022

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate lithium metal battery cells assembled with high potential cathodes produced by sustainable processes. Specifically, LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LMNO) electrodes were fabricated using two different water-processable binders: pullulan (PU) or the bifunctional electronically conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The cell performance was evaluated by voltammetric and galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles at different C-rates with 1M LiPF6 in 1:1 (v:v) ethylene carbonate (EC):dimethyl carbonate (DMC) (LP30) electrolyte and compared to that of cells assembled with LMNO featuring poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVdF). At C/10, the specific capacity of LMNO-PEDOT:PSS and LMNO-PU were, respectively, 130 mAh g−1 and 127 mAh g−1, slightly higher than that of LMNO-PVdF (124 mAh g−1). While the capacity retention at higher C-rates and under repeated cycling of LMNO-PU and LMNO-PVdF electrodes was similar, LMNO-PEDOT:PSS featured superior performance. Indeed, lithium metal cells assembled with PEDOT:PSS featured a capacity retention of 100% over 200 cycles carried out at C/1 and with a high cut-off voltage of 5 V. Overall, this work demonstrates that both the water-processable binders are a valuable alternative to PVdF. In addition, the use of PEDOT:PSS significantly improves the cycle life of the cell, even when high-voltage cathodes are used, therefore demonstrating the feasibility of the production of a green lithium metal battery that can exhibit a specific energy of 400 Wh kg−1, evaluated at the electrode material level. Our work further demonstrates the importance of the use of functional binders in electrode manufacturing.
Phase Behavior of Carbon Dioxide + Isobutanol and Carbon Dioxide + tert-Butanol Binary Systems
Authors: Sima Sergiu , Crişciu Adrian Victor , Secuianu Catinca
Published: April 2022

In recent years, the dramatic increase of greenhouse gases concentration in atmosphere, especially of carbon dioxide, determined many researchers to investigate new mitigation options. Thermodynamic studies play an important role in the development of new technologies for reducing the carbon levels. In this context, our group investigated the phase behavior (vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE), vapor–liquid–liquid equilibrium (VLLE), liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE), upper critical endpoints (UCEPs), critical curves) of binary and ternary systems containing organic substances with different functional groups to determine their ability to dissolve carbon dioxide. This study presents our results for the phase behavior of carbon dioxide + n-butanol structural isomers binary systems at high-pressures. Liquid–vapor critical curves are measured for carbon dioxide + isobutanol and carbon dioxide + tert-butanol binary systems at pressures up to 147.3 bar, as only few scattered critical points are available in the literature. New isothermal vapor–liquid equilibrium data are also reported at 363.15 and 373.15 K. New VLE data at higher temperature are necessary, as only another group reported some data for the carbon dioxide + isobutanol system, but with high errors. Phase behavior experiments were performed in a high-pressure two opposite sapphire windows cell with variable volume, using a static-analytical method with phases sampling by rapid online sample injectors (ROLSI) coupled to a gas chromatograph (GC) for phases analysis. The measurement results of this study are compared with the literature data when available. The new and all available literature data for the carbon dioxide + isobutanol and carbon dioxide + tert-butanol binary systems are successfully modeled with three cubic equations of state, namely, General Equation of State (GEOS), Soave–Redlich–Kwong (SRK), and Peng–Robinson (PR), coupled with classical van der Waals mixing rules (two-parameter conventional mixing rules, 2PCMR), using a predictive method.
Defining and Measuring Forest Dependence in the United States: Operationalization and Sensitivity Analysis
Authors: Frey Gregory E. , Kallayanamitra Chalisa , Wilkens Philadelphia , James Natasha A.
Published: April 2022

This manuscript helps bridge a gap between theoretical work that advocates for a broad view of forest dependence, and empirical work that has focused narrowly on economic measures. Background: Forest dependence has been widely recognized as a valuable concept for understanding human communities’ well-being and vulnerability to shocks and changes. Past theoretical literature has highlighted the importance of recognizing various types of dependence—environmental, economic, and social—yet past empirical literature on the topic in the United States has almost exclusively relied on measures of economic dependence such as employment and earnings from the traditional forest products sector. Objective and Methods: As a first step to bridge the gap between the theoretical and empirical, we reviewed the existing, publicly available, reliable, wall-to-wall data sources to identify alternate proxy measures for forest dependence. Data availability made the analysis feasible only at the county level—the administrative subdivisions of the state—or higher. Results and Conclusions: We created environmental, economic, and social criteria based on threshold levels of the following proxy variables: forest area, earnings, employment, and indigenous population. Using these criteria, we identified 524 counties to be potentially forest-dependent of 3140 total counties in the United States. The largest concentration was in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast regions, and a higher proportion were non-metro counties than metro. Varying the threshold levels significantly changes the number of counties identified but does not alter the overall geographic trends.
Relationship between Molecular Structure and Heat-Induced Gel Properties of Duck Myofibrillar Proteins Affected by the Addition of Pea Protein Isolate
Authors: Zhu Xueshen , Zhang Jiaxin , Liu Shaohua , Gu Ying , Yu Xiaobo , Gao Feng , Wang Renlei
Published: April 2022

This paper investigates the relationship between the molecular structure and thermally induced gel properties of duck myofibrillar protein isolate (DMPI) as influenced by the addition of pea protein isolate (PPI). The results showed that b* value of the gels increased; however, a* value decreased with the increase of PPI content (p < 0.05). The whiteness of the gels decreased significantly with the addition of pea protein compared with 0% vs. 0.5% addition. Nuclear magnetic resonance tests showed the area of immobilized water also increased with increasing PPI addition (0–2%), thus consistent with the increased water-holding capacity (p < 0.05). The penetration force of the gels increased with increasing PPI addition (p < 0.05), while the storage modulus and loss modulus of the gels were also found to increase, accompanied by the transformation of the α-helix structure into β-sheet, resulting in better dynamics of gel formation. These results indicated the gel-forming ability of DMPI, including water retention and textural properties, improves with increasing PPI addition. Principal component analysis verified these interrelationships. Thus, pea protein could improve the properties of duck myofibrillar protein gels to some extent and improve their microstructure, potentially facilitating the transition from a weak to a non-aggregated, rigid structure.
A Study of the Dusty Disks and Shells around Post-RGB Stars in the LMC
Authors: Sarkar Geetanjali , Sahai Raghvendra
Published: April 2022

A new class of dusty post-Red Giant Branch (post-RGB) stars has recently been identified in the Magellanic Clouds. Their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) suggest that their mass-ejecta are similar to dusty post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars. We modeled the SEDs of a select sample of post-RGB and post-AGB stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), quantified the total dust mass in the disks and shells and set rough constraints on the dust grain compositions and sizes. The shells were significantly more massive than the disks. Our models suggest that circumstellar disks, when present, are geometrically thick with a substantial opening angle, which is consistent with numerical simulations of CE evolution (CEE). Comparison of our model dust mass values with the predictions of dust production during CEE on the RGB suggest that CEE occurred near or at the tip of the RGB for the post-RGB sources in our sample. Amorphous silicate emission features at 10 and 18 μm are seen in the model spectra of several post-RGBs. A surprising result is that the ejected dust in certain post-RGB sources appears to be carbon-rich, thus, providing independent support for the hypothesis of binary interactions leading to the formation of dusty post-RGB objects.
Quantifying Strombolian Activity at Etna Volcano
Authors: Pioli Laura , Palmas Marco , Behncke Boris , De Beni Emanuela , Cantarero Massimo , Scollo Simona
Published: April 2022

Understanding the dynamics of mild explosive activity is a fundamental tool for hazard assessment at open conduit volcanoes. This is a particularly critical task for Etna volcano. Etna is in fact characterized by frequent, mild explosive activity, punctuated by lava flows and paroxysmal events (‘lava fountains’), which, because of their greater impact, have been the main target for hazard studies, whereas more frequent Strombolian activity has been overlooked. As a result, their impact and associated hazards have been never quantified, despite the extensive monitoring and surveillance activities carried out on this volcano. In this paper, we analyze video recordings of a sequence of Strombolian explosions occurring at the summit craters of Mt. Etna, in Italy, in February 2020. Data were also integrated with a petrographic analysis of collected samples, and drone surveys were performed at the same time as the video recordings. We estimate the frequency of explosions (20–12 per min); particle exit speeds (1–50 m/s), and erupted mass (100–102 kg) of those explosions. A very regular, small-scale activity (marked by a single burst of gas breaking the magma free surface into bombs and lapilli fragments) was occasionally punctuated by larger explosions, (at least one every 5 min), with a longer duration, fed by larger magma volumes, and consisting of two to three distinct pulses followed by a stationary phase. We found that the repose times between explosions follows a log logistic distribution, which is in agreement with the behavior of open vent explosive activity. The four largest explosions of the sequence were analyzed in detail: they emitted particles with median diameters (Mdphi) ranging from −10.1 to −8.8 phi, with bimodal distributions.
Predicting the Risk of Future Multiple Suicide Attempt among First-Time Suicide Attempters: Implications for Suicide Prevention Policy
Authors: Lin I-Li , Tseng Jean Yu-Chen , Tung Hui-Ting , Hu Ya-Han , You Zi-Hung
Published: April 2022

Suicide is listed in the top ten causes of death in Taiwan. Previous studies have pointed out that psychiatric patients having suicide attempts in their history are more likely to attempt suicide again than non-psychiatric patients. Therefore, how to predict the future multiple suicide attempts of psychiatric patients is an important issue of public health. Different from previous studies, we collect the psychiatric patients who have a suicide diagnosis in the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) as the study cohort. Study variables include psychiatric patients’ characteristics, medical behavior characteristics, physician characteristics, and hospital characteristics. Three machine learning techniques, including decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN), are used to develop models for predicting the risk of future multiple suicide attempts. The Adaboost technique is further used to improve prediction performance in model development. The experimental results show that Adaboost+DT performs the best in predicting the behavior of multiple suicide attempts among psychiatric patients. The findings of this study can help clinical staffs to early identify high-risk patients and improve the effectiveness of suicide prevention.
The Effects of High-Intensity Functional Training on Cognition in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rivas-Campo Yulieth , García-Garro Patricia Alexandra , Aibar-Almazán Agustín , Martínez-Amat Antonio , Vega-Ávila Gloria Cecilia , Afanador-Restrepo Diego Fernando , León-Morillas Felipe , Hita-Contreras Fidel
Published: April 2022

(1) Background: High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) is a new exercise modality that emphasizes multi-joint functional movements adaptable to any fitness level and promotes greater muscle recruitment. Previous studies have evaluated the positive effects of HIFT on mental and cognitive health but have not evaluated it in older people. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of HIFT on general cognition in older adults with cognitive impairment. (2) Methods: Following the PRISMA 2020 guideline, articles that did a high-intensity functional physical exercise intervention on cognitive performance in older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment (MMSE > 10) or dementia, aged 55 years or older, published between 2011 and 2021 in five different electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane plus were included. (3) Results: 7 articles were included, all having general cognition as their primary outcome. All assessed general cognition using the Mini-Mental State Examination, the ADAS-Cog, or both. All studies had at least one HIFT experimental group with a frequency of 2 sessions per week and a variable duration between protocols of 12, 13, 16, and 26 weeks. Two articles showed that a progressive HIFT program improves general cognition, four articles showed no significant changes within or between groups and one article concluded that a HIFT intervention does not slow cognitive decline. (4) Conclusions: Evidence exists of the benefits of HIFT on general cognition in older adults with cognitive impairment, assessed using the MMSE, the ADAS-cog, or both. Two articles that showed improvement in cognitive function used progressive HIFT with 80% RM at 6, 12, and 1 weeks; however, in the other articles, due to the heterogeneity of intervention protocols, measurement time points, and control group activities, mixed results were evidenced
Effect of Exercise Combined with Natural Stimulation on Korean College Students’ Concentration and Positive Psychological Capital: A Pilot Study
Authors: Lee Kyudong , Bae Hwanseong , Jang Seyong
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to investigate the effects of short-term exercise, within the natural environment or by applying similar visual stimulation, on concentration and positive psychological capital among Korean college students. Participants were 175 male college students—selected by non-probabilistic sampling—from the Korean National Police University in Asan-si, Republic of Korea, in March 2021. Participants were divided into three condition groups: the natural environmental exposure with outdoor exercise (n = 57), visual stimulation with indoor exercise (n = 58), and indoor exercise (control group; n = 60). The variables measured were concentration and positive psychological capital. Pre- and post-exercise data differences were analyzed using two-way (3 × 2) analysis of variance and Pearson’s correlation analysis, and statistical significance was set at 0.05. The results revealed a significant main effect on concentration, with lower scores post-intervention indicating positive changes in all three groups. In addition, the scores for positive psychological capital sub-factors (self-efficacy, optimism, and hope), in the groups with the natural environmental exposure with outdoor exercise and visual stimulation with indoor exercise conditions, reflected higher positive change than the indoor exercise group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the Bonferroni post hoc test on this interaction effect revealed that the participant scores for the natural environmental exposure with outdoor exercise and visual stimulation with indoor exercise groups were positive after the exercise (p < 0.05). However, there was no interaction effect for the ego-resilience subscale (p > 0.05). Therefore, participating in short-term exercise while being exposed to a natural environment with healing characteristics or providing visual stimulation of a similar natural environment was found to positively impact the Korean college students’ concentration and positive psychological capital’s self-efficacy, optimism, and hope. Moreover, this particular intervention only affects subjective measures of well-being while not particularly influencing objective measures, such as cognitive functioning. We recommend implementing similar visual stimulation with indoor exercise for the current generation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
High Aspartate Aminotransferase/Alanine Aminotransferase Ratio May Be Associated with All-Cause Mortality in the Elderly: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Artificial Intelligence and Conventional Analysis
Authors: Nakajima Kei , Yuno Mariko , Tanaka Kazumi , Nakamura Teiji
Published: April 2022

Low serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and high aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/ALT ratio may be associated with high mortality in the elderly. We aimed to confirm this in an 8-year retrospective cohort study. Clinical data for 5958 people living in a city aged 67–104 years were analyzed for their relationships with all-cause mortality using artificial intelligence (AI) and conventional statistical analysis. In total, 1413 (23.7%) participants died during the study. Auto-AI analysis with five rounds of cross-validation showed that AST/ALT ratio was the third-largest contributor to mortality, following age and sex. Serum albumin concentration and body mass index were the fourth- and fifth-largest contributors. However, when serum ALT and AST were individually considered in the same model, the individual serum ALT and AST activities were the seventh- and tenth-largest contributors. Conventional survival analysis showed that ALT, AST, and AST/ALT ratio as continuous variables were all associated with mortality (adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals): 0.98 (0.97–0.99), 1.02 (1.02–1.03), and 1.46 (1.32–1.62), respectively; all p < 0.0001). In conclusion, both AI and conventional analysis suggest that of the conventional biochemical markers, high AST/ALT ratio is most closely associated with all-cause mortality in the elderly.