bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transitions of Student Military Veterans into Engineering Education
Authors: Camacho Michelle M. , Lord Susan M. , Mobley Catherine , Main Joyce B. , Brawner Catherine E.
Published: June 2021

As student veterans transition to four-year institutions from the military, they navigate pathways that are often neither linear nor easy. Using Turner’s theory of liminality, we examine student veterans’ perspectives of the transition from military to civilian life. Interviewees include 60 student veterans from all military branches from four universities in the USA. Student veterans describe successes and challenges as they matriculate into engineering education as transfer students. Analyses of qualitative data yield original findings about the importance of mentors and student veteran networks for fostering student veterans’ educational interests and in promoting their persistence. This study uses a framework of liminality to highlight the bridge between prior military position and a forthcoming reentry into society with a new professional identity as an engineer. In describing their studies, student veterans greatly valued military-learned skills, such as patience, discipline, and technical skills, that give them an advantage in their engineering studies. These findings will be relevant to researchers studying transitions in general and researchers investigating veterans or other populations experiencing transitions. University leaders, including student affairs administrators, faculty members, and others who serve the student veteran community will also benefit from the results.
Housing for Now and the Future: A Systematic Review of Climate-Adaptive Measures
Authors: Rañeses Ma Katrina , Chang-Richards Alice , Wang Kevin I-Kai , Dirks Kim Natasha
Published: June 2021

Climate change requires our built environment to be adaptable in order to serve the community well. Among the components of the built environment, housing and its occupants are especially vulnerable. Over the years, there have been variations in the designs and building techniques used in the construction of houses able to adapt to these changes. In this study, a systematic review with the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol was conducted to identify, classify, and investigate existing climate-adaptive measures for housing on the basis of 65 articles selected. In total, 21 climate-adaptive measures were identified and classified into three categories, namely, passive design, building technology, and building performance assessment tools. From the identified climate-adaptive measures, 16 distinct benefits were identified, the majority of which are related to improved thermal comfort and energy efficiency. This review lays the foundation for further research examining the roles of existing, new, and emerging technologies in enhancing building performance and the adaptive ability of houses in response to climate change.
Biogas Production Potential from Livestock Manure in Pakistan
Authors: Khan Muhammad U. , Ahmad Muhammad , Sultan Muhammad , Sohoo Ihsanullah , Ghimire Prakash C. , Zahid Azlan , Sarwar Abid , Farooq Muhammad , Sajjad Uzair , Abdeshahian Peyman , Yousaf Maryam
Published: June 2021

Pakistan is facing a severe energy crisis due to its heavy dependency on the import of costly fossil fuels, which ultimately leads to expansive electricity generation, a low power supply, and interruptive load shedding. In this regard, the utilization of available renewable energy resources within the country for production of electricity can lessen this energy crisis. Livestock waste/manure is considered the most renewable and abundant material for biogas generation. Pakistan is primarily an agricultural country, and livestock is widely kept by the farming community, in order to meet their needs. According to the 2016–2018 data on the livestock population, poultry held the largest share at 45.8%, followed by buffaloes (20.6%), cattle (12.7%), goats (10.8%), sheep (8.4%), asses (1.3%), camels (0.25%), horses (0.1%), and mules (0.05%). Different animals produce different amounts of manure, based upon their size, weight, age, feed, and type. The most manure is produced by cattle (10–20 kg/day), while poultry produce the least (0.08–0.1 kg/day). Large quantities of livestock manure are produced from each province of Pakistan; Punjab province was the highest contributor (51%) of livestock manure in 2018. The potential livestock manure production in Pakistan was 417.3 million tons (Mt) in 2018, from which 26,871.35 million m3 of biogas could be generated—with a production potential of 492.6 petajoules (PJ) of heat energy and 5521.5 MW of electricity. Due to its favorable conditions for biodigester technologies, and through the appropriate development of anaerobic digestion, the currently prevailing energy crises in Pakistan could be eliminated.
A Rapid Review on Community Connected Microgrids
Authors: Syed Moiz Masood , Morrison Gregory M.
Published: June 2021

As the population of urban areas continues to grow, and construction of multi-unit developments surges in response, building energy use demand has increased accordingly and solutions are needed to offset electricity used from the grid. Renewable energy systems in the form of microgrids, and grid-connected solar PV-storage are considered primary solutions for powering residential developments. The primary objectives for commissioning such systems include significant electricity cost reductions and carbon emissions abatement. Despite the proliferation of renewables, the uptake of solar and battery storage systems in communities and multi-residential buildings are less researched in the literature, and many uncertainties remain in terms of providing an optimal solution. This literature review uses the rapid review technique, an industry and societal issue-based version of the systematic literature review, to identify the case for microgrids for multi-residential buildings and communities. The study describes the rapid review methodology in detail and discusses and examines the configurations and methodologies for microgrids.
A Qualitative Study Comparing Mindfulness and Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing): Practitioners’ Perspectives
Authors: Clarke Fiona J. , Kotera Yasuhiro , McEwan Kirsten
Published: June 2021

The boundary between mindfulness and forest bathing, two conceptually related therapies, is unclear. Accordingly, this study reports the strengths and challenges, similarities and differences, and barriers and facilitators for both. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven trained and experienced practitioners of both mindfulness and forest bathing. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed four main themes: (i) differences between the approaches; (ii) the benefits of forest bathing; (iii) biophilia through forest bathing; and (iv) inward versus outward attentional focus as a distinction between the approaches. Both practices were found to benefit well-being, but practitioners revealed key barriers to mindfulness. For vulnerable groups experiencing mental health challenges or difficulties achieving a meditative state, mindfulness may introduce well-being risks. By offering a gentler, more intuitive approach that encourages outward attentional focus, forest bathing was found to overcome this barrier. Forest bathing is suitable for all groups, but adaptations are recommended for those expressing fear or discomfort in forested environments. The findings inform how to position both approaches in practice, as a first step towards social prescribing recommendations. Wider implications concern forest bathing’s potential to impact environmental well-being. Future research must garner comparative data, involve young people, and explore the feasibility of a forest bathing social prescription.
Expansion of Policy Domain of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP): Challenges and Opportunities for Policy Design
Authors: Hotta Yasuhiko , Tasaki Tomohiro , Koide Ryu
Published: June 2021

Since 2015, the international policy community has started to agree on international agreements with ambitious middle-term and long-term goals, highly relevant to sustainable consumption and production (SCP) such as those seen in the Paris Agreement, SDGs, and the plastic-related agreements at the G7 and G20 processes. Along with this trend, there has been growing attention given to socio-technical system change or “transition”. Policy debate is putting more focus on the need to change consumption and production patterns and deal with various ecological consequences within planetary boundaries such as decarbonization, absolute reduction in material throughput, or creation of a plastic-free society. This paper examines the expansion of the policy domain of SCP in three phases; SCP focusing on pollution control and cleaner production (SCP 1.0), SCP from the perspective of product lifecycle (SCP 2.0), and SCP focusing on systematic changes in socio-technical systems driving consumption and production (SCP 3.0). The potential impact of a wider SCP policy domain can be comparable to the historical shift in discourse related to ecological modernization theory from pollution prevention to efficiency. This emerging trend corresponds to the need for a fresh approach to policy design which can facilitate transition to sustainability.
Residents’ Sustainable City Evaluation, Satisfaction and Loyalty: Integrating Importance-Performance Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling
Authors: Lee Say-Wah , Seow Chuen-Wah , Xue Ke
Published: June 2021

There has been an increase in research on sustainable urban development, especially in recent years, and importance-performance analysis (IPA) is one of the popular methods applied in sustainable development research. However, few have integrated IPA with structural equation modelling (SEM). This study developed and tested an integrated IPA and SEM approach to measuring the effects of the perceived importance of sustainable city dimensions and the perceived performance of a city on resident satisfaction and loyalty. A total of 388 survey responses were collected from the residents of Shanghai and analyzed using the integrated IPA-SEM approach. The results show that resident satisfaction mediates the relationship between overall perceived performance and resident loyalty, while the relationship between overall perceived importance and resident loyalty is mediated by both overall perceived performance and resident satisfaction. The findings from the SEM are in line with the IPA’s concept in that, to ensure resident satisfaction and loyalty, the quadrant that requires the most attention is Q1, while Q2 stands as the target quadrant. Implications and future research directions are proposed based on the findings.
The Monumental Olive Trees as Biocultural Heritage of Mediterranean Landscapes: The Case Study of Sicily
Authors: Schicchi Rosario , Speciale Claudia , Amato Filippo , Bazan Giuseppe , Di Noto Giuseppe , Marino Pasquale , Ricciardo Pippo , Geraci Anna
Published: June 2021

Monumental olive trees, with their longevity and their remarkable size, represent an important information source for the comprehension of the territory where they grow and the human societies that have kept them through time. Across the centuries, olive trees are the only cultivated plants that tell the story of Mediterranean landscapes. The same as stone monuments, these green monuments represent a real Mediterranean natural and cultural heritage. The aim of this paper is to discuss the value of monumental trees as “biocultural heritage” elements and the role they play in the interpretation of the historical stratification of the landscape. We present the results of a survey of the most significant olive trees growing in Sicily. The selection was based on the “monumentality” aspects of trees, taking into account dendrometric parameters and environmental contexts. The collected dataset constitutes a heterogeneous sample of 367 specimens of considerable size that, in some cases, reach a circumference of about 19 m. Starting from the data presented here, the whole Sicilian territory shows a historical relationship between human and olive. The presence of these plant monuments is, therefore, evidence of long-term, often centennial, landscapes as a result of sustainable use of the territory.
Demand Side Management for Smart Houses: A Survey
Authors: Salameh Khouloud , Awad Mohammed , Makarfi Aisha , Jallad Abdul-Halim , Chbeir Richard
Published: June 2021

Continuous advancements in Information and Communication Technology and the emergence of the Big Data era have altered how traditional power systems function. Such developments have led to increased reliability and efficiency, in turn contributing to operational, economic, and environmental improvements and leading to the development of a new technique known as Demand Side Management or DSM. In essence, DSM is a management activity that encourages users to optimize their electricity consumption by controlling the operation of their electrical appliances to reduce utility bills and their use during peak times. While users may save money on electricity costs by rescheduling their power consumption, they may also experience inconvenience due to the inflexibility of getting power on demand. Hence, several challenges must be considered to achieve a successful DSM. In this work, we analyze the power scheduling techniques in Smart Houses as proposed in most cited papers. We then examine the advantages and drawbacks of such methods and compare their contributions based on operational, economic, and environmental aspects.
Sustainable Agricultural Total Factor Productivity and Its Spatial Relationship with Urbanization in China
Authors: Li Jinkai , Chen Jueying , Liu Heguang
Published: June 2021

The growth of agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) is seen as a driving force for the sustainable development of agriculture. Meanwhile, the promotion of urbanization in China has exerted a profound impact on agricultural production. This paper calculates the agricultural TFP and analyzes the effect of urbanization. Firstly, the DEA-Malmquist method is used to calculate the dynamic change in agricultural TFP in China from 2004 to 2016. Secondly, the spatial spillover effect of urbanization on agricultural TFP is investigated by the spatial Durbin model. We found that: the average annual growth rate of agricultural TFP in China is 4.8% from 2004 to 2016; and the spillover effect of urbanization on agricultural TFP shows a U-shaped relationship, which means that urbanization has exerted a negative effect first and then a positive effect on agricultural TFP. Finally, the paper puts forward policy suggestions from the perspective of sustainable coordination of urbanization and agricultural production.
Techno-Economic Assessment and Operational Planning of Wind-Battery Distributed Renewable Generation System
Authors: Salman Umar , Khan Khalid , Alismail Fahad , Khalid Muhammad
Published: June 2021

Electrical energy and power demand will experience exponential increase with the rise of the global population. Power demand is predictable and can be estimated based on population and available historical data. However, renewable energy sources (RES) are intermittent, unpredictable, and environment-dependent. Interestingly, microgrids are becoming smarter but require adequate and an appropriate energy storage system (ESS) to support their smooth and optimal operation. The deep discharge caused by the charging–discharging operation of the ESS affects its state of health, depth of discharge (DOD), and life cycle, and inadvertently reduces its lifetime. Additionally, these parameters of the ESS are directly affected by the varying demand and intermittency of RES. This study presents an assessment of battery energy storage in wind-penetrated microgrids considering the DOD of the ESS. The study investigates two scenarios: a standalone microgrid, and a grid-connected microgrid. The problem is formulated based on the operation cost of the microgrid considering the DOD and the lifetime of the battery. The optimization problem is solved using non-linear programming. The scheduled operation cost of the microgrid, the daily scheduling cost of ESS, the power dispatch by distributed generators, and the DOD of the battery storage at any point in time are reported. Performance analysis showed that a power loss probability of less than 10% is achievable in all scenarios, demonstrating the effectiveness of the study.
Consumers’ Intention to Purchase Electric Vehicles: Influences of User Attitude and Perception
Authors: Lashari Zulfiqar Ali , Ko Joonho , Jang Junseok
Published: June 2021

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been developed as an efficient solution to reduce automobile emissions. To ensure the effective diffusion of EVs in current transport systems, it is vital to understand the factors affecting consumers’ intentions to purchase EVs. To provide insights for this understanding, this study aims to investigate such factors with a particular focus on users’ attitudes and perceptions. A questionnaire survey was conducted in September 2019 among potential consumers in the major cities of South Korea. A total of 1500 valid survey responses were obtained, and investigations using binary logistic regression and regression tree were conducted for an empirical analysis. The results showed that among attitudinal attributes, environmental and economic perceptions concerning EV use were the strongest predictors for an EV purchase. In addition, technological concerns were found to have negative impacts on EV purchase intentions. The findings of this study could provide reasonable guidelines for establishing marketing strategies and serve as a reference for EV stakeholders to improve the applicability of current policies regarding EV adoption.
Smart Farming Technologies in Arable Farming: Towards a Holistic Assessment of Opportunities and Risks
Authors: Lieder Sebastian , Schröter-Schlaack Christoph
Published: June 2021

Agricultural production finds itself in an area of tension. As a critical infrastructure, it has the task of reliably feeding a growing global population and supplying it with energy. However, the negative environmental impacts caused by agriculture, such as the global loss of biodiversity and the emission of greenhouse gases, are to be reduced. The increasing use of digital technologies is often described as a panacea that enables sustainable agriculture. The relevant literature is very dynamic, but the large number of concepts and terminologies used makes it difficult to obtain an overall view. In addition, many contributions focus on presumed or modeled efficiency gains, but this ignores technical and societal prerequisites and barriers. Therefore, the aim of this work was to identify the opportunities and risks of smart farming (SF) for more ecological arable farming. For this purpose, a holistic and environmental view was taken. The potential of SF to aid in the reduction in the environmental impacts of individual agricultural work steps was examined via an analysis of current literature. In addition, rebound effects, acceptance barriers and political omissions were considered as risks that prevent the benefits from being realized. It was shown that SF is able to contribute to a significant reduction in the negative environmental effects of agriculture. In particular, a reduction in fertilizer and pesticide application rates through mapping, sensing and precise application can lead to environmental benefits. However, achieving this requires the minimization of existing risks. For this reason, a proactive role of the state is required, implementing the necessary governance measures.
A White-Box Implementation of IDEA
Authors: Pang Siyu , Lin Tingting , Lai Xuejia , Gong Zheng
Published: June 2021

IDEA is a classic symmetric encryption algorithm proposed in 1991 and widely used in many applications. However, there is little research into white-box IDEA. In traditional white-box implementations of existing block ciphers, S-boxes are always converted into encoded lookup tables. However, the algebraic operations of IDEA without S-boxes, make the implementation not straight forward and challenging. We propose a white-box implementation of IDEA by applying a splitting symmetric encryption method, and verify its security against algebraic analysis and BGE-like attacks. Our white-box implementation requires an average of about 2800 ms to encrypt a 64-bit plaintext, about 60 times more than the original algorithm would take, which is acceptable for practical applications. Its storage requirements are only about 10 MB. To our knowledge, this is the first public white-box IDEA solution, and its design by splitting can be applied to similar algebraic encryption structures.
Some New Results Concerning the Classical Bernstein Cubature Formula
Authors: Miclăuş Dan
Published: June 2021

In this article, we present a solution to the approximation problem of the volume obtained by the integration of a bivariate function on any finite interval [a,b]×[c,d], as well as on any symmetrical finite interval [−a,a]×[−a,a] when a double integral cannot be computed exactly. The approximation of various double integrals is done by cubature formulas. We propose a cubature formula constructed on the base of the classical bivariate Bernstein operator. As a valuable tool to approximate any volume resulted by integration of a bivariate function, we use the classical Bernstein cubature formula. Numerical examples are given to increase the validity of the theoretical aspects.
Extracting Local Symmetry of Mono-Atomic Systems from Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Using Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Iesari Fabio , Setoyama Hiroyuki , Okajima Toshihiro
Published: June 2021

In recent years, neural networks have become a new method for the analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure data. Due to its sensitivity to local structure, X-ray absorption spectroscopy is often used to study disordered systems and one of its more interesting property is the sensitivity not only to pair distribution function, but also to three-body distribution, which contains information on the local symmetry. In this study, by considering the case of Ni, we show that by using neural networks, it is possible to obtain not only the radial distribution function, but also the bond angle distribution between the first nearest-neighbors. Additionally, by adding appropriate configurations in the dataset used for training, we show that the neural network is able to analyze also data from disordered phases (liquid and undercooled state), detecting small changes in the local ordering compatible with results obtained through other methods.
Chatter Stability Prediction and Process Parameters’ Optimization of Milling Considering Uncertain Tool Information
Authors: Lin Lijun , He Mingge , Wang Qingyuan , Deng Congying
Published: June 2021

Stability is the prerequisite of a milling operation, and it seriously depends on machining parameters and machine tool dynamics. Considering that the tool information, including the tool clamping length, feeding direction, and spatial position, has significant effects on machine tool dynamics, this paper presents an efficient method to predict the tool information dependent-milling stability. A generalized regression neural network (GRNN) is established to predict the limiting axial cutting depth, where the machining parameters and tool information are taken as input variables. Moreover, an optimization model is proposed based on the machining parameters and tool information to maximize the material removal rate (MRR), where the GRNN model is taken as the stability constraint. A particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is introduced to solve the optimization model and provide an optimal configuration of the machining parameters and tool information. A case study has been developed to train a GRNN model and establish an optimization model of a real machine tool. Then, effects of the tool information on milling stability were discussed, and an origin-symmetric phenomenon was observed as the feeding direction varied. The accuracy of the solved optimal process parameters corresponding to the maximum MRR was validated through a milling test.
A PROMETHEE MCDM Application in Social Inclusion: The Case of Foreign-Born Population in the EU
Authors: Blouchoutzi Anastasia , Manou Dimitra , Papathanasiou Jason
Published: June 2021

Since the migrant surge in 2015, social inclusion has become a crucial issue to be addressed effectively by the European Union, given that 39% of the population born outside of the EU member states faces the risk of poverty or social exclusion. Adding to that, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected migrant households worldwide, rendering migrant integration an urgent matter for national governments. Discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and radicalization are all societal threats emerging in periods of massive migrant flows and need appropriate policy measures to be employed in migrant host countries to tackle them. This paper suggests the integration of a multiple criteria decision analysis method, namely PROMETHEE, for policy making with regard to migrant social exclusion. In light of previous research findings and the recent release of the Migrant Integration Policy Index 2020, the authors argue that the method proposed could help policy makers to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented policies, spot the discrepancies between policies and policy outcomes, and motivate knowledge sharing among the EU member states. The findings include a ten-year comparative list of the EU member states (2010–2019) driven by social inclusion indicators for the foreign-born (non-EU-born) population. The results are rather sensitive to changes in the data utilized but they provide an overall comparative picture of social inclusion policy effectiveness in the EU during the past decade.
Particle-Bound Mercury Characterization in the Central Italian Herbarium of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence (Italy)
Authors: Ciani Francesco , Chiarantini Laura , Costagliola Pilario , Rimondi Valentina
Published: June 2021

Museums air quality can be negatively affected by treatments with heavy metals compounds employed to prevent pest infestations. Among these, the past use of mercury dichloride (HgCl2) on herbaria artifacts currently produces high levels of indoor atmospheric gaseous mercury (Hg0) and possibly of particulate bound Hg (PBM), i.e., the particulate matter containing Hg. This study evaluates the PBM pollution in the Central Italian Herbarium (Natural History Museum of the University of Florence, Italy), characterizing the size range and chemical speciation with SEM-EDS microanalysis. The analysis of the total Hg concentration in the samples allowed to calculate the workers exposure risk to this pollutant. PBM is almost totally classifiable as fine particulate with a significant dimensional increase in a period of scarce attendance of the Herbarium rooms. The microanalysis indicates that Hg is essentially bound to S, highlighting the change of Hg speciation from the original association with Cl. The average Hg concentration reveals a potential health risk for workers as result of multiple Hg exposure pathways, mainly by ingestion. The study provides information for characterizing PBM pollution that could affect a workplace atmosphere and a useful basis to evaluate and correctly design solution strategies to reduce the contamination levels and protect workers’ health.
Development of a Modular Vaccine Platform for Multimeric Antigen Display Using an Orthobunyavirus Model
Authors: Aebischer Andrea , Wernike Kerstin , König Patricia , Franzke Kati , Wichgers Schreur Paul J. , Kortekaas Jeroen , Vitikainen Marika , Wiebe Marilyn , Saloheimo Markku , Tchelet Ronen , Audonnet Jean-Christophe , Beer Martin
Published: June 2021

Emerging infectious diseases represent an increasing threat to human and animal health. Therefore, safe and effective vaccines that could be available within a short time frame after an outbreak are required for adequate prevention and control. Here, we developed a robust and versatile self-assembling multimeric protein scaffold particle (MPSP) vaccine platform using lumazine synthase (LS) from Aquifex aeolicus. This scaffold allowed the presentation of peptide epitopes by genetic fusion as well as the presentation of large antigens by bacterial superglue-based conjugation to the pre-assembled particle. Using the orthobunyavirus model Schmallenberg virus (SBV) we designed MPSPs presenting major immunogens of SBV and assessed their efficacy in a mouse model as well as in cattle, a target species of SBV. All prototype vaccines conferred protection from viral challenge infection and the multivalent presentation of the selected antigens on the MPSP markedly improved their immunogenicity compared to the monomeric subunits. Even a single shot vaccination protected about 80% of mice from an otherwise lethal dose of SBV. Most importantly, the MPSPs induced a virtually sterile immunity in cattle. Altogether, LS represents a promising platform for modular and rapid vaccine design.
Neutralizing Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Titer and Reported Adverse Effects, in a Sample of Italian Nursing Home Personnel after Two Doses of the BNT162b2 Vaccine Administered Four Weeks Apart
Authors: Modenese Alberto , Paduano Stefania , Bargellini Annalisa , Bellucci Rossana , Marchetti Simona , Bruno Fulvio , Grazioli Pietro , Vivoli Roberto , Gobba Fabriziomaria
Published: June 2021

Background: The immunization of healthcare workers (HCWs) plays a recognized key role in prevention in the COVID-19 pandemic: in Italy, the vaccination campaign began at the end of December 2020. A better knowledge of the on-field immune response in HCWs, of adverse effects and of the main factors involved is fundamental. Methods: We performed a study on workers at a nursing home in Northern Italy, vaccinated in January–February 2021 with two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine four weeks apart, instead of the three weeks provided for in the original manufacturer protocol. One month after the second dose, the serological titer of IgG-neutralizing anti-RBD antibodies of the subunit S1 of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 was determined. The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the subjects and adverse effects of vaccination were collected by questionnaire. Results: In all of the workers, high antibody titer, ranging between 20 and 760 times the minimum protective level were observed. Titers were significantly higher in subjects with a previous COVID-19 diagnosis. Adverse effects after the vaccine were more frequent after the second dose, but no severe adverse effects were observed. Conclusions: The two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine, even if administered four weeks apart, induced high titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing IgG in all the operators included in the study.
Differential Demographic and Clinical Characteristics between MMR Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Children in South Korea: A Nationwide Study
Authors: Yoon Dongwon , Kim Juhwan , Shin Juyoung
Published: June 2021

In the context of recent measles outbreaks, substantial factors associated with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) unvaccination need to be clarified. This study aimed to identify differential demographic and clinical characteristics between MMR vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. We used a large-linked database to identify children born between 2008 and 2016 by combining data from the Korea Immunization Registry Information System and National Health Information database. The MMR vaccination status was ascertained up to the age of 2 to define MMR vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. We conducted a multivariate logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to identify factors associated with MMR unvaccination. Of 3,973,253 children, 75,674 (1.9%) did not receive the MMR vaccine. Compared with the MMR vaccinated group, the underutilization of healthcare resources was more notable in the MMR unvaccinated group (number of outpatient visits (5.73 ± 12.1 vs. 25.8 ± 17.06); days hospitalized (1.69 ± 14.5 vs. 2.32 ± 6.90)). Children were less likely to receive the MMR vaccine if they were born with congenital anomaly (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.90–2.36), were never admitted to an intensive care unit (1.88; 1.78–1.98), or never visited an emergency room (3.57; 3.53–3.72). There were substantial factors associated with MMR unvaccination, underscoring a need to optimize targeted interventions tailored to the subset of children in South Korea.
Natural Killer Cell Responses during Human γ-Herpesvirus Infections
Authors: Münz Christian
Published: June 2021

Herpesviruses are main sculptors of natural killer (NK) cell repertoires. While the β-herpesvirus human cytomegalovirus (CMV) drives the accumulation of adaptive NKG2C-positive NK cells, the human γ-herpesvirus Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) expands early differentiated NKG2A-positive NK cells. While adaptive NK cells support adaptive immunity by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, NKG2A-positive NK cells seem to preferentially target lytic EBV replicating B cells. The importance of this restriction of EBV replication during γ-herpesvirus pathogenesis will be discussed. Furthermore, the modification of EBV-driven NK cell expansion by coinfections, including by the other human γ-herpesvirus Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), will be summarized.
Neurological and psychological aspects of COVID-19 infection (literature review)
Authors: Bulgakova Svetlana Viktorovna , Zakharova Natalya Olegovna , Treneva Ekaterina Vyacheslavovna , Nikolaeva Alla Valentinovna
Published: June 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spectrum of clinical manifestations ranges from asymptomatic to critical, life threatening. COVID-19 is known to be a multi-organ disease, not just the respiratory system. It also becomes obvious that neurological and psychological disorders that occur during the acute phase of infection can persist in the postmorbid period, which dictates the need for rehabilitation measures. This literature review is devoted to the analysis of data on the pathogenesis, clinic, rehabilitation of neurological, psychological manifestations of COVID-19 (neuro-COVID), prospects for further research.
Labor safety of a medical worker in a dental polyclinic under COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ostrolutskaya Zinaida Mikhailovna , Dvoinikov Sergey Ivanovich
Published: June 2021

The aim of the study was to determine effective ways and means of safe work of a medical workers of a dental clinic in a pandemic. Results: an analysis of the organization and methods of prevention of a new coronavirus infection in a dental clinic was carried out, the structure of labor safety was determined as a professionally significant characteristic of medical personnel. Conclusion: the obtained material can be used to create informational developments on the prevention of the incidence of coronavirus infection among healthcare workers. And the results of the study can be used to optimize the role of prevention in order to raise the level of education of health workers.
Bleeding Complications of Percutaneous Kidney Biopsy: Does Gender Matter?
Authors: Anpalahan Aksharaa , Malacova Eva , Hegerty Katharine , Malett Andrew , Ranganathan Dwarakanathan , Healy Helen G. , Gois Pedro Henrique Franca
Published: June 2021

Key Points

The incidence of bleeding complications after percutaneous kidney biopsies is low.

Female sex may be associated with a greater risk for bleeding complications after percutaneous kidney biopsies.

This association and the plausible mechanisms require further evaluation in prospective study
Farmers’ Perceived Needs of Extension’s Support During COVID–19 in Hawaiʻi
Authors: Eng Sothy , Khun Tricia , Esquivel Monica , Ooki Nancy , Bloese Joanna , Sand Shannon , Lincoln Noa
Published: June 2021

Extension plays an essential role in serving local communities. How it can support farmers during the pandemic is a novel phenomenon that necessitates careful analysis. Drawing from a survey responded by 313 farmers across Hawai'i in late April 2020, this study assesses how farmers feel Extension can support them best during the pandemic. Farmers identified five areas of needs: community engagement and networking, information sharing and education, funding, research, and local sustainability. Discussion regarding the role of Extension support during the pandemic is offered.
Farm Dinner Theater: Improving Health and Safety for Farm Families
Authors: Reed Deborah , McCallum Debra , Legault Eileen
Published: June 2021

This article provides a brief overview of Farm Dinner Theater (FDT), a novel intervention that positively influences the health and safety behaviors of senior family farmers and their family. The FDT uses principles of adult learning and engages the audience in conversations about their health and safety experiences. The FDT was developed through interdisciplinary community-engaged research and tested using a repeated measures design with 553 intervention and 317 comparison participants. Significant changes were reported and the FDT is now being used by Extension through the use of a toolkit developed by the project.
What Makes a Small Farm Successful? A Review of Success Factors, Needs, and Challenges
Authors: Tritsch Katie , Mix Ken , Edwards Michelle , Piña Manuel
Published: June 2021

Small-scale farmers face unique challenges. In this review, we conceptualize small farm success by aggregating and categorizing results from recent (post-2000) literature on small farm success factors and producer needs assessments. Our findings suggest that small farm success is multifaceted and not limited to profitability. We find that small farms have a diverse range of needs, though little has been done to rank their importance. We conclude that future research would benefit from increased methodological transparency and a systematic approach to needs evaluation. We consider the role of Extension professionals regarding the continued success of small farms.
Probing Patient Messages Enhanced by Natural Language Processing: A Top-Down Message Corpus Analysis
Authors: Mastorakos George , Khurana Aditya , Huang Ming , Fu Sunyang , Tafti Ahmad P. , Fan Jungwei , Liu Hongfang
Published: June 2021

Background
. Patients increasingly use asynchronous communication platforms to converse with care teams. Natural language processing (NLP) to classify content and automate triage of these messages has great potential to enhance clinical efficiency. We characterize the contents of a corpus of portal messages generated by patients using NLP methods. We aim to demonstrate descriptive analyses of patient text that can contribute to the development of future sophisticated NLP applications.
Methods
. We collected approximately 3,000 portal messages from the cardiology, dermatology, and gastroenterology departments at Mayo Clinic. After labeling these messages as either Active Symptom, Logistical, Prescription, or Update, we used NER (named entity recognition) to identify medical concepts based on the UMLS library. We hierarchically analyzed the distribution of these messages in terms of departments, message types, medical concepts, and keywords therewithin.
Results
. Active Symptom and Logistical content types comprised approximately 67% of the message cohort. The “Findings” medical concept had the largest number of keywords across all groupings of content types and departments. “Anatomical Sites” and “Disorders” keywords were more prevalent in Active Symptom messages, while “Drugs” keywords were most prevalent in Prescription messages. Logistical messages tended to have the lower proportions of “Anatomical Sites,”, “Disorders,”, “Drugs,”, and “Findings” keywords when compared to other message content types.
Conclusions
. This descriptive corpus analysis sheds light on the content and foci of portal messages. The insight into the content and differences among message themes can inform the development of more robust NLP models.
Predicting Risk of Mortality in Pediatric ICU Based on Ensemble Step-Wise Feature Selection
Authors: Hong Shenda , Hou Xinlin , Jing Jin , Ge Wendong , Zhang Luxia
Published: June 2021

Background
. Prediction of mortality risk in intensive care units (ICU) is an important task. Data-driven methods such as scoring systems, machine learning methods, and deep learning methods have been investigated for a long time. However, few data-driven methods are specially developed for pediatric ICU. In this paper, we aim to amend this gap—build a simple yet effective linear machine learning model from a number of hand-crafted features for mortality prediction in pediatric ICU.
Methods
. We use a recently released publicly available pediatric ICU dataset named pediatric intensive care (PIC) from Children’s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Unlike previous sophisticated machine learning methods, we want our method to keep simple that can be easily understood by clinical staffs. Thus, an ensemble step-wise feature ranking and selection method is proposed to select a small subset of effective features from the entire feature set. A logistic regression classifier is built upon selected features for mortality prediction.
Results
. The final predictive linear model with 11 features achieves a 0.7531 ROC-AUC score on the hold-out test set, which is comparable with a logistic regression classifier using all 397 features (0.7610 ROC-AUC score) and is higher than the existing well known pediatric mortality risk scorer PRISM III (0.6895 ROC-AUC score).
Conclusions
. Our method improves feature ranking and selection by utilizing an ensemble method while keeping a simple linear form of the predictive model and therefore achieves better generalizability and performance on mortality prediction in pediatric ICU.
Recent Advances in Photoacoustic Tomography
Authors: Li Lei , Wang Lihong V.
Published: June 2021

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) that integrates the molecular contrast of optical imaging with the high spatial resolution of ultrasound imaging in deep tissue has widespread applications in basic biological science, preclinical research, and clinical trials. Recently, tremendous progress has been made in PAT regarding technical innovations, preclinical applications, and clinical translations. Here, we selectively review the recent progresses and advances in PAT, including the development of advanced PAT systems for small-animal and human imaging, newly engineered optical probes for molecular imaging, broad-spectrum PAT for label-free imaging of biological tissues, high-throughput snapshot photoacoustic topography, and integration of machine learning for image reconstruction and processing. We envision that PAT will have further technical developments and more impactful applications in biomedicine.
Application of analysis of aerial photographs in search of burial sites of victims of war and totalitarian crimes
Authors:   Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Ossowski Andrzej , Bykowska-Witowska Milena ,   The Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History Polish Academy of Sciences, Brzeziński Piotr ,   Group of Military Archeology www.Pomorze1945.com
Published: June 2021

The search for invisible and clandestine burial places of victims of wars and totalitarian crimes is a very difficult task. Research and exhumation teams use various methods to help locate burial places. According to the experience of our team, one of the best sources of information about burials are archival and contemporary aerial photographs. During World War II, aerial photography became one of the most important tools for warfare reconnaissance. For this reason, huge numbers of aerial photographs are currently available, in which the victim’s burial sites have been accidentally recorded. Aerial photographs are often helpful not in the direct identification of graves, but in the reconstruction of topographies of individual objects within a defined period of time, and thus, indirectly, in the location of graves. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the usefulness of historical aerial, satellite and drone photographs in the process of searching for the remains of victims of armed conflicts and totalitarian crimes. The paper presents the experience gained in the course of research projects carried out.
ACTIVIDAD FÍSICA COMO PREVENCIÓN DE SOBREPESO Y OBESIDAD EN NIÑOS DE 7-12 AÑOS.
Authors: VEGA-VALDIVIESO DIANA MAYERLY , AMAYA-PALACIOS KAREN YULIANNA , LINEROS-FLOREZ CARENTH JINNETH , OLARTE-RUEDA GRACIELA
Published: June 2021

Introducción: La obesidad y el sobrepeso son un problema de salud que en la actualidad está afectando en gran medida a los niños y niñas a nivel mundial y nacional. Objetivo: determinar el nivel de actividad física que maneja la población escolar de 7 a 12 años en dos colegios del área rural y urbana de municipio de San Gil, para la prevención del sobrepeso y la obesidad. Materiales y métodos: Estudio cuantitativo descriptivo de corte transversal, la muestra estuvo conformada por 102 estudiantes de dos instituciones publica, pata la recolección de los datos se utilizó el instrumento para valoración del estado nutricional (sobrepeso y obesidad) por medidas antropométricas y hábitos alimentarios, tomado de una investigación de la universidad de Cartagena, se aplicó estadística descriptiva. Resultados: Se encontró que el 33,3% de los niños respondieron que hicieron actividad física 2 o 3 veces por semana, el 27,5% la realizaron 4 a 5 veces por semana, el 17,5% 6 a 7 veces por semana, 11,8% no realizaron ninguna actividad física y 9,8% 1 vez la última semana. Conclusiones: Se identificó que los escolares realizan activada física durante la semana, se encontraron casos de sobrepeso y obesidad.
BILINGUALISM AND ITS CONSTITUENT PARTS (ON THE EXAMPLE OF CANADA)
Authors: Ponomarenko Olena
Published: June 2021

The article is devoted to the investigation of bilingualism history and the features of its existence in Canada. The subject is of current interest because bilinguism functioning investigation is the constituent part of any language development. The article deals with the main characteristics of bilingualism, mainly with its types, stages of the development and conditions of functioning. All the above-mentioned gives the reason to investigate bilingualism even more thoroughly, for example, on the basis of the political discourse in Canada and other countries with similar political situation.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL OF STUDENTS’ INDEPENDENT WORK UNDER CONDITIONS OF DISTANCE LEARNING
Authors: Osadcha Olena
Published: June 2021

The article deals with the development of the model of students’ independent work under conditions of distance learning. The importance of the research into this problem is determined, on the one hand, by the growing possibilities of using various information technologies and, on the other hand by the necessity to adapt to the conditions of today’s world where independent work of students is becoming increasingly important. The advantages and disadvantages of distance learning have been explored. The author studied the role of independent work in the formation of the professional competences of students. The issue of modeling in the area of education has been tackled. The approaches to the development of the model of independent work have been identified and analyzed. The components of the model, such as the goal, the tasks, the content, the methods, the means and evaluation of results have been determined and characterized. The prospects of further development of this research are related to the exploration of models of independent work of students majoring in different areas.