bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bringing It All Together: A Review of the Challenges in Measuring Children’s Satisfaction as a Key Component of Acute Pain Management
Authors: Hodapp Joseph W. , Ali Samina , Drendel Amy L.
Published: November 2020

In 2008, the Pediatric Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (PedIMMPACT) published a consensus statement that recognized the dearth of research surrounding the topic of children’s satisfaction with acute pain management. This review of published literature will summarize what is known about the topic of children’s satisfaction with pain management, identify current gaps in the knowledge, and provide direction for future research in this critical area. Including children in the decision-making process as soon as they are developmentally able is a concept that is the fundamental basis for seeking assent and more active roles within healthcare decisions for children. It is the responsibility of adults to provide them with increasing opportunities for self-evaluation and more independent management of their healthcare, encouraging the development of children into adults. As clinicians and researchers, it is our prerogative to support the maturation of children by building effective methods to communicate their satisfaction with acute pain treatment and healthcare. Children’s satisfaction with acute pain management is not well studied and further research is needed for the development of inclusive, developmentally appropriate measures of satisfaction for our pediatric patients.
Fire Resistance and Mechanical Properties of Intumescent Coating Using Novel BioAsh for Steel
Authors: Beh Jing Han , Yew Ming Chian , Saw Lip Huat , Yew Ming Kun
Published: November 2020

Recent developments of intumescent fire-protective coatings used in steel buildings are important to ensure the structural integrity and safe evacuation of occupants during fire accidents. Flame-retardant intumescent coating applied to structural steel could delay the spread of fire and heat propagation across spaces and structures in minimizing fire risks. This research focuses on formulating a green intumescent coating utilized the BioAsh, a by-product derived from natural rubberwood (hardwood) biomass combustion as the natural substitute of mineral fillers in the intumescent coating. Fire resistance, chemical, physical and mechanical properties of all samples were examined via Bunsen burner, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), carbolite furnace, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), freeze–thaw cycle, static immersion and Instron pull-off adhesion test. Sample BioAsh intumescent coating (BAIC) 4-7 incorporated with 3.5 wt.% BioAsh exhibited the best performances in terms of fire resistance (112.5 °C for an hour under the Bunsen burner test), thermal stability (residual weight of 29.48 wt.% at 1000 °C in TGA test), adhesion strength (1.73 MPa under Instron pull-off adhesion test), water resistance (water absorption rate of 8.72%) and freeze–thaw durability (no crack, blister and color change) as compared to other samples. These results reveal that an appropriate amount of renewable BioAsh incorporated as natural mineral fillers into the intumescent coating could lead to better fire resistance and mechanical properties for the steel structures.
Microscopic Observation of π Spin Polarization by d Localized Spin in λ Type BETS Based Organic Superconductors
Authors: Hiraki Ko-ichi , Takahashi Toshihiro , Akiba Hiroshi , Nishio Yutaka , Zhou Biao
Published: November 2020

In this study, 77Se NMR measurements were carried out to detect the π spin polarization of the organic BETS (BETS = Bis(ethylenedithio)tetraselenafulvalene) molecule of the field induced superconductor, λ-(BETS)2Fe1−xGaxCl4, which shows a superconducting transition at relatively low magnetic field compared to the non-doped λ-(BETS)2FeCl4. From the analysis of the NMR spectrum at low temperature, it was clarified that the exchange interaction between π and 3d spins in the Ga doping system is smaller than that in the Fe salt. It is also clarified that the conduction π spins feel the “averaged” exchange field from the localized 3d spins at the dilute Fe sites.
11C-Choline PET/CT vs. 99mTc-MIBI/123Iodide Subtraction SPECT/CT for Preoperative Detection of Abnormal Parathyroid Glands in Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Prospective, Single-Centre Clinical Trial in 60 Patients
Authors: Ismail Afefah , Christensen Julie Wulf , Krakauer Martin , Søndergaard Susanne Bonnichsen , Zerahn Bo , Nygaard Birte , Bennedbæk Finn Noe , Kristensen Bent , Jensen Lars Thorbjørn
Published: November 2020

Background: In patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) locating hyperfunctioning glands (HPGs) is crucial when planning minimally invasive surgery. Dual-isotope subtraction scintigraphy with 99mTc-MIBI/123Iodide using SPECT/CT and planar pinhole imaging (Method A) has previously shown a sensitivity >93%. However, the method is costly and time consuming and entails a high radiation dose. 11C-Choline PET/CT (Method B) is an appealing candidate method unencumbered by these disadvantages. Methods: Sixty patients with newly diagnosed PHPT participated and were scanned using both methods prior to parathyroidectomy. We investigated whether sensitivities of Method A and Method B are similar in a method-to-method comparison when using surgical findings as the true location. Results: At the patient level, sensitivities were (A) 0.98 (95% CI: 0.90–1.00) and (B) 1.00 (95% CI: 0.93–1.00). At the gland level, sensitivities were (A) 0.88 (95% CI: 0.78–0.94) and (B) 0.87 (95% CI: 0.76–0.92). With a non-inferiority margin of ∆ = −0.1, we found a 1-sided p-value < 0.001. Conclusion: Our methods comparison study found that sensitivity of Method B was not inferior to Method A. We suggest that 11C-Choline PET/CT is a clinically relevant first-choice candidate for preoperative imaging of PHPT and that Method B can likely replace Method A in the near future.
OX-HDL: A Starring Role in Cardiorenal Syndrome and the Effects of Heme Oxygenase-1 Intervention
Authors: Peterson Stephen J. , Choudhary Abu , Kalsi Amardeep K. , Zhao Shuyang , Alex Ragin , Abraham Nader G.
Published: November 2020

In this review, we will evaluate how high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) pathway are critical for proper cardiovascular–renal physiology. We will begin by reviewing the basic concepts of HDL cholesterol synthesis and pathway regulation, followed by cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) pathophysiology. After explaining how the HDL and RCT pathways become dysfunctional through oxidative processes, we will elaborate on the potential role of HDL dysfunction in CRS. We will then present findings on how HDL function and the inducible antioxidant gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) are interconnected and how induction of HO-1 is protective against HDL dysfunction and important for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular–renal system. This will substantiate the proposal of HO-1 as a novel therapeutic target to prevent HDL dysfunction and, consequently, cardiovascular disease, renal dysfunction, and the onset of CRS.
Optimization, Stability, and Entropy in Endoreversible Heat Engines
Authors: Gonzalez-Ayala Julian , Mateos Roco José Miguel , Medina Alejandro , Calvo Hernández Antonio
Published: November 2020

The stability of endoreversible heat engines has been extensively studied in the literature. In this paper, an alternative dynamic equations system was obtained by using restitution forces that bring the system back to the stationary state. The departing point is the assumption that the system has a stationary fixed point, along with a Taylor expansion in the first order of the input/output heat fluxes, without further specifications regarding the properties of the working fluid or the heat device specifications. Specific cases of the Newton and the phenomenological heat transfer laws in a Carnot-like heat engine model were analyzed. It was shown that the evolution of the trajectories toward the stationary state have relevant consequences on the performance of the system. A major role was played by the symmetries/asymmetries of the conductance ratio σhc of the heat transfer law associated with the input/output heat exchanges. Accordingly, three main behaviors were observed: (1) For small σhc values, the thermodynamic trajectories evolved near the endoreversible limit, improving the efficiency and power output values with a decrease in entropy generation; (2) for large σhc values, the thermodynamic trajectories evolved either near the Pareto front or near the endoreversible limit, and in both cases, they improved the efficiency and power values with a decrease in entropy generation; (3) for the symmetric case (σhc=1), the trajectories evolved either with increasing entropy generation tending toward the Pareto front or with a decrease in entropy generation tending toward the endoreversible limit. Moreover, it was shown that the total entropy generation can define a time scale for both the operation cycle time and the relaxation characteristic time.
Adaptive Protection for Microgrid with Distributed Energy Resources
Authors: Chandraratne Chathurika , Naayagi Ramasamy Thaiyal , Logenthiran Thillainathan , Panda Gayadhar
Published: November 2020

The microgrid includes a distribution system with low voltage, controllable load, and distributed energy resources (DER). The DERs have been increased in the recent power network to address global environmental concerns, which creates challenges in faults, synchronization, inertia control, etc. As the technologies are getting advanced day by day, the past technology becomes obsolete. The internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are the most discussed topics to obtain solutions for the challenges. One of the proposed solutions is adaptive overcurrent protection, as it can be used for any grid. In this paper, an algorithm is developed for the adaptive overcurrent relay protection to overcome the challenges of the microgrid with distributed energy resources. Then, the solutions obtained from the adaptive overcurrent protection algorithm network simulation are compared to the traditional overcurrent protection algorithm using the four key points such as selectivity, reliability, sensitivity, and speed to have a good performance in the power network. All the simulation studies are done in the electrical transient analyzer program (ETAP) software environment. Simulation results validate the performance of the proposed algorithm for adaptive protection using the IEEE-9 bus system with a microgrid.
Cognitive Association in Interactive Evolutionary Design Process for Product Styling and Application to SUV Design
Authors: Zeng Dong , He Mao-en , Tang Xing-zhi , Wang Fa-guang
Published: November 2020

In recent years, intelligent design technology that is based on interactive evolutionary algorithms, namely interactive evolutionary design (IED) systems, has received extensive attention in the computer science, design, and other related literature. However, due to the complexity of design problems and the limitation of human cognitive ability, IED faces several challenges in actual design applications. With the aim to address these problems in the IED, this paper deconstructs the IED of the product styling from the perspective of the cognitive association of the users, and proposes a corresponding cognitive intervention method that is based on the association of information. We built databases of the perceptual evaluation results of typical cases and coded profiles of the typical cases, combined with the corresponding interaction process, to improve the efficiency of creating associations between dissimilar information in the early stages of evolution. Besides, in order to simplify the process of creating associations between similar information, this paper proposes a clustering model of similar information based on explicit and implicit distances. The proposed method is then applied to the evolutionary design of an SUV. The experimental results show that the proposed method reduces the initial and total evaluation time. Therefore, the proposed method improves users’ ability to understand the complex design tasks of IED for product styling, optimizing the interactive evaluation process by guiding designers to efficiently create the cognitive association of information, and increases the effectiveness of adopting IED to solve actual design problems about product styling.
Integrating Enhanced Sparse Autoencoder-Based Artificial Neural Network Technique and Softmax Regression for Medical Diagnosis
Authors: Ebiaredoh-Mienye Sarah A. , Esenogho Ebenezer , Swart Theo G.
Published: November 2020

In recent times, several machine learning models have been built to aid in the prediction of diverse diseases and to minimize diagnostic errors made by clinicians. However, since most medical datasets seem to be imbalanced, conventional machine learning algorithms tend to underperform when trained with such data, especially in the prediction of the minority class. To address this challenge and proffer a robust model for the prediction of diseases, this paper introduces an approach that comprises of feature learning and classification stages that integrate an enhanced sparse autoencoder (SAE) and Softmax regression, respectively. In the SAE network, sparsity is achieved by penalizing the weights of the network, unlike conventional SAEs that penalize the activations within the hidden layers. For the classification task, the Softmax classifier is further optimized to achieve excellent performance. Hence, the proposed approach has the advantage of effective feature learning and robust classification performance. When employed for the prediction of three diseases, the proposed method obtained test accuracies of 98%, 97%, and 91% for chronic kidney disease, cervical cancer, and heart disease, respectively, which shows superior performance compared to other machine learning algorithms. The proposed approach also achieves comparable performance with other methods available in the recent literature.
A Hybrid DC–DC Quadrupler Boost Converter for Photovoltaic Panels Integration into a DC Distribution System
Authors: Alzahrani Ahmad
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a non-isolated DC–DC boost topology with a high-voltage-gain ratio for renewable energy applications. The presented converter is suitable for converting the voltage from low-voltage sources, such as photovoltaic panels, to higher voltage levels. The proposed converter consists of a multiphase boost stage with an interleaving switching technique and a voltage multiplier cell to provide a voltage level at a reduced duty cycle. The interleaved boost stage consists of two legs and can be either fed from single or multiple voltage sources with the ability to control each source separately. The voltage multiplier cell can increase the voltage level by charging and discharging the capacitors. Several advantages are associated with the converter, such as reduced voltage stress on semiconductor elements and a scalable structure, where the number of voltage multiplier cells can be increased. The inductors in the interleaved boost stage share the input current equally, which reduces the conduction loss in the inductors. The input and the output of the converter share the same ground, and all active switches are low-side, which means no feedback or signal isolation is required. The theory of operation and steady-state analysis of the converter operating in the continuous conduction mode is presented. Components selections and efficiency analysis are presented and validated by comparative analysis and simulation results. A 0.195 kW experimental prototype was designed and implemented to convert the voltage from 20 V input source to 400 V output load, at 50 kHz. The test results show a high-performance of the converter as the maximum efficiency point is above 97%.
Study of the Greitzer Model for Centrifugal Compressors: Variable Lc Parameter and Two Types of Surge
Authors: Grapow Filip , Liśkiewicz Grzegorz
Published: November 2020

In this paper, the Greitzer surge model was systematically analysed with the model compressor duct length Lc as the tuning parameter. The surge phenomenon is known to induce a serious risk to centrifugal compressor operation. The two-dimensional Greitzer model is a well-established way of modelling this dangerous instability, but the determination and changes of the model parameters are still being discussed. In this paper an automated procedure determines the Lc value providing the best fit with the experimental data has been presented. The algorithm was tested on five valve positions and revealed that the best fit was obtained for different Lc values following a linear trend against the mass flow rate. The study has also shown that the Greitzer model has two solutions for a given pressure oscillation amplitude: one similar to the deep surge (low Lc) and one similar to the mild surge (low Lc). This suggests that this model can be used to simulate both types of the phenomenon known from the experimental analyses. The study proposes the dimensionless average pressure as the parameter allowing to distinguish which surge cycle was observed at a given instance. Past papers were analysed to observe the surge type that appeared in different experiments. It was found that most researchers obtained low Lc surge. The results show that both deep and mild surge could be simulated with the Greitzer model. It also revealed that the Lc should not be treated as a constant value for a given machine and that it changes with the mass flow rate.
The Nuclear Power Dilemma—Between Perception and Reality
Authors: Paraschiv Florentina , Mohamad Dima
Published: November 2020

Motivated by the environmental challenges and the increase in energy demand, this review assesses the suitability of nuclear power production as an alternative option to using fossil fuels. First, we assess the competitiveness of nuclear power compared to other power sources considering its economic efficiency, environmental impact and implications for health, and conclude that this is a viable option to serve in addition to and as a backup to renewable sources. Second, we review previous findings in various fields on advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power technology and conclude that there is a gap between reality and perception. Third, we discuss challenges related to nuclear weapons proliferation and misperceived public opinion on nuclear power. We conclude that the gap between perception and reality stems from a lack of consolidated interdisciplinary view, media communications focusing mainly on unilateral assessments.
Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage as a Facilitator of Renewable Energy in Liberalized Electricity Market
Authors: Šćekić Lazar , Mujović Saša , Radulović Vladan
Published: November 2020

Besides many benefits deriving from the energy transition process, it is not uncommon for modern power systems to be faced with difficulties in their operation. The issues are dominantly related to the non-dispatchable nature of renewable energy sources (RES) and the mismatching between electricity generation and load demand. As a consequence of a constant peak load growth, this problem is particularly pronounced during the daily peak hours. Therefore, it is of great importance to conduct all necessary activities within the system in order to preserve the system stability and continuity of operation. Energy storage systems have been recognized as a major facilitator of renewable energy, by providing additional operational flexibility. Since pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) accounts for almost 97% of the world’s storage capacity, in this paper, we have investigated the benefits of using pumped-storage hydropower in modern power systems characterized by high penetration of RES and the liberalized electricity market. A novel operation algorithm has been developed which finds the balance between providing additional flexibility by alleviating the peak load and obtaining financial revenue to justify the high investment costs associated with PHES. The algorithm has been tested for the daily and monthly operation of the Tonstad PHES in the dynamic environment of the Norwegian power system.
The Mathematical Model for the Secondary Breakup of Dropping Liquid
Authors: Pavlenko Ivan , Sklabinskyi Vsevolod , Doligalski Michał , Ochowiak Marek , Mrugalski Marcin , Liaposhchenko Oleksandr , Skydanenko Maksym , Ivanov Vitalii , Włodarczak Sylwia , Woziwodzki Szymon , Kruszelnicka Izabela , Ginter-Kramarczyk Dobrochna , Olszewski Radosław , Michałek Bernard
Published: November 2020

Investigating characteristics for the secondary breakup of dropping liquid is a fundamental scientific and practical problem in multiphase flow. For its solving, it is necessary to consider the features of both the main hydrodynamic and secondary processes during spray granulation and vibration separation of heterogeneous systems. A significant difficulty in modeling the secondary breakup process is that in most technological processes, the breakup of droplets and bubbles occurs through the simultaneous action of several dispersion mechanisms. In this case, the existing mathematical models based on criterion equations do not allow establishing the change over time of the process’s main characteristics. Therefore, the present article aims to solve an urgent scientific and practical problem of studying the nonstationary process of the secondary breakup of liquid droplets under the condition of the vibrational impact of oscillatory elements. Methods of mathematical modeling were used to achieve this goal. This modeling allows obtaining analytical expressions to describe the breakup characteristics. As a result of modeling, the droplet size’s critical value was evaluated depending on the oscillation frequency. Additionally, the analytical expression for the critical frequency was obtained. The proposed methodology was derived for a range of droplet diameters of 1.6–2.6 mm. The critical value of the diameter for unstable droplets was also determined, and the dependence for breakup time was established. Notably, for the critical diameter in a range of 1.90–2.05 mm, the breakup time was about 0.017 s. The reliability of the proposed methodology was confirmed experimentally by the dependencies between the Ohnesorge and Reynolds numbers for different prilling process modes.
Towards 100 Positive Energy Districts in Europe: Preliminary Data Analysis of 61 European Cases
Authors: Bossi Silvia , Gollner Christoph , Theierling Sarah
Published: November 2020

Positive Energy Districts and Neighborhoods (PEDs) are seen as a promising pathway towards sustainable urban areas. Several cities have already taken up such PED-related developments. To support such approaches, European countries joined forces to achieve 100 PEDs until 2025 through a comprehensive research and innovation program. A solid understanding and consideration of cities’ strategies, experiences and project features serve as the basis for developing and designing the PED program. JPI Urban Europe has been collecting information on projects towards sustainable urbanization and the energy transition across Europe. The collected cases are summarized in a PED Booklet whose update was recently published on the JPI Urban Europe website. Results presented in this paper provide insights from the analysis of 61 projects in Europe and offer recommendations for future PED developments.
A Pitch Angle Controller Based on Novel Fuzzy-PI Control for Wind Turbine Load Reduction
Authors: Xu Bofeng , Yuan Yue , Liu Haoming , Jiang Peng , Gao Ziqi , Shen Xiang , Cai Xin
Published: November 2020

A novel fuzzy rule is proposed to adopt a positive pitch strategy when the error between the measured and rated generator speed becomes large and continues to increase, and to adopt a negative pitch strategy when the error is small. The improved approach is introduced into the normal Fuzzy-Proportional-Integral (Fuzzy-PI) control strategy by dividing the fuzzy rules into four areas and analyzing the design method for each area. Furthermore, a low pass filter is used to reduce the ultimate loads of the pitch driver caused by the novel fuzzy rules. The modeling of the wind turbine load under turbulent wind conditions is conducted in GH Bladed, and MATLAB/Simulink is used to interact with the modeling to verify the novel Fuzzy-PI control. The results show that, compared with normal Fuzzy-PI control, the novel Fuzzy-PI control can greatly reduce the ultimate loads and fatigue loads of the pitch driver. The novel Fuzzy-PI control not only reduces the extremum of power deviation, but also decreases some ultimate loads and fatigue loads of the tower base and the blade root. It can reduce these loads by up to 21.53% under the normal turbulent wind condition and by up to 18.14% under the extreme turbulent wind condition.
Small Scale Experiments to Assess the Bearing Capacity of Footings on the Sloped Surface
Authors: Islam Mohammad Nurul
Published: November 2020

Construction of civil engineering structures on or next to a slope requires special attention to meet the bearing capacity requirements of soils. In this paper, to address such a challenge, we present laboratory-scale model tests to investigate the effect of footing shape on the sloped surface. The model comprised of a well stiffened mild steel box with three sides fixed and one side open. We considered both with and without reinforcement to assess the effectiveness of reinforcement on the sloped surface. Also, we used three types of footing (i.e., square, rectangular, and circular) to measure the footing shape effects. We considered three different slope angles to evaluate the impact of the sloped face corresponding to the applied load and the reinforcement application. We obtained that the maximum load carrying capacity in the square footing was higher than the rectangular and the circular footing for both the reinforced and the unreinforced soil. With the increase of geo-reinforcement in all three footing shapes and three sloped angles, the load carrying capacity increased. We also noticed a limiting condition in geo-reinforcement placement effectiveness. And we found that with the increase of slope, the load bearing capacity decreased. For a steep slope, the geo-reinforcement placement and the footing shape selection is crucial in achieving the external load sustainability, which we addressed herein.
Determination of Elastic Properties of Beech Plywood by Analytical, Experimental and Numerical Methods
Authors: Merhar Miran
Published: November 2020

This research article examines the application of various methods to determine the effective elastic properties of beech veneer-wood composites. Using laminate theory, the theoretically calculated effective values of the in-plane and out-of-plane modulus of elasticity as well as shear modulus are compared with the values determined from the natural frequencies of flexural, torsional and longitudinal vibrations of samples having different orientations and numbers of composite layers. The samples are also modelled using the finite element method, and their natural frequencies are calculated by the modal analysis. Research has shown that the laminate theory, which is well established and applied in the world of synthetic composites, can also be applied to beech plywood composites, where the theoretically calculated effective values can be up to 15% higher. Similarly, due to the higher calculated effective elastic properties, higher natural frequencies of flexural, torsional and longitudinal vibrations are also calculated by the finite element method.
Phytophthora austrocedri in Argentina and Co-Inhabiting Phytophthoras: Roles of Anthropogenic and Abiotic Factors in Species Distribution and Diversity
Authors: Vélez María Laura , La Manna Ludmila , Tarabini Manuela , Gomez Federico , Elliott Matt , Hedley Pete E. , Cock Peter , Greslebin Alina
Published: November 2020

This work reports the first survey of Phytophthora diversity in the forests soils of Andean Patagonia. It also discusses the role of anthropogenic impact on Phytophthora distribution inferred from the findings on Phytophthora diversity and on the distribution of Phytophthora austrocedri-diseased forests. Invasive pathogen species threatening ecosystems and human activities contribute to their entry and spread. Information on pathogens already established, and early detection of potential invasive ones, are crucial to disease management and prevention. Phytophthora austrocedri causes the most damaging forest disease in Patagonia, affecting the endemic species Austrocedrus chilensis (D. Don) Pic. Sern. and Bizzarri. However, the relationship between anthropogenic impacts and the disease distribution has not been analyzed enough. The aims of this work were: to evaluate Phytophthora diversity in soils of Andean Patagonia using a metabarcoding method, and analyze this information in relation to soil type and land use; to assess the distribution of Austrocedrus disease over time in relation to anthropogenic and abiotic gradients in an area of interest; and to discuss the role of human activities in Phytophthora spread. High throughput Illumina sequencing was used to detect Phytophthora DNA in soil samples. The distribution of Austrocedrus disease over time was assessed by satellite imagery interpretation. Twenty-three Phytophthora species, 12 of which were new records for Argentina, were detected. The most abundant species was P. austrocedri, followed by P. × cambivora, P. ramorum and P. kernoviae. The most frequent was P. × cambivora, followed by P. austrocedri and P. ramorum. Phytophthora richness and abundance, and Austrocedrus disease distribution, were influenced by land use, anthropogenic impact and soil drainage. Results showed several Phytophthoras, including well-known pathogenic species. The threat they could present to Patagonian ecosystems and their relations to human activities are discussed. This study evidenced the need of management measures to control the spread of P. austrocedri and other invasive Phytophthora species in Patagonia.
Non-Timber Forest Product Livelihood-Focused Interventions in Support of Mangrove Restoration: A Call to Action
Authors: Debrot Adolphe O. , Veldhuizen Ab , van den Burg Sander W. K. , Klapwijk Charlotte J. , Islam Md. Nazrul , Alam Md. Iftakharul , Ahsan Md. Nazmul , Ahmed Moin U. , Hasan Selim R. , Fadilah Ratnawaty , Noor Yus R. , Pribadi Rudhi , Rejeki Sri , Damastuti Ekaningrum , Koopmanschap Esther , Reinhard Stijn , Terwisscha van Scheltinga Catharien , Verburg Charlotte , Poelman Marnix
Published: November 2020

Mangroves of tropical and subtropical shores and deltas contribute to ecosystem functioning and human wellbeing in numerous ways but continue to be lost or degraded worldwide at a rapid pace. Overexploitation driven by poverty is often the root cause of mangrove destruction and degradation. The negative feedback cycle between destruction and poverty can only be broken by justly valuing current or introducing new sustainable livelihood options to foster long-lasting local support for mangroves. The large array of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that mangroves offer have rarely been developed beyond the subsistence level and remain undervalued as “products of the poor”. In light of the global trends towards sustainability and bio-economy, today they represent a major business opportunity for forest communities to produce high value-added end-user products. Even though mangrove NTFPs have been recognized to have high potential toward inclusive development and poverty alleviation and to be highly gender-equal, the development of mangrove NTFPs has continued to attract very little funding or research interest. Several ecological characteristics make commercialization of mangrove NTFPs particularly challenging. Production at economies of scale, including quality standards, as well as marketing and value chain management are all essential in order to develop these products beyond their subsistence role. To be most effective, a systems perspective on NTFP development is needed, whereby product-market development occurs in unison and based on a participative, inclusive and fair development approach. The species/product of choice for value-added product-market development in any specific community or area will depend on several factors. To address many of the typical constraints and maximize the chances of success, we suggest that the use of village or district-level cooperatives may be particularly useful. A better use of the untapped potential of mangroves for local livelihoods may form a most convincing advocate for local protection and restoration of mangrove forests. Therefore, funding agencies, governments and researchers alike are called to invest in mangrove NTFP development as a way to locally incentivize sustainable mangrove protection and restoration.
Wine and Non-Dairy Fermented Beverages: A Novel Source of Pro- and Prebiotics
Authors: Vilela Alice , Cosme Fernanda , Inês António
Published: November 2020

Probiotics and prebiotics are microbiota-management instruments for improving human health once they may be beneficial for maintaining a healthy community of gut microbiota and bowel function. Probiotic’s main target is the gut, via the gastrointestinal tract, although direct application to other body zones such as the vaginal tract, the oral cavity, and skin have been studied. The major source of probiotics is fermented dairy products, however, currently, there is a need for novel and non-dairy probiotics, due to the increasing number of lactose-intolerant persons in the world population, tied with the adverse effect of cholesterol contained in fermented dairy foods as well as the increasing number of strict vegetarians. In this review, we describe gut-derived effects in humans of possible microorganisms isolated from wine, such as Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts and bacteria, and other non-dairy fermented beverages. Those microorganisms can be grown and consumed as recommended probiotics, moreover, wine, and other beverages may also be a source of prebiotics such as polyphenols.
Plant-Based (Hemp, Pea and Rice) Protein–Maltodextrin Combinations as Wall Material for Spray-Drying Microencapsulation of Hempseed (Cannabis sativa) Oil
Authors: Kurek Marcin Andrzej , Pratap-Singh Anubhav
Published: November 2020

Conscious consumers have created a need for constant development of technologies and food ingredients. This study aimed to examine the properties of emulsions and spray-dried microcapsules prepared from hempseed oil by employing a combination of maltodextrin with hemp, pea, and rice protein as carrier materials. Oil content in the microcapsules was varied at two levels: 10 and 20%. Increasing oil load caused a decrease in viscosity of all samples. Consistency index of prepared emulsions was calculated according to Power Law model, with the lowest (9.2 ± 1.3 mPa·s) and highest values (68.3 ± 1.1 mPa·s) for hemp and rice protein, respectively, both at 10% oil loading. The emulsion stability ranged from 68.2 ± 0.7% to 88.1 ± 0.9%. Color characteristics of the microcapsules were defined by high L* values (from 74.65 ± 0.03 to 83.06 ± 0.03) and low a* values (−1.02 ± 0.015 to 0.12 ± 0.005), suggesting that the materials were able to coat the greenish color of the hemp seed oil acceptably. The highest encapsulation efficiency was observed in samples with rice protein, while the lowest was with hemp protein. Combination of maltodextrin and proteins had a preventive effect on the oxidative stability of hempseed oil. Oil release profile fitted well with the Higuchi model, with hempseed oil microencapsulated with pea protein–maltodextrin combination at 10% oil loading depicting lowest oil release rates and best oxidative stability.
Stem Cells: Current Status and Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Reddy Kaladhar B.
Published: November 2020

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a class of pluripotent cells that have been observed in most types of cancers. Evolving evidence suggests that CSCs, has the ability to self-renew and initiate tumors, may be responsible for promoting therapeutic resistance, tumor recurrence and metastasis. Tumor heterogeneity is originating from CSCs and its progenitors are recognized as major difficulty in efficaciously treating cancer patients. Therefore, understanding the biological mechanisms by which CSCs survive chemo- and-radiation therapy has the potential to identify new therapeutic strategies in the future. In this review, we summarized recent advances in CSC biology and their environment, and discuss about the potential therapies to prevent therapeutic resistance.
Classification of Changes in the Fecal Microbiota Associated with Colonic Adenomatous Polyps Using a Long-Read Sequencing Platform
Authors: Wei Po-Li , Hung Ching-Sheng , Kao Yi-Wei , Lin Ying-Chin , Lee Cheng-Yang , Chang Tzu-Hao , Shia Ben-Chang , Lin Jung-Chun
Published: November 2020

The microbiota is the community of microorganisms that colonizes the oral cavity, respiratory tract, and gut of multicellular organisms. The microbiota exerts manifold physiological and pathological impacts on the organism it inhabits. A growing body of attention is being paid to host–microbiota interplay, which is highly relevant to the development of carcinogenesis. Adenomatous polyps are considered a common hallmark of colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of carcinogenesis-mediated death worldwide. In this study, we examined the relevance between targeted operational taxonomic units and colonic polyps using short- and long-read sequencing platforms. The gut microbiota was assessed in 132 clinical subjects, including 53 healthy participants, 36 patients with occult blood in the gut, and 43 cases with adenomatous polyps. An elevation in the relative abundance of Klebsiella pneumonia, Fusobacterium varium, and Fusobacterium mortiferum was identified in patients with adenomatous polyps compared with the other groups using long-read sequencing workflow. In contrast, the relatively high abundances of Blautia luti, Bacteroides plebeius, and Prevotella copri were characterized in the healthy groups. The diversities in gut microbiota communities were similar in all recruited samples. These results indicated that alterations in gut microbiota were characteristic of participants with adenomatous polyps, which might be relevant to the further development of CRC. These findings provide a potential contribution to the early prediction and interception of CRC occurrence.
Evaluation of the Crop Water Stress Index as an Indicator for the Diagnosis of Grapevine Water Deficiency in Greenhouses
Authors: Ru Chen , Hu Xiaotao , Wang Wene , Ran Hui , Song Tianyuan , Guo Yinyin
Published: November 2020

Precise irrigation management of grapevines in greenhouses requires a reliable method to easily quantify and monitor the grapevine water status to enable effective manipulation of the water stress of the plants. This study evaluated the applicability of crop water stress index (CWSI) based on the leaf temperature for diagnosing the grapevine water status. The experiment was conducted at Yuhe Farm (northwest China), with drip-irrigated grapevines under three irrigation treatments. Meteorological factors, soil moisture contents, leaf temperature, growth indicators including canopy coverage and fruit diameter, and physiological indicators including SPAD (relative chlorophyll content), stem water potential (φs), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate (E) were studied during the growing season. The results show that the relationship between the leaf-air temperature difference (Tc-Ta) and the plant water status indicators (φs, gs, E) were significant (P < 0.05), and the relationship between gs, E and Tc-Ta was the closest, with R2 values ranging from 0.530–0.604 and from 0.545–0.623, respectively. CWSI values are more easily observed on sunny days, and it was determined that 14:00 BJS is the best observation time for the CWSI value under different non-water-stressed baselines. There is a reliable linear correlation between the CWSI value and the soil moisture at 0–40 cm (P < 0.05), which could provide a reference when using the CWSI to diagnose the water status of plants. Compared with the Tc-Ta value, the CWSI could more accurately monitor the plant water status, and above the considered indictors, gs has the greatest correlation with the CWSI.
Occupational Stress and Its Economic Cost in Hong Kong: The Role of Positive Emotions
Authors: Siu Oi Ling , Cooper Cary L. , Roll Lara C. , Lo Carol
Published: November 2020

There has been less research on the costs of occupational stress attributed to certain job stressors in Chinese contexts. This study identified and validated common job stressors and estimated the economic cost in Hong Kong. The role of positive emotions in alleviating the economic costs of job stressors was also examined. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted. The findings obtained from five focus group discussions and a survey validated five common job stressors: Job insecurity; quantitative workload; organizational constraints; interpersonal conflicts; and work/home interface. A total of 2511 employees were surveyed, with 2032 valid questionnaires returned (925 males, 1104 females, and 3 unidentified, whose ages ranged from 18 to 70 years). The economic costs were estimated by combining the costs of absenteeism, presenteeism, and medical expenses. Absenteeism mainly caused by job stressors of the work/home interface, job insecurity, and quantitative workload accounted for an annual economic cost of HK$550 million to HK$860 million. The annual economic cost due to presenteeism mainly caused by job stressors of job insecurity, interpersonal conflict, quantitative workload, and organizational constraints ranged from HK$1.373 billion to HK$2.146 billion. The cost of medical treatments associated with occupational stress was HK$2.889 billion to HK$4.083 billion. Therefore, the total annual economic cost of occupational stress was approximately HK$4.81 billion to HK$7.09 billion. Positive emotions, representing a less explored individual factor in the cost of occupational stress studies, was found to be negatively correlated with presenteeism and buffered the negative impact of job stressors on absenteeism. The theoretical contributions and practical implications of findings are discussed.
The Early Impact of the Covid-19 Emergency on Mental Health Workers: A Survey in Lombardy, Italy
Authors: Rapisarda Filippo , Vallarino Martine , Cavallini Elena , Barbato Angelo , Brousseau-Paradis Camille , De Benedictis Luigi , Lesage Alain
Published: November 2020

Lombardy was the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy, and in March 2020 the rapid escalation in cases prompted the Italian Government to decree a mandatory lockdown and to introduce safety practices in mental health services. The general objective of the study is to evaluate the early impact of the Covid-19 emergency and quarantine on the well-being and work practices of mental health service personnel and professionals. Data were collected through an online survey of workers and professionals working with people with mental health problems in Lombardy in several outpatient and inpatient services. Their socio-demographic characteristics, professional background, description of working conditions during lockdown and psychological distress levels were collected. All analyses were performed on a sample of 241. Approximately, 31% of the participants obtained a severe score in at least one of the burnout dimensions, 11.6% showed moderate or severe levels of anxiety, and 6.6% had a moderate or severe level of depression. Different work conditions and patterns of distress were found for outpatient service workers and inpatient service workers. The overall impact of the Covid-19 emergency on mental health workers’ level of distress was mild, although a significant number of workers experienced severe levels of depersonalization and anxiety. More research is needed to assess specific predictive factors.
The Role of the Avatar in Gaming for Trans and Gender Diverse Young People
Authors: Morgan Helen , O'Donovan Amanda , Almeida Renita , Lin Ashleigh , Perry Yael
Published: November 2020

A significant proportion of trans and gender diverse (TGD) young people report membership of the gaming community and resultant benefits to wellbeing. To date their experiences and needs regarding a key feature of games, the avatar, are largely unexplored, despite increasing interest in the therapeutic role of avatars in the general population. The aim of this study was to better understand the role of the avatar in gaming, its impact on TGD young people’s mental health, and their unique needs regarding avatar design. N = 17 TGD young people aged 11–22 years (M = 16.3 years) participated in four focus groups. A general inductive approach was used to thematically analyze the transcribed data. TGD young people report considerable therapeutic benefits of using avatars with positive mental health implications. Importantly, TGD young people use avatars to explore, develop and rehearse their experienced gender identities, often as a precursor to coming out in the offline world. They also report negative experiences of feeling excluded due to the constraints of conventional notions of gender that are widely reflected in game design. Participants described simple design features to better reflect gender diversity, such as increased customization. Such changes would facilitate the positive gains reported by participants and better reflect the diversity of young people who use games. The findings have important implications for both recreational and serious or therapeutic game design.
The Relationship between Coaching Behavior and Athlete Burnout: Mediating Effects of Communication and the Coach–Athlete Relationship
Authors: Choi Hunhyuk , Jeong Yunduk , Kim Suk-Kyu
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between perceived coaching behavior (autonomy-supportive and controlling), communication, coach–athlete relationship, and athlete burnout. The study participants comprised 347 Korean active collegiate athletes from 10 sports. The results of the final model indicated that autonomy-supportive coaching was positively related to communication, whereas controlling coaching was negatively related to communication. Communication was positively related to coach–athlete relationship and was negatively related to athlete burnout. Autonomy-supportive coaching was significantly related to both the coach–athlete relationship (positively) and athlete burnout (negatively), whereas controlling coaching was only related to athlete burnout (positively). Coach–athlete relationship was negatively related to athlete burnout. Significant indirect effects were observed. The bootstrapping results indicated that the relationship between autonomy-supportive and athlete burnout was mediated by team communication and the coach–athlete relationship. The study findings enhance our current understanding of the relationships between perceived coaching behavior and athlete burnout and shed light on the important roles of team communication and the coach–athlete relationship in the relationship.