bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined Immunofluorescence (IFA) and Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) Assays for Diagnosing Babesiosis in Patients from the USA, Europe and Australia
Authors: Shah Jyotsna S. , Caoili Eddie , Patton Marie Fe , Tamhankar Snehal , Myint Mu Mu , Poruri Akhila , Mark Olivia , Horowitz Richard I. , Ashbaugh Alan D. , Ramasamy Ranjan
Published: September 2020

Apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia cause babesiosis in humans and animals worldwide. Human babesiosis is a predominantly zoonotic disease transmitted by hard ticks that is of increasing health concern in the USA and many other countries. Microscopic examination of stained blood smears, detection of serum antibodies by immunoassays and identification of parasite nucleic acid in blood by qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) are some methods available for diagnosing babesiosis. This study investigated the use of a Babesia genus-specific FISH test for detecting Babesia parasites in blood smears and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for detecting serum antibodies to Babesia duncani and Babesia microti, two common species that cause human babesiosis in the USA. The findings with clinical samples originating from USA, Australia, Europe and elsewhere demonstrate that the parallel use of Babesia genus-specific FISH and IFA tests for B. duncani and B. microti provides more useful diagnostic information in babesiosis and that B. duncani infections are more widespread globally than presently recognized.
PRINS lncRNA Is a New Biomarker Candidate for HPV Infection and Prognosis of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Kopczyńska Magda , Kolenda Tomasz , Guglas Kacper , Sobocińska Joanna , Teresiak Anna , Bliźniak Renata , Mackiewicz Andrzej , Mackiewicz Jacek , Lamperska Katarzyna
Published: September 2020

Numerous studies have shown that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the important risk factors for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) progression and affects the expression of multiple genes, which might serve as new biomarkers. This study examines the effects of HPV infection on long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression and the immune system, particularly PRINS (Psoriasis susceptibility-related RNA Gene Induced by Stress). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) expression data for lncRNA genes and clinical data were analyzed by GraphPad Prism 5/7. The expressions of PRINS, CDKN2B-AS1, TTTY14, TTTY15, MEG3, and H19 were significantly different in HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients. HPV-positive patients with high PRINS expression demonstrated significantly better overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). HPV-positive patients with high PRINS expression showed changes in gene expression associated with immune and antiviral responses. A majority of HPV-positive patients with high PRINS expression demonstrated a high number of immune cells within tumors. PRINS expression was significantly associated with HPV-infection HNSCC tumors. Validation of these results using data set from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) indicated that PRINS is upregulated in HPV active infections and in “atypical 1 (IR)” HNSCC clusters, negatively influencing patients’ overall survival. Patients with high PRINS expression display different immunological profiles than those with low expression levels. For instance, they have active HPV infection status or are clustered in the “atypical 1 (IR)” subtype of HNSCC which influences both viral infection and patients’ survival. It is likely that PRINS could be used as a potential biomarker for HNSCC patients, but its role is dual. On the one hand, it stimulates patients’ immune response, while on the other it can be favorable in virus replication.
CEB Improves Model Robustness
Authors: Fischer Ian , Alemi Alexander A.
Published: September 2020

Intuitively, one way to make classifiers more robust to their input is to have them depend less sensitively on their input. The Information Bottleneck (IB) tries to learn compressed representations of input that are still predictive. Scaling up IB approaches to large scale image classification tasks has proved difficult. We demonstrate that the Conditional Entropy Bottleneck (CEB) can not only scale up to large scale image classification tasks, but can additionally improve model robustness. CEB is an easy strategy to implement and works in tandem with data augmentation procedures. We report results of a large scale adversarial robustness study on CIFAR-10, as well as the ImageNet-C Common Corruptions Benchmark, ImageNet-A, and PGD attacks.
A Method of Constructing Measurement Matrix for Compressed Sensing by Chebyshev Chaotic Sequence
Authors: Yi Renjie , Cui Chen , Miao Yingjie , Wu Biao
Published: September 2020

In this paper, the problem of constructing the measurement matrix in compressed sensing is addressed. In compressed sensing, constructing a measurement matrix of good performance and easy hardware implementation is of interest. It has been recently shown that the measurement matrices constructed by Logistic or Tent chaotic sequences satisfy the restricted isometric property (RIP) with a certain probability and are easy to be implemented in the physical electric circuit. However, a large sample distance that means large resources consumption is required to obtain uncorrelated samples from these sequences in the construction. To solve this problem, we propose a method of constructing the measurement matrix by the Chebyshev chaotic sequence. The method effectively reduces the sample distance and the proposed measurement matrix is proved to satisfy the RIP with high probability on the assumption that the sampled elements are statistically independent. Simulation results show that the proposed measurement matrix has comparable reconstruction performance to that of the existing chaotic matrices for compressed sensing.
High Efficiency Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution Based on ATSC 3.0 LDPC Codes
Authors: Zhang Kun , Jiang Xue-Qin , Feng Yan , Qiu Runhe , Bai Enjian
Published: September 2020

Due to the rapid development of quantum computing technology, encryption systems based on computational complexity are facing serious threats. Based on the fundamental theorem of quantum mechanics, continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) has the property of physical absolute security and can effectively overcome the dependence of the current encryption system on the computational complexity. In this paper, we construct the spatially coupled (SC)-low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and quasi-cyclic (QC)-LDPC codes by adopting the parity-check matrices of LDPC codes in the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 standard as base matrices and introduce these codes for information reconciliation in the CVQKD system in order to improve the performance of reconciliation efficiency, and then make further improvements to final secret key rate and transmission distance. Simulation results show that the proposed LDPC codes can achieve reconciliation efficiency of higher than 0.96. Moreover, we can obtain a high final secret key rate and a long transmission distance through using our proposed LDPC codes for information reconciliation.
A Geometrical Divide of Data Particle in Gravitational Classification of Moons and Circles Data Sets
Authors: Rybak Łukasz , Dudczyk Janusz
Published: September 2020

Thus far, the Universal Law of Gravitation has found application in many issues related to pattern classification. Its popularity results from its clear theoretical foundations and the competitive effectiveness of the classifiers based on it. Both Moons and Circles data sets constitute distinctive types of data sets that can be found in machine learning. Despite the fact that they have not been formally defined yet, on the basis of their visualization, they can be defined as sets in which the distribution of objects of individual classes creates shapes similar to circles or semicircles. This article makes an attempt to improve the gravitational classifier that creates a data particle based on the class. The aim was to compare the effectiveness of the developed Geometrical Divide method with the popular method of creating a class-based data particle, which is described by a compound of 1 ÷ 1 cardinality in the Moons and Circles data sets classification process. The research made use of eight artificially generated data sets, which contained classes that were explicitly separated from each other as well as data sets with objects of different classes that did overlap each other. Within the limits of the conducted experiments, the Geometrical Divide method was combined with several algorithms for determining the mass of a data particle. The research did also use the k-Fold Cross-Validation. The results clearly showed that the proposed method is an efficient approach in the Moons and Circles data sets classification process. The conclusion section of the article elaborates on the identified advantages and disadvantages of the method as well as the possibilities of further research and development.
Young Children, Maker Literacies and Social Change
Authors: Kumpulainen Kristiina , Burke Anne , Yaman Ntelioglou Burcu
Published: September 2020

Although making—that is, playing, experimenting, expressing, connecting, and constructing with different tools and materials towards personal and collective ends—has characterised the everyday activities of many children and adults across cultures for ages, there seems to be no doubt that novel digital technologies and media are transforming and re-mixing more traditional maker activities, with new opportunities for communication, collaboration, learning, and civic engagement [...]
Measuring the Degree of Academic Satisfaction: The Case of a Brazilian National Institute
Authors: Walter Cicero Eduardo , Miranda Veloso Cláudia , Au-Yong-Oliveira Manuel
Published: September 2020

The Brazilian National Institutes are strategic elements for the growth and development of Brazilian society since they have the purpose of meeting social and economic demands. However, for this purpose to be materialized, it is essential to develop strategies and mechanisms that consider the current educational context, marked in large part by the transformation of education into a product and the increased awareness of students who expect to have their own needs met in terms of achievement and satisfaction. Based on this premise, this research aims to present an indicator for measuring student satisfaction of students from the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Piauí-Campus Oeiras (FIEPI-Campus Oeiras), in order to provide evidence of how satisfaction has presented itself in relation to the different educational profiles present in the institution. The study was conducted with a sample of 290 students from FIEPI-Campus Oeiras. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire structured in two sections, in which the first was intended to obtain information to characterize the sample and the second section, composed of 14 items, aimed at measuring students’ satisfaction with the institution. Descriptive, exploratory, and inferential statistical techniques were used for the data treatment and for the validation of the results. The results indicate that the students are slightly satisfied with the institution and that the average satisfaction is different in relation to the courses and technological axes.
Lossy Hyperspectral Image Compression on a Reconfigurable and Fault-Tolerant FPGA-Based Adaptive Computing Platform
Authors: Barrios Yubal , Rodríguez Alfonso , Sánchez Antonio , Pérez Arturo , López Sebastián , Otero Andrés , de la Torre Eduardo , Sarmiento Roberto
Published: September 2020

This paper describes a novel hardware implementation of a lossy multispectral and hyperspectral image compressor for on-board operation in space missions. The compression algorithm is a lossy extension of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) 123.0-B-1 lossless standard that includes a bit-rate control stage, which in turn manages the losses the compressor may introduce to achieve higher compression ratios without compromising the recovered image quality. The algorithm has been implemented using High-Level Synthesis (HLS) techniques to increase design productivity by raising the abstraction level. The proposed lossy compression solution is deployed onto ARTICo3, a dynamically reconfigurable multi-accelerator architecture, obtaining a run-time adaptive solution that enables user-selectable performance (i.e., load more hardware accelerators to transparently increase throughput), power consumption, and fault tolerance (i.e., group hardware accelerators to transparently enable hardware redundancy). The whole compression solution is tested on a Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based MPSoC using different input images, from multispectral to ultraspectral. For images acquired by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), the proposed implementation renders an execution time of approximately 36 s when 8 accelerators are compressing concurrently at 100 MHz, which in turn uses around 20% of the LUTs and 17% of the dedicated memory blocks available in the target device. In this scenario, a speedup of 15.6× is obtained in comparison with a pure software version of the algorithm running in an ARM Cortex-A53 processor.
Methodology for Modeling and Comparing Video Codecs: HEVC, EVC, and VVC
Authors: Battista Stefano , Conti Massimo , Orcioni Simone
Published: September 2020

Online videos are the major source of internet traffic, and are about to become the largest majority. Increasing effort is aimed to developing more efficient video codecs. In order to compare existing and novel video codecs, this paper presents a simple but effective methodology to model their performance in terms of Rate Distortion (RD). A linear RD model in the dB variables, Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Bitrate (BR), easily allows us to estimate the difference in PSNR or BR between two sets of encoding conditions. Six sequences from the MPEG test set with the same resolution, encoded at different BR and different Quantization Parameters, were used to create the data set to estimate each RD model. Three codecs (HEVC, EVC, and VVC) were compared with this methodology, after estimating their models. Fitting properties of each model and a performance comparison between the models are finally shown and discussed.
Power Supply Platform and Functional Safety Concept Proposals for a Powertrain Transmission Electronic Control Unit
Authors: Biba Diana Raluca , Ancuti Mihaela Codruta , Ianovici Alexandru , Sorandaru Ciprian , Musuroi Sorin
Published: September 2020

In the last decade, modern vehicles have become very complex, being equipped with embedded electronic systems which include more than a thousand of electronic control units (ECUs). Therefore, it is mandatory to analyze the potential risk of automotive systems failure because it could have a significant impact on humans’ safety. This paper proposes a novel, functional safety concept at the power management level of a system basis chip (SBC), from the development phase to system design. In the presented case, the safety-critical application is represented by a powertrain transmission electronic control unit. A step-by-step design guideline procedure is presented, having as a focus the cost, safety, and performance to obtain a robust, cost-efficient, safe, and reliable design. To prove compliance with the ISO 26262 standard, quantitative worst-case evaluations of the hardware have been done. The assessment results qualify the proposed design with automotive safety integrity levels (ASIL, up to ASIL-D). The main contribution of this paper is to demonstrate how to apply the functional safety concept to a real, safety-critical system by following the proposed design methodology.
Motor-Imagery Classification Using Riemannian Geometry with Median Absolute Deviation
Authors: Miah Abu Saleh Musa , Rahim Md Abdur , Shin Jungpil
Published: September 2020

Motor imagery (MI) from human brain signals can diagnose or aid specific physical activities for rehabilitation, recreation, device control, and technology assistance. It is a dynamic state in learning and practicing movement tracking when a person mentally imitates physical activity. Recently, it has been determined that a brain–computer interface (BCI) can support this kind of neurological rehabilitation or mental practice of action. In this context, MI data have been captured via non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEGs), and EEG-based BCIs are expected to become clinically and recreationally ground-breaking technology. However, determining a set of efficient and relevant features for the classification step was a challenge. In this paper, we specifically focus on feature extraction, feature selection, and classification strategies based on MI-EEG data. In an MI-based BCI domain, covariance metrics can play important roles in extracting discriminatory features from EEG datasets. To explore efficient and discriminatory features for the enhancement of MI classification, we introduced a median absolute deviation (MAD) strategy that calculates the average sample covariance matrices (SCMs) to select optimal accurate reference metrics in a tangent space mapping (TSM)-based MI-EEG. Furthermore, all data from SCM were projected using TSM according to the reference matrix that represents the featured vector. To increase performance, we reduced the dimensions and selected an optimum number of features using principal component analysis (PCA) along with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) that could classify MI tasks. Then, the selected features were used to develop linear discriminant analysis (LDA) training for classification. The benchmark datasets were considered for the evaluation and the results show that it provides better accuracy than more sophisticated methods.
Ultra-High Velocity Ratio in Magnetron Injection Guns for Low-Voltage Compact Gyrotrons
Authors: Lu Dun , Fu Wenjie , Guan Xiaotong , Yang Tongbin , Zhang Chaoyang , Chen Chi , Han Meng , Yan Yang
Published: September 2020

Low-voltage compact gyrotron is under development at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) for industrial applications. Due to the low operating voltage, the relativistic factor is weak, and interaction efficiency could not be high. Therefore, a magnetron-injection gun (MIG) with an extremely high-velocity ratio α (around 2.5) is selected to improve the interaction efficiency. As beam voltage drops, space charge effects become more and more obvious, thus a more detailed analysis of velocity-ratio α is significant to perform low-voltage gyrotrons, including beam voltage, beam current, modulating voltage, depression voltage, cathode magnetic field, and magnetic depression ratio. Theoretical analysis and simulation optimization are adopted to demonstrate the feasibility of an ultra-high velocity ratio, which considers the space charge effects. Based on theoretical analysis, an electron gun with a transverse to longitudinal velocity ratio 2.55 and velocity spread 9.3% is designed through simulation optimization. The working voltage and current are 10 kV and 0.46 A with cathode emission density 1 A/cm2 for a 75 GHz hundreds of watts’ output power gyrotron.
Frequency Selective Degeneration for 6–18 GHz GaAs pHEMT Broadband Power Amplifier Integrated Circuit
Authors: Oh Sungjae , Yoo Eunjoo , Oh Hansik , Koo Hyungmo , Shin Jaekyung , Hwang Keum Cheol , Lee Kang-Yoon , Yang Youngoo
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a frequency selective degeneration technique using a parallel network with a resistor and capacitor is proposed for a 6–18 GHz GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) broadband power amplifier integrated circuit (PAIC). The proposed degeneration network is applied to the source of the transistor to flatten the frequency response of the transistor in conjunction with feedback and resistor biasing circuits. An almost uniform frequency response was achieved at the wide frequency band through optimizing the values of the capacitor and resistor for the degeneration circuit. Single-section matching networks for small chip sizes were adopted for the two-stage amplifier following the flat frequency characteristics of the degenerated transistor. The proposed broadband PAIC for the 6 to 18 GHz band was fabricated using a 0.15 μm GaAs pHEMT process and had a chip size of 1.03 × 0.87 mm2. The PAIC exhibited gain of 15 dB to 17.2 dB, output power of 20.5 dBm to 22.1 dBm, and linear output power of 11.9 dBm to 13.45 dBm, which satisfies the IMD3 of −30 dBc in the 6–18 GHz band. Flatness for the gain and output power was achieved as ±1.1 dB and ±0.8 dB, respectively.
A Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm Based on KNN-Graph for Traffic Network Attack
Authors: Li Junhui , Wang Shuai , Zhang Hu , Zhou Aimin
Published: September 2020

The research of vulnerability in complex network plays a key role in many real-world applications. However, most of existing work focuses on some static topological indexes of vulnerability and ignores the network functions. This paper addresses the network attack problems by considering both the topological and the functional indexes. Firstly, a network attack problem is converted into a multi-objective optimization network vulnerability problem (MONVP). Secondly to deal with MONVPs, a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm is proposed. In the new approach, a k-nearest-neighbor graph method is used to extract the structure of the Pareto set. With the obtained structure, similar parent solutions are chosen to generate offspring solutions. The statistical experiments on some benchmark problems demonstrate that the new approach shows higher search efficiency than some compared algorithms. Furthermore, the experiments on a subway system also suggests that the multi-objective optimization model can help to achieve better attach plans than the model that only considers a single index.
Mechanical and Electrical Simulations of the Tulip Contact System
Authors: Łapczyński Sebastian , Szulborski Michał , Gołota Karol , Kolimas Łukasz , Kozarek Łukasz
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this work is to discuss the tulip contact behavior during mechanical and electrical simulations in a Finite Element Method (FEM) environment using ANSYS and COMSOL software. During the simulations, the full contact movement was analyzed. During the contact movement, the individual behavior of the contact components was taken into consideration. The motion simulation was carried out at different velocities and forces acting on the contact. The obtained results were compared to each other and discussed. Relatively, the angles of the contact surfaces to each other were also changed, which meant that we could conduct a more in-depth analysis. The other approach of simulation research was a field analysis of physical phenomena occurring in the tulip contact. This analysis was performed in COMSOL Multiphysics. Parametric analysis allowed an observation of the electric field in the tulip contact at different contact distances with respect to each other. This work is important in terms of the cost effectiveness for design procedures concerning tulip contacts and fault avoidance, which both result from mechanical and electrical conditions throughout contact exploitation and optimization of the working conditions for the tulip contact.
Investigation of the Effects of Coke Reactivity and Iron Ore Reducibility on the Gas Utilization Efficiency of Blast Furnace
Authors: Meng Fanchao , Shao Lei , Zou Zongshu
Published: September 2020

The use of coke with high reactivity in the ironmaking blast furnace (BF) has yet to be explored, and a thorough understanding is still required to clarify the effect of coke reactivity on the BF gas utilization efficiency. In this paper, a one-dimensional kinetic model of the BF is presented and the accuracy of the model is verified. The model is then applied to analyze the effect of coke reactivity on the gas utilization efficiency of the BF. The results show that, under the operating conditions considered, the height of indirect reduction region and the starting temperature of coke solution loss reaction decrease with the increase of coke reactivity. Moreover, coke reactivity is first, directly proportional to gas utilization efficiency, and then, inversely proportional to it. In addition, high-reactivity coke may not improve gas utilization efficiency in case of high H2 content. Both, lowly and highly reactive coke need to be combined with highly reducible iron ore to maximize the gas utilization efficiency. Nevertheless, only appropriately reactive coke can combine with lowly reducible iron ore to obtain an optimal gas utilization efficiency. Hence, it is necessary to select coke with appropriate reactivity, in accordance with iron-ore reducibility, instead of blindly pursuing high-reactivity coke in actual operation.
Experimental Research into the Evolution of Permeability of Sandstone under Triaxial Compression
Authors: Zhang Liming , Jiang Shengqun , Yu Jin
Published: September 2020

Failure tests on sandstone specimens were conducted under different confining pressures and seepage pressures by using an MTS triaxial rock testing machine to elucidate the corresponding correlations of permeability and characteristic stress with confining pressure and pore pressure during deformation. The results indicate that permeability first decreases and presents two trends, i.e., a V-shaped increase and an S-shaped trend during the non-linear deformation stage. The greater the seepage pressure, the greater the initial permeability and the more obvious the V-shaped trend in the permeability. As the confining pressure was increased, the trend in the permeability gradually changed from V- to S-shaped. Compared with the case at a high confining pressure, the decrease of permeability occurred more quickly, the rate of change becomes greater, and the sudden increase observed in the permeability happened earlier under lower confining pressures. Within the range tested, confining pressure exerted a greater effect on the permeability than the seepage pressure. In comparison with the axial strain, volumetric strain better reflected changes in permeability during compaction and dilation of sandstone. The ratio of crack initiation stress to peak strength ranged from 0.37 to 0.50, while the ratio of dilation stress to peak strength changed from 0.58 to 0.72. Permeabilities calculated based on Darcy and non-Darcy flow changed within the same interval, while the change in permeability was different.
Gear Ratio Optimization along with a Novel Gearshift Scheduling Strategy for a Two-Speed Transmission System in Electric Vehicle
Authors: Ahssan Md Ragib , Ektesabi Mehran , Gorji Saman
Published: September 2020

A novel gearshift scheduling strategy has been framed for a two-speed transmission system in electric vehicles that can save energy during hilly driving and frequently changing driving conditions through efficient electric motor operation. Unlike the traditional approach, the proposed gearshift strategy is based on the preferred vehicle speed range, vehicle acceleration, and road grade to ensure desired vehicle performances with minimum energy consumption. Meanwhile, the vehicle speed range is chosen around the electric motor rated speed, and two gearshift schedules in relation to vehicle acceleration and road grade are developed based on the motor torque generating capacity and efficiency. Appropriate gear is selected through a combined assessment of the required vehicle speed, acceleration, and road grade information. A guideline is developed and explained for the primary gearshift schedule. Next, the gear ratios and gearshift schedules are optimized combinedly in a Simulink environment using the gradient descent method and pattern search method on three driving cycles separately. Depending on the driving scenarios, around 4% to 7.5% energy saving has been experienced through optimization, while the gear ratios and gearshift schedule in relation to the road grade are found to be major contributors to the vehicle economic driving compared to that with the gearshift schedule for vehicle acceleration.
Design Model of Null-Flux Coil Electrodynamic Suspension for the Hyperloop
Authors: Lim Jungyoul , Lee Chang-Young , Lee Jin-Ho , You Wonhee , Lee Kwan-Sup , Choi Suyong
Published: September 2020

The Hyperloop has been developed using various technologies to reach a maximum speed of 1200 km/h. Such technologies include magnetic levitation technologies that are suitable for subsonic driving. In the Hyperloop, the null-flux electrodynamic suspension (EDS) system and superconducting magnets (SCMs) can perform stable levitation without control during high-speed driving. Although an EDS device can be accurately analyzed using numerical analysis methods, such as the 3D finite element method (FEM) or dynamic circuitry theory, its 3D configurations make it difficult to use in various design analyses. This paper presents a new design model that fast analyzes and compares many designs of null-flux EDS devices for the Hyperloop system. For a fast and effective evaluation of various levitation coil shapes and arrangements, the computational process of the induced electromotive force and the coupling effect were simplified using a 2D rectangular coil loop, and the induced current and force equations were written as closed-form solutions using the Fourier analysis. Also, levitation coils were designed, and their characteristics were analyzed and compared with each other. To validate the proposed model, the analyzed force responses for various driving conditions and the changed performance trend by design variables were compared with analyzed FEM results.
Historic Urban Tree Canopy Cover of Great Britain
Authors: Doick Kieron J. , Buckland Annabel , Clarke Toni-Kim
Published: September 2020

Research Highlights: Historic trend analysis of urban tree canopy cover change, while growing in popularity, remains uncommon and concentrated to just a handful of countries. Background and Objectives: Tree canopy cover is a relatively quick, easy to obtain and cost-effective urban forestry metric. It is used to provide insight into not only the coverage of a defined area but also an urban forest’s potential to provide benefits to those who live and work in the locality. On-going delivery of benefits is reliant on a sustained healthy canopy, and knowing how canopy coverage is changing over time can be informative for strategic urban forestry management planning. Materials and Methods: Changes in tree canopy cover is assessed for ten urban areas across Great Britain since the 1940s using a random point-based assessment of paired aerial imagery. Results: The study reveals a predominance of increasing trends over the long term, with just one town displaying a long-term decrease and two revealing “flat lined” trends. Over the past two decades, however, the trends are more variable, with six towns displaying no statistically significant change, one declining and just three increasing in canopy cover. Conclusions: The results indicate a need for ongoing research to broaden the geographic spread of trend analysis and investigation into the drivers of changes, but also to increase the number of time points considered.
Clinical Presentation of the c.3844T>C (p.Trp1282Arg, W1282R) Variant in Russian Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Petrova Nika V. , Kashirskaya Nataliya Y. , Krasovskiy Stanislav A. , Amelina Elena L. , Kondratyeva Elena I. , Marakhonov Andrey V. , Vasilyeva Tatyana A. , Voronkova Anna Y. , Sherman Victoria D. , Ginter Evgeny K. , Kutsev Sergey I. , Zinchenko Rena A.
Published: September 2020

The goal was to study the phenotypic manifestations of c.3844T>C (p.Trp1282Arg, W1282R) variant, a CF-causing mutation, in patients from the Russian Federation. Clinical manifestations and complications (the age at CF diagnosis, sweat test, pancreatic status, lung function, microbial infection, body mass index (BMI), the presence of meconium ileus (MI), diabetes, and severe liver disease) were compared in four groups: group 1—patients carrying c.3844T>C and severe class I or II variant in trans; group 2—3849+10kbC>T/F508del patients; group 3—F508del/F508del patients; and group 4—patients with W1282R and “mild” variant in trans. Based on the analyses, W1282R with class I or II variant in trans appears to cause at least as severe CF symptoms as F508del homozygotes as reflected in the early age of diagnosis, high sweat chloride concentration, insufficient pancreatic function, and low lung function, in contrast to 3849+10kbC-T/F508del compound heterozygotes having milder clinical phenotypes. The W1282R pathogenic variant is seemed to lead to severe disease phenotype with pancreatic insufficiency similarly to the F508del homozygous genotype.
Pathogenic Variant Filtering for Mitochondrial Genome Haplotype Reporting
Authors: Marshall Charla , Sturk-Andreaggi Kimberly , Ring Joseph D. , Dür Arne , Parson Walther
Published: September 2020

Given the enhanced discriminatory power of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome (mitogenome) over the commonly sequenced control region (CR) portion, the scientific merit of mitogenome sequencing is generally accepted. However, many laboratories remain beholden to CR sequencing due to privacy policies and legal requirements restricting the use of disease information or coding region (codR) information. In this report, we present an approach to obviate the reporting of sensitive codR data in forensic haplotypes. We consulted the MitoMap database to identify 92 mtDNA codR variants with confirmed pathogenicity. We determined the frequencies of these pathogenic variants in literature-quality and forensic-quality databases to be very low, at 1.2% and 0.36%, respectively. The observed effect of pathogenic variant filtering on random match statistics in 2488 forensic-quality mitogenome haplotypes from four populations was nil. We propose that pathogenic variant filtering should be incorporated into variant calling algorithms for mitogenome haplotype reporting to maximize the discriminatory power of the locus while minimizing the reveal of sensitive genetic information.
Water Soil Erosion Evaluation in a Small Alpine Catchment Located in Northern Italy: Potential Effects of Climate Change
Authors: Berteni Francesca , Grossi Giovanna
Published: September 2020

Water erosion and evaluation of the average annual soil loss considering the potential effects of climate change are the focus of this study, based on the application of two empirical models, the RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) and the EPM (Erosion Potential Method), to an Italian case study. A small mountain basin, the Guerna creek watershed, is located in the Central Southern Alps (Lombardy, Southern Alps, Bergamo), and it has been affected in the past by flooding and erosion events, which stressed the hydraulic weaknesses of the study area. Three different future climate scenarios were built for the middle of this century (from 2041 to 2060) on the basis of CORDEX data and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) set by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) future scenarios: RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5. As concerns climate, precipitation and air temperature are the variables used in the empirical models. On the other hand, potential effects on land use were also considered. Computed soil loss of 87 t/ha/year and 29.3 t/ha/year was achieved using the RUSLE equation and EPM method respectively, without considering the potential effects of climate change. The results achieved showed that climate change impacts on water erosion may not be negligible even by the middle of the current century (the annual average soil loss could change by 6–10% on a basin scale), and a major role is being played by seasonality in rainfall peak intensity.
Intensity Assessment of Erosion-Accumulative Processes in the Selenga Middle Mountains (Case Study of the Gully Network of the Nizhnyaya Bulanka Depression, Western Transbaikalia)
Authors: Tsydypov Bair Z. , Sodnomov Bator V. , Chernykh Vladimir N. , Ilyin Yury M. , Gurzhapov Bair O. , Ayurzhanaev Alexander A. , Semenova Maria V. , Zharnikova Margarita A. , Alymbaeva Zhargalma B. , Batotsyrenov Eduard A. , Li Fujia , Cheng Hao , Bazarzhapov Tcogto , Boldanov Tamir , Dong Suocheng , Garmaev Endon Zh.
Published: September 2020

The advantages of a quantitative assessment of the spatial and temporal variability of the boundaries and volumes of ravines using modern means and methods of aerial photography from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are substantiated, in contrast to traditional survey methods (linear method of benchmarks, tacheometric, aerial and space photography, laser scanning). The erosion zoning and mapping of linear and gully formations on the territory of the Kuitunka, Tarbagataika, and Kunaleika river basins (Selenga middle mountains) are carried out. The reanalysis data were used to assess extreme meteorological events leading to the acceleration of erosion processes. Paleontological material confirms the long duration of erosive-accumulative processes in the Nizhnyaya Bulanka depression. High-accuracy multi-temporal orthophotomaps and digital elevation models of Bulanka gully using unmanned aerial vehicles were produced. The method of quantitative estimation of gully formation rates is offered, which allows estimating with high accuracy the change of area and volume characteristics of erosive forms.
Pleistocene Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy and Gephyrocapsid Occurrence in Site U1431D, IODP 349, South China Sea
Authors: Guballa Jose Dominick S. , Peleo-Alampay Alyssa M.
Published: September 2020

We reinvestigated the Pleistocene calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of Site U1431D (International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 349) in the South China Sea (SCS). Twelve calcareous nannofossil Pleistocene datums are identified in the site. The analysis confirms that the last occurrence (LO) of Calcidiscus macintyrei is below the first occurrence (FO) of large Gephyrocapsa spp. (>5.5 μm). The FO of medium Gephyrocapsa spp. (4–5.5 μm) is also identified in the samples through morphometric measurements, which was unreported in shipboard results. Magnetobiochronologic calibrations of the numerical ages of LO of Pseudoemiliania lacunosa and FO of Emiliania huxleyi are underestimated and need reassessment. Other potential markers such as a morphological turnover of circular to elliptical variants of Pseudoemiliania lacunosa and a small Gephyrocapsa acme almost synchronous with the FO of Emiliania huxleyi may offer biostratigraphic significance in the SCS. The morphologic changes in Gephyrocapsa coccoliths are also examined for the first time in Site U1431D. Placolith length and bridge angle changes are comparable with other ocean basins, suggesting that morphologic changes are most likely evolutionary novelties rather than being caused by local climate anomalies.
Rock Mass Characterization of Karstified Marbles and Evaluation of Rockfall Potential Based on Traditional and SfM-Based Methods; Case Study of Nestos, Greece
Authors: Papathanassiou George , Riquelme Adrián , Tzevelekis Theofilos , Evaggelou Evaggelos
Published: September 2020

Rockfall consists one of the most harmful geological phenomena for the man-made environment. In order to evaluate the rockfall hazard, a variety of engineering geological studies should be realized, starting from conducting a detailed field survey and ending with simulating the trajectory of likely to fail blocks in order to evaluate the kinetic energy and the runout distance. The last decade, new technologies, i.e., remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) are frequently used in order to obtain and analyze the characteristics of the rock mass based on a semi-automatic or manual approach. Aiming to evaluate the rockfall hazard in the area of Nestos, Greece, we applied both traditional and structure from motion (SfM)-oriented approaches and compared the results. As an outcome, it was shown that the semi-automated approaches can accurately detect the discontinuities and define their orientation, and thus can be used in inaccessible areas. Considering the rockfall risk, it was shown that the railway line in the study area is threaten by a rockfall and consequently the construction of a rockfall netting mesh or a rock shed is recommended.
Metal(loid)s Transport in Hydrographic Networks of Mining Basins: The Case of the La Carolina Mining District (Southeast Spain)
Authors: Mendoza Rosendo , Martínez Julián , Rey Javier , Hidalgo M. Carmen , Campos-Suñol M. José
Published: September 2020

This study analyses the distribution of the total metal(loid)s content accumulated in the sediments of the Grande River, the most important river course that runs through the old mining district of La Carolina (Jaén, Spain), whose waters are collected in an urban supply reservoir. In total, 102 sediments samples were taken along the river, 51 in the live-bed channel and another 51 in the floodplain. The samples analysed have high metal(loid)s content, sometimes much higher than the reference levels established by European and regional legislation for soils, especially Pb, As and Ba, with average values of 5452 mg/kg, 116 mg/kg and 2622 mg/kg, respectively. The statistical analysis of the values obtained allows the distribution of the contents of the different elements along the river to be characterized and the associations and dispersion patterns in the sediments of the metal(loid)s coming from the environmental liabilities of the numerous dumpsites and tailings dams generated by mining activity to be defined. In both cases, the high metal(loid)s content identified as well as the resulting values of various environmental indices (the enrichment factor, contamination factor, geoaccumulation index, potential ecological risk index and pollution load index), confirmed that the sediment samples were moderately to highly contaminated over extensive areas of the basin studied, with the greatest intensity and extent in the floodplain sediments.
Relationship between Anthropometric Parameters and Throwing Speed in Amateur Male Handball Players at Different Ages
Authors: Tuquet Jaime , Zapardiel Juan Carlos , Saavedra Jose M. , Jaén-Carrillo Diego , Lozano Demetrio
Published: September 2020

The objectives of this study were: (i) to analyse anthropometric parameters and throwing speed from seven meters in amateur male handball players of different ages; (ii) to know the relationship between anthropometric parameters and throwing. One hundred seventy-six male handball players (16.5 ± 5.1 years old) participated in the study, classified according to their age: senior (n = 35), U18 (n = 30), U16 (n = 37), U14 (n = 50) and U12 (n = 24). All participants were evaluated by anthropometric measurements (height, weight, body mass index, arm span, hand width) and throwing speed from 7 m standing. A one-way analysis of variance with a Bonferroni post hoc test was used to establish the differences between teams. Pearson’s simple correlation coefficients were calculated between analyse anthropometric parameters and throwing speed. Multiple linear regression was used to predict the throwing speed. Only BMI was related with throwing speed in all age groups (0.506 > r < 0.813, p < 0.05). Throwing speed was predicted (24–72%) with only one or two variables in each model. The selected variables were: BMI, arm span in U16 model and height U14 model, and the BMI, arm span and height are proved to be good predictors of TS in male handball players.
Full Mouth Rehabilitation of Two Siblings with Dentinogenesis Imperfecta Type II Using Different Treatment Modalities
Authors: Alrashdi Murad , Schoener Jason , Contreras Claudia Isabel , Chen Shuo
Published: September 2020

Background: Dentinogenesis imperfecta (DGI) is a complex anomaly, not only by its structure but by treatment approach. The treatment protocol depends on the severity, behavior, and the age of the patient. Case Description: This paper presents two siblings’ cases of DGI type II (DGI-II) with different treatment based on the patient’s clinical severity, behavior, and age (mixed versus primary dentition). The first case involves a patient in the primary dentition with severe attrition leading to a reduction in the vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) treated by the fabrication of complete overlay dentures. The second case involves a patient in the early mixed dentition treated with restorations and extractions. Conclusion: Full mouth rehabilitation in the two patients dramatically improves function, aesthetics, and proved to be a significant psychological boost to the patient’s well-being. Practical Implications: Early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach for patients with DGI to preserve the remaining teeth and rehabilitation for their function and aesthetics are essential for obtaining a favorable prognosis.
Adaptation and Evaluation of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores to Assess Mediterranean Food Environments (NEMS-S-MED)
Authors: Martínez-García Alba , Díez Julia , Fernández-Escobar Carlos , Trescastro-López Eva María , Pereyra-Zamora Pamela , Ariza Carles , Bilal Usama , Franco Manuel
Published: September 2020

The Nutrition Environment Measures Surveys are valid and reliable measures of community and consumer food environments. This article describes the adaptation and evaluation of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores (NEMS-S) for Mediterranean urban contexts (NEMS-S-MED). Trained raters used the adapted NEMS-S-MED tool to observe and rate food outlets in 21 census tracts and 43 food stores across the city of Madrid, Spain. We evaluated inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities, construct validity, and the tool’s ability to discriminate between store types and between stores by area-level Socio-Economic Status (SES). Overall, the mean NEMS-S-MED score was 20.7 (SD = 9.8), which ranged from 7 to 43. Most food items displayed substantial or almost perfect inter-rater and intra-rater agreements; the percentage agreement across availability items was almost perfect and kappa statistics were also very high (median κ = 1.00 for inter-rater; κ = 0.92 for intra-rater). Furthermore, the NEMS-S-MED tool was able to discriminate between store types and census tracts of different SES. The adapted NEMS-S-MED instrument is a reliable and valid audit tool to assess the consumer food environment in Mediterranean urban contexts. Well-constructed measurement tools, such as the NEMS-S-MED, may facilitate the development of effective policy interventions to increase healthy food access and affordability.
Psychological Climate for Caring and Work Outcomes: A Virtuous Cycle
Authors: Weziak-Bialowolska Dorota , Bialowolski Piotr , Leon Carlued , Koosed Tamar , McNeely Eileen
Published: September 2020

The current literature’s focus on unidirectional effects of psychological and organizational climates at work on work outcomes fails to capture the full relationship between these factors. This article examines whether a psychological climate for caring contributes to specific work outcomes and investigates whether work outcomes support the climate for caring, creating a feedback loop. Results confirm a bi-directional, temporal association between perceived climate for caring and two of the four explored work outcomes: self-reported productivity and self-reported work quality. The effect of a perceived caring climate on these work outcomes was stronger than the effect in the opposite direction. The perception that the work climate was caring was also found to affect work engagement, but the reverse relationship was not identified. We did not find any evidence for a link between job satisfaction and a climate for caring at work in either direction.