bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidential Estimation of an Uncertain Mixed Exponential Distribution under Progressive Censoring
Authors: Zhou Kuang , Shi Yimin
Published: September 2020

In this paper, the evidential estimation method for the parameters of the mixed exponential distribution is considered when a sample is obtained from Type-II progressively censored data. Different from the traditional statistical inference methods for censored data from mixture models, here we consider a very general form where there is some uncertain information about the sub-class labels of units. The partially specified label information, as well as the censored data are represented in a united frame by mass functions within the theory of belief functions. Following that, the evidential likelihood function is derived based on the completely observed failures and the uncertain information included in the data. Then, the optimization method using the evidential expectation maximization algorithm (E2M) is introduced. A general form of the maximal likelihood estimates (MLEs) in the sense of the evidential likelihood, named maximal evidential likelihood estimates (MELEs), can be obtained. Finally, some Monte Carlo simulations are conducted. The results show that the proposed estimation method can incorporate more information than traditional EM algorithms, and this confirms the interest in using uncertain labels for the censored data from finite mixture models.
Effects of Urban Producer Service Industry Agglomeration on Export Technological Complexity of Manufacturing in China
Authors: Gao Xinyu , Lu Chengpeng , Mao Jinhuang
Published: September 2020

Based on the measurement of producer service industry agglomeration and export technological complexity of manufactured products in 288 Chinese cities from 2000 to 2015, this paper illustrates the evolvement and spatial characteristics of the two factors through visualization figures, and discusses the effects of producer services agglomeration on export technological complexity of manufacturing through robust panel data models. The findings are as follows: as with the influence of industrial connection, empirical outcomes indicate that urban producer service agglomeration can promote technological complexity of export manufacturing on the full-sample level. Visualization analysis shows that the scale of producer service industry agglomeration and the export technological complexity of manufactured products around Chinese cities kept rising constantly during the study period. However, although the export technological complexity displayed a trickle-down effect, the producer service industry agglomeration experienced continuous polarization both on the national and the regional levels. Accordingly, as is shown in the empirical analysis by areas, regions with strong support from producer service industry saw a remarkable promotion in the export manufacturing technology, while the northwest and the northeast gradually lagged behind. Such results sufficiently prove that heterogeneity does exist in the performances of industrial connection between producer service industry and export manufacturing in cities of different regions in China.
Optimization of Spiking Neural Networks Based on Binary Streamed Rate Coding
Authors: Al-Hamid Ali A. , Kim HyungWon
Published: September 2020

Spiking neural networks (SNN) increasingly attract attention for their similarity to the biological neural system. Hardware implementation of spiking neural networks, however, remains a great challenge due to their excessive complexity and circuit size. This work introduces a novel optimization method for hardware friendly SNN architecture based on a modified rate coding scheme called Binary Streamed Rate Coding (BSRC). BSRC combines the features of both rate and temporal coding. In addition, by employing a built-in randomizer, the BSRC SNN model provides a higher accuracy and faster training. We also present SNN optimization methods including structure optimization and weight quantization. Extensive evaluations with MNIST SNNs demonstrate that the structure optimization of SNN (81-30-20-10) provides 183.19 times reduction in hardware compared with SNN (784-800-10), while providing an accuracy of 95.25%, a small loss compared with 98.89% and 98.93% reported in the previous works. Our weight quantization reduces 32-bit weights to 4-bit integers leading to further hardware reduction of 4 times with only 0.56% accuracy loss. Overall, the SNN model (81-30-20-10) optimized by our method shrinks the SNN’s circuit area from 3089.49 mm2 for SNN (784-800-10) to 4.04 mm2—a reduction of 765 times.
Ripple Analysis and Suppression Method Research of Direct Drive Permanent Magnet Synchronous Wind Turbine under Wind Shear
Authors: Li Zhiyong , Wang Xin , Huang Guohang , Wan Hui , Chen Yougen
Published: September 2020

Wind shear is among the important sources of torque fluctuation on mechanical side and output power fluctuation on electromagnetic side and grid connection point, which frequency are triple turbine rotation frequency. With the increase in wind turbine single capacity and wind power integration scale, the power fluctuation caused by wind shear cannot be ignored. The paper takes a direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous wind turbine (PMSWT) as the research object. Firstly, the fluctuation transfer mechanism model is established; then, the current ripple is extracted by a notch filter to calculate the voltage control signal to suppress power fluctuation actively by the DC link capacitor which absorbs fluctuation energy. The simulation experiment shows that the suppression strategy is effective and reliable.
Metaheuristic Optimization of Power and Energy Systems: Underlying Principles and Main Issues of the ‘Rush to Heuristics’
Authors: Chicco Gianfranco , Mazza Andrea
Published: September 2020

In the power and energy systems area, a progressive increase of literature contributions that contain applications of metaheuristic algorithms is occurring. In many cases, these applications are merely aimed at proposing the testing of an existing metaheuristic algorithm on a specific problem, claiming that the proposed method is better than other methods that are based on weak comparisons. This ‘rush to heuristics’ does not happen in the evolutionary computation domain, where the rules for setting up rigorous comparisons are stricter but are typical of the domains of application of the metaheuristics. This paper considers the applications to power and energy systems and aims at providing a comprehensive view of the main issues that concern the use of metaheuristics for global optimization problems. A set of underlying principles that characterize the metaheuristic algorithms is presented. The customization of metaheuristic algorithms to fit the constraints of specific problems is discussed. Some weaknesses and pitfalls that are found in literature contributions are identified, and specific guidelines are provided regarding how to prepare sound contributions on the application of metaheuristic algorithms to specific problems.
Comparison of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models for Network Intrusion Detection Systems
Authors: Thapa Niraj , Liu Zhipeng , KC Dukka B. , Gokaraju Balakrishna , Roy Kaushik
Published: September 2020

The development of robust anomaly-based network detection systems, which are preferred over static signal-based network intrusion, is vital for cybersecurity. The development of a flexible and dynamic security system is required to tackle the new attacks. Current intrusion detection systems (IDSs) suffer to attain both the high detection rate and low false alarm rate. To address this issue, in this paper, we propose an IDS using different machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models. This paper presents a comparative analysis of different ML models and DL models on Coburg intrusion detection datasets (CIDDSs). First, we compare different ML- and DL-based models on the CIDDS dataset. Second, we propose an ensemble model that combines the best ML and DL models to achieve high-performance metrics. Finally, we benchmarked our best models with the CIC-IDS2017 dataset and compared them with state-of-the-art models. While the popular IDS datasets like KDD99 and NSL-KDD fail to represent the recent attacks and suffer from network biases, CIDDS, used in this research, encompasses labeled flow-based data in a simulated office environment with both updated attacks and normal usage. Furthermore, both accuracy and interpretability must be considered while implementing AI models. Both ML and DL models achieved an accuracy of 99% on the CIDDS dataset with a high detection rate, low false alarm rate, and relatively low training costs. Feature importance was also studied using the Classification and regression tree (CART) model. Our models performed well in 10-fold cross-validation and independent testing. CART and convolutional neural network (CNN) with embedding achieved slightly better performance on the CIC-IDS2017 dataset compared to previous models. Together, these results suggest that both ML and DL methods are robust and complementary techniques as an effective network intrusion detection system.
The Impact on Structures of the Pedrógão Grande Fire Complex in June 2017 (Portugal)
Authors: Ribeiro Luís M. , Rodrigues André , Lucas Davi , Viegas Domingos Xavier
Published: September 2020

On 17 June 2017, one of the most dramatic and destructive wildfires in Portugal’s History started, formed by a complex of at least five wildfires that merged together burning more than 45,000 hectares. In its aftermath, 66 persons lost their lives, most of them trying to run away from the fire, more than 250 were injured, and over 1000 structures (including 263 residential homes) were damaged or destroyed, with direct losses estimated at around 200 million euros. Shortly after the fire was extinguished, and as part of a larger analysis, the authors performed exhaustive field work to assess the fire impact on all manmade structures in the area of the Pedrógão Grande fire. A specific geodatabase was built, accounting for an extensive set of parameters aimed at characterizing: (i) The structure, (ii) the surroundings of the structure, and (iii) the arrival and impact of the fire. A total of 1043 structures were considered for the analysis, mostly support structures, like sheds or storage (38.6%), but also around 25% of dwellings (13.3% primary and 11.9% secondary). Regarding the ignitions, more than 60% of the structures were ignited due to the deposition of firebrands in different weak points. In addition, more than 60% of these ignitions occurred on the roofs, mainly because of the vulnerability associated with the structures and materials supporting them. Despite these results, and from what we observed on the structures that were not destroyed, we still consider that for the Portuguese reality houses are a good refuge, providing that they and their surroundings are managed and kept in good conditions.
The Influence of Inflow Swirl on Cavitating and Mixing Processes in a Venturi Tube
Authors: Shi Hongbo , Nikrityuk Petr
Published: September 2020

A study of the mixing flows (Schmidt number = 103) in a cavitating Venturi tube that feature linear and swirling flows is presented in this paper. The Large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulence model, the Schnerr–Sauer cavitation model, and the mixture multiphase model, as implemented in the commercial CFD ANSYS FLUENT 16.2, were employed. The main emphasis is spending on the influence of different inlet swirling ratios on the generation of cavitation and mixing behaviors in a Venturi tube. Four different inflow regimes were investigated for the Reynolds number Re = 19,044, 19,250, 19,622, 21,276: zero swirl, 15% swirl, 25% swirl and 50% swirl velocity relative to the transverse inflow velocity, respectively. The computed velocity and pressure profiles were shown in good agreement with the experiment data from the literature. The predicted results indicate that the imposed swirl flow moves the cavitation bubbles away from throat surfaces toward the throat axis. The rapid mixing between two volumetric components is promoted in the divergent section when the intense swirl is introduced. Additionally, the increase in the swirl ratio from 0.15 to 0.5 leads to a linear increase in the static pressure drop and a nonlinear increase in the vapor production. The reduction in the fluid viscosity ratio from μ2μ1=10 to μ2μ1=1 generates a high cavitation intensity in the throat of the Venturi tube. However, the changes in the pressure drop and vapor volume fraction are significantly small of pure water flow.
The Effect of Light Intensity on the Expression of Leucoanthocyanidin Reductase in Grapevine Calluses and Analysis of Its Promoter Activity
Authors: Cheng Jing , Yu Keji , Zhang Mingyue , Shi Ying , Duan Changqing , Wang Jun
Published: September 2020

To investigate the effect of light intensity on flavonoid biosynthesis, grapevine calluses were subjected to high light (HL, 250 μmol m−2 s−1) and dark (0 μmol m−2 s−1) in comparison to 125 μmol m−2 s−1 under controlled conditions (NL). The alteration of flavonoid profiles was determined and was integrated with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)-based transcriptional changes of the flavonoid pathway genes. Results revealed that dark conditions inhibited flavonoid biosynthesis. Increasing light intensity affected flavonoids differently—the concentrations of flavonols and anthocyanins as well as the expressions of corresponding genes were less affected, whereas flavan-3-ol concentrations were predominantly increased, which caused enhanced trans-flavan-3-ol concentrations. Moreover, genes encoding leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) exhibited different response patterns to light intensity changes—VviLAR1 expression increased with an increased light intensity, whereas VviLAR2 expression was insensitive. We further confirmed that the known transcription factors (TFs) involved in regulating flavan-3-ol biosynthesis utilized VviLAR1 as a target gene in grapevine calluses. In addition, VviLAR1 promoter activity was more sensitive to light intensity changes than that of VviLAR2 as determined using a transgenic Arabidopsis leaf system. These results suggested that light intensity had the most prominent effect on trans-flavan-3-ols in grapevine calluses and demonstrated that the two LAR genes had different response patterns to light intensity changes.
Customized Massive Parallel Sequencing Panel for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Castaño Jair Antonio Tenorio , Hernández-Gonzalez Ignacio , Gallego Natalia , Pérez-Olivares Carmen , Ochoa Parra Nuria , Arias Pedro , Granda Elena , Acebo Gonzalo Gómez , Lago-Docampo Mauro , Palomino-Doza Julian , López Meseguer Manuel , del Cerro María Jesús , PAH Consortium Spanish , Valverde Diana , Lapunzina Pablo , Escribano-Subías Pilar
Published: September 2020

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a very infrequent disease, with a variable etiology and clinical expressivity, making sometimes the clinical diagnosis a challenge. Current classification based on clinical features does not reflect the underlying molecular profiling of these groups. The advance in massive parallel sequencing in PAH has allowed for the describing of several new causative and susceptibility genes related to PAH, improving overall patient diagnosis. In order to address the molecular diagnosis of patients with PAH we designed, validated, and routinely applied a custom panel including 21 genes. Three hundred patients from the National Spanish PAH Registry (REHAP) were included in the analysis. A custom script was developed to annotate and filter the variants. Variant classification was performed according to the ACMG guidelines. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants have been found in 15% of the patients with 12% of variants of unknown significance (VUS). We have found variants in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD) and congenital heart disease (CHD). In addition, in a small proportion of patients (1.75%), we observed a possible digenic mode of inheritance. These results stand out the importance of the genetic testing of patients with associated forms of PAH (i.e., CHD and CTD) additionally to the classical IPAH and HPAH forms. Molecular confirmation of the clinical presumptive diagnosis is required in cases with a high clinical overlapping to carry out proper management and follow up of the individuals with the disease.
Racial Differences in Perceived Food Swamp and Food Desert Exposure and Disparities in Self-Reported Dietary Habits
Authors: Cooksey Stowers Kristen , Jiang Qianxia , Atoloye Abiodun , Lucan Sean , Gans Kim
Published: September 2020

Both food swamps and food deserts have been associated with racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in obesity rates. Little is known about how the distribution of food deserts and food swamps relate to disparities in self-reported dietary habits, and health status, particularly for historically marginalized groups. In a national U.S. sample of 4305 online survey participants (age 18+), multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to assess by race and ethnicity the likelihood of living in a food swamp or food desert area. Predicted probabilities of self-reported dietary habits, health status, and weight status were calculated using the fitted values from ordinal or multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for relevant covariates. Results showed that non-Hispanic, Black participants (N = 954) were most likely to report living in a food swamp. In the full and White subsamples (N = 2912), the perception of residing in a food swamp/desert was associated with less-healthful self-reported dietary habits overall. For non-Hispanic Blacks, regression results also showed that residents of perceived food swamp areas (OR = 0.66, p < 0.01, 95% CI (0.51, 0.86)) had a lower diet quality than those not living in a food swamp/food desert area. Black communities in particular may be at risk for environment-linked diet-related health inequities. These findings suggest that an individual’s perceptions of food swamp and food desert exposure may be related to diet habits among adults.
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg! Effects of Leader’s Use of Pride on Groups
Authors: Daus Catherine S. , Baumgartner Stephen R.
Published: September 2020

Studies of discrete pride in the workplace are both few and on the rise. We examined what has, to date, been unstudied, namely the impact that a leader’s expressions of authentic and hubristic pride can have on the followers at that moment, and on their attitudes regarding their task, leader, and group. Students working in groups building Lego structures rated their perceived leader regarding expressions of pride, both authentic and hubristic. Students who perceived the leader as expressing more authentic pride rated the task, group (satisfaction and cohesion), and leader more positively, while the reverse was generally true for perceptions of expressions of hubristic pride. We found these effects both at the individual level and at the group level. We also predicted and found moderation for the type of task worked on, creative or detailed. Implications abound for leader emotional labor and emotion management.
Association between Maternal Postpartum Depression, Stress, Optimism, and Breastfeeding Pattern in the First Six Months
Authors: Gila-Díaz Andrea , Carrillo Gloria Herranz , López de Pablo Ángel Luis , Arribas Silvia M. , Ramiro-Cortijo David
Published: September 2020

Early breastfeeding cessation is a major public health problem. Several factors can affect breastfeeding pattern, and psychological aspects have been poorly explored. We hypothesize that psychological factors and breastfeeding pattern have a relationship. We have assessed in mothers during the first six months of lactation if breastfeeding pattern is associated with maternal stress, postpartum depression, and dispositional optimism, and if these psychological factors play a role on breastfeeding adherence. In total, 711 women participated, answering online the following questionnaires: sociodemographic, perceived stress scale, Edinburgh postpartum depression scale, life orientation test, and breastfeeding adherence score. Women were categorized according to infant feeding practices as exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) or mixed breastfeeding (MBF). The EBF group had a lower score of perceived stress compared to those giving MBF (first month: EBF = 1.5 [1.1; 1.9], MBF = 1.8 [1.5; 2.0]; p-Value = 0.030; third month: EBF = 1.6 [1.2; 2.0], MBF = 1.8 [1.5; 2.4]; p-Value = 0.038) and also had a lower score of postpartum depression (third month: EBF = 8.0 [6.0; 11.0], MBF = 11.0 [9.0; 15.0]; p-Value = 0.001). The breastfeeding adherence score showed a positive correlation with maternal perceived stress (first month: ρ = 0.27; p-Value = 0.018), and postpartum depression (third month: ρ = 0.30; p-Value < 0.001), and a negative correlation with maternal dispositional optimism (second month: ρ = −0.20; p-Value = 0.028). MBF was positively associated with breastfeeding adherence score (odd ratio (OR) = 1.4 [1.2–1.6]; p-Value < 0.001) and with postpartum depression (OR = 1.1 [1.0; 1.1]; p-Value = 0.020). In the third month of breastfeeding, women with MBF exhibited higher perceive stress and postpartum depression compared to those with EBF and no difference in dispositional optimism. The maternal psychological aspects are associated with breastfeeding pattern. Evaluation of maternal psychological concerns and providing support to lactating mothers may help improving breastfeeding adherence.
Quality Improvement Initiatives in Reforming Patient Support Groups—Three-Year Outcomes
Authors: Wu Chieh-Liang , Liou Chia-Hua , Liu Shih-An , Chen Cheng-Hsu , Sheu Wayne H-H , Chou I-Ju , Tsai Shang-Feng
Published: September 2020

Background: Little has been done regarding the research on quality and quantity of patient support groups (PSGs) and how they can be improved. Here, we present three-year experiences of a quality improvement (QI) program of our PSGs. Methods: We launched earlier on a three-year project to improve our PSGs, including the number and quality of curricula. Data were collected on the number of PSGs, curricula, and participants. Results: In the first year, we organized relevant resources of our hospital and established a standard protocol for applying financial support and reporting the results. In the second year, we elected “the best patient” to promote sense of honor and better peer supports. In the third year, we surveyed through questionnaires participants’ health literacy to improve their feedback. Competitions and exhibitions of achievements were held each year to share results of every PSG. Finally, we had increased the volume of participation of patients and family over these three years (3968, 5401 (+35.5%) and 5963 (+50.3%)). Participation of staff also increased significantly (489 and 551 (+12.7%)). Furthermore, more interdisciplinary curricula were generated, with fewer doctors (38.2% to 29%), but greater numbers of the following: nurses (4.9% to 17.4%), nurse practitioners (0.4% to 14.5%), medical laboratory scientists (2.5% to 16.3%), social workers (4.7% to 41.7%), and teachers from outside (0% to 1.8%). Conclusion: In this first study on QI efforts on PSGs, we enlisted a core change team, drew a stakeholder map, and selected an improvement framework with good results.
Knowledge on Pre-Hospital Emergency Management of Tooth Avulsion among Croatian Students of the Faculty of Education
Authors: Uzarevic Zvonimir , Ivanisevic Zrinka , Karl Matej , Tukara Marina , Karl Dora , Matijevic Marko
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge regarding tooth avulsion and dental first aid response among Croatian students of the Faculty of Education. A cross-sectional study was conducted among students. Participants (N = 235) were female with an average age of 21.9 ± 2.7 years. The questionnaire contained 10 close-ended questions with two to eleven possible answers. Every participant chose one correct answer. Statistical significance was determined using a Chi-square test. Majority of participants had never received any kind of information on management of a knocked-out tooth. Questions in the nature of tooth injuries, a knocked-out tooth, tooth replantation and whether the knocked-out tooth should be placed back were answered confirmatively by 40.43%, 83.40%, 57.02% and 62.55% of participants, respectively. The questionnaire showed that 18.78% of participants were aware that replantation should be performed within 30 min. The appropriate cleaning and transport medium was chosen by 40.85% and 35.31% of participants, respectively. A nearby dentist would be visited by 66.38% of students. Only 8.08% of participants provided a correct answer to all of the knowledge-based questions. The “I do not know” answer was chosen by 18.30% of participants whenever it was offered. This indicates that the majority (89.78%) were not aware of the fact that the procedure they chose would be inappropriate. The current study confirmed that future primary school teachers have a lack of knowledge for immediate response to tooth avulsion, leaving small chances for a successful prognosis of tooth replantation.
Understanding the Public’s Emotions about Cancer: Analysis of Social Media Data
Authors: Park Seul Ki , Park Hyeoun-Ae , Lee Jooyun
Published: September 2020

Cancer survivors suffer from emotional distress, which varies depending on several factors. However, existing emotion management programs are insufficient and do not take into consideration all of the factors. Social media provides a platform for understanding the emotions of the public. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the public’s emotions about cancer and factors affecting emotions using social media data. We used 321,339 posts on cancer and emotions relating to cancer extracted from 22 social media channels between 1 January 2014, and 30 June 2017. The factors affecting emotions were analyzed using association rule mining and social network analysis. Hope/gratitude was the most frequently mentioned emotion group on social media followed by fear/anxiety/overwhelmed, sadness/depression/loneliness/guilt, and anger/denial. Acute survival stage, treatment method, and breast cancer were associated with hope/gratitude. Early stage, gastrointestinal problems, fatigue/pain/fever, and pancreatic cancer were associated with fear/anxiety/overwhelmed. Surgery, hair loss/skin problems, and fatigue/pain/fever were associated with sadness/depression/loneliness/guilt. Acute survival stage and hair loss/skin problems were associated with anger/denial. We found that emotions concerning cancer differed depending on the cancer type, cancer stage, survival stage, treatment, and symptoms. These findings could guide the development of tailored emotional management programs for cancer survivors that meet the public’s needs more effectively.
The Influence of Norm Perception on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Comparison between the Moderating Roles of Traditional Media and Social Media
Authors: Han Ruixia , Cheng Yali
Published: September 2020

The activation of norm perception can promote pro-environmental behavior. How does media, as important variables in activating norm perception, affect pro-environmental behavior? Through an online survey of 550 randomly selected Chinese citizens, this study examines the roles of traditional media and social media in influencing the relationship between norm perception and pro-environmental behavior. Based on multi-level regression analysis of data, this study found that (1) compared with traditional media, social media play a more significant role in moderating the relationship between norm perception and pro-environmental behavior; (2) the promotion of the perception of injunctive norms by traditional media has a negative relationship with pro-environmental behaviors; (3) the activation of subjective norm perception by social media will promote pro-environmental behaviors. According to this research, in the current media environment, we should carefully release pro-environmental information on social media and encourage relevant discussions, and appropriately reduce environment-relevant injunctive normative information on traditional media. The study also discusses the role of media in regulating norm perception and pro-environmental behavior in different cultural contexts.
Gestational Pesticide Exposure and Child Respiratory Health
Authors: Gilden Robyn , Friedmann Erika , Holmes Katie , Yolton Kimberly , Xu Yingying , Lanphear Bruce , Chen Aimin , Braun Joseph , Spanier Adam
Published: September 2020

Background: Childhood wheeze may be related to pesticide exposure, and diet and genetics (Paroxonase; PON1) may modify the effects of exposure. Methods: We analyzed data from the HOME Study, a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort, to examine the association of gestational urinary organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid (3PBA) metabolite concentrations with child wheeze, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) at ages 4 and 5 years, and wheeze trajectory patterns through age 8 years. Results: Among 367 singletons, the frequency of wheeze ranged from 10.6% to 24.1% at each measurement age. OP and 3PBA metabolite concentrations were not associated with wheeze at 8 years or from birth to 8 years, but there were three significant interactions: (1) maternal daily fruit and vegetable consumption (less than daily consumption and increasing 3PBA was associated with wheeze at age 8 years, OR = 1.40), (2) maternal PON1-108 allele (CT/TT genotypes and high DE was associated with wheeze at age 8 years, OR = 2.13, 2.74) and (3) PON1192 alleles (QR/RR genotypes with higher diethylphosphate (DE) and dialkyl phosphate (DAP) were associated with wheeze at age 8 years, OR = 3.84). Pesticide metabolites were not consistently related to FEV1 or wheeze trajectory. Conclusions: Gestational OP and 3PBA metabolites were associated with child respiratory outcomes in participants with maternal dietary and genetic susceptibility.
The Adoption of Preventive Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China and Israel
Authors: Liu Xue-Jing , Mesch Gustavo S.
Published: September 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive global health crisis. The rapid transmission rate of the virus, as well as the lack of effective medications and vaccines, has posed serious challenges to controlling the spread of the disease. Dealing with this public health crisis has required major changes in people’s behavior, including the adoption of social distancing measures such as avoiding meeting with family members and friends, crowded places, and public transportation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors associated with the adoption of these behaviors in China and Israel. We relied on the 3Cs model that has been used to predict the adoption of a specific preventive behavior (vaccinations) with the goal of testing its applicability to other preventive behaviors such as in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The model indicates that confidence in social institutions, complacency (fear of and assessments about the risk of becoming ill) and constraints (levels of self-efficacy and confidence in being able to engage in the behaviors) are predictors of adopting preventive behaviors. Data were collected in China and Israel through an online survey of the population (n = 1406). We used latent variables and structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses derived from the 3Cs model. The findings indicate that there are some differences in the types of preventive behaviors adopted in the two countries. In Israel, higher levels of confidence predicted the adoption of avoidant behaviors and more constraints predicted engaging in fewer avoidant behaviors. In China, more constraints also contributed to the adoption of fewer avoidant behaviors, but people’s level of confidence fully mediated this result. The multi-group analysis indicated that the conceptualized model fits the Chinese and Israeli data reasonably well. The findings suggest that the 3Cs model can be generalized from getting vaccinated to adopting avoidant behaviors and that the model can be used across cultures and countries.
Landslide Susceptibility Assessment Using an Optimized Group Method of Data Handling Model
Authors: Kadirhodjaev Azam , Rezaie Fatemeh , Lee Moung-Jin , Lee Saro
Published: September 2020

Landslides can cause considerable loss of life and damage to property, and are among the most frequent natural hazards worldwide. One of the most fundamental and simple approaches to reduce damage is to prepare a landslide hazard map. Accurate prediction of areas highly prone to future landslides is important for decision-making. In the present study, for the first time, the group method of data handling (GMDH) was used to generate landslide susceptibility map for a specific region in Uzbekistan. First, 210 landslide locations were identified by field survey and then divided randomly into model training and model validation datasets (70% and 30%, respectively). Data on nine conditioning factors, i.e., altitude, slope, aspect, topographic wetness index (TWI), length of slope (LS), valley depth, distance from roads, distance from rivers, and geology, were collected. Finally, the maps were validated using the testing dataset and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The findings showed that the “optimized” GMDH model (i.e., using the gray wolf optimizer [GWO]) performed better than the standalone GMDH model, during both the training and testing phase. The accuracy of the GMDH–GWO model in the training and testing phases was 94% and 90%, compared to 85% and 82%, respectively, for the standard GMDH model. According to the GMDH–GWO model, the study area included very low, low, moderate, high, and very high landslide susceptibility areas, with proportions of 14.89%, 10.57%, 15.00%, 35.12%, and 24.43%, respectively.
A Method of Directional Signs Location Selection and Content Generation in Scenic Areas
Authors: Ruan Ling , Kou Xuan , Ge Junlian , Long Yi , Zhang Ling
Published: September 2020

The Tourist Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) system is an essential and important project in constructing and planning scenic areas. At present, the placement of directional signs generally depends on the personal experience of the tour manager to identify important positions and display the name of critical scenic spots on a signboard. Few studies have focused on how to generate the location and display the content of directional signs automatically. This article proposes a method for directional sign location selection and automatic generation of content in a scenic area based on the tourist spatial behavior theory and network analysis algorithm. Junction nodes of the road in a scenic area are used as the candidate locations of the directional signs to be placed. The main steps of the method in this paper include tourist route simulation, betweenness centrality calculation, location selection, and content generation. The Ming Tomb in Nanjing, China, is selected as the experimental area. The evaluation indexes of the traveled distance and the number of errors were adopted. The random walk algorithm is applied to compare the generated scheme with the existing scheme in the experimental scenic area. The generated scheme is also verified through questionnaires and interviews. The results show that the method proposed in this paper can select relevant and appropriate junction nodes where to deploy directional signs and automatically generate displayed content more prominently. The comparison shows that the generated scheme in this method is significantly better than the actual placement scheme. It can optimize the actual placement scheme in the experimental area, and it also can reduce the traveled distance and number of errors.
Short-Term Exercise Progression of Cardiovascular Patients throughout Cardiac Rehabilitation: An Observational Study
Authors: De Cannière Hélène , Smeets Christophe J. P. , Schoutteten Melanie , Varon Carolina , Morales Tellez John F. , Van Hoof Chris , Van Huffel Sabine , Groenendaal Willemijn , Vandervoort Pieter
Published: September 2020

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a highly recommended secondary prevention measure for patients with diagnosed cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, participation rates are low due to enrollment and adherence issues. As such, new CR delivery strategies are of interest, as to improve overall CR delivery. The goal of the study was to obtain a better understanding of the short-term progression of functional capacity throughout multidisciplinary CR, measured as the change in walking distance between baseline six-minute walking test (6MWT) and four consecutive follow-up tests. One-hundred-and-twenty-nine patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease participated in the study, of which 89 patients who completed the whole study protocol were included in the statistical analysis. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine whether there was a significant change in mean 6MWT distance (6MWD) throughout CR. A three-way-mixed ANOVA was performed to determine the influence of categorical variables on the progression in 6MWD between groups. Significant differences in mean 6MWD between consecutive measurements were observed. Two subgroups were identified based on the change in distance between baseline and end-of-study. Patients who increased most showed a linear progression. In the other group progression leveled off halfway through rehabilitation. Moreover, the improvement during the initial phase of CR seemed to be indicative for overall progression. The current study adds to the understanding of the short-term progression in exercise capacity of patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease throughout a CR program. The results are not only of interest for CR in general, but could be particularly relevant in the setting of home-based CR.
Atrial Substrate Underlies the Recurrence after Catheter Ablation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Baek Yong-Soo , Choi Jong-Il , Kim Yun Gi , Lee Kwang-No , Roh Seung-Young , Ahn Jinhee , Kim Dong-Hyeok , Lee Dae In , Hwang Sung Ho , Shim Jaemin , Kim Jin Seok , Kim Dae-Hyeok , Park Sang-Weon , Kim Young-Hoon
Published: September 2020

Prediction of recurrences after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains challenging. We sought to investigate the long-term outcomes after AF catheter ablation. A total of 2221 consecutive patients who underwent catheter ablation for symptomatic AF were included in this study (mean age 55 ± 11 years, 20.3% women, and 59.0% paroxysmal AF). Extensive ablation, in addition to circumferential pulmonary vein isolation, was more often accomplished in patients with non-paroxysmal AF than in those with paroxysmal AF (87.4% vs. 25.3%, p < 0.001). During a median follow-up of 54 months, sinus rhythm (SR) was maintained in 67.1% after index procedure. After redo procedures in 418 patients, 83.3% exhibited SR maintenance. Recurrence rates were similar for single and multiple procedures (17.4% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.765). Subanalysis showed that the extent of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance, is greater in patients with recurrence than in those without recurrence (36.2 ± 23.9% vs. 21.8 ± 13.7%, p < 0.001). Cox-regression analysis revealed that non-paroxysmal AF (hazard ratio (HR) 2.238, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.905–2.629, p < 0.001), overweight (HR 1.314, 95% CI 1.107–1.559, p = 0.020), left atrium dimension ≥ 45 mm (HR 1.284, 95% CI 1.085–1.518, p = 0.004), AF duration (HR 1.020 per year, 95% CI 1.006–1.034, p = 0.004), and LGE ≥ 25% (HR 1.726, 95% CI 1.330–2.239, p < 0.001) are significantly associated with AF recurrence after catheter ablation. This study showed that repeated catheter ablation improves the clinical outcomes of patients with non-paroxysmal AF, suggesting that AF substrate based on LGE may underpin the mechanism of recurrence after catheter ablation.
Exploring the Benefits of Virtual Reality-Assisted Therapy Following Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Auditory Hallucinations in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: A Proof of Concept
Authors: Dellazizzo Laura , Potvin Stéphane , Phraxayavong Kingsada , Dumais Alexandre
Published: September 2020

Background: Combining cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for psychosis with another psychosocial intervention comprising virtual reality (VR)-assisted therapy (VRT) may improve targeted outcomes in treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients. Methods: Ten participants having followed CBT were part of our comparative clinical trial comparing VRT to CBT and were selected at the end of the study as they desired to continue to achieve improvements with VRT (CBT + VRT). Clinical assessments were administered before/after treatments and at follow-ups. Changes in outcomes were examined using linear mixed-effects models. To gain a more in depth understanding on CBT + VRT, therapists’ notes, and open interviews on a sub-group of patients were qualitatively analyzed. Results: Findings showed that the sequence of both interventions was appreciated by all patients. Several significant improvements were found throughout time points on auditory verbal hallucinations, beliefs about voices, depressive symptoms, symptoms of schizophrenia and quality of life. Although most of these improvements were in similar range to those observed in our comparative trial, effects of CBT + VRT on depressive symptoms and symptoms of schizophrenia were larger than those found for either intervention alone. Conclusion: This proof of concept is the first to merge gold-standard CBT with VRT for treatment refractory voices and to suggest a certain synergistic effect.
3-Hydroxy-8,14-secogammacera-7,14-dien-21-one: A New Onoceranoid Triterpenes from Lansium domesticum Corr. cv kokossan
Authors: Zulfikar  , Putri Nurul , Fajriah Sofa , Yusuf Muhammad , Maharani Rani , Anshori Jamaludin , Supratman Unang , Mayanti Tri
Published: September 2020

A new onoceranoid triterpenes, namely 3-hydroxy-8,14-secogammacera-7,14-dien-21-one (1), has been isolated from the fruit peels of Lansium domesticum Corr. cv kokossan. The structure of 1 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic data including infrared, 1D and 2D-NMR, as well as high resolution mass spectroscopy analysis. Compound 1 showed a weak activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.
Effects of Solution Treatment on Laser Welding of Ti–6Al–4V Alloy Plate Produced through Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Xu Mingfang , Chen Yuhua , Zhang Timing , Deng Huaibo , Ji Di
Published: September 2020

Laser beam welding (LBW) had been successfully applied to the welding of Ti–6Al–4V plates by wire arc additive manufacturing. The effects of solution treatment on microstructure, tensile properties, and microhardness after LBW in different deposition directions were studied. When the wire speeding was 3 m/min and travel speed was 0.36 m/min, the difference in mechanical properties was related to the anisotropy of the microstructure. The long columnar grain along the building direction could provide an α path with a large aspect ratio and high elongation. More grain boundaries are present along the scanning direction than in others, showing high strength. The microstructure of the as-deposited condition mainly consists of coarse prior-β grains, partial basket-weave structure, and numerous martensite α′ phase. In LBW without solution treatment, the microstructure of the welds mainly consists of a large amount of martensite α′ and a small amount of basket-weave structure. The weld had high strength and hardness. The tensile strength was between 930 and 970 MPa. The hardness was between 415 and 456 HV. The elongation ranged from 5% to 7%. Afterwards, the temperature was maintained at 870 °C for 2 h, cooled to 600 °C in the furnace for 1 h, and finally air cooled to room temperature. The martensite α′ was almost completely transformed into platelet α. The microstructure of the welds mainly consists of partial β grains, thimbleful martensite α′, and a large of α path. The strength and hardness of the welds were reduced. The tensile strength is between 910 and 950 MPa. The hardness was between 398 and 445 HV. However, the elongation was significantly improved, and the elongation ranged from 10% to 12%.
Ferroelectric Switching in Trilayer Al2O3/HfZrOx/Al2O3 Structure
Authors: Im Solyee , Kang Seung-Youl , Kim Yeriaron , Kim Jeong Hun , Im Jong-Pil , Yoon Sung-Min , Moon Seung Eon , Woo Jiyong
Published: September 2020

Since ferroelectricity has been observed in simple binary oxide material systems, it has attracted great interest in semiconductor research fields such as advanced logic transistors, non-volatile memories, and neuromorphic devices. The location in which the ferroelectric devices are implemented depends on the specific application, so the process constraints required for device fabrication may be different. In this study, we investigate the ferroelectric characteristics of Zr doped HfO2 layers treated at high temperatures. A single HfZrOx layer deposited by sputtering exhibits polarization switching after annealing at a temperature of 850 °C. However, the achieved ferroelectric properties are vulnerable to voltage stress and higher annealing temperature, resulting in switching instability. Therefore, we introduce an ultrathin 1-nm-thick Al2O3 layer at both interfaces of the HfZrOx. The trilayer Al2O3/HfZrOx/Al2O3 structure allows switching parameters such as remnant and saturation polarizations to be immune to sweeping voltage and pulse cycling. Our results reveal that the trilayer not only makes the ferroelectric phase involved in the switching free from pinning, but also preserves the phase even at high annealing temperature. Simultaneously, the ferroelectric switching can be improved by preventing leakage charge.
Microstructure of Vein Quartz Aggregates as an Indicator of Their Deformation History: An Example of Vein Systems from Western Transbaikalia (Russia)
Authors: Lychagin Dmitry V. , Kungulova Elvira N. , Moskvichev Evgeny N. , Tomilenko Anatoly A. , Tishin Platon A.
Published: September 2020

We investigated the microstructural and crystallographic features of quartz from complex vein systems associated with the development of thrust and shear deformations in Western Transbaikalia using electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) and optical microscopy. Vein quartz systems were studied to obtain insights on the mechanisms and localization of strains in quartz, in plastic and semibrittle conditions close to the brittle–ductile transition, and their relationship to the processes of regional deformations. Five types of microstructures of vein quartz were distinguished. We established that the preferred mechanisms of deformation of the studied quartz were dislocation glide and creep at average deformation rates and temperatures of 300–400 °C with subsequent heating and dynamic and static recrystallization. The formation of special boundaries of the Dauphiné twinning type and multiple boundaries with angles of misorientation of 30° and 90° were noted. The distribution of the selected types in the differently oriented veins was analyzed. The presence of three generations of vein quartz was established. Microstructural and crystallographic features of vein quartz aggregates allow us to mark the territory’s multi-stage development (with the formation of syntectonic and post-deformation quartz).