bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Melodious Madrigals”: A Study of Animal Musicians in Early Modern England
Authors: Mahaffy Caitlin
Published: April 2020

In early modern England, people believed in the music of the spheres, the notion that the foundations of cosmic order were a result of musical principles. The importance of music in early modern English society encouraged Renaissance thinkers to hear music in a variety of places, even within the noises of animals. I argue that numerous early modern literary texts, including works by Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Milton, indicate that animals are capable of hearing celestial music and that they are imitating the heavenly music through their own musical performance. Animals' imitation of celestial music raises the following questions: Could animal-created music be a kind of divine language? Do animals' natural musical capabilities indicate that they are more connected to the divine than human beings are? Such questions matter because animals were seen as expendable in early modern England and, therefore, this view of animals as possibly closer to the divine than human beings problematizes the widely held early modern belief that men are superior to beasts. This article contributes to the rapidly growing field of early modern animal studies by creating a connection between Renaissance views of animals and the conceptual basis for environmental stewardship in our own time.
Optimized YOLOv3 Algorithm and Its Application in Traffic Flow Detections
Authors: Huang Yi-Qi , Zheng Jia-Chun , Sun Shi-Dan , Yang Cheng-Fu , Liu Jing
Published: April 2020

In the intelligent traffic system, real-time and accurate detections of vehicles in images and video data are very important and challenging work. Especially in situations with complex scenes, different models, and high density, it is difficult to accurately locate and classify these vehicles during traffic flows. Therefore, we propose a single-stage deep neural network YOLOv3-DL, which is based on the Tensorflow framework to improve this problem. The network structure is optimized by introducing the idea of spatial pyramid pooling, then the loss function is redefined, and a weight regularization method is introduced, for that, the real-time detections and statistics of traffic flows can be implemented effectively. The optimization algorithm we use is the DL-CAR data set for end-to-end network training and experiments with data sets under different scenarios and weathers. The analyses of experimental data show that the optimized algorithm can improve the vehicles’ detection accuracy on the test set by 3.86%. Experiments on test sets in different environments have improved the detection accuracy rate by 4.53%, indicating that the algorithm has high robustness. At the same time, the detection accuracy and speed of the investigated algorithm are higher than other algorithms, indicating that the algorithm has higher detection performance.
ADAMTS-15 Has a Tumor Suppressor Role in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Binder Marley J. , McCoombe Scott , Williams Elizabeth D. , McCulloch Daniel R. , Ward Alister C.
Published: April 2020

Extracellular matrix remodeling has emerged as an important factor in many cancers. Proteoglycans, including versican (VCAN), are regulated via cleavage by the proteolytic actions of A Disintegrin-like And Metalloproteinase domain with Thrombospondin-1 motif (ADAMTS) family members. Alterations in the balance between Proteoglycans and ADAMTS enzymes have been proposed to contribute to cancer progression. Here, we analyzed the expression of ADAMTS-15 in human prostate cancer, and investigated the effects of enforced expression in prostate cancer cell lines. ADAMTS-15 was found to be expressed in human prostate cancer biopsies with evidence of co-localization with VCAN and its bioactive cleavage fragment versikine. Enforced expression of ADAMTS-15, but not a catalytically-inactive version, decreased cell proliferation and migration of the ‘castrate-resistant’ PC3 prostate cancer cell line in vitro, with survival increased. Analysis of ‘androgen-responsive’ LNCaP prostate cancer cells in vivo in NOD/SCID mice revealed that ADAMTS-15 expression caused slower growing tumors, which resulted in increased survival. This was not observed in castrated mice or with cells expressing catalytically-inactive ADAMTS-15. Collectively, this research identifies the enzymatic function of ADAMTS-15 as having a tumor suppressor role in prostate cancer, possibly in concert with androgens, and that VCAN represents a likely key substrate, highlighting potential new options for the clinic.
Computational Analysis of Air Lubrication System for Commercial Shipping and Impacts on Fuel Consumption
Authors: Fotopoulos Andreas G. , Margaris Dionissios P.
Published: April 2020

Our study presents the computational implementation of an air lubrication system on a commercial ship with 154,800 m3 Liquified Natural Gas capacity. The air lubrication reduces the skin friction between the ship’s wetted area and sea water. We analyze the real operating conditions as well as the assumptions, that will approach the problem as accurately as possible. The computational analysis is performed with the ANSYS FLUENT software. Two separate geometries (two different models) are drawn for a ship’s hull: with and without an air lubrication system. Our aim is to extract two different skin friction coefficients, which affect the fuel consumption and the CO2 emissions of the ship. A ship’s hull has never been designed before in real scale with air lubrication injectors adjusted in a computational environment, in order to simulate the function of air lubrication system. The system’s impact on the minimization of LNG transfer cost and on the reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions is also examined. The study demonstrates the way to install the entire system in a new building. Fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 8%, and daily savings could reach up to EUR 8000 per travelling day.
New Concept of Power Generation Using TEGs: Thermal Modeling, Parametric Analysis, and Case Study
Authors: Faraj Ahmad , Jaber Hassan , Chahine Khaled , Faraj Jalal , Ramadan Mohamad , El Hage Hicham , Khaled Mahmoud
Published: April 2020

In this manuscript, an innovative concept of producing power from a thermoelectric generator (TEG) is evaluated. This concept takes advantage of using the exhaust airflow of all-air heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, and sun irradiation. For the first step, a parametric analysis of power generation from TEGs for different practical configurations is performed. Based on the results of the parametric analysis, recommendations associated with practical applications are presented. Therefore, a one-dimensional steady-state solution for the heat diffusion equation is considered with various boundary conditions (representing applied configurations). It is revealed that the most promising configuration corresponds to the TEG module exposed to a hot fluid at one face and a cold fluid at the other face. Then, based on the parametric analysis, the innovative concept is recognized and analyzed using appropriate thermal modeling. It is shown that for solar radiation of 2000 W/m2 and a space cooling load of 20 kW, a 40 × 40 cm2 flat plate is capable of generating 3.8 W of electrical power. Finally, an economic study shows that this system saves about $6 monthly with a 3-year payback period at 2000 W/m2 solar radiation. Environmentally, the system is also capable of reducing about 1 ton of CO2 emissions yearly.
Culturally Responsive Teaching: Its Application in Higher Education Environments
Authors: Hutchison Laveria , McAlister-Shields Leah
Published: April 2020

The application of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) in this article is used to provide a background into the instructional concept of CRT in higher educational settings and to provide examples for classroom pedagogical practice. This article provides instructional approaches that can be used in higher education classes to promote a cultural context to engage preservice teaching candidates who are seeking initial certification to become teachers-of-record and graduate-level teachers who are certified to understand and embrace the intersection of race, gender, religion, and regional cultures that contribute to identity. This article outlines instructional activities that can be used by faculty in higher education programs to assist their students with learning to co-construct culturally responsive lessons. This type of instruction should lead to a process in which faculty in higher educational settings can assist their preservice teacher candidates and graduate-level students in understanding the community in which they will serve or currently serve and to bring the funds of knowledge of their students into positive and productive learning environments.
The Effect of Renewable and Nuclear Energy Consumption on Decoupling Economic Growth from CO2 Emissions in Spain
Authors: Piłatowska Mariola , Geise Andrzej , Włodarczyk Aneta
Published: April 2020

This study examines the relationship between renewable and nuclear energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and economic growth by using the Granger causality and non-linear impulse response function in a business cycle in Spain. We estimate the threshold vector autoregression (TVAR) model on the basis of annual data from the period 1970–2018, which are disaggregated into quarterly data to obtain robust empirical results through avoiding a sample size problem. Our analysis reveals that economic growth and CO2 emissions are positively correlated during expansions but not during recessions. Moreover, we find that rising nuclear energy consumption leads to decreased CO2 emissions during expansions, while the impact of increasing renewable energy consumption on emissions is negative but insignificant. In addition, there is a positive feedback between nuclear energy consumption and economic growth, but unidirectional positive causality running from renewable energy consumption to economic growth in upturns. Our findings do indicate that both nuclear and renewable energy consumption contribute to a reduction in emissions; however, the rise in economic activity, leading to a greater increase in emissions, offsets this positive impact of green energy. Therefore, a decoupling of economic growth from CO2 emissions is not observed. These results demand some crucial changes in legislation targeted at reducing emissions, as green energy alone is insufficient to reach this goal.
Potential Map for the Installation of Concentrated Solar Power Towers in Chile
Authors: Hernández Catalina , Barraza Rodrigo , Saez Alejandro , Ibarra Mercedes , Estay Danilo
Published: April 2020

This study aims to build a potential map for the installation of a central receiver concentrated solar power plant in Chile under the terms of the average net present cost of electricity generation during its lifetime. This is also called the levelized cost of electricity, which is a function of electricity production, capital costs, operational costs and financial parameters. The electricity production, capital and operational costs were defined as a function of the location through the Chilean territory. Solar resources and atmospheric conditions for each site were determined. A 130 MWe concentrated solar power plant was modeled to estimate annual electricity production for each site. The capital and operational costs were identified as a function of location. The electricity supplied by the power plant was tested, quantifying the potential of the solar resources, as well as technical and economic variables. The results reveal areas with great potential for the development of large-scale central receiver concentrated solar power plants, therefore accomplishing a low levelized cost of energy. The best zone is located among the Arica and Parinacota region and the northern part of the Coquimbo region, which shows an average cost of 89 USD/MWh, with a minimum of 76 USD/MWh near Copiapó.
Human-Smart Environment Interactions in Smart Cities: Exploring Dimensionalities of Smartness
Authors: McKenna H.
Published: April 2020

In the context of the challenges facing human computer interaction (HCI) on the one hand and the future Internet on the other, the purpose of this study is to explore the multi-dimensionality of smart cities, looking at relationships and interdependencies through correlating selected dimensions of smartness. Key dimensions of smartness are identified for exploration in the context of smart cities in this work through a review of the research literature. Methodologically, this work combines an exploratory case study approach consisting of multiple methods of data collection including survey and in-depth interviews, with an explanatory correlational design. In terms of results, the main findings of this work shed light on the relationships between selected dimensions of the multi-dimensionality construct of smartness in data-rich urban environments. This work is significant in that it provides correlational information for smart city dimensionalities while contributing to the research literature in this domain; uses a hybrid case study and correlational design in relation to the study of multi-dimensionality; and, opens spaces for the study of innovative urban initiatives, while taking the ideas and experiences of people from many sectors into consideration.
Theoretical Foundation of Rapid Distortion Theory on Transversely Sheared Mean Flows
Authors: Goldstein Marvin E.
Published: April 2020

The focus of this paper is on Rapid Distortion Theory on transversely sheared mean flows, which is often used to investigate turbulence-solid surface interactions. The main purpose of the paper is to bring together and present in a consistent fashion a general theory that has been developed in several different papers that have been published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics. The equations for the unsteady pressure and velocity flections (which decouple from the entropy fluctuations) are rewritten in terms of a gauge function in order to obtain expressions that involve two arbitrarily convected quantities. A pair of very general conservation laws are used to derive upstream boundary conditions that relate these quantities to the actual physical variables. The entropy fluctuations can be determined after the fact once the solutions for the pressure and velocity fluctuations are known. The result involves a third arbitrary convected quantity that is equal to the entropy fluctuations at upstream infinity and can, therefore, be specified as an additional upstream boundary condition. A secondary purpose of the paper is to summarize a number of applications of the theory that have also appeared in the literature and show how they compare with an experiment.
Multiscale Filtering of Compressible Wave Propagation in Complex Geometry through a Wavelet-Based Approach in the Framework of Pressurized Water Reactors Depressurization Transient Analysis
Authors: Mokhtari Samy , Ricciardi Guillaume , Faucher Vincent , Argoul Pierre , Adélaide Lucas
Published: April 2020

The proposed research takes place in the framework of the analysis of the mechanical consequences of accidental scenarios for pressurized water reactors (PWR). It is particularly dedicated to the effects of the propagation of a transverse rarefaction wave through the assemblies of the nuclear core, consecutive to a pipe break in the primary circuit of the reactor. This paper focuses on the representation, with a reduced number of well-chosen variables, of a pressure wave propagating through a highly congested medium composed of rod bundles, with the primary objective of accurately evaluating the resulting pressure forces exerted on the rods. To achieve this goal, a description of the fluid domain as a homogenized or porous medium is introduced, yielding the need for a new filtering technique to be applied to the fluid fields. A new homogenized and multiscale representation of the fluid variables, based on continuous wavelet transform (CWT), is thus proposed. The capabilities of CWT to accurately approximate a reference representative unsteady pressure field, corresponding to a wave propagation at microscale, is assessed. The proposed technique is applied to a pressure field obtained numerically at local scale. The number of variables that shall be kept at macroscale to have a meaningful representation of the pressure field is fully evaluated through the comparison of the fluid force applied to the microstructure.
The Policy Information Gap and Resettlers’ Well-Being: Evidence from the Anti-Poverty Relocation and Resettlement Program in China
Authors: Li Cong , Li Minglai
Published: April 2020

The widespread dissemination of policy information is necessary for the success of the public policy, but the distribution of information among vulnerable groups has received little attention. We examined a public policy that focuses on the poorest people in China, the anti-poverty relocation and settlement program (ARSP). The infrastructure in the region where the policy is implemented is weak, and the information literacy of resettlers is low. This study analyses the impact of the policy information gap on the subjective well-being of resettlers. We found that the distribution of policy information among the poor is uneven, and the resettlers compare the policy information they obtain with a reference group (working-age people and less-educated people in the same village/community) to generate a policy information gap. The policy information gap indirectly affects subjective well-being by affecting the probability that people will be exposed to risks due to policy. As the policy information gap increases, the subjective well-being of resettlers changes in an inverted U-shape. This impact varies significantly among different groups, policy implementation stages, and resettlement methods. Attention should be paid to the information acquisition ability of the vulnerable groups and the welfare effects of social comparison, and to improve the method of publicizing policy information, which helps to improve the well-being of resettlers.
Exposure to Traffic-Related Particulate Matter 2.5 Triggers Th2-Dominant Ocular Immune Response in a Murine Model
Authors: Lee Hyun Soo , Han Sehyun , Seo Jeong-Won , Jeon Ki-Joon
Published: April 2020

Ambient particulate matter (PM), a major component of air pollution, aggravates ocular discomfort and inflammation, similarly to dry eye disease (DED) or allergies. However, the mechanism(s) by which PM induces the ocular inflammatory response is unknown. This study investigated the immunological response of traffic-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the ocular surface in a murine model. C57BL/6 mice were exposed by topical application to PM2.5 or vehicle for 14 days to induce experimental environmental ocular disease. Corneal fluorescein staining and the number of ocular inflammatory cells were assessed in both groups. The expression of IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) in the ocular surface were evaluated by real-time PCR. An immunohistochemical assay evaluated apoptosis and goblet cell density. ELISA was used to determine the levels of serum IgE and cytokines of Type 1 helper (Th1) and Type 2 helper (Th2) cells after in vitro stimulation of T cells in the draining lymph nodes (LNs). Exposure to traffic-related PM2.5 significantly increased corneal fluorescein staining and cellular toxicity in the corneal epithelium compared with the vehicle control. A significant increase in the number of CD11b+ cells on the central cornea and mast cells in the conjunctiva was observed in the PM2.5 group. Exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a significant increase in the corneal or conjunctival expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF, and MUC5AC compared to the vehicle, and increased maturation of dendric cells (DCs) (MHC-IIhighCD11c+) in draining LNs. In addition, PM2.5 exposure increased the level of serum IgE and Th2 cytokine production in draining LNs on day 14. In conclusion, exposure to traffic-related PM2.5 caused ocular surface damage and inflammation, which induced DC maturation and the Th2-cell-dominant allergic immune response in draining LNs.
Testing the Preliminary Validity of a Multidimensional Framework for Studying the Effects of Cancer Health Literacy on Cancer Screening Behaviors among Diverse Populations
Authors: Echeverri Margarita , Anderson David , Haas Jacqueline M. , Johnson Marc E. , Serrano Friar Sergio A. , Nápoles Anna María
Published: April 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a multidimensional framework to explore factors associated with cancer literacy and its effects on receiving cancer screenings among diverse populations. Based on the conceptual framework, we developed and pilot-tested the Multidimensional Cancer Literacy Questionnaire (MCLQ) among 1500 individuals (African Americans, Latinos and Whites) in Louisiana. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the MCLQ underlying structure and predominant factors explaining each of the dimensions in the model. A total of 82 items (explaining 67% of the total variance) in the MCLQ were grouped into 20 factors associated with three key dimensions related to cancer literacy. Preliminary validity of the MCLQ was supported: Cronbach alpha for the scale score was 0.89 and internal consistency reliability coefficients for each factor were all above 0.67. The Facilitators Domain included five factors (28 items) that may positively influence individuals to have early-detection cancer screenings. The Barriers Domain included seven factors (26 items) explaining aspects that may negatively influence individuals to have cancer screenings. The Cultural Domain included eight factors (28 items) related to aspects that influence positively or negatively individuals’ perceptions regarding cancer as a disease, screenings and treatments. A multidimensional framework to study cancer literacy, including cultural attitudes, beliefs and practices, as well as facilitators and barriers, among diverse populations, will increase understanding of factors influencing individuals’ approach to cancer prevention and screening. Results will inform further testing of the multidimensional framework and questionnaire.
Migrant Health Burden: Where Do We Stand?
Authors: Spagnoli Laura , Flahault Antoine , Ferrara Pietro
Published: April 2020

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health contains a collection of extended papers that describe many important aspects of the “migrant health burden” and focus on new realities and solutions in the healthcare of migrants and refugees.
Cross-Sectional Analysis of University Students’ Health Using a Digitised Health Survey
Authors: Spinazze Pier A. , Kasteleyn Marise J. , Aardoom Jiska J. , Car Josip , Chavannes Niels H.
Published: April 2020

University student years are a particularly influential period, during which time students may adopt negative behaviours that set the precedent for health outcomes in later years. This study utilised a newly digitised health survey implemented during health screening at a university in Singapore to capture student health data. The aim of this study was to analyze the health status of this Asian university student population. A total of 535 students were included in the cohort, and a cross-sectional analysis of student health was completed. Areas of concern were highlighted in student’s body weight, visual acuity, and binge drinking. A large proportion of students were underweight (body mass index (BMI) < 18.5)—18.9% of females and 10.6% of males—and 7% of males were obese (BMI > 30). Although the overall prevalence of alcohol use was low in this study population, 9% of females and 8% of males who consumed alcohol had hazardous drinking habits. Around 16% of these students (male and female combined) typically drank 3–4 alcoholic drinks each occasion. The prevalence of mental health conditions reported was very low (<1%). This study evaluated the results from a digitised health survey implemented into student health screening to capture a comprehensive health history. The results reveal potential student health concerns and offer the opportunity to provide more targeted student health campaigns to address these.
Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Skills and Their Correlates in Mandarin-Speaking Infants with Unrepaired Cleft Lip and/or Palate
Authors: Ma Si-Wei , Lu Li , Zhang Ting-Ting , Zhao Dan-Tong , Yang Bin-Ting , Yang Yan-Yan , Gao Jian-Min
Published: April 2020

Background: Vocabulary skills in infants with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) are related to various factors. They remain underexplored among Mandarin-speaking infants with CL/P. This study identified receptive and expressive vocabulary skills among Mandarin-speaking infants with unrepaired CL/P prior to cleft palate surgery and their associated factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving patients at the Cleft Lip and Palate Center of the Stomatological Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University between July 2017 and December 2018. The Putonghua Communicative Development Inventories-Short Form (PCDI-SF) was used to assess early vocabulary skills. Results: A total of 134 children aged 9–16 months prior to cleft palate surgery were included in the study. The prevalences of delays in receptive and expressive vocabulary skills were 72.39% (95% CI: 64.00–79.76%) and 85.07% (95% CI: 77.89–90.64%), respectively. Multiple logistic regression identified that children aged 11–13 months (OR = 6.46, 95% CI: 1.76–23.76) and 14–16 months (OR = 24.32, 95% CI: 3.86–153.05), and those with hard/soft cleft palate and soft cleft palate (HSCP/SCP) (OR = 5.63, 95% CI: 1.02–31.01) were more likely to be delayed in receptive vocabulary skills. Conclusions: Delays in vocabulary skills were common among Mandarin-speaking CL/P infants, and age was positively associated with impaired and lagging vocabulary skills. The findings suggest the necessity and importance of early and effective identification of CL/P, and early intervention programs and effective treatment are recommended for Chinese CL/P infants.
Economic Value Estimation of the Natural Heritage of the Tatra National Park
Authors: Kubak Matus , Gavurova Beata , Legutka Klaudia
Published: April 2020

The aim of the study is to determine the economic value of the Tatra National Park. The willingness to pay approximation was used. Additionally, a questionnaire survey was applied in order to collect data. It contained a hypothetical event, and respondents expressed their willingness to pay an annual entry fee to the Tatra National Park in exchange for a guarantee of stopping the interference to its integrity. The total number of respondents was 921. The results show that the income level has a positive impact on respondents’ willingness to pay for entry to the Tatra National Park. With the increase of fee, the willingness to pay for entry to the Tatra National Park decreased by 2.2% for every additional price increase. The resulting value of the Tatra National Park, with the limits of the presented research mentioned in the paper, is approximately 17.5 million €.
Antisocial Disorders in Adolescence and Youth, According to Structural, Emotional, and Cognitive Transdiagnostic Variables: A Systematic Review
Authors: Toro Ronald , García-García Juan , Zaldívar-Basurto Flor
Published: April 2020

Transdiagnostic causal variables have been identified that have allowed understanding the origin and maintenance of psychopathologies in parsimonious explanatory models of antisocial disorders. However, it is necessary to systematize the information published in the last decade. The aim of the study was to identify through a systematic review, the structural, emotional and cognitive transdiagnostic variables in antisocial disorders of adolescence and youth. Recommendations for systematic reviews and meta-extraction and analysis of information according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), the Cochrane Collaboration and Campbell were followed. We found 19 articles from 110 reviewed documents. The results indicated that at a structural level there is a general psychopathological factor (psychopathy or externalizing), non-emotional callousness and impulsivity from behavioral inhibition and activation systems, and negative affect traits as base structures. In the emotional level, the study found a risk component from emotional dysregulation and experiential avoidance. In the cognitive level, a key role of anger-rumination and violent ideation as explanatory variables of antisocial disorders. We concluded that the interaction of these identified variables makes it possible to generate an evidence-based transdiagnostic model.
Sharing Is Caring—Data Sharing Initiatives in Healthcare
Authors: Hulsen Tim
Published: April 2020

In recent years, more and more health data are being generated. These data come not only from professional health systems, but also from wearable devices. All these ‘big data’ put together can be utilized to optimize treatments for each unique patient (‘precision medicine’). For this to be possible, it is necessary that hospitals, academia and industry work together to bridge the ‘valley of death’ of translational medicine. However, hospitals and academia often are reluctant to share their data with other parties, even though the patient is actually the owner of his/her own health data. Academic hospitals usually invest a lot of time in setting up clinical trials and collecting data, and want to be the first ones to publish papers on this data. There are some publicly available datasets, but these are usually only shared after study (and publication) completion, which means a severe delay of months or even years before others can analyse the data. One solution is to incentivize the hospitals to share their data with (other) academic institutes and the industry. Here, we show an analysis of the current literature around data sharing, and we discuss five aspects of data sharing in the medical domain: publisher requirements, data ownership, growing support for data sharing, data sharing initiatives and how the use of federated data might be a solution. We also discuss some potential future developments around data sharing, such as medical crowdsourcing and data generalists.
Supporting Innovative Person-Centred Care in Financially Constrained Environments: The WE CARE Exploratory Health Laboratory Evaluation Strategy
Authors: Lloyd Helen M. , Ekman Inger , Rogers Heather L. , Raposo Vítor , Melo Paulo , Marinkovic Valentina D. , Buttigieg Sandra C. , Srulovici Einav , Lewandowski Roman Andrzej , Britten Nicky
Published: April 2020

The COST CARES project aims to support healthcare cost containment and improve healthcare quality across Europe by developing the research and development necessary for person-centred care (PCC) and health promotion. This paper presents an overview evaluation strategy for testing ‘Exploratory Health Laboratories’ to deliver these aims. Our strategy is theory driven and evidence based, and developed through a multi-disciplinary and European-wide team. Specifically, we define the key approach and essential criteria necessary to evaluate initial testing, and on-going large-scale implementation with a core set of accompanying methods (metrics, models, and measurements). This paper also outlines the enabling mechanisms that support the development of the “Health Labs” towards innovative models of ethically grounded and evidenced-based PCC.
Early Transmission Dynamics of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria
Authors: Adegboye Oyelola A. , Adekunle Adeshina I. , Gayawan Ezra
Published: April 2020

On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of a novel coronavirus disease in China that was later named COVID-19. On 11 March 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. The first instance of the virus in Nigeria was documented on 27 February 2020. This study provides a preliminary epidemiological analysis of the first 45 days of COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria. We estimated the early transmissibility via time-varying reproduction number based on the Bayesian method that incorporates uncertainty in the distribution of serial interval (time interval between symptoms onset in an infected individual and the infector), and adjusted for disease importation. By 11 April 2020, 318 confirmed cases and 10 deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in Nigeria. At day 45, the exponential growth rate was 0.07 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05–0.10) with a doubling time of 9.84 days (95% CI: 7.28–15.18). Separately for imported cases (travel-related) and local cases, the doubling time was 12.88 days and 2.86 days, respectively. Furthermore, we estimated the reproduction number for each day of the outbreak using a three-weekly window while adjusting for imported cases. The estimated reproduction number was 4.98 (95% CrI: 2.65–8.41) at day 22 (19 March 2020), peaking at 5.61 (95% credible interval (CrI): 3.83–7.88) at day 25 (22 March 2020). The median reproduction number over the study period was 2.71 and the latest value on 11 April 2020, was 1.42 (95% CrI: 1.26–1.58). These 45-day estimates suggested that cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria have been remarkably lower than expected and the preparedness to detect needs to be shifted to stop local transmission.
Developing and Evaluating an Educational Program for Respiratory Infection Prevention among Rural Elderly Residents in South Korea
Authors: Kim Jin Soon , Choi Ji Hye , Kwon Myung Soon
Published: April 2020

Based on social cognitive theory (SCT), an educational program was developed to prevent rural elderly residents from respiratory infections in South Korea. The effectiveness of the program was investigated in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and practices about respiratory infection prevention, as well as social capital. A pretest–posttest nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used to test the short-term effect of this program. In addition, 1- and 6-month follow-up surveys were administered to evaluate the long-term effects. A total of 69 subjects (37 in the experimental group and 32 in the control group) participated in the experiment. The results showed that knowledge about respiratory infection prevention, respiratory infection prevention practices, and social capital were enhanced among the elderly residents who participated in the educational program. The educational effects differed significantly across time periods (pretest, posttest, 1- and 6-month follow up) in all the above variables. In particular, the program remained effective 1 month after the intervention, but a reinforcement session extended the program’s effects up to 6 months later. This educational program would be used as an effective intervention to help rural elderly residents prevent respiratory infections.
A Scoping Review of Spatial Analysis Approaches Using Health Survey Data in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Manda Samuel , Haushona Ndamonaonghenda , Bergquist Robert
Published: April 2020

Spatial analysis has become an increasingly used analytic approach to describe and analyze spatial characteristics of disease burden, but the depth and coverage of its usage for health surveys data in Sub-Saharan Africa are not well known. The objective of this scoping review was to conduct an evaluation of studies using spatial statistics approaches for national health survey data in the SSA region. An organized literature search for studies related to spatial statistics and national health surveys was conducted through PMC, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, NLM Catalog, and Science Direct electronic databases. Of the 4,193 unique articles identified, 153 were included in the final review. Spatial smoothing and prediction methods were predominant (n = 108), followed by spatial description aggregation (n = 25), and spatial autocorrelation and clustering (n = 19). Bayesian statistics methods and lattice data modelling were predominant (n = 108). Most studies focused on malaria and fever (n = 47) followed by health services coverage (n = 38). Only fifteen studies employed nonstandard spatial analyses (e.g., spatial model assessment, joint spatial modelling, accounting for survey design). We recommend that for future spatial analysis using health survey data in the SSA region, there must be an improve recognition and awareness of the potential dangers of a naïve application of spatial statistical methods. We also recommend a wide range of applications using big health data and the future of data science for health systems to monitor and evaluate impacts that are not well understood at local levels.
Ambidextrous Relationships and Social Capability as Employee Well-Being: The Secret Sauce for Research and Development and Sustainable Innovation Performance
Authors: Muñoz-Pascual Lucía , Galende Jesús
Published: April 2020

This study examines the effects that ambidextrous relationships, i.e., oriented relationships within a firm towards the development of exploitation activities and oriented relationships towards the development of exploration activities, have on employee performance in terms of creativity, research and development (R&D), and sustainable innovation performance. We contend that informal relationships affect employee creativity and R&D. However, formal relationships affect employee creativity and sustainable innovation performance. The purpose of this study is to inject new positive relationships into firms by examining ambidextrous relationships and the moderating role of social capability in the relationships–innovation effect. We empirically tested our hypotheses by using multisource data collected from 245 Spanish firms across 14 industries. Our structural equation models suggest that these two types of relationship predict employee creativity, which in turn increases sustainable innovation performance and R&D. The results reveal that the effects between informal relationships and creativity are stronger, as are the effects between formal relationships and sustainable innovation performance. A multigroup structural analysis also reveals that effects between informal and formal relationships, employee creativity, R&D, and sustainable innovation performance are stronger within firms that have employees with high social capability. The efforts and investments made in employee social capital support the development of new ideas, R&D, and innovation success. Support is provided for an ambidextrous Human Resource Management (HRM) approach which is relevant for innovation, and several practical recommendations and implementation guidelines for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are provided. This study provides a plausible explanation of two important management mechanisms for enhancing creativity—R&D and sustainable innovation performance. Relationships are malleable, and this study suggests that fostering formal and informal relationships might hold the key to sustainable innovation performance and unlocking desirable employee behavior.
CRISPR/Cas Derivatives as Novel Gene Modulating Tools: Possibilities and In Vivo Applications
Authors: Xu Xingbo , Hulshoff Melanie S. , Tan Xiaoying , Zeisberg Michael , Zeisberg Elisabeth M.
Published: April 2020

The field of genome editing started with the discovery of meganucleases (e.g., the LAGLIDADG family of homing endonucleases) in yeast. After the discovery of transcription activator-like effector nucleases and zinc finger nucleases, the recently discovered clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated proteins (Cas) system has opened a new window of applications in the field of gene editing. Here, we review different Cas proteins and their corresponding features including advantages and disadvantages, and we provide an overview of the different endonuclease-deficient Cas protein (dCas) derivatives. These dCas derivatives consist of an endonuclease-deficient Cas9 which can be fused to different effector domains to perform distinct in vitro applications such as tracking, transcriptional activation and repression, as well as base editing. Finally, we review the in vivo applications of these dCas derivatives and discuss their potential to perform gene activation and repression in vivo, as well as their potential future use in human therapy.
Gender Differences in Developing Biomarker-Based Major Depressive Disorder Diagnostics
Authors: Jentsch Mike C. , Burger Huibert , Meddens Marjolein B. M. , Beijers Lian , van den Heuvel Edwin R. , Meddens Marcus J. M. , Schoevers Robert A.
Published: April 2020

The identification of biomarkers associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) holds great promise to develop an objective laboratory test. However, current biomarkers lack discriminative power due to the complex biological background, and not much is known about the influence of potential modifiers such as gender. We first performed a cross-sectional study on the discriminative power of biomarkers for MDD by investigating gender differences in biomarker levels. Out of 28 biomarkers, 21 biomarkers were significantly different between genders. Second, a novel statistical approach was applied to investigate the effect of gender on MDD disease classification using a panel of biomarkers. Eleven biomarkers were identified in men and eight in women, three of which were active in both genders. Gender stratification caused a (non-significant) increase of Area Under Curve (AUC) for men (AUC = 0.806) and women (AUC = 0.807) compared to non-stratification (AUC = 0.739). In conclusion, we have shown that there are differences in biomarker levels between men and women which may impact accurate disease classification of MDD when gender is not taken into account.
Inhibition of RNA Helicase Activity Prevents Coxsackievirus B3-Induced Myocarditis in Human iPS Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Yun Soo-Hyeon , Shin Ha-Hyeon , Ju Eun-Seon , Lee You-Jung , Lim Byung-Kwan , Jeon Eun-Seok
Published: April 2020

Aims: Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is known to be an important cause of myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Enterovirus-2C (E2C) is a viral RNA helicase. It inhibits host protein synthesis. Based on these facts, we hypothesize that the inhibition of 2C may suppress virus replication and prevent enterovirus-mediated cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results: We generated a chemically modified enterovirus-2C inhibitor (E2CI). From the in vitro assay, E2CI was showed strong antiviral effects. For in vivo testing, mice were treated with E2CI intraperitoneally injected daily for three consecutive days at a dose of 8 mg/kg per day, after CVB3 post-infection (p.i) (CVB3 + E2CI, n = 33). For the infected controls (CVB3 only, n = 35), mice were injected with PBS (phosphate buffered saline) in a DBA/2 strain to establish chronic myocarditis. The four-week survival rate of E2CI-treated mice was significantly higher than that of controls (92% vs. 71%; p < 0.05). Virus titers and myocardial damage were significantly reduced in the E2CI treated group. In addition, echocardiography indicated that E2CI administration dramatically maintained mouse heart function compared to control at day 28 p.i chronic stage (LVIDD, 3.1 ± 0.08 vs. 3.9 ± 0.09, p < 0.01; LVDS, 2.0 ± 0.07 vs. 2.5 ± 0.07, p < 0.001; FS, 34.8 ± 1.6% vs. 28.5 ± 1.5%; EF, 67. 9 ± 2.9% vs. 54.7 ± 4.7%, p < 0.05; CVB3 + E2CI, n = 6 vs. CVB3, n = 4). Moreover, E2CI is effectively worked in human iPS (induced pluripotent stem cell) derived cardiomyocytes. Conclusion: Enterovirus-2C inhibitor (E2CI) was significantly reduced viral replication, chronic myocardium damage, and CVB3-induced mortality in DBA/2 mice. These results suggested that E2CI is a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of enterovirus-mediated diseases.
Recent Trends of microRNA Significance in Pediatric Population Glioblastoma and Current Knowledge of Micro RNA Function in Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: Mazurek Marek , Grochowski Cezary , Litak Jakub , Osuchowska Ida , Maciejewski Ryszard , Kamieniak Piotr
Published: April 2020

Central nervous system tumors are a significant problem for modern medicine because of their location. The explanation of the importance of microRNA (miRNA) in the development of cancerous changes plays an important role in this respect. The first papers describing the presence of miRNA were published in the 1990s. The role of miRNA has been pointed out in many medical conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorder, arthritis and cancer. There are several miRNAs responsible for invasiveness, apoptosis, resistance to treatment, angiogenesis, proliferation and immunology, and many others. The research conducted in recent years analyzing this group of tumors has shown the important role of miRNA in the course of gliomagenesis. These particles seem to participate in many stages of the development of cancer processes, such as proliferation, angiogenesis, regulation of apoptosis or cell resistance to cytostatics.
Exposure of Triclosan in Porcine Oocyte Leads to Superoxide Production and Mitochondrial-Mediated Apoptosis during In Vitro Maturation
Authors: Park Hyo-Jin , Song Bong-Seok , Kim Jin-Woo , Yang Seul-Gi , Kim Sun-Uk , Koo Deog-Bon
Published: April 2020

While triclosan (TCS) exerts detrimental effects on female reproduction, the effect of TCS-derived toxins on porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM) is unclear. This study investigated the effects of TCS on mitochondrion-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis pathways during porcine oocyte maturation. Porcine oocytes were treated with TCS (1, 10, and 100 μM) and triphenylphosphonium chloride (Mito-TEMPO; 0.1 μM), and matured cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were stained with orcein, dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA), and Mito-SOX. Proteins and mRNA levels of factors related to cumulus expansion and mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis and antioxidant enzymes were analyzed by western blotting and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. Meiotic maturation and cumulus cell expansion significantly decreased for COCs after TCS treatment along with an increase in mitochondrial superoxide levels at 44 h of IVM. Further, mitochondrion-related antioxidant enzymes and apoptosis markers were significantly elevated in porcine COCs following TCS-mediated oxidative damage. The protective effect of Mito-TEMPO as a specific superoxide scavenger from TCS toxin improved the maturation capacity of porcine COCs. Mito-TEMPO downregulated the mitochondrial apoptosis of TCS-exposed porcine COCs by reducing superoxide level. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that TCS mediates toxicity during porcine oocyte maturation through superoxide production and mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis.
Photoacoustic Imaging Probes Based on Tetrapyrroles and Related Compounds
Authors: Merkes Jean Michel , Zhu Leiming , Bahukhandi Srishti Ballabh , Rueping Magnus , Kiessling Fabian , Banala Srinivas
Published: April 2020

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is a rapidly evolving field in molecular imaging that enables imaging in the depths of ultrasound and with the sensitivity of optical modalities. PAI bases on the photoexcitation of a chromophore, which converts the absorbed light into thermal energy, causing an acoustic pressure wave that can be captured with ultrasound transducers, in generating an image. For in vivo imaging, chromophores strongly absorbing in the near-infrared range (NIR; > 680 nm) are required. As tetrapyrroles have a long history in biomedical applications, novel tetrapyrroles and inspired mimics have been pursued as potentially suitable contrast agents for PAI. The goal of this review is to summarize the current state of the art in PAI applications using tetrapyrroles and related macrocycles inspired by it, highlighting those compounds exhibiting strong NIR-absorption. Furthermore, we discuss the current developments of other absorbers for in vivo photoacoustic (PA) applications.