bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing Familiarity in a New Duo: Rehearsal Talk and Performance Cues
Authors: Ginsborg Jane , Bennett Dawn
Published: March 2021

Context and Aims:Social and cognitive processes underlying individual classical musicians' and duo performers' preparation for performance have been explored using longitudinal case studies. Social processes can be inferred fromrehearsal talkand recent studies have focused on its content and nature. Cognitive processes can be inferred from score annotations representing musicians' thoughts while practicing, rehearsing (rehearsal features), and playing or singing from memory (performance cues). We report three studies conducted by two practitioner-researchers: (1) of rehearsal talk; (2) of rehearsal features and thoughts while performing; and (3) a triangulation (as it were) of the two kinds of data to gauge the potential for rehearsal talk to predict the use of performance cues.

Methods:A singer and viola player formed a new duo to prepare two songs, new to them both, for two performances on the same day and a third performance 10 months later. Their practice and rehearsal sessions, over the course of seven days, were recorded and transcribed. The musicians annotated copies of the scores after rehearsing and after each performance. Each musician performed one of the two songs from memory. First, verbal data were coded and analyzed using two frameworks for categorizing socio-emotional interactions and musical dimensions, respectively. Second, their annotations were categorized and compared, and finally the frameworks were combined so that correlations between rehearsal talk and performance cues could be calculated.

Results:The musicians' verbal interactions were positive and task-related; significant changes over time were observed only in the extent to which they showed solidarity toward each other. Analysis of their annotations illustrates similarities and differences between their attention to specific features of the music while rehearsing and performing, particularly from memory. Rehearsal talk predicted performance cues in the third performance, but not the first or second.

Conclusion:Musicians' talk cannot be assumed to reflect musicians' actions. The study of musicians' verbal interactions may be less useful for determining cognitive than social processes underlying preparation for performance. Nevertheless, the study provides a detailed snapshot of classical musicians' “real world” preparation for performance, highlighting the role of spontaneity in performance, and underlining differences between what happens in the studio and what can happen on stage.
RETRACTED: Relationship Between Acute Stress Responses and Quality of Life in Chinese Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Zhang Lan , Ji Rongjian , Ji Yanbo , Liu Min , Wang Renxiu , Xu Cuiping
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to determine the relationship between acute stress and quality of life and explore their influencing factors on health care workers. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, and a sample of 525 health care workers was recruited from 15 hospitals through a convenient sampling method. Participants completed an online self-report questionnaire to assess their acute stress and quality of life. Descriptive and multiple linear regression statistics were used for this analysis. The results regarding acute stress responses varied significantly among the differences in marital status, physical activity, work status, perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, and the expected duration of the pandemic. Moreover, a younger age, lack of physical activity, being a front-line medical staff, and higher acute stress scores indicated a worse quality of life. Healthcare workers’ acute stress was negatively correlated with their quality of life. Therefore, the authorities should pay special attention to health care workers’ mental health and provide them with timely protection during the pandemic.
A Literature Review of EEG-Based Affective Computing in Marketing
Authors: Pei Guanxiong , Li Taihao
Published: March 2021

Affect plays an important role in the consumer decision-making process and there is growing interest in the development of new technologies and computational approaches that can interpret and recognize the affects of consumers, with benefits for marketing described in relation to both academia and industry. From an interdisciplinary perspective, this paper aims to review past studies focused on electroencephalography (EEG)-based affective computing (AC) in marketing, which provides a promising avenue for studying the mechanisms underlying affective states and developing recognition computational models to predict the psychological responses of customers. This review offers an introduction to EEG technology and an overview of EEG-based AC; provides a snapshot of the current state of the literature. It briefly presents the themes, challenges, and trends in studies of affect evaluation, recognition, and classification; and further proposes potential guidelines for researchers and marketers.
The Influence of Different Prosodic Cues on Word Segmentation
Authors: Matzinger Theresa , Ritt Nikolaus , Fitch W. Tecumseh
Published: March 2021

A prerequisite for spoken language learning is segmenting continuous speech into words. Amongst many possible cues to identify word boundaries, listeners can use both transitional probabilities between syllables and various prosodic cues. However, the relative importance of these cues remains unclear, and previous experiments have not directly compared the effects of contrasting multiple prosodic cues. We used artificial language learning experiments, where native German speaking participants extracted meaningless trisyllabic “words” from a continuous speech stream, to evaluate these factors. We compared a baseline condition (statistical cues only) to five test conditions, in which word-final syllables were either (a) followed by a pause, (b) lengthened, (c) shortened, (d) changed to a lower pitch, or (e) changed to a higher pitch. To evaluate robustness and generality we used three tasks varying in difficulty. Overall, pauses and final lengthening were perceived as converging with the statistical cues and facilitated speech segmentation, with pauses helping most. Final-syllable shortening hindered baseline speech segmentation, indicating that when cues conflict, prosodic cues can override statistical cues. Surprisingly, pitch cues had little effect, suggesting that duration may be more relevant for speech segmentation than pitch in our study context. We discuss our findings with regard to the contribution to speech segmentation of language-universal boundary cues vs. language-specific stress patterns.
Psychophysiological Benefits of Real-Time Heart Rate Feedback in Physical Education
Authors: Stöckel Tino , Grimm Robert
Published: March 2021

School physical education (PE) has the potential to contribute to public-health promotion and well-being, but oftentimes students' lack of motivation toward PE or physical activity in general, especially during adolescence, diminishes, or eradicates the positive effects associated with PE. Therefore, practical approaches are required that help teachers to increase or awake students intrinsic motivation toward PE, for which self-determination theory may provide the conceptual framework. In that regard, the purpose of the present study was to examine whether the use of real-time, heart rate feedback (as a method to support students' need for autonomy and competence) during regular PE lessons has the potential to increase students' autonomous motivation and physical effort. To achieve this, we had forty healthy adolescents between 16 and 17 years of age run for 30 min either with (experimental group, EG) or without (control group, CG) real-time, individualized heart rate feedback during a regular PE class and compared physical and perceived exertion as well as joy of running between the two groups. Participants were randomly assigned to the groups. Our data revealed that participants in the EG enjoyed running more than participants in the CG (joy of running was 3.20 in the EG vs. 2.63 in the CG,p= 0.03) despite a higher physical (163 to 178 in EG vs. 141 to 156 beats per minute in the CG,p< 0.001) and perceived exertion (rating of perceived exertion of 13.22 in the EG vs. 10.59 in the CG,p= 0.02). That means, running with real-time, individualized heart rate feedback apparently increased participants' motivation to run and to enjoy running at higher levels of exertion. In that regard, real-time, individualized activity feedback should be implemented in regular PE classes systematically and repeatedly to create a controllable and attainable situation that allows students to actively adjust their own behavior to achieve appealing and realistic goals.
How Upper/Middle Managers' Ethical Leadership Activates Employee Ethical Behavior? The Role of Organizational Justice Perceptions Among Employees
Authors: Al Halbusi Hussam , Ruiz-Palomino Pablo , Jimenez-Estevez Pedro , Gutiérrez-Broncano Santiago
Published: March 2021

Several studies have been conducted on ethical leadership and workplace ethical behavior but little is known about the role of organizational justice and each of its dimensions (procedural, distributive, interpersonal, informational) in this relationship. This study predicts that ethical leadership enhances organizational justice perceptions, including each of its specific dimensions, which in turn enhances employee ethical behavior. The results from two-wave survey data obtained from 270 employees in the Malaysian manufacturing industry confirm that ethical leadership has a positive impact on employee ethical behavior, and that organizational justice and each of its justice dimensions mediate this relationship, both individually and together. Importantly, interpersonal and informational dimensions show the strongest mediation effects. This paper highlights the actions and strategies that can help managers to effectively elevate the moral tone in their organizations. In particular, our findings show where managers must put more emphasis to foster an ethical workplace: on providing fair treatment (interpersonal justice) and honest information (informational justice).
Factors Associated With Time to Achieve Employment Through Occupational Support Programs in Patients With Mood Disorders: 1 Year Naturalistic Study
Authors: Hayasaka Tomonari , Takaesu Yoshikazu , Nagashima Izumi , Futada Miku , Nozaki Kazuhiro , Katagiri Takeshi , Imamura Yayoi , Kurihara Mariko , Oe Yuki , Tsuboi Takashi , Watanabe Koichiro
Published: March 2021

Objective: Mood disorders cause significant work performance disability in sufferers and often lead to adverse employment outcomes in working individuals. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with time to achieve employment through the occupational support program (OSP) for patients with mood disorders.

Methods: The participants were patients admitted to the Kyorin university hospital from April 2016 to April 2019. Patients who met the criteria for major depressive disorder and depressive episode of bipolar I or II disorder according to DSM-5 and participated in the occupational therapy-based OSP for at least three sessions (one course) were included in this study. We collected demographic and clinical variables at the baseline of this study through medical records and OSP records; the variables included age, gender, diagnosis, scores of Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology and Global Assessment of Functioning, the number of times of participation in the OSP, word count of the transcription task in the OSP, typographical deficiency, fatigue status and mood status after the OSP. The primary outcome was set as the time to achieve the employment within 1 year after the discharge.

Results: Of the 211 patients who participated in the OSP during the survey period, 49 participants met the criteria in this study. The results showed that 14 patients achieved and the other 35 patients did not achieve the employment within 1 year of discharge from the hospital. A multivariate cox regression analysis revealed that the word count of the transcription task in the OSP (HR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.05, p = 0.016) and mood status after the OSP (HR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.18–6.51, p = 0.019) were significantly associated with time to achieve the employment.

Conclusion: In conclusion, this study suggested that work speed and mood response in the OSP could be significant predictors for achieving employment in patients with mood disorders.
Internet and Pornography Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Presumed Impact and What Can Be Done
Authors: Awan Hashir Ali , Aamir Alifiya , Diwan Mufaddal Najmuddin , Ullah Irfan , Pereira-Sanchez Victor , Ramalho Rodrigo , Orsolini Laura , de Filippis Renato , Ojeahere Margaret Isioma , Ransing Ramdas , Vadsaria Aftab Karmali , Virani Sanya
Published: March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause an immense psychosocial strain worldwide. Excessive use of the internet during these psychologically trying times, fueled by physical isolation as a result of lockdowns, has translated into dysfunctional behaviors. A growing body of evidence suggests an unprecedented increase in internet use and consumption of online pornography during the pandemic, and possibly even directly caused by it. In this review, the authors report data from relevant sources to show the rise in pornography use during lockdowns in different countries worldwide. In addition to a brief overview of the neurobiology of internet addiction broadly and problematic online pornography use specifically, similarities with substance use disorders are explained. Further, the current status of the debate about defining diagnostic criteria is discussed. Finally, the review sheds light on the potential detrimental outcomes during the future post-pandemic “re-adaptation,” while simultaneously offering preventative and management strategies for harm reduction. The authors conclude that foresightedness with utilizing existing tools and therapies and exercising appropriate amounts of caution could go a long way in addressing the challenges that lie ahead in the post-pandemic era.
Past Year Cannabis Use Among Norwegian Adolescents: Time Trends Based on the Ungdata Surveys 2010–2019
Authors: Heradstveit Ove , Nilsen Sondre Aasen , Breivik Kyrre , Bakken Anders , Haug Thomas , Hartveit Kristian , Stormark Kjell Morten
Published: March 2021

Aims: To describe trends in cannabis use from 2010 to 2019 among Norwegian adolescents and relate these to individual- and municipal-level variables.

Design: Data from nationwide repeated cross-sectional surveys collected in 2010–2013 (T1), 2014–2016 (T2), and 2017–2019 (T3) were used to describe secular trends in proportions of adolescent cannabis use.

Setting: Cross-sectional surveys in 410 of the total 428 municipalities of Norway.

Participants: A total of 628,678 survey responses from adolescents aged ~13–19 years of age, in which 566,912 survey responses were eligible for analyses, representing data from 340 municipalities.

Measurements: Respondent's past year cannabis use, time, gender, school grade, municipality, geographical location, and municipality population.

Findings: Boys reported overall higher cannabis use, with ~2:1 gender ratio for any past year cannabis use and a 3:1 gender ratio for frequent cannabis use. Adolescents in Eastern Norway reported higher cannabis use compared with other areas in the country, and adolescents from municipalities with a higher population size reported higher rates of cannabis use than smaller municipalities. A gradual increase in cannabis use from T1 to T3 was found in Eastern Norway and in the largest municipalities. More generally, proportions of past year cannabis use showed a marked increase from T2 to T3 across genders, grade/age groups, geographical location, and municipality population, with few exceptions.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that proportions of past year cannabis use have increased among Norwegian adolescents in recent years. Preventive interventions to hinder initiation of cannabis use, as well as measures to address frequent cannabis use among Norwegian adolescents, are needed.
Obsessive-Compulsive (Anankastic) Personality Disorder in the ICD-11: A Scoping Review
Authors: Gecaite-Stonciene Julija , Lochner Christine , Marincowitz Clara , Fineberg Naomi A. , Stein Dan J.
Published: March 2021

Introduction: With the shift from a categorical to a dimensional model, ICD-11 has made substantial changes to the diagnosis of personality disorders (PDs), including obsessive-compulsive (anankastic) personality disorder (OCPD). The ICD-11 PD model proposes a single diagnosis of PD with specifications regarding severity and domains. However, a systematic overview of ICD-11 anankastia is lacking. In this review we address the reformulation of the OCPD diagnosis in the ICD-11, and draw comparisons with the DSM-5, with a particular focus on diagnostic validity and clinical utility. We hypothesized that the ICD-11 PD model provides a diagnostically valid and clinically useful approach to OCPD, with specific emphasis on the anankastia domain as the primary trait qualifier.

Methods: Literature published from 2010 to 2020 was systematically searched using the PubMed/MEDLINE, PsychInfo, Cochrane, and Web of Sciences search engines, in order to find all articles that addressed ICD-11 anankastia. Relevant articles were collated, and themes of these articles subsequently extracted.

Results: Out of the 264 publications identified, 19 articles were included in this review. Four themes were identified, namely (a) overlap of DSM-5 OCPD with the ICD-11 PD model, (b) the factorial structure of the ICD-11 PD model with respect to the anankastia domain, (c) the clinical utility of the ICD-11 PD model, and (d) comparison of the ICD-11 PD model of anankastia with the DSM-5 alternative model for OCPD.

Conclusions: The ICD-11 anankastia domain overlaps with DSM-5 OCPD traits, and the factor analyses of the ICD-11 PD model further support the diagnostic validity of this domain. There is some support for the clinical utility of the ICD-11 PD model of anankastia but further studies are needed, including of its relationship to obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.
Bibliotherapy as a Non-pharmaceutical Intervention to Enhance Mental Health in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review and Bioethical Meta-Analysis
Authors: Monroy-Fraustro Daniela , Maldonado-Castellanos Isaac , Aboites-Molina Mónica , Rodríguez Susana , Sueiras Perla , Altamirano-Bustamante Nelly F. , de Hoyos-Bermea Adalberto , Altamirano-Bustamante Myriam M.
Published: March 2021

Background: A non-pharmaceutical treatment offered as psychological support is bibliotherapy, which can be described as the process of reading, reflecting, and discussing literature to further a cognitive shift. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic demands a response to prevent a peak in the prevalence of mental health problems and to avoid the collapse of mental health services, which are scarce and inaccessible due to the pandemic. Thus, this study aimed to review articles on the effectiveness of bibliotherapy on different mental health problems.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted to examine relevant studies that assess the effectiveness of bibliotherapy in different clinical settings as a treatment capable of enhancing a sense of purpose and its surrounding values. To achieve this, a systematic review, including a bioethical meta-analysis, was performed. A variant of the PICO (Participants, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) model was used for the search strategy, and the systematic review was conducted in three databases: PubMed, Bireme, and OVID. Inclusion criteria were relevant studies that included the keywords, excluding documents with irrelevant topics, studies on subjects 15 years or younger, and in languages besides Spanish or English. Starting with 707 studies, after three rounds of different quality criteria, 13 articles were selected for analysis, including a hermeneutic analysis, which was followed by a fourth and final recovery round assessing bibliotherapy articles concerning healthcare workers.

Results: Our findings showed that through bibliotherapy, patients developed several capacities, including the re-signification of their own activities through a new outlook of their moral horizon. There are no research road maps serving as guides to conduct research on the use of bibliotherapy to enhance mental health. Additionally, values such as autonomy and justice were closely linked with positive results in bibliotherapy. This implies that bibliotherapy has the potential to have a positive impact in different settings.

Conclusions: Our contribution is to offer a road map that presents state-of-the-art bibliotherapy research, which will assist institutions and healthcare professionals to plan clinical and specific interventions with positive outcomes.
A Novel BrainHealth Index Prototype Improved by Telehealth-Delivered Training During COVID-19
Authors: Chapman Sandra Bond , Fratantoni Julie M. , Robertson Ian H. , D'Esposito Mark , Ling Geoffrey S. F. , Zientz Jennifer , Vernon Stacy , Venza Erin , Cook Lori G. , Tate Aaron , Spence Jeffrey S.
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Brain health is neglected in public health, receiving attention after something goes wrong. Neuroplasticity research illustrates that preventive steps strengthen the brain's component systems; however, this information is not widely known. Actionable steps are needed to scale proven population-level interventions.

Objectives: This pilot tested two main objectives: (1) the feasibility/ease of use of an online platform to measure brain health, deliver training, and offer virtual coaching to healthy adults and (2) to develop a data driven index of brain health. Methods: 180 participants, ages 18–87, enrolled in this 12-week pilot. Participants took a BrainHealth Index™ (BHI), a composite of assessments encompassing cognition, well-being, daily-life and social, pre-post training. Participants engaged in online training with three coaching sessions. We assessed changes in BHI, effects of training utilization and demographics, contributions of sub-domain measures to the BHI and development of a factor analytic structure of latent BrainHealth constructs.

Results: The results indicated that 75% of participants showed at least a 5-point gain on their BHI which did not depend on age, education, or gender. The contribution to these gains were from all sub-domains, including stress, anxiety and resilience, even though training focused largely on cognition. Some individuals improved due to increased resilience and decreased anxiety, whereas others improved due to increased innovation and social engagement. Larger gains depended on module utilization, especially strategy training. An exploratory factor analytic solution to the correlation matrix of online assessments identified three latent constructs.

Discussion/Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrated the efficacy of an online platform to assess changes on a composite BrainHealth Index and efficacy in delivering training modules and coaching. We found that adults, college age to late life, were motivated to learn about their brain and engage in virtual-training with coaching to improve their brain health. This effort intends to scale up to thousands, thus the pilot data, tested by an impending imaging pilot, will be utilized in ongoing machine learning (ML) algorithms to develop a precision brain health model. This pilot is a first step in scaling evidence-based brain health protocols to reach individuals and positively affect public health globally.
The Traffic Light Approach: Indicators and Algorithms to Identify Covid-19 Epidemic Risk Across Italian Regions
Authors: Paroni Luca , D'Apice Clelia , Ussai Silvia , Armocida Benedetta , Formenti Beatrice , Min Lorenzo De , Missoni Eduardo
Published: March 2021

With the beginning of the autumn-winter season, Italy experienced an increase of SARS-CoV-2 cases, requiring the Government to adopt new restrictive measures. The national surveillance system in place defines 21 key process and performance indicators addressing for each Region/Autonomous Province: (i) the monitoring capacity, (ii) the degree of diagnostic capability, investigation and contact tracing, and (iii) the characteristics of the transmission dynamics as well as the resilience of health services. Overall, the traffic light approach shows a collective effort by the Italian Government to define strategies to both contain the spread of COVID-19 and to minimize the economic and social impact of the epidemic. Nonetheless, on what principles color-labeled risk levels are assigned on a regional level, it remains rather unclear or difficult to track.
Quantification of Non-linearities in the Consequential Life Cycle Assessment of the Use Phase of Battery Electric Vehicles
Authors: Rovelli Davide , Cornago Simone , Scaglia Pietro , Brondi Carlo , Low Jonathan Sze Choong , Ramakrishna Seeram , Dotelli Giovanni
Published: March 2021

The diffusion of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) is projected to influence the electricity grid operation, potentially offering opportunities for load-shifting policies aimed at higher integration of renewable energy technologies in the electricity system. Moreover, the examined literature emphasizes electricity as a relevant driver of BEVs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) results. To evaluate LCA impacts associated to future BEVs diffusion scenarios in Italy, we adopt the Consequential Life Cycle Assessment (CLCA) methodology. LCA conventionally assumes a proportional relation between environmental impact indicators and the functional unit. However, such relation may not be representative if the electricity system is significantly affected by the large-scale diffusion of BEVs. Our study couples the conventional CLCA methodology with the EnergyPLAN model through three different approaches, which progressively include BEV-specific dynamics, to capture correlations between additional BEVs fleets and the electricity grid operation, that affectthe mix of electricity consumed in the use phase by BEVs, in Italy in 2030. Here we show that if renewables capacity is not additionally installed in response to additional BEVs electricity demand, the marginal Climate change total indicator of BEVs may increase up to ~40%, with respect to a business-as-usual scenario. Moreover, we quantitatively support the literature indications on how to properly estimate BEVs LCA impacts. Indeed, we weight electricity LCA impacts on hourly BEV charge profiles, finding that this approach best captures BEVs interdependence with the electricity system. At low BEVs diffusion, this approach clearly shows the potential BEVs capability to increase exploitation of renewable energy, whereas at high BEVs diffusion, it fully highlights potential responses of fossil fuel power plants to additional electricity demand. Due to these dynamics, we find that linearly scaling the business-as-usual scenario results would lead to an underestimation of 12.45 Mton CO2-eq of the total impacts of an additional BEVs fleet, under a 100% BEV diffusion scenario. Our methodology could be replicated with different energy system models, or at various geographical scales. Our framework could be coupled with comprehensive assessments of transport systems, to further provide robustness to policymakers by including non-linearities in the mix of electricity consumed during the use phase of BEVs.
Részleges kivehető fémlemezes pótlások tervezése a gyakorlatban I.
Authors: Radnai Márta , Marada Gyula , T. Szabó Veronika , Tarjányi Tamás , Baráth Zoltán
Published: March 2021

Részleges kivehető fémlemezes műfogsorok a mindennapi betegellátásban gyakran készülnek még napjainkban is.Ezek tervezését a fogorvosnak a biológiai, statikai, anyagtani, esztétikai szempontok szerint és a betegek igényeit, elvárásaitfigyelembe véve kell megvalósítania. Kérdőíves felmérést végeztünk fogtechnikusok körében annak kiderítésére,mennyire valósul meg ez a gyakorlatban. A 64 fogtechnikus válasza szerint a fogorvosoknak alig több mint fele (52%)küld pontos tervet az öntött kapocs elhorgonyzású részleges kivehető fémlemezes műfogsorok készítéséhez a laborba,kapcsok fajtájára nézve 47%-ban érkeznek információk, a nagy összekötők formájára nézve 28%-ban kap útmutatást alabor. Az utasítások 6%-ban rajzosan, 48%-ban írásban, vagy írásban és rajzzal (31%) érkeznek. Az esztétikai problémaesetében felmerülő felelősség a technikust és a fogorvost is terheli a vélemények szerint, akárki végzi a tervezést.A technikusok 86%-a szükségesnek tartotta, hogy a részleges kivehető fémlemezes fogpótlások tervezésében a fogorvosis részt vegyen. Szakirodalmi megállapítások hasonló adatokat mutattak, ennek ellenére helytelen az a gyakorlat,hogy a fogorvosok meglehetősen sokszor a fogtechnikai laborra bízzák a fogsorok megtervezését.
NaCl- and Na2SO4-Induced Salinity Differentially Affect Clay Soil Chemical Properties and Yield Components of Two Rice Cultivars (Oryza sativa L.) in Burundi
Authors: Irakoze Willy , Prodjinoto Hermann , Nijimbere Séverin , Bizimana Jean Berchmans , Bigirimana Joseph , Rufyikiri Gervais , Lutts Stanley
Published: March 2021

Salinity may strongly influence the interaction between plant roots and surrounding soil, but this has been poorly studied for sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) and Na2SO4 salinities on the soil chemical properties as well as rice physiological- and yield-related parameters of two contrasted cultivars (V14 (salt-sensitive) and Pokkali (salt-resistant)). Pot experiments were conducted using soil and electrolyte solutions, namely NaCl and Na2SO4, inducing two electrical conductivity levels (EC: 5 or 10 dS m−1) of the soil solutions. The control treatment was water with salt-free tap water. Our results showed that soil pH increased under Na2SO4 salinity, while soil EC increased as the level of saline stress increased. Salinity induced an increase in Na+ concentrations on solid soil complex and in soil solution. NaCl reduced the stomatal density in salt-sensitive cultivar. The total protein contents in rice grain were higher in V14 than in Pokkali cultivar. Saline stress significantly affected all yield-related parameters and NaCl was more toxic than Na2SO4 for most of the studied parameters. Pokkali exhibited a higher tolerance to saline stress than V14, whatever the considered type of salt. It is concluded that different types of salts differently influence soil properties and plant responses and that those differences partly depend on the salt-resistance level of the considered cultivar.
Early Detection of Excess Nitrogen Consumption in Cucumber Plants Using Hyperspectral Imaging Based on Hybrid Neural Networks and the Imperialist Competitive Algorithm
Authors: Sabzi Sajad , Pourdarbani Razieh , Rohban Mohammad Hossein , García-Mateos Ginés , Paliwal Jitendra , Molina-Martínez José Miguel
Published: March 2021

To achieve healthy and optimal yields of agricultural products, the principles of nutrition must be observed and appropriate fertilizers must be applied. Nutritional deficiencies or overabundance reduce the quality and yield of the products. Thus, their early detection prevents physiological disorders and associated diseases. Most research efforts have focused on spectroscopy, which extracts only spectral data from a single point of the product. The present study aims to detect early excess nitrogen in cucumber plants by using a new hyperspectral imaging technique based on a hybrid of artificial neural networks and the imperialist competitive algorithm (ANN-ICA), which can provide spectral and spatial information on the leaves at the same time. First, cucumber seeds were planted in 18 pots. The same inputs were applied to all the pots until the plants grew; after that, 30% excess nitrogen was applied to nine pots with irrigation water, while it remained constant in the other nine pots. Each day, six leaves were collected from each pot, and their images were captured using a hyperspectral camera (in the range of 400–1100 nm). The wavelengths of 715, 783 and 821 nm were determined as the most effective for early detection of excess nitrogen using a hybrid of artificial neural networks and the artificial bee colony algorithm (ANN-ABC). The parameter of days of treatment was classified using ANN-ICA. The performance of the classifier was evaluated using different criteria, namely recall, accuracy, specificity, precision and the F-measure. The results indicate that the differences between different days were statistically significant. This means that the hyperspectral imaging technique was able to detect plants with excess nitrogen in the near-infrared range (NIR), with a correct classification rate of 96.11%.
Horse Clinical Cytogenetics: Recurrent Themes and Novel Findings
Authors: Bugno-Poniewierska Monika , Raudsepp Terje
Published: March 2021

Clinical cytogenetic studies in horses have been ongoing for over half a century and clearly demonstrate that chromosomal disorders are among the most common non-infectious causes of decreased fertility, infertility, and congenital defects. Large-scale cytogenetic surveys show that almost 30% of horses with reproductive or developmental problems have chromosome aberrations, whereas abnormal karyotypes are found in only 2–5% of the general population. Among the many chromosome abnormalities reported in the horse, most are unique or rare. However, all surveys agree that there are two recurrent conditions: X-monosomy and SRY-negative XY male-to-female sex reversal, making up approximately 35% and 11% of all chromosome abnormalities, respectively. The two are signature conditions for the horse and rare or absent in other domestic species. The progress in equine genomics and the development of molecular tools, have qualitatively improved clinical cytogenetics today, allowing for refined characterization of aberrations and understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms. While cutting-edge genomics tools promise further improvements in chromosome analysis, they will not entirely replace traditional cytogenetics, which still is the most straightforward, cost-effective, and fastest approach for the initial evaluation of potential breeding animals and horses with reproductive or developmental disorders.
Metabolic Profile Reveals the Immunosuppressive Mechanisms of Methionyl-Methionine in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cell
Authors: Lan Wei , Ren Yifei , Wang Zhen , Liu Jianxin , Liu Hongyun
Published: March 2021

Our previous transcriptomic study found that methionyl-methionine (Met-Met) exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in the bovine mammary epithelial cell (MAC-T) at a molecular level. However, evidence of whether the metabolic production of Met-Met confers protection was scarce. To investigate the inflammatory response and metabolite changes of Met-Met in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation of MAC-T, mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and qPCR were conducted. The increased levels of IL-8, TNF-α, AP-1, and MCP-1 were reduced by pretreating with 2 mM Met-Met after LPS exposure. Metabolomics profiling analysis demonstrated that LPS induced significant alteration of metabolites, including decreased tryptophan, phenylalanine, and histidine levels and increased palmitic acid and stearic acid levels as well as purine metabolism disorder, whereas Met-Met reversed these changes significantly. Pathways analysis revealed that overlapping metabolites were mainly enriched in the cysteine and methionine metabolism, fatty acids biosynthesis, and purines degradation. Correlation networks showed that the metabolic profile was significantly altered under the conditions of inflammation and Met-Met treatment. Collectively, Met-Met might relieve MAC-T cell inflammation via hydrolysate methionine, which further changes the processes of amino acid, purine, and fatty acid metabolism.
Grasping Assisting Algorithm in Tele-Operated Robotic Gripper
Authors: Fine Tomer , Zaidner Guy , Shapiro Amir
Published: March 2021

The involvement of Robots and automated machines in different industries has increased drastically in recent years. Part of this revolution is accomplishing tasks previously performed by humans with advanced robots, which would replace the entire human workforce in the future. In some industries the workers are required to complete different operations in hazardous or difficult environments. Operations like these could be replaced with the use of tele-operated systems that have the capability of grasping objects in their surroundings, thus abandoning the need for the physical presence of the human operator at the area while still allowing control. In this research our goal is to create an assisting system that would improve the grasping of a human operator using a tele-operated robotic gripper and arm, while advising the operator but not forcing a solution. For a given set of objects we computed the optimal grasp to be achieved by the gripper, based on two grasp quality measures of our choosing (namely power grasp and precision grasp). We then tested the performance of different human subjects who tried to grasp the different objects with the tele-operated system, while comparing their success to unassisted and assisted grasping. Our goal is to create an assisting algorithm that would compute optimal grasps and might be integrated into a complete, state-of-the-art tele-operated system.
Differential Mode Noise Estimation and Filter Design for Interleaved Boost Power Factor Correction Converters
Authors: Nourani Esfetanaj Naser , Wang Huai , Blaabjerg Frede , Davari Pooya
Published: March 2021

Interleaved power factor correction (PFC) is widely used circuit topology due to good efficiency and power density for single-switch boost PFC. As the differential mode (DM) electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise magnitude depends upon the input current ripple, this research details a comprehensive study of DM EMI filter design for interleaved boost PFC with the aim of minimizing the component size. It is also demonstrated that the different numbers of interleaved stages and switching frequency influence the filter attenuation requirement and, thus, the EMI filter size. First, an analytical model is derived on the basis of the Norton equivalent circuit model for the differential mode noises of interleaved boost PFC within the frequency range of 9–500 kHz. The derived model can help identify the proper phase shifting among the interleaved boost converters in order to minimize the considered differential mode noises at the filter design frequency. So, a novel phase-shift method is developed to get a minimized attenuation required by a filter in Band B. Further, a volume optimization of the required DM filter was introduced based on the calculated filter attenuation and volumetric component parameters. Based on the obtained results, unconventional and conventional phase shifts have demonstrated a good performance in decreasing the EMI filter volume in Band B and Band A, respectively. A 2-kW interleaved PFC case study is presented to verify the theoretical analyses and the impact of phase-shifting on EMI filter size.
Application of Statistical Distribution Models to Predict Health Index for Condition-Based Management of Transformers
Authors: Mohd Selva Amran , Azis Norhafiz , Shariffudin Nor Shafiqin , Ab Kadir Mohd Zainal Abidin , Jasni Jasronita , Yahaya Muhammad Sharil , Talib Mohd Aizam
Published: March 2021

In this study, statistical distribution model (SDM) is used to predict the health index (HI) of transformers by utilizing the condition parameters data from dissolved gas analysis (DGA), oil quality analysis (OQA), and furanic compound analysis (FCA), respectively. First, the individual condition parameters data were categorized based on transformer age from year 1 to 15. Next, the individual condition parameters data for every age were fitted while using a probability plot to find the representative distribution models. The distribution parameters were calculated based on 95% confidence level and extrapolated from year 16 to 25 through representative fitting models. The individual condition parameters data within the period were later calculated based on the estimated distribution parameters through the inverse cumulative distribution function (ICDF) of the selected distribution models. The predicted HI was then determined based on the conventional scoring method. The Chi-square test for statistical hypothesis reveals that the predicted HI for the transformer data is quite close to the calculated HI. The average percentage of absolute error is 2.7%. The HI that is predicted based on SDM yields 97.83% accuracy for the transformer data.
Rising Temperature Is a More Important Driver Than Increasing Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in the Trait Responses of Enhalus acoroides Seedlings
Authors: Artika Suci Rahmadani , Ambo-Rappe Rohani , Samawi Muhammad Farid , Teichberg Mirta , Moreira-Saporiti Agustín , Viana Inés G.
Published: March 2021

Increasing temperature and CO2 concentration are among the most important factors affecting marine ecosystems under climate change. We investigated the morphological, biochemical, and physiological trait responses of seedlings of the tropical seagrass Enhalus acoroides under experimental conditions. Trait responses were greater under temperature effects than increasing CO2 concentration. Seedlings under rising temperatures showed enhanced leaf growth, lower leaf nutrient content, and stimulated down-regulating mechanisms in terms of photo-physiology. Increasing CO2 concentrations did not show any significant effects independently. There was a significant interaction for some of the trait responses considered, such as leaf number and carbon content in the roots, and trends of higher starch concentrations in the leaves and lower rETRmax under combined enriched CO2 and high temperature, even though none of these interactions were synergistic. Understanding the single and interactive trait responses of seagrass seedlings to increasing temperature and CO2 concentration is of importance to determine the relative responses of early life stages of seagrasses, which may differ from adult plants, in order to form a more holistic view of seagrass ecosystem health under climate change.
Tool Health Monitoring Using Airborne Acoustic Emission and Convolutional Neural Networks: A Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Arslan Muhammad , Kamal Khurram , Sheikh Muhammad Fahad , Khan Mahmood Anwar , Ratlamwala Tahir Abdul Hussain , Hussain Ghulam , Alkahtani Mohammed
Published: March 2021

Tool health monitoring (THM) is in great focus nowadays from the perspective of predictive maintenance. It prevents the increased downtime due to breakdown maintenance, resulting in reduced production cost. The paper provides a novel approach to monitoring the tool health of a computer numeric control (CNC) machine for a turning process using airborne acoustic emission (AE) and convolutional neural networks (CNN). Three different work-pieces of aluminum, mild steel, and Teflon are used in experimentation to classify the health of carbide and high-speed steel (HSS) tools into three categories of new, average (used), and worn-out tool. Acoustic signals from the machining process are used to produce time–frequency spectrograms and then fed to a tri-layered CNN architecture that has been carefully crafted for high accuracies and faster trainings. Different sizes and numbers of convolutional filters, in different combinations, are used for multiple trainings to compare the classification accuracy. A CNN architecture with four filters, each of size 5 × 5, gives best results for all cases with a classification average accuracy of 99.2%. The proposed approach provides promising results for tool health monitoring of a turning process using airborne acoustic emission.
Modeling Energy LED Light Consumption Based on an Artificial Intelligent Method Applied to Closed Plant Production System
Authors: Olvera-Gonzalez Ernesto , Rivera Martín Montes , Escalante-Garcia Nivia , Flores-Gallegos Eduardo
Published: March 2021

Artificial lighting is a key factor in Closed Production Plant Systems (CPPS). A significant light-emitting diode (LED) technology attribute is the emission of different wavelengths, called light recipes. Light recipes are typically configured in continuous mode, but can also be configured in pulsed mode to save energy. We propose two nonlinear models, i.e., genetic programing (GP) and feedforward artificial neural networks (FNNs) to predict energy consumption in CPPS. The generated models use the following input variables: intensity, red light component, blue light component, green light component, and white light component; and the following operation modes: continuous and pulsed light including pulsed frequency, and duty cycle as well energy consumption as output. A Spearman’s correlation was applied to generate a model with only representative inputs. Two datasets were applied. The first (Test 1), with 5700 samples with similar input ranges, was used to train and evaluate, while the second (Test 2), included 160 total datapoints in different input ranges. The metrics that allowed a quantitative evaluation of the model’s performance were MAPE, MSE, MAE, and SEE. Our implemented models achieved an accuracy of 96.1% for the GP model and 98.99% for the FNNs model. The models used in this proposal can be applied or programmed as part of the monitoring system for CPPS which prioritize energy efficiency. The nonlinear models provide a further analysis for energy savings due to the light recipe and operation light mode, i.e., pulsed and continuous on artificial LED lighting systems.
Punching Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Flat Plates with GFRP Vertical Grids
Authors: Kim Min Sook , Lee Young Hak
Published: March 2021

In this study, the structural behavior of reinforced concrete flat plates shear reinforced with vertical grids made of a glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) was experimentally evaluated. To examine the shear strength, experiments were performed on nine concrete slabs with different amounts and spacings of shear reinforcement. The test results indicated that the shear strength increased as the amount of shear reinforcement increased and as the spacing of the shear reinforcement decreased. The GFRP shear reinforcement changed the cracks and failure mode of the specimens from a brittle punching to flexure one. In addition, the experimental results are compared with a shear strength equation provided by different concrete design codes. This comparison demonstrates that all of the equations underestimate the shear strength of reinforced concrete flat plates shear reinforced with GFRP vertical grids. The shear strength of the equation by BS 8110 is able to calculate the punching shear strength reasonably for a concrete flat plate shear reinforced with GFRP vertical grids.
Explicit, Determinantal, and Recurrent Formulas of Generalized Eulerian Polynomials
Authors: Wang Yan , Dağli Muhammet Cihat , Liu Xi-Min , Qi Feng
Published: March 2021

In the paper, by virtue of the Faà di Bruno formula, with the aid of some properties of the Bell polynomials of the second kind, and by means of a general formula for derivatives of the ratio between two differentiable functions, the authors establish explicit, determinantal, and recurrent formulas for generalized Eulerian polynomials.