bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Development of a Happy-Life Hypnosis CD for Taiwanese Seniors
Authors: Hsieh Huei-lin
Published: May 2019

The psychological problems of the elderly are complex and difficult to understand. A few sentences of comfort or encouragement can not make them happy. Many negative emotions and problems are pushed into the depths of the subconscious, especially in depressed elderly. Psychological treatment should focus on solving subconscious problems. Hypnotic therapy is a kind of psychotherapy that can work on the subconscious to find problems and solutions. Hypnosis methods such as relaxing, deep breathing, and meditation techniques can be integrated into mental health nursing interventions to develop a hypnosis CD for the elderly. The purpose of the study was to develop a happy-life hypnosis CD for Taiwanese seniors. A five step hypnosis technique was used to develop the CD. The content of the CD was designed using positive suggestions, hints, hypnotic deepening skills, relaxation with imagination of seniors’ preferences, and an abdominal breathing method. The development of this happy-life hypnosis CD is innovative. Taiwanese seniors can listen to the CD to improve their negative emotions. Other researchers or practitioners can use it as a reference to develop more hypnosis CDs to promote health.
An Exploration of the Mechanism of Action of an Equine-Assisted Intervention
Authors: Hemingway Ann , Carter Sid , Callaway Andrew , Kavanagh Emma , Ellis Shelley
Published: May 2019

Though long alluded to, there is now an accumulation of evidence of the vital contribution that emotion makes to learning. Within this broad advance in understanding is a growing body of research emphasising the embodied nature of this emotion-based learning. The study presented here is a pilot study using a mixed-method approach (combining both physiological and experiential methodologies) to give a picture of the “emotional landscape” of people’s learning through the intervention under study. This has allowed researchers to examine mediating pathways that may underlie any effects of an equine-assisted intervention. This study specifically focuses on examining the role of emotion. The intervention under study was used with young people with chronic mental health and behavioural problems for whom talk-based interventions were not working. Nine healthy participants aged 18–24 undertook the equine intervention, with an initial group having emotion-related psycho-physiological changes (skin conductance responses) measured while viewing their experience on video, and a further two participants experiencing a development of the methodology as their physiological responses were captured in real time during the intervention. The sessions were analysed by a group of five cross-disciplinary researchers to determine when significant learning episodes occurred, and the findings were that this learning was associated with powerful skin conductance responses. The qualitative element of the research entailed the participants watching themselves on video undertaking the equine intervention. They were asked to stop the video and share any changes in emotion at any point while watching. All participants experienced a positive temporal change in mood as the intervention progressed. All results supported the findings that emotional arousal occurred in relation to the participants asking the horse to perform a task. This paper will offer two novel contributions: (1) description of a new methodology for investigating the mechanism of action occurring in this type of intervention and (2) findings from the exploration of the intervention via psycho-physiological and experiential mechanisms.
A Fast and Powerful Empirical Bayes Method for Genome-Wide Association Studies
Authors: Chang Tianpeng , Wei Julong , Liang Mang , An Bingxing , Wang Xiaoqiao , Zhu Bo , Xu Lingyang , Zhang Lupei , Gao Xue , Chen Yan , Li Junya , Gao Huijiang
Published: May 2019

Linear mixed model (LMM) is an efficient method for GWAS. There are numerous forms of LMM-based GWAS methods. However, improving statistical power and computing efficiency have always been the research hotspots of the LMM-based GWAS methods. Here, we proposed a fast empirical Bayes method, which is based on linear mixed models. We call it Fast-EB-LMM in short. The novelty of this method is that it uses a modified kinship matrix accounting for individual relatedness to avoid competition between the locus of interest and its counterpart in the polygene. This property has increased statistical power. We adopted two special algorithms to ease the computational burden: Eigenvalue decomposition and Woodbury matrix identity. Simulation studies showed that Fast-EB-LMM has significantly increased statistical power of marker detection and improved computational efficiency compared with two widely used GWAS methods, EMMA and EB. Real data analyses for two carcass traits in a Chinese Simmental beef cattle population showed that the significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and candidate genes identified by Fast-EB-LMM are highly consistent with results of previous studies. We therefore believe that the Fast-EB-LMM method is a reliable and efficient method for GWAS.
Functional Analysis of Genes Involved in Glycerolipids Biosynthesis (GPAT1 and GPAT2) in Pigs
Authors: Mitka Ilona , Ropka-Molik Katarzyna , Tyra Mirosław
Published: May 2019

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) enzymes catalyze the first step in triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis. Genes that belong to the GPAT family are potential genetic markers for intramuscular fat content (IMF) content and thus meat quality. The objective of this study was to analyze the expression of GPAT1 and GPAT2 genes in musculus longissimus lumborum, liver and subcutaneous fat of various breeds of pigs. Furthermore, correlations between the genes’ expression abundance and utility traits, meat quality and meat texture parameters of pork were determined. The results obtained showed significant differences in the mRNA level of GPAT1 between analyzed tissues and breeds. The highest expression of GPAT1 gene was observed in liver tissue (p ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, significantly higher GPAT1 transcript level in the m. longissimus lumborum was observed for duroc in comparison to other analyzed breeds (p ≤ 0.05). Expression of the GPAT2 gene was shown only in the liver tissues, however statistically significant differences between the analyzed breeds were not observed. Correlation analysis confirmed the highest association between GPAT2 gene expression level in liver and cohesiveness and resilience traits of m. longissimus lumborum (p ≤ 0.01).
Palatability of Protein Hydrolysates from Industrial Byproducts for Nile Tilapia Juveniles
Authors: Alves Denis Rogério Sanches , de Oliveira Suzana Raquel , Luczinski Thiago Gabriel , Paulo Isabela Guterres Pinto , Boscolo Wilson Rogério , Bittencourt Fábio , Signor Altevir
Published: May 2019

This study was performed with the aim of determining the palatability of diets containing poultry and swine protein hydrolysates for Nile tilapia. Five experimental diets were made with a 5% inclusion level of fishmeal (FPE), poultry protein hydrolysate (PHF), liquid swine hydrolysate (PHS), feather protein hydrolysate (PHP), and swine mucosa hydrolysate (PHM). Five juveniles (2.81 ± 0.17 g) were placed in 10 L aquariums and fed five times a day after a raffle of offered diets. In each feeding throughout the day, 30 pellets were offered per fish. The experimental design was completely randomized, with five replicates per day. A three-minute footage period was established for each feeding with a digital camera. The following feeding behaviors were observed: time to capture the first pellet, number of pellet rejections, number of approaches without capturing the pellet, and number of consumed pellets. No observed parameters presented significant differences (p > 0.05). PHF provided a palatability index of 12.27%, while PHM had an index of 9.33%, PHF of 8.77%, and PHP of 7.74%. Both diets PHS and PHM increased the final consumption of pellets in comparison to FPE by more than 10%, despite the absence of a significant effect.
Development of Operator Theory in the Capacity Adjustment of Job Shop Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Liu Ping , Zhang Qiang , Pannek Jürgen
Published: May 2019

With the development of industrial manufacture in the context of Industry 4.0, various advanced technologies have been designed, such as reconfigurable machine tools (RMT). However, the potential of the latter still needs to be developed. In this paper, the integration of RMTs was investigated in the capacity adjustment of job shop manufacturing systems, which offer high flexibility to produce a variety of products with small lot sizes. In order to assist manufacturers in dealing with demand fluctuations and ensure the work-in-process (WIP) of each workstation is on a predefined level, an operator-based robust right coprime factorization (RRCF) approach is proposed to improve the capacity adjustment process. Moreover, numerical simulation results of a four-workstation three-product job shop system are presented, where the classical proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control method is considered as a benchmark to evaluate the effectiveness of RRCF in the simulation. The simulation results present the practical stability and robustness of these two control systems for various reconfiguration and transportation delays and disturbances. This indicates that the proposed capacity control approach by integrating RMTs with RRCF is effective in dealing with bottlenecks and volatile customer demands.
Exhaust Gas Condensation during Engine Cold Start and Application of the Dry-Wet Correction Factor
Authors: Giechaskiel Barouch , Zardini Alessandro A. , Clairotte Michael
Published: May 2019

Gas components, like carbon monoxide (CO) and dioxide (CO2), can be measured on a wet- or dry-basis depending on whether the water is left or removed from the sample before analysis. The dry concentrations of gaseous components in the exhaust from internal combustion engines are converted to wet concentrations with conversion factors based on the combustion products and the fuel properties. Recent CO2 measurements with portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS) compared to laboratory grade equipment showed differences during the first minutes after engine start. In this study we compared instruments measuring on a dry- and wet-basis using different measuring principles (non-dispersive infrared detection (NDIR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)) at the exhaust of gasoline, compressed natural gas (CNG), and diesel light-duty and L-category vehicles. The results showed an underestimation of the CO2 and CO mass emissions up to 13% at cold start when the conversion factor is applied and not direct “wet” measurements are taken, raising concerns about reported CO2 and CO cold start emissions in some cases. The underestimation was negligible (<1%) for CO2 when the whole test (20–30 min) was considered, but not for CO (1%–10% underestimation) because the majority of emissions takes place at cold start. Exhaust gas temperature, H2O measurements and different expressions of the dry-wet corrections confirmed that the differences are due to condensation at the exhaust pipes and aftertreatment devices when the surface temperatures are lower than the dew point of the exhaust gases. The results of this study help to interpret differences when comparing instruments with different principles of operation at the same location, instruments sampling at different locations, or the same instrument measuring different driving test cycles or at different ambient temperatures (e.g., −7 °C).
Special Issue on Smart Sustainable Manufacturing Systems
Authors: May Gökan , Kiritsis Dimitris
Published: May 2019

With the advent of disruptive digital technologies, companies are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities [...]
Fixed Point Theorems via α-ϱ-Fuzzy Contraction
Authors: Rome Badshah-e- , Sarwar Muhammad , Kumam Poom
Published: May 2019

Some well known results from the existing literature are extended and generalized via new contractive type mappings in fuzzy metric spaces. A non trivial supporting example is also provided to demonstrate the validity of the obtained results.
Distant Non-Obvious Mutations Influence the Activity of a Hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus furiosus Phosphoglucose Isomerase
Authors: Subramanian Kalyanasundaram , Mitusińska Karolina , Raedts John , Almourfi Feras , Joosten Henk-Jan , Hendriks Sjon , Sedelnikova Svetlana E. , Kengen Servé W. M. , Hagen Wilfred R. , Góra Artur , Martins dos Santos Vitor A. P. , Baker Patrick J. , van der Oost John , Schaap Peter J.
Published: May 2019

The cupin-type phosphoglucose isomerase (PfPGI) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus catalyzes the reversible isomerization of glucose-6-phosphate to fructose-6-phosphate. We investigated PfPGI using protein-engineering bioinformatics tools to select functionally-important residues based on correlated mutation analyses. A pair of amino acids in the periphery of PfPGI was found to be the dominant co-evolving mutation. The position of these selected residues was found to be non-obvious to conventional protein engineering methods. We designed a small smart library of variants by substituting the co-evolved pair and screened their biochemical activity, which revealed their functional relevance. Four mutants were further selected from the library for purification, measurement of their specific activity, crystal structure determination, and metal cofactor coordination analysis. Though the mutant structures and metal cofactor coordination were strikingly similar, variations in their activity correlated with their fine-tuned dynamics and solvent access regulation. Alternative, small smart libraries for enzyme optimization are suggested by our approach, which is able to identify non-obvious yet beneficial mutations.
In-depth Analysis of the Lid Subunits Assembly Mechanism in Mammals
Authors: Bai Minghui , Zhao Xian , Sahara Kazutaka , Ohte Yuki , Hirano Yuko , Kaneko Takeumi , Yashiroda Hideki , Murata Shigeo
Published: May 2019

The 26S proteasome is a key player in the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins, comprising a 20S core particle (CP) and a 19S regulatory particle (RP). The RP is further divided into base and lid subcomplexes, which are assembled independently from each other. We have previously demonstrated the assembly pathway of the CP and the base by observing assembly intermediates resulting from knockdowns of each proteasome subunit and the assembly chaperones. In this study, we examine the assembly pathway of the mammalian lid, which remains to be elucidated. We show that the lid assembly pathway is conserved between humans and yeast. The final step is the incorporation of Rpn12 into the assembly intermediate consisting of two modular complexes, Rpn3-7-15 and Rpn5-6-8-9-11, in both humans and yeast. Furthermore, we dissect the assembly pathways of the two modular complexes by the knockdown of each lid subunit.
Synergy between Ionic Liquids and CuCl2 in Gas–Liquid Phase Reactions of Acetylene Hydrochlorination
Authors: Yu Yi , Yue Yuxue , Wang Bolin , He Haihua , Hu Zhong-Ting , Zhao Jia , Li Xiaonian
Published: May 2019

We studied the acetylene hydrochlorination in gas–liquid phase reactions using ionic liquids (IL) as the reaction media and CuCl2 as the catalyst. The Cu-IL catalyst showed strong synergy between the IL and the Cu(II) active catalytic species. For [PrMIm]Cl, the Cu-IL catalyst exhibited significant enhancement of the catalytic activity in comparison with the CuCl2 catalyst supported on activated carbon and the IL alone as the catalyst. We have also performed DFT calculations of the reaction process, which provides a good explanation of our experimental results and for the synergetic effect. Our result suggests that ILs may be used to improve the activity of other metallic catalysts for the hydrochlorination reaction of acetylene.
Enhancement of Light Olefins Selectivity Over N-Doped Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Catalyst Supported on Activated Carbon Pretreated with KMnO4
Authors: Tian Zhipeng , Wang Chenguang , Si Zhan , Wen Chengyan , Xu Ying , Lv Wei , Chen Lungang , Zhang Xinghua , Ma Longlong
Published: May 2019

Ammonium iron citrate was used as an iron precursor in order to prepare N-doped catalysts supported on KMnO4 pretreated activated carbon (10MnK-AC). Iron nitride was synthesized in company with the formation of α-Fe2O3 on 10MnK-AC. The characterizations of the catalysts show that nitrogen atoms were doped into iron lattice rather than the networks of the carbon support. The performance of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to light olefins (FTO) suggest an improvement in O/P ratio (olefins to paraffins molar ratio of C2–C4) over the iron catalysts supported on 10MnK-AC. The further promotion of light olefins selectivity (up to 44.7%) was obtained over FeN-10MnK-AC catalyst owing to the collaborative contribution of the electron donor effect of nitrogen and the suppression effect on the second hydrogenation over 10MnK-AC support.
Long-Term Treatment Strategies of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis, Including the use of Disease Modifying Therapies
Authors: Rensel Mary
Published: May 2019

Multiple sclerosis (MS) presenting in the pediatric years can lead to landmark disability levels younger in life than adult onset MS and so therefore early and effective treatment remains paramount for long-term outcomes. The goals of MS therapeutics in adults have widened to address multiple mechanisms: anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and myelin repair, yet the optimal paradigm for MS therapies in the pediatric population is not known. Pediatric onset MS add complexities due to the ongoing development of the central nervous system and the immune system. Clinical trials have led to an increasing number of pharmaceutical therapies for adult onset MS (AOMS), one POMS randomized controlled trial is completed and other trials are ongoing, yet due to the low prevalence of POMS, the dynamic landscape and risk management of the MS disease modifying therapies (DMT) it remains more difficult to complete trials in POMS. There is consensus that controlled clinical trials leading to appropriate and safe therapies for POMS are important for a multitude of reasons that include unique pediatric pharmacokinetics, short and long-term safety, developmental issues, clinical benefits, and regulatory approval. This review will focus on new treatment goals, paradigm, strategies, monitoring, compliance, and products in the long-term treatment of POMS. The discussion will focus on these new concepts and the published data related to DMT use in POMS. This review provides significant insight into new concepts of treatment goals and current approaches to enhance the lives of the POMS patients now and in the future.
Complexity Analysis of Escher’s Art
Authors: Lopes António M. , Tenreiro Machado J. A.
Published: May 2019

Art is the output of a complex system based on the human spirit and driven by several inputs that embed social, cultural, economic and technological aspects of a given epoch. A solid quantitative analysis of art poses considerable difficulties and reaching assertive conclusions is a formidable challenge. In this paper, we adopt complexity indices, dimensionality-reduction and visualization techniques for studying the evolution of Escher’s art. Grayscale versions of 457 artworks are analyzed by means of complexity indices and represented using the multidimensional scaling technique. The results are correlated with the distinct periods of Escher’s artistic production. The time evolution of the complexity and the emergent patterns demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach for a quantitative characterization of art.
Efficiency of Average Treatment Effect Estimation When the True Propensity Is Parametric
Authors: Kim Kyoo il
Published: May 2019

It is well known that efficient estimation of average treatment effects can be obtained by the method of inverse propensity score weighting, using the estimated propensity score, even when the true one is known. When the true propensity score is unknown but parametric, it is conjectured from the literature that we still need nonparametric propensity score estimation to achieve the efficiency. We formalize this argument and further identify the source of the efficiency loss arising from parametric estimation of the propensity score. We also provide an intuition of why this overfitting is necessary. Our finding suggests that, even when we know that the true propensity score belongs to a parametric class, we still need to estimate the propensity score by a nonparametric method in applications.
On the Influence of Renewable Energy Sources in Electricity Price Forecasting in the Iberian Market
Authors: Aineto Diego , Iranzo-Sánchez Javier , Lemus-Zúñiga Lenin G. , Onaindia Eva , Urchueguía Javier F.
Published: May 2019

The mainstream of EU policies is heading towards the conversion of the nowadays electricity consumer into the future electricity prosumer (producer and consumer) in markets in which the production of electricity will be more local, renewable and economically efficient. One key component of a local short-term and medium-term planning tool to enable actors to efficiently interact in the electric pool markets is the ability to predict and decide on forecast prices. Given the progressively more important role of renewable production in local markets, we analyze the influence of renewable energy production on the electricity price in the Iberian market through historical records. The dependencies discovered in this analysis will serve to identify the forecasts to use as explanatory variables for an electricity price forecasting model based on recurrent neural networks. The results will show the wide impact of using forecasted renewable energy production in the price forecasting.
Integration of Different Individual Heating Scenarios and Energy Storages into Hybrid Energy System Model of China for 2030
Authors: Tahir Muhammad Faizan , Chen Haoyong , Javed Muhammad Sufyan , Jameel Irfan , Khan Asad , Adnan Saifullah
Published: May 2019

Traditional energy supply infrastructures are on the brink of facing a major transformation due to energy security concerns, environment pollution, renewable energy intermittency and fossil fuel scarcity. A hybrid energy system constitutes the integration of different energy carriers like electricity, heat and fuel which play a vital role in addressing the above challenges. Various technological options like combined heat and power, heat pumps, electrolysers and energy storages ease out multiple carrier integration in an energy hub to increase system flexibility and efficiency. This work models the hybrid energy system of China for the year 2030 by using EnergyPLAN. Atmosphere decarbonization is achieved by replacing conventional coal and natural gas boilers with alternative individual heating sources like hydrogen operated micro combined heat and power natural gas micro combined heat and power and heat pumps. Moreover, rockbed storage as well as single and double penstock pumped hydro storages are added in the proposed system in order to cope with the stochastic nature of intermittent renewable energy such as wind and solar photovoltaic. The technical simulation strategy is employed to analyze the optimal combination of energy producing components by determining annual costs, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The results substantiate that a heat pump and double penstock pumped hydro storage addition to the individual heating and electricity network not only proves to be an economically viable option but also reduces fuel consumption and emissions.
Effect of Different Zigzag Channel Shapes of PCHEs on Heat Transfer Performance of Supercritical LNG
Authors: Zhao Zhongchao , Zhou Yimeng , Ma Xiaolong , Chen Xudong , Li Shilin , Yang Shan
Published: May 2019

The channels of a printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) can have different shapes, and the zigzag channel shape is one of the most widely used because of the relatively simple manufacturing process and low cost. However, the heat transfer enhancement of a zigzag channel is at the expense of increasing the pressure drop. In this paper, new channel shapes of a PCHE, i.e., a zigzag with an inserted straight channel and a zigzag channel with radian, were numerically investigated, with the aim of improving the heat transfer and reducing the pressure drop of supercritical LNG using the SST κ-ω model. The local and total pressure drop and heat transfer performance of supercritical LNG in a zigzag channel, zigzags with 1–5 mm inserted straight channels, and a zigzag channel with radian were analyzed by varying the mass flow rate from 1.83 × 10−4 to 5.49 × 10−4 kg/s. Performance evaluation criteria (PEC) were applied to compare the overall heat transfer performance of the zigzags with 1–5 mm inserted straight channels and a zigzag channel with radian to the zigzag channel of a PCHE. The maximum pressure drop for the zigzag channel was twice the minimum pressure drop for the zigzag channel with radian, while the convective heat transfer coefficient of the zigzag with a 4 mm inserted straight channel was higher, which was 1.2 times that of the zigzag channel with radian with the smallest convective heat transfer coefficient. The maximum value of the PEC with 1.099 occurred at a mass flow rate of 1.83 × 10−4 kg/s for the zigzag with a 4 mm inserted straight channel, while the minimum value of the PEC with 1.021 occurred at a mass flow rate of 5.49 × 10−4 kg/s for the zigzag with a 1 mm inserted straight channel. The zigzag with a 4 mm inserted straight channel had the best performance, as it had a higher PEC value at lower mass flow rates.
Autonomous Demand-Side Current Scheduling of Parallel Buck Regulated Battery Modules
Authors: Jiang Yunfeng , Shrinkle Louis J. , de Callafon Raymond A.
Published: May 2019

This paper presents the algorithms, hardware overview and testing results for controlling discharge currents from mixed battery modules placed in a parallel configuration. Battery modules with different open-circuit voltage (OCV), internal impedance or even state of charge (SOC) between modules are usually used to form a battery pack. Parallel placed mixed battery modules are typically seen in second-life, repurposed or exchangeable battery systems to increase power and energy storage capacity of a battery pack in mobile, electric vehicle (EV) and stationary energy storage application. This paper addresses battery module heterogeneity by taking advantage of buck regulators on each battery module and formulating scheduling algorithms to dispatch the buck regulators to balance the current out of each battery module. In this way, mixed battery modules can be combined and coordinated to provide a balanced power flow and guarantee safety of the total battery pack. Both open-loop and closed-loop scheduling of buck regulated battery modules are analyzed in this paper. In the open-loop algorithm, buck regulator dispatch commands are computed based on full knowledge of the OCV and impedance of each battery module, while monitoring the load impedance. In the closed-loop algorithm, dispatch commands are generated automatically by a digital proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback controller for which battery module current reference signals are computed recursively while monitoring the load impedance. The closed-loop scheduling method is also validated through experimental work that simulates a battery pack with several parallel placed buck regulated battery modules. The experimental results illustrate that the current from each battery module can be rated based on the SOC of each module and that the current remains balanced, despite discrepancies between OCV and internal impedance between modules. The experimental results show that the closed-loop algorithm allows scheduling of buck regulated battery modules, even in the absence of knowledge on the variations of OCV and impedance between battery modules.
Uncertainy’s Indices Assessment for Calibrated Energy Models
Authors: González Vicente Gutiérrez , Colmenares Lissette Álvarez , Fidalgo Jesús Fernando López , Ruiz Germán Ramos , Bandera Carlos Fernández
Published: May 2019

Building Energy Models (BEMs) are a key element of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), and they are at the basis of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). The main goal of BEMs is to provide information for building stakeholders; they can be a powerful market tool to increase demand for energy efficiency solutions in buildings without affecting the comfort of users, as well as providing other benefits. The next generation of BEMs should value buildings in a holistic and cost-effective manner across several complementary dimensions: envelope performances, system performances, and controlling the ability of buildings to offer flexible services to the grid by optimizing energy consumption, distributed generation, and storage. SABINA is a European project that aims to look for flexibility to the grid, targeting the most economic source possible: existing thermal inertia in buildings. In doing so, SABINA works with a new generation of BEMs that tend to mimic the thermal behavior of real buildings and therefore requires an accurate methodology to choose the model that complies with the requirements of the system. This paper details our novel extensive research on which statistical indices should be chosen in order to identify the best model offered by the calibration process developed by Fernandez et al. in a previous paper and therefore is a continuation of that work.
Climate Effect on Ponderosa Pine Radial Growth Varies with Tree Density and Shrub Removal
Authors: Finley Kaelyn , Zhang Jianwei
Published: May 2019

With increasing temperatures and projected changes in moisture availability for the Mediterranean climate of northern California, empirical evidence of the long-term responses of forests to climate are important for managing these ecosystems. We can assess forest treatment strategies to improve climate resilience by examining past responses to climate for both managed and unmanaged plantations. Using an experimental, long-term density and shrub removal study of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson) on a poor-quality site with low water-holding capacity and high runoff of the North Coastal mountain range in California, we examined the relationships between radial growth and climate for these trees over a common interval of 1977–2011. Resistance indices, defined here as the ratio between current year radial growth and the performance of the four previous years, were correlated to climatic variables during the same years. We found that all treatments’ radial growth benefited from seasonal spring moisture availability during the current growing year. Conversely, high spring and early summer temperatures had detrimental effects on growth. High-density treatments with manzanita understories were sensitive to summer droughts while lower densities and treatments with full shrub removal were not. The explanatory power of the climate regression models was generally more consistent for the same shrub treatments across the four different densities. The resistance indices for the lower density and complete shrub removal treatment groups were less dependent on previous years’ climatic conditions. We conclude that, for ponderosa pine plantations with significant manzanita encroachment, understory removal and heavy thinning treatments increase subsequent growth for remaining trees and decrease sensitivity to climate.
Discriminating Urban Forest Types from Sentinel-2A Image Data through Linear Spectral Mixture Analysis: A Case Study of Xuzhou, East China
Authors: Zhou Xisheng , Li Long , Chen Longqian , Liu Yunqiang , Cui Yifan , Zhang Yu , Zhang Ting
Published: May 2019

Urban forests are an important component of the urban ecosystem. Urban forest types are a key piece of information required for monitoring the condition of an urban ecosystem. In this study, we propose an urban forest type discrimination method based on linear spectral mixture analysis (LSMA) and a support vector machine (SVM) in the case study of Xuzhou, east China. From 10-m Sentinel-2A imagery data, three different vegetation endmembers, namely broadleaved forest, coniferous forest, and low vegetation, and their abundances were extracted through LSMA. Using a combination of image spectra, topography, texture, and vegetation abundances, four SVM classification models were performed and compared to investigate the impact of these features on classification accuracy. With a particular interest in the role that vegetation abundances play in classification, we also compared SVM and other classifiers, i.e., random forest (RF), artificial neural network (ANN), and quick unbiased efficient statistical tree (QUEST). Results indicate that (1) the LSMA method can derive accurate vegetation abundances from Sentinel-2A image data, and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) was 0.019; (2) the classification accuracies of the four SVM models were improved after adding topographic features, textural features, and vegetation abundances one after the other; (3) the SVM produced higher classification accuracies than the other three classifiers when identical classification features were used; and (4) vegetation endmember abundances improved classification accuracy regardless of which classifier was used. It is concluded that Sentinel-2A image data has a strong capability to discriminate urban forest types in spectrally heterogeneous urban areas, and that vegetation abundances derived from LSMA can enhance such discrimination.
Self-Assessment of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in People with Ectodermal Dysplasia in Germany
Authors: Hanisch Marcel , Sielker Sonja , Jung Susanne , Kleinheinz Johannes , Bohner Lauren
Published: May 2019

Background: Ectodermal dysplasia describes a heterogeneous group of hereditary, congenital malformations involving developmental dystrophies of ectodermal structures. The aim of this study was to analyse the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in people with ectodermal dysplasia and to evaluate the influence of different variables. Methods: The study was designed as an anonymous epidemiological survey study among people with ectodermal dysplasia to evaluate oral symptoms, satisfaction with the health system and their respective OHRQoL using the validated German version of the OHIP-14 (Oral Health Impact Profile) questionnaire. Results: When asked about oral symptoms, 110 of the participants provided responses, of which 109 (99.09%) described oral symptoms. The average age of the female participants at the time of diagnosis was 17.02 years (range: 0 to 48 years), the average age of men was 5.19 years (range: 0 to 43 years). The average OHIP-14 overall score for female participants was 12.23 points (SD: 12.39), for male participants an average OHIP score of 11.79 points was recorded (SD: 11.08 points). Difficulty in finding a dentist (p = 0.001), and the dissatisfaction with the health system (p = 0.007) showed a negative impact on the OHRQoL. Conclusion: People with ectodermal dysplasia rate their OHRQoL worse than is usually prevalent in the normal German population (4.09 points); women are diagnosed with “ectodermal dysplasia” later than men. Participants who reported difficulties in finding a dentist for treatment exhibited higher OHIP values. Likewise, dissatisfaction with the health system demonstrated a negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life.
Rapid Sequestration of Ecosystem Carbon in 30-year Reforestation with Mixed Species in Dry Hot Valley of the Jinsha River
Authors: Gong Zhilian , Tang Ya , Xu Wenlai , Mou Zishen
Published: May 2019

Reforestation plays an important role in the carbon cycle and climate change. However, knowledge of ecosystem carbon sequestration through reforestation with mixed species is limited. Especially in dry hot valley of the Jinsha River, no studies cover total ecosystem carbon sequestration level in mature mixed plantations for a limited area of mixed plantations and difficulty in the sampling of plant roots and deep soil. In this study, carbon sequestration of seven mixed plantations of different ages in dry hot valley of the Jinsha River was investigated with analogous sites method. The results are as follows: 1) Deep soil organic carbon (SOC) storage significantly increased with stand age (p = 0.025), possibly due to fine root exudates and dissolved organic carbon transportation into deep soil and retention. 2) Total biomass carbon storage in the 30-year-old mixed plantation was 77.78 t C ha−1, 54 times reference wasteland and 9 times reference natural recovery shrub-grassland. However, total biomass carbon storage of 30-year-old mixed plantation was insignificantly lower than that of reference natural forest (p = 0.429). After 30 years of reforestation, plantation biomass carbon storage recovered to reference level, and its sequestration rate was 2.54 t C ha−1 yr−1. 3) The total ecosystem carbon storage of 30-year-old mixed plantation was 185.50 t C ha−1, 2.38 times reference wasteland, 2.29 times reference natural recovery shrub grassland, and 29% lower than reference natural forest. It indicated that niche complementary, good stand structure, and characteristics of dominant species Leucaena leucocephala in mixed plantations facilitate more rapid carbon sequestration, especially biomass carbon in the dry hot valley.
Comment on Schillberg, E., et al; Distribution of Ixodes scapularis in Northwestern Ontario: Results from Active and Passive Surveillance Activities in the Northwestern Health Unit Catchment Area. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 2225
Authors: Scott John
Published: May 2019

I am filing three errata pertaining to the article (Schillberg et al., 2018) [...]
Associations between Community Environmental-Level Factors and Diet Quality in Geographically Isolated Australian Communities
Authors: Wycherley Thomas P. , van der Pols Jolieke C. , Daniel Mark , Howard Natasha J. , O’Dea Kerin , Brimblecombe Julie K.
Published: May 2019

Remote Indigenous Australians experience disproportionately poor cardio-metabolic health, which is largely underpinned by adverse dietary intake related to social determinants. Little evidence exists about the community environmental-level factors that shape diet quality in this geographically isolated population group. This study aimed to explore the modifiable environmental-level factors associated with the features of dietary intake that underpin cardio-metabolic disease risk in this population group. Community-level dietary intake data were estimated from weekly store sales data collected throughout 2012 and linked with concurrent social, built, and physical environmental dimension data for 13 remote Indigenous Australian communities in the Northern Territory. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate associations. At the community level, store sales of discretionary foods were lower in communities with greater distance to a neighbouring store (r = −0.45 (p < 0.05)). Sales of sugar-sweetened beverages were lower in communities with higher levels of household crowding (r = −0.55 (p < 0.05)), higher levels of Indigenous unemployment (r = −0.62 (p = 0.02)), and greater distance to neighbouring stores (r = −0.61 (p = 0.004)). Modifiable environmental-level factors may be associated with adverse diet quality in remote Indigenous Australian communities and further investigations of these factors should be considered when developing policies to improve dietary intake quality in geographically isolated populations.
Risk Factors for Workplace Bullying: A Systematic Review
Authors: Feijó Fernando R. , Gräf Débora D. , Pearce Neil , Fassa Anaclaudia G.
Published: May 2019

Objective: The goal of this study was to systematically review risk factors for workplace bullying. Methods: The search was carried out in two databases. Studies with estimates of risk factors for workplace bullying were included in the review. We assessed the quality of the selected studies using an adapted version of the Downs and Black checklist. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines were used for reporting papers. Results: Fifty-one papers were included, and 70.6% were from European countries. Women were reported to be at higher risk of being bullied in most studies (odds ratio (OR) from 1.17 to 2.77). Authoritarian and laissez-faire leadership styles were positively associated with bullying. Several psychosocial factors, such as stress (OR from 1.37 to 4.96), and occupational risks related to work organization, such as flexible work methods, role conflict, role ambiguity, monotonous or rotating tasks, high demands, pressure of work, and unclarity of duties were strongly associated with bullying. Discussion: The findings highlight the central role of organizational factors in bullying. Policies to prevent bullying must address the culture of organizations, facing the challenge of developing a new management and leadership framework.
p63 at the Crossroads between Stemness and Metastasis in Breast Cancer
Authors: Gatti Veronica , Bongiorno-Borbone Lucilla , Fierro Claudia , Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli Margherita , Melino Gerry , Peschiaroli Angelo
Published: May 2019

After lung cancer, breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cause of cancer death among women, worldwide. Although advances in screening approaches and targeted therapeutic agents have decreased BC incidence and mortality, over the past five years, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains the breast cancer subtype that displays the worst prognosis, mainly due to the lack of clinically actionable targets. Genetic and molecular profiling has unveiled the high intrinsic heterogeneity of TNBC, with the basal-like molecular subtypes representing the most diffuse TNBC subtypes, characterized by the expression of basal epithelial markers, such as the transcription factor p63. In this review, we will provide a broad picture on the physiological role of p63, in maintaining the basal epithelial identity, as well as its involvement in breast cancer progression, emphasizing its relevance in tumor cell invasion and stemness.
Luteolin-7-O-β-d-Glucoside Inhibits Cellular Energy Production Interacting with HEK2 in Keratinocytes
Authors: Palombo Ramona , Caporali Sabrina , Falconi Mattia , Iacovelli Federico , Morozzo Della Rocca Blasco , Lo Surdo Alessandro , Campione Elena , Candi Eleonora , Melino Gerry , Bernardini Sergio , Terrinoni Alessandro
Published: May 2019

Flavonoids have been demonstrated to affect the activity of many mammalian enzyme systems. Their functional phenolic groups are able to mediate antioxidant effects by scavenging free radicals. Molecules of this class have been found able to modulate the activity of kinases, phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenase, glutathione S-transferase, and many others. Recently, it has been demonstrated that luteolin, in the form of Luteolin-7-O-β-d-glucoside (LUT-7G) is able to induce the keratinocyte differentiation process in vitro. This flavonoid is able to counteract the proliferative effects of IL-22/IL6 pathway by the inhibition of STAT3 activity also in vivo in a psoriatic mouse model. Observations on energy metabolism changes of differentiating cells led us to perform a complete metabolomics analysis using human primary keratinocytes treated with LUT-7G. Our results show that LUT-7G, is not only able to impair the nuclear translocation of STAT3, but it also blocks the energy metabolism pathway, depressing the glycolytic and Krebs pathway by the inhibition of hexokinase 2 activity. These data confirm that LUT-7G can be proposed as a potential candidate for the treatment of inflammatory and proliferative diseases, but its role as a hexokinase 2 (HEK2) inhibitor opens new perspectives in nutritional science, and especially in cancer therapy, in which the inhibition of the Warburg effect could be relevant.
New Polymeric Films with Antibacterial Activity Obtained by UV-induced Copolymerization of Acryloyloxyalkyltriethylammonium Salts with 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate
Authors: Galiano Francesco , Mancuso Raffaella , Guzzo Maria Grazia , Lucente Fabrizio , Gukelberger Ephraim , Losso Maria Adele , Figoli Alberto , Hoinkis Jan , Gabriele Bartolo
Published: May 2019

New polymeric films with antibacterial activity have been prepared, by simple UV-induced copolymerization of readily available ω-(acryloyloxy)-N,N,N-triethylalcan-1-aminium bromides (or acryloyloxyalkyltriethylammonium bromides, AATEABs) with commercially available 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), at different relative amounts. In particular, the antibacterial activity of polymeric films derived from 11-(acryloyloxy)-N,N,N-triethylundecan-1-aminium bromide (or acryloyloxyundecyltriethylammonium bromide, AUTEAB; bearing a C-11 alkyl chain linker between the acrylate polymerization function and the quaternary ammonium moiety) and 12-(acryloyloxy)-N,N,N-triethyldodecan-1-aminium bromide (or acryloyloxydodecyltriethylammonium bromide, ADTEB, bearing a C-12 alkyl chain linker) has been assessed against Gram-negative Escherichia Coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus cells. The results obtained have shown a clear concentration-dependent activity against both bacterial strains, the films obtained from homopolymerization of pure AUTEAB and ADTEAB being the most effective. Moreover, ADTEAB-based films showed a higher antibacterial activity with respect to the AUTEAB-based ones. Interestingly, however, both types of films presented a significant activity not only toward Gram-positive S. aureus, but also toward Gram-negative E. Coli cells.
Methylation Density Pattern of KEAP1 Gene in Lung Cancer Cell Lines Detected by Quantitative Methylation Specific PCR and Pyrosequencing
Authors: Fabrizio Federico , Sparaneo Angelo , Centra Flavia , Trombetta Domenico , Storlazzi Clelia , Graziano Paolo , Maiello Evaristo , Fazio Vito , Muscarella Lucia
Published: May 2019

Background. The KEAP1/NRF2 pathway is the key regulator of antioxidants and cellular stress responses, and is implicated in neoplastic progression and resistance of tumors to treatment. KEAP1 silencing by promoter methylation is widely reported in solid tumors as part of the complex regulation of the KEAP1/NRF2 axis, but its prognostic role remains to be addressed in lung cancer. Methods. We performed a detailed methylation density map of 13 CpGs located into the KEAP1 promoter region by analyzing a set of 25 cell lines from different histologies of lung cancer. The methylation status was assessed using quantitative methylation specific PCR (QMSP) and pyrosequencing, and the performance of the two assays was compared. Results. Hypermethylation at the promoter region of the KEAP1 was detected in one third of cell lines and its effect on the modulation KEAP1 mRNA levels was also confirmed by in vitro 5-Azacytidine treatment on lung carcinoid, small lung cancer and adenocarcinoma cell lines. QMSP and pyrosequencing showed a high rate of concordant results, even if pyrosequencing revealed two different promoter CpGs sub-islands (P1a and P1b) with a different methylation density pattern. Conclusions. Our results confirm the effect of methylation on KEAP1 transcription control across multiple histologies of lung cancer and suggest pyrosequencing as the best approach to investigate the pattern of CpGs methylation in the promoter region of KEAP1. The validation of this approach on lung cancer patient cohorts is mandatory to clarify the prognostic value of the epigenetic deregulation of KEAP1 in lung tumors.