bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainable IoT Sensing Applications Development through GraphQL-Based Abstraction Layer
Authors: Khan Raees , Noor Mian Adnan
Published: March 2020

Internet of Things (IoT) networks are mostly comprised of power-constrained devices, therefore the most important consideration in designing IoT applications, based on sensor networks is energy efficiency. Minor improvement in energy conservation methods can lead to a significant increase in the lifetime of IoT devices and overall network. To achieve efficient utilisation of energy, different solutions are proposed such as duty cycling optimization, design changes at the MAC layer, etc. In this paper, we propose a new approach to overcome this challenge in cloud-based IoT sensing applications, based on integration of an abstraction layer with constrained application mechanism. To achieve energy conservation and efficient data management in IoT sensing applications, we incorporate modules of efficient web framework with cloud services, in order to minimize the number of round trips for data delivery and graph-based data representation. Our study is the first attempt in the literature, to the best of our knowledge, which introduces the potential of this integration for achieving the aforementioned objectives in the target applications. We implemented the proposed interfacing of abstraction layer in constrained applications, to develop a testbed using Z1 IoT motes, Contiki OS and GraphQL web framework with Google cloud services. Experimental comparisons against baseline REST architecture approach show that our proposed approach achieved significant reductions in data delivery delay and energy consumption (minimum 51.53% and 52.88%, respectively) in IoT applications involving sensor network.
Iron Loss Minimization Strategy for Predictive Torque Control of Induction Motor
Authors: Karlovsky Pavel , Lipcak Ondrej , Bauer Jan
Published: March 2020

Today’s modern control strategies of an induction motor (IM) drive require a power source with an adjustable output voltage frequency and amplitude. The most commonly used converter topology is a two-level voltage-source inverter (VSI). However, the utilization of a VSI introduces additional voltage and current distortion, which leads to additional power losses in the machine’s magnetic circuit. Both the transistor switching frequency and the type of the inverter control determine the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the motor’s phase currents. In this paper, the influence of the inverter DC-link voltage on the iron losses of an IM controlled by a predictive torque control (PTC) is presented. It is shown that if the IM drive operates below the rated speed, it is possible to modify the PTC algorithm to reduce the additional iron losses caused by the non-harmonic inverter output voltage. The control of the DC-link voltage is achieved by using a silicon-controlled rectifier. Experiments were conducted on a 5.5 kW IM controlled by PTC, and the results are compared against a sinusoidal voltage supply created by a synchronous generator.
FQ-AGO: Fuzzy Logic Q-Learning Based Asymmetric Link Aware and Geographic Opportunistic Routing Scheme for MANETs
Authors: Alshehri Ali , Badawy Abdel-Hameed A. , Huang Hong
Published: March 2020

The proliferation of mobile and IoT devices, coupled with the advances in the wireless communication capabilities of these devices, have urged the need for novel communication paradigms for such heterogeneous hybrid networks. Researchers have proposed opportunistic routing as a means to leverage the potentials offered by such heterogeneous networks. While several proposals for multiple opportunistic routing protocols exist, only a few have explored fuzzy logic to evaluate wireless links status in the network to construct stable and faster paths towards the destinations. We propose FQ-AGO, a novel Fuzzy Logic Q-learning Based Asymmetric Link Aware and Geographic Opportunistic Routing scheme that leverages the presence of long-range transmission links to assign forwarding candidates towards a given destination. The proposed routing scheme utilizes fuzzy logic to evaluate whether a wireless link is useful or not by capturing multiple network metrics, the available bandwidth, link quality, node transmission power, and distance progress. Based on the fuzzy logic evaluation, the proposed routing scheme employs a Q-learning algorithm to select the best candidate set toward the destination. We implemented FQ-AGO on the ns-3 simulator and compared the performance of the proposed routing scheme with three other relevant protocols: AODV, DSDV, and GOR. For precise analysis, we considered various network metrics to compare the performance of the routing protocols. The simulation result validates our analysis and demonstrates remarkable performance improvements in terms of total network throughput, packet delivery ration, and end-to-end delay. FQ-AGO achieves up to 15%, 50%, and 45% higher throughput compared to DSDV, AODV, and GOR, respectively. Meanwhile, FQ-AGO reduces by 50% the end-to-end latency and the average number of hop-count.
Secure Information Transmission with Self Jamming SWIPT
Authors: Rajaram Akashkumar , Dinis Rui , Jayakody Dushnatha Nalin K. , Beko Marko
Published: March 2020

This article is focused on implementing simultaneous wireless information and power transmission as a physical layer security measure by using artificial noise. A series of high energy precoded symbols is simultaneously transmitted along with the information symbols over a Rayleigh frequency selective fading channel. The high energy precoded symbols act as an artificial noise for the eavesdroppers. The energy symbols are precoded on the basis of a legitimate user’s channel matrix to form a null space vector, which eliminates the interference of energy symbols at the information symbol receiver antennas, while allowing the rectenna to harvest energy from the superimposed information and energy symbols. We analyze the secrecy rate and error rate performance at the receiver under different circumstances, and we show that the performance of the legitimate user can be improved by using the iterative block decision feedback equalization method at the receiver.
Output Voltage Analysis of Inductive Wireless Power Ttransfer with Series LC and LLC Resonance Operations Depending on Coupling Condition
Authors: Yi KangHyun
Published: March 2020

This paper analyzes the output voltage of an inductive wireless power transfer (WPT) depending on coupling conditions. When the optimum efficiency and maximum output power are obtained, it is called critical coupling, so the receiving coil and the transmitting coil should be separated by a certain distance. When the distance between the transmitting coil and receiving coil is very short, it is called over coupling, and output power decreases with the optimal operating state of the critical coupling condition. To design the entire circuit system for the inductive WPT depending on the coupling condition, it is beneficial to analyze the output voltage according to a load variation, an input voltage, and an operating frequency. Therefore, the output voltage depending on the coupling condition in the inductive WPT is analyzed in this paper. The output voltage gain in critical coupling condition is greater than one and is not affected by a load variation by a series LC resonant operation. The reduced output power in an over coupling condition can be recovered by a series LLC resonant operation. In addition, the output voltage gain is almost one and is affected by the load variation in the over coupling condition. A 5W prototype is implemented with the wireless power consortium standard coils and experimental results are shown to verify theoretical analysis and operation.
Quantitative Estimation of Differentiated Mental Fatigue between Self-Rising Transfer and Multiple Welfare Robots-Assisted Rising Transfer
Authors: Zhao Donghui , Yang Junyou , Bai Dianchun , Okoye Martin Onyeka , Hiroshi Yokoi
Published: March 2020

The multi-robot system (MRS) and relevant control strategy are a potential and effective approach to assist people with weak motion capability for various forms of assisted living. However, the rising transfer, a frequent and strenuous behavior, and its human-robot interaction (HRI) process with MRS, especially mental state, has never been researched, although it directly determines the user experience and security. In this paper, Functional Near-InfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS), a brain imaging technique to perform a continuous measure of the mental state, is introduced to monitor the user’s mental fatigue when implementing a behavior transfer in two difficulty levels assisted by multiple welfare-robots. Twenty-five subjects performed self-rising transfer and multiple welfare robots-assisted rising transfer. After removing physiological noises, six features of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin (HbO and HbR, respectively) features, which included the mean, slope, variance, peak, skewness, and kurtosis, were calculated. To maximize the distinction of fNIRS between self-rising transfer and assisted-rising transfer (multiple welfare robots assisted rising transfer), the optimal statistical feature combination for linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classification was proposed. In addition, the classification accuracy is regarded as a standard to quantify the difference of mental states between two contrasting behaviors. By fitting the index, we established the mental fatigue model that grows exponentially as the workload increases. Finally, the mental fatigue model is applied to guide the nursing mode of caregivers and the control strategy of the MRS. Our findings disclose that the combinations containing mean and peak values significantly yielded higher classification accuracies for both HbO and HbR than the entire other combinations did, across all the subjects. They effectively quantify mental fatigue to provide an evaluation with a theoretical foundation for enhancing the user experience and optimizing the control strategy of MRS.
Epidemic and Timer-Based Message Dissemination in VANETs: A Performance Comparison
Authors: Spadaccino Pietro , Cuomo Francesca , Baiocchi Andrea
Published: March 2020

Data dissemination is among the key functions of Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs), and it has attracted much attention in the past decade. We address distributed, efficient, and scalable algorithms in the context of VANETs adopting the paradigm. We introduce an epidemic algorithm for message dissemination. The algorithm, named EPIC, is based on few assumptions, and it is very simple to implement. It uses only local information at each node, broadcast communications, and timers. EPIC is designed with the goal to reach the highest number of vehicles “infected” by the message, without overloading the network. It is tested on different scenarios taken from VANET simulations based on real urban environments (Manhattan, Cologne, Luxembourg). We compare our algorithm with a standard-based solution that exploits the contention-based forwarding component of the ETSI GeoNetworking protocol. On the other hand, we adapt literature based on a connected cover set to assess the near-optimality of our proposed algorithm and gain insight into the best selection of relay nodes as the size of the graph over which messages are spread scales up. The performance evaluation shows the behavior of EPIC and allows us to optimize the protocol parameters to minimize delay and overhead.
Partial Bicasting with Buffering for Proxy Mobile IPV6 Mobility Management in CoAP-Based IoT Networks
Authors: Gohar Moneeb , Anwar Sajid , Ali Moazam , Choi Jin-Ghoo , Alquhayz Hani , Koh Seok-Joo
Published: March 2020

Constrained application protocol (CoAP) can be used for message delivery in wireless sensor networks. Although CoAP-based proxy mobile internet protocol (PMIP) was proposed for mobility management, it resulted in handover delay and packet loss. Therefore, an enhanced PMIP version 6, with partial bicasting in CoAP-based internet of things (IoT) networks, is proposed. Here, when an IoT device moved into a new network, the corresponding mobile access gateway (MAG) updated the local mobility anchor (LMA) binding. Further, LMA initiated the “partial” bicasting of data packets to the new and the previous MAGs. The data packets were buffered at the new MAG during handover and were forwarded to Mobile Node (MN) after the handover operations. The proposed scheme was compared with the existing scheme, using ns-3 simulations. We demonstrated that the proposed scheme reduced handover delays, packet losses, end-to-end delay, throughput, and energy consumption, compared to the existing scheme.
The Influence of Different Levels of Cognitive Engagement on the Seated Postural Sway
Authors: Bibbo Daniele , Conforto Silvia , Schmid Maurizio , Battisti Federica
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we introduced and tested a new system based on a sensorized seat, to evaluate the sitting dynamics and sway alterations caused by different cognitive engagement conditions. An office chair was equipped with load cells, and a digital and software interface was developed to extract the Center of Pressure (COP). A population of volunteers was recruited to evaluate alterations to their seated posture when undergoing a test specifically designed to increase the cognitive engagement and the level of stress. Relevant parameters of postural sway were extracted from the COP data, and significant alterations were found in all of them, highlighting the ability of the system to capture the emergence of a different dynamic behavior in postural control when increasing the complexity of the cognitive engagement. The presented system can thus be used as a valid and reliable instrument to monitor the postural patterns of subjects involved in tasks performed in a seated posture, and this may prove useful for a variety of applications, including those associated with improving the quality of working conditions.
Effect of Sinkholes on Groundwater Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Karst Area in Abarkooh, Iran
Authors: Soldo Božo , Mahmoudi Sivand Siamak , Afrasiabian Ardalan , Đurin Bojan
Published: March 2020

Despite protection measurements and their natural position, groundwater resources are very vulnerable due to natural and anthropogenic impacts. This is especially emphasized in karst arid and semi-arid zones, due to increased requirements for water. Paper deals with the impacts of the sinkholes on groundwater quality on Abarkooh city in Iran. There are 28 sinkholes located in Abarkooh plain. The aims of the paper are to specify the characteristics and causes of sinkholes occurrence, as well as to specify the vulnerable areas and future development of sinkholes and their effect on the groundwater resources. Next step is defining of the original procedure for protection of groundwater resources in characteristic areas, as karst arid and semi-arid areas are. By taking into the account geological, hydrogeological and meteorological data, and finally through hydrogeochemical and geophysical analysis, final conclusions and recommendations for the protection of the groundwater resources are obtained. This has significant importance for water supply of the Abarkooh city in Iran. It should be noted that the mentioned methodology for the protection of groundwater resources could be applied in other arid and semi-arid areas.
Cell Wall Bulking by Maleic Anhydride for Wood Durability Improvement
Authors: He Mingming , Xu Dandan , Li Changgui , Ma Yuzhen , Dai Xiaohan , Pan Xiya , Fan Jilong , He Zaixin , Gui Shihan , Dong Xiaoying , Li Yongfeng
Published: March 2020

Wood is susceptible to swelling deformation and decay fungi due to moisture adsorption that originates from the dynamic nanopores of the cell wall and the abundant hydroxyl groups in wood components. This study employed as a modifier maleic anhydride (MAn), with the help of acetone as solvent, to diffuse into the wood cell wall, bulk nanopores, and further chemically bond to the hydroxyl groups of wood components, reducing the numbers of free hydroxyl groups and weakening the diffusion of water molecules into the wood cell wall. The derived MAn-bulked wood, compared to the control wood, presented a reduction in water absorptivity (RWA) of ~23% as well as an anti-swelling efficiency (ASE) of ~39% after immersion in water for 228 h, and showed an improvement in decay resistance of 81.42% against white-rot fungus and 69.79% against brown-rot fungus, respectively. The method of combined cell wall bulking and hydroxyl group bonding could effectively improve the dimensional stability and decay resistance with lower doses of modifier, providing a new strategy for wood durability improvement.
A Systematic Map of Agroforestry Research Focusing on Ecosystem Services in the Asia-Pacific Region
Authors: Shin Seongmin , Soe Khaing Thandar , Lee Haeun , Kim Tae Hoon , Lee Seongeun , Park Mi Sun
Published: March 2020

Agroforestry is an intensive land management system that integrates trees into land already used for crop and animal farming. This provides a diverse range of ecosystem services by bridging the gaps between agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry. It is an important approach to improve the environmental, economic, and social benefits of complex social–ecological systems in the Asia-Pacific region. This paper aims to examine the research trends in agroforestry and the current state of knowledge, as well as the research gaps in the ecosystem services of agroforestry in this region. A systematic mapping methodology was applied, where analysis units were academic articles related to agroforestry practices in the Asia-Pacific region. The articles published between 1970 and 2018 were collected through the international specialized academic database, SCOPUS. They were coded according to the types of agroforestry practices and ecosystem services. The research result indicates silvorable systems, especially plantation crop combinations, tree management, habitats for species, biological controls, and maintenance of genetic diversity and gene-pools, are the most prominent in the agroforestry research from the Asia-Pacific region. Approximately 60% of all research articles include case studies from India, China, Indonesia, and Australia. Research on agroforestry has changed following the international discourse on climate change and biodiversity. Therefore, this systematic map improves our understanding of the nature, volume, and characteristics of the research on ecosystem services with regard to agroforestry in the Asia-Pacific region. It provides scholars with a springboard for further meta-analysis or research on agroforestry and ecosystem services.
Profitability and Efficiency of Forest Contractors in Slovakia—Comparison of Mountain and Lowland Regions
Authors: Kovalčík Miroslav
Published: March 2020

The paper deals with analysis of the forest business sector in Slovakia and the evaluation of profitability and efficiency of forest contractors, with special focus on mountain and lowland regions. Evaluation of profitability was done by using selected indicators of financial analyses for a period of five years. Data envelopment analyses (DEA) was used as non-parametric approach for the assessment of efficiency. The sample size was 153 forest contractors. Data for 2012–2016 were processed. Results of the evaluation show that the profitability of Slovak forest contractors in the mountain regions is higher than the profitability of forest contractors in lowland regions. The results of the efficiency analysis were different due to the nature of the method; where relative efficiency was evaluated, the efficiency of single contractors was compared with the most efficient contractors from the lowland regions. Most of the evaluated units were, according to results of the efficiency analysis scale, ineffective, which implies that it may be beneficial for most contractors to reduce their turnover and thereby increase their relative efficiency. The results of the financial analysis also suggests that contractors have obsolete technical and technological equipment.
Valuation of the Economic Benefits from Using Genetically Improved Forest Reproductive Materials in Afforestation
Authors: Marcu Nicu , Budeanu Marius , Apostol Ecaterina Nicoleta , Radu Raul Gheorghe
Published: March 2020

The research objective was to demonstrate the economic impact of using, in afforestation, forest reproductive materials (FRMs) obtained from seed trees selected in the most valuable Norway spruce populations of the FGRs’ (forest genetic resources’) category. The values obtained for the main growth traits (diameter at breast height (Dbh), tree height (Th), and tree volume (Tv)), both in the FGR and in the closest population (with the same age and growth in similar environmental conditions), were compared. Three comparative trials were analyzed, each belonging to different breeding levels: Open-pollinated (Breţcu, 40 years old), half-sib (Măneciu, 25 years), and full-sib (Comandău, 23 years). The difference in volume/hectare between the FGR and an unimproved neighbor population was economically quantified (€), based on the average price per cubic meter (m3) of spruce wood in Romania; the profit at the end of the rotation period (110 years) was projected taking into account the genetic gain that will result from the use of FRM collected from the FGRs. The average FGR growth results were superior to the unimproved neighbor populations, with 8%–13%, 14%–25%, and 26%–79% for Dbh, Th, and volume/ha, respectively, and the differences increased if the best 10% seed trees of the trials were used. For Th, a five times higher family mean heritability was registered for the pendula trees (compared to pyramidalis) in the half-sib trial, while in the full-sib experiment, the pendula trees (both full and half pendula) again registered higher heritability, but for Dbh, which recommends the pendula selection for different traits in the two trials. These results have led to a rate of profitability between 540 and 3366 €/ha, a value that is predicted to increase until the end of the rotation period, when the genetic gain could generate a profit of 7560 €/ha.
Salmon Louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer)) Control Methods and Efficacy in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar (Linnaeus)) Aquaculture: A Literature Review
Authors: Cerbule Kristine , Godfroid Jacques
Published: March 2020

The salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) causes problems in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture in the Northern Hemisphere, because infestations can result in both a loss of production and in fish mortality. Several types of treatment have been used to control louse infestations, but these have seen varying success. The aim of this review is to examine the efficacy and safety of commonly used treatments (chemical, biological, mechanical, and preventive measures) as documented in peer-reviewed publications. Efficacy is assessed in relation to a reduction in numbers of lice, and safety is assessed as a lack of negative treatment-associated effects on fish health and welfare (Atlantic salmon and/or cleaner fish). Most chemical treatments showed decreasing efficacy over time, together with the use of increasing concentrations as a result of the development of resistance to the treatments by lice. The need for a restrictive use of pesticides to preserve treatment efficacy has been emphasized. The use of cleaner fish was suggested to be effective, with few or no negative effects towards Atlantic salmon. The use of cleaner fish would be preferable to chemical treatment if the farmed fish health and welfare criteria are met. At present, the number of peer-reviewed publications relating to other forms of treatment and prevention are sparse.
Investigation of Gel Properties of Novel Cryo-Clay-Silica Polymer Networks
Authors: Berg Patrik , Prowald Carsten Dieter , Kuckling Dirk
Published: March 2020

Several methods to increase the mechanical and swelling properties of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gels are known. In this study different methods were combined to systematically alter the gel properties. The combination of nanocomposite and cryo gels as well as silica post modification was used to modulate the gel strength. This new cryo-clay-silica gel based on N-isopropylacrylamide was investigated in respect to degree of swelling, kinetic of thermo responsive behavior and tensile strength. Here, the properties of new cryo-clay-silica gel were compared with properties of clay-, silica-clay and cryo-clay gels.
Mothering in Hindsight: Troubling Time(s)
Authors: Lavelle Marie
Published: March 2020

This article draws on a small-scale study that explored the (re)configuring, (re)turning and (re)working of the experiences of mothering as seen from a position of looking back in hindsight. Temporality is implicated in several ways within this paper, deeply entwined and constantly shifting. Researching past events, experiences and emotions that appear in a location not of the present is problematic, especially when time is conceptualised chronologically. Making sense of past experiences of mothering in the present exposed parenting as not necessarily something that can be detached from the past or as an experience that lies in the past, but rather something where the past is very much present. Here, Barad’s diffractive methodologies, along with the work of Bennett, on new materialism is utilised to explore the temporal nature of mothering. Nine mothers whose children were aged 18–30 were asked “what do you wish you had known then that you know now about being a parent?” Objects kept from when their children were young were initially used to mobilise the temporal and the affective. However, the study itself, the journeys to mothers’ homes, the interviews, the pen, paper, recordings, photos and the files that stand waiting to be reached and the objects mothers brought have become entwined. This is also true for the new entanglements and engagements with post-humanist theory that unearthed themselves to me in the journey to this point in the process. The paradoxical nature of time evident in the narratives women shared, continued to shape early parenting experiences of how mothers perceived themselves through the constant (re)visiting, (re)evaluating and (re)analysing of these experiences is simultaneously reflected in the spacetimemattering of doing this research.
The New Educational Pastorate: Link Workers, Pastoral Power and the Pedagogicalisation of Parenting
Authors: Fretwell Nathan
Published: March 2020

Home-school relations, home learning and parental engagement are prominent educational policy issues, constituting one aspect of a wider parenting support agenda that has suffused the landscape of social policy over the last two decades. This article examines a parenting support initiative distinctive for its use of link workers in mobilising ‘hard to reach’ parents to engage more effectively with their children’s education. Drawing on qualitative data gathered during the evaluation of the initiative, the article frames link worker–parent interactions as a form of everyday government and pastoral power. Link workers constitute a new educational pastorate; through friendship, care and control they exercise pastoral power over parents. Building on recent research into the role of ‘pastors’ in producing neoliberal subjectivities within the National Health Service, the article foregrounds their efforts to foster responsible, self-disciplined agency in parents. Link workers, it is argued, contribute to a responsibilisation and pedagogicalisation of the family, which has produced new figures of mothering/parenting, reconfigured the meaning of the home and extended the scope of state intervention into family life.
Pets that Have ‘Something Inside’: The Material Politics of in/Animacy and Queer Kin within the Childhood Menagerie
Authors: Hohti Riikka , Osgood Jayne
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we seek to unsettle and extend understandings of what constitutes the contemporary family in Western minority world society and consider the material politics that follow from such a reconceptualization. We do this by offering a situated exploration into the caring relations and shared biographies that routinely evolve between children, other than human animals and toys within the family home. An emergent field of scholarship (Hohti and Tammi 2019; Taylor 2011; Malone 2015) reveals child–animal relations to be charged with various pedagogical and ideological assumptions, which we argue are partly exported to the relations that form between children and their toys. We undertake a close examination of the relationalities between humans and a range of toys as a means to explore the ways in which care and liveliness materialize in childhood play and what this means for our conceptualizations of ‘the family’. We put to work the idea of queer worlding (Haraway 2008; Osgood and Andersen 2019) and animacy (Chen 2012) alongside Puig de la Bellacasa’s (2017, 2011) feminist ethics of care. We then specifically focus on the materiality of robotic toys to illustrate some crucial connectivities and erasures to examine how the queer human–animal and animate–inanimate boundaries are reworked and negotiated in childhood play. These processes create a shift in understanding what matters in children’s lives and how materiality and affective forces co-constitute the posthuman family. This paper engages critically with the ambivalences and tensions that emerge within the domestic menagerie and extend to a planetary scale in ways that are inherently political.
Introduction: Reimagining ‘Childhood, Motherhood, Family and Community’
Authors: Osgood Jayne , Henward Allison Sterling
Published: March 2020

This Special Issue acknowledges genealogy as a critical method and mode for tracing power-laden, taken-for-granted assumptions about childhood, motherhood, family and community [...]
Plant Fetish: A Creative Challenge to Mental Health Stigma
Authors: Qasim Salma , McKeown Mick , Kunda Chanje , Wainwright John Peter , Khan Roxanne
Published: March 2020

People of BAMME (Black, Asian, Minority, and Migrant ethnic) heritage in the UK experience various anomalies when engaging with mental health services. Typically concentrated at secondary and secure levels of care, these discrepant experiences interact with a reticence to uptake mental health support at the primary care level. Official, national anti-stigma campaigns often reproduce messages that do not connect with BAMME communities, raising questions about how best to challenge stigma in this context. This research paper describes a case study of an alternative means to address stigma, drawing from a dramatic comedy performance, Plant Fetish, written and performed by an artist who carries a diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (Complex PTSD). The study comprised of an individual interview with the artist, audience feedback, and a group discussion conducted after the show. Data were subject to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings are discussed in relation to the importance of using creativity to increase public awareness of mental health and inform efforts to reduce stigma. We conclude that such approaches show promise and merit further exploration in a context of growing discursive interest in mental health amidst acknowledged deficiencies of contemporary anti-stigma efforts, especially as they apply to BAMME people, their families, and their communities.
Lava Flow Roughness on the 2014–2015 Lava Flow-Field at Holuhraun, Iceland, Derived from Airborne LiDAR and Photogrammetry
Authors: Aufaristama Muhammad , Höskuldsson Ármann , Ulfarsson Magnus Orn , Jónsdóttir Ingibjörg , Thordarson Thorvaldur
Published: March 2020

Roughness can be used to characterize the morphologies of a lava flow. It can be used to identify lava flow features, provide insight into eruption conditions, and link roughness pattern across a lava flow to emplacement conditions. In this study, we use both the topographic position index (TPI) and the one-dimensional Hurst exponent (H) to derive lava flow unit roughness on the 2014–2015 lava field at Holuhraun using both airborne LiDAR and photogrammetric datasets. The roughness assessment was acquired from four lava flow features: (1) spiny lava, (2) lava pond, (3) blocky surface, and (4) inflated channel. The TPI patterns on spiny lava and inflated channels show that the intermediate TPI values correspond to a small surficial slope indicating a flat and smooth surface. Lava pond is characterized by low to high TPI values and forms a wave-like pattern. Meanwhile, irregular transitions patterns from low to high TPI values indicate a rough surface that is found in blocky surface and flow margins. The surface roughness of these lava features falls within the H range of 0.30 ± 0.05 to 0.76 ± 0.04. The roughest surface is the blocky, and inflated lava flows appear to be the smoothest surface among these four lava units. In general, the Hurst exponent values in the 2014–2015 lava field at Holuhraun has a strong tendency in 0.5, both TPI and Hurst exponent successfully derive quantitative flow roughness.
Assessment of Equity in Access to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Centres in Poland
Authors: Rój Justyna , Jankowiak Maciej
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this study is to analyse the disparities in the distribution of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centres in Poland and the impact of eventual inequities on access to the invasive treatment of acute myocardial infarctions (AMI). To examine the distribution of PCI centres against population size and geographic size in Poland, the Gini coefficient calculated based on the Lorenz Curve was engaged. In addition, the regression function was employed to estimate the impact of distribution of PCI centres on access to invasive procedures (coronarographies and primary percutaneous coronary intervention). Data were collected from the public statistical system and Polish National Health Fund database for the year 2018. The relation and the level of equity was measured based on the aggregated data at a district (voivodeship) level. The results of the Gini coefficient analysis show that the distribution of invasive cardiology units measured against population size is more equitable than when measured against geographic size. In addition, the regression analysis shows the moderate size of the positive correlation between number of PCI centres per 100,000 population and the number of all categories of the invasive treatment of AMI per 100,000 population, and the lack of similar correlation in case of the number of PCI centres expressed per 1000 km2, which could be evidence of an insufficiency of PCI centres in areas where the concentration of PCI centres per 100,000 population is lower. The main implication for policy makers that results from this research is the need for a correction of PCI centres distribution per 100,000 inhabitants to ensure better access to invasive procedures.
Status of Quality Control for Laboratory Tests of Medical Institutions in Korea: Analysis of 10 Years of Data on External Quality Assessment Participation
Authors: Kim Hyeongsu , Kim Sollip , Yun Yeo-Min , Um Tae-Hyun , Chang Jeonghyun , Lee Kun Sei , Chun Sail , Cho Kyu-Dong , Han Tae-Hwa
Published: March 2020

External quality assessment (EQA) is a commonly used tool to track the performance of laboratory tests. In Korea, EQA participation is not mandatory, and even basic data about EQA participation are not available. We used data of a 10-year period extracted from two databases (2009–2018): (1) the database of the National Health Insurance Service to calculate the number of medical institutions that claimed health insurance benefits, and (2) the database of the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service to calculate the number of medical institutions participating in EQA. The proportion of institutions that made claims for the performance of laboratory testing throughout the 10 years were 73.6%–76.0% for clinics, 91.9%–97.5% for long-term care hospitals, 97.9%–99.5% for small to medium hospitals, 99.6%–100% for general hospitals, and 100% for tertiary hospitals. The mean EQA participation rate of institutions that performed laboratory testing for the 10 years was 1.9% for clinics, 3.1% for long-term care hospitals, 27.7% for small to medium hospitals, 96.6% for general hospitals, and 100% for tertiary hospitals. The mean EQA participation of clinics, long-term care hospitals, and small to medium hospitals are increasing but is still not sufficient. Regulatory approaches are needed to increase participation rates. This result would be used for health policymaking on the quality improvement of laboratory tests.
The Effect of Monophasic Pulsed Current with Stretching Exercise on the Heel Pain and Plantar Fascia Thickness in Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Alotaibi Abdullah , Petrofsky Jerrold , Daher Noha S. , Lohman Everett , Syed Hasan M. , Lee Haneul
Published: March 2020

Plantar fasciitis (PF) is one of the most common causes of heel and foot pain. Monophasic pulsed current (MPC) is an electrical stimulation used to accelerate the healing processes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of MPC and MPC combined with plantar fascia stretching exercises (SE) on heel pain and plantar fascia thickness in treatment of PF and see if there is any relationship between heel pain and plantar fascia thickness after intervention. Forty-four participants diagnosed with PF were randomly assigned to two group; MPC group or MPC combined with plantar fascia SE. Plantar fascia thickness was measured with musculoskeletal ultrasound. Although no statistical differences between the two groups were found, heel pain and the plantar fascia thickness significantly decreased in both groups after the intervention (p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between changes in heel pain and plantar fascia thickness after 4 weeks of treatment. Our results indicated that MPC can reduce heel pain and plantar fascia thickness caused by PF. However, MPC combined with plantar fascia SE is not superior to MCP only in terms of reduction in heel pain and plantar fascia thickening.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis of China’s Prevention and Control Strategy for the COVID-19 Epidemic
Authors: Wang Jia , Wang Zhifeng
Published: March 2020

This study used the Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O) and Threats (T) (SWOT) analysis method, drawing on our experience of the response to the 2003 SARS epidemic, the 2019 China Health Statistics Yearbook data, and changes in China’s policy environment for the pneumonia epidemic response relating to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, to perform a systematic analysis of the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control strategy S, W, O, and T, with a further analysis of a strategic foundation and to determine a significant and relative strategy. We assessed and formulated strength-opportunity (SO), weakness-opportunity (WO), strength-threat (ST), and weakness-threat (WT) strategies for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic. We conducted an in-depth analysis and identified the highest-priority policies. These are: reshaping the emergency system (SO1); adding health emergency departments to universities and other institutions (WO2); adjusting the economic structure and strengthening international and domestic linkages (ST2); and strengthening public intervention in responding to public health emergencies (WT1).
The Effect of the Promotion of Vegetables by a Social Influencer on Adolescents’ Subsequent Vegetable Intake: A Pilot Study
Authors: Folkvord Frans , de Bruijne Manouk
Published: March 2020

Marketers have found new ways of reaching adolescents on social platforms. Previous studies have shown that advertising effectively increases the intake of unhealthy foods while not so much is known about the promotion of healthier foods. Therefore, the main aim of the present experimental pilot study was to examine if promoting red peppers by a popular social influencer on social media (Instagram) increased subsequent actual vegetable intake among adolescents. We used a randomized between-subject design with 132 adolescents (age: 13–16 y). Adolescents were exposed to an Instagram post by a highly popular social influencer with vegetables (n = 44) or energy-dense snacks (n = 44) or were in the control condition (n = 44). The main outcome was vegetable intake. Results showed no effect of the popular social influencer promoting vegetables on the intake of vegetables. No moderation effects were found for parasocial interaction and persuasion knowledge. Bayesian results were consistent with the results and supported evidence against the effect of the experimental condition. Worldwide, youth do not consume the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, making it important to examine if mere exposure or different forms of food promotion techniques for healthier foods are effective in increasing the intake of these foods.
CB-Art Interventions Implemented with Mental Health Professionals Working in a Shared War Reality: Transforming Negative Images and Enhancing Coping Resources
Authors: Segal-Engelchin Dorit , Achdut Netta , Huss Efrat , Sarid Orly
Published: March 2020

Research on mental health professionals (MHPs) exposed to a shared war reality indicates that they are subject to emotional distress, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, and vicarious trauma. This article focuses on a CB-ART (cognitive behavioral and art-based) intervention implemented during the 2014 Gaza conflict with 51 MHPs who shared war-related experiences with their clients. The intervention included drawing pictures related to three topics: (1) war-related stressors, (2) coping resources, and (3) integration of the stressful image and the resources drawing. The major aims of the study were (1) to examine whether significant changes occurred in MHP distress levels after the intervention; (2) to explore the narratives of the three drawing and their compositional characteristics; and (3) to determine which of selected formats of the integrated drawing and compositional transformations of the stressful image are associated with greater distress reduction. Results indicate that MHP distress levels significantly decreased after the intervention. This stress-reducing effect was also reflected in differences between the compositional elements of the ‘stress drawing’ and the ‘integrated drawing,’ which includes elements of resources. Reduced distress accompanied compositional transformations of the stressful image. MHPs can further use the easily implemented intervention described here as a coping tool in other stressful situations.
How Teachers Deal with Cases of Bullying at School: What Victims Say
Authors: Rigby Ken
Published: March 2020

Student victims of peer bullying (n = 223) in 25 coeducational Australian schools answered a questionnaire to provide accounts of how their school responded to their requests for help. In addition, respondents indicated how severely they were emotionally impacted by the bullying and whether the bullying was perpetrated by an individual or by a group. The reported outcomes from the intervention indicated that in 67% of cases the bullying stopped or was reduced. In cases where the emotional impact was reported as relatively severe, the school interventions were less successful. In addition, reportedly being bullied relatively often by groups, as distinct from individuals, was independently predictive of a less positive outcome. Among girls, but not boys, younger students reported more satisfactory outcomes. Implications are suggested for more effective interventions in cases of bullying.
Getting Old Well in Sub Saharan Africa: Exploring the Social and Structural Drivers of Subjective Wellbeing among Elderly Men and Women in Uganda
Authors: Rishworth Andrea , Elliott Susan J. , Kangmennaang Joseph
Published: March 2020

While literature attempts to explain why self-reported subjective wellbeing (SWB) generally increases with age in most high-income countries based on a social determinants of a health framework, little work attempts to explain the low levels of self-report SWB among older persons in sub-Saharan Africa. Using the 2013 Uganda Study on Global Aging and Health with 470 individuals, this research examines (i) direct and indirect effects of age on SWB through social and structural determinants, and (ii) how direct and indirect effects vary by gender. Results show a significant direct and negative effect of age on SWB (β = 0.42, p = 0.01). Six indirect paths were statistically significant and their indirect effects on wellbeing varied by gender. Providing support, education, working status, asset level, financial status and financial improvement were significantly positively associated with men’s SWB, whereas younger age, providing community support, participating in group activities, number of close friends/relatives, government assistance and all socio-economic variables were significantly positively associated with women’s SWB. Strategies to address gendered economic, social and political inequalities among and between elderly populations are urgently needed.
The Influence of Map Projections on People’s Global-Scale Cognitive Map: A Worldwide Study
Authors: Lapon Lieselot , Ooms Kristien , De Maeyer Philippe
Published: March 2020

Map projections are required to represent the globe on a flat surface, which always results in distorted representations of the globe. Accordingly, the world maps we observe in daily life contexts, such as on news sites, in news bulletins, on social media, in educational textbooks or atlases, are distorted images of the world. The question raises if regular contact with those representations of the world deforms people’s global-scale cognitive map. To analyze people’s global-scale cognitive map and if it is influenced by map projections, a short playful test was developed that allowed participants to estimate the real land area of certain regions, countries, and continents. More than 130,000 people worldwide participated. This worldwide dataset was used to perform statistical analyses in order to obtain information on the extent that map projections influence the accuracy of people’s global-scale cognitive map. The results indicate that the accuracy differs with the map projection but not to the extent that one’s global-scale cognitive map is a reflection of a particular map projection.
Skewness-Based Partitioning in SpatialHadoop
Authors: Belussi Alberto , Migliorini Sara , Eldawy Ahmed
Published: March 2020

In recent years, several extensions of the Hadoop system have been proposed for dealing with spatial data. SpatialHadoop belongs to this group of projects and includes some MapReduce implementations of spatial operators, like range queries and spatial join. the MapReduce paradigm is based on the fundamental principle that a task can be parallelized by partitioning data into chunks and performing the same operation on them, (map phase), eventually combining the partial results at the end (reduce phase). Thus, the applied partitioning technique can tremendously affect the performance of a parallel execution, since it is the key point for obtaining balanced map tasks and exploiting the parallelism as much as possible. When uniformly distributed datasets are considered, this goal can be easily obtained by using a regular grid covering the whole reference space for partitioning the geometries of the input dataset; conversely, with skewed distributed datasets, this might not be the right choice and other techniques have to be applied. for instance, SpatialHadoop can produce a global index also by means of a Quadtree-based grid or an Rtree-based grid, which in turn are more expensive index structures to build. This paper proposes a technique based on both a box counting function and a heuristic, rooted on theoretical properties and experimental observations, for detecting the degree of skewness of an input spatial dataset and then deciding which partitioning technique to apply in order to improve as much as possible the performance of subsequent operations. Experiments on both synthetic and real datasets are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.