bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plant Community Structure within a Reclamation Field Trial and Forested Reference Sites in a Post-Mine Environment
Authors: Rapai Sean B. , Collis Brianna , Henry Thomas , Lyle Kimberly , Newmaster Steven G. , Raizman Veronika , Hanner Robert H.
Published: June 2021

Early successional plant community assemblage within a reclamation field trial at the Detour Lake Mine in northeastern Ontario is assessed, and compared with reference forested and historically reclaimed sites. The reclamation field trial examines eight amendment treatment combinations that include treatments with a winter kill cover crop of oats, fertilizer, biosolids, peat, and combinations thereof. The objectives of this study are to: (1) Investigate how soil amendments influence plant functional group establishment and growth in mine overburden; and (2) Explore the amendment properties that best support the establishment and growth of a plant community that resembles the baseline reference sites. Currently, the presence of non-native species and a dominant woody plant community explains the largest proportion of variance between the forested upland and lowland reference sites and all reclaimed sites. Similar to non-native species, graminoids were absent from the upland forested reference sites. The difference in the graminoid community explains much of the variance between the forested reference sites and all reclaimed sites. The cumulative additions of fertilizer and peat increased alpha diversity of non-native and graminoid plants within the amendment treatments, which had greater alpha diversity of these plant functional groups than the forested reference sites. Within the amendment treatments, non-native and graminoid alpha diversity was initially greater in the nutrient treatments, but by 2019 there was no significant difference in non-native or graminoid alpha diversity between amendment treatments. The results indicate that applications of nutrients through fertilizer or biosolids may increase graminoid alpha diversity and abundance within reclamation units in year 1. The results also confirm that the vascular plant community composition present within the historically reclaimed sites and amendment treatments does not resemble the forested reference sites. The plant community present within the amendment treatment sites is best described as early successional, with the presence of non-native herbaceous legumes dominating the historically reclaimed sites. Despite this, the results indicate that fertilizer and biosolids-based treatments have developed a vascular plant community, excluding woody species that is more similar to the forested reference sites than the peat-based treatments. Further research and long-term monitoring are needed to determine which amendment treatment will best support a plant community that resembles the forested reference sites. In addition, future studies of this nature might consider including wildfire affected and post-harvested forest stands as additional reference sites, to better capture possible plant community trajectories of a severely disturbed environment.
Breeding Polyploid Varieties of Acacia: Reproductive and Early Growth Characteristics of the Allotetraploid Hybrid (Acacia mangium × A. auriculiformis) in Comparison with Diploid Progenitors
Authors: Le Son , Griffin Rod A. , Harwood Christopher E. , Vaillancourt René E. , Harbard Jane L. , Price Aina , Nghiem Chi Quynh , Koutoulis Anthony , Nguyen Kien Duc
Published: June 2021

Diploid clones of the hybrid acacia (Acacia mangium × A. auriculiformis) are widely planted in Vietnam because of their high productivity, adaptability, and commercial wood yields. Polyploid breeding offers possibilities for further enhancing hybrid vigor and generating new high value genotypes. In a field trial, we compared three diploid hybrid clones with their respective colchicine-induced tetraploid lines. Flowering and seed production of each cytotype were observed and open pollinated seed collected for determination of outcrossing rate and ploidy, inbreeding depression and marker inheritance in the progeny. Comparisons are also made with published characteristics of autotetraploids derived from A. mangium. Compared with their corresponding diploid cytotypes, the allotetraploids flowered slightly later but more intensely; produced the same number of seeds per pod but larger seeds; and showed a greatly reduced level of outcrossing (an average of 14% compared with 87%). Inbreeding depression for height growth was less for progeny from the allotetraploid lines (17%) than for those from the original diploids (33%). 96% of seeds from the allotetraploid clones were also tetraploid, but we observed triploids at low frequency at both the seed and field progeny stages. The segregation of the molecular markers in outcrossed allotetraploid progenies demonstrated both disomic and tetrasomic inheritance, indicating that the hybrid behaves as a segmental allotetraploid. Results suggest that an open pollinated breeding strategy is a practical option for improving polyploid acacia hybrids.
An Intelligent System to Ensure Interoperability for the Dairy Farm Business Model
Authors: Cretan Adina , Nica Cristina , Coutinho Carlos , Jardim-Goncalves Ricardo , Bratu Ben
Published: June 2021

Picking reliable partners, negotiating synchronously with all partners, and managing similar proposals are challenging tasks for any manager. This challenge is even harder when it concerns small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who need to deal with short budgets and evident size limitations, often leading them to avoid handling very large contracts. This size problem can only be mitigated by collaboration efforts between multiple SMEs, but then again this brings back the initially stated issues. To address these problems, this paper proposes a collaborative negotiation system that automates the outsourcing part by assisting the manager throughout a negotiation. The described system provides a comprehensive view of all negotiations, facilitates simultaneous bilateral negotiations, and provides support for ensuring interoperability among multiple partners negotiating on a task described by multiple attributes. In addition, it relies on an ontology to cope with the challenges of semantic interoperability, it automates the selection of reliable partners by using a lattice-based approach, and it manages similar proposals by allowing domain experts to define a satisfaction degree for each SME. To showcase this method, this research focused on small and medium-size dairy farms (DFs) and describes a negotiation scenario in which a few DFs are able to assess and generate proposals.
Towards Lightweight URL-Based Phishing Detection
Authors: Butnaru Andrei , Mylonas Alexios , Pitropakis Nikolaos
Published: June 2021

Nowadays, the majority of everyday computing devices, irrespective of their size and operating system, allow access to information and online services through web browsers. However, the pervasiveness of web browsing in our daily life does not come without security risks. This widespread practice of web browsing in combination with web users’ low situational awareness against cyber attacks, exposes them to a variety of threats, such as phishing, malware and profiling. Phishing attacks can compromise a target, individual or enterprise, through social interaction alone. Moreover, in the current threat landscape phishing attacks typically serve as an attack vector or initial step in a more complex campaign. To make matters worse, past work has demonstrated the inability of denylists, which are the default phishing countermeasure, to protect users from the dynamic nature of phishing URLs. In this context, our work uses supervised machine learning to block phishing attacks, based on a novel combination of features that are extracted solely from the URL. We evaluate our performance over time with a dataset which consists of active phishing attacks and compare it with Google Safe Browsing (GSB), i.e., the default security control in most popular web browsers. We find that our work outperforms GSB in all of our experiments, as well as performs well even against phishing URLs which are active one year after our model’s training.
Analysis of the Thermal Behavior of a New Structure of Protected Agriculture Established in a Region of Tropical Climate Conditions
Authors: Villagrán Edwin , Rodriguez Andrea
Published: June 2021

Determining airflow patterns and their effect on the distribution of microclimate variables such as temperature is one of the most important activities in naturally ventilated protected agricultural structures. In tropical countries, this information is used by farmers and decision makers when defining climate management strategies and for crop-specific cultural work. The objective of this research was to implement a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model in 3D to determine the aerodynamic and thermal behavior of a new protected agricultural structure established in a warm climate region in the Dominican Republic. The numerical evaluation of the structure was carried out for the hours of the daytime period (6–17 h), the results found allowed to define that the CFD model generates satisfactory predictions of the variables evaluated. Additionally, it was found that airflow patterns are strongly affected by the presence of porous insect screens, which generate moderate velocity flows (<0.73 m s−1) inside the structure. It was also identified that the value of the average temperature inside the structure is directly related to the air flows, the level of radiation and the temperature of the outside environment.
Forensic Expertise Based on Findings through Postmortem Mammography Imaging
Authors: Sablone Sara , Maselli Roberto , Leggio Alessia , Calvano Mariagrazia , Leonardelli Mirko , Carravetta Francesco , Cazzato Gerardo , De Donno Antonio , Lattanzio Vincenzo , Introna Francesco
Published: June 2021

In forensic cases where standard macroscopic examination and conventional radiological analysis are inconclusive, mammography can be a useful technique. This applies especially when bodies are found in an advanced state of decomposition, with the dissolution of the soft tissues, and with fragile skeletal structures. This study proposes the use of soft X-rays (i.e., mammography) in particular cases for forensic evaluation, with specific regard to the cause of death, age estimation, and body identification. Here we report three cases in which mammography was particularly useful to obtain fundamental medico-legal information. The first case involved a body that had reached the mummification stage, the second a woman who died from asphyxiation by strangulation, and the last a charred femur found in a field. Mammography uses low-energy X-rays. This technique provides increased image quality through better contrast and higher definition. In the first case, it highlighted a complete fracture of the thyroid cartilage; in the second, it revealed a complete fracture of the horn of the hyoid bone; in the last, it showed rarefaction of the reticular substance of the charred bone. As shown in this study, in selected cases, mammography is a useful tool for post-mortem imaging.
Clinical Evidence for the Importance of the Wild-Type PRPF31 Allele in the Phenotypic Expression of RP11
Authors: Roshandel Danial , Thompson Jennifer A. , Heath Jeffery Rachael C. , Zhang Dan , Lamey Tina M. , McLaren Terri L. , De Roach John N. , McLenachan Samuel , Mackey David A. , Chen Fred K.
Published: June 2021

PRPF31-associated retinopathy (RP11) is a common form of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) that exhibits wide variation in phenotype ranging from non-penetrance to early-onset RP. Herein, we report inter-familial and intra-familial variation in the natural history of RP11 using multimodal imaging and microperimetry. Patients were recruited prospectively. The age of symptom onset, best-corrected visual acuity, microperimetry mean sensitivity (MS), residual ellipsoid zone span and hyperautofluorescent ring area were recorded. Genotyping was performed using targeted next-generation and Sanger sequencing and copy number variant analysis. PRPF31 mutations were found in 14 individuals from seven unrelated families. Four disease patterns were observed: (A) childhood onset with rapid progression (N = 4), (B) adult-onset with rapid progression (N = 4), (C) adult-onset with slow progression (N = 4) and (D) non-penetrance (N = 2). Four different patterns were observed in a family harbouring c.267del; patterns B, C and D were observed in a family with c.772_773delins16 and patterns A, B and C were observed in 3 unrelated individuals with large deletions. Our findings suggest that the RP11 phenotype may be related to the wild-type PRPF31 allele rather than the type of mutation. Further studies that correlate in vitro wild-type PRPF31 allele expression level with the disease patterns are required to investigate this association.
Legacy of Human Impact on Geomorphic Processes in Mountain Headwater Streams in the Perspective of European Cultural Landscapes
Authors: Galia Tomáš
Published: June 2021

Mountain headwater streams are still somewhat on the boundary of interest regarding possible human impact on their morphology or geomorphic processes, which may be caused by our perception of mountains as islands of relatively preserved natural conditions. This paper summarizes the past and present human pressure on the headwater streams that drain the highest mountain ranges of the Outer Western Carpathians in Czechia. Anthropogenic pressure began in this region in the 16th century during a colonization of the mountains and continued by timber harvesting, timber floating, and construction of torrent control works until present. Each of these interventions produced a morphological response of the channels in relation to altered sediment or water fluxes at the whole catchment scale or within longitudinal stream profiles. Because it is highly unlikely to reach pre-settlement conditions of the channels, the management effort should be concentrated to achieve realistic restoration targets under the present socioeconomic circumstances by taking into consideration the morphodynamical specifics of mountain headwater streams.
Associating Climatic Trends with Stochastic Modelling of Flow Sequences
Authors: Patidar Sandhya , Tanner Eleanor , Soundharajan Bankaru-Swamy , SenGupta Bhaskar
Published: June 2021

Water is essential to all lifeforms including various ecological, geological, hydrological, and climatic processes/activities. With the changing climate, associated El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events appear to stimulate highly uncertain patterns of precipitation (P) and evapotranspiration (EV) processes across the globe. Changes in P and EV patterns are highly sensitive to temperature (T) variation and thus also affect natural streamflow processes. This paper presents a novel suite of stochastic modelling approaches for associating streamflow sequences with climatic trends. The present work is built upon a stochastic modelling framework (HMM_GP) that integrates a hidden Markov model (HMM) with a generalised Pareto (GP) distribution for simulating synthetic flow sequences. The GP distribution within the HMM_GP model aims to improve the model’s efficiency in effectively simulating extreme events. This paper further investigated the potential of generalised extreme value distribution (GEV) coupled with an HMM model within a regression-based scheme for associating the impacts of precipitation and evapotranspiration processes on streamflow. The statistical characteristic of the pioneering modelling schematic was thoroughly assessed for its suitability to generate and predict synthetic river flow sequences for a set of future climatic projections, specifically during ENSO events. The new modelling schematic can be adapted for a range of applications in hydrology, agriculture, and climate change.
Factors Associated with Smoking Behaviors in Out-of-School Youth: Based on an Ecological Model
Authors: Song Hye-Young , Yang Sook-Ja
Published: June 2021

Purpose: To investigate the association between smoking behavior in out-of-school youths (OSY) and individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors through an ecological model. Methods: Participants were 297 OSY aged 13–18 years, who visited J area’s counseling center. The independent variables were self-control (intrapersonal factor), parental attachment and social network (interpersonal factors), and exposure to no-smoking policy (community factor). The dependent variable was smoking. Descriptive statistics, χ2-tests, correlation analyses, and logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: The predictors of smoking in OSY were analyzed using demographic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community factors. Period after discontinuation of school, self-control, parental attachment, and friends’ smoking behavior were significant predictors. Smoking behavior was found to decrease when the period after discontinuation of school was over than one year, when the parents attachment increased and when self-control increased. Conversely, smoking increased when friends’ smoking increased. Conclusions: When administering smoking prevention programs for OSY, parental attachment and psychological traits, such as self-control, should be taken into consideration. Therefore, for effective results, such programs need to strengthen self-control, stress the importance of parental attachment through parent education, and enroll adolescents along with their friends who smoke. Implications and Contribution: Based on an ecological model, this descriptive survey, conducted to investigate the association between smoking behavior among out-of-school youths and individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors, proposes that smoking prevention programs should consider parental attachment and psychological traits, including self-control, for optimal effectiveness.
The Acute Effects of Exercise and Temperature on Regional mtDNA
Authors: McGlynn Mark L. , Schnitzler Halee , Shute Robert , Ruby Brent , Slivka Dustin
Published: June 2021

A reduced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, the ratio of mitochondrial DNA to genomic DNA (mtDNA:gDNA), has been linked with dysfunctional mitochondria. Exercise can acutely induce mtDNA damage manifested as a reduced copy number. However, the influence of a paired (exercise and temperature) intervention on regional mtDNA (MINor Arc and MAJor Arc) are unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the acute effects of exercise in cold (7 °C), room temperature (20 °C), and hot (33 °C) ambient temperatures, on regional mitochondrial copy number (MINcn and MAJcn). Thirty-four participants (24.4 ± 5.1 yrs, 87.1 ± 22.1 kg, 22.3 ± 8.5 %BF, and 3.20 ± 0.59 L·min−1 VO2peak) cycled for 1 h (261.1 ± 22.1 W) in either 7 °C, 20 °C, or 33 °C ambient conditions. Muscle biopsy samples were collected from the vastus lateralis to determine mtDNA regional copy numbers via RT-qPCR. mtDNA is sensitive to the stressors of exercise post-exercise (MIN fold change, −1.50 ± 0.11; MAJ fold change, −1.70 ± 0.12) and 4-h post-exercise (MIN fold change, −0.82 ± 0.13; MAJ fold change, −1.54 ± 0.11). The MAJ Arc seems to be more sensitive to heat, showing a temperature-trend (p = 0.056) for a reduced regional copy number ratio after exercise in the heat (fold change −2.81 ± 0.11; p = 0.019). These results expand upon our current knowledge of the influence of temperature and exercise on the acute remodeling of regional mtDNA.
9/11 Health Update
Authors: Cone James E. , Santiago-Colón Albeliz , Lucchini Roberto
Published: June 2021

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is dedicated to increasing the scientific information available about the long-term effects of exposure to the 2001 World Trade Center disaster [...]
Influence of Stabilization Techniques Used in the Treatment of Low Back Pain on the Level of Kinesiophobia
Authors: Filipczyk Przemysław , Filipczyk Karolina , Saulicz Edward
Published: June 2021

The aim of this study was to try to compare the effectiveness of manual therapy techniques in combination with stabilization techniques: the so-called Australian method and the Neurac method in relation to pain sensations and the level of kinesiophobia. A total of 69 people were examined, divided into three groups of 23 people each. The Visual Analogue Scale was used to assess the antalgic effect, and the Kinesiophobia Causes Scale questionnaire was used to assess the level of kinesiophobia. Patients improved over four weeks, during which they were assessed three times. The evaluation of the desired parameters was also performed over a 24-week period to assess long-term performance. Stabilization techniques are an effective extension of manual therapy techniques in patients with low back pain. People in the groups additionally improved in terms of stabilization techniques, which are characterized by a lower level of kinesiophobia. Its lowest level was found in the group additionally improved with the Neurac method. In the long-term study, the level of kinesiophobia in this group was still maintained at a reduced level. The use of stabilization techniques involving patients in action may significantly affect the level of kinesiophobia, and thus have a much wider effect than just pain reduction.
Perspectives, Measurability and Effects of Non-Contact Biofield-Based Practices: A Narrative Review of Quantitative Research
Authors: Matos Luís Carlos , Machado Jorge Pereira , Monteiro Fernando Jorge , Greten Henry Johannes
Published: June 2021

Practices such as “Reiki”, therapeutic touch, healing touch, and external “Qigong” have been regarded as some form of “energy medicine” or “biofield therapy”. The biofield concept has been studied and debated by researchers of distinct areas of expertise, and although the phenomenon was sometimes described as physically related to electromagnetics, other factors such as “subtle energy” and focused intention might be involved. These nonconventional practices integrate contact and non-contact techniques, and those dealing with so-called distant healing interventions are perhaps the most difficult to understand and accept. Practitioners describe these so-called nonlocal interventions as involving intentional factors and particular states of consciousness. With a spiritual mindset and a particular state of awareness, compassion is said to work out as a catalyst to produce physiological and physical changes through mechanisms that are still unknown. At the body level, these vegetative changes might be related to individual self-perception variations as part of the body neurovegetative feedback system of regulation. Further mechanisms are difficult to document and measure, and might be more accessible to research by using physical signal detectors, chemical dynamics methods, detectors using biological materials, detectors using living sensors, and detectors using the human body. The growing interest in these practices and the considerable amount of research exploring their effects and clinical applications encouraged this narrative review, which aims to provide an easy to consult partial overview of the history, theory and findings of quantitative research strategies exploring non-contact biofield-based practices. This work also aims to stimulate the reader’s mind with the raised hypotheses, catalyzing further research on the subject to confirm or deny the reported outcomes.
Chronological Age, Somatic Maturation and Anthropometric Measures: Association with Physical Performance of Young Male Judo Athletes
Authors: Giudicelli Bruno B. , Luz Leonardo G. O. , Sogut Mustafa , Sarmento Hugo , Massart Alain G. , Júnior Arnaldo C. , Field Adam , Figueiredo António J.
Published: June 2021

Sport for children and adolescents must consider growth and maturation to ensure suitable training and competition, and anthropometric variables could be used as bio-banding strategies in youth sport. This investigation aimed to analyze the association between chronological age, biologic maturation, and anthropometric characteristics to explain physical performance of young judo athletes. Sixty-seven judokas (11.0–14.7 years) were assessed for anthropometric and physical performance. Predicted adult stature was used as a somatic maturation indicator. A Pearson’s bivariate correlation was performed to define which anthropometric variables were associated with each physical test. A multiple linear hierarchical regression was conducted to verify the effects of age, maturity, and anthropometry on physical performance. The regression models were built with age, predicted adult stature, and the three most significantly correlated anthropometric variables for each physical test. Older judokas performed better in most of the physical tests. However, maturation attenuated the age effect in most variables and significantly affected upper body and handgrip strength. Anthropometric variables attenuated age and maturity and those associated with body composition significantly affected the performance in most tests, suggesting a potential as bio-banding strategies. Future studies should investigate the role of anthropometric variables on the maturity effect in young judokas.
The Importance of Spirituality for Women Facing Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Leão Diva Cristina Morett Romano , Pereira Eliane Ramos , Pérez-Marfil María Nieves , Silva Rose Mary Costa Rosa Andrade , Mendonça Angelo Braga , Rocha Renata Carla Nencetti Pereira , García-Caro María Paz
Published: June 2021

Breast cancer remains significantly distressing and produces profound changes in women’s lives. Spirituality is an important resource at the time of diagnosis and treatment decisions. This qualitative study aimed to explore the spiritual experience of women diagnosed with breast cancer and the considerations of spirituality in health care using the existential phenomenology approach. The sampling procedure was intentional, based on the study’s exclusion and inclusion criteria. Forty women participated in individual interviews. The research was conducted in the outpatient clinic of a reference federal university hospital in South-Eastern Brazil. Throughout the research process, ethical principles were carefully followed. Five themes were identified: (1) meaning of spirituality–source of spiritual strength, (2) well-being in the relationship with God, (3) well-being in religious fellowship, (4) values and purpose of life–meaning in life, and (5) spirituality as a foundation to continue. Respect for patient’s spiritual values was recognised as a fundamental principle in health care. Spirituality was revealed as a source of support during the complex process of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Thus, health care professionals that value and encourage spirituality are needed, favouring better patient response to the diagnosis.
Influence of Airline Cabin Crew Members’ Rapport-Building Behaviors and Empathy toward Colleagues on Team Performance, Organizational Atmosphere, and Irregularity
Authors: Park Jungyi , Hyun Sunghyup Sean
Published: June 2021

Expanding on the literature on rapport-building behavior within the airline industry, this study analyzed the influence of rapport-building behaviors (uncommonly attentive behavior, common-grounding behavior, courteous behavior, connecting behavior, and information-sharing behavior) on cabin crew members’ empathy toward their colleagues. We also analyzed the effect of empathy on variables such as team performance, organizational atmosphere, and instances of irregularity. We analyzed 230 samples obtained from an online questionnaire and convenience sampling of full-service domestic and international carriers in South Korea. A structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that uncommonly attentive behavior, courteous behavior, connecting behavior, and information-sharing behavior showed a positive effect on empathy among colleagues, which in turn positively influenced team performance, organizational atmosphere, and possible irregularities. Moreover, we found that the presence of participants’ closest colleagues within the same team did not moderate the relationship between rapport-building and empathic behavior between airline crew members. Our study has important implications for crew members’ dignity and protection from emotional labor while working in high-pressure environments. Our findings can be used to revise the airline industry’s crew management guidelines and improve the crew’s psychological health and quality of life.
Brominated Flame Retardants in Children’s Room: Concentration, Composition, and Health Risk Assessment
Authors: Bannan Douha , Ali Nadeem , Alhakamy Nabil A. , Alfaleh Mohamed A. , Alharbi Waleed S. , Rashid Muhammad Imtiaz , Rajeh Nisreen , Malarvannan Govindan
Published: June 2021

Children spend most of their daily time indoors. Many of the items used indoors, such as furniture, electronics, textile, and children toys, are treated with chemicals to provide longevity and fulfil the safety standards. However, many chemicals added to these products are released into the environment during leaching out from the treated products. Many studies have reported brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in indoor environments; however, few have focused on environments specified for young children. In this study, paired air (PM10) and dust samples were collected from the rooms (n = 30) of Saudi children. These samples were analyzed for different congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and three important alternative flame retardants using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 209) was the most important analyzed BFR in dust and PM10 samples with a median value of 3150 ng/g of dust and 75 pg/m3. This indicates the wider application of BDE 209 has implications for its occurrence, although its use has been regulated for specified uses since 2014. Among alternative BFRs, 2-Ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB), Bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), and 1,2-Bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) were found with a median levels of 10, 15 and 8 ng/g of dust, respectively. However, alternative BFRs were present in <50% of the PM10 samples. The calculated long term and daily exposures via indoor dust and PM10 of Saudi children from their rooms were well below the respective reference dose (RfD) values. Nonetheless, the study highlights BDE 209 at higher levels than previously reported from household dust in Saudi Arabia. The study warrants further extensive research to estimate the different classes of chemical exposure to children from their rooms.
Auditory Processing Disorders in Elderly Persons vs. Linguistic and Emotional Prosody
Authors: Rasmus Anna , Błachnio Aleksandra
Published: June 2021

Background: Language communication, which is one of the basic forms of building and maintaining interpersonal relationships, deteriorates in elder age. One of the probable causes is a decline in auditory functioning, including auditory central processing. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the profile of central auditory processing disorders in the elderly as well as the relationship between these disorders and the perception of emotional and linguistic prosody. Methods: The Right Hemisphere Language Battery (RHLB-PL), and the Brain-Boy Universal Professional (BUP) were used. Results: There are statistically significant relationships between emotional prosody and: spatial hearing (r(18) = 0.46, p = 0.04); the time of the reaction (r(18) = 0.49, p = 0.03); recognizing the frequency pattern (r(18) = 0.49, p = 0.03 (4); and recognizing the duration pattern (r(18) = 0.45, p = 0.05. There are statistically significant correlations between linguistic prosody and: pitch discrimination (r(18) = 0.5, p = 0.02); recognition of the frequency pattern (r(18) = 0.55, p = 0.01); recognition of the temporal pattern; and emotional prosody (r(18) = 0.58, p = 0.01). Conclusions: The analysis of the disturbed components of auditory central processing among the tested samples showed a reduction in the functions related to frequency differentiation, the recognition of the temporal pattern, the process of discriminating between important sounds, and the speed of reaction. De-automation of the basic functions of auditory central processing, which we observe in older age, lowers the perception of both emotional and linguistic prosody, thus reducing the quality of communication in older people.
Computational Intelligence-Based Model for Mortality Rate Prediction in COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Khan Irfan Ullah , Aslam Nida , Aljabri Malak , Aljameel Sumayh S. , Kamaleldin Mariam Moataz Aly , Alshamrani Fatima M. , Chrouf Sara Mhd. Bachar
Published: June 2021

The COVID-19 outbreak is currently one of the biggest challenges facing countries around the world. Millions of people have lost their lives due to COVID-19. Therefore, the accurate early detection and identification of severe COVID-19 cases can reduce the mortality rate and the likelihood of further complications. Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) models have been shown to be effective in the detection and diagnosis of several diseases, including COVID-19. This study used ML algorithms, such as Decision Tree (DT), Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and DL model (containing six layers with ReLU and output layer with sigmoid activation), to predict the mortality rate in COVID-19 cases. Models were trained using confirmed COVID-19 patients from 146 countries. Comparative analysis was performed among ML and DL models using a reduced feature set. The best results were achieved using the proposed DL model, with an accuracy of 0.97. Experimental results reveal the significance of the proposed model over the baseline study in the literature with the reduced feature set.
Structural Topic Model Analysis of Mask-Wearing Issue Using International News Big Data
Authors: Lee Kyeo Re , Kim Byungjun , Nan Dongyan , Kim Jang Hyun
Published: June 2021

Media plays an important role in the acquisition of health information worldwide. This was particularly evident in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic. Relatedly, it is practical and desirable for people to wear masks for health, fashion, and religious regions. However, depending on cultural differences, people naturally accept wearing a mask, or they look upon it negatively. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread mask-wearing mandates worldwide. In the case of COVID-19, wearing a mask is strongly recommended, so by analyzing the news data before and after the spread of the epidemic, it is possible to see how the direction of crisis management is being structured. In particular, by utilizing big data analysis of international news data, discourses around the world can be analyzed more deeply. This study collected and analyzed 58,061 international news items related to mask-wearing from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020. The collected dataset was compared before and after the World Health Organization’s pandemic declaration by applying structural topic model analysis. The results revealed that prior to the declaration, issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak were emphasized, but afterward, issues related to movement restrictions, quarantine management, and local economic impacts emerged.
Job Competency and Intention to Stay among Nursing Assistants: The Mediating Effects of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Job Satisfaction
Authors: Chang Yu-Chia , Yeh Te-Feng , Lai I-Ju , Yang Cheng-Chia
Published: June 2021

This study investigated the influences of nursing assistants’ job competency on their intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction and intention to stay in the profession of long-term care institutions. Understanding the relationship between job competency and job satisfaction, both intrinsic and extrinsic, would enable institutions to strengthen service workers’ intention to stay and to retain essential personnel. This study was a cross-sectional study in which nursing assistants from 26 nursing homes and 15 elderly welfare institutions in Taiwan. The relationship between job competency and intention to stay was discovered to be significantly mediated by intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. Given the staff shortages and difficulty retaining staff in long-term care environments, organizations must be able to strengthen employees’ intention to stay; one suggestion is to improve the employees’ competency, because higher competency results in higher quality of care and greater extrinsic job satisfaction. Furthermore, greater job competency is more likely to result in affirmation and accomplishment, both of which increase intrinsic job satisfaction and thus positively influence intention to stay.
Atypical Sensory Processing and Its Correlation with Behavioral Problems in Late Preterm Children at Age Two
Authors: Chen Yu-Chin , Tsai Wen-Hui , Ho Chung-Han , Wang Hsuan-Wen , Wang Lan-Wan , Wang Lin-Yu , Wang Hsin-Hua , Hwang Yea-Shwu
Published: June 2021

This study aimed to compare the prevalence rate of atypical sensory processing in late preterm (LP) and term children at two years of age and to further investigate the co-occurrence of atypical sensory processing and behavioral problems (internalizing/externalizing) in both groups of children. A total of 104 children (52 LP and 52 sex- and birth order-matched term children) were included. The primary caregivers were asked to complete the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile—Chinese version and the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5Y—Chinese version (CBCL-C/1.5-5). We found that the LP group had a similar prevalence rate of atypical sensory processing to the term group. However, neonatal intensive care unit experience (r = −0.356, p = 0.013, with visual processing) and days of ventilation and supplementary oxygen (r = −0.392, p = 0.004, with low registration) after birth were significantly correlated with the atypical sensory processing of LP children. Both LP and term children with behavioral problems seemed to have a higher prevalence rate of atypical sensory processing than their peers without behavioral problems. However, when Bonferroni correction was used to control for the statistical errors of multiple comparisons, only in the LP group did the co-occurrence of atypical sensory processing (auditory and oral sensory processing and sensation avoiding) and behavioral problems reach significance. In conclusion, the influence of late preterm birth on sensory processing may become subtle at age two, with the exception of those LP children experiencing complicated medical management after birth. A high level of co-occurrence of atypical sensory processing and behavioral problems suggests that the administration of a sensory processing assessment may be helpful to clarify the cause of problematic behavior and to recommend an appropriate intervention for LP children with behavioral problems.
A Convenient and Low-Cost Model of Depression Screening and Early Warning Based on Voice Data Using for Public Mental Health
Authors: Chen Xin , Pan Zhigeng
Published: June 2021

Depression is a common mental health disease, which has great harm to public health. At present, the diagnosis of depression mainly depends on the interviews between doctors and patients, which is subjective, slow and expensive. Voice data are a kind of data that are easy to obtain and have the advantage of low cost. It has been proved that it can be used in the diagnosis of depression. The voice data used for modeling in this study adopted the authoritative public data set, which had passed the ethical review. The features of voice data were extracted by Python programming, and the voice features were stored in the format of CSV files. Through data processing, a big database, containing 1479 voice feature samples, was generated for modeling. Then, the decision tree screening model of depression was established by 10-fold cross validation and algorithm selection. The experiment achieved 83.4% prediction accuracy on voice data set. According to the prediction results of the model, the patients can be given early warning and intervention in time, so as to realize the health management of personal depression.
Comprehensive Evaluation of the GF-4 Satellite Image Quality from 2015 to 2020
Authors: Yi Wei , Wang Yuhao , Zeng Yong , Wang Yaqin , Xu Jianfei
Published: June 2021

GaoFen-4(GF-4) is the highest spatial resolution Earth observation satellite operating in geosynchronous orbit. Its fixed Earth observation location, rapid responsiveness, and wide observation range make it popular in disaster and emergency monitoring. To evaluate the GF-4 image quality in detail on a long-term basis, this study analyzes the image quality after the commissioning phase by focusing on ground sample distance (GSD) and geometric and radiometric quality. The theoretical calculation, geometric and radiometric measurements, and on-site experiments results show that (1) the GSD of the GF-4 image is ~50 m at the nadir point and increases gradually with the distance away from the nadir point, (2) most external geometric errors are within the design requirements of 4 km despite some exceeding the limit, and the internal geometric errors are tested within 1 pixel, and (3) image sharpness is generally stable but varies with the atmosphere condition and imaging time, and the radiometric response gradually degrades at the rate of less than 5.5% per year.
Heterogeneity of Spatial Distribution and Factors Influencing Unattended Locker Points in Guangzhou, China: The Case of Hive Box
Authors: Liu Song , Liu Ying , Zhang Rongrong , Cao Yongwang , Li Ming , Zikirya Bahram , Zhou Chunshan
Published: June 2021

Hive Box is a company that operates a network of express unattended collection and delivery points (UCDPs) in China. Hive Box distribution enhances community-based end-to-end delivery services and low-carbon city logistics. It is argued that UCDPs compared with attended collection and delivery points (ACDPs) should be considered for further investigation. Therefore, the present study employed kernel density estimation, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and geographically weighted regression to investigate the spatial heterogeneity of Hive Box distribution across Guangzhou. Hive Box location data were collected from smartphone apps. The results were as follows: (1) the kernel density declined from the city center toward the outskirts, and showed point-like spatial agglomerations in the city center; (2) the Moran’s I index analysis showed that Hive Box distribution exhibited spatial agglomeration from a global perspective and geographic variations in locality in space; the heterogeneity of urban–rural differences implies the uneven development of Hive Box distribution in Guangzhou; and (3) the factors influencing Hive Box distribution were multilevel, and their effects were complex and varied across regions. These results shed light on the agglomeration and heterogeneity characteristics of the spatial distribution and influencing factors of Hive Boxes. For an enhanced community-based end-to-end delivery service, this study suggested the identification of the geographic variations of Hive Box distribution and the combined effects of multiple factors in intensifying the infrastructure of unattended locker points.
NMR-Based Metabolomics in Investigation of the Radiation Induced Changes in Blood Serum of Head and Neck Cancer Patients and Its Correlation with the Tissue Volumes Exposed to the Particulate Doses
Authors: Boguszewicz Łukasz , Bieleń Agata , Ciszek Mateusz , Wendykier Jacek , Szczepanik Krzysztof , Skorupa Agnieszka , Mrochem-Kwarciak Jolanta , Składowski Krzysztof , Sokół Maria
Published: June 2021

In the present study, we analyze the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) blood serum metabolic profiles of 106 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients during radio (RT) and concurrent radio-chemotherapy (CHRT). Four different fractionation schemes were compared. The blood samples were collected weekly, from the day before the treatment until the last week of CHRT/RT. The NMR spectra were acquired on A Bruker 400 MHz spectrometer at 310 K and analyzed using multivariate methods. Seven metabolites were found significantly to be altered solely by radiotherapy: N-acetyl-glycoprotein (NAG), N-acetylcysteine, glycerol, glycolate and the lipids at 0.9, 1.3 and 3.2 ppm. The NMR results were correlated with the tissue volumes receiving a particular dose of radiation. The influence of the irradiated volume on the metabolic profile is weak and mainly limited to sparse correlations with the inflammatory markers, creatinine and the lymphocyte count in RT and the branched-chain amino-acids in CHRT. This is probably due to the optimal planning and delivery of radiotherapy improving sparing of the surrounding normal tissues and minimizing the differences between the patients (caused by the tumor location and size).
Resveratrol Modulation of Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Response to Cisplatin in Head and Neck Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Bostan Marinela , Mihaila Mirela , Petrica-Matei Georgiana Gabriela , Radu Nicoleta , Hainarosie Razvan , Stefanescu Cristian Dragos , Roman Viviana , Diaconu Carmen Cristina
Published: June 2021

In head and neck cancers, the effectiveness of cisplatin (CisPt) treatment is limited by its toxicity, especially when higher doses are necessary, and the possible occurrence of cisplatin resistance. This study evaluated the effects of resveratrol (RSV) on the expression of different genes involved in the response of human tumor cells (FaDu, PE/CA-PJ49) to cisplatin therapy. Our results revealed that RSV induced apoptosis amplification in both FaDu and PE/CA-PJ49 cells and modulated the expression of specific genes differently than in normal HaCaT cells. In FaDu cells, combined CisPt + RSV treatment induced an increase in apoptosis, which was associated with an increase in c-MYC and TP53 and a decrease in BCL-2 expression. While CisPt + RSV treatment induced apoptosis in PE/CA-PJ49 cells by inhibition of BCL-2 associated with high levels of MDM-2 and subsequently led to inhibition of TP53 gene expression. Decreased c-MYC expression in PE/CA-PJ49 treated with CisPt + RSV was accompanied by cell cycle blockage in G0/G1 phase. In conclusion, RSV influences tumor cell response to CisPt by inducing apoptosis and modulating gene expression. In addition, in normal HaCaT cells, RSV was able to reduce the harmful effects of CisPt.
Gap Junction-Mediated Intercellular Communication of cAMP Prevents CDDP-Induced Ototoxicity via cAMP/PKA/CREB Pathway
Authors: Kim Yeon Ju , Lee Jin-Sol , Kim Hantai , Jang Jeong Hun , Choung Yun-Hoon
Published: June 2021

In the cochlea, non-sensory supporting cells are directly connected to adjacent supporting cells via gap junctions that allow the exchange of small molecules. We have previously shown that the pharmacological regulation of gap junctions alleviates cisplatin (CDDP)-induced ototoxicity in animal models. In this study, we aimed to identify specific small molecules that pass through gap junctions in the process of CDDP-induced auditory cell death and suggest new mechanisms to prevent hearing loss. We found that the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) inducer forskolin (FSK) significantly attenuated CDDP-induced auditory cell death in vitro and ex vivo. The activation of cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling was observed in organ of Corti primary cells treated with FSK, especially in supporting cells. Co-treatment with gap junction enhancers such as all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and quinoline showed potentiating effects with FSK on cell survival via activation of cAMP/PKA/CREB. In vivo, the combination of FSK and ATRA was more effective for preventing ototoxicity compared to either single treatment. Our study provides the new insight that gap junction-mediated intercellular communication of cAMP may prevent CDDP-induced ototoxicity.