bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Current Practice and Future Directions
Authors: Contreras Yametti Gloria Paz , Ostrow Talia H. , Jasinski Sylwia , Raetz Elizabeth A. , Carroll William L. , Evensen Nikki A.
Published: April 2021

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer and advances in its clinical and laboratory biology have grown exponentially over the last few decades. Treatment outcome has improved steadily with over 90% of patients surviving 5 years from initial diagnosis. This success can be attributed in part to the development of a risk stratification approach to identify those subsets of patients with an outstanding outcome that might qualify for a reduction in therapy associated with fewer short and long term side effects. Likewise, recognition of patients with an inferior prognosis allows for augmentation of therapy, which has been shown to improve outcome. Among the clinical and biological variables known to impact prognosis, the kinetics of the reduction in tumor burden during initial therapy has emerged as the most important prognostic variable. Specifically, various methods have been used to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) with flow cytometric and molecular detection of antigen receptor gene rearrangements being the most common. However, many questions remain as to the optimal timing of these assays, their sensitivity, integration with other variables and role in treatment allocation of various ALL subgroups. Importantly, the emergence of next generation sequencing assays is likely to broaden the use of these assays to track disease evolution. This review will discuss the biological basis for utilizing MRD in risk assessment, the technical approaches and limitations of MRD detection and its emerging applications.
A Force Field for a Manganese-Vanadium Water Oxidation Catalyst: Redox Potentials in Solution as Showcase
Authors: Cárdenas Gustavo , Marquetand Philipp , Mai Sebastian , González Leticia
Published: April 2021

We present a molecular mechanics force field in AMBER format for the mixed-valence manganese vanadium oxide cluster [Mn4V4O17(OAc)3]3−—a synthetic analogue of the oxygen-evolving complex that catalyzes the water oxidation reaction in photosystem II—with parameter sets for two different oxidation states. Most force field parameters involving metal atoms have been newly parametrized and the harmonic terms refined using hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics reference simulations, although some parameters were adapted from pre-existing force fields of vanadate cages and manganese oxo dimers. The characteristic Jahn–Teller distortions of d4 MnIII ions in octahedral environments are recovered by the force field. As an application, the developed parameters have been used to calculate the redox potential of the [MnIIIMn3IV] ⇌ [Mn4IV]+e− half-reaction in acetonitrile by means of Marcus theory.
Nickel-Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles Supported on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes: Effective Catalyst in Suzuki Cross Coupling Reactions
Authors: Folsom Sojeong K. , Ivey Destiny J. , McNair Frank S. , Siamaki Ali R.
Published: April 2021

Nickel-Fe3O4 nanoparticles supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Ni-Fe3O4/MWCNTs) were synthesized by mechanical grinding of a sample of nickel salt, Fe3O4 and MWCNTs using a ball-mill mixer. The preparation method allows for bulk production of Ni-Fe3O4 nanoparticles at room temperature without the necessity of any solvent or chemical reagent. The nanoparticles prepared by this method exhibit small particles size of 5–8 nm with uniform dispersion of nickel nanoparticles on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The Ni-Fe3O4/MWCNTs demonstrated remarkable catalytic activity for Suzuki cross coupling reactions of functionalized aryl halides and phenylboronic acids with excellent turnover number and turnover frequency (e.g., 76,000 h−1) using Monowave 50 conventional heating reactor at 120 °C within a very short reaction time of 15 min. The catalyst is air-stable and exhibits easy removal from the reaction mixture due to its magnetic properties, recyclability with no loss of activity, and significantly better performance than the other well-known commercial nickel catalyst. The Ni-Fe3O4/MWCNTs nanoparticles were fully characterized by a variety of spectroscopic techniques including X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Since nickel offers similar properties to other more expensive transition metals including the most widely used palladium counterpart in cross coupling catalysis, this work demonstrates a promising lower-cost, air-moisture stable and efficient alternative catalyst based on nickel nanoparticles for cross coupling reactions.
Cardiac Dysfunction in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Role of Inflammation
Authors: Chen Jianmin , Norling Lucy V. , Cooper Dianne
Published: April 2021

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease that carries an increased risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease. The link between inflammation and atherosclerotic disease is clear; however, recent evidence suggests that inflammation may also play a role in the development of nonischemic heart disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. We consider here the link between inflammation and cardiovascular disease in the RA community with a focus on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The effect of current anti-inflammatory therapeutics, used to treat RA patients, on cardiovascular disease are discussed as well as whether targeting resolution of inflammation might offer an alternative strategy for tempering inflammation and subsequent inflammation-driven comorbidities in RA.
A Genome-Wide Screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Reveals a Critical Role for Oxidative Phosphorylation in Cellular Tolerance to Lithium Hexafluorophosphate
Authors: Jin Xuejiao , Zhang Jie , An Tingting , Zhao Huihui , Fu Wenhao , Li Danqi , Liu Shenkui , Cao Xiuling , Liu Beidong
Published: April 2021

Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) is one of the leading electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries, and its usage has increased tremendously in the past few years. Little is known, however, about its potential environmental and biological impacts. In order to improve our understanding of the cytotoxicity of LiPF6 and the specific cellular response mechanisms to it, we performed a genome-wide screen using a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) deletion mutant collection and identified 75 gene deletion mutants that showed LiPF6 sensitivity. Among these, genes associated with mitochondria showed the most enrichment. We also found that LiPF6 is more toxic to yeast than lithium chloride (LiCl) or sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF6). Physiological analysis showed that a high concentration of LiPF6 caused mitochondrial damage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and ATP content changes. Compared with the results of previous genome-wide screening for LiCl-sensitive mutants, we found that oxidative phosphorylation-related mutants were specifically hypersensitive to LiPF6. In these deletion mutants, LiPF6 treatment resulted in higher ROS production and reduced ATP levels, suggesting that oxidative phosphorylation-related genes were important for counteracting LiPF6-induced toxicity. Taken together, our results identified genes specifically involved in LiPF6-modulated toxicity, and demonstrated that oxidative stress and ATP imbalance maybe the driving factors in governing LiPF6-induced toxicity.
Neck and Wrist Circumferences as Indicators of Metabolic Alterations in the Pediatric Population: A Scoping Review
Authors: Valencia-Sosa Evelyn , González-Pérez Guillermo Julián , Martinez-Lopez Erika , Rodriguez-Echevarria Roberto
Published: April 2021

Neck circumference (NC) and wrist circumference (WrC) have been proposed as practical and inexpensive tools with the capacity to indicate metabolic alterations to some extent. Nevertheless, their application in the pediatric population is relatively recent. Thus, the aim of this scoping review was to review and analyze the reported evidence regarding the correlation of NC and WrC with metabolic alterations in the pediatric stage. The literature search was performed in January 2021 in seven indexes and databases. A total of 26 articles published between 2011 and 2020 were included. Most significant results were grouped into three categories: serum lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, and blood pressure. The parameter that showed the most significant results regardless of the anthropometric indicator analyzed for association was blood pressure. In contrast, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol showed non-significant associations along with conflicting results. We conclude that the use of NC and WrC, in addition to other well-established indicators, could facilitate the identification of metabolic alterations, specifically in plasma insulin and blood pressure. In fact, further studies are required to address the potential use of NC and WrC as predictors of early metabolic alterations, especially in countries with a fast-growing prevalence in obesity.
Evaluation of Passivation Process for Stainless Steel Hypotubes Used in Coronary Angioplasty Technique
Authors: Reclaru Lucien , Ardelean Lavinia Cosmina
Published: April 2021

In the manufacturing of hypotubes for coronary applications, austenitic steels of types 304, 304, or 316 L are being used. The manufacturing process involves bending steel strips into tubes and the continuous longitudinal welding of the tubes. Manufacturing also includes heat treatments and stretching operations to achieve an external/internal diameter of 0.35/0.23 mm, with a tolerance of +/− 0.01 mm. Austenitic steels are sensitive to localized corrosion (pitting, crevice, and intergranular) that results from the welding process and various heat treatments. An extremely important step is the cleaning and the internal and external passivation of the hypotube surface. During patient interventions, there is a high risk of metal cations being released in contact with human blood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the state of passivation and corrosion resistance by using electrochemical methods and specific intergranular corrosion tests (the Strauss test). There were difficulties in passivating the hypotubes and assessing the corrosion phenomena in the interior of the tubes. Assessments were made by plotting the open circuit potential curves and exploring the polarization curves in the Tafel domain range of −50 mV vs. Ecorr (redox potential) and +150 mV vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE, reference micro-electrode) for both the external and the internal surfaces of the hypotubes. The tested hypotubes did not exhibit intergranular corrosion, as mass losses were low and, in general, close to the limit of the analytical balance. Electrochemical techniques made the differentiation of the passivation state of the tested hypotubes possible. The measured currents were of the order of nano–pico amperes, and the quantities of electrical charges consumed for corrosion were of the order of micro–nano coulombs.
MyDiabetes—The Gamified Application for Diabetes Self-Management and Care
Authors: Tuah Nooralisa Mohd , Yoag Ainnecia , Ahmedy Fatimah
Published: April 2021

Gamified applications are regarded as useful for patients in facilitating daily self-care management and the personalization of health monitoring. This paper reports the development of a gamified application by considering a design that had previously been investigated and reported. Numerous game elements were installed in the application, which covered several tasks aimed at managing diabetes mellitus. The development process utilized the Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology in terms of system requirements, user design, construction, and cutover; this paper refers to the user design and cutover processes. The developed application was tested through system testing and usability testing. The usability testing adopted the Software Usability Scale (SUS) to assess the usability of the application. Twenty participants were involved in the testing. The result showed that the gamified application is easy and practical to use for an individual with or without diabetes. All the provided functions worked as designed and planned, and the participants accepted their usability. Overall, this study offers a promising result that could lead to real-life implementation.
Long Rod-Like Liquid Crystal Containing Azobenzene and the Applications in Phase-Transition Regulation and Orientation of Nematic Liquid Crystal
Authors: Wang Qing , Chen Huang , Xing Hao , Deng Yuan , Luo Zhi-Wang , Xie He-Lou
Published: April 2021

Phase-transition and orientation of liquid crystal (LC) are two crucial factors for LC application. In this work, a long rod-like LC compound containing double azobenzene (M1) is successfully designed and synthesized. The combing technologies of nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR, 13C NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) are used to identify the chemical structure of the molecule. Additionally, the polarized optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and one-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (1D WAXD) experimental results show that M1 exhibits an ultrawide range of LC phases and a stable LC structure even at ultrahigh temperature, which indicates that this LC can be applied in some especial devices. Further, the compound M1 is used to tune the LC temperature range of the commercial LC 4-cyano-4′-pentylbiphenyl (5CB). A series of samples 1–7 are obtained through doping different contents of M1, which show different LC temperature ranges that are dependent on the composition ratio of M1 and 5CB. More interestingly, all resultant samples show spontaneous vertical orientation on the hydrophilic glass substrate. Meanwhile, due to the effect of azobenzene in the compound M1, a reversible transition between homeotropic to random orientation of the LC molecules is achieved when these LC cells are alternately exposed to UV irradiation and visible light, which implies that this material shows potential application in especial display and optical storage technologies.
Capacitor Commutation Method for MVDC Hybrid Circuit Breakers
Authors: Kim Hyosung
Published: April 2021

The medium voltage DC (MVDC) type system can connect multiple terminals to a common MVDC bus, so it is possible to connect several renewable DC power sources to the common MVDC bus, but a DC circuit breaker is needed to isolate short circuit accidents that may occur in the MVDC bus. For this purpose, the concept of a hybrid DC circuit breaker that takes advantage of a low conduction loss contact type switch and an arcless-breaking semiconductor switch has been proposed. During break the hybrid switch, a dedicated current commutation device is required to temporarily bypass the load current flowing through the main switch into a semiconductor switch branch. Existing current commutation methods include a proactive method and a reverse current injection method by a LC (Inductor-capacitor) resonant circuit. This paper proposes a power circuit of a new MVDC hybrid circuit breaker using a low withstanding voltage capacitor branch for commutation and a sequence controller according to it, and verifies its operation through an experiment.
Multi-Level Seg-Unet Model with Global and Patch-Based X-ray Images for Knee Bone Tumor Detection
Authors: Do Nhu-Tai , Jung Sung-Taek , Yang Hyung-Jeong , Kim Soo-Hyung
Published: April 2021

Tumor classification and segmentation problems have attracted interest in recent years. In contrast to the abundance of studies examining brain, lung, and liver cancers, there has been a lack of studies using deep learning to classify and segment knee bone tumors. In this study, our objective is to assist physicians in radiographic interpretation to detect and classify knee bone regions in terms of whether they are normal, begin-tumor, or malignant-tumor regions. We proposed the Seg-Unet model with global and patched-based approaches to deal with challenges involving the small size, appearance variety, and uncommon nature of bone lesions. Our model contains classification, tumor segmentation, and high-risk region segmentation branches to learn mutual benefits among the global context on the whole image and the local texture at every pixel. The patch-based model improves our performance in malignant-tumor detection. We built the knee bone tumor dataset supported by the physicians of Chonnam National University Hospital (CNUH). Experiments on the dataset demonstrate that our method achieves better performance than other methods with an accuracy of 99.05% for the classification and an average Mean IoU of 84.84% for segmentation. Our results showed a significant contribution to help the physicians in knee bone tumor detection.
Workplace Health Promotion, Employee Wellbeing and Loyalty during Covid-19 Pandemic—Large Scale Empirical Evidence from Hungary
Authors: Gorgenyi-Hegyes Eva , Nathan Robert Jeyakumar , Fekete-Farkas Maria
Published: April 2021

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an innovative strategic management tool of socially and environmentally conscious business organizations in the 21st century. Although external CSR activities are better researched, firms’ internal CSR activities such as workplace health promotion and its impact on employee wellbeing are less understood, especially during a pandemic where job security is relatively lower in many sectors of employment. Additionally, wellbeing and good health have been recognized as important targets to achieve as part of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 3. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between health-related work benefits and employee wellbeing, satisfaction and loyalty to their workplace. Large scale survey research was performed with responses from 537 employees in Hungary and 16 hypotheses were tested. Data analysis and path modelling using PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling) reveal two-layers of factors that impact employee wellbeing, satisfaction and loyalty. We term this as ‘internal locus of control’ and ‘external locus of control’ variables. Internal locus of control variables such as mental and emotional health leads to wellbeing at the workplace but do not directly impact employee satisfaction and loyalty. In contrast, external locus of control factors such as healthcare support leads to wellbeing, satisfaction and loyalty. Employer commitment to healthcare support system is found pertinent especially during the pandemic. We discover wellbeing as a unique standalone construct in this study, which is vital as is it formed by mental and emotional wellbeing of employees, albeit not a determinant of employee workplace satisfaction and loyalty. We theorize workers’ self-reliance and preservation as possible explanations to the disassociation between employee wellbeing and loyalty to workplace during times of crisis and the pandemic.
Predicting the Energy Consumption of a Robot in an Exploration Task Using Optimized Neural Networks
Authors: Caballero Liesle , Perafan Álvaro , Rinaldy Martha , Percybrooks Winston
Published: April 2021

This paper deals with the problem of determining a useful energy budget for a mobile robot in a given environment without having to carry out experimental measures for every possible exploration task. The proposed solution uses machine learning models trained on a subset of possible exploration tasks but able to make predictions on untested scenarios. Additionally, the proposed model does not use any kinematic or dynamic models of the robot, which are not always available. The method is based on a neural network with hyperparameter optimization to improve performance. Tabu List optimization strategy is used to determine the hyperparameter values (number of layers and number of neurons per layer) that minimize the percentage relative absolute error (%RAE) while maximize the Pearson correlation coefficient (R) between predicted data and actual data measured under a number of experimental conditions. Once the optimized artificial neural network is trained, it can be used to predict the performance of an exploration algorithm on arbitrary variations of a grid map scenario. Based on such prediction, it is possible to know the energy needed for the robot to complete the exploration task. A total of 128 tests were carried out using a robot executing two exploration algorithms in a grid map with the objective of locating a target whose location is not known a priori by the robot. The experimental energy consumption was measured and compared with the prediction of our model. A success rate of 96.093% was obtained, measured as the percentage of tests where the energy budget suggested by the model was enough to actually carry out the task when compared to the actual energy consumed in the test, suggesting that the proposed model could be useful for energy budgeting in actual mobile robot applications.
DSP-HIL Comparison between IM Drive Control Strategies
Authors: Ortega-García Luis E. , Rodriguez-Sotelo Daniela , Nuñez-Perez Jose C. , Sandoval-Ibarra Yuma , Perez-Pinal Francisco J.
Published: April 2021

Due to their high robustness and simple maintenance, induction motors (IM) are commonly applied in household appliances and industry. Recently, advanced control techniques are being applied to traditional controllers such as field-oriented control (FOC) and torque control (DTC). Dynamic performance improvement, hardware simplification and software resource reduction are some of the characteristics reported by these advanced techniques, where a comparison of the new proposal with a traditional structure is generally reported for its validation. However, an assessment between advanced techniques is usually missing. Therefore, we evaluated the traditional FOC and DTC with two additional advanced control modifications, fuzzy and predictive. The resulting six structures were numerically evaluated using MATLAB SIMULINK in a 5 HP four-pole three-phase IM and practically validated using hardware-in-the-loop (Typhoon HIL 402 and DSP TMS320F28035). Speed, torque, phase current and flux response are reported for the six controllers and practical insights are summarized.
The Hydraulically Controlled Oscillating Piston Converter
Authors: Scheidl Rudolf
Published: April 2021

One way to realize inertia in energy saving hydraulic switching converters is a mechanical oscillator connected to a piston. Its two basic advantages over the use of fluid in an inductance pipe are higher compactness and a better decoupling of inductance and capacitance; these are opposed by a more complex valve system, which raises costs if electric control is applied. This paper presents and studies an oscillating mass converter with pure hydraulic control. It features a pressure control function and constitutes a step-up converter. A simple model is established to elucidate the basic properties of the function principle under idealized conditions. The complete system with the hydraulic control concept is studied by an elaborate dynamical model. It is shown that the converter is able to operate in the intended way under the conditions of the mathematical model. A potential application for a load sensing type meter out control of a cylinder drive is sketched.
Establishment of Regional Phytoremediation Buffer Systems for Ecological Restoration in the Great Lakes Basin, USA. II. New Clones Show Exceptional Promise
Authors: Pilipović Andrej , Zalesny Ronald S. , Rogers Elizabeth R. , McMahon Bernard G. , Nelson Neil D. , Burken Joel G. , Hallett Richard A. , Lin Chung-Ho
Published: April 2021

Poplar tree improvement strategies are needed to enhance ecosystem services’ provisioning and achieve phytoremediation objectives. We evaluated the establishment potential of new poplar clones developed at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) from sixteen phytoremediation buffer systems (phyto buffers) (buffer groups: 2017 × 6; 2018 × 5; 2019 × 5) throughout the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan watersheds. We divided clones into Experimental (testing stage genotypes) and Common (commercial and/or research genotypes) clone groups and compared them with each other and each NRRI clone (NRRI group) at the phyto buffers. We tested for differences in clone groups, phyto buffers, and their interactions for survival, health, height, diameter, and volume from ages one to four years. First-year survival was 97.1%, with 95.5%, 96.2%, and 99.6% for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 buffer groups, respectively. All trees had optimal health. Fourth-year mean annual increment of 2017 buffer group trees ranged from 2.66 ± 0.18 to 3.65 ± 0.17 Mg ha−1 yr−1. NRRI clones ‘99038022’ and ‘9732-31’ exhibited exceptional survival and growth across eleven and ten phyto buffers, respectively, for all years. These approaches advance poplar tree improvement efforts throughout the region, continent, and world, with methods informing clonal selection for multiple end-uses, including phytotechnologies.
Beyond COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrative Review of Global Health Crisis Influencing the Evolution and Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility
Authors: Asante Antwi Henry , Zhou Lulin , Xu Xinglong , Mustafa Tehzeeb
Published: April 2021

Background: Global health crisis continues to drive the dynamics of corporate social responsibility (CSR) across industries with self-perpetuating momentum. From a historical point of view, more than a century of immense corporate fecundity has formed the ecological conditions and shaped current understanding of the effect of public health on CSR. This study sought to examine the extent to which companies are able to balance their business interest with social interest through health-related CSR and how knowledge of them can help explain the potential impact of COVID-19. Method: This study employs a narrative review of current literature; however, the integrative strategy was combined with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist to rigorously select the necessary articles for proper integrative synthesis. Results: We note that in the pursuit of their social responsibility, corporate enterprises struggle to balance the interest of society and their own interest. Genuine CSR activities such as donations are often undermined by unbridled and excessive desire to draw society on themselves to reap economic benefits are largely dominated by the need to advance. There are signals that enterprises might see COVID-19-related CSR as an entry door to increase corporate influence thereby commercializing the pandemic. Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 on CSR is epochal. There is a moral obligation for enterprises to reform current risk assessments and collaborate more deeply with state agencies to invest in the health and safety inspections at the world place. CSR strategies must be proactive to endure other unknown pandemics with equal capacity to disrupt business operations. Companies must create innovative and regular activities to educate its stakeholders to become more committed to safeguarding future enterprise-based defense mechanism needed to diagnose, protect, treat, and rehabilitate victims and those threatened by pandemics and other emergencies that affect the stability of an organization to reduce its cost and protect revenue.
An Integrated Geometric and Material Survey for the Conservation of Heritage Masonry Structures
Authors: Betti Michele , Bonora Valentina , Galano Luciano , Pellis Eugenio , Tucci Grazia , Vignoli Andrea
Published: April 2021

This paper reports the knowledge process and the analyses performed to assess the seismic behavior of a heritage masonry building. The case study is a three-story masonry building that was the house of the Renaissance architect and painter Giorgio Vasari (the Vasari’s House museum). An interdisciplinary approach was adopted, following the Italian “Guidelines for the assessment and mitigation of the seismic risk of the cultural heritage”. This document proposes a methodology of investigation and analysis based on three evaluation levels (EL1, analysis at territorial level; EL2, local analysis and EL3, global analysis), according to an increasing level of knowledge on the building. A comprehensive knowledge process, composed by a 3D survey by Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and experimental in situ tests, allowed us to identify the basic structural geometry and to assess the value of mechanical parameters subsequently needed to perform a reliable structural assessment. The museum represents a typology of masonry building extremely diffused in the Italian territory, and the assessment of its seismic behavior was performed by investigating its global behavior through the EL1 and the EL3 analyses.
Representation and Presentation of Culinary Tradition as Cultural Heritage
Authors: Partarakis Nikolaos , Kaplanidi Danae , Doulgeraki Paraskevi , Karuzaki Effie , Petraki Argyro , Metilli Daniele , Bartalesi Valentina , Adami Ilia , Meghini Carlo , Zabulis Xenophon
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a knowledge representation framework and provides tools to allow the representation and presentation of the tangible and intangible dimensions of culinary tradition as cultural heritage including the socio-historic context of its evolution. The representation framework adheres to and extends the knowledge representation standards for the Cultural Heritage (CH) domain while providing a widely accessible web-based authoring environment to facilitate the representation activities. In strong collaboration with social sciences and humanities, this work allows the exploitation of ethnographic research outcomes by providing a systematic approach for the representation of culinary tradition in the form of recipes, both in an abstract form for their preservation and in a semantic representation of their execution captured on-site during ethnographic research.
Real-Time Flood Mapping on Client-Side Web Systems Using HAND Model
Authors: Hu Anson , Demir Ibrahim
Published: April 2021

The height above nearest drainage (HAND) model is frequently used to calculate properties of the soil and predict flood inundation extents. HAND is extremely useful due to its lack of reliance on prior data, as only the digital elevation model (DEM) is needed. It is close to optimal, running in linear or linearithmic time in the number of cells depending on the values of the heights. It can predict watersheds and flood extent to a high degree of accuracy. We applied a client-side HAND model on the web to determine extent of flood inundation in several flood prone areas in Iowa, including the city of Cedar Rapids and Ames. We demonstrated that the HAND model was able to achieve inundation maps comparable to advanced hydrodynamic models (i.e., Federal Emergency Management Agency approved flood insurance rate maps) in Iowa, and would be helpful in the absence of detailed hydrological data. The HAND model is applicable in situations where a combination of accuracy and short runtime are needed, for example, in interactive flood mapping and supporting mitigation decisions, where users can add features to the landscape and see the predicted inundation.
COVID-19 Pandemic and Quality of Life among Romanian Athletes
Authors: Cosma Germina-Alina , Chiracu Alina , Stepan Amalia Raluca , Cosma Marian Alexandru , Nanu Marian Costin , Voinea Florin , Bibi Khalid Walid , Păunescu Cătălin , Haddad Monoem
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study was to analyze athletes’ quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 249 athletes between 15 and 35 of age, M = 21.22, SD = 5.12. The sample was composed of eight Olympic Games medalists, three European medalists, 67 international medalists, and 63 national medalists. The instruments used were: (1) COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, (2) Athlete Quality of Life Scale, (3) Impact of Pandemic on Athletes Questionnaire, and (4) International Personality Item Pool (IPIP Anxiety, Depression, and Vulnerability Scales). The results indicate significant differences in COVID-19 anxiety depending on the sport practiced, F (9239) = 3.81, p < 0.01, showing that there were significant differences between sports. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic mediates the relationship between trait anxiety and the athletes’ quality of life. The percentage of mediation was 33.9%, and the indirect effect was −0.11, CI 95% (−0.18, −0.03), Z = −2.82, p < 0.01. Trait anxiety has an increasing effect on the intensity of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 0.23, CI 95% (.10, 0.35), Z = 3.56, p < 0.01, and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has a decreasing effect on quality of life, −0.47, CI 95% (−0.67, −0.27), Z = −4.62, p < 0.01. Gender and age did not moderate the relationship between the negative impact of COVID-19 and athletes’ quality of life. The results of the study highlighted the impact that social isolation and quarantine have on athletes’ affective well-being.
Vegetarian Diet: An Overview through the Perspective of Quality of Life Domains
Authors: Hargreaves Shila Minari , Raposo António , Saraiva Ariana , Zandonadi Renata Puppin
Published: April 2021

Vegetarianism has gained more visibility in recent years. Despite the well-described effects of a vegetarian diet on health, its influence on the quality of life of the individuals who follow it still needs to be properly investigated. Quality of life relates to a subjective perception of well-being and functionality, and encompasses four main life domains: physical, psychological, social, and environmental. The adoption of a vegetarian diet, despite being a dietary pattern, could potentially influence and be influenced by all of these domains, either positively or negatively. This review aims to present an overview of the background, conceptualization, features, and potential effects of vegetarianism in all quality of life domains. The choice of adopting a vegetarian diet could have positive outcomes, such as better physical health, positive feelings related to the adoption of a morally correct attitude, an increased sense of belonging (to a vegetarian community), and lower environmental impact. Other factors, however, could have a negative impact on the quality of life of those choosing to abstain from meats or other animal products, especially when they go beyond one’s control. These include the environment, the social/cultural group in which a person is inserted, gender-based differences, economic aspects, and a limited access to a wide variety of plant-based foods. It is important to understand all the effects of adopting a vegetarian diet—beyond its nutritional aspects. Not only do studies in this area provide more consistent data, but they may also contribute to mitigating all factors that might prevent individuals from adopting a vegetarian diet, or that may have a negative impact on the quality of life of those who already follow it.
Applying Machine Learning to Identify Anti-Vaccination Tweets during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: To Quyen G. , To Kien G. , Huynh Van-Anh N. , Nguyen Nhung T. Q. , Ngo Diep T. N. , Alley Stephanie J. , Tran Anh N. Q. , Tran Anh N. P. , Pham Ngan T. T. , Bui Thanh X. , Vandelanotte Corneel
Published: April 2021

Anti-vaccination attitudes have been an issue since the development of the first vaccines. The increasing use of social media as a source of health information may contribute to vaccine hesitancy due to anti-vaccination content widely available on social media, including Twitter. Being able to identify anti-vaccination tweets could provide useful information for formulating strategies to reduce anti-vaccination sentiments among different groups. This study aims to evaluate the performance of different natural language processing models to identify anti-vaccination tweets that were published during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared the performance of the bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) and the bidirectional long short-term memory networks with pre-trained GLoVe embeddings (Bi-LSTM) with classic machine learning methods including support vector machine (SVM) and naïve Bayes (NB). The results show that performance on the test set of the BERT model was: accuracy = 91.6%, precision = 93.4%, recall = 97.6%, F1 score = 95.5%, and AUC = 84.7%. Bi-LSTM model performance showed: accuracy = 89.8%, precision = 44.0%, recall = 47.2%, F1 score = 45.5%, and AUC = 85.8%. SVM with linear kernel performed at: accuracy = 92.3%, Precision = 19.5%, Recall = 78.6%, F1 score = 31.2%, and AUC = 85.6%. Complement NB demonstrated: accuracy = 88.8%, precision = 23.0%, recall = 32.8%, F1 score = 27.1%, and AUC = 62.7%. In conclusion, the BERT models outperformed the Bi-LSTM, SVM, and NB models in this task. Moreover, the BERT model achieved excellent performance and can be used to identify anti-vaccination tweets in future studies.
Women Do Not Utilise Family Planning According to Their Needs in Southern Malawi: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Odland Maria Lisa , Vallner Oda , Toch-Marquardt Marlen , Darj Elisabeth
Published: April 2021

Malawi is a low-income country with a high maternal mortality rate. This study aimed to investigate the use of contraception and factors associated with unmet need of family planning among fertile women in selected health facilities in southern Malawi. A cross-sectional study design was employed using a validated questionnaire to investigate the unmet need. A total of 419 pregnant women, who attended antenatal clinics at a central hospital and two district hospitals, voluntarily participated in the study. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify possible factors associated with unmet needs. Amongst the participants, 15.1% reported unmet need, 27.0% had never used a contraceptive method, and 27.2% had an unwanted pregnancy. Being married, 20–24 years of age, living in a rural area, and high parity were protective factors against having unmet need regarding family planning. Malawi, a country with a young population and a high fertility rate, has a high level of unmet family planning need. Barriers and facilitators need to be identified and addressed at different levels by the health care system, society, and the government of Malawi.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to COVID-19 Among Malawi Adults: A Community-Based Survey
Authors: Li Yutong , Liu Guangqi , Egolet Robert Okia , Yang Runqing , Huang Yangmu , Zheng Zhijie
Published: April 2021

Introduction: It is well-recognized that containing COVID-19 successfully is determined by people’s prevention measures which are related to their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). This perception has attracted attention in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) due to their fragile health systems and economies. The objective of this study was to understand how residents in Malawi perceived COVID-19, to determine the factors related to KAP. Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. A field-based survey was conducted among adult residents in Lilongwe, Malawi. Descriptive statistic, linear regression, the Chi-square test, and Pearson’s correlation statistics were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 580 questionnaires were involved. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores were 10 (SD = ±3, range: 3–19), 16 (SD = ±4, range: 5–25), and 2 (SD = ±1, range: 0–5), respectively. Lack of money and resources (39%) was the biggest challenge for people who practice prevention measures. Among the participants, the radio (70%) and friends/family (56%) were the main sources of information. A higher economic status was associated with better KAP. Conclusions: A low level of KAP was detected among the population. The people faced challenges regarding a lack of necessary preventive resources and formal information channels. The situation was worse considering vulnerable population who had low economic status. Further all-round health education is urgently needed along with providing adequate health supplies and ensuring proper information management.
Effect of a Preventive Oral Health Program Starting during Pregnancy: A Case-Control Study Comparing Immigrant and Native Women and Their Children
Authors: García-Pola María , González-Díaz Agueda , García-Martín José Manuel
Published: April 2021

The objective was to evaluate whether including pregnant women in a preventive dental program prevented the appearance of caries in their children up to the age of 6, and whether the effect was similar in children of immigrant and non-immigrant women. In phase I, 90 pregnant women, 45 immigrants and 45 natives, were taught about the development and prevention of caries. In phase II the oral health of their children at the age of 6 (n = 90) was evaluated, along with a control group of children of natives and immigrants of the same age (n = 90). A survey was used to determine participants’ backgrounds and habits. A multivariate study of the results was performed using R-core software. The number of children without caries was 128 (71.1%), whereas 52 (28.9%) had caries, 15 from the protocol (16.67%) and 37 from the control group (41.11%), with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). The mean number of caries for the children in the protocol was 0.62 ± 2 and in the control group it was 1.88 ± 2.9 (p = 0.001). In the multivariate analysis the risk of developing caries was higher for the condition of being the child of an immigrant (OR = 11.137), inadequate oral health (OR = 4.993), the children being overweight at the age of 6 (OR = 10.680), and the consumption of candies (OR = 5.042). In conclusion, the preventive protocols started during pregnancy reduced caries in participants’ children, which suggests that these protocols should be encouraged. Because immigrant children are more vulnerable to caries, they and their parents should be included in preventive programs once they arrive in the host country.
A Narrative Review of Occupational Air Pollution and Respiratory Health in Farmworkers
Authors: Clarke Kayan , Manrique Andres , Sabo-Attwood Tara , Coker Eric S.
Published: April 2021

The agricultural crop sector in the United States depends on migrant, seasonal, and immigrant farmworkers. As an ethnic minority group in the U.S. with little access to health care and a high level of poverty, farmworkers face a combination of adverse living and workplace conditions, such as exposure to high levels of air pollution, that can place them at a higher risk for adverse health outcomes including respiratory infections. This narrative review summarizes peer-reviewed original epidemiology research articles (2000–2020) focused on respirable dust exposures in the workplace and respiratory illnesses among farmworkers. We found studies (n = 12) that assessed both air pollution and respiratory illnesses in farmworkers. Results showed that various air pollutants and respiratory illnesses have been assessed using appropriate methods (e.g., personal filter samplers and spirometry) and a consistent pattern of increased respiratory illness in relation to agricultural dust exposure. There were several gaps in the literature; most notably, no study coupled occupational air exposure and respiratory infection among migrant, seasonal and immigrant farmworkers in the United States. This review provides an important update to the literature regarding recent epidemiological findings on the links between occupational air pollution exposures and respiratory health among vulnerable farmworker populations.
Medication Adherence and Persistence of Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients in Korea: A Retrospective Study Using National Health Insurance Claims Data
Authors: Jang Yunjeong , Jee Donghyun , Lee Donghwan , Choi Nam-Kyong , Bae SeungJin
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to analyze medication adherence and persistence among open-angle glaucoma patients in Korea. A retrospective study was conducted using the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) claims database from 2016 to 2019. Newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma patients who were prescribed with the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering eyedrops were included. Adherence was measured using the medication possession ratio (MPR), and persistence was measured using the duration of therapy during the 24 month follow-up period. During the study period, 14,648 open-angle glaucoma patients were identified, and 3118 (21.3%) and 4481 patients (30.6%) were adherent to and persistent with their glaucoma treatment, respectively. The mean MPR was 48.8%, and the mean duration of therapy was 357.2 days. Logistic regression analysis showed that patients who are older, female, using prostaglandins as the index medication, and visiting secondary or tertiary hospitals were significantly associated with greater rates of adherence (odds ratio (OR) = 1.21, 1.12, 1.27, and 1.73, respectively) and persistence (OR = 1.11, 1.17, 1.16, 1.17, and 1.36, respectively) during the study period. Patients with open-angle glaucoma in Korea had substandard medication adherence and discontinued their treatment. Ophthalmologists should pay more attention to younger, male patients to improve adherence.
The Role of the Proteasome in Platelet Function
Authors: El-Kadiry Abed El-Hakim , Merhi Yahye
Published: April 2021

Platelets are megakaryocyte-derived acellular fragments prepped to maintain primary hemostasis and thrombosis by preserving vascular integrity. Although they lack nuclei, platelets harbor functional genomic mediators that bolster platelet activity in a signal-specific manner by performing limited de novo protein synthesis. Furthermore, despite their limited protein synthesis, platelets are equipped with multiple protein degradation mechanisms, such as the proteasome. In nucleated cells, the functions of the proteasome are well established and primarily include proteostasis among a myriad of other signaling processes. However, the role of proteasome-mediated protein degradation in platelets remains elusive. In this review article, we recapitulate the developing literature on the functions of the proteasome in platelets, discussing its emerging regulatory role in platelet viability and function and highlighting how its functional coupling with the transcription factor NF-κB constitutes a novel potential therapeutic target in atherothrombotic diseases.
LDH Isotyping for Checkpoint Inhibitor Response Prediction in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: van Wilpe Sandra , Tolmeijer Sofie H. , de Vries I. Jolanda M. , Koornstra Rutger H. T. , Mehra Niven
Published: April 2021

Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels are inversely related with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with metastatic melanoma. LDH is a key regulator of glycolysis, a pathway known to be upregulated in malignant tumors and to negatively affect antitumor immunity. We hypothesized that LDH isotype distribution in peripheral blood better reflects tumor glycolytic activity than total LDH levels and might therefore contribute to immunotherapy response prediction. LDH isotyping was performed in blood of 40 patients with metastatic melanoma and elevated LDH levels, of which 22 were treated with ipilimumab plus nivolumab. LDH-1 levels were decreased in 57.5% of patients. The percentage of LDH-2, -3 and -4, on the other hand, was elevated in 35%, 67.5% and 37.5% of patients, respectively. There was no difference in LDH isotype distribution between patients with versus patients without clinical benefit of ICIs, except for a numerically lower percentage of LDH-1 in patients without clinical benefit (median 13.3% vs. 17.6%, p = 0.1295). The percentage of LDH-1 correlated with total LDH levels and tumor burden and is therefore not likely to have strong, independent predictive value for response to ICIs. In conclusion, LDH isotyping does not contribute to ICI response prediction in melanoma patients with elevated LDH levels.