bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gold, Silver, and Electrum Electroless Plating on Additively Manufactured Laser Powder-Bed Fusion AlSi10Mg Parts: A Review
Authors: Ashkenazi Dana , Inberg Alexandra , Shacham-Diamand Yosi , Stern Adin
Published: April 2021

Additive manufacturing (AM) revolutionary technologies open new opportunities and challenges. They allow low-cost manufacturing of parts with complex geometries and short time-to-market of products that can be exclusively customized. Additive manufactured parts often need post-printing surface modification. This study aims to review novel environmental-friendly surface finishing process of 3D-printed AlSi10Mg parts by electroless deposition of gold, silver, and gold–silver alloy (e.g., electrum) and to propose a full process methodology suitable for effective metallization. This deposition technique is simple and low cost method, allowing the metallization of both conductive and insulating materials. The AlSi10Mg parts were produced by the additive manufacturing laser powder bed fusion (AM-LPBF) process. Gold, silver, and their alloys were chosen as coatings due to their esthetic appearance, good corrosion resistance, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. The metals were deposited on 3D-printed disk-shaped specimens at 80 and 90 °C using a dedicated surface activation method where special functionalization of the printed AlSi10Mg was performed to assure a uniform catalytic surface yielding a good adhesion of the deposited metal to the substrate. Various methods were used to examine the coating quality, including light microscopy, optical profilometry, XRD, X-ray fluorescence, SEM–energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), focused ion beam (FIB)-SEM, and XPS analyses. The results indicate that the developed coatings yield satisfactory quality, and the suggested surface finishing process can be used for many AM products and applications.
Comparison between Widefield Optical Coherence Tomography Devices in Eyes with High Myopia
Authors: Corvi Federico , Zicarelli Federico , Airaldi Matteo , Parrulli Salvatore , Cozzi Mariano , Monteduro Davide , Romano Francesco , Sadda SriniVas R. , Staurenghi Giovanni
Published: April 2021

Background: To compare four different optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices for visualization of retinal and subretinal layers in highly myopic eyes. Methods: In this prospective, observational, cross-sectional study, consecutive patients with high myopia and control subjects were imaged by four OCT devices: Spectralis OCT2, PlexElite 2.0 100 kHz, PlexElite 2.0 200 kHz and the Canon Xephilio OCT-S1. The acquisition protocol for comparison consisted of single vertical and horizontal line scans centered on the fovea. Comparison between the devices in the extent of visible retina, presence of conjugate image or mirror artifacts, visibility of the sclerochoroidal interface and retrobulbar tissue. Results: 30 eyes with high myopia and 30 control subjects were analyzed. The visualized RPE length was significantly different between the OCT devices with Xephilio OCT-S1 imaging the largest extent (p < 0.0001). The proportion of eyes with conjugate image artifact was significantly higher with the Spectralis OCT (p < 0.0001), and lower with the PlexElite 200 kHz (p < 0.0001). No difference in visibility of the sclerochoroidal interface was noted among instruments. The retrobulbar tissue was visible in a higher proportion of eyes using swept-source PlexElite 100 kHz and 200 kHz (p < 0.007) compared to the other devices. Conclusions: In highly myopic eyes, the four OCT devices demonstrated significant differences in the extent of the retina imaged, in the prevalence of conjugate image artifact, and in the visualization of the retrobulbar tissue.
Energy-Efficient On-Platform Target Classification for Electric Air Transportation Systems
Authors: Speranza Nicholas A. , Rave Christopher J. , Pei Yong
Published: April 2021

Due to the predicted rise of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in commercial, civil, and military operations, there is a desire to make UASs more energy efficient so they can proliferate with ease of deployment and maximal life per charge. To address current limitations, a three-tiered approach is investigated to mitigate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) hover time, reduce network datalink transmission to a ground station, and provide a real-time framework for Sense-and-Avoidance (SAA) target classification. An energy-efficient UAS architecture framework is presented, and a corresponding SAA prototype is developed using commercial hardware to validate the proposed architecture using an experimental methodology. The proposed architecture utilizes classical computer vision methods within the Detection Subsystem coupled with deeply learned Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) within the Classification Subsystem. Real-time operations of three frames per second are realized enabling UAV hover time and associated energy consumption during SAA processing to be effectively eliminated. Additional energy improvements are not addressed in the scope of this work. Inference accuracy is improved by 19% over baseline COTS models and current non-adaptive, single-stage SAA architectures. Overall, by pushing SAA processing to the edge of the sensors, network offload transmissions and reductions in processing time and energy consumption are feasible and realistic in future battery-powered electric air transportation systems.
Harmonic Mitigation in Electric Railway Systems Using Improved Model Predictive Control
Authors: Panpean Chakrit , Areerak Kongpol , Santiprapan Phonsit , Areerak Kongpan , Shen Yeoh Seang
Published: April 2021

An electric multiple unit (EMU) high-speed train is the dynamic load that degrades the power quality in an electric railway system. Therefore, a power quality improvement system using an active power filter (APF) must be considered. Due to the oscillating load current in the dynamic load condition, a fast and accurate harmonic current-tracking performance is required. As such, this paper proposes the design of a model predictive control (MPC) since the minimization of cost function in the MPC process can suitably determine APF switching states. The design technique of MPC is based on the APF mathematical model. This controller was designed to compensate the time delay in the digital control. Moreover, the synchronous detection (SD) method applied the reference current calculations, as shown in this paper. To verify the proposed MPC, the overall control of APF was implemented on a eZdsp F28335 board by using the hardware-in-the-loop technique. The testing results indicated that the proposed MPC can provide a fast and accurate harmonic current-tracking response compared with the proportional-integral controller. In the load changing condition, the MPC was still effective in providing a good result after compensation. The percentage of total harmonic distortion, the percentage current unbalance factor, and the power factor would also be kept within the IEEE Standard 519 and IEEE Standard 1459.
Optimization and Characteristics Analysis of High Torque Density 12/8 Switched Reluctance Motor Using Metaheuristic Gray Wolf Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Rahman Md Sydur , Lukman Grace Firsta , Hieu Pham Trung , Jeong Kwang-Il , Ahn Jin-Woo
Published: April 2021

In this paper, the optimization and characteristics analysis of a three-phase 12/8 switched reluctance motor (SRM) based on a Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) for electric vehicles (EVs) application is presented. This research aims to enhance the output torque density of the proposed SRM. Finite element method (FEM) was used to analyze the characteristics and optimization process of the proposed motor. The proposed metaheuristic GWO combines numerous objective functions and design constraints with different weight factors. Maximum flux density, current density, and motor volume are selected as the optimization constraints, which play a significant role in the optimization process. GWO performs optimization for each iteration and sends it to FEM software to analyze the performance before starting another iteration until the optimized value is found. Simulations are employed to understand the characteristics of the proposed motor. Finally, the optimized prototype motor is manufactured and performance is verified by experiment. It is shown that the torque can be increased by 120% for the same outer volume, by using the proposed method.
Resonant Power Frequency Converter and Application in High-Voltage and Partial Discharge Test of a Voltage Transformer
Authors: Leelachariyakul Banyat , Yutthagowith Peerawut
Published: April 2021

This paper presents application of a resonant power frequency converter for high-voltage (HV) and partial discharge (PD) test of a voltage transformer. The rating voltage, power, and frequency of the system are 70 kVrms, 40 kVA, and 200 Hz, respectively. The testing system utilized the converter feeding to an HV testing transformer connected to a conventional partial discharge detection system. The converter system comprising a rectifier and insulated-gate bipolar (IGBT) switches with the H-bridge configuration was applied as a low-voltage source instead of a conventional motor-generator test set which requires large space and high cost. The requirements of the test according to the standards are quality of the test voltage and the background noise level. The required voltage must have the different voltage (DV) and total harmonic distortion (THDv) in the acceptable values of less than 5%. The DV is defined as the difference of the root mean square and peak voltages in percent. The required background noise level must be lower than 2.5 pC. Simulations and experiments were performed for verification of the developed system performance in comparison with those of the previously developed system based on the pulse width modulation converter. It is found that the developed system can provide the testing voltage with the DV and the THDv of lower than 1% and the background noise level of lower than 1 pC. Considering this achievement of promising performance, the developed system is an attractive choice for the HV and PD testing of voltage transformers in real practice.
Numerical Investigation of the Influence of the Drill String Vibration Cyclic Loads on the Development of the Wellbore Natural Fracture
Authors: Kamgue Lenwoue Arnaud , Deng Jingen , Feng Yongcun , Li Haitao , Oloruntoba Adefarati , Songwe Selabi Naomie , Marembo Micheal , Sun Yuanxiu
Published: April 2021

Wellbore instability is one of the most serious issues faced in the drilling process. During drilling operations, the cyclic loads applied on the fractured formation progressively modify the initial parameters (i.e., length and width) of the fractured formation, thus resulting into undesirable wellbore instability. In this paper, using a nonlinear finite element software (ABAQUS) as the numerical simulator, a poro-elasto-plastic model has been established which aimed at analyzing the influence of drill string vibration cyclic loads on the development of the wellbore natural fracture. The numerical results showed that the fracture width as a function of time profiles followed a sinusoidal behavior similar to the drill string vibration cyclic load profiles. For different cyclic load magnitudes with constant number of cyclic loads, the highest percentage increase of the fracture width after integration of cyclic loads was 64.77%. Interestingly, the fracture width increased with the fracture length in the near wellbore region while it globally decreased in the region far away from the wellbore. But for constant cyclic load magnitude with different number of cyclic loads, the biggest percentage increase of the fracture width after integration of cyclic loads was slightly lower representing 63.12% while the oscillating period of the fracture width increased with the number of cyclic loads. The parametric study revealed that the drill string vibration cyclic loads were relatively independent of the fracture length and the bottom hole pressure. However, the fracture width and the loss circulation rates were considerably impacted by the drill string vibration and the highest percentage increase of the loss circulation rate after integration of cyclic loads was 14.3%. This study provides an insight into the coupling of the fracture rock development and the continuous cyclic loads generated by drill string vibrations which is an aspect that has been rarely discussed in the literature.
Component-in-the-Loop Testing of Automotive Powertrains Featuring All-Wheel-Drive
Authors: Kulikov Ilya , Korkin Sergey , Kozlov Andrey , Terenchenko Alexey , Karpukhin Kirill , Azimov Ulugbek
Published: April 2021

The article is dedicated to the methodology of designing component-in-the-loop (CiL) testing systems for automotive powertrains featuring several drivelines, including variants with individually driven axles or wheels. The methodical part begins with descriptions of operating and control loops of CiL systems having various simulating functionality—from a “lumped” vehicle for driving cycle tests to vehicles with independently rotating drivelines for simulating dynamic maneuvers. The sequel contains an analysis that eliminates a lack of clarity observed in the existing literature regarding the principles of building a “virtual inertia” and synchronization of loading regimes between individual drivelines of the tested powertrain. In addition, a contribution to the CiL methodology is offered by analyzing the options of simulating tire slip taking into account a limited accuracy of measurement equipment and a limited performance of actuating devices. The methodical part concludes with two examples of mathematical models that can be employed in CiL systems to simulate vehicle dynamics. The first one describes linear motion of a “lumped” vehicle, while the second one simulates vehicle’s trajectory motion taking into account tire slip in both the longitudinal and lateral directions. The practical part of the article presents a case study showing an implementation of the CiL design principles in a laboratory testing facility intended for an all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain of a heavy-duty vehicle. The CiL system description is followed by the test results simulating the hybrid powertrain operation in a driving cycle and in trajectory maneuvering. The results prove the validity of the proposed methodical principles, as well as their suitability for practical implementations.
Metadata Schemas and Ontologies for Building Energy Applications: A Critical Review and Use Case Analysis
Authors: Pritoni Marco , Paine Drew , Fierro Gabriel , Mosiman Cory , Poplawski Michael , Saha Avijit , Bender Joel , Granderson Jessica
Published: April 2021

Digital and intelligent buildings are critical to realizing efficient building energy operations and a smart grid. With the increasing digitalization of processes throughout the life cycle of buildings, data exchanged between stakeholders and between building systems have grown significantly. However, a lack of semantic interoperability between data in different systems is still prevalent and hinders the development of energy-oriented applications that can be reused across buildings, limiting the scalability of innovative solutions. Addressing this challenge, our review paper systematically reviews metadata schemas and ontologies that are at the foundation of semantic interoperability necessary to move toward improved building energy operations. The review finds 40 schemas that span different phases of the building life cycle, most of which cover commercial building operations and, in particular, control and monitoring systems. The paper’s deeper review and analysis of five popular schemas identify several gaps in their ability to fully facilitate the work of a building modeler attempting to support three use cases: energy audits, automated fault detection and diagnosis, and optimal control. Our findings demonstrate that building modelers focused on energy use cases will find it difficult, labor intensive, and costly to create, sustain, and use semantic models with existing ontologies. This underscores the significant work still to be done to enable interoperable, usable, and maintainable building models. We make three recommendations for future work by the building modeling and energy communities: a centralized repository with a search engine for relevant schemas, the development of more use cases, and better harmonization and standardization of schemas in collaboration with industry to facilitate their adoption by stakeholders addressing varied energy-focused use cases.
Towards Understanding Interactions between Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of Climate-Well-Being Linkages. Experiences of EU Countries
Authors: Sompolska-Rzechuła Agnieszka , Kurdyś-Kujawska Agnieszka
Published: April 2021

The 2030 Agenda with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a challenge for all countries in the world. Their implementation may turn out to be a compromise or the creation of effective interactions that dynamize sustainable development. To achieve the SDGs, it is essential to understand how they interact with each other. It seems that in the times of the climate and health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, caring for the environment and ensuring a healthy life and promoting well-being at all ages is the basis for environmental, economic and social sustainable development. The aim of the study is to compare the degree of implementation of the goals of sustainable development in the scope of goal 13 “Climate action” and goal 3 “Good health and well-being” in the EU countries. In addition, we analyze how trade-offs and synergies between these goals have developed. Data from the Eurostat database were used to achieve the goal. The study used the method of multivariate comparative analysis—linear ordering of objects. The technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) method was used to measure the studied phenomenon. The results indicate a different degree of implementation of the sustainable development goals related to climate change and the improvement of health and social well-being. Only a few countries have synergy in achieving these goals, most of them compromise, manifesting themselves in improving one goal over another. In the group of analyzed EU countries, a simultaneous deterioration in the effectiveness of achieving both objectives were also noted. Our research also shows that energy policy is an important attribute in improving the achievement of these goals. The conducted analysis fills the gap in the research on the implementation of selected sustainable development goals and their interactions. It contributes to the discussion on increasing the links between them, in particular with regard to emerging compromises. This research can provide a basis for re-prioritizing and intensifying the actions where individual EU countries are lagging most behind.
Morphology, Molecular Phylogeny, and Pathogenicity of Neofusicoccum parvum, Associated with Leaf Spot Disease of a New Host, the Japanese Bay Tree (Machilus thunbergii)
Authors: Choi Sungyu , Paul Narayan Chandra , Lee Kye-Han , Kim Hyun-Jun , Sang Hyunkyu
Published: April 2021

During a survey of diseased plants on Wando Island, Korea from May to June 2020, a severe leaf spot disease was observed in the upper leaves of Japanese bay tree (Machilus thunbergii). Early symptoms were light blackish spots on the leaf surface and enlargement of older spots. Dry leaf spots surrounded with deep black margins were common throughout the plants. Symptomatic leaf samples were collected, and the causal pathogen was isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Three fungal isolates (CMML20-1, CMML20-3, and CMML20-4) were cultured on PDA for morphological characterization at 25 °C in the darkness. Fungal colonies were circular, fast-growing, olivaceous to dark grey, and with abundant aerial mycelium. Sporulation was induced in 14 h-10 h light-dark conditions, and the conidia were single-celled, thin-walled with a smooth surface, ellipsoid with round apices, and measuring 17.5–20.5 (avg. 17.5) μm × 7.5–10.0 (7.9) μm. The morphological characteristics resembled those typical for Neofusicoccum parvum. Molecular identification was confirmed by partially sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the translation elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α) genes. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on detached leaves and whole plants of M. thunbergii. High disease prevalence was observed, and Koch postulates were fulfilled. This is the first worldwide report of N. parvum causing leaf spots on Machilus thunbergii.
Forest Height and Underlying Topography Inversion Using Polarimetric SAR Tomography Based on SKP Decomposition and Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Authors: Wan Jie , Wang Changcheng , Shen Peng , Hu Jun , Fu Haiqiang , Zhu Jianjun
Published: April 2021

The key point of forest height and underlying topography inversion using synthetic aperture radar tomography (TomoSAR) depends on the accurate positioning of the phase centers of different scattering mechanisms. The traditional nonparametric spectrum analysis methods (such as beamforming and Capon) have limited vertical resolution and cannot accurately distinguish closely spaced scatterers. In addition, it is very difficult to accurately estimate the ground or canopy heights with single polarimetric SAR images because there is no guarantee that the vertical profile will generate two clear and separate peaks for all resolution cells. A polarimetric TomoSAR method based on SKP (sum of Kronecker products) decomposition and iterative maximum likelihood estimation is proposed in this paper. On the one hand, the iterative maximum likelihood TomoSAR method has a higher vertical resolution than that of the traditional methods. On the other hand, the separation of the canopy scattering mechanism and the ground scattering mechanism is conducive to the positioning of the phase centers. This method was applied to the inversion of forest height and underlying topography in a tropical forest over the TropiSAR2009 test site in Paracou, French Guiana with six passes of polarimetric SAR images. The inversion accuracy of underlying topography of the proposed method was up to 1.489 m and the inversion accuracy of forest height was up to 1.765 m. Compared with the traditional polarimetric beamforming and polarimetric capon methods, the proposed method greatly improved the inversion accuracy of forest height and underlying topography.
Utilizing Coffee Pulp and Mucilage for Producing Alcohol-Based Beverage
Authors: KC Yadav , Subba Raju , Shiwakoti Lila Devi , Dhungana Pramesh Kumar , Bajagain Rishikesh , Chaudhary Dhiraj Kumar , Pant Bhoj Raj , Bajgai Tirtha Raj , Lamichhane Janardan , Timilsina Sampada , Upadhyaya Jitendra , Dahal Ram Hari
Published: April 2021

Coffee pulp, mucilage, and beans with mucilage were used to develop alcoholic beverages. The pulp of 45.3% pulp, 54.7% mucilage with seed, and 9.4% mucilage only were obtained during the wet processing of coffee. Musts were prepared for all to TSS (Total soluble solid) 18 °Bx and fermentation was carried out for 12–16 days until TSS decreased to 5 °Bx at 30 °C. Phenolic characteristics, chromatic structures, chemical parameters, and sensory characteristics were analyzed for the prepared alcoholic beverages. Methanol content, ester content, aldehyde, alcohol, total acidity, caffeine, polyphenols, flavonoids, chromatic structure, and hue of the alcoholic beverage from the pulp was 335 mg/L, 70.58 ppm, 9.15 ppm, 8.86 ABV%, 0.41%, 30.94 ppm, 845.7 mg GAE/g dry extract, 440.7 mg QE/g dry extract, 0.41, and 1.71, respectively. An alcoholic beverage from the pulp was found superior to an alcoholic beverage from mucilage with beans and a beverage from mucilage in sensory analysis. There is the possibility of developing fermented alcoholic beverages from coffee pulp and mucilage. However, further research is necessary for quality of the beans that were obtained from the fermentation with the mucilage.
Microbial Resources, Fermentation and Reduction of Negative Externalities in Food Systems: Patterns toward Sustainability and Resilience
Authors: Capozzi Vittorio , Fragasso Mariagiovanna , Bimbo Francesco
Published: April 2021

One of the main targets of sustainable development is the reduction of environmental, social, and economic negative externalities associated with the production of foods and beverages. Those externalities occur at different stages of food chains, from the farm to the fork, with deleterious impacts to different extents. Increasing evidence testifies to the potential of microbial-based solutions and fermentative processes as mitigating strategies to reduce negative externalities in food systems. In several cases, innovative solutions might find in situ applications from the farm to the fork, including advances in food matrices by means of tailored fermentative processes. This viewpoint recalls the attention on microbial biotechnologies as a field of bioeconomy and of ‘green’ innovations to improve sustainability and resilience of agri-food systems alleviating environmental, economic, and social undesired externalities. We argue that food scientists could systematically consider the potential of microbes as ‘mitigating agents’ in all research and development activities dealing with fermentation and microbial-based biotechnologies in the agri-food sector. This aims to conciliate process and product innovations with a development respectful of future generations’ needs and with the aptitude of the systems to overcome global challenges.
iCaps-Dfake: An Integrated Capsule-Based Model for Deepfake Image and Video Detection
Authors: Khalil Samar Samir , Youssef Sherin M. , Saleh Sherine Nagy
Published: April 2021

Fake media is spreading like wildfire all over the internet as a result of the great advancement in deepfake creation tools and the huge interest researchers and corporations are showing to explore its limits. Now anyone can create manipulated unethical media forensics, defame, humiliate others or even scam them out of their money with a click of a button. In this research a new deepfake detection approach, iCaps-Dfake, is proposed that competes with state-of-the-art techniques of deepfake video detection and addresses their low generalization problem. Two feature extraction methods are combined, texture-based Local Binary Patterns (LBP) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) based modified High-Resolution Network (HRNet), along with an application of capsule neural networks (CapsNets) implementing a concurrent routing technique. Experiments have been conducted on large benchmark datasets to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. Several performance metrics are applied and experimental results are analyzed. The proposed model was primarily trained and tested on the DeepFakeDetectionChallenge-Preview (DFDC-P) dataset then tested on Celeb-DF to examine its generalization capability. Experiments achieved an Area-Under Curve (AUC) score improvement of 20.25% over state-of-the-art models.
An Application Review of Fiber-Reinforced Geopolymer Composite
Authors: Samal Sneha , Blanco Ignazio
Published: April 2021

Fiber-reinforced geopolymer composites (FRGCs) were considered in terms of application in various areas, and a review is presented in this article. FRGCs are emerging as environmentally friendly materials, replacing cement in the construction industry. An alternative inorganic binder such as a geopolymer matrix promotes environmental awareness on releasing less CO2. The inorganic matrix geopolymer is considered a greener cement for FRGCs. Various types of fiber reinforcements and their role toward the improvement of tensile, flexural, impact strength, fracture toughness, and energy absorption in overall mechanical performance in FRGCs were discussed. FRGCs and their properties in mechanical response, with correlation toward microstructure evolution at room and elevated temperatures, were also discussed. Simultaneously, the durability and impact strength of FRGCs and damage area as a function of the energy absorption were presented with 3D reconstruction images. Moreover, 3D images will cover the internal volume of the FRGCs with internal porosity and fiber orientation. Hybrid fiber reinforcement adds an extra step for the application of geopolymer composites for structural applications.
Black Caviar Perturbs Reflection of Russian Geography: A Research Note of Aquaculture-Triggered Place Naming Puzzle
Authors: Ruban Dmitry A. , Ermolaev Vladimir A.
Published: April 2021

Black caviar is often thought to be a typically Russian luxurious food product. Recently, its production has extended due to sturgeon aquaculture development. The analysis of the geographical affinities of the full-cycle companies and their aquaculture-sourced black caviar implies that the majority of them employs the Russian Caviar brand and/or refers to the Russian traditions and history. However, names, brands, and/or product positioning of several companies tend to mention geographical objects associated with the tradition places of black caviar production (Astrakhan, the Caspian Sea, and the Volga River), whereas these companies are located in the other, sometimes remote places (with distances over 1000 km). Such marketing solutions of black caviar producers perturb reflection of the Russian geography. The geographical indication (place of origin) of this fish product needs improvement, which is a task for companies, state, and professional societies.
Gastric Digestion of Milk Proteins in Adult and Elderly: Effect of High-Pressure Processing
Authors: Aalaei Kataneh , Khakimov Bekzod , De Gobba Cristian , Ahrné Lilia
Published: April 2021

Reduced physiological capability of the human gastrointestinal tract with increasing age has recently attracted considerable attention to the potential of novel technologies to modify food digestion. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate gastric digestion of milk proteins after application of high-pressure processing (HPP) at 400 MPa 15 min, 600 MPa 5 min and 600 MPa 15 min using two static in vitro models of adults (INFOGEST) and the elderly in comparison to a fresh untreated raw milk. Peptides distribution classified based on the number of amino acids (AA) (<10, 11–15, 16–20, 21–30, >30 AA) were investigated after 0, 5, 10 and 30 min of digestion using LC–MS and multivariate data analysis. Our results show significantly less efficient protein digestion of all investigated milks in the elderly model indicated by higher percentages of longer peptides during digestion, except for the HPP milk 400 MPa 15 min, which indicated an improved and comparable digestion in the elderly as in the adult model. Furthermore, increasing the pressurization time at 600 MPa did not have a significant effect on the peptides profile during the digestion. More efficient digestion of whey proteins in HPP milks, with the majority of peptides in the 16–20 AA range, compared to fresh milk was also noticed. According to the findings of this study, HPP at 400 MPa 15 min showed the most efficient digestion of major milk proteins and thus may be considered a suitable process to improve bioaccessibility of milk proteins, especially in products intended for the elderly.
“More Training Is Not the Answer for Survivors”: A Healing Justice Framework for Women of Color Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Leadership
Authors: Marte Dayanara
Published: April 2021

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a global issue that is particularly prevalent among women of color. Many providers in GBV-based organizations are also survivors of GBV, which affects the way these providers lead social service and social justice organizations. Yet, many institutions at the intersections of GBV fail to address the impact that GBV has on the mind, body, and spirit of the women who work there. Using historical trauma as a lens, this qualitative study incorporates semi-structured interviews with women of color in leadership to explore the various ways trauma manifests itself among survivors of GBV. Thematic analysis with 10 women of color survivors of GBV in leadership revealed four ways trauma manifests itself, how it impacts the women who have experienced it, and survivors’ need for personal and organizational healing. In addition, a conceptualization of a healing justice model that these findings inform is presented. This article has implications for GBV survivors working on the frontlines of GBV-based organizations along with implications for how the organization can facilitate healing among employees.
Genotyping of the Major SARS-CoV-2 Clade by Short-Amplicon High-Resolution Melting (SA-HRM) Analysis
Authors: Diaz-Garcia Hector , Guzmán-Ortiz Ana L. , Angeles-Floriano Tania , Parra-Ortega Israel , López-Martínez Briceida , Martínez-Saucedo Mirna , Aquino-Jarquin Guillermo , Sánchez-Urbina Rocío , Quezada Hector , Granados-Riveron Javier T.
Published: April 2021

The genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causal agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, has diverged due to multiple mutations since its emergence as a human pathogen in December 2019. Some mutations have defined several SARS-CoV-2 clades that seem to behave differently in terms of regional distribution and other biological features. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches are used to classify the sequence variants in viruses from individual human patients. However, the cost and relative scarcity of NGS equipment and expertise in developing countries prevent studies aimed to associate specific clades and variants to clinical features and outcomes in such territories. As of March 2021, the GR clade and its derivatives, including the B.1.1.7 and B.1.1.28 variants, predominate worldwide. We implemented the post-PCR small-amplicon high-resolution melting analysis to genotype SARS-CoV-2 viruses isolated from the saliva of individual patients. This procedure was able to clearly distinguish two groups of samples of SARS-CoV-2-positive samples predicted, according to their melting profiles, to contain GR and non-GR viruses. This grouping of the samples was validated by means of amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS) assay as well as Sanger sequencing.
Identification of People with Diabetes Treatment through Lipids Profile Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Alcalá-Rmz Vanessa , Galván-Tejada Carlos E. , García-Hernández Alejandra , Valladares-Salgado Adan , Cruz Miguel , Galván-Tejada Jorge I. , Celaya-Padilla Jose M. , Luna-Garcia Huizilopoztli , Gamboa-Rosales Hamurabi
Published: April 2021

Diabetes incidence has been a problem, because according with the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation, the number of people with this disease is increasing very fast all over the world. Diabetic treatment is important to prevent the development of several complications, also lipid profile monitoring is important. For that reason the aim of this work is the implementation of machine learning algorithms that are able to classify cases, that corresponds to patients diagnosed with diabetes that have diabetes treatment, and controls that refers to subjects who do not have diabetes treatment but some of them have diabetes, bases on lipids profile levels. Logistic regression, K-nearest neighbor, decision trees and random forest were implemented, all of them were evaluated with accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC-ROC curve metrics. Artificial neural network obtain an acurracy of 0.685 and an AUC value of 0.750, logistic regression achieve an accuracy of 0.729 and an AUC value of 0.795, K-nearest neighbor gets an accuracy of 0.669 and an AUC value of 0.709, on the other hand, decision tree reached an accuracy pg 0.691 and a AUC value of 0.683, finally random forest achieve an accuracy of 0.704 and an AUC curve of 0.776. The performance of all models was statistically significant, but the best performance model for this problem corresponds to logistic regression.
COVID-19 and Mental Health: A Study of Stress, Resilience, and Depression among the Older Population in Pakistan
Authors: Mumtaz Ayesha , Manzoor Faiza , Jiang Shaoping , Anisur Rahaman Mohammad
Published: April 2021

Extending studies of the adverse effects of SARS-2 coronavirus on general health consequences, this research explores complexities related to the mental health of the elderly as a result of pandemic-related stress. The study addresses this issue by using resilience theory to examine the effects of fear and exposure related to COVID-19 and depression. Besides, our study examines the moderating effects of self-efficacy in order to provide an understanding of how the coping abilities of the elderly may mitigate the effect of stress levels on mental health during pandemics. Our model is tested by analysing the survey data collected from Rawalpindi, a metropolitan city in Pakistan. The main results of the study confirm the positive association of pandemic-related fear and exposure virus with depression. However, self-efficacy shows a negative direct effect on depression, and the findings also confirm the moderation effect of self-efficacy on the fear of COVID-19 and depression, but the moderation effect of self-efficacy on COVID-19 exposure and depression is not supported. Based on the outcomes, some severe geriatric care policies that could weaken the pandemic-related fear, exposure to the virus, and depression are recommended.
High School Composition and Health Outcomes in Adulthood: A Cohort Study
Authors: Cohen Alison K. , Ozer Emily J. , Rehkopf David H. , Abrams Barbara
Published: April 2021

Background: A multitude of empirical evidence documents links between education and health, but this focuses primarily on educational attainment and not on characteristics of the school setting. Little is known about the extent to which aggregate characteristics of the school setting, such as student body demographics, are associated with adult health outcomes. Methods: We use the U.S. nationally representative National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort to statistically assess the association between two different measures of high school student composition (socioeconomic composition, racial/ethnic composition) and two different health outcomes at age 40 (self-rated health and obesity). Results: After adjusting for confounders, high school socioeconomic composition, but not racial/ethnic composition, was weakly associated with both obesity and worse self-rated health at age 40. However, after adding adult educational attainment to the model, only the association between high school socioeconomic composition and obesity remained statistically significant. Conclusions: Future research should explore possible mechanisms and also if findings are similar across other populations and in other school contexts. These results suggest that education policies that seek to break the link between socioeconomic composition and negative outcomes remain important but may have few spillover effects onto health.
Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy as a Discriminatory Tool for Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Metabolism: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mateus Tiago , Almeida Idália , Costa Adriana , Viegas Diana , Magalhães Sandra , Martins Filipa , Herdeiro Maria Teresa , da Cruz e Silva Odete A. B. , Fraga Carla , Alves Ivânia , Nunes Alexandra , Rebelo Sandra
Published: April 2021

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a hereditary disease characterized by progressive distal muscle weakness and myotonia. Patients with DM1 have abnormal lipid metabolism and a high propensity to develop a metabolic syndrome in comparison to the general population. It follows that metabolome evaluation in these patients is crucial and may contribute to a better characterization and discrimination between DM1 disease phenotypes and severities. Several experimental approaches are possible to carry out such an analysis; among them is Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) which evaluates metabolic profiles by categorizing samples through their biochemical composition. In this study, FTIR spectra were acquired and analyzed using multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis) using skin DM1 patient-derived fibroblasts and controls. The results obtained showed a clear discrimination between both DM1-derived fibroblasts with different CTG repeat length and with the age of disease onset; this was evident given the distinct metabolic profiles obtained for the two groups. Discrimination could be attributed mainly to the altered lipid metabolism and proteins in the 1800–1500 cm−1 region. These results suggest that FTIR spectroscopy is a valuable tool to discriminate both DM1-derived fibroblasts with different CTG length and age of onset and to study the metabolomic profile of patients with DM1.
First Surveillance of Violence against Women during COVID-19 Lockdown: Experience from “Niguarda” Hospital in Milan, Italy
Authors: Nittari Giulio , Sagaro Getu Gamo , Feola Alessandro , Scipioni Mattia , Ricci Giovanna , Sirignano Ascanio
Published: April 2021

Violence against women emerges with tragic regularity in the daily news. It is now an evident trace of a dramatic social problem, the characteristics of which are not attributable to certain economic, cultural, or religious conditions of the people involved but affect indiscriminately, in a unanimous way, our society. The study is a survey about the number of hospital admissions due to episodes attributable to violence against women, recorded by the Niguarda Hospital in Milan in the period 1 March–30 May from 2017 to 2020. This period, in 2020, corresponds to the coronavirus Lockdown in Italy. All the medical records of the Emergency department were reviewed, and the extracted data classified in order to identify the episodes of violence against women and the features of the reported injuries and the characteristics of the victims. The data did not show an increase in the number of cases in 2020 compared to previous years, but we did find a notable increase in the severity of injuries.
Consumer Acceptance of Gene-Edited versus Genetically Modified Foods in Korea
Authors: Son Eunae , Lim Song Soo
Published: April 2021

Food made with gene-editing has received considerable attention in recent years because it is claimed to be a little different from traditional genetically modified breeding methods concerning safety. However, consumer acceptance of these novel foods and their potential market uptake remains to be answered. This study aims to assess differences in the acceptance of gene-edited and genetically modified foods in Korea. The choice-based conjoint analysis is adopted to estimate part-worth functions for the soybean oil attributes with 200 surveyed samples. The estimated part-worth values reveal how much each attribute affects consumers’ decision-making. Estimated results suggest that consumers tend to accept gene-editing more than genetically modified foods. The acceptance of novel technology is shown to correspond closely to the degree of consumers’ scientific knowledge, highlighting the importance of revealing relevant information regarding the technology. Results also show that country of origin is a significant food-specific attitudinal factor in shaping consumer preferences.
Barriers, Facilitating Factors, and Intersectoral Collaboration for Promoting Active Mobility for Healthy Aging—A Qualitative Study within Local Government in Germany
Authors: Brüchert Tanja , Quentin Paula , Baumgart Sabine , Bolte Gabriele
Published: April 2021

The promotion of walking and cycling to stay active and mobile offers great potential for healthy aging. Intersectoral collaboration for age-friendly urban planning is required in local government to realize this potential. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the heads of planning and public health departments in city and district administrations of a Metropolitan Region in Germany to identify factors influencing action on the cross-cutting issue of active mobility for healthy aging. Although some administrations are working on the promotion of active mobility, they consider neither the needs of older people nor health effects. A lack of human resources and expertise, mainly due to the low priority placed on the issue, are described as the main barriers for further strategic collaboration. Furthermore, the public health sector often focuses on pathogens as the cause of morbidity and mortality, reducing their acceptance of responsibility for the topic. Facilitating factors include the establishment of new administrative structures, projects with rapid results that create awareness and credibility among citizens and politicians, additional staff with expertise in health promotion, and political commitment. In the future, new administrative structures for intersectoral collaboration are needed in order to consider various perspectives in complex developments, such as healthy aging, and to benefit from synergies.
Associations between Lifestyle Habits, Perceived Symptoms and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Patients Seeking Health Check-Ups
Authors: Chang Chiu-Hua , Chen Tai-Hsiang , Chiang Lan-Lung (Luke) , Hsu Chiao-Lin , Yu Hsien-Chung , Mar Guang-Yuan , Ma Chen-Chung
Published: April 2021

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common diseases. It mainly causes the stomach contents to flow back to the esophagus, thereby stimulating the esophagus and causing discomfort. From the results of our research, we intend to provide the general public with information related to preventing gastroesophageal reflux disease and medical personnel with information on the treatment and care of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. This study aimed to investigate the association of lifestyle habits and perceived symptoms on GERD in patients who underwent routine health check-ups. This study was conducted as a retrospective cross-sectional design to collect GERD cases from the medical records containing the health questionnaires and the report of endoscopic findings on the day of the health check-up. A total of 5653 patients were enrolled between 1 January 2016, and 31 December 2018. About 60.2% (n = 3404) of patients with GERD were diagnosed based on endoscopic findings. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of the development of GERD. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, sex, waist circumference, Areca catechu chewing habit, sleep disorders, otolaryngology symptoms, and hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly associated with GERD. In this study, our results can be used as a reference for public health care and clinicians. Because most GERD cases can be controlled and prevented by lifestyle modifications, health professionals should always obtain a detailed history regarding symptoms and lifestyle habits associated with GERD.