bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facile Fabrication of a Novel Au/Phosphorus-Doped g-C3N4 Photocatalyst with Excellent Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Li Hao , Zhang Nan , Zhao Fei , Liu Tongyao , Wang Yuhua
Published: June 2020

The intrinsic disadvantages of pristine graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) significantly restrict its applications in photocatalysis field. Hence, we have demonstrated facile thermal copolymerization and in situ photodeposition methods to fabricate a novel Au/phosphorus-doped g-C3N4 (Au/P-g-C3N4) photocatalyst. The results showed that phosphorus was doped into the structure of g-C3N4 and that the surface deposition of gold was successfully accomplished. The H2 generation rate of the optimal Au/P-g-C3N4 is 8.4 times compared with the pristine g-C3N4 under visible light irradiation. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity is due to the synergic effect between gold induced surface plasmon resonance and the modified structural and electronic properties of the g-C3N4 induced by the phosphorus dopant.
Methanation of CO2 over Cobalt-Lanthanide Aerogels: Effect of Calcination Temperature
Authors: Branco Joaquim Badalo , da Silva Ricardo Pinto , Ferreira Ana Cristina
Published: June 2020

High surface area cobalt-lanthanide bimetallic aerogels were successfully synthesized by the epoxide addition method. The bimetallic aerogels were calcined at two different temperatures and either bimetallic oxides containing oxychlorides, Co3O4.3LnOCl (Ln = La, Sm, Gd, Dy and Yb) or perovskites, LnCoO3 (Ln = La, Sm, Gd and Dy) were obtained at 500 or 900 °C, respectively. The exceptions are the aerogels of cerium and ytterbium, which after oxidation at 500 and 900 °C, stabilize as sesquioxides: Co3O4.3CeO2 and 2Co3O4.3Yb2O3, the first at both temperatures and the second only at the highest temperature. The bimetallic cobalt-lanthanide oxychlorides or perovskites were tested as catalysts for the methanation of CO2. The cobalt catalytic activity is determined by the type and acid-base properties of the lanthanide oxide phase and by its pre-reduction under hydrogen. The best results were those obtained over the calcined aerogels pre-reduced under hydrogen. In particular, the highest values were those obtained over the Co-Ce aerogel calcined at 900 °C that in the same conditions present an activity comparable to that measured over a 5 wt.% Rh catalyst supported on alumina, one of the literature references. The activity and the selectivity increase with the catalysts’ basicity, showing an inverse dependence of the reduction temperature that decreases along the lanthanide series either for the aerogels calcined at 500 or 900 °C. In general, the basicity of the aerogels calcined at 900 °C (perovskites) is higher and they are more active but less selective than those calcined at 500 °C (oxychlorides), which to our knowledge is for the first time reported for the methanation of CO2.
Asymmetric Ring-Opening of Epoxides Catalyzed by Metal–Salen Complexes
Authors: Lidskog Anna , Li Yutang , Wärnmark Kenneth
Published: June 2020

The asymmetric ring-opening of epoxides is an important reaction in organic synthesis, since it allows for the enantioselective installation of two vicinal functional groups with specific stereochemistry within one step from a highly available starting material. An effective class of catalysts for the asymmetric ring-opening of epoxides is metal–salen complexes. This review summarizes the development of metal–salen catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-epoxides and kinetic resolution of epoxides with various nucleophiles, including the design and application of both homogeneous- and heterogeneous epoxide-opening catalysts as well as multi-metallic covalent and supramolecular catalytic systems.
Gold Nanoisland Agglomeration upon the Substrate Assisted Chemical Etching Based on Thermal Annealing Process
Authors: Potejanasak Potejana , Duangchan Sethavut
Published: June 2020

In this study, we proposed the self-organization process and its localized surface plasmon resonance property (LSPR) to study the effect of chemically treated quartz glass substrates for gold nanoisland array formation. Firstly, we etched a quartz glass substrate using a sputter etching machine. Secondly, n-butanol was treated on the surface of the substrate. Then, we deposited a gold thin film on the substrate with assisted chemical etching. Finally, the self-organization method examined the thermal annealing of gold nanoisland arrays on a substrate. The results showed that the gold nanoisland that was aggregated on an etched quartz glass substrate was large and sparse, while the gold nanoisland aggregated on a chemically treated substrate was small and dense. Further, it was revealed that a substrate’s surface energy reduced chemical treating and increased the gold nanoisland contact angle on the substrate via the thermal annealing process. It was also confirmed that chemical treatment was useful to control the morphology of gold nanoisland arrays on a substrate, particularly when related to tuning their optical property.
Growth and Magnetism of MnxGe1−x Heteroepitaxial Quantum Dots Grown on Si Wafer by Molecular Beam Epitaxy
Authors: Yang Maolong , Wang Liming , You Jie , Meng Lingyao , Zhang Yichi , Wang Bo , Wang Bin , Hu Huiyong
Published: June 2020

Self-assembled MnGe quantum dots (QDs) were grown on Si (001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy with different growth temperatures and Ge deposition thicknesses to explore the interaction among Mn doping, Ge deposition, the formation of intermetallics, and the ferromagnetism of QDs. With the introduction of Mn atoms, the QDs become large and the density significantly decreases due to the improvement in the surface migration ability of Ge atoms. The growth temperature is one of the most important factors deciding whether intermetallic phases form between Mn and Ge. We found that Mn atoms can segregate from the Ge matrix when the growth temperature exceeds 550 °C, and the strongest ferromagnetism of QDs occurs at a growth temperature of 450 °C. As the Ge deposition thickness increases, the morphology of QDs changes and the ferromagnetic properties decrease gradually. The results clearly indicate the morphological evolution of MnGe QDs and the formation conditions of intermetallics between Mn and Ge, such as Mn5Ge3 and Mn11Ge8.
Functional Diversity Changes after Selective Thinning in a Tropical Mountain Forest in Southern Ecuador
Authors: Cabrera Omar , Hildebrandt Patrick , Stimm Bernd , Günter Sven , Fries Andreas , Mosandl Reinhard
Published: June 2020

Background: The impact of selective thinning on forest diversity has been extensively studied in temperate and boreal regions. However, in the tropics, knowledge is still poor regarding the impacts of this silvicultural treatment on functional diversity, especially in tropical mountain forests, which are considered to be highly biodiverse ecosystems and also endangered by human activities. By evaluating the changes on functional diversity by using different indicators, hypothesizing that selective thinning significantly affects (directly or indirectly) tropical mountain forests, this work promotes sustainable ecosystem use. Methods: A total of 52 permanent plots of 2500 m2 each were installed in a primary mountain forest in the San Francisco Biological Reserve to assess the impact of this silvicultural treatment. Selective thinning can be defined as a controlled process, in which trees that compete with ecologically and/or valuable timber species are progressively removed to stimulate the development of profitable ones, called potential crop trees (PCT). In doing so, the best specimens remain in the forest stand until their final harvest. After PCT selection, 30 plots were chosen for the intervention, while 22 plots served as control plots. The thinning intensity fluctuated between 4 and 56 trees ha−1 (average 18.8 ± 12.1 stems ha−1). Functional Diversity (FD) indices, including the community weighted mean (CWM), were determined based on six traits using the FD package implemented in R software. The difference between initial and final conditions of functional richness (FRic), functional divergence (FDiv), functional evenness (FEve), functional dispersion (FDis), and Rao quadratic entropy (RaoQ) was modeled using linear mixed models (LMM). As fixed factors, we used all the predictors inherent to structural and ecological forest conditions before and after the selective thinning and as a random variable, we used the membership to nested sampling units. Results: Functional Richness (FRic) showed significant changes after selective thinning, the other indexes (FEve, FDis, FDiv, RaoQ) were only influenced by predictors related to ecological conditions and characteristics of the community.
Entropy-Based Strategies for Rapid Pre-Processing and Classification of Time Series Data from Single-Molecule Force Experiments
Authors: Horvath Denis , Žoldák Gabriel
Published: June 2020

Recent advances in single-molecule science have revealed an astonishing number of details on the microscopic states of molecules, which in turn defined the need for simple, automated processing of numerous time-series data. In particular, large datasets of time series of single protein molecules have been obtained using laser optical tweezers. In this system, each molecular state has a separate time series with a relatively uneven composition from the point of view-point of local descriptive statistics. In the past, uncertain data quality and heterogeneity of molecular states were biased to the human experience. Because the data processing information is not directly transferable to the black-box-framework for an efficient classification, a rapid evaluation of a large number of time series samples simultaneously measured may constitute a serious obstacle. To solve this particular problem, we have implemented a supervised learning method that combines local entropic models with the global Lehmer average. We find that the methodological combination is suitable to perform a fast and simple categorization, which enables rapid pre-processing of the data with minimal optimization and user interventions.
An Area-Efficient and Programmable 4 × 25-to-28.9 Gb/s Optical Receiver with DCOC in 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS
Authors: Xu Haojie , Liu Jiarui , Wang Zhiyu , Zhou Min , Mo Jiongjiong , Yu Faxin
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we present an area-efficient noise-optimized programmable 4 × 25-to-28.9 Gb/s optical receiver. Both high- and low-power modes are available for the receiver to meet different requirements. Emitter degeneration provides the input transimpedance amplifier (TIA) stage with improved stability. The noise of the TIA with emitter degeneration is analyzed, and an improved noise optimization method for the TIA is proposed. A sink current source with emitter degeneration in a DC offset cancellation (DCOC) loop reduces the noise introduced by the DCOC circuit. Moreover, with parasitic capacitor utilization in the DCOC loop and capacitive emitter degeneration in the variable-gain amplifier (VGA) stage, the chip area is minimized. Fabricated in a 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS technology, the receiver achieved a small area of 0.54 mm2 per lane. The measured bit error rate (BER) is 10−12 with input signal varying from 110 μApp to 1150 μApp. The one-lane power dissipation values in the low-power and high-power modes are 84.97 mW and 123.75 mW, respectively.
Distance Special Education Delivery by Social Robots
Authors: Lytridis Chris , Bazinas Christos , Sidiropoulos George , Papakostas George A. , Kaburlasos Vassilis G. , Nikopoulou Vasiliki-Aliki , Holeva Vasiliki , Evangeliou Athanasios
Published: June 2020

The outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) has resulted in a significant disruption of almost all aspects of everyday life. Several governments around the world have adopted emergency actions to reduce spreading of the virus, which included suspension of non-essential activities and the implementation of social distancing practices. In our case, governmental measures have resulted in the suspension of our experimental protocol for testing the effectiveness of robot-based treatment of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to conventional human (therapist)-based treatment. These circumstances led to an investigation of the potential of tele-consulting. This paper describes alternatives to implement synchronous and asynchronous therapeutic sessions for children already participating in the protocol, in order to reduce the negative effects of the strict cessation of the in-person sessions. The usefulness of our approach was assessed by recording the children’s and the parent’s satisfaction via questionnaires. In addition, we compare satisfaction between the synchronous and asynchronous sessions. The results show that the approach has been very satisfactory and useful for both children and parents, and that this was especially the case for the robot-based material.
Factors That Contribute to Changes in Local or Municipal GHG Emissions: A Framework Derived from a Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Azevedo Isabel , Leal Vítor
Published: June 2020

The changes observed in a municipal or local energy system over a period of time is due a number of concurrent dynamics such as the local social and economic trends, higher-level policies (e.g., national), and the local policies. Thus, a thorough identification and characterization of the many factors of change is key for an adequate assessment of the effectiveness of policies adopted at the local level, as well as for future planning. Such thorough identification and characterization of the factors that are determinant for the evolution of the local energy system is the content of this paper. The identification is performed through a systematic literature review, followed by a synthesis process. The factors identified are grouped into the categories of local context, local socio-economic and cultural evolution, higher-level governance framework, and local climate change mitigation actions. They are represented through a set of measurable variables. The factors and respective variables can be used to improve the disaggregation of changes in the local energy system into individual causes, leading to a better assessment of the evolution over time.
Experimental Investigation of the Prestrike Characteristics of a Double-Break Vacuum Circuit Breaker under DC Voltages
Authors: Geng Yun , Yao Xiaofei , Dong Jinlong , Liu Xue , Geng Yingsan , Liu Zhiyuan , Peng Jing , Wang Ke
Published: June 2020

The prestrike phenomenon in vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs) is interesting but complicated. Previous studies mainly focus on the prestrike phenomenon in single-break VCBs. However, experimental work on prestrike characteristics of double-break VCBs cannot be found in literature. This paper aims to experimentally determine the probabilistic characteristics of prestrike gaps in a double-break VCB consisting of two commercial vacuum interrupters (VIs) in series under direct current (DC) voltages. As a benchmark, single-break prestrike gaps were measured by short-circuiting one of the VIs in a double break. The experimental results show that the 50% prestrike gap d50 of each VI in a double break, which is calculated with the complementary Weibull distribution, was significantly reduced by 25% to 72.7% compared with that in a single break. Due to the voltage-sharing effect in the double-break VCB, scatters in prestrike gaps of each VI in a double break was smaller than that in a single break. However, without the sharing-voltage effect, d50 of the low-voltage side in the double break was 65% higher than that of the same VI in the single break, which could be caused by the asynchronous property of mechanical actuators, the difference of the inherent prestrike characteristics of each VI and the unequal voltage-sharing ratio of VIs.
Application of Norm Optimal Iterative Learning Control to Quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Monitoring Overhead Power System
Authors: Foudeh Husam A. , Luk Patrick , Whidborne James
Published: June 2020

Wind disturbances and noise severely affect Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) when monitoring and finding faults in overhead power lines. Accordingly, we propose repetitive learning as a new solution for the problem. In particular, the performance of Iterative Learning Control (ILC) that are based on optimal approaches are examined, namely (i) Gradient-based ILC and (ii) Norm Optimal ILC. When considering the repetitive nature of fault-finding tasks for electrical overhead power lines, this study develops, implements and evaluates optimal ILC algorithms for a UAV model. Moreover, we suggest attempting a learning gain variation on the standard optimal algorithms instead of heuristically selecting from the previous range. The results of both simulations and experiments of gradient-based norm optimal control reveal that the proposed ILC algorithm has not only contributed to good trajectory tracking, but also good convergence speed and the ability to cope with exogenous disturbances such as wind gusts.
The Recirculation Zone Characteristics of the Circular Transverse Jet in Crossflow
Authors: Li Ziwan , Yuan Yixiang , Guo Baoting , Varsegov V. L. , Yao Jun
Published: June 2020

Transverse jets in crossflow are widely used in energy systems, especially as dilution air jets, fuel/air mixers, and combustion equipment, and have received extensive attention and plenty of research. However, the studies of the circular transverse jet issued from a circular gap at the circumferential direction of a tube in crossflow are very limited. This paper studies a relatively new jet: the circular transverse jet. Firstly, numerical calculations are conducted under different turbulence models but with the same boundary conditions. By comparing the numerical results of different turbulence models with the existing experimental data, the turbulence model which is most suitable for the numerical calculation of the circular transverse jet is selected. Then, this turbulence model is used to calculate and analyze the flow field structure and its characteristics. It is found that due to the aerodynamic barrier effect of the high-velocity jet, a negative pressure zone is formed behind the jet trajectory; the existence of the negative pressure zone causes the formation of a vortex structure and a recirculation zone downstream the circular transverse jet; and the length/width ratio of the recirculation zone does not change with the changes of the crossflow and the jet parameters. It means that the recirculation zone is a fixed shape for a definite device. This would be fundamental references for the studying of fuel/air mixing characteristics and combustion efficiency when the circular transverse jet is used as a fuel/air mixer and stable combustion system.
A Stochastic Frontier Model for Definition of Non-Technical Loss Targets
Authors: Leite Daniel , Pessanha José , Simões Paulo , Calili Rodrigo , Souza Reinaldo
Published: June 2020

The theft of electrical energy is one of the main problems faced by electricity distribution utilities, especially in developing countries. Aware of the difficulties in combating non-technical losses (NTLs) in Brazil, the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) established tolerable limits for the percentage of non-technical losses to each Brazilian distribution utility. Despite the notable progress made by ANEEL, when comparing public utility NTLs and their regulatory targets in the last decade, it was observed that the goals defined by this agency were not able to lead to a general reduction in NTLs in the country. Thus, the search for alternative methodologies to deal with the topic is necessary. A more attractive alternative to the ANEEL’s model is an efficient frontier model. This paper describes a stochastic frontier cost model for panel data whose equation is specified to provide the tolerable limits for the percentage of NTLs. The proposed model was applied to a panel of data containing annual observations, over 10 years, of 41 distribution utilities in the Brazilian electrical system.
Technoeconomic Analysis on a Hybrid Power System for the UK Household Using Renewable Energy: A Case Study
Authors: Miao Chunqiong , Teng Kailiang , Wang Yaodong , Jiang Long
Published: June 2020

The United Kingdom has abundant renewable energy resources from wind, solar, biomass and others. Meanwhile, domestic sector consumes large amount of electricity and natural gas. This paper aims to explore the potentials of a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) to supply power and heat for a household with the optimal configuration. A typical house in the United Kingdom is selected as a case study and its energy consumption is collected and analysed. Based on energy demands of the house, a distributed HRES including wind turbine, solar photovoltaic (PV) and biogas genset is designed and simulated to satisfy the power and heat demands. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) Software is used to conduct this technoeconomic analysis. It is found that the HRES system with one 1-kW wind turbine, one 1-kW sized biogas genset, four battery units and one 1-kW sized power converter is the most feasible solution, which can supply enough power and heat to meet the household demands. In addition, the HRES system has the lowest net present cost (NPC) of $14,507 and the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of $0.588 kW−1·h−1. The case study is also quite insightful to other European countries.
Wideband DOA Estimation on Co-prime Array via Atomic Norm Minimization
Authors: Chung Hyeonjin , Mi Park Young , Kim Sunwoo
Published: June 2020

This paper introduces a low complexity wideband direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm on the co-prime array. To increase the number of the detectable signal sources and to prevent an unnecessary increase in complexity, the low dimensional co-prime array vector is constructed by arranging elements of the correlation matrix at every frequency bin. The atomic norm minimization (ANM)-based approach resolves the grid-mismatch, which causes an inevitable error in the compressive sensing (CS)-based DOA estimation. However, the complexity surges when the ANM is exploited to the wideband DOA estimation on the co-prime array. The surging complexity of the ANM-based wideband DOA estimation on the co-prime array is handled by solving the time-saving semidefinite programming (SDP) motivated by the ANM for multiple measurement vector (MMV) case. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has high accuracy and low complexity compared to compressive sensing (CS)-based wideband DOA estimation algorithms that exploit the co-prime array.
Towards a Real-Time Predictive Management Approach of Indoor Air Quality in Energy-Efficient Buildings
Authors: Berouine Anass , Ouladsine Radouane , Bakhouya Mohamed , Essaaidi Mohamed
Published: June 2020

Ventilation, heating and air conditioning systems are the main energy consumers in building sector. Improving the energy consumption of these systems, while satisfying the occupants’ comfort, is the major concern of control and automation designers and researchers. Model predictive control (MPC) methods have been widely studied in order to reduce the energy usage while enhancing the occupants’ comfort. In this paper, a generalized predictive control (GPC) algorithm based on controlled auto-regressive integrated moving average is investigated for standalone ventilation systems’ control. A building’s ventilation system is first modeled together with the GPC and MPC controllers. Simulations have been conducted for validation purposes and are structured into two main parts. In the first part, we compare the MPC with two traditional controllers, while the second part is dedicated to the comparison of the MPC against the GPC controller. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the GPC in reducing the energy consumption by about 4.34% while providing significant indoor air quality improvement.
Event-Based Simulation of a Decentralized Protection System Based on Secured GOOSE Messages
Authors: Ledesma Pablo , Jafary Peyman , Repo Sami , Álvarez Amelia , Ramos Francisco , Della Giustina Davide , Dedè Alessio
Published: June 2020

A new simulation library is developed on OMNeT++ to model faults in distribution systems. The proposed library makes it possible to calculate the status of lines and busbars from the point of view of a protection system, enabling the modeling of overcurrents, power outages and fault passage indicators. The library is applied to model a decentralized protection system based on the exchange of IEC 61850 Generic Object Oriented Substation Events (GOOSE) messages between intelligent electronic devices responsible for the operation of circuit breakers and disconnectors. The time needed to secure and transmit GOOSE messages over the Internet is characterized and included in the model. Several studies are carried out to analyze the effect of different parameters, such as GOOSE retransmission times and failure rates of switching devices and communication channels, on the performance of the protection system.
Estimation of the Restored Forest Spatial Structure in Semi-Arid Mine Dumps Using Worldview-2 Imagery
Authors: Zhu Xiaoxiao , Zhou Yongli , Yang Yongjun , Hou Huping , Zhang Shaoliang , Liu Run
Published: June 2020

Forest monitoring is critical to the management and successful evaluation of ecological restoration in mined areas. However, in the past, available monitoring has mainly focused on traditional parameters and lacked estimation of the spatial structural parameters (SSPs) of forests. The SSPs are important indicators of forest health and resilience. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of estimating the SSPs of restored forest in semi-arid mine dumps using Worldview-2 imagery. We used the random forest to extract the dominant feature factor subset; then, a regression model and mind evolutionary algorithm-back propagation (MEA-BP) neural network model were established to estimate the forest SSP. The results show that the textural features found using 3 × 3 window have a relatively high importance score in the random forest model. This indicates that the 3 × 3 texture factors have a relatively strong ability to explain the restored forest SSPs when compared with spectral factors. The optimal regression model has an R2 of 0.6174 and an MSRE of 0.1001. The optimal MEA-BP neural network model has an R2 of 0.6975 and an MSRE of 0.0906, which shows that the MEA-BP neural network has greater accuracy than the regression model. The estimation shows that the tree–shrub–grass mode with an average of 0.7351 has the highest SSP, irrespective of the restoration age. In addition, the SSP of each forest configuration type increases with the increase in restoration age except for the single grass configuration. The increase range of SSP across all modes was 0.0047–0.1471 after more than ten years of restoration. In conclusion, the spatial structure of a mixed forest mode is relatively complex. Application cases show that Worldview-2 imagery and the MEA-BP neural network method can support the effective evaluation of the spatial structure of restored forest in semi-arid mine dumps.
Identifying Who Improves or Maintains Their Food Literacy Behaviours after Completing an Adult Program
Authors: Begley Andrea , Paynter Ellen , Butcher Lucy , Bobongie Vanessa , Dhaliwal Satvinder S.
Published: June 2020

Food Sensations for Adults is a free four-week nutrition and cooking program that teaches low- to middle-income individuals food literacy. This research aimed to compare demographic characteristics of participants who completed the program’s follow-up questionnaire three months after program completion and assess whether food literacy and dietary behaviour changes were improved or maintained. Statistical analysis methods used factor scores of the plan and manage, selection, and preparation domains to examine mean self-reported changes in food literacy. Tertile stratification methods calculated changes in participants who had low, middle, and high end-of-program food literacy scores, and multivariable regression analysis explored the associations. The follow-up results (n = 621) demonstrated a statistically significant factor score increase in plan and manage (3%) and selection (7.2%) domain scores, and a decrease in the preparation score (3.1%), and serves of consumed vegetables (7.9%), but were still significantly higher than at the start of the program. At follow-up, participants with low food literacy at the program end significantly improved their follow-up domain scores for plan and manage (60%) and selection (73.3%), and participants with moderate or high food literacy at the program end maintained their follow-up scores. A food literacy program can support adults to improve and maintain their food literacy behaviours and maintain dietary behaviour change; therefore, strategies to support this continued change must be considered.
Children Witnessing Domestic Violence in the Voice of Health and Social Professionals Dealing with Contrasting Gender Violence
Authors: Carnevale Stefania , Di Napoli Immacolata , Esposito Ciro , Arcidiacono Caterina , Procentese Fortuna
Published: June 2020

Witnessing domestic violence (WDV) is recognized by the Istanbul Convention as psychological abuse that has dramatic consequences on the psychophysical health of children. Therefore, professionals who form the support network for WDV victims play a very fundamental role. In order to draw up useful guidelines for services dealing with WDV, and to give children more awareness of supportive settings, this study analyzes WDV in the perception of health and welfare professionals to enhance their skills and strategies for contrasting gender violence. Sixteen Neapolitan specialists dealing with WDV children were interviewed. A theoretical intentional sampling was used. Narrative focused interviews were carried out, transcribed verbatim and analyzed through the grounded theory methodology, using the ATLAS.ti 8 software (Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany). We assigned 319 codes and grouped these into 10 categories and 4 macro-categories. The analysis of the texts led to the definition of the core category as “The Crystal Fortress”. It summarizes the image of the WDV children as described by the professionals working in contrasting domestic violence. In this structure the parental roles of protection and care (fortress) are suspended and everything is extremely rigid, fragile and always at risk of a catastrophe. It also symbolizes the difficult role of health professionals in dealing with such children and their families. For WDV children, protective factors guarantee solid development and supportive settings help them to learn proper emotional responsiveness and expressiveness and to develop their skills in talking with adults while avoiding negative consequences.
Gamification in Physical Education: Evaluation of Impact on Motivation and Academic Performance within Higher Education
Authors: Ferriz-Valero Alberto , Østerlie Ove , García Martínez Salvador , García-Jaén Miguel
Published: June 2020

Gamification is an innovative pedagogical approach to addressing problems related to social behaviour, student motivation and academic performance at different educational stages. Therefore, this research aimed to analyse its impact on the motivations and academic performances of university students. The research was carried out in the training of future teachers specialising in physical education during two academic courses. In total, 127 students participated in the study, divided into a gamified experimental group (n = 62) and a control group (n = 65). The participants completed a questionnaire to assess motivation in physical education before and after the intervention and performed a final exam to assess academic performance. The results indicated an increase in external regulation in the experimental group only. Furthermore, this group achieved significantly better academic performance. The findings of this study suggest that gamified implementation is beneficial for academic performance at the university stage, even though intrinsic motivation does not change. Furthermore, the nature of rewards or punishments, as characteristic of this pedagogical approach, could play an important role in the expected results, since external regulation increased significantly after the intervention.
Examining the Moderation Effect of Political Trust on the Linkage between Civic Morality and Support for Environmental Taxation
Authors: Lim Jae Young , Moon Kuk-Kyoung
Published: June 2020

Climate change and pollution are threatening sustainable environments and human life. To mitigate and adapt to the effects of such threats, governments around the world need significant financial resources. Accordingly, this study focuses on which factors are associated with individuals’ support for taxation to protect the environment and pays special attention to the direct effects of civic morality and political trust, as well as their joint effects on support for environmental taxation. Ordered probit results with a sample size of 760 demonstrate that civic morality is positively associated with individuals’ support for environmental taxation; political trust works in the same way. More importantly, political trust moderates and enhances the linkage between civic morality and support for environmental taxation, demonstrating that it can serve as a powerful tool in a government’s efforts to protect the environment.
Using Mind–Body Modalities via Telemedicine during the COVID-19 Crisis: Cases in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Kwon Chan-Young , Kwak Hui-Yong , Kim Jong Woo
Published: June 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the world, and its deleterious effects on human domestic life, society, economics, and especially on human mental health are expected to continue. Mental health experts highlighted health issues this pandemic may cause, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mind–body intervention, such as mindfulness meditation, has accumulated sufficient empirical evidence supporting the efficacy in improving human mental health states and the use for this purpose has been increasing. Notably, some of these interventions have already been tried in the form of telemedicine or eHealth. Korea, located adjacent to China, was exposed to COVID-19 from a relatively early stage, and today it is evaluated to have been successful in controlling this disease. “The COVID-19 telemedicine center of Korean medicine” has treated more than 20% of the confirmed COVID-19 patients in Korea with telemedicine since 9 March 2020. The center used telemedicine and mind–body modalities (including mindfulness meditation) to improve the mental health of patients diagnosed with COVID-19. In this paper, the telemedicine manual is introduced to provide insights into the development of mental health interventions for COVID-19 and other large-scale disasters in the upcoming new-normal era.
Association of Pain, Severe Pain, and Multisite Pain with the Level of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Severely Obese Adults: Baseline Data from the DieTBra Trial
Authors: Mendonça Carolina Rodrigues , Noll Matias , Rodrigues Ana Paula dos Santos , Vitorino Priscila Valverde de Oliveira , Mendes Márcio de Almeida , Silveira Erika Aparecida
Published: June 2020

The study aimed to assess the prevalence of pain, severe pain, and pain in four or more regions associated with physical activity and sedentary behavior, as well as other associated factors in severely obese adults (Body Mass Index ≥ 35 kg/m2). Baseline data from the DieTBra Trial were analyzed. The outcome variables were pain (yes/no) and pain in four or more sites (yes/no), as identified by the Brazilian version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, along with the presence of severe pain (yes/no), identified based on the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (≥8). The main independent variables were moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity, and sedentary behavior, assessed by triaxial accelerometry. The variables were analyzed using multiple hierarchical Poisson regression. In 150 individuals (men, 14.67%; and women, 85.33%), with a mean age of 39.6 ± 0.7 years, there was a high prevalence of pain (89.33%), severe pain (69.33%), and pain in four or more regions (53.33%). The associated factors were shorter MVPA time with pain (p = 0.010); arthritis/arthrosis (p = 0.007) and the use of muscle relaxants (p = 0.026) with severe pain; and economic class C (p = 0.033), and economic class D (p = 0.003), along with arthritis and arthrosis (p = 0.025) with pain in four or more sites. There were no significant associations between sedentary behavior and any of the three outcomes analyzed. These findings indicate that, in severely obese individuals, shorter MVPA time is associated with a higher prevalence of pain. Future studies on physical activity intervention may contribute to the reduction in the prevalence and severity of pain in adults with severe obesity.
Prevalence of Preoperative Anxiety and Its Relationship with Postoperative Pain in Foot Nail Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Navarro-Gastón Daniel , Munuera-Martínez Pedro V.
Published: June 2020

Preoperative anxiety has been studied in different medical disciplines, but it is unknown in minor surgical procedures such as foot nail surgery. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain in foot nail surgery. The validated Amsterdam preoperative anxiety and information scale (APAIS) was used to evaluate preoperative anxiety and the need for information in 155 patients undergoing foot nail surgery. In addition, a questionnaire was used to collect other variables such as age, sex and educational level. The verbal numeric scale was employed to value the postoperative pain after 24 h. Age and sex influenced (p < 0.05) preoperative anxiety, which had a prevalence of 22.6%. More than 43% of patients needed more information and this was correlated with anxiety (r = 0.629; p < 0.001). There was a significant difference when comparing the total anxiety between the group of participants who had more pain and that who had less pain (p < 0.001). The prevalence of anxiety was high in the participants of this study, being greater in young patients and in women. There was a deficit of information, increasing the level of preoperative anxiety, which in turn was related with greater postoperative pain.
Functional and Clinical Characteristics for Predicting Sarcopenia in Institutionalised Older Adults: Identifying Tools for Clinical Screening
Authors: Cebrià i Iranzo Maria A. , Arnal-Gómez Anna , Tortosa-Chuliá Maria A. , Balasch-Bernat Mercè , Forcano Silvia , Sentandreu-Mañó Trinidad , Tomas Jose M. , Cezón-Serrano Natalia
Published: June 2020

Background: Recently, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) has updated the sarcopenia definition based on objective evaluation of muscle strength, mass and physical performance. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between sarcopenia and clinical aspects such as functionality, comorbidity, polypharmacy, hospitalisations and falls in order to support sarcopenia screening in institutionalised older adults, as well as to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in this population using the EWGSOP2 new algorithm. Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted on institutionalised older adults (n = 132, 77.7% female, mean age 82 years). Application of the EWGSOP2 algorithm consisted of the SARC-F questionnaire, handgrip strength (HG), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Clinical study variables were: Barthel Index (BI), Abbreviated Charlson’s Comorbidity Index (ACCI), number of medications, hospital stays and falls. Results: Age, BI and ACCI were shown to be predictors of the EWGSOP2 sarcopenia definition (Nagelkerke’s R-square = 0.34), highlighting the ACCI. Sarcopenia was more prevalent in older adults aged over 85 (p = 0.005), but no differences were found according to gender (p = 0.512). Conclusion: BI and the ACCI can be considered predictors that guide healthcare professionals in early sarcopenia identification and therapeutic approach.
Air Pollution and COVID-19: The Role of Particulate Matter in the Spread and Increase of COVID-19’s Morbidity and Mortality
Authors: Comunian Silvia , Dongo Dario , Milani Chiara , Palestini Paola
Published: June 2020

Sars-Cov-2 virus (COVID-19) is a member of the coronavirus family and is responsible for the pandemic recently declared by the World Health Organization. A positive correlation has been observed between the spread of the virus and air pollution, one of the greatest challenges of our millennium. COVID-19 could have an air transmission and atmospheric particulate matter (PM) could create a suitable environment for transporting the virus at greater distances than those considered for close contact. Moreover, PM induces inflammation in lung cells and exposure to PM could increase the susceptibility and severity of the COVID-19 patient symptoms. The new coronavirus has been shown to trigger an inflammatory storm that would be sustained in the case of pre-exposure to polluting agents. In this review, we highlight the potential role of PM in the spread of COVID-19, focusing on Italian cities whose PM daily concentrations were found to be higher than the annual average allowed during the months preceding the epidemic. Furthermore, we analyze the positive correlation between the virus spread, PM, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a receptor involved in the entry of the virus into pulmonary cells and inflammation.
Characterization of Silica Exposure during Manufacturing of Artificial Stone Countertops
Authors: Carrieri Mariella , Guzzardo Carly , Farcas Daniel , Cena Lorenzo G.
Published: June 2020

Artificial stone is increasing in popularity in construction applications, including commercial and residential countertops. Eco-friendliness, durability, and resistance to staining, make artificial stone attractive to consumers. Health concerns have arisen during manufacturing of artificial stone due to increased incidence of silicosis after relatively short exposure. Three artificial stone samples (A, B, and C) and one natural granite sample were subjected to cutting and grinding in a controlled environment. Gravimetric analysis, X-Ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy were employed to determine crystalline silica concentrations and particle morphology of bulk and respirable particles. Silica content of bulk dust from artificial samples A and B was 91%, sample C was <10%, while granite was 31%. Silica percent in the respirable fraction for samples A and B was 53% and 54%, respectively, while sample C was <5% and granite was 8%. Number concentrations for samples A and B were mainly in the nano-fraction, indicating potential for translocation of silica particles to other organs outside of the lungs. Respirable dust concentrations inside the chamber were well above Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards for all materials, indicating that confined-space exposures require ventilation to lower risks of acute silicosis regardless of the nature of the stone.
Effectiveness of the Muscle Energy Technique versus Osteopathic Manipulation in the Treatment of Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction in Athletes
Authors: García-Peñalver Urko José , Palop-Montoro María Victoria , Manzano-Sánchez David
Published: June 2020

Background: The study of injuries stemming from sacroiliac dysfunction in athletes has been discussed in many papers. However, the treatment of this issue through thrust and muscle-energy techniques has hardly been researched. The objective of our research is to compare the effectiveness of thrust technique to that of energy muscle techniques in the resolution of sacroiliac joint blockage or dysfunction in middle-distance running athletes. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with three measures in time (pre-intervention, intervention 1, final intervention after one month from the first intervention) was made. The sample consisted of 60 adult athletes from an Athletic club, who were dealing with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The sample was randomly divided into three groups of 20 participants (43 men and 17 women). One intervention group was treated with the thrust technique, another intervention group was treated with the muscle–energy technique, and the control group received treatment by means of a simulated technique. A prior assessment of the range of motion was performed by means of a seated forward flexion test, a standing forward flexion test, and the Gillet test. After observing the dysfunction, the corresponding technique was performed on each intervention group. The control group underwent a simulated technique. A second intervention took place a month later, in order to ascertain possible increased effectiveness. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the muscle energy technique (MET) and muscle energy groups compared with the placebo group in both interventions (p = 0.000), with a significant reduction in positive dysfunction (initially 20 in all groups, eight in MET group, and two in thrust group in the final intervention). Comparing the changes in time, only the thrust group obtained statistically significant differences (p = 0.000, with a reduction of positive dysfunction, starting at 20 positives, five positive in the initial intervention and two positive in the final intervention) and when comparing both techniques, it was observed that between the first intervention and the final intervention, the thrust technique was significantly higher than the MET technique (p = 0.032). Conclusions: The thrust manipulation technique is more effective in the treatment of sacroiliac dysfunction than the energy muscle technique, in both cases obtaining satisfactory results with far middle-distance running athletes. Finally, the thrust technique showed positive results in the first intervention and also in the long term, in contrast to the MET technique that only obtained changes after the first intervention.
Art Meets Sport: What Can Actor Training Bring to Physical Literacy Programs?
Authors: Barnett Lisa M. , Dennis Rea , Hunter Kate , Cairney John , Keegan Richard J. , Essiet Inimfon A. , Dudley Dean A.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this communication is to highlight synergies and opportunities between the fields of education, sport and health and the performing arts for the promotion of physical literacy. First, physical literacy is introduced and then defined according to the definition used in this communication. Secondly, we highlight the gap in physical literacy interventions, in that they do not address learning based on a holistic comprehensive definition of physical literacy. Then we provide examples of interventions that do borrow from the arts, such as circus arts, and show how these approaches explicitly link to the discipline of arts. This is followed by program examples, which approach motor and language development from discipline-specific perspectives. Then we introduce actor training (within the discipline of arts) in terms of how this approach may be useful to our understanding of physical literacy and how to expand the conception of physical literacy to include affective meaning making, and tolerance for ambiguity and discomfort in not-knowing. Finally, we conclude with the next step for the bridging of disciplines in order to further our journey to understand and improve physical literacy.