bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perception of Changes in Marine Benthic Habitats: The Relevance of Taxonomic and Ecological Memory
Authors: Gravina Maria Flavia , Bonifazi Andrea , Del Pasqua Michela , Giampaoletti Jacopo , Lezzi Marco , Ventura Daniele , Giangrande Adriana
Published: December 2020

Having a reliable ecological reference baseline is pivotal to understanding the current status of benthic assemblages. Ecological awareness of our perception of environmental changes could be better described based on historical data. Otherwise, we meet with the shifting baseline syndrome (SBS). Facing SBS harmful consequences on environmental and cultural heritage, as well as on conservation strategies, requires combining historical data with contemporary biomonitoring. In the present “era of biodiversity”, we advocate for (1) the crucial role of taxonomy as a study of life diversity and (2) the robust, informative value of museum collections as memories of past ecosystem conditions. This scenario requires taxonomist skills to understand community composition and diversity, as well as to determine ecosystem change trends and rates. In this paper, we focus on six Mediterranean benthic habitats to track biological and structural changes that have occurred in the last few decades. We highlight the perception of biological changes when historical records make possible effective comparisons between past reference situations and current data. We conclude that the better we know the past, the more we understand present (and will understand future) ecosystem functioning. Achieving this goal is intrinsically linked to investing in training new taxonomists who are able to assure intergeneration connectivity to transmit cultural and environmental heritage, a key aspect to understanding and managing our changing ecosystems.
Phylogenetic Assessment of Freshwater Mussels Castalia ambigua and C. inflata at an Ecotone in the Paraguay River Basin, Brazil Shows That Inflated and Compressed Shell Morphotypes Are the Same Species
Authors: Olivera-Hyde Miluska , Hallerman Eric , Santos Rogério , Jones Jess , Varnerin Brianne , da Cruz Santos Neto Guilherme , Mansur Maria Cristina , Moraleco Priscilla , Callil Claudia
Published: December 2020

The phylogeny and taxonomy of freshwater mussels of the genus Castalia in South America is complicated by issues of morphological plasticity and limited molecular genetic data. We present field data on the distributions of the nominal Castalia ambigua and C. inflata in the upper Paraguay River basin in Brazil based on original occurrence data at 23 sample sites and on historical records. The upper basin has distinct highland and lowland regions, the latter including the Pantanal wetland, where “C. ambigua” occurs in the highlands and “C. inflata” occurs in both regions. At Baixo Stream in the highlands, we observed individuals with shell morphologies of either C. ambigua or C. inflata, and also individuals with intermediate shell morphology. DNA sequence variation in the upland Baixo Stream and two representative lowland populations were screened. Two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes were sequenced to test hypotheses regarding the number of species-level phylogenetic lineages present. Reported individual DNA sequences from Amazon-basin C. ambigua and other Castalia and outgroup species were included in the analysis as outgroups. Individuals from the Paraguay River basin exhibited 17 haplotypes at the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene and nine at mitochondrial 16S rRNA. Analysis of haplotype networks and phylogenetic trees of combined COI + 16S rRNA sequences among individuals with the respective shell morphologies supported the hypothesis that C. ambigua and C. inflata from the Paraguay River basin belong to the same species and one phylogenetic lineage. No variation was observed at the nuclear 18S rRNA internal transcribed spacer, 28S rRNA, or H3NR histone genes among individuals used in this study. Across all markers, less variation was observed among Paraguay basin populations than between Paraguay and Amazon basin populations. Our results collectively suggest that: (1) “C. ambigua”, “C. inflata”, and morphologically intermediate individuals within the upper Paraguay drainage represent one phylogenetic lineage, (2) a phylogeographic divide exists between Castalia populations occurring in the Paraguay and Amazon River basins, and (3) the evolutionary and taxonomic uncertainties that we have identified among Castalia species should be thoroughly assessed across their distribution using both morphological and molecular characters.
Design Mode Innovation of Local Color Cultures: A Case Study of the Traditional Female Costume of Yi Nationality
Authors: Ji Zhe , Huang Wei-Hsin , Lin Mengyi
Published: December 2020

Color is a concrete expression of combining local features and traditional culture. The purpose of this study is to provide a new design method and intends, by taking the traditional costume of the Yi women in Liangshan, China, as an example, to establish a systematic color scheme which can be used as a reference for the establishment of relevant color records for other cultural groups. First of all, through literature review, this study provides the definition of the traditional costume of the Yi women in Liangshan, color and culture and color images and clarifies the characteristics of research samples. Secondly, experts are invited to find out and record the color values of different colors on Yi women’s costume, and a software is resorted to in order to calculate the area ration of each color and analyze the color distribution principles of sample costume. Moreover, this study discusses the color images of Yi women’s costume, sorts out its unique color characteristics and establishes and verifies samples of color scheme through focus group interviews in order to analyze regional cultural colors. Finally, this study proposes a systematic approach for regional cultural color analysis, namely, understanding color characteristics, analyzing color images, establishing a color scheme and demonstrating color scheme principles. Through a systematic approach, these cultural colors are analyzed and organized to establish a regional cultural color scheme, which can not only retain the characteristics of the traditional cultural colors of Chinese ethnic groups’ costume but also serve as a reference for designers to develop regional cultural products.
Fertility and Reproduction after Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Long-Term Follow-Up Studies
Authors: Chaer Rayane , Nakouzi Nour , Itani Leila , Tannir Hana , Kreidieh Dima , El Masri Dana , El Ghoch Marwan
Published: December 2020

Reproductive health is compromised during anorexia nervosa (AN). However, it is still unclear whether this medical complication is reversible after recovery from AN. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a systematic review of the major reproductive health outcomes in females after recovery from AN. The review was conducted in adherence to preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were collated using meta-analysis and a narrative approach. Of the 1186 articles retrieved, five studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. These studies monitored weight-restored females who had recovered from AN for a follow-up period of between six and 18 years. Their narrative analysis revealed that appropriate treatment of AN leads to the normalization of reproductive function, especially in terms of fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth rates. The meta-analysis confirmed this finding, where the pooled odds of childbirth rates between the AN group and the general population was not statistically significant (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.43–1.29, p = 0.41). We conclude that if patients undergo appropriate eating-disorder treatment and weight restoration, it appears to be unlikely that reproductive health is affected by AN. However, since this finding is derived from only a few studies, it requires replication and confirmation.
Visible Light Communications for Industrial Applications—Challenges and Potentials
Authors: Almadani Yousef , Plets David , Bastiaens Sander , Joseph Wout , Ijaz Muhammad , Ghassemlooy Zabih , Rajbhandari Sujan
Published: December 2020

Visible Light Communication (VLC) is a short-range optical wireless communication technology that has been gaining attention due to its potential to offload heavy data traffic from the congested radio wireless spectrum. At the same time, wireless communications are becoming crucial to smart manufacturing within the scope of Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 is a developing trend of high-speed data exchange in automation for manufacturing technologies and is referred to as the fourth industrial revolution. This trend requires fast, reliable, low-latency, and cost-effective data transmissions with fast synchronizations to ensure smooth operations for various processes. VLC is capable of providing reliable, low-latency, and secure connections that do not penetrate walls and is immune to electromagnetic interference. As such, this paper aims to show the potential of VLC for industrial wireless applications by examining the latest research work in VLC systems. This work also highlights and classifies challenges that might arise with the applicability of VLC and visible light positioning (VLP) systems in these settings. Given the previous work performed in these areas, and the major ongoing experimental projects looking into the use of VLC systems for industrial applications, the use of VLC and VLP systems for industrial applications shows promising potential.
Minimum Distance Optimization with Chord Edge Growth for High Girth Non-Binary LDPC Codes
Authors: Han Changcai , Li Hui , Chen Weigang
Published: December 2020

Short or moderate-length non-binary low-density parity-check (NB-LDPC) codes have the potential applications in future low latency and high-reliability communication thanks to the strong error correction capability and parallel decoding. Because of the existence of the error floor, the NB-LDPC codes usually cannot satisfy very low bit error rate (BER) requirements. In this paper, a low-complexity method is proposed for optimizing the minimum distance of the NB-LDPC code in a progressive chord edge growth manner. Specifically, each chord edge connecting two non-adjacent vertices is added to the Hamiltonian cycle one-by-one. For each newly added chord edge, the configuration of non-zero entries corresponding to the chord edge is determined according to the so-called full rank condition (FRC) of all cycles that are related to the chord edge in the obtained subgraph. With minor modifications to the designed method, it can be used to construct the NB-LDPC codes with an efficient encoding structure. The analysis results show that the method for designing NB-LDPC codes while using progressive chord edge growth has lower complexity than traditional methods. The simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively improve the performance of the NB-LDPC code in the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) region. While using the proposed scheme, an NB-LDPC code with a quite low BER can be constructed with extremely low complexity.
Sacrificial Volume Materials for Small Hole Generation in Low-Temperature Cofired Ceramics
Authors: Kärnfelt Camilla , Zelenchuk Dmitry , Sinou Maïna , Gallée François , Douglas Paula
Published: December 2020

The creation of hole, cavity or channel structures in low-temperature cofired ceramics (LTCCs), using different sacrificial volume materials (SVMs) was tested. The main functionality of the SVMs should be: easy application into the holes; protection of holes during lamination; uninhibited lamination between layers; and, during firing should burn out before the pores of the LTCCs close, to leave the empty holes clear of any residue. Five different materials were tested—hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) 2 wt%, HEC 5 wt%, agar-agar, gelatin, and commercial carbon paste—and compared to a reference sample where no SVMs were used. In all cases, lamination parameters were minimised in order to preserve the tested hole structures. Matrixes with holes ranging from 158 to 268 µm, with pitches of 573 µm in a green state, were tested. The agar-agar caused ceramic deformation as a result of thermal burst during firing and the lamination between the layers was compromised. The carbon paste was difficult to handle, requiring extra equipment for hole filling and incomplete filling of the larger holes. Traces of carbon paste were left as a landing pad on top of the holes, inhibiting lamination at these areas. The gelatin and the 2 wt% and 5 wt% hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC 2 wt% and HEC 5 wt%) filled all holes completely, and also worked as adhesive-assisted lamination (AAL) materials with excellent lamination between layers. Excellent lamination was also observed in the no-SVM case. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses established that, for all SVMs tested, the remaining residue is negligible after firing. As a result, the HEC 2 wt% material was considered ideal for use as an SVM.
Ultra-Wideband Trapezoidal Log-Periodic Antenna Integrated with an Elliptical Lens
Authors: Nashuha Syifa Haunan , Lee Gwan Hui , Kumar Sachin , Choi Hyun Chul , Kim Kang Wook
Published: December 2020

The design and implementation of an ultra-wideband trapezoidal log-periodic antenna (LPA) integrated with an elliptical dielectric lens are presented. The proposed LPA is fed by an ultra-wideband microstrip-to-coplanar stripline transition structure. In order to improve the radiation patterns and to increase the antenna gain, an elliptical dielectric lens is mounted on the top of the LPA radiator. The design parameters of the elliptical lens integrated with the LPA were optimized through a parametric analysis. The proposed antenna shows an impedance bandwidth (S11 ≤ −10 dB) from 5.2 to 40 GHz, with a peak gain of 17.8 dB.
Transport Simulations on Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope Images of Nanoporous Shale
Authors: Frouté Laura , Wang Yuhang , McKinzie Jesse , Aryana Saman , Kovscek Anthony
Published: December 2020

Digital rock physics is an often-mentioned approach to better understand and model transport processes occurring in tight nanoporous media including the organic and inorganic matrix of shale. Workflows integrating nanometer-scale image data and pore-scale simulations are relatively undeveloped, however. In this paper, a workflow is demonstrated progressing from sample acquisition and preparation, to image acquisition by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) tomography, to volumetric reconstruction to pore-space discretization to numerical simulation of pore-scale transport. Key aspects of the workflow include (i) STEM tomography in high angle annular dark field (HAADF) mode to image three-dimensional pore networks in µm-sized samples with nanometer resolution and (ii) lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) simulations to describe gas flow in slip, transitional, and Knudsen diffusion regimes. It is shown that STEM tomography with nanoscale resolution yields excellent representation of the size and connectivity of organic nanopore networks. In turn, pore-scale simulation on such networks contributes to understanding of transport and storage properties of nanoporous shale. Interestingly, flow occurs primarily along pore networks with pore dimensions on the order of tens of nanometers. Smaller pores do not form percolating pathways in the sample volume imaged. Apparent gas permeability in the range of 10−19 to 10−16 m2 is computed.
Validating the “Seven Functions” Model of Technological Innovations Systems Theory with Industry Stakeholders—A Review from UK Offshore Renewables
Authors: Aldersey-Williams John , Strachan Peter A. , Broadbent Ian D.
Published: December 2020

Technological Innovation Systems theory, and its “functions” framework, have demonstrated their value as tools for exploring socio-technological transitions. Although the “seven functions” model has demonstrated its academic value across a vast literature, there have been few attempts to explore the model through the lens of industry stakeholder opinion. We believe that involving a relevant stakeholder group offers the potential for validating this approach, and even potentially enriching it. This research aims to address that shortfall. In 32 interviews with senior participants in the UK offshore wind, tidal stream and wave sectors and associated supply chain, policy makers, support organisations and other stakeholders, the validity of the seven well-established “Hekkert” functions was tested. The research found that the interviewees confirmed that all seven functions were necessary in characterising the emergence of the focal technologies, and analysis of the interviews allowed the definition and scope of each function to be enriched. The research also found that an additional function—defined as “Demonstrating Value”—was helpful in providing a more complete description of technology emergence. This function is defined and appropriate metrics for it are discussed. The authors suggest that this proposed enrichment of the “functions” model may provide a greater understanding of socio-technological transitions in the face of volatile external contextual factors, whose importance the current COVID pandemic has made all too obvious.
An Integrated Model for Transformer Fault Diagnosis to Improve Sample Classification near Decision Boundary of Support Vector Machine
Authors: Zhang Yiyi , Wang Yuxuan , Fan Xianhao , Zhang Wei , Zhuo Ran , Hao Jian , Shi Zhen
Published: December 2020

Support vector machine (SVM), which serves as one kind of artificial intelligence technique, has been widely employed in transformer fault diagnosis when involving dissolved gas analysis (DGA). However, when using SVM, it is easy to misclassify samples which are located near the decision boundary, resulting in a decrease in the accuracy of fault diagnosis. Given this issue, this paper proposed a genetic algorithm (GA) optimized probabilistic SVM (GAPSVM) integrated with the fuzzy three-ratio (FTR) method, in which the GAPSVM can judge whether a sample is near the decision boundary according to its output probabilities and diagnose the samples which are not near the decision boundary. Then, FTR is used to diagnose the samples which are near the decision boundary. Combining GAPSVM and FTR, the integrated model can accurately diagnose samples near the decision boundary of SVM. In addition, to avoid redundant and erroneous features, this paper also used GA to select the optimal DGA features. The diagnostic accuracy of the proposed GAPSVM integrated with the FTR fault diagnosis method reached 86.80% after 10 repeated calculations using 118 groups of IEC technical committee (TC) 10 samples. Moreover, the robustness is also proven through 30 groups of DGA samples from the State Grid Co. of China and 15 practical cases with missing values.
Transport Work for the Supply of Pine Sawlogs to the Sawmill
Authors: Trzciński Grzegorz , Tymendorf Łukasz
Published: December 2020

The aim of the presented research is to characterize the scale of transport work performed on the supply of large-size pine wood to the sawmill, with indication of factors influencing structure and parameters. Analyzes were carried out for deliveries to a sawmill in northern Poland, which supplies pine sawlogs and long wood assortments. The distance of deliveries on public and forest roads was determined, as well as transport work for each type of road and the total value. The transport work was defined as a multiplication of driven kilometers with the load and the weight of the load in ton kilometers. Data on the transport distance were obtained on the basis of information from the driver, and the parameters of the transported pine sawlogs from the delivery note. Based on the collected data over a period of 12 months, the transport work was determined for selected courses. The total transport work for the 1509 analyzed deliveries was 3,447,486 ton-kilometers (tkm). The average transport work for one course amounted to 2286 tkm and was characterized by a high variability SD = 1207. The minimum value of the transport work was recorded at the level of 83 tkm, and the maximum as much as 7803 tkm. The median of the analyzed deliveries was 2220 tkm, while the first quartile Q1 = 1358, and the third quartile Q3 = 2997. With very similar cargo volumes (m3) and cargo weight (kg) the transport distance and the total number of deliveries have a significant effect on the transport work performed with the transport of timber. Purchase of wood in seven forest districts located up to 50 km from the sawmill accounts for 30.1% of the analyzed deliveries (1509), resulting in only transport work at the level of 476,104 tkm, which is only 13.8% of the total transport work of all deliveries.
Insights for the Valorization of Biomass from Portuguese Invasive Acacia spp. in a Biorefinery Perspective
Authors: Correia Ricardo , Quintela José Carlos , Duarte Maria Paula , Gonçalves Margarida
Published: December 2020

Acacia spp. are widespread all over the Portuguese territory, representing a threat to local biodiversity and to the productivity of the forest sector. The measures adopted in some countries for their eradication or to control their propagation are expensive, have been considered unfeasible from practical and economical perspectives, and have generated large amounts of residue that must be valorized in a sustainable way. This review brings together information on the valorization of bark, wood, leaves, flowers, pods, seeds, roots, and exudates from Acacia spp., through the production of high-value bioactive extracts (e.g., antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiviral, anthelmintic, or pesticidal agents, suitable to be explored by pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics, and food and feed industries), its incorporation in innovative materials (e.g., polymers and composites, nanomaterials, low-cost adsorbents), as well as through the application of advanced thermochemical processes (e.g., flash pyrolysis) and pre-treatments to decompose biomass in its structural components, regarding the production of biofuels along with valuable chemicals derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The knowledge of this research is important to encourage an efficient and sustainable valorization of Acacia spp. within a biorefinery concept, which can bring a significant economic return from the valorization of these residues, simultaneously contributing to forest cleaning and management, to reduce the risk of fires, and to improve the social-economic development of rural areas.
Potassium-Solubilizing Activity of Bacillus aryabhattai SK1-7 and Its Growth-Promoting Effect on Populus alba L.
Authors: Chen Yifan , Ye Jianren , Kong Qingqing
Published: December 2020

In the present study, the potassium-solubilizing characteristics of Bacillus aryabhattai SK1-7 and its growth-promoting effect on plants were evaluated to determine the biotechnological potential of this bacterium in alleviating soil potassium deficiency. The potassium-solubilizing activity of SK1-7 was determined by fermentation. Additionally, the fermentation broth was determined by flame spectrophotometry. The aluminum and silicon ion contents in SK1-7 fermentation broth were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) after digestion with nitric acid hydrogen peroxide hydrofluoric acid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based observations were performed to assess the morphological changes in potassium feldspar surfaces digested by potassium-solubilizing bacteria. In addition, the effects of SK1-7 on plant growth and soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed. After incubation for 7 days in a potassium-solubilizing medium, the concentration of potassium dissolved reached 10.8 μg/mL and the percentage of potassium released was 32.6%. The pH rapidly decreased from 7.2 to 4.321 within the first day and then further decreased to 3.90 after 7 days. After 7 days, the concentrations of aluminum and silicon in the fermentation broth were 1.01 and 24.19 μg/mL, respectively. The growth promotion assay results showed that SK1-7 has good growth-promoting effects on poplar and can effectively improve the available potassium content in poplar rhizosphere soil. The SK1-7 strain can effectively dissolve insoluble potassium to release soluble potassium ions and clearly promotes the growth of poplar after being applied to soil. Thus, the SK1-7 strain is a potassium-solubilizing microorganism with good application prospects.
Uranium Vertical and Lateral Distribution in a German Forested Catchment
Authors: Sun Yajie , Wu Bei , Wiekenkamp Inge , Kooijman Annemieke M. , Bol Roland
Published: December 2020

The natural measurements of uranium (U) are important for establishing natural baseline levels of U in soil. The relations between U and other elements are important to determine the extent of geological origin of soil U. The present study was aimed at providing a three-dimensional view of soil U distribution in a forested catchment (ca. 38.5 ha) in western Germany. The evaluated data, containing 155 sampled points, each with four major soil horizons (L/Of, Oh, A, and B), were collected from two existing datasets. The vertical U distribution, the lateral pattern of U in the catchment, and the occurrence of correlations between U and three groups of elements (nutrient elements, heavy metals, and rare earth elements) were examined. The results showed the median U concentration increased sevenfold from the top horizon L/Of (0.14 mg kg−1) to the B horizon (1.01 mg kg−1), suggesting a geogenic origin of soil U. Overall, soil U concentration was found to be negatively correlated with some plant macronutrients (C, N, K, S, Ca) but positively with others (P, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Mo). The negative correlations between U and some macronutrients indicated a limited accumulation of plant-derived U in soil, possibly due to low phytoavailability of U. Positive correlations were also found between U concentration and heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Ga, As, Cd, Hg, Pb) or rare earth elements, which further pointed to a geogenic origin of soil U in this forested catchment.
IgA Nephropathy Prediction in Children with Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Zhang Ping , Wang Rongqin , Shi Nianfeng
Published: December 2020

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerular disease all over the world and it is a major cause of renal failure. IgAN prediction in children with machine learning algorithms has been rarely studied. We retrospectively analyzed the electronic medical records from the Nanjing Eastern War Zone Hospital, chose eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), CatBoost, support vector machines (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and extreme learning machine (ELM) models in order to predict the probability that the patient would not reach or reach end-stage renal disease (ESRD) within five years, used the chi-square test to select the most relevant 16 features as the input of the model, and designed a decision-making system (DMS) of IgAN prediction in children that is based on XGBoost and Django framework. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used in order to evaluate the performance of the models and XGBoost had the best performance by comparison. The AUC value, accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score of XGBoost were 85.11%, 78.60%, 75.96%, 76.70%, and 76.33%, respectively. The XGBoost model is useful for physicians and pediatric patients in providing predictions regarding IgAN. As an advantage, a DMS can be designed based on the XGBoost model to assist a physician to effectively treat IgAN in children for preventing deterioration.
Computational Aerodynamics Analysis of Non-Symmetric Multi-Element Wing in Ground Effect with Humpback Whale Flipper Tubercles
Authors: Arrondeau Benjamin , Rana Zeeshan A.
Published: December 2020

The humpback whale flipper tubercles have been shown to improve the aerodynamic coefficients of a wing, especially in stall conditions, where the flow is almost fully detached. In this work, these tubercles were implemented on a F1 front-wing geometry, very close to a Tyrrell wing. Numerical simulations were carried out employing the k−ω SST turbulence model and the overall effects of the tubercles on the flow behavior were analyzed. The optimal amplitude and number of tubercles was determined in this study for this front wing where an improvement of 22.6% and 9.4% is achieved, respectively, on the lift and the L/D ratio. On the main element, the stall was delayed by 167.7%. On the flap, the flow is either fully detached, in the large circulation zone, or fully attached. Overall, in stall conditions, tubercles improve the downforce generation but at the cost of increased drag. Furthermore, as the tubercles are case-dependent, an optimal configuration for tubercles implementation also exists for any geometry.
Online Place Branding for Natural Heritage: Institutional Strategies and Users’ Perceptions of Mount Etna (Italy)
Authors: Graziano Teresa , Albanese Valentina Erminia
Published: December 2020

In recent years, tourist destinations and strategies of place branding have been facing new challenges owing to the diffusion of Information and Communications technologies. Smart devices can give tourists/prosumers the possibility to co-create and share their travel experience to the point to influence the destination web reputation and, consequently, its digital place image and branding. Furthermore, new technologies can be also used as effective analytical tools to scrutinize the role of online co-created narratives in influencing the web reputation of a specific tourist site, natural heritage included. The study focuses on the online destination image of Mount Etna, an active volcano located in Southern Italy inserted in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2017. The web reputation of this natural heritage site has been analyzed through a twofold methodology: a manual online content analysis and a software-based Sentiment Analysis methodology. The paper highlights the crucial role of new technologies both as tools of analysis in tourism and heritage studies and as “catalysts” of e-narratives able to influence place images. In so doing, the research aims at providing other researchers and policy-makers with new theoretical and methodological insights about the challenges and potentialities of smart technologies in exploring the online place image, thus contributing to a novel conceptualization of place branding through the theoretical/operational framework of Place Branding 3.0. In particular, the mixed-method approach represents an innovative framework insofar as it provides an in-depth evaluation of users’ online perceptions both at the “micro” scale—at the level of contents, through the manual content analysis—as well as at the “macro” scale, thanks to the software-based Sentiment Analysis methodology.
Qualitative Assessment of the Economic Impacts of Horticulture Research and Extension at MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center
Authors: Posadas Benedict , Knight Patricia , Stafne Eric , Coker Christine , Blythe Eugene , Bachman Gary , DelPrince James , Langlois Scott
Published: December 2020

This paper summarizes opinions on the economic impacts of horticulture research and extension at the Mississippi State University, Coastal Research and Extension Center. More than 8400 horticulture producers, master gardeners, research and extension staff, and nonprofit organizations participated in horticulture events during the last five years. Qualitative assessments of horticulture research and extension performed by the faculty and staff were solicited during voluntary surveys.
Personality Profiles and Psychological Adjustment in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Cerezo M. Victoria , Blanca María J. , Ferragut Marta
Published: December 2020

Dispositional personality characteristics may play a role in psychosocial adjustment to any disease, including cancer. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify personality profiles in breast cancer patients and to determine whether these profiles are associated with psychological adjustment or psychopathology. Methods: Participants were 109 women (mean age, 52.01) diagnosed with breast cancer. They completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scales. Results: The analysis revealed two different personality profiles: (a) one group, comprising 38.23% of the sample, was characterized by paranoid, negativistic, and dependent personality traits and was considered as a “vulnerable group”; and (b) another group (61.77%) was characterized by compulsive, histrionic, and narcissistic personality traits and was considered as a “psychologically adjusted group”. The vulnerable group scored higher than the psychologically adjusted group on all clinical syndromes, with scores above 60 on the anxiety, somatoform, dysthymic, and bipolar scales (score on anxiety being above 75); in contrast, the psychologically adjusted group did not reach a base rate score of 60 on any of the clinical syndromes, showing no manifestations of psychopathology. Additionally, the vulnerable group scored lower than the psychologically adjusted group on optimism, life satisfaction, and positive affect, but higher on negative affect. Conclusions: The results suggest that personality traits could affect the psychological adjustment of breast cancer survivors. We discuss the implications of belonging to each group and highlight the importance of early identification of vulnerable women in order to facilitate clinical and psychological support.
Temporal Association between Topical Ophthalmic Corticosteroid and the Risk of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Chang Yuh-Shin , Weng Shih-Feng , Wang Jhi-Joung , Jan Ren-Long
Published: December 2020

This retrospective, nationwide, matched cohort study investigated the temporal relationship of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) following topical ophthalmic corticosteroid (TOC) use. Using the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000), we collected patients diagnosed with CSCR between January 2001 and December 2010 (n  =  2921) and a control group (n  =  17,526). Information for each patient was collected and tracked from the index date until December 2011. TOC users were classified based on (i) the date of the last prescription before diagnosis: current users (≤30 days) and former users (31–182 days and ≥183 days) and (ii) the prescription refill intervals: persistent users (interval ≤90 days) and non-persistent users (interval >90 days). The odds ratio (OR) was estimated from multivariate conditional logistic regression after adjusting for relevant confounders. After adjusting for age, sex, geographic region, index date, previously known comorbidities, the date of last TOC prescription before diagnosis, or prescription refilling intervals, the results revealed that patients were likely to have developed CSCR while using TOCs currently (OR = 30.42, 95% CI = 25.95–35.66, p < 0.001) and persistently (OR = 7.30, 95% CI = 6.13–8.69, p < 0.001) as compared to the controls. Our results indicate that current or persistent TOCs use increases the risk of CSCR. Thus, patients requiring TOCs should be advised of this risk, particularly in current or persistent use conditions.
Correlation between Sleep Quality and Frailty Status among Middle-Aged and Older Taiwanese People: A Community-Based, Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Shih An-Chen , Chen Lee-Hwa , Tsai Chin-Chueh , Chen Jau-Yuan
Published: December 2020

Poor sleep quality and frailty are common problems among aged people. However, the association between sleep quality and frailty in middle-aged and older people is seldom discussed in Asia, especially in Taiwan. This study investigated this association hopefully to provide pertinent knowledge for the prevention of frailty. We conducted a cross-sectional study and enrolled 828 subjects, 237 male and 591 female, aged 50–85 years old, from a community in Northern Taiwan. Poor sleep quality was defined as the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI) > 5. Prefrailty and frailty were defined as fulfillment of one or two and three, respectively, of five phenotypic criteria: exhaustion, weakness, slowness, weight loss, and low physical activity. Our univariate analysis showed that the incidence of prefrailty/frailty in the group of poor sleep quality was higher than that in the group of CPSQI ≤ 5 (p < 0.001). Further multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that poor sleep quality was an independent factor for prefrailty and frailty status (odds ratio = 1.95, 95% confidence interval = 1.38–2.77), after adjustment for confounding factors. We concluded that poor sleep quality is independently associated with prefrailty and frailty status in our study population.
The Effect of Regime Oral-Hygiene Intervention on the Incidence of New White Spot Lesions in Teenagers Treated with Fixed Orthodontic Appliances
Authors: Kozak Urszula , Sękowska Anna , Chałas Renata
Published: December 2020

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the oral-hygiene regime on the incidence of enamel demineralization in young patients treated with fixed appliances. Research was conducted in a group of 144 patients aged 12–18 years, divided into 2 groups: orthodontically treated and control. The study was divided into three stages: before treatment (I), at 1 month (II), and at 6 months (III) for their follow-up. The International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) was used for the visual assessment of white spot lesions (WSL). After 1 month, no new white spot lesions were observed. After 6 months of the treatment, new lesions were observed in 5% of the orthodontically treated patients and in 6% of the patients in the control group. New decalcifications were located on the proximal surfaces of the central incisors, first premolars, and first molars in the orthodontically treated group; and on the lateral incisors, first premolars, and first molars in the control group. We also observed new enamel demineralization on the vestibular surfaces of the canine and first premolar in the study group. The placement of a fixed appliance did not significantly affect teeth with the presence of new white spot lesions compared to the control group during 6 months of observation.
Emotions as Predictors of Life Satisfaction among University Students
Authors: Gavín-Chocano Óscar , Molero David , Ubago-Jiménez Jose Luis , García-Martínez Inmaculada
Published: December 2020

Emotional management is a decisive factor in building stimulating environments for the comprehensive development of individuals. In this study, 338 students enrolled in education degrees (n = 338), with an average age of 22.88 years (±5.50), participated. The following instruments were used: Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEI-S), Trait Meta Mood Scale 24 (TMMS 24) and Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi-C). The objective was to determine the complementarity of certain dimensions of EI that predict greater life satisfaction based on the multivariate statistics of structural equations. The multi-group model obtained good structural validity (χ2 = 103,729; RMSEA = 0.078; GFI = 0.917; CFI = 0.942; IFI = 0.943). In addition, significant correlations were found between life satisfaction and all dimensions were included in the emotional intelligence instruments used (p < 0.01). In terms of gender, we found that women had higher scores in all EI dimensions, in contrast to life satisfaction, where men had higher scores. The findings suggest the importance of working emotions in future educators to become satisfied and effective professionals.
Automated Classification of Online Sources for Infectious Disease Occurrences Using Machine-Learning-Based Natural Language Processing Approaches
Authors: Kim Mira , Chae Kyunghee , Lee Seungwoo , Jang Hong-Jun , Kim Sukil
Published: December 2020

Collecting valid information from electronic sources to detect the potential outbreak of infectious disease is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The automated identification of relevant information using machine learning is necessary to respond to a potential disease outbreak. A total of 2864 documents were collected from various websites and subsequently manually categorized and labeled by two reviewers. Accurate labels for the training and test data were provided based on a reviewer consensus. Two machine learning algorithms—ConvNet and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM)—and two classification methods—DocClass and SenClass—were used for classifying the documents. The precision, recall, F1, accuracy, and area under the curve were measured to evaluate the performance of each model. ConvNet yielded higher average, min, and max accuracies (87.6%, 85.2%, and 91.1%, respectively) than BiLSTM with DocClass, while BiLSTM performed better than ConvNet with SenClass with average, min, and max accuracies of 92.8%, 92.6%, and 93.3%, respectively. The performance of BiLSTM with SenClass yielded an overall accuracy of 92.9% in classifying infectious disease occurrences. Machine learning had a compatible performance with a human expert given a particular text extraction system. This study suggests that analyzing information from the website using machine learning can achieve significant accuracies in the presence of abundant articles/documents.
The Effect of Physiotherapy Group Intervention in Reducing Pain Disorders and Mental Health Symptoms among Syrian Refugees: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Hasha Wegdan , Igland Jannicke , Fadnes Lars T. , Kumar Bernadette , Haj-Younes Jasmin , Strømme Elisabeth Marie , Norstein Eirin Zerwekh , Vårdal Rolf , Diaz Esperanza
Published: December 2020

Chronic pain is common among refugees, and often related to mental health problems. Its management, however, is often challenging. A randomized waitlist-controlled trial was designed to study the effect of group physiotherapy activity and awareness intervention (PAAI) on reducing pain disorders, and secondarily improving mental health, among Syrian refugees. A total of 101 adult Syrian refugees suffering from chronic pain were randomized to either the intervention group or the control group, which thereafter also received PAAI after a waiting period. Pain intensity measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) was the primary outcome. Scores from the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R 22) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were secondary outcomes. Intention-to-treat analyses (ITT) showed no effect of the intervention on either pain levels (regression coefficient [B {95% CI} of 0.03 {−0.91, 0.96}], IESR scores [4.8 {−3.7, 13.4}] or GHQ-12 scores [−0.4 {−3.1, 2.3}]). Yet, participants highly appreciated the intervention. Despite the negative findings, our study contributes to the evidence base necessary to plan targeted and effective health care services for refugees suffering from chronic pain and highlights the challenge of evaluating complex interventions adapted to a specific group.
Evaluation and Treatment Analysis of Air Quality Including Particulate Pollutants: A Case Study of Shandong Province, China
Authors: Jiang Bowen , Li Yuangang , Yang Weixin
Published: December 2020

At present, China’s air pollution and its treatment effect are issues of general concern in the academic circles. Based on the analysis of the development stages of air pollution in China and the development history of China’s air quality standards, we selected 17 cities of Shandong Province, China as the research objects. By expanding China’s existing Air Quality Index System, the air quality of six major pollutants including PM2.5 and PM10 in 17 cities from February 2017 to January 2020 is comprehensively evaluated. Then, with a forecast model, the air quality of the above cities in the absence of air pollution control policies since June 2018 was simulated. The results of the error test show that the model has a maximum error of 4.67% when simulating monthly assessment scores, and the maximum mean error of the four months is 3.17%. Through the comparison between the simulation results and the real evaluation results of air quality, we found that since June 2018, the air pollution control policies of six cities have achieved more than 10% improvement, while the air quality of the other 11 cities declined. The different characteristics of pollutants and the implementation of governance policies are perhaps the main reasons for the above differences. Finally, policy recommendations for the future air pollution control in Shandong and China were provided.
Tumor Hypoxia and Circulating Tumor Cells
Authors: Tinganelli Walter , Durante Marco
Published: December 2020

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are a rare tumor cell subpopulation induced and selected by the tumor microenvironment’s extreme conditions. Under hypoxia and starvation, these aggressive and invasive cells are able to invade the lymphatic and circulatory systems. Escaping from the primary tumor, CTCs enter into the bloodstream to form metastatic deposits or re-establish themselves in cancer’s primary site. Although radiotherapy is widely used to cure solid malignancies, it can promote metastasis. Radiation can disrupt the primary tumor vasculature, increasing the dissemination of CTCs. Radiation also induces epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and eliminates suppressive signaling, causing the proliferation of existent, but previously dormant, disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). In this review, we collect the results and evidence underlying the molecular mechanisms of CTCs and DTCs and the effects of radiation and hypoxia in developing these cells.
Transplantation of Neural Precursors Derived from Induced Pluripotent Cells Preserve Perineuronal Nets and Stimulate Neural Plasticity in ALS Rats
Authors: Forostyak Serhiy , Forostyak Oksana , Kwok Jessica C. F. , Romanyuk Nataliya , Rehorova Monika , Kriska Jan , Dayanithi Govindan , Raha-Chowdhury Ruma , Jendelova Pavla , Anderova Miroslava , Fawcett James W. , Sykova Eva
Published: December 2020

A promising therapeutic strategy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatment is stem cell therapy. Neural progenitors derived from induced pluripotent cells (NP-iPS) might rescue or replace dying motoneurons (MNs). However, the mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effect are not fully understood. The aim here was to investigate the mechanism by studying the effect of intraspinally injected NP-iPS into asymptomatic and early symptomatic superoxide dismutase (SOD)1G93A transgenic rats. Prior to transplantation, NP-iPS were characterized in vitro for their ability to differentiate into a neuronal phenotype. Motor functions were tested in all animals, and the tissue was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, qPCR, and Western blot. NP-iPS transplantation significantly preserved MNs, slowed disease progression, and extended the survival of all treated animals. The dysregulation of spinal chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans was observed in SOD1G93A rats at the terminal stage. NP-iPS application led to normalized host genes expression (versican, has-1, tenascin-R, ngf, igf-1, bdnf, bax, bcl-2, and casp-3) and the protection of perineuronal nets around the preserved MNs. In the host spinal cord, transplanted cells remained as progenitors, many in contact with MNs, but they did not differentiate. The findings suggest that NP-iPS demonstrate neuroprotective properties by regulating local gene expression and regulate plasticity by modulating the central nervous system (CNS) extracellular matrix such as perineuronal nets (PNNs).