bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antenna/Body Coupling in the Near-Field at 60 GHz: Impact on the Absorbed Power Density
Authors: Ziane Massinissa , Sauleau Ronan , Zhadobov Maxim
Published: October 2020

Wireless devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, are intended to be used in the vicinity of the human body. When an antenna is placed close to a lossy medium, near-field interactions may modify the electromagnetic field distribution. Here, we analyze analytically and numerically the impact of antenna/human body interactions on the transmitted power density (TPD) at 60 GHz using a skin-equivalent model. To this end, several scenarios of increasing complexity are considered: plane-wave illumination, equivalent source, and patch antenna arrays. Our results demonstrate that, for all considered scenarios, the presence of the body in the vicinity of a source results in an increase in the average TPD. The local TPD enhancement due to the body presence close to a patch antenna array reaches 95.5% for an adult (dry skin). The variations are higher for wet skin (up to 98.25%) and for children (up to 103.3%). Both absolute value and spatial distribution of TPD are altered by the antenna/body coupling. These results suggest that the exact distribution of TPD cannot be retrieved from measurements of the incident power density in free-space in absence of the body. Therefore, for accurate measurements of the absorbed and epithelial power density (metrics used as the main dosimetric quantities at frequencies > 6 GHz), it is important to perform measurements under conditions where the wireless device under test is perturbed in the same way as by the presence of the human body in realistic use case scenarios.
Assessment of Hybrid Wind-Wave Energy Resource for the NW Coast of Iberian Peninsula in a Climate Change Context
Authors: Ribeiro Americo , Costoya Xurxo , de Castro Maite , Carvalho David , Dias Joao Miguel , Rocha Alfredo , Gomez-Gesteira Moncho
Published: October 2020

Offshore renewable energy has a high potential for ensuring the successful implementation of the European decarbonization agenda planned for the near future. Hybrid wind-wave farms can reduce installation and maintenance costs, and increase the renewable energy availability of a location by compensating for the wind’s intermittent nature with good wave conditions. In addition, wave farms can provide protection to wind farms, and the combined wind/wave farm can provide coastal protection. This work aims to assess the future hybrid wind-wave energy resource for the northwest coast of Iberian Peninsula for the near future (2026–2045), under the RCP 8.5 greenhouse gas emission scenario. This assessment was accomplished by applying a Delphi classification method to define four categories, aiming to evaluate the richness (wind and wave energy availability, downtime), the variability (temporal variation), the environmental risk (extreme events), and cost parameters (water depth and distance to coast) of the wind and wave resources. The combined index (CI), which classifies the hybrid wind-wave resource, shows that most of the NW Iberian Peninsula presents good conditions (CI > 0.6) for exploiting energy from wind and wave resources simultaneously. Additionally, there are some particularly optimal areas (CI > 0.7), such as the region near Cape Roca, and the Galician coast.
Non-Destructive Evaluation for Sectional Loss of External Tendon of Prestressed Concrete Structures Using Total Flux Leakage
Authors: Kwahk Imjong , Park Kwang-Yeun , Choi Ji-Young , Kwon Hungjoo , Joh Changbin
Published: October 2020

A non-destructive evaluation method is proposed to identify the sectional loss of the external tendon of prestressed concrete structures by detecting the change of the magnetic flux in the external tendon exposed to a magnetic field. The method uses a solenoid-shaped device with two coils: a primary coil for producing magnetic field and secondary coil for damage detection, wrapping the external tendon. A current applied to the primary coil in the device causes the magnetic field. Then, the change in the magnetic flux by the damage in the external tendon is detected by the variation of the voltage in the secondary coil in the device as the device moves along the tendon. An alternating current is applied to the primary coil to minimize the effect of the moving speed of the device. As a result, the damaged area can be detected with a low-level energy current. In addition, a wrapping solenoid-shaped device that is easy to disassemble and assemble was developed for in situ inspection. The measured signal from the secondary coil has a sinusoidal form with the same frequency as the applied current to the primary coil, and the peak curve of the measured signal provides enough information to detect the damage. It is shown that the proposed method can quantitatively identify one or multiple damaged-tendon locations as well as damages of at least 2 cm.
A Novel Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment Approach for Road Vehicle Functional Safety through Integrating STPA with FMEA
Authors: Chen Lei , Jiao Jian , Zhao Tingdi
Published: October 2020

ISO26262: 2018 is an international functional safety standard for electrical and/or electronic (E/E) systems within road vehicles. It provides appropriate safety requirements for road vehicles to avoid unreasonable residual risk according to automotive safety integrity levels (ASILs) derived from hazard analysis and risk assessment (HARA) required in the ISO26262 concept phase. Systems theoretic process analysis (STPA) seems to be designed specifically to deal with hazard analysis of modern complex systems, but it does not include risk evaluation required by most safety related international standards. So we integrated STPA into Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) template to form a new method called system theoretic process analysis based on an FMEA template, STPAFT for shot, which could not only meet all the requirements of the concept phase in ISO26262, but also make full use of the advantages of the two methods. Through the focus of FMEA on low-level components, STPAFT can obtain more detailed causal factors (CFs), which is very helpful for derivation of safety goals (SGs) and the functional safety requirements (FSRs) in the concept phase of ISO26262. The application of STPAFT is described by the case study of fuel level estimation and display system (FLEDS) to show how the concept phase of ISO26262 could be supported by STPAFT.
Luminescence Dating of Rock Surface. The Case of Monoliths from the Megalithic Sanctuary of Ossimo-Pat (Valle Camonica, Italy)
Authors: Galli Anna , Panzeri Laura , Rondini Paolo , Poggiani Keller Raffaella , Martini Marco
Published: October 2020

Ossimo-Pat megalithic sanctuary (Valle Camonica, BS, Italy) is one of the most relevant archaeological findings of the southern alpine region, for the variety of its structures and the quality of its engraved monoliths. Its unique state of preservation gives the opportunity to apply the luminescence dating of the rock surface method. Here, we investigate the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) for dating five cobbles from the site and compare cobble-surface derived ages to quartz OSL ages from sediments and to archaeological evidences. The obtained ages confirm the archaeological studies and open the way to a new hypothesis.
Adaptive Command-Filtered Fuzzy Nonsingular Terminal Sliding Mode Backstepping Control for Linear Induction Motor
Authors: Zhang Li , Xia Yan , Zhang Weiming , Yang Weilin , Xu Dezhi
Published: October 2020

This paper puts forward a projection-based adaptive command filtered fuzzy nonsingular terminal sliding mode backstepping (PACFTB) control method for the speed control of the linear induction motor (LIM) with unknown end effects. Firstly, the technique of fuzzy logic systems (FLS) is investigated to approximate the nonlinear components of the LIM’s mathematical model, which reduces the difficulty and cost of controller design. Then, a constrained command-filtered backstepping controller is designed with a filtering compensator compensating for the inherent error of constrained filter. Moreover, the nonsingular terminal sliding mode control method is combined in the controller design for its advantages of finite-time convergence of the system, and the projection-operator-based adaptive laws are established at the same time. Finally, the stability analysis proves that the boundedness and stability of all signals can be ensured with the proposed PACFTB controller, and the simulation results along with experiment results verify that the proposed control strategy has better control performance than the conventional command filter backstepping and PI controller.
Temperature Correction of the Vertical Ozone Distribution Retrieval at the Siberian Lidar Station Using the MetOp and Aura Data
Authors: Dolgii Sergey , Nevzorov Alexey A. , Nevzorov Alexey V. , Gridnev Yurii , Kharchenko Olga
Published: October 2020

The purpose of the work is to study the influence of temperature correction on ozone vertical distribution (OVD) in the upper troposphere–stratosphere in the altitude range~(5–45) km, using differential absorption lidar (DIAL), operating at the sensing wavelengths 299/341 nm and 308/353 nm. We analyze the results of lidar measurements, obtained using meteorological data from MLS/Aura and IASI/MetOp satellites and temperature model, at the wavelengths of 299/341 nm and 308/353 nm in 2018 at Siberian Lidar Station (SLS) of Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. To estimate how the temperature correction of absorption cross-sections influences the OVD retrieval from lidar measurements, we calculated the deviations of the difference between two profiles, retrieved using satellite- and model-based temperatures. Two temperature seasons were singled out to analyze how real temperature influences the retrieved OVD profiles. In the stratosphere, when satellite-derived temperature and model are used for retrieval, the deviations may reach absolute values of ozone concentration in the range from −0.97 × 1012 molecules × cm−3 at 19.7 km to 1.05 × 1012 molecules × cm−3 at 25.3 km during winter–spring season, and from −0.17 × 1012 molecules × cm−3 at height of 17.4 km to 0.27 × 1012 molecules × cm−3 at 40 km in summer–fall period. In the troposphere, when satellite-derived temperature is used in the retrieval, the deviations may reach absolute values of ozone concentration in the range from −1.95 × 1012 molecules × cm−3 at 18.6 km to 1.23 × 1012 molecules × cm−3 at 18.2 km during winter–spring season, and from −0.15 × 1012 molecules × cm−3 at height of 11.4 km to 0.3 × 1012 molecules × cm−3 at 8 km during summer–fall season.
Involvement of the Peripheral Nervous System in Episodic Ataxias
Authors: Koźmiński Wojciech , Pera Joanna
Published: October 2020

Episodic ataxias comprise a group of inherited disorders, which have a common hallmark—transient attacks of ataxia. The genetic background is heterogeneous and the causative genes are not always identified. Furthermore, the clinical presentation, including intraictal and interictal symptoms, as well as the retention and progression of neurological deficits, is heterogeneous. Spells of ataxia can be accompanied by other symptoms—mostly from the central nervous system. However, in some of episodic ataxias involvement of peripheral nervous system is a part of typical clinical picture. This review intends to provide an insight into involvement of peripheral nervous system in episodic ataxias.
Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy in Childhood: Think of the Cerebral Folate Deficiency, a Treatable Disease
Authors: Mafi Sarah , Laroche-Raynaud Cécile , Chazelas Pauline , Lia Anne-Sophie , Derouault Paco , Sturtz Franck , Baaj Yasser , Froget Rachel , Rio Marlène , Benoist Jean-François , Poumeaud François , Favreau Frédéric , Faye Pierre-Antoine
Published: October 2020

Cerebral folate deficiency (CFD) is a neurological disorder characterized by low levels of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The prevalence of this autosomal recessive disorder is estimated to be <1/1,000,000. Fifteen different pathogenic variants in the folate receptor 1 gene (FOLR1) encoding the receptor of folate α (FRα) have already been described. We present a new pathogenic variation in the FOLR1 in a childhood-stage patient. We aim to establish the core structure of the FRα protein mandatory for its activity. A three-year-old child was admitted at hospital for a first febrile convulsions episode. Recurrent seizures without fever also occurred a few months later, associated with motor and cognitive impairment. Various antiepileptic drugs failed to control seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed central hypomyelination and biological analysis revealed markedly low levels of 5-MTHF in CSF. Next generation sequencing (NGS) confirmed a CFD with a FOLR1 homozygous variation (c.197 G > A, p.Cys66Tyr). This variation induces an altered folate receptor α protein and underlines the role of a disulfide bond: Cys66-Cys109, essential to transport 5-MTHF into the central nervous system. Fortunately, this severe form of CFD had remarkably responded to high doses of oral folinic acid combined with intravenous administrations.
Development of a Machine-Learning Model of Short-Term Prognostic Prediction for Spinal Stenosis Surgery in Korean Patients
Authors: Kim Kyeong-Rae , Kim Hyeun Sung , Park Jae-Eun , Kang Seung-Yeon , Lim So-Young , Jang Il-Tae
Published: October 2020

Background: In this study, based on machine-learning technology, we aim to develop a predictive model of the short-term prognosis of Korean patients who received spinal stenosis surgery. Methods: Using the data obtained from 112 patients with spinal stenosis admitted at N hospital from February to November, 2019, a predictive analysis was conducted for the pain index, reoperation, and surgery time. Results: Results show that the predicted area under the curve was 0.803, 0.887, and 0.896 for the pain index, reoperation, and surgery time, respectively, thereby indicating the accuracy of the model. Conclusion: This study verified that the individual characteristics of the patient and treatment characteristics during surgery enable a prediction of the patient prognosis and validate the accuracy of the approach. Further studies should be conducted to extend the scope of this research by incorporating a larger and more accurate dataset.
Attachment and Executive Functions in ADHD Symptomatology—Independent Inputs or an Interaction?
Authors: Konowałek Łukasz , Wolańczyk Tomasz
Published: October 2020

Despite a multitude of research on executive functions and attachment in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a synthetic approach to the matter seems to have been lacking. In this review, we attempt to check the available data against two hypotheses: (1) executive functions and attachment influence ADHD symptoms independently; (2) executive functions and attachment interact to produce ADHD symptoms. We found no evidence falsifying the former hypothesis and some evidence to refute the latter. Limitations of current study approaches and suggestions for further research are discussed. Specifically, we propose an attachment representation, rather than attachment style, approach to measuring the mediation thereof between executive dysfunctions and ADHD.
Ecological Assessment of Clay Brick Manufacturing in China Using Emergy Analysis
Authors: Zhang Junxue , S. Srinivasan Ravi , Peng Changhai
Published: October 2020

Clay brick is a commonly used building material in China. Due to the enormous land destruction and excessive consumption of resources, such as materials and energy in the manufacture of clay brick, it is important to study its overall sustainability, i.e., in terms of impact on the environment, services, and economy. In this study, emergy analysis is employed, which offers a holistic perspective, unlike typical environmental studies. A series of emergy indices such as renewability rate (R%), nonrenewability rate (N%), unit emergy values (UEVs), emergy yield ratio (EYR), environmental loading ratio (ELR), and emergy sustainability index (ESI) were used to study manufacturing of clay brick. In addition to calculating UEVs of clay brick manufacturing in China (7.18 × 1012 sej/kg), our detailed analysis shows that the nonrenewable resources and imported energy have a dominant impact on the emergy contribution (50.6%) and within the nonrenewable resources, clay is the foremost item, accounting for 33.5% of local emergy inputs. Given different electricity UEVs, the change ranges of clay brick system UEVs are 14.9% (scenario 1), 7.24% (scenario 2), 8.91% (scenario 3), and 6.94% (scenario 4). Furthermore, several policy suggestions are discussed for improving the sustainability of the evaluated system, involving the energy structure adjustment, recycling material replacement, and promotion of energy-saving systems.
Predicting Clinical Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke Using Parallel Multi-Parametric Feature Embedded Siamese Network
Authors: Osama Saira , Zafar Kashif , Sadiq Muhammad Usman
Published: October 2020

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with ischemic stroke as the most common type. The preferred diagnostic procedure at the acute stage is the acquisition of multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This type of imaging not only detects and locates the stroke lesion, but also provides the blood flow dynamics that helps clinicians in assessing the risks and benefits of reperfusion therapies. However, evaluating the outcome of these risky therapies beforehand is a complicated task due to the variability of lesion location, size, shape, and cerebral hemodynamics involved. Though the fully automated model for predicting treatment outcomes using multi-parametric imaging would be highly valuable in clinical settings, MRI datasets acquired at the acute stage are mostly scarce and suffer high class imbalance. In this paper, parallel multi-parametric feature embedded siamese network (PMFE-SN) is proposed that can learn with few samples and can handle skewness in multi-parametric MRI data. Moreover, five suitable evaluation metrics that are insensitive to imbalance are defined for this problem. The results show that PMFE-SN not only outperforms other state-of-the-art techniques in all these metrics but also can predict the class with a small number of samples, as well as the class with high number of samples. An accuracy of 0.67 on leave one cross out testing has been achieved with only two samples (minority class) for training and accuracy of 0.61 with the highest number of samples (majority class). In comparison, state-of-the-art using hand crafted features has 0 accuracy for minority class and 0.33 accuracy for majority class.
Skellam Type Processes of Order k and Beyond
Authors: Gupta Neha , Kumar Arun , Leonenko Nikolai
Published: October 2020

In this article, we introduce the Skellam process of order k and its running average. We also discuss the time-changed Skellam process of order k. In particular, we discuss the space-fractional Skellam process and tempered space-fractional Skellam process via time changes in Skellam process by independent stable subordinator and tempered stable subordinator, respectively. We derive the marginal probabilities, Lévy measures, governing difference-differential equations of the introduced processes. Our results generalize the Skellam process and running average of Poisson process in several directions.
Electromagnetic Micro-Structure Non-Destructive Testing: Sparsity-Constrained and Combined Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network Methods
Authors: Ran Peipei , Lesselier Dominique , Serhir Mohammed
Published: October 2020

How to locate missing rods within a micro-structure composed of a grid-like, finite set of infinitely long circular cylindrical dielectric rods under the sub-wavelength condition is investigated. Sub-wavelength distances between adjacent rods and sub-wavelength rod diameters require super-resolution, beyond the Rayleigh criterion. Two different methods are proposed to achieve this: One builds upon the multiple scattering expansion method (MSM), and it enforces strong sparsity-prior information. The other is a data-driven method that combines convolutional neural networks (CNN) and recurrent neural networks (RNN), and it can be applied in effect with little knowledge of the wavefield interactions involved, in much contrast with the previous one. Comprehensive numerical simulations are proposed in terms of the missing rod number, shape, the frequency of observation, and the configuration of the tested structures. Both methods are shown to achieve suitable detection, yet under more or less stringent conditions as discussed.
From Mirrors to Free-Space Optical Communication—Historical Aspects in Data Transmission
Authors: Garlinska Magdalena , Pregowska Agnieszka , Masztalerz Karol , Osial Magdalena
Published: October 2020

Fast communication is of high importance. Recently, increased data demand and crowded radio frequency spectrum have become crucial issues. Free-Space Optical Communication (FSOC) has diametrically changed the way people exchange information. As an alternative to wire communication systems, it allows efficient voice, video, and data transmission using a medium like air. Due to its large bandwidth, FSOC can be used in various applications and has therefore become an important part of our everyday life. The main advantages of FSOC are a high speed, cost savings, compact structures, low power, energy efficiency, a maximal transfer capacity, and applicability. The rapid development of the high-speed connection technology allows one to reduce the repair downtime and gives the ability to quickly establish a backup network in an emergency. Unfortunately, FSOC is susceptible to disruption due to atmospheric conditions or direct sunlight. Here, we briefly discuss Free-Space Optical Communication from mirrors and optical telegraphs to modern wireless systems and outline the future development directions of optical communication.
A Great Desire for Children: The Beginning of Transnational Adoption in Denmark and Norway during the 1960’s
Authors: Rosbjørn Eriksen Kasper Emil
Published: October 2020

This article examines the beginning of transnational adoption in Denmark and Norway to illuminate the role of private actors and associations in Scandinavian welfare systems. Utilizing case studies of two prominent private adoption actors, Tytte Botfeldt and Torbjørn Jelstad, the article analyzes how these Nordic welfare states responded to the emergence of transnational adoption in comparison with both each other, neighboring Sweden, and the United States. This study shows that private actors and associations strongly influenced the nascent international adoption systems in these countries, by effectively promoting transnational adoption as a progressive and humanitarian form of global parenthood; while simultaneously emphasizing the responsibility of the welfare state to accommodate and alleviate childless couples’ human rights and need for children. A need that was strong enough that couples were willing to transcend legal, national, and racial borders. Ultimately, Danish and Norwegian authorities not only had to show leniency towards flagrant violations of adoption and child placement rules, but also change these so that families could fulfill their great need for children by legally adopting them from abroad.
Are Special Care Dentistry Services Prepared for a Global Disruption in Healthcare? A Call for a Wider Promotion of Dental Conscious Sedation Training
Authors: Dziedzic Arkadiusz , Tanasiewicz Marta , Abed Hassan , Dickinson Chris , Picciani Bruna
Published: October 2020

Recently, calls for prompt and smart reform of dental education and postgraduate training have been made, reflecting the current global healthcare needs and addressing the most common problems faced by dental care providers. Objectives: Herewith, we propose the enhancement of multilevel dental training in dental conscious sedation (DCS), in order to meet the increasing demands associated with current and post-pandemic times. The temporary suspension of general anaesthesia and hospital-based sedation provision in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) revealed the urgent need for more efficient utilization of a variety of forms of DCS. Whilst the global spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has particularly challenged dental sedation teams in community services, the appropriate preparation for similar disruptions in future should be undertaken proactively. In response, dental schools and commissioners are obliged to implement innovations in teaching, with the development of new programs supporting trainer–trainee interactions and focusing on practical sedation skills. Conclusions: The joint efforts of educators, healthcare providers, and commissioners, as well as adequate and robust DCS training utilizing a variety of teaching methods, would allow our profession to face the growing demand for pain and anxiety control measures in light of the current situation, which may increase even further over time. Decision makers are urged to consider making training in DCS more accessible, meeting current healthcare demands, and equally providing essential support for the special dental care sector.
The Effects of Epistemic Trust and Social Trust on Public Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food: An Empirical Study from China
Authors: Hu Longji , Liu Rongjin , Zhang Wei , Zhang Tian
Published: October 2020

Most studies exploring the public acceptance of genetically modified food (GMF) are based on social trust and the establishment of a causal model. The underlying premise is that social trust indirectly affects public acceptance of GMF through perceived risks and perceived benefits. The object of social trust is trust in people, organizations, and institutions. Different from the social trust, epistemic trust refers to people’s trust in scientific knowledge behind the technology of concern. It has been shown that epistemic trust, like social trust, is also an important factor that affects the public perception of applicable risks and benefits. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate epistemic trust into the causal model to derive a more complete explanation of public acceptance. However, such work has not been conducted to date. The causal model proposed in this paper integrated epistemic trust and social trust and divided social trust into trust in public organizations and trust in industrial organizations. A representative questionnaire survey (N = 1091) was conducted with Chinese adults. The model was analyzed by the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method. Three major findings were obtained: First, epistemic trust is an important antecedent of perceived risks and perceived benefits and exerts a significant indirect effect on the acceptance of GMF. Secondly, trust in industrial organizations negatively impacts perceived risks, while trust in public organizations positively impacts perceived benefits. Thirdly, contrary to the common opinion, trust in industrial organizations did not exert a significant direct effect on perceived benefits, and trust in public organizations did not demonstrate a significant direct effect on perceived risks. Therefore, trust in industrial organizations and trust in public organizations utilize different influence paths on GMF acceptance. This study enriches the understanding of the influence path of trust with regard to the acceptance of emerging technologies and is of great significance to relevant risk-management practices.
Maternal Ferritin Levels during Pregnancy and ADHD Symptoms in 4-Year-Old Children: Results from the INMA–INfancia y Medio Ambiente (Environment and Childhood) Prospective Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Santa-Marina Loreto , Lertxundi Nerea , Andiarena Ainara , Irizar Amaia , Sunyer Jordi , Molinuevo Amaia , Llop Sabrina , Julvez Jordi , Beneito Andrea , Ibarluzea Jesús , Imaz Liher , Ferrin Maite
Published: October 2020

Ferritin status during prenatal brain development may influence the risk of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in childhood. We investigated the association of maternal ferritin in pregnancy and ADHD-like symptoms in offspring. A total of 1095 mother-child pairs from three birth cohorts of the INMA Project (Spain) were studied. Maternal plasma ferritin in pregnancy was measured at 11.57 weeks of gestation. Children′s ADHD-like symptoms at ages 4–5 years were assessed using the ADHD Rating Scale-IV. The count model of the zero-inflated Poisson regression model showed a significant inverse association between ferritin (continuous variable) and inattention, β = −0.19 (−0.32, −0.07), for boys. Comparing ferritin level by tertile, significant differences were observed between the first tertile (1.98, 20.92) and the second (20.92, 38.79) and third (38.79, 216.5) (μg/L) tertiles. The number of symptoms was lower for those in the third tertile, β = −0.3 (−0.55, −0.5), and for those in the second one, β = −0.37 (−0.6, −0.14). The model stratification by sex also showed this inverse association for boys only, β = −0.21 (−0.34, −0.08). No associations were found between ferritin level and hyperactivity or total ADHD symptoms. High ferritin levels during pregnancy show a protective association with child inattentive-type ADHD symptoms.
Reliability of T-WSI to Evaluate Neighborhoods Walkability and Its Changes over Time
Authors: D’Alessandro Daniela , Valeri Diego , Appolloni Letizia
Published: October 2020

More walkable neighborhoods are linked to increased physical activity. The Walking Suitability Index of the territory (T-WSI) is an easy method to evaluate walkability on the basis of direct observation. T-WSI provides 12 indicators divided into 4 categories (practicability, safety, urbanity, pleasantness); the weighted analysis of these indicators gives an overall score of the actual usability of the neighborhood. The aim of the study is to evaluate the ability of T-WSI’ indicators to measure, in a reliable way, any street’s walkability variations occurred over time. The investigation was performed in 2018 in nine urban neighborhoods of Rieti city. Cronbach’s α is used to evaluate internal consistency of T-WSI; Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) is used to evaluate the reproducibility of measurements (or ratings) made by different investigators. Cronbach’s α is 0.89 (± 0.02); ICC is also good (ICC = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.84–0.92). The results of the 2018 investigation are also compared with those collected in 2016 in the same districts. The results show that T-WSI is a reliable and easy to use tool, useful to measure the effectiveness of the interventions already realized at local level, but it could also contribute to making decisions to develop regeneration projects.
Perspectives of the Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment Living Alone on Participating in a Dementia Prevention Program: A Q Methodology Study
Authors: Lu Li-Ting , Huang Chiu-Mieh , Huang Su-Fei , Wu Shu-I , Guo Jong-Long
Published: October 2020

This study aimed to identify and describe the various patterns of perspectives among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) living alone on participating in a dementia prevention program. Q methodology was applied to investigate the perspectives of 30 community-dwelling elderly people with MCI living alone from March to August 2018. As Q methodology applies a forced distribution through the Q-sorting technique, it could capture participants’ perspective patterns. Thirty-two Q-statements were constructed to explore the participants’ attitudes regarding their participation in a dementia prevention program. The participants performed Q-sorting to rank the 32 statements into a Q-sort grid. Principal component analysis was conducted using the PQ Method 2.35 software to identify patterns in participants’ perspectives. Four patterns of shared perspectives, accounting for 54.65% of the total variance, were identified: (a) awareness of health benefits and readiness to take preventive actions; (b) emphasis on cost consideration, and not ready to participate; (c) concern about family’s attitude and needing family support; (d) emphasis on medical care and needing providers’ recommendation. The exploration of clusters of the elderly with MCI could assist health professionals in acknowledging elderly people’s attitudes and responses towards participating in a dementia prevention program.
Relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Cybervictimization, and Academic Performance in Secondary School Students
Authors: Martínez-Martínez Ana María , López-Liria Remedios , Aguilar-Parra José Manuel , Trigueros Rubén , Morales-Gázquez María José , Rocamora-Pérez Patricia
Published: October 2020

The benefits attributed to emotional intelligence (EI) in a school environment can be observed in areas such as interpersonal relationships, psychological well-being, academic performance, and avoidance of disruptive behaviors. The objective of this study was to analyze a sample of 3451 adolescents from a secondary school to test whether EI is a protector against cybervictimization and the repercussions of cybervictimization, and whether EI has an influence on academic performance. The instruments used in the study included a questionnaire of risk factors for cybervictimization—the Trait Meta Mood Scale 24 (Spanish version)—and the global marks or academic performance of the students. The relationships between the variables were analyzed and a structural equation model was developed. The correlations revealed that there was a positive relationship between EI and student academic performance, but there was also a negative relationship regarding cybervictimization. In other words, students with lower EI were more likely to suffer from cybervictimization and could experience negative repercussions on school success. Through EI training and addressing disruptive behaviors by focusing on school climate, classroom management, and discipline, we can create emotional regulation guidelines among students to eradicate disruptive behaviors.
Attitudes Toward Patient Safety among Medical Students in Malaysia
Authors: Nadarajan Sathia Prakash , Karuthan Sumitra Ropini , Rajasingam Jeevitha , Chinna Karuthan
Published: October 2020

The biggest challenge in moving toward a safer healthcare system is patient safety culture—that is, the prevention of harm to patients. Safe medical practices can prevent doing harm to the patients. For this, healthcare professionals must have good attitudes toward patient safety. Medical education plays an important role in promoting patient safety and patient safety attitudes. A study was conducted among medical students in Malaysia to assess their perceptions toward patient safety, using the 26-items Attitudes Toward Patient Safety Questionnaire (APSQ-III). In the analysis, the average percentage of positive responses (APPR) were computed for each domain, and APPR values of ≥75 were used as an indicator of positive perception. Out of the nine domains of APSQ, the students’ attitude was positive in six—Safety Training (85.2%), Error Reporting (76.3%), Working Hours (89.5%), Error Inevitability (86.1%), Team Functioning (94.6%), and Patient Involvement (80.1%). The desired level of positive attitude was not met in Disclosure Responsibility (68.5%), Professional Incompetence (70.0%), and Safety Curriculum (71.1%). APRR for disclosure responsibility was high among the first-year students, but, generally, the effect wore off over the years of study. The results support the need to enhance perception on Disclosure Responsibility, Professional Incompetence, and Safety Curriculum among the medical students in Malaysia.
Effectiveness of Gas and Chimney Biomass Stoves for Reducing Household Air Pollution Pregnancy Exposure in Guatemala: Sociodemographic Effect Modifiers
Authors: Grajeda Laura M. , Thompson Lisa M. , Arriaga William , Canuz Eduardo , Omer Saad B. , Sage Michael , Azziz-Baumgartner Eduardo , Bryan Joe P. , McCracken John P.
Published: October 2020

Household air pollution (HAP) due to solid fuel use during pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes. The real-life effectiveness of clean cooking interventions has been disappointing overall yet variable, but the sociodemographic determinants are not well described. We measured personal 24-h PM2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter) thrice in pregnant women (n = 218) gravimetrically with Teflon filter, impactor, and personal pump setups. To estimate the effectiveness of owning chimney and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves (i.e., proportion of PM2.5 exposure that would be prevented) and to predict subject-specific typical exposures, we used linear mixed-effects models with log (PM2.5) as dependent variable and random intercept for subject. Median (IQR) personal PM2.5 in µg/m3 was 148 (90–249) for open fire, 78 (51–125) for chimney stove, and 55 (34–79) for LPG stoves. Adjusted effectiveness of LPG stoves was greater in women with ≥6 years of education (49% (95% CI: 34, 60)) versus <6 years (26% (95% CI: 5, 42)). In contrast, chimney stove adjusted effectiveness was greater in women with <6 years of education (50% (95% CI: 38, 60)), rural residence (46% (95% CI: 34, 55)) and lowest SES (socio-economic status) quartile (59% (95% CI: 45, 70)) than ≥6 years education (16% (95% CI: 22, 43)), urban (23% (95% CI: −164, 42)) and highest SES quartile (−44% (95% CI: −183, 27)), respectively. A minority of LPG stove owners (12%) and no chimney owner had typical exposure below World Health Organization Air Quality guidelines (35 μg/m3). Although having a cleaner stove alone typically does not lower exposure enough to protect health, understanding sociodemographic determinants of effectiveness may lead to better targeting, implementation, and adoption of interventions.
Healthcare and Health Problems from the Perspective of Indigenous Population of the Peruvian Amazon: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Badanta Bárbara , Lucchetti Giancarlo , Barrientos-Trigo Sergio , Fernández-García Elena , Tarriño-Concejero Lorena , Vega-Escaño Juan , de Diego-Cordero Rocío
Published: October 2020

Indigenous communities usually experience higher levels of mortality and poorer access to healthcare services compared to non-indigenous communities. This study aims to understand the most prevalent health problems and their treatment in the Asháninka indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon. We conducted an ethnographic study in order to explore the perceived health problems, the use of traditional medicine and the resources offered by the official Peruvian healthcare system. Field notes and semi-structured interviews were used. A total of 16 indigenous and four non-indigenous people were interviewed, and interpretative analysis was used to identify themes. The Asháninka community is an overlooked population, which, due to distance restrictions, misconceptions and ethnical disparities, is far away from an appropriate healthcare system and is subjected to acute medical conditions such as infections and gastrointestinal problems. This group tends to seek traditional medicine, mostly herbal medications and traditional healers. The use of a health professional is seen as a last resort. Although the official Peruvian health system incorporates community participation strategies to improve the healthcare of indigenous people, the shortage of material, human resources and cultural sensitivity makes this difficult. Healthcare strategies should be devised and implemented in order to minimize health inequality in this population.
Increased Radiation-Associated T-Cell Infiltration in Recurrent IDH-Mutant Glioma
Authors: Makarevic Anastasia , Rapp Carmen , Dettling Steffen , Reuss David , Jungk Christine , Abdollahi Amir , von Deimling Andreas , Unterberg Andreas , Herold-Mende Christel , Warta Rolf
Published: October 2020

Most gliomas are associated with a fatal prognosis and remain incurable because of their infiltrative growth. Consequently, the addition of immunotherapy to conventional therapy may improve patient outcomes. Here, we analyzed T-cell infiltration and, therefore, a major prerequisite for successful immunotherapy in a series of primary (n = 78) and recurrent (n = 66) isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant glioma and their changes following treatment with radio- and/or chemotherapy. After multicolor immunofluorescence staining, T cells were counted in entire tumor sections using a software-based setup. Newly diagnosed diffuse IDH-mutant gliomas displayed a median T-cell infiltration of 0.99 T cells/mm2 (range: 0–48.97 CD3+ T cells/mm2), which was about two-fold increased for CD3+, helper, and cytotoxic T cells in recurrent glioma. Furthermore, T-cell infiltration of recurrent tumors was associated with the type of adjuvant treatment of the primary tumor. Interestingly, only glioma patients solely receiving radiotherapy presented consistently with increased T-cell infiltration in their recurrent tumors. This was confirmed in a subset of 27 matched pairs. In conclusion, differences in the T-cell infiltration of primary and recurrent gliomas were demonstrated, and evidence was provided for a beneficial long-term effect on T-cell infiltration upon treatment with radiotherapy.
Associations of Arginine with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in a Follow-Up Study
Authors: Burzynska-Pedziwiatr Izabela , Jankowski Adrian , Kowalski Konrad , Sendys Przemyslaw , Zieleniak Andrzej , Cypryk Katarzyna , Zurawska-Klis Monika , Wozniak Lucyna A. , Bukowiecka-Matusiak Malgorzata
Published: October 2020

In the reported study we applied the targeted metabolomic profiling employing high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) to understand the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), early identification of women who are at risk of developing GDM, and the differences in recovery postpartum between these women and normoglycemic women. We profiled the peripheral blood from patients during the second trimester of pregnancy and three months, and one year postpartum. In the GDM group Arg, Gln, His, Met, Phe and Ser were downregulated with statistical significance in comparison to normoglycemic (NGT) women. From the analysis of the association of all amino acid profiles of GDM and NGT women, several statistical models predicting diabetic status were formulated and compared with the literature, with the arginine-based model as the most promising of the screened ones (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.749). Our research results have shed light on the critical role of arginine in the development of GDM and may help in precisely distinguishing between GDM and NGT and earlier detection of GDM but also in predicting women with the increased type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk.
Truncating Variants Contribute to Hearing Loss and Severe Retinopathy in USH2A-Associated Retinitis Pigmentosa in Japanese Patients
Authors: Inaba Akira , Maeda Akiko , Yoshida Akiko , Kawai Kanako , Hirami Yasuhiko , Kurimoto Yasuo , Kosugi Shinji , Takahashi Masayo
Published: October 2020

USH2A is a common causal gene of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a progressive blinding disease due to retinal degeneration. Genetic alterations in USH2A can lead to two types of RP, non-syndromic and syndromic RP, which is called Usher syndrome, with impairments of vision and hearing. The complexity of the genotype–phenotype correlation in USH2A-associated RP (USH2A-RP) has been reported. Genetic and clinical characterization of USH2A-RP has not been performed in Japanese patients. In this study, genetic analyses were performed using targeted panel sequencing in 525 Japanese RP patients. Pathogenic variants of USH2A were identified in 36 of 525 (6.9%) patients and genetic features of USH2A-RP were characterized. Among 36 patients with USH2A-RP, 11 patients had syndromic RP with congenital hearing problems. Amino acid changes due to USH2A alterations were similarly located throughout entire regions of the USH2A protein structure in non-syndromic and syndromic RP cases. Notably, truncating variants were detected in all syndromic patients with a more severe retinal phenotype as compared to non-syndromic RP cases. Taken together, truncating variants could contribute to more serious functional and tissue damages in Japanese patients, suggesting important roles for truncating mutations in the pathogenesis of syndromic USH2A-RP.
High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for In Vivo Proteome Dynamics using Heavy Water Metabolic Labeling
Authors: Sadygov Rovshan G.
Published: October 2020

Cellular proteins are continuously degraded and synthesized. The turnover of proteins is essential to many cellular functions. Combined with metabolic labeling using stable isotopes, LC–MS estimates proteome dynamics in high-throughput and on a large scale. Modern mass spectrometers allow a range of instrumental settings to optimize experimental output for specific research goals. One such setting which affects the results for dynamic proteome studies is the mass resolution. The resolution is vital for distinguishing target species from co-eluting contaminants with close mass-to-charge ratios. However, for estimations of proteome dynamics from metabolic labeling with stable isotopes, the spectral accuracy is highly important. Studies examining the effects of increased mass resolutions (in modern mass spectrometers) on the proteome turnover output and accuracy have been lacking. Here, we use a publicly available heavy water labeling and mass spectral data sets of murine serum proteome (acquired on Orbitrap Fusion and Agilent 6530 QToF) to analyze the effect of mass resolution of the Orbitrap mass analyzer on the proteome dynamics estimation. Increased mass resolution affected the spectral accuracy and the number acquired tandem mass spectra.
Control of the Photo-Isomerization Mechanism in 3H-Naphthopyrans to Prevent Formation of Unwanted Long-Lived Photoproducts
Authors: Brazevic Sabina , Nizinski Stanisław , Sliwa Michel , Abe Jiro , Rode Michał F. , Burdzinski Gotard
Published: October 2020

In the photochromic reactions of 3H-naphthopyrans, two colored isomers TC (transoid-cis) and TT (transoid-trans) are formed. In terms of optimized photo-switchable materials, synthetic efforts are nowadays evolving toward developing 3H-naphthopyran derivatives that would not be able to photoproduce the long-living transoid-trans, TT, photoproduct. The substitution with a methoxy group at position 10 results in significant reduction of the TT isomer formation yield. The TC photophysics responsible for TT suppression were revealed here using a combination of multi-scale time resolved absorption UV-vis spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. The substitution changes the TC excited-state potential energy landscape, the bicycle-pedal isomerization path is favored over the rotation around a single double bond. The bicycle-pedal path is aborted in halfway to TT formation due to S1→S0 internal conversion populating back the TC species in the ground electronic state. This is validated by a shorter TC S1 state lifetime for methoxy derivative in comparison to that of the parent-unsubstituted compound (0.47 ± 0.05 ps vs. 0.87 ± 0.09 ps) in cyclohexane.