bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of the stiff elbow: a literature review
Authors: Siemensma Mark F , van der Windt Anna E , van Es Eline M , Colaris Joost W , Eygendaal Denise
Published: May 2023

The elbow is prone to stiffness due to its unique anatomy and profound capsular reaction to inflammation. The resulting movement impairment may significantly interfere with a patient’s activities of daily living.

Trauma (including surgery for trauma), posttraumatic arthritis, and heterotopic ossification (HO) are the most common causes of elbow stiffness.

In stiffness caused by soft tissue contractures, initial conservative treatment with physiotherapy (PT) and splinting is advised. In cases in which osseous deformities limit range of motion (e.g. malunion, osseous impingement, or HO), early surgical intervention is recommended.

Open and arthroscopic arthrolysis are the primary surgical options. Arthroscopic arthrolysis has a lower complication and revision rate but has narrower indications.

Early active mobilization using PT after surgery is recommended in postoperative rehabilitation and may be complemented by splinting or continuous passive motion therapy. Most results are gained within the first few months but can continue to improve until 12 months.

This paper reviews the current literature and provides state-of-the-art guidance on the management regarding prevention, evaluation, and treatment of elbow stiffness.
Biological aspects to enhance fracture healing
Authors: Rodham Paul L , Giannoudis Vasileios P , Kanakaris Nikolaos K , Giannoudis Peter V
Published: May 2023

The ability to enhance fracture healing is paramount in modern orthopaedic trauma, particularly in the management of challenging cases including peri-prosthetic fractures, non-union and acute bone loss.

Materials utilised in enhancing fracture healing should ideally be osteogenic, osteoinductive, osteoconductive, and facilitate vascular in-growth.

Autologous bone graft remains the gold standard, providing all of these qualities. Limitations to this technique include low graft volume and donor site morbidity, with alternative techniques including the use of allograft or xenograft.

Artificial scaffolds can provide an osteoconductive construct, however fail to provide an osteoinductive stimulus, and frequently have poor mechanical properties.

Recombinant bone morphogenetic proteins can provide an osteoinductive stimulus; however, their licencing is limited and larger studies are required to clarify their role.

For recalcitricant non-unions or high-risk cases, the use of composite graft combining the above techniques provides the highest chances of successfully achieving bony union.
Surgical management of lumbosacral and sacral fractures: roles of the pelvic and spinal surgeons
Authors: Court Charles , Chatelain Leonard , Valteau Barthelemy , Bouthors Charlie
Published: May 2023

In young patients, lumbosacral fractures result primarily from high-energy traumas. Life-threatening lesions (e.g. visceral organs) are frequently associated with these fractures. Management consists of medical intensive care for adequate resuscitation and specialized surgical input.

Lumbosacral junction represents a frontier between the spine and pelvic ring. Any injury in this area implies a thorough examination of both spine and pelvis through clinical examinations and CT scans. Patients must be assessed specifically for neurological and bladder/bowel symptoms. Several surgical classifications may be required to describe the entire fracture pattern.

In unstable fracture with large displacements, definitive surgical fixation is often recommended. Various pelvic and spine surgery techniques can be used depending on the fracture pattern, surgeon’s experience, and available equipment. The use of intraoperative navigation may enhance placement of instrumentation, especially in cases of complex fractures, percutaneous fixations, and/or atypical patients’ anatomy.

The fracture itself can cause debilitating complications with long-term consequences such as pain, neurological deficits, and bladder/bowel impairments. Wound infection remains the most common postoperative complication and prominent posterior instrumentation is frequently a source of pain. Irrespective of the treatment, leg discrepancy can be problematic in the case of malunion.

Management of lumbosacral fractures requires a thorough understanding of both lumbar spine and pelvic injuries. Surgical treatment may involve a combination of spine and pelvic surgery techniques. Therefore, this implies for the surgeon to be trained specifically for these fractures, or else a close cooperation between the pelvic surgeon and the spine surgeon in managing the patients.
α-cell electrophysiology and the regulation of glucagon secretion
Authors: Gao Rui , Acreman Samuel , Ma Jinfang , Abdulkader Fernando , Wendt Anna , Zhang Quan
Published: May 2023

Glucagon is the principal glucose-elevating hormone that forms the first-line defence against hypoglycaemia. Along with insulin, glucagon also plays a key role in maintaining systemic glucose homeostasis. The cells that secrete glucagon, pancreatic α-cells, are electrically excitable cells and use electrical activity to couple its hormone secretion to changes in ambient glucose levels. Exactly how glucose regulates α-cells has been a topic of debate for decades but it is clear that electrical signals generated by the cells play an important role in glucagon secretory response. Decades of studies have already revealed the key players involved in the generation of these electrical signals and possible mechanisms controlling them to tune glucagon release. This has offered the opportunity to fully understand the enigmatic α-cell physiology. In this review, we describe the current knowledge on cellular electrophysiology and factors regulating excitability, glucose sensing, and glucagon secretion. We also discuss α-cell pathophysiology and the perspective of addressing glucagon secretory defects in diabetes for developing better diabetes treatment, which bears the hope of eliminating hypoglycaemia as a clinical problem in diabetes care.
Untargeted metabolomics reveal sex-specific and non-specific redox-modulating metabolites in kidneys following binge drinking
Authors: Rafferty Daniel , Martins de Carvalho Luana , Sutter Mason , Heneghan Katlyn , Nelson Victoria , Leitner Megan , Bolch Charlotte , Lasek Amy W , Puthanveetil Prasanth
Published: May 2023

Graphical abstract

Binge drinking is a growing health concern among all age groups. The ability of individuals to handle ethanol in their systems differs not due to differences in enzyme expression but also due to other factors. Vital organs including brain, liver, heart, and kidneys are at high risk following repeated exposure to high concentrations of ethanol from binge drinking. The impact of chronic binge drinking on kidneys is not well studied. Using a mouse model of chronic binge drinking, we have identified major metabolic alterations that could set the stage for detrimental effects in the kidneys of male and female mice. We have deciphered that even though there are pathway overlaps, the different sexes exhibited unique and divergent metabolic pathway dysregulations as per the metabolite panels following binge drinking. We have reported that binge drinking could negatively influence renal redox homeostasis in both sexes through the regulation of different metabolite clusters. In male mice by downregulation of pantothenic acid and riboflavin synthesis, and in female mice by upregulation of α-aminoadipic acid and formyl kynurenine level. Interestingly, the uric acid biosynthesis pathway has been upregulated independent of the sex-specific effects, portraying the significance of uric acid as a potential marker for binge drinking-induced injury in both sexes. Thus, by altering renal metabolome, binge drinking sets the stage for renal damage by disturbing renal redox balance. Our data has high translational potential and will aid in finding ideal therapeutics in a sex-specific manner for subjects exposed to binge drinking- induced renal injury.
The Expression of Christian Values at Music Lessons: the Analysis of Textbooks of 1–4 Grades
Authors: Kauneckas Klaidas
Published: May 2023

The article examines primary school textbooks by different authors, using the content analysis method. The goal was to reveal how often and in what way the Christian values are cultivated through the content of the music education. The results of the examination revealed that in a music textbook “Vieversys” the most attention is given to the folklore, secularism and culture; the textbook “Lakstute” gives an opportunity to the teacher to emphasize Christian values by accentuating topics of Christmas and Easter. The textbooks “Mano Muzika” focus not only on cherishing nationality, expressing knowledge of music from different nations, but also present Christian celebrations in detail.
Енергетика, наука та інженерія: сучасний стан і виклики розвитку
Authors: Кириленко Олександр Васильович , Снєжкін Юрій Федорович , Басок Борис Іванович , Базєєв Євген Трифонович
Published: May 2023

Наведено огляд проблем енергетики України, Європи і світу. Проаналізовано виклики і ризики, які внаслідок російської агресії постали перед соціально-економічною сферою країни, зокрема в галузі енергетики, а також перед академічною фундаментальною наукою. Підкреслено роль науки як інтелектуальної основи соціально-економічної, політичної і воєнної могутності держави. Зазначено, що в Інституті технічної теплофізики НАН України розвивається новий науковий напрям — фундаментальна енергетична інженерія. Розглянуто головні тренди розвитку енергетики Європи і світу в контексті економічних загроз, цінової політики, ресурсної бази, технологій енергоперетворення і кінцевого низьковуглецевого енерговикористання. Акцентовано увагу на початку глобальної енергетичної кризи у світі, запропоновано підходи для пом’якшення її негативного впливу на світову економіку.
Adverse Childhood Experiences Among US Adolescents Over the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Hertz Marci , Heim Viox Melissa , Massetti Greta M. , Anderson Kayla N. , Bacon Sarah , Fordyce Erin , Mercado Melissa C. , Verlenden Jorge V.
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

A national, longitudinal survey of US adolescents assessed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) twice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adolescents with more Wave 1 ACEs were expected to be more likely to experience additional ACEs at Wave 2.

METHODS

Adolescents aged 13 to 18 (n = 727, Fall 2020; n = 569, Spring 2021) recruited via a national, probability-based panel (survey completion rate Wave 1, 62.1%; Wave 2, 78.3%) responded to questions about household challenges, violence or neglect, and community ACE exposure at Wave 1 and Wave 2 (since Wave 1). Unweighted frequencies and 95% confidence intervals of demographic characteristics and individual ACEs were calculated by using weighted data. Odds ratios examined associations between ACEs by Wave 1 and Wave 2.

RESULTS

Among respondents of both survey waves (n = 506), 27.2% experienced violence or abuse, 50.9% experienced a household challenge, and 34.9% experienced a community ACE by Wave 1. By Wave 2, 17.6% experienced 1 new ACE, 6.1% experienced 2 new ACEs and 2.7% experienced 4 or more new ACEs. Those with ≥4 ACEs by Wave 1 were 2.71 times as likely as those with none to report a new ACE at Wave 2 (confidence interval: 1.18–6.24).

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide, longitudinal study of US adolescents measured exposure to ACEs early in and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly one-third of adolescents experienced a new ACE between survey waves. Prevention and trauma-informed approaches in clinical, school, and community settings may be helpful.
En la accidentada ruta del progreso: factores involucrados en la producción de siniestros en Costa Rica. El caso del Ferrrocarril al Atlántico (1920-1940)
Authors: Sánchez Lovell Adriana , Soto Rodríguez Mario Andrés
Published: May 2023

Históricamente, el desarrollo de los medios de transporte ferroviario en Costa Rica estuvo en función de las agroexportaciones. Así, las vías ferroviarias hacia el Pacífico y el Atlántico Caribe, cumplen el objetivo de comunicar las zonas productoras de café y, posteriormente de banano, con los principales puertos del país. Este artículo está basado en la conjetura de que esta infraestructura, cuyo primer gran vestigio tecnológico lo constituye el tren de la Costa Rica Railway Company, subsidiaria de la Northern Railway Company y esta a su vez, de la United Fruit Company durante el periodo de estudio, contribuye a explicar las causas de porqué de la falta de medidas de protección necesarias, para proteger la vida de los seres humanos y semovientes en general, a nivel de la institucionalidad; las creencias y en las prácticas cotidianas de las y los costarricenses, así como, en aspectos materiales, como la infraestructura. Además, atendemos a una serie de modificaciones en las dinámicas sociales, conflictos y formas de relacionar con la muerte, a raíz de siniestros ferroviarios. La mayoría de los casos que abordamos en este capítulo, son de pasajeros del tren, así como, de personas y animales que fueron golpeadas o atropelladas por el mismo, pues nuestro objetivo radica en explicar la exposición a accidentes de las y los usuarios, de peatones y en los lugares donde los seres humanos y los animales habitan.
Acciones estatales para el desarrollo de las regiones Atlántico/Caribe y Chorotega de Costa Rica: una comparación de intenciones y resultados. 1950-2009
Authors: Blanco Obando Edgar Eduardo
Published: May 2023

En el presente artículo se analizan las principales acciones estatales dirigidas al desarrollo de los sistemas productivos en las regiones Atlántico/Caribe y Chorotega de Costa Rica, así como a la expansión de los principales servicios para el bienestar de la población.

Mediante la revisión de numerosos documentos oficiales, estadísticos, científicos y técnicos se demuestra que, el Estado costarricense ha dirigido importante y continua inversión para incorporar a las regiones en el modelo económico nacional y asegurar a su población el acceso a los servicios esenciales. Sin embargo, dichas acciones no han sido suficientes para revertir las condiciones regionales de pobreza y desigualdad.
Metodología para Evaluar la Condición de Transformadores Eléctricos de Potencia Basada en un Índice de Salud Compuesto
Authors: Nuñez Mata Oscar , Gómez-Ramírez Gustavo , Acuña Rojas Fauricio , González Solís César
Published: May 2023

El desarrollo de sistemas de monitoreo de condición que siga la evolución del desgaste de los transformadores de potencia (TP), es esencial para una operación segura y confiable de sistemas eléctricos. Contar con herramientas de monitoreo de condición se ha convertido en una prioridad de las compañías eléctricas, siendo esto una tarea compleja, ya que la operación del TP combina distintas solicitaciones, tales como: eléctricas, químicas y mecánicas. Algunos autores proponen el uso de índices de salud (HI) que recogen en un solo parámetro la condición del TP, que apoyen al responsable de la operación en la toma de decisiones. Para la obtención del HI se utilizan resultados de pruebas que verifican el estado de las distintas partes. Éste será la base para evaluar la salud global y facilitar la identificación de modos de falla presentes y sus subsistemas, que deriven en degradación generalizada, que pueden llevar al final la vida útil del activo. Esta investigación propone una herramienta novedosa que evalúe los transformadores de potencia basada en un HI compuesto. El HI se obtuvo usando: i) datos de condición, y ii) funciones de condición. Los resultados obtenidos se ponderan alcanzando un valor final que refleja la condición del TP. Se logró determinar con criterio experto la importancia de cada prueba, otorgando los pesos de importancia. Los resultados mostraron un buen desempeño del HI evaluando transformadores de potencia. Esto indica que avanzar hacia el uso de HI para evaluar el estado del transformador mejora la confiabilidad de las redes eléctrica.
Understanding the Determinants of Fuel Demand in Costa Rica, 1965-2019: Price, Income, and Registered Vehicles
Authors: Pérez Molina Eduardo
Published: May 2023

Fuel demand during the last 50 years in Costa Rica has increased constantly. Do the price of fuels and Gross National Income contribute to explain these trends? This paper explores the existence of causal relations between economic growth, fuel price, and transport demand (represented by fuel consumption and registered vehicles). Vector autoregression (VAR) models were estimated with a time series of data of 1965-2019. Causal relations were found between fuel demand and income, but not with registered vehicles. The effect of price on demand and income were documented, which is important for policy formulation (in particular, possible taxation of fuel demand as a carbon mitigation strategy).gation strategy.
Propuesta metodológica el análisis de confort térmico animal en zonas apartadas de Colombia
Authors: Ruíz Ramírez Pablo Julián , Osorio Hernández Robinson
Published: May 2023

A lo largo del tiempo, varios autores han investigado la relación que tienen las condiciones climáticas con la producción animal, demostrando que el estado de confort influye de manera positiva en la producción. Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo realizar una propuesta metodológica para el análisis de confort térmico animal en zonas aisladas, tomando como caso de estudio, tres Espacios Territoriales de Capacitación y Reincorporación, donde se llevan a cabo proyectos productivos en el marco del Acuerdo Final para la Terminación del Conflicto y la Construcción de una Paz Estable y Duradera, empleando datos climáticos de temperatura y humedad relativa, obtenidos de series de tiempo de 2002 hasta 2019. La metodología propuesta a partir del uso de plataformas digitales de libre acceso mostró ser aplicable, y en los casos de estudio encontró que las regiones que pueden presentar menores afectaciones a aves, porcinos y bovinos son Tierra Grata y Miravalle, mientras que, en Caño Indio, se sugiere adoptar estrategias de control climático para mejorar el ambiente térmico animal.
High seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in South Transdanubia, Hungary (2010–2022)
Authors: Balázs Benigna , Boros Ákos , Pankovics Péter , Reuter Gábor
Published: May 2023

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an increasingly recognized etiological agent of acute, chronic and extrahepatic human infections with primarily zoonotic origin in Europe. Limited numbers of comprehensive population-based studies are available related to HEV seroepidemiology, especially from Central Europe.

The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence and trends of total and IgM antibodies against HEV in different age groups in the population of South Transdanubia, Hungary, within a thirteen years long period between the years 2010 and 2022.

We retrospectively analysed the serological test results of HEV total and HEV IgM antibodies carried out by ELISA technique using Dia.Pro (Diagnostic Bioprobes, Italy) kit from serum samples collected from patients with or without hepatitis between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2022.

The number of tested samples (∑6,996 for total antibody and ∑6,582 for IgM) increased during the study period. The average HEV total and the IgM antibody seropositivities were 33% (2,307/6,996 samples) and 9.6% (642/6,582 samples), respectively, in the study population. The HEV total antibody seropositivity varied in different age groups between 3.9% (age group 1–5 years) and 58.6% (86–90 years) and showed an increasing positivity by age. At the age groups >50 years, nearly half (43%) of the population had antibodies against HEV. The HEV IgM positivity had an increasing trend of up to 13.9% in the age group 81–85 years.

High HEV total and IgM antibody seroprevalence were detected in South Transdanubia, Hungary, confirming that this region is highly endemic for HEV infections in Europe.
Expressing pain from the Antiquities to the Middle Ages: Heu as a part of speech
Authors: Cotugno Francesca
Published: May 2023

The interjection was recognised as a part of speech by the Latin grammarians, replacing the lack of the article class in the Greek system and maintaining the eight parts of speech. However, it is noteworthy that the definition of interjection among the different scholars and grammarians is not stable and wavers between the need to identify its role as a part of speech – whether it was an adverb or not – and its pragmatic function, identifying to what extent it was connected to emotions. The scholarly discussion over the interjection entangled and disentangled itself during the centuries, and its theoretical status has been verified in the present paper, which shows how the classical and non-classical evidence reconnects this part of speech to its most rhetorical function. This paper delves into this debate, focusing on the interjection heu and providing a history of the interjection, covering the classical period and the Middle Ages, according to the linguistic perspective and highlighting how Latin grammarians considered it in their linguistic framework.
Ways of Using Textbooks and Digital Resources by Teachers and Students in the Lower Secondary Schools
Authors:   University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Červenková Iva , Václavík Marek ,   University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Sikorová Zuzana ,   University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
Published: May 2023

The paper presents a research study on using teaching resources at lower secondary schools in the Moravian-Silesian Region. With regard to the massive inclusion of digital resources and learning materials of an electronic nature, the research aimed to find out which educational resources are used in teaching and how. The methods of use were deduced based on the activities the teachers induce in the lessons through these resources. A qualitatively oriented research design was used, based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 lower secondary school teachers who had different lengths of experience and taught different subjects. It was found that all teachers still used the core textbook but supplemented it with other printed or digital textual resources. It was possible to describe how the teachers worked with textbooks and digital resources and capture specific styles in which they initiated instructional activities with printed and digital texts.
Blended Learning: How Can Multimedia Enhance Students’ Characters?
Authors:   Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia, Indrawadi Junaidi , Komalasari Kokom ,   Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia, Winarno  ,   Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia, Luthfi Zaky Farid ,   Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this study is to describe the use of multimedia in strengthening students’ characters. This study employed a survey method with a cross-sectional type. The sample that included 265 students from Universitas Negeri Padang, Universitas Sebelas Maret, and Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia was determined proportionally. The data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, FGDs and self-evaluation, using quantitative descriptive analysis. The results of this study include 1) Students have gained experience in the learning process with a variety of interesting media in the form of text, images, graphics, sound, videos, animation, and others; 2) the multimedia used in this study includes motivational videos and texts that contain values in developing students’ character; 3) the dominant characters developed in multimedia blended learning are critical thinking, disciplined, creative, and collaborative. This multimedia blended learning has led to the strengthening of students’ characters. Therefore, character strengthening needs to be optimized in multimedia blended learning.
The Impact of Preschool Education Experience on Multidimensional Non-Cognitive Abilities and Personality Development of Adolescents
Authors:   Suryadhep Teachers College, Rangsit University, Thailand, Zhang Guohui , Chayanuvata Anchalee ,   Suryadhep Teachers College, Rangsit University, Thailand
Published: May 2023

The topic’s relevance is based on solving the problems of the influence of preschool education experience on the multidimensional non-cognitive abilities and personality development of adolescents. The purpose of the article was to analyse the problems of the formation of multidimensional non-cognitive processes, substantiating and determining the non-cognitive abilities of preschool children: highly developed personality, giftedness, intelligence, soft skills and conducting an experiment using the basic survey of the 2013-2014 school years conducted by the Chinese Expert Research on Education (CEPS) at Renmin University (China). The methodological approach of the research was based on the methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalisation of literary sources on the problem of researching the formation of multidimensional non-cognitive abilities, graphic methods for visual illustration and comparison of the results of the ascertaining and formative stages of the research. The content of the main concepts of “abilities” and “non-cognitive abilities” is determined, and their features and features are revealed. The identified non-cognitive abilities and their indicators, as well as the methods of their formation, can be used as methodical material for universities and for the personal development of individual preschool education specialists in near and far foreign countries.
Development of Argumentation Tools Based on the Engineering Design Process to Improve Students’ Argumentation Skills
Authors:   University of Jember, Indonesia, Putra Pramudya Dwi Aristya , Ahmad Nur ,   University of Jember, Indonesia, Budiarso Aris Singgih ,   University of Jember, Indonesia, Indrawati  ,   University of Jember, Indonesia, Lestari Erika Ananda ,   University of Jember, Indonesia
Published: May 2023

Argumentation skills play a vital role in students’ ability to master the learning process because, by employing these skills, they can explain real-world phenomena scientifically. This research focused on developing an argumentation tool based on the engineering design process (EDP) to improve students’ argumentation skills in science classrooms. This study utilised the research methods outlined by Plomp & Nieveen, which include problem identification, design, and implementation stages. This study, which involved 150 junior high school student participants, was conducted to implement the argumentation tool as a learning material to help students to understand heat transfer information in science learning. The indicators of argumentation skills included claims, evidence, and reasoning. The study results showed that five experts validated the argumentation tool in science learning development as appropriate for implementation as a practical tool in the science learning classroom. Furthermore, students’ argumentation skills improved significantly, mainly related to developing claims and collecting evidence based on the N-gain evaluation.
The Moderating Effect of Grit on the Relationship Between Critical Thinking and Creativity
Authors:   Gachon University, Korea, Seo Eun Hee , Lee HanSaem ,   Gachon University, Korea
Published: May 2023

This study aims to examine the relationship among critical thinking, grit, and creativity, which will be core competencies in a future society, and to verify the moderating effect of grit as an individual psychological factor between the two variables. For this purpose, a Likert survey is conducted on undergraduate students in a Korean university; and 129 responses are used. The result shows that, first, critical thinking and grit have significant influences on creativity. Second, the moderating effect of grit on the relationship between critical thinking and creativity is significant. The finding indicates that the higher the grit, the higher the positive relationship between critical thinking and creativity. This result implies that to increase the creativity of college students, an education that increases both critical thinking and grit is necessary.
Promoting the Development of Resilience in University Teachers Through the Practice of Mindfulness
Authors:   University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Lacková Lucia , Franiok Petr ,   University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Hanuš Daniel ,   Charles University, Czech Republic, Burkovičová Radmila ,   University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, García Antonia R. ,   University of Córdoba, Spain
Published: May 2023

This article describes the results of a longitudinal study on the effects of the regular, everyday practice of at least 20-minute-long mindfulness meditation sessions on coping with stressful situations among academic staff. University teachers were selected with respect to the high stress of their occupation and their frequent statements of difficulties with responding adequately to stress arising from the necessity of communicating with students, colleagues and family members every day. They stated that they could not cope adequately and had problems concentrating on other activities such as writing, giving lectures and attending work meetings. At the beginning of the study, the academic staff were offered mindfulness meditation therapy training. The study took place from 2002 to 2020. A total of 124 university teachers were monitored. The research group consisted of 97 teachers at Czech universities (53 men and 44 women) and 27 teachers at Slovak universities (14 men and 13 women). The study’s main objective was to identify the effect of an everyday 20-minute mindfulness practice, which 113 participants performed in the morning and 11 in the evening, on the development of their psychological resilience for coping This article describes the results of a longitudinal study on the effects of the regular, everyday practice of at least 20-minute-long mindfulness meditation sessions on coping with stressful situations among academic staff. University teachers were selected with respect to the high stress of their occupation and their frequent statements of difficulties with responding adequately to stress arising from the necessity of communicating with students, colleagues and family members every day. They stated that they could not cope adequately and had problems concentrating on other activities such as writing, giving lectures and attending work meetings. At the beginning of the study, the academic staff were offered mindfulness meditation therapy training. The study took place from 2002 to 2020. A total of 124 university teachers were monitored. The research group consisted of 97 teachers at Czech universities (53 men and 44 women) and 27 teachers at Slovak universities (14 men and 13 women). The study’s main objective was to identify the effect of an everyday 20-minute mindfulness practice, which 113 participants performed in the morning and 11 in the evening, on the development of their psychological resilience for coping
Determination of the satisfaction attribute in usability tests using sentiment analysis and fuzzy logic
Authors: Chanchí Golondrino Gabriel Elías , Ospina Alarcón Manuel Alejandro , Sierra Martínez Luz Marina
Published: May 2023

With the growth in the number of applications deployed in cloud app stores, usability has become a fundamental attribute to ensure end-user productivity and enterprise competitiveness. According to ISO 9241-11, the three attributes that determine the usability of a product are effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction, the latter being the subjective attribute of usability. In conventional user tests, the satisfaction attribute is determined using perception questionnaires, being a challenge to determine this attribute more objectively, given the limitations of surveys in terms of veracity and subjectivity. Based on the above, in this article we propose as a contribution, the construction of a system based on fuzzy logic for the estimation of the usability satisfaction attribute in user tests, which has as inputs both the level of satisfaction obtained from the answers to the post-test questionnaire, and the level of satisfaction obtained from the polarities of the opinions of the test users, determined by means of sentiment analysis techniques. The proposed fuzzy system is intended to serve as a reference to be replicated at the academic and enterprise level in the conduct of usability tests and specifically in the more objective determination of the satisfaction attribute based on the advantages of fuzzy logic and sentiment analysis techniques.
An Efficient Anchor-Free Localization Algorithm for all Cluster Topologies in a Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Aka Ahoua Cyrille , Atta Amanvon Ferdinand , Keupondjo Satchou Gilles Armel , Oumtanaga Souleymane
Published: May 2023

A wireless sensor network is a type of network, which has many application domains such as military, civil security, industrial and environmental. Localization of fixed or mobile wireless sensors in wireless sensor networks is a delicate issue that has attracted the attention of many researchers. Indeed, a good estimation of the distances between different wireless sensors allows to derive their precise locations in the network. An ideal solution for locating these wireless sensors is to equip them with localization devices such as GPS. However, this solution is not an energy-efficient. Indeed, GPS is very energy-consuming, and the deployment environment is not easily accessible to humans. So, it is not possible to replace the batteries of these wireless sensors when they are discharged. Therefore, it is necessary to propose an energy-saving anchor-free localization algorithm. Despite the grouping of nodes into clusters (or sub-networks), existing anchor-free localization algorithms suffer from a low rate of node localization, low localization accuracy, and high energy consumption. To improve the proposed solutions in the literature, an Efficient Anchor Free Localization Algorithm (EAFLA) was proposed. Regardless the topology of each cluster, our algorithm allows localization of all wireless sensors with a very low localization error rate and consumes less energy.
Improved model for traffic management system using KDD and big data: case study Jordan traffic
Authors: Alzyoud Faisal
Published: May 2023

This paper addresses the challenge of the increasing number of traffic accidents resulting from population growth and increased vehicle usage, leading to significant economic and environmental impacts. To address this issue, this paper proposes an improved model for traffic accident management that employs Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) and extensive data analysis techniques to extract the main factors contributing to car accidents. A case study of traffic accidents in Jordan is conducted, utilizing actual data from the Department of Statistics and the Public Security Directorate Records between 2016 to 2020 to identify the primary factors contributing to road accidents and their effects on various types of injuries. The study identifies 11 factors that contribute to car accidents, with driver error being the primary factor for increasing the number of accidents and injuries. Additionally, minor car accidents are found to cause more injuries based on the analysis of the proposed approach. The findings provide a solid foundation for developing an accurate and precise scheme to reduce or eliminate the number of road accidents, which is essential for transitioning to smart cities. Using big data and KDD techniques could significantly improve current traffic accident management practices, informing the development of new policies and regulations to improve road safety and reduce economic and environmental impacts. This paper presents a promising solution for addressing traffic accident management, contributing to safer and sustainable urban environments.
A NEW COOLING APPROACH TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY FOR THE INDUCTION MOTOR: VORTEX TUBE
Authors: Cebeci Ismail , Gürkan Serkan , Kırmacı Volkan , Doğan Seydi
Published: May 2023

With the rising demand for energy, concepts such as energy efficiency, energy-efficient devices, and efficiency have grown in importance in recent years. It is well known that a substantial amount of energy produced around the world is consumed in industry, with electric motors accounting for the majority of this consumption. As a result, it is critical to conduct research to improve the efficiency of newly manufactured electric motors in the high efficiency class, as well as electric motors that are still in use because they have not reached the end of their economic lives. The advantages of the proposed system over the conventional fan-cooled system were investigated in this study, which proposed a vortex tube-supported cooling system for cooling the squirrel-caged asynchronous electric motor of the IE3 efficiency class. In this context, an Ansys motor-CAD model of the test engine was created, and a vortex tube-supported experimental setup was built based on the data. As a result of the simulation and experimental studies, the experimental motor's stator winding temperature improved by 68.64%, and its efficiency improved by 1.79% according to the motor nameplate value. The proposed method increased efficiency without requiring any structural changes to the existing electric motor.
THE SOCIAL COST OF CARBON EVALUATION BASED ON CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES FOR POWER GENERATION PLANTS
Authors: Kon Okan , Caner Ismail
Published: May 2023

Power plants produce electricity using high amounts of fossil fuels such as coal. Using these fossil fuels
releases very high emissions into the atmosphere. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) applications have been developed to reduce these emissions. Thus, by capturing 96% of the CO2 formed from the burning of fuels in power plants, the global warming potentials emitted by conventional electricity generation can be reduced by up to 80%. The study investigated applications of CCS options to reduce emissions during electricity generation, CO2 emissions, pre-combustion, post-combustion, and oxyfuel coupled global warming potentials. The reCiPe midpoint method has been taken into account for CO2 emission. CCS options calculate the reduction in global warming potential. The study accepts that hard and brown coal is used as fuel in power plants that produce electricity. Finally, for the three cities with the highest electricity consumption in Turkey, the global warming potential emission in conventional electricity generation power plants burning brown coal is calculated as 43.4 kilotons for plants burning brown coal. It has been calculated as 6.2 kilotons in power plants using oxyfuel CCS and burning hard coal. Ten-year life for Istanbul, for hard coal burning and pre-combustion related discount rate of 1% and 3 $/ton social cost of carbon; The social cost of carbon is calculated as $102.8 million.
AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES' ATTITUDES TOWARD THE SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL DECISION MAKING TOWARD STEM
Authors: Jackson Jerlando F.L. , Charleston LaVar J. , Adserias Ryan P. , Kam Jihye
Published: May 2023

The underrepresentation of African American males in STEM fields has serious implications for the economic vitality of the United States, especially since the predominant demographic among STEM workers (White, non-Hispanic men) is shrinking as a proportion of the overall U.S. population. Although this complex topic has been highly researched, there have been few significant improvements in engaging African American males in the STEM pipeline. Using the state of Arizona as a microcosm of national trends and social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as a frame for analysis, this study explored the following two research questions: (a) Do attitudes toward STEM fields among African American males in the state of Arizona influence their decisions to pursue college degrees and careers in these fields after controlling for other personal characteristics?; and (b) What are the significant factors that lead students to pursue STEM majors and careers in the state of Arizona? The findings point to SCCT as a useful heuristic for understanding the complexity of STEM major and career decision making for African American men. Evidence suggests that each of the components of SCCT-personal attributes, external environmental factors, and overt behavior-are all at play in African American male Arizonans' decisions to pursue STEM majors in college and/or STEM careers. These findings may contribute to the development of new and improved interventions and best practices aimed at increasing the number of African American men in STEM majors and careers.
AN ALIGNED MAGNETIC FIELD IMPACT ON A MICROPOLAR FLUID BOUNDARY-LAYER FLOW ACROSS AWEDGE SUBJECTED TO SLIP EFFECTS: HOMOTOPY ANALYSIS METHOD
Authors: Mallikarjun B. Patil , Umadevi K. B.
Published: May 2023

The heat transfer on laminar boundary-layer flow (BLF) of a micropolar non-Newtonian fluid (NNF) due to a wedge
with an impact of an aligned magnetic field embedded in a porous stratum accompanied by an effect of velocity and
thermal slips are scrutinized. The similarity transformations are utilized to modify the governing partial differential equations into nonlinear, coupled ordinary differential equations. Resultant equations were solved analytically by homotopy analysis method (HAM). The obtained results are shown graphically for angular momentum, velocity, and temperature distributions for emerging parameters like pressure gradient parameter, velocity, and thermal slip parameters, magnetic parameter, porosity parameter, material parameter, angle of inclination, and Prandtl number. The Nusselt number and skin-friction coefficient values are tabulated. It is noticed that extending values of the material variable suppressed the velocity. The impact of an angle of inclination and porosity parameter enhance the velocity profile. A velocity field was suppressed by larger values of velocity slip variable and temperature distribution declined at the surface and it begins to increase for a certain distance with rising values of thermal slip variable. The obtained results are compared with existing results in a limiting case which provides a good agreement.
Geometric and strain behaviour of full-scale geotextile tubes for dewatering sludge
Authors: Paranhos S. T. S. , Aparicio-Ardila M. A. , Lins da Silva J.
Published: May 2023

Geotextile tubes have been presented as a viable alternative for dewatering sludge generated in different industries, characterised by having fine grain and high moisture content. The material commonly used to develop this system is woven geotextile due to its high strength properties. However, nonwoven geotextile tubes are a possible underexplored alternative that have good cost benefits. This paper presents the geometric and strain behaviour of two full-scale nonwoven geotextile tubes used for dewatering water treatment plant (WTP) sludge. Four technologies were used to monitor the full-scale tests: ultrasonic sensor (US), perspective laser tracking (PLT), light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and draw wire sensor (DWS). The geometric parameters of a quarter of the cross-section and the strains in the geotextile were obtained during sequential fills. These data were compared with results obtained from an analytical method based on membrane theory that considers the non-linear-elastic behaviour of the geotextile. The DWS and LIDAR technologies were the most suitable for monitoring the strains and shapes of the tubes, respectively. Good agreement was found between analytical and experimental results, indicating the applicability of the adopted method to the design of the first filling cycle of the monitored nonwoven geotextile tubes.
An algorithm to determine the most suitable location to construct new commercial harbours
Authors: Sadeghi Kabir , Nouban Fatemeh
Published: May 2023

In the planning of a new harbour, much attention should be given to minimising the transportation time and cost during the lifetime of the harbour. An algorithm is proposed for determining the most suitable location for constructing new commercial harbours and ports. To determine the most suitable location for new harbours locally, a simplified simulation method is prepared for computing the characteristics of sea waves. In the proposed global model, the distribution of population, the transportation cost, the capacities of existing harbours and the demands for export/import cargos are employed as the main factors. In this model, an index called the total transportation price index (TTPI) is introduced. TTPI is calculated and examined for any potential location where the new harbour or port might be constructed. The proposed model has been validated by applying it to a case study for the conditions of several big commercial harbours of Iran’s Persian Gulf coastline. The case study indicates that the position of the port of Imam Khomeini is the most technically suitable; and that the Chahbahar port has the worst location for serving the entire country and should be limited to serving locally the nearby provinces.
Theoretical analysis of the moment–curvature relationship of coal gangue concrete beams
Authors: Cai Bin , Li Kaiyi , Fu Feng
Published: May 2023

At present, there are only a few studies on the application of coal gangue concrete to structural components. To study the moment–curvature relationship of steel-fibre-reinforced coal gangue concrete beams, a simplified calculation method was proposed in this study. The equations were optimised based on current design codes, including theoretical calculations of flexural stiffness, crack width and spacing, cracking moment and ultimate moment. Calculated results were compared with experimental results to verify that the cracking moment and ultimate moment of the beams were slightly lower than those of natural concrete beams. However, the cracking moment, flexural stiffness and ductility of coal gangue concrete beams was increased by incorporating steel fibres. Increasing the rebar ratio also significantly improved the load-carrying capacity, but reduced ductility. The calculated values for moment–curvature were close to the experimental values, proving the optimised calculations have high accuracy and are applicable for predicting the bending behaviour of steel-fibre-reinforced coal gangue concrete beams. This paper provides a theoretical basis for subsequent related research.
Sistemas de ecuaciones: método de los determinantes
Authors:   Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Pacheco Pinilla Claudia Marcela , López Hernández Lina Shirley
Published: May 2023

Esta nota de clase es del curso de Álgebra Lineal, primer semestre, programa de Ingeniería Civil. En esta se plantean los determinantes como método de solución de sistemas de ecuaciones cuadrados o mxm. Para un mayor afianzamiento de los conceptos, se parte de la definición de sistema de ecuaciones y su extensión al planteamiento de determinantes y los diferentes métodos para resolver y dar solución a esto. Lo anterior se hace con el fin de que el estudiante establezca correlaciones conceptuales claras y precisas. Además, se validará un planteamiento ya hecho en una nota de clase anterior sobre el Método de Gauss. Los procedimientos matemáticos se presentarán de una forma detallada para fortalecer el álgebra básica, que, en muchas ocasiones, se convierte en un obstáculo para el buen desarrollo operacional. Como se mencionó en la nota de clase anterior, este método se validará usando la herramienta de Microsoft Excel. Se toma este como último validador, dado que es una herramienta de fácil uso y que está al alcance de los estudiantes, sumado a que es un software de uso común en el ámbito laboral, independiente del campo de acción. Para culminar la nota de clase, se propone una serie de ejercicios meramente operacionales y otros contextuales. Estos ejercicios ya fueron planteados para ser resueltos por medio del método de Gauss, ahora se busca que sean resueltos a través de determinantes, para comparar y evidenciar que, sin importar el método usado, se llega a un mismo resultado, dándole al estudiante múltiples herramientas para solucionar una situación problema.