bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of Government, Democracy, and Well-Being as Determinants in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Morales-Casetti Marjorie , Bustos-Gutiérrez Marco , Manquepillán-Calfuleo Franco , Hochstetter-Diez Jorge
Published: June 2024

Recent reports have indicated a slowdown in global progress towards compliance with the 2030 Agenda and a setback in some objectives. This has prompted the development of research to identify the factors contributing to some countries moving faster than others in achieving the goals. Until now, the literature has emphasized the role of economic and institutional factors in achieving the 2030 Agenda, making it necessary to investigate the effects that other political or social factors may generate. To contribute to this purpose, this article aims to identify the effect of the quality of government, democracy, and well-being on aggregate compliance with the 2030 Agenda. Through a quantitative analysis that uses the level of achievement of the 2030 Agenda as a dependent variable and six independent variables related to the quality of government, democracy status, and well-being, we found that the effectiveness of government, the welfare regime, subjective well-being, and democracy status positively influence the achievement of sustainable development objectives. These findings have practical implications, as they suggest that countries with solid and effective government institutions, social safety networks, high subjective well-being, and healthy democracy have greater potential for meeting the goals of the 2030 Agenda, emphasizing the urgency of our collective efforts.
Experimental Study on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Modified Clay Using Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum Composite Materials
Authors: Wan Juan , Ouyang Fan , Xiao Henglin , Wang Leixiang , Tao Gaoliang
Published: June 2024

Biopolymer stabilization of soils has emerged as a viable solution for enhancing the engineering properties of soils in recent years. Xanthan gum and guar gum are two commonly used biopolymers. When combined, these materials have the ability to create stronger gels or gel strengths comparable to those achieved by using xanthan or guar gum individually, but at lower total concentrations. However, the extent of this synergistic viscosity-enhancing effect on soil improvement remains unclear. This study analyzes the effects of xanthan gum and guar gum on the physical and mechanical properties of clay under both individual and combined conditions using Atterberg limits tests, compaction tests, and triaxial consolidation undrained tests. At a 2% biopolymer content, the liquid limit of clay treated with a combination of XG and GG compounds increases by up to 8.0%, while the plastic limit increases by up to 3.9% compared to clay treated with a single colloid. With an increase in the mixing ratio, the optimal water content initially rises and then declines, peaking at 27.3%. The maximum dry density follows a pattern of initially decreasing and then increasing, with the lowest value recorded at 1.616 g·cm−3. Moreover, the shear strength of specimens treated with the XG and GG combination generally surpasses that of specimens treated with XG or GG alone. Furthermore, the combined treatment results in increased plasticity, highlighting its potential to enhance safety and stability in engineering applications.
Exploring the Nexus between Green Space Availability, Connection with Nature, and Pro-Environmental Behavior in the Urban Landscape
Authors: Lahoti Shruti , Dhyani Shalini , Sahle Mesfin , Kumar Pankaj , Saito Osamu
Published: June 2024

The correlation between connecting with nature and fostering pro-environmental behavior is essential to attaining sustainability targets. However, understanding how this connection is cultivated, particularly in the urban settings of the Global South, remains limited. This study delves into the impact of urban green space (UGS) availability on perceived connection with nature (CN) and its subsequent influence on pro-environmental behavior (PEB) among urban residents, focusing on Nagpur city. Employing a digital survey tool, data were collected from 2414 participants across ten administrative zones. Descriptive and exploratory analyses alongside multinomial logistic regression were conducted to assess variable associations using R programming. The results revealed that 91% of respondents frequented UGSs, while a smaller fraction cited time constraints for not visiting. Notably, respondents’ perceived CN demonstrated significant associations with both UGS availability and PEB. A regression analysis underscored stronger PEB among those reporting a deeper connection with nature. Furthermore, demographic factors such as gender, age, and education were linked to variations in PEB. This study advocates for leveraging UGSs to bolster CN and PEB among urban populations, emphasizing the pivotal role of urban planning in nurturing human–nature connections. Future research should explore specific nature contact modalities conducive to fostering connectedness, especially in rapidly urbanizing locales.
Analysis of the Gravimetric Composition of Urban Solid Waste from the Municipality of Belém/PA
Authors: da Silva Gabriel Pereira Colares , Assunção Fernanda Paula da Costa , Pereira Diogo Oliveira , Ferreira Jorge Fernando Hungria , Mathews Josiane Coutinho , Sandim Débora Prissila Reis , Borges Higor Ribeiro , do Nascimento Mel Safira Cruz , Mendonça Neyson Martins , de Sousa Brandão Isaque Wilkson , Menezes André Oliveira , Borges Luiz Eduardo Pizarro , Pereira José Almir Rodrigues , Machado Nélio Teixeira
Published: June 2024

This article aimed to evaluate, using statistical tools, the generation and composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the city of Belém, Pará, from nine urban collection sectors in the municipality and the average nominal income of the population. Approximately 900 kg of urban solid waste was collected from the municipality in the period from 2021 to 2022. Statistical tests were carried out on hypotheses with 5% significance in comparative evaluations and their respective average nominal incomes. The results indicated that the organic fraction corresponded to 55.57% of the waste generated in the municipality, 14.26% was inert waste (potentially contaminating), and 0.67% was miscellaneous waste. It was observed that the waste generated by families with high purchasing power tended to contain higher percentages of recyclables while in families with lower purchasing power, the highest percentages tended to be organic. Knowledge of the generation of MSW is fundamental for the choice and dimensioning of operations and processes involved in the management chain at the municipal level. The decentralization of services offered based on solid waste management would enable greater success in serving the population.
One Year of Mandatory Reusable Packaging in Germany: Opportunities and Obstacles from the Perspective of Consumers and Companies
Authors: Theobald Klara , Mich Anne , Hillesheim Stefanie , Hartard Susanne , Rohn Holger
Published: June 2024

Since the beginning of 2023, the so-called reusable packaging obligation has been in place in Germany in order to reduce the amount of waste from takeaway packaging. Catering companies will then be obliged to offer reusable packaging as an alternative to disposable plastic takeaway packaging. As part of the pilot project ‘Mehrweg Modell Stadt’ (‘Reusable city model’), an open infrastructure for reusable cups is in trial in Mainz and Wiesbaden. The project was subjected to a scientific monitoring process, which included the implementation of quantitative surveys among various stakeholders within the value chain, namely consumers, catering companies, and other companies engaged in the project. This was conducted over two time periods: August 2023 to September 2023, and February to March 2024. The results show a discrepancy between consumers’ attitudes and their actual behavior: Despite a high level of sustainability awareness and perceived positive benefits of reusable packaging, perceived barriers stand in the way of actual use. The biggest challenges for companies are the lack of consumer demand, practical handling and hygiene requirements. The results of this quantitative social research provide important insights for the development of targeted measures to promote the use of reusable packaging in takeaway catering and contribute to the discussion on closing the attitude–behavior gap along the entire value chain.
Sustainable Water Use and Public Awareness in Portugal
Authors: Figueiredo Margarida , Fernandes Ana , Neves José , Vicente Henrique
Published: June 2024

The degradation of available water quality is a consequence of pollution, environmental degradation, and/or climate change resulting from human activities. Designing strategies to foster the adoption of sustainable behaviors requires an awareness within populations regarding water quality, water availability, and the proper consumption of water. The goal of the present work was to assess the population awareness of sustainable water usage practices. The data collection involved administering a questionnaire to a sample of 1723 participants, encompassing individuals of both genders and aged between 15 and 84 years. The questionnaire includes five specific themes (i.e., water quality, water availability, water resources, water saving, and water reuse). The outcomes indicate that despite a higher awareness of sustainable water usage practices, participants reveal low levels of awareness regarding water reuse. Furthermore, measures of participants’ overall awareness and the potential for improving it are presented. These metrics are crucial in enabling the grouping of participants according to similar characteristics, thereby streamlining the design of targeted interventions.
Allo-Hemodialysis, a Novel Dialytic Treatment Option for Patients with Kidney Failure: Outcomes of Mathematical Modelling, Prototyping, and Ex Vivo Testing
Authors: Maheshwari Vaibhav , Grobe Nadja , Wang Xin , Patel Amrish , Cherif Alhaji , Tao Xia , Chao Joshua , Heide Alexander , Nikolic Dejan , Dong Jiaming , Kotanko Peter
Published: June 2024

It has been estimated that in 2010, over two million patients with end-stage kidney disease may have faced premature death due to a lack of access to affordable renal replacement therapy, mostly dialysis. To address this shortfall in dialytic kidney replacement therapy, we propose a novel, cost-effective, and low-complexity hemodialysis method called allo-hemodialysis (alloHD). With alloHD, instead of conventional hemodialysis, the blood of a patient with kidney failure flows through the dialyzer’s dialysate compartment counter-currently to the blood of a healthy subject (referred to as a “buddy”) flowing through the blood compartment. Along the concentration and hydrostatic pressure gradients, uremic solutes and excess fluid are transferred from the patient to the buddy and subsequently excreted by the healthy kidneys of the buddy. We developed a mathematical model of alloHD to systematically explore dialysis adequacy in terms of weekly standard urea Kt/V. We showed that in the case of an anuric child (20 kg), four 4 h alloHD sessions are sufficient to attain a weekly standard Kt/V of >2.0. In the case of an anuric adult patient (70 kg), six 4 h alloHD sessions are necessary. As a next step, we designed and built an alloHD machine prototype that comprises off-the-shelf components. We then used this prototype to perform ex vivo experiments to investigate the transport of solutes, including urea, creatinine, and protein-bound uremic retention products, and to quantitate the accuracy and precision of the machine’s ultrafiltration control. These experiments showed that alloHD performed as expected, encouraging future in vivo studies in animals with and without kidney failure.
Bovine Rhinitis B Virus Variant as the Putative Cause of Bronchitis in Goat Kids
Authors: Noel Andrew , Zhang Jianqiang , Shen Huigang , Saxena Anugrah , Groeltz-Thrush Jennifer , Li Ganwu , Rahe Michael C.
Published: June 2024

A diagnostic investigation into an outbreak of fatal respiratory disease among young goats in Iowa, USA revealed bronchitis lesions of unknown etiology and secondary bacterial bronchopneumonia. Hypothesis-free metagenomics identified a previously unreported picornavirus (USA/IA26017/2023), and further phylogenetic analysis classified USA/IA26017/2023 as an aphthovirus related to bovine rhinitis B virus. Viral nucleic acid was localized to lesions of bronchitis using in situ hybridization. This marks the first report of a picornavirus putatively causing respiratory disease in goats and highlights the potential for cross-species transmission of aphthoviruses.
Long COVID Clusters of Symptoms Persist beyond Two Years after Infection: Insights from the CARDIO COVID 20–21 Registry
Authors: Arango-Ibanez Juan Pablo , Córdoba-Melo Brayan Daniel , Gutiérrez Posso Juliana María , Barbosa-Rengifo Mario Miguel , Herrera Cesar J. , Quintana Da Silva Miguel Angel , Buitrago Andrés Felipe , Coronel Gilio María Lorena , Pow-Chong-Long Freddy , Gómez-Mesa Juan Esteban
Published: June 2024

Long COVID presents with diverse symptoms after COVID-19. Different clusters of symptoms have been reported; however, their persistence beyond 2 years after COVID-19 remains unclear. In this cohort study, we prospectively evaluated individuals with previous severe COVID-19 presenting with long COVID at a two-year follow-up. We characterized the included patients and performed a cluster analysis of symptoms through multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering. A total of 199 patients with long COVID were included. The median age was 58 years (48–69), 56% were male, and the median follow-up time since the COVID-19 diagnosis was 26 months (IQR: 25, 27). Three symptom clusters were identified: Cluster 1 is characterized by fatigue, myalgia/arthralgia, a low prevalence of symptoms, and a lack of specific symptoms; Cluster 2 is defined by a high prevalence of fatigue, myalgia/arthralgia, and cardiorespiratory symptoms, including palpitations, shortness of breath, cough, and chest pain; and Cluster 3 is demonstrated a high prevalence of ageusia, anosmia, fatigue, and cardiorespiratory symptoms. Our study reinforces the concept of symptom clustering in long COVID, providing evidence that these clusters may persist beyond two years after a COVID-19 diagnosis. This highlights the chronic and debilitating nature of long COVID and the importance of developing strategies to mitigate symptoms in these patients.
Efficient Degradation of Untreated Complex Cellulosic Substrates by Newly Isolated Aerobic Paenibacillus Species
Authors: Yadav Ravi Shankar , Pragati  , He Weihua , Li Chao , Mishra Juhi , Feng Yujie
Published: June 2024

A stable aerobic consortium was enriched to degrade crystalline cellulose (Whatman filter paper 1). The degradation efficiency of the consortium after 7 days of incubation was 91% compared to the control. One bacterial isolate, C7, capable of degrading various cellulosic substrates, was obtained from the consortium under aerobic conditions. The sequencing of 16s rDNA revealed that it was related to Paenibacillus sp. It degraded 83% of cotton after 3 days of incubation. The degradation efficiency of Paenibacillus sp. C7 for filter paper, cotton, and avicel was 90%, 90%, and 92% after 5 days of incubation compared to the control. It also degraded non-pretreated agricultural residues efficiently by 70% for rice straw and 46% for wheat bran in 10 days. Scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) of degraded filter paper after 2 days of incubation indicated smoother and thinner fabrics in its structure. It is a potential cheaper candidate for the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass without any pretreatment.
Correction: Peng et al. A Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emission Patterns in Different Water Levels in Peatlands. Water 2024, 16, 985
Authors: Peng Chengcheng , Li Hengfei , Yang Nan , Lu Mingzhi
Published: June 2024

There were errors in the original publication [...]
Carbon Reduction Associated with Sediment Reworking through Burrows of the Thalassinid Mud Shrimp Laomedia sp. (Crustacea: Laomediidae) from Korean Intertidal Sediments
Authors: Seo Jaehwan , Koo Bon Joo
Published: June 2024

This study evaluated the biotic and abiotic factors influencing the sediment reworking rate (SRR) of Laomedia sp. through in situ measurements and assessed the organic carbon reduction by comparing carbon concentrations between particles collected from the water column and reworked sediments. The SRR was significantly correlated with the duration of submergence at high elevation, whereas it showed a stronger correlation with mound height than with the duration of submergence at low elevation. The organic carbon content of suspended particles was reduced by 68% by the sediment reworking of Laomedia sp., with a mean organic carbon reduction of 0.01 gC ind.−1 d−1. This reduction resulted from particle selection by the inhabitant and by accumulation along the burrow walls. The estimated annual organic carbon reduction associated with the sediment reworking was 12.8 gC m−2 yr−1. The transport of organic carbon from the burrows into the water column was comparatively high relative to other species. These findings suggest that Laomedia sp. plays a significant role in enhancing the carbon cycle as an important bioturbator, with its burrows acting as carbon sinks by trapping organic carbon in intertidal sediments. Therefore, bioturbation by macroinvertebrates should be considered when evaluating carbon sequestration in intertidal sediments.
Seepage and Stability Analysis of Earth Dams’ Downstream Slopes, Considering Hysteresis in Soil–Water Characteristic Curves under Reservoir Water Level Fluctuations
Authors: Liu Guodong , Zhou Zhijun , Zhang Jiarong , Jiang Guan , Mi Wenjing
Published: June 2024

Fluctuations in reservoir water levels have a significant impact on the seepage and slope stability of earth dams. The varying rate of the water level and soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) hysteresis are the main factors affecting the seepage and the stability of dam slopes; however, they are not adequately considered in engineering practices. In this study, the SEEP/W module and the SLOPE/W module of Geo-studio were employed to analyze the seepage features and the stability of downstream slopes, taking into account the water level fluctuation rate and the SWCC hysteresis. The results reveal that the pore water pressure of the representative point forms a hysteresis loop when the water level fluctuates, which becomes smaller as the water level variation rate increases. Within the loop, the pore water pressure with a rising water level is greater than the value when the water level is dropping, and the desorption SWCC derives greater pore water pressures than the adsorption SWCC. Similarly, the safety factor (Fs) curves under the condition of water level fluctuations also form a hysteresis loop, which becomes smaller as the variation rate of the water level increases. When the water level fluctuation rate increases to 4 m/d, the two curves are tangent, meaning that the Fs with a rising water level is always greater than the value when the water level is dropping. The desorption SWCC derives a lower Fs value than the adsorption SWCC as the water level draws up, but this initiates no evident difference in the Fs value when the water level draws down. These findings can be used to inform the design and operation of earth dams under fluctuating water levels.
A Pathway Analysis of Evapotranspiration Variation Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Summer Maize in the Haihe Plain
Authors: Guo Wenzhe , Xu Jundong , Liu Xuetong , Dang Hongkai , Fang Shibo , Li Yueying
Published: June 2024

The Haihe Plain in China is situated in the world’s largest groundwater funnel area, with per capita water resources far below the internationally recognized “extremely water-scarce” standard. To address the issue of water shortage in summer maize-planting areas of the Haihe Plain, we conducted research on the variation of summer maize evapotranspiration using a medium-sized lysimeter. This study aims to provide technical support for water-saving irrigation in summer maize fields. Through path analysis, direct and indirect influencing factors affecting the evapotranspiration of summer maize fields were determined. The results showed that the cumulative evapotranspiration of bare ground and farmland during the entire growth period of summer maize was 173.57 mm and 382.97 mm, respectively, with evapotranspiration intensities of 1.52 mm/d and 3.36 mm/d, respectively. Evapotranspiration during the maturity stage of summer maize was the least, accounting for only 1.82% of total evapotranspiration during the entire growth period. The period from the jointing to milk-ripening stage is when evapotranspiration in maize fields is at its highest. During this period, evapotranspiration in maize fields amounted to 265.58 mm, accounting for 69.35% of total evapotranspiration. The evapotranspiration intensity was 3.59 mm/day, which is 1.34 times higher than that of bare soil. The evapotranspiration intensities during each growth stage were ranked as jointing stage > tasseling-silking stage > seedling stage > milk maturity stage > maturity stage. The daily evapotranspiration of summer maize fields showed a “unimodal” curve with low values in the morning and evening, and high values at noon. Path analysis indicated that daily radiation and maximum daily temperature had the greatest impact on the evapotranspiration of maize fields, with the direct effect of maximum daily temperature being restrictive and the indirect effect being promotive, resulting in an overall promotive effect.
Eco-Engineering Improves Water Quality and Mediates Plankton–Nutrient Interactions in a Restored Wetland
Authors: Tian Xue , Qin Lei , Zou Yuanchun , Yu Han , Li Yu , Yuan Yuxiang , Jiang Ming
Published: June 2024

Eco-engineering is an important tool for wetland restoration, but there are still large theoretical and application gaps in the knowledge of the effects of eco-engineering implementation on the interactions between environmental conditions and organisms during wetland restoration processes. In this study, we investigated water quality parameters and plankton communities in a national wetland park to clarify the mechanism of changes in plankton community structure and their ecological networks before and after the eco-engineering project. Undoubtedly, we found water quality was significantly improved with increased metazooplankton diversity after the implementation of eco-engineering. Ecological engineering reduced the effect of farmland drainage on the restored wetland and changed the phytoplankton community structure, which significantly reduced the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria and increased the relative abundance of Bacillariophyta. The structural equation modeling revealed that the total effect of metazooplankton on phytoplankton was significantly enhanced and associated with weakened relationships between phytoplankton and environmental variables after eco-engineering. In addition, the ecological network analysis also showed that the network connection between phytoplankton and metazooplankton was stronger after the eco-engineering implementation, leading to an enhanced biotic interactions in different trophic levels. These results indicate that the main approach to regulating primary producers in wetland ecosystems changed from “bottom-up” control to a combination of “bottom-up” and “top-down” control under the intervention of artificial recovery measures. Our findings shed new light on the effects of eco-engineering on the interactions between water quality and organisms and provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management of wetland ecosystems.
Relative Sea Level Rise in the Winyah Bay-Waccamaw River Tidal System Over the Last Thirteen Years
Authors: Williams Thomas , O'Halloran Thomas
Published: June 2024

Prediction of sea level rise (SLR) in response to climate change has been the focus of worldwide research, most focusing on the impact by human development. The research has been limited to estuaries and tidal rivers near harbors dealing with the hydrodynamics of reversing tidal flows. This article focuses on the Waccamaw River National Wildlife Refuge in coastal South Carolina where freshwater unidirectional flow is common. We examined the record of water levels in the Waccamaw and Pee Dee Rivers over the period 2007–2019 and the length of record of the United States Geographical Survey (USGS) gauge at Pawleys Island on the Waccamaw River. The Atlantic Ocean, off the southeastern coast of the US, has experienced accelerated SLR since 2000. National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) tide gauges from Fort Pulaski on Cockspur Island in Georgia to Beaufort, North Carolina, show significant increase in long-term SLR since then with an average since 2007 of approximately 10 mm y-1. Since the study period was less than the 18.6-year cycle of lunar precession, tidal ranges were expanding for much of the study period resulting in the rate of rise of Mean Higher High Water (MHHW; the average of the highest tide levels during each day) being greater than the rate of increase of Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW; the average of the lowest tide levels during each day) in all ocean stations. We examined water levels at NOAA and USGS gauges from Oyster Creek, in North Inlet to Conway on the Waccamaw River and Near Bucksport on the Pee Dee River. We found mean water levels increased more rapidly with distance from the ocean with an apparent SLR > 40 mm y-1 at Conway on the Waccamaw and Bucksport on the Pee Dee. In contrast to the ocean NOAA gauges, the estuary/river gauges showed more rapid increase of daily minimum water level (an approximation of MLLW) than daily maximum water level (an approximation of MHHW) with an extreme of apparent rise of minimum water levels of 58 mm y-1 at Bucksport on the Pee Dee. Nearly 50% of the increase in apparent SLR was due to an increase in the annual average freshwater flow of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers. Over the past 13 years the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge has experienced an apparent SLR that was more than double that observed at the edge of the ocean. The rise has been greater in the height of daily low water than in the height of daily high water. The increase was driven by both tidal hydrodynamics and an increase in the rate of flow in the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers. These findings have important implications for land managers, policymakers, and homeowners in the region as people in the middle to upper estuaries need to plan for rates of relative SLR rise much greater than the frequently discussed rates in the ocean.
Desconstruindo mitos tecnocráticos: a importância dos Estudos CTS e da Extensão Engajada
Authors: Crocco Fábio Luiz Tezini , Oliveira Nilda Nazaré Pereira
Published: June 2024

Alunas/os das engenharias e áreas tecnológicas afins ao ingressarem em cursos de ensino superior, recorrentemente, trazem em sua bagagem formativa uma compreensão tradicional e triunfalista de Ciência e Tecnologia (C&T). Geralmente tecnófilas/os, as/os alunas/os reproduzem ideias e posicionamentos arraigados aos mitos tecnocráticos (e.g. neutralidade, determinismo, salvacionismo e tecnocracia) e são resistentes ao desenvolvimento da crítica histórica, social e ideológica da Ciência e da Tecnologia, somando-se a isso o fato dessa postura também ser institucionalizada e ter o consentimento de muitas/os docentes dessas áreas. São notórios os esforços históricos e as conquistas cognoscentes dos estudos em Ciência Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS) para o exercício da crítica e da reconstrução, em bases profundas, rigorosas e realistas, do fazer científico e tecnológico. Mas, diante das resistências de discentes e docentes, percebemos a necessidade de construir estratégias diferentes as das fundamentadas unicamente no trabalho teórico desenvolvido em disciplinas acadêmicas. Assim, este trabalho busca contribuir com o debate da mediação de teoria e prática como estratégia de compreensão e enfrentamento dos mitos tecnocráticos e, portanto, da importância da prática extensionista mediada à teoria para potencializar o desempenho dos Estudos CTS. Embasamos nosso texto na experiência formativa da disciplina HUM-70 – Tecnologia e Sociedade – e do Laboratório de Cidadania e Tecnologias Sociais (LabCTS) do Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA).
An Investigation Of The Influence Of Irish As An L1 Or L2 On Subsequent Instructed Language Acquisition In L3 Or L4
Authors:   ,   Institute of Technology Tralee, Griffin Corina
Published: June 2024

Research in Ireland to date has paid little attention to the fact that all foreign language teaching occurs in the context where the FL (foreign language) is an L3. The present study examines the extent to which students transfer or modify strategies they had previously deployed in learning Irish to their L3/L4. It is proposed that students are deploying the same strategies in their learning of Irish as an L1/L2 and the foreign language (FL) as an L3/L4, thus indicating a similar approach to the learning process. Cognitive, metacognitive and socio-affective strategies are examined. The research also focuses on differences in strategy deployment between students learning a foreign language (FL) as an L3 and those who are learning a FL as an L4. Through the added variable of previous L3 acquisition an L4 learner's store of linguistic and metalinguistic knowledge will be greater, thus inferring that an L4 learner will have a broader range of strategies from which to choose than an L3 learner. This thesis posits that L4 learners will exploit this wider selection available to them. The research is based on 438 questionnaires completed by students of French and German as L3/L4 at secondary and tertiary level institutions in the Cork/Kerry region.
Interactive Multimedia In The Teaching Of The Irish Language In Primary School : Design, Implementation And Development.
Authors:   ,   Institute of Technology Tralee, Lynch Máire
Published: June 2024

"This thesis focuses on interactive multimedia use specifically in the area of vocabulary acquisition in a second language. It addresses the language learning requirements of third class (nine year olds) language learners, in Primary school. The study is based on existing second language acquisition research, computer - assisted language learning and the design and development of educational multimedia and it delivers an interactive application based on them. The study is firmly rooted in the foundations of the Revised Curriculum for Irish Primary Schools most especially in the language teaching methods it recommends and its emphasis on the use of information and communications technology. This project charts the design and development of educational multimedia material and its evaluation. The evaluation seeks to assess the effectiveness of using interactive multimedia material to teach a second language. Conclusions are drawn from the analysis of the results, the overall aim is to expand and improve the use of multimedia in the teaching of the Irish language in the classroom."
An Assessment Of Distance Learning Delivery Methodologies And The Proposal Of An Open Distance Learning Delivery Model For A Third Level Course In Sports Development
Authors:   ,   Institute of Technology Tralee, Kiely Deirdre
Published: June 2024

In the development of a distance learning curriculum the appropriate choice of media, in terms of both presentation of course materials, and of the approach to providing tutorial and other support, is a key question that needs to be addressed at the outset. However, very few studies provide guidelines for distance learning facilitators to help them in choosing these delivery methods. This study aimed to propose an Open Distance Learning (ODL) delivery model for a third level course in Sports Development and in doing so identifies a number of criteria which may be used by institutes when deciding on their distance learning delivery methods. In order to develop an ODL delivery model the research began by examining the course content and developing a curriculum plan. The purpose of this was to identify the teaching and learning strategies most appropriate to the proposed curriculum plan (or module(s) or programme). The costings of the various delivery methods for both the providing institute and the prospective students were then identified and the feasibility of each of the delivery methods was examined. In addition, an online questionnaire was developed to collect feedback on the effectiveness of each delivery method as a mode of delivery for education from those who have already taken distance-learning courses using these methods. Thirty-three designated people in 27 third level institutes within Europe were contacted by email. The communication included a link to the online questionnaire, which the contacts were asked to forward to their distance-learning students. In all, 30 students replied and feedback from these respondents together with data on availability and the analysis of costings formed the basis of a final delivery package for the proposed Sports Development course. In today’s Information Age, learning is no longer confined within the four walls of a classroom. The instructor, armed with a text book, is no longer the sole source of educational experience (Yoakam, 1995). This study found that through the media of CD ROM with a web front end, recorded audio and video, electronic chat, and occasional classroom sessions, the Institute of Technology Tralee can connect remote adult learners with educational experiences.
Sip Message Compression Technique For Efficient Multimedia Services In 3g Wireless Communications
Authors:   ,   Cork Institute of Technology, Kenneally Valerie
Published: June 2024

The direction of the global cellular industry is primarily determined by two standardisation bodies, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (in Europe and Asia) and 3GPP2 (in North America). Both of these standardisation bodies are currently specifying a core network to deliver IP based multimedia services over 3G wireless networks. One of the fundamental building blocks of this IP based multimedia core network is the use of SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) as the control protocol. The radio resource, that is the available frequency spectrum, in wireless communication systems remains a limiting factor in terms of the bandwidth available to an individual user. More than a decade of research, standardisation and development has been spent in bandwidth optimisation of GSM signalling protocols. Because SIP is an ASCII text based protocol, messages are long, up to and over 800 bytes. Therefore, the use of SIP for advanced signalling to support IP based multimedia in cellular networks would reverse the effort that has gone into signalling optimisation. The Session Initiation Protocol initiates interactive communication sessions between users. It also handles termination and modification of sessions. SIP does not actually define what a "session" is, this is described by the content carried within the SIP messages. This study presents a compression technique called Text Based Compression using Cache and Blank approach (TCCB). This technique proposes a means to combat these adverse effects by reducing the size of SIP messages before they are transmitted. The compression scheme presented is efficient and simple employing a variety of features to ensure maximum possible compression of each message can be achieved without sacrificing the integrity of the messages transmitted. The non-invasive implementation of the proposed scheme also makes it an attractive strategy for achieving efficient usage of available radio resources and reducing call set-up delay so that it might be in the acceptable region of GSM.
Heterogenous Network Management
Authors:   ,   Cork Institute of Technology, Carey Kenneth
Published: June 2024

Enterprise level system development, integrating a broad range of arctures and legacy systems, has received significant attention over the last few yentegrated chain management, which allows companies to see their full manufactu inventory and sales channels, has driven much of this work. Delivering quality IP 1 wireless access is forcing similar integration in 2.5G and 3G telecom archires. Such integration has resulted in the emergence of multi-protocol heterogeneietworks, combining IP core backbones, legacy databases and switchinghnology. Heterogeneous networks, due to their diversity of equipment and suppoDrotocols, introduce challenges for today's network administrators, particularly ii areas of device configuration and alarm management. The Web Based Enterprisaagement (WBEM) initiative established a management architecture, based on a nendardised information model, to reduce the complexity involved in managing ogeneous networks. This thesis will examine the development of a multi-tiered ogeneous management application based on the Java2 Enterprise Edition, with \M as the interface to the legacy and mixed protocol architectures. The managemiamework will be capable of managing devices and detecting alarms generated withiimulated heterogeneous management network, encompassing SNMP and CMIP ag(
Analysis Of Phycotoxin And Mycotoxin, Contaminants In Foods, Using Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry Techniques
Authors:   ,   Cork Institute of Technology, Magdalena Ana
Published: June 2024

" The impact of phycotoxins and mycotoxins on human and animal health are of important concern for worldwide authorities and the scientific community. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques have been developed, optimised and validated for the analysis of these toxins. Phycotoxins are potentially toxic substances, which are produced by marine phytoplankton and which may accumulate in shellfish or finfish. Azaspiracid poisoning (AZP) is a recently discovered syndrome that has been implicated in several incidents of human intoxications. A study was undertaken to examine the distribution of azaspiracids (AZA) in scallops {Pecten maximiis) and mussels {Mytiliis edulis). Domoic acid (DA) is an amino acid neurotoxin responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). A new protocol was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of both phycotoxins in shellfish matrix. Mycotoxins are generally considered to be toxic substances produced by certain types of fungi, which grow on plants of agricultural importance either before harvest or during storage. Trichothecenes are a group of naturally occurring sesquiterpenoids produced by Fusarium and other species. A new protocol was developed and validated for the rapid screening of seven trichothecenes in beer. A study of comparison using three different ionisation sources was also conducted with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Multiple tandem mass spectra of these compounds are often characterised by water and carboxylic acid losses fragments. Detailed MSn studies using the quadrupole ion trap (QIT MS) and time of flight (QqTOF) MS were undertaken in order to elucidate the fragmentation pathway for the mam trichothecenes."
From Unemployment to Self-employment, an Investigation into the Profile of ‘this’ Entrepreneur
Authors:   ,   Institute of Technology Tralee, O'Mahony Nora
Published: June 2024

"Richard Cantillon, who in 1734 introduced the term ‘entrepreneur’ into economic literature, described entrepreneurship as ‘‘Self-employment of any and every sort"" (Long 1983 P 48) Self-employment is entrepreneurship at its simplest form. According to O’Kane (1997) entrepreneurship is “The dynamic process of creating wealth, undertaken hy people who assume a risk in terms of money, energy, time and/or career commitment, and creating value through the provision of some product or service. ” (O’Kane 1997 P 6) Entrepreneurship is nothing new. Men without wealth have always been attracted by the prospect of attaining it and the opportunities, which it affords. (Bruce 1986). A large proportion of the labour force would like to be their own boss. Self- employment presents an opportunity for the individual to set his own schedule. Entrepreneurs can work when they like, they answer to nobody and ultimately perhaps it is the way to become rich. The entrepreneur is the key to the successful launch of any business. He perceives a market opportunity and has the motivation, drive and ability to mobilise resources to meet it. Unfortunately on the downside, if the business fails it may take with it the entrepreneurs employment, their savings and their home. Governments on the other hand frequently see entrepreneurship as a route out of poverty and disadvantage and for this reason the transition from unemployment to self-employment is seen as an answer to high unemployment levels. Active labour market policies in many industrial countries aim ""To shift people out of the unemployment status and to reduce the level of unemployment"" (Pfeiffer and Reize 1998 PI) An individual’s decision to establish a business may depend on the attractiveness of the available alternatives for making a living. In Ireland the transition from long term unemployment to self-employment is supported by Area Development Management Companies and Area Allowance Enterprise/ Back To Work Allowance Scheme."
Design For Signal Integrity In High Frequency, High Density Circuit Boards
Authors:   ,   Cork Institute of Technology, Martinez Juan
Published: June 2024

"The electronics market is continually seeking fast and small high performance products. The clock frequency in computer systems is often above 2GHz and new generations of laptops have considerably reduced in size. These features make printed circuit board (PCB) design more difficult than in the past. This thesis is an investigation of the current design of high speed PCB. The complexity of this type of circuit makes the designer needs an extensive knowledge of the techniques used to generate a reliable signalling, in other words, signal integrity. To achieve this objective, the design community has to overcome several problem related to the performance of passive components at high frequencies. For this reason high speed designers use CAD programs where electromagnetic field solver tools guarantee a reliable performance for simulations in the frequency and time domain. The disadvantage of this method is the length of time required. New philosophy used for designing high-speed boards is to approach the solutions of field solvers to develop the boards. These solutions are called ""rules of thumb"". The research of this thesis is focused on the study of ""rules of thumb"" developed by the design community. An additional objective of this thesis is to collect the ""rules of thumb"" from different sources of information used by designers in a CAD tool. This program has been designed to provide useful information and quick calculator of rules of thumb to high speed design community and undergraduate students."
Adaptive Baseband Predistortion For Rf Power Amplifier Linearization.
Authors:   ,   Cork Institute of Technology, Faus-Ferrer Laura
Published: June 2024

"In order to make use of spectrally efficient linear modulation methods for mobile communications, it is necessary to linearise the underlying RF power amplifier (PA). A number of techniques for linearizing a PA have been studied, focusing on the Adaptive Baseband Predistortion. The work is centred on the research concentrates on the analysis of different algorithms, their simulation using MatLab, and implementation of a predistorter as a subsystem of a prototype Cartesian based transmitter. The thesis describes the typical architecture of a transceiver with an emphasis on the nonlinear analysis. Cavers’ algorithm has been examined in terms of its computational complexity and compared with a novel LMS based predistorter algorithm. The Polar implementation of Cavers’ algorithm was found to be less sensitive to noise and can reach deeper compression points than the Cartesian, while the Cartesian is more stable. Although the LMS demands an a priori calculation for the complex adaptation constant of each sample, it is nearly immune to the noise and, as opposed to Cavers’ algorithm, its ultimate power error is independent of the compression point. Nevertheless, Caver’s algorithm obtains faster convergence under low noise conditions and higher compression points than the LMS algorithm. A prototype transceiver was built based on an FPGA (Virtex-E) together with appropriate converters, filters and modulators. The results obtained from simulation compared well with the results from the prototype."
Adaptive Radio Resource Management For 2.5g Cellular Networks
Authors:   ,   Cork Institute of Technology, Murray Ken
Published: June 2024

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in demand for mobile communication services and with the introduction of 2.5G services such as general packet radio service, this trend is expected to increase further. These new services will introduce highly dynamic tele-traffic variations due to the inherent variability in resource usage of the new data services. The net effect will be considerable increase in load on the available radio resources. The currently employed fixed channel allocation scheme lacks the flexibility to support such traffic variations. A plethora of dynamic channel allocation schemes have been proposed in the past in an effort to increase network capacity by managing the available radio resources in a more flexible manner. Most of these schemes adopt a reactive approach, which makes their incorporation into current cellular networks impractical, due to their high levels of complexity and signalling load. In contrast, this study takes a more pro-active approach to radio resource management in which the cellular network frequency plan adapts itself to the varying traffic conditions by predicting future radio resource requirements for new and handover circuit-switched GSM call traffic and packet-switched GPRS sessions using neural networks. The predicted resources are then assigned to cell- sites in the network using a genetic algorithm. As each cell-site receives just the required number of frequencies for the next hour, a much more flexible allocation of resources throughout the network is obtainable. This study also investigates the effects of increased load in the network and makes direct comparisons in the resource gain achievable between the currently employed fixed channel allocation and proposed adaptive radio resource management schemes for different load scenarios. A dynamic channel allocation scheme is also implemented so as to make comparisons of the resource gain achievable with the proposed adaptive scheme and that of dynamic channel allocation. The non-invasive implementation of the proposed scheme makes it an attractive strategy for the provision of increased radio resources and their management in the evolution toward 2.5G systems.
Erector spinae plane block with ropivacaine 0.2% in children: a single-centre case series in a tertiary paediatric centre in Malaysia
Authors: Yeoh Jie Cong , Mohd Sahroni Noor Hasimah Binti , Phang Ye Yun , Binti Mohd Said Nirawanti
Published: June 2024

Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) was first described in 2016 by Forero et al. as a modified interfascial plane block used for patients with chronic neuropathic thoracic pain. It was applied in the paediatric population for postoperative pain management as early as 2017. Most evidence on the efficacy of ESPB as postoperative analgesia in the literature is mainly found in case reports, but very few trials had been conducted. This case series describes 4 paediatric patients who received ESPB as part of multimodal analgesia while undergoing different types of surgery,i.e., 1 Kasai procedure, 1 closure of stoma, and 2 thoracotomies. All 4 patients had general anaesthesia for the surgery. No complications were observed in relation to the regional anaesthetic technique. Pain control was achieved with a pain score of 0–2 for 3 patients and 2–4 for 1 patient (thoracotomy) on Day 1 postoperatively, while all of them a had pain score of 0–2 on postoperative Day 2. We found ESPB with ropivacaine 0.2% to be a safe and effective analgesia as part of multimodal management of postoperative surgical pain. Further studies are needed to validate this observation.