bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Rapid Method for Measuring the Acid-Soluble Chloride Content of Powdered Concrete Samples
Authors: Weyers RE , Brown M , Al-Qadi IL , Henry M
Published: February 2024

A rapid alternative method has been developed to the standard ASTM and AASHTO test methods for determining the acid-soluble chloride content of concrete. The method uses an acidic solution containing a deforming agent to digest the collected powdered chloride samples. A stabilizing solution is used in place of a temperature correction factor for the direct read of the solution's chloride concentration with a specific ion electrode.

Concrete samples from precontaminated specimens cast in the laboratory and powdered samples collected from concrete bridges in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Florida were tested in the laboratory. A linear relationship was developed between the rapid and the ASTM standard method which may be used to predict the standard equivalent acid-soluble chloride content from the rapid test results.

The proposed standard rapid test procedure is presented in the Appendix.
Use of Fly Ash in Heat-cured Concrete and the Effect of Post-curing Storage Regimes on Strength, Modulus of Elasticity, and Freezing-thawing Durability
Authors: Gifford PM , Langan BW , Ward MA
Published: February 2024

This study examines the use of ASTM Type C fly ash from two western Canadian sources with a Type III cement and aslump-extending superplasticizer. The heat-cured concrete had a low water-to-cementitious ratio. The fly ash was used to replace cement at 10 and 20% by weight. Effects on strength development, modulus of elasticity, and durability of subsequent storage regimes are presented.

A nonsuperplasticized mixture designed for use in precast pre-stressed concrete providing 31 MPa (4500 psi) release strength after heat curing and 41 MPa (6000 psi) at the age of 28 days of standard moist storage was used as the control mix. The total cement content of the control mix was kept constant while the remaining mixture proportions were adjusted in response to the reduced water requirement as a result of the incorporation of the slump-extending superplasticizer. The properties of the fly ash mixtures are compared with those of the control mix.

The study showed that fly ash when used with a slump-extending superplasticizer can be incorporated at a low-to-moderate level of cement replacement in heat-cured precast prestressed concrete. The fly ash concretes were shown to meet adequate release and 28-day strengths and to possess very high scaling resistance and should provide excellent durability in a freezing and thawing environment.

The compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and durability of fly ash heat-cured concrete are no more seriously affected by post-heat-curing storage regimes than accepted and proven concrete containing no fly ash.
Use of Dynamic Nondestructive Test Methods to Monitor Concrete Deterioration Due to Alkali-Silica Reaction
Authors: Swamy RN , Wan WMR
Published: February 2024

The use of dynamic nondestructive test methods such as pulse velocity and dynamic modulus to monitor the initiation and progress of concrete deterioration due to alkali-silica reactions (ASR) is described. The tests reported cover a range of parameters: two different types of reactive aggregates; varying environments; concretes without and with mineral admixtures such as fly ash, ground-granulated blast-furnace slag, and silica fume; and concrete beams with and without reinforcement. The results show that both pulse velocity and dynamic modulus are sensitive to material and structural changes arising from ASR and that they can respond reliably to changes prior to first crack, at first crack, and the progress of deterioration with time in concrete both with and without cementitious materials other than portland cement. With engineering judgment, pulse-velocity measurements can be used confidently to assess structural deterioration due to ASR.
Evaluation of Cylinder Size and Capping Method in Compression Strength Testing of Concrete
Authors: Pistilli MF , Willems T
Published: February 2024

Sulfur caps were compared with unbonded polymer pads in compressive strength testing of concrete within the strength range 3000 to 18 000 psi (20.7 to 124.2 MPa). A less extensive study, still in progress, compares polymer pads with ground surfaces and lapped surfaces within the range of 13 000 to nearly 20 000 psi (89.7 to 138.0 MPa). Test cylinder size, 6 by 12 in. (152 by 305 mm) and 4 by 8 in. (102 by 203 mm), are included in this study within the strength range of 4000 to 18 000 psi (27.6 to 124.2 MPa). The results show that polymer pads result in significantly lower within-test variability than sulfur caps for strengths above 8000 psi (55.2 MPa). The ratio of 4 by 8 to 6 by 12-in. (102 by 203 to 152 by 305-mm) cylinder strengths ranged from 0.96 to 1.06. The strength differences due to cylinder size do not appear to be of practical significance for strengths within 4000 to 9000 psi (27.6 to 62.1 MPa). Grinding the ends of cylinders with strengths between 12 000 and 20 000 psi (82.8 to 138.0 MPa) shows promise as an improved test procedure for end preparation. Polymer pads appear to produce good test results provided the finished surfaces are smooth, which appears most significant within the range of 13 000 to 20 000 psi (89.7 to 138.0 MPa).
The Special Features of Cement Standards in China
Authors: Sanduo T
Published: February 2024

A large amount of blended cement, special cement, and shaft kiln manufactured cement is produced in China. These cements form the basis for China's cement standards. These standards have many special features and constitute a unique cement standard system. The standard cements are divided into three groups: common cement, special performance cement, and special purpose cement. As common cements, which include ordinary portland cement, portland blast-furnace cement, portland pozzolana cement, and portland composite slag cement, etc., the required and allowable blended materials incorporated in their specifications are somewhat like those in the European cement standard EN V 197, but some kinds of metallurgical slags are allowed into composite portland cement to make good use of industrial wastes, and a series of strength grades (including type R, which have higher early strength criteria) are stipulated for satisfying the various technical level of cement production and the different construction requirements. As to the special performance cement group, there are several series of cements such as portland cement, aluminatc cement, sulfo-aluminate cement, and ferro-aluminate cement, etc. The specifications for these cements are characteristic of their performance requirements: moderate-heat portland cement stipulates the criteria for heat of hydration; rapid-hardening aluminate cement defines criteria for strength within three days; expansive sulfo-aluminate cement requires criteria for rate of expansion; and self-stressing ferro-aluminate cements need criteria for self-stressing values, etc. In addition, oil well cement and masonry cement, etc., belong in the special purpose cement group.

A graphical standards system is presented which includes fundamental standards, product standards, and test method standards.

Owing to the different strength of the test methods, the cement strength value cannot be compared between different countries. The author suggests an international cooperative test program be organized for establishing the interrelation of mortar strength between different testing methods and the ISO method to facilitate international trade and to exchange information.
A Summary of the Results of Laboratory Inspections Conducted by the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory
Authors: Kolos RM , Burns PC
Published: February 2024

ASTM test methods are used as the basis for on-site inspections performed by the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL) in construction material testing laboratories. The equipment and test procedures employed by the laboratory are examined, and deviations from the requirements of the test method are reported. With the aid of a computer program, the results from these inspections are summarized. The computer output includes the percentage of conformance, a description of the deviations, and the number of times each deviation was noted. These summaries are useful to ASTM subcommittees with jurisdiction over the various summarized test methods. A description of the CCRL programs and an explanation of the summaries of results are included.
Performance of Zirconium and Zirconium Alloys in Organics
Authors: Yau T-L
Published: February 2024

Zirconium and its alloys are well known for their corrosion resistance in a broad range of inorganic and organic media. They have played a key role in advancing the production technologies of urea and formic, acetic, hydroxyacetic, lactic, and methacrylic acids, methyl methacrylate, rayon, alcohols, and phenolic resins, etc. Laboratory data and case histories are used to demonstrate the advantages of zirconium and its alloys. Compared to other engineering alloys, the use of zirconium and its alloys allows producers to make products of high quality by operating processes at higher temperatures/pressures for improved efficiency and yield. Unlike many metallic ions, zirconium produces colorless ions. Most transition metals produce ions of different colors depending on their valence state. An increasingly important advantage is that zirconium appears to be nontoxic and biocompatible.

Limitations of zirconium and its alloys in organics are also discussed. They may be vulnerable in certain organic halides, such as acetyl chloride, that are incompatible with water. In water-soluble organics, such as methanol, water is necessary to inhibit localized corrosion. There are impurities, such as copper ions in acetic acid, that are undesirable for zirconium and its alloys. Control measures, such as water addition and stress relieving, can be applied to zirconium equipment in certain extreme conditions.
Intangible assets and their effects on business performance: an analysis for Colombian companies
Authors: Méndez-Morales Alberto , Anzola-Morales Camilo , Ruiz-Acosta Liliana Elizabeth , Camargo-Mayorga David Andrés
Published: February 2024

Intangible assets (IAs) are fundamental for the creation of firm value. However, the literature is inconclusive regarding the relationship between IAs and profitability. This paper uses financial data from Colombian firms from 2005 to 2015 to determine if this relationship exists. Thirty dynamic panel models have been used to see whether IAs are related to Return on Equity, Return on Assets, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes, Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization, Gross margin, and Net margin. The results, despite a limited sample size and missing variables, are related to the literature in that they signal the negative relationship between IAs and profitability. Thus, the capitalized value of IAs seems to negatively affect Colombian firms' performance in the short and long term.
Acumulación por desposesión del territorio ancestral y resistencia del pueblo indígena Yshir de Paraguay
Authors: Valdez Ayala Sintya Carolina
Published: February 2024

This study presents a characterization of the types of accumulation by dispossession existing in the Eshma ancestral territory of the Yshir indigenous people of Paraguay, which is currently in the hands of a foreign livestock company. The paper also seeks to make the Yshir resistance in defense of their communal lands visible. This case study has a qualitative methodological design and research techniques that combine field notes with in-depth interviews with Yshir political and spiritual leaders. As a result, various types of capital accumulation by appropriation are noted, which are resisted by the Yshir indigenous communities in an organized manner. Accumulation occurs by fencing communal lands; privatization and foreignization of indigenous territory; deforestation; territorial division, and weakening of both social and productive practices. Due to fencing, the indigenous people establish an organized resistance in defense of their territory, establishing alliances with non-governmental entities and using the committed support of professionals in law and anthropology. The above undoubtedly represents a good practice that should be made visible—to eventually be replicated—for its potential to curb the negative effects of extractive activities and the restitution of lands that historically and by right belong to indigenous populations.
Preemptive Analgesia with Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in the Perioperative Period
Authors: Danilov M. S. , Simutis I. S. , Salygina D. S. , Polovtsev E. G. , Syrovatsky A. A. , Ratnikov V. A. , Bogatikov A. A. , Karelov A. E.
Published: February 2024

Objective. A comparative assessment of the eﬃcacy and safety of the preemptive use of ibuprofen and ketoprofen in patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia.

Material and methods. A multicenter randomized prospective study included 58 patients grouped into 2 arms. Ibuprofen 800 mg in Group 1 (N=32), and ketoprofen 100 mg in Group 2 (N=26) were administered intravenously 30 minutes prior to surgical procedure, and afterwards every 12 hours during patient’s stay in the intensive care unit. Eﬃcacy and safety were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS), patient’s need in opioid analgesics, laboratory parameters (serum levels of cortisol, cystatin C, CBC, coagulogram, TEG) and instrumental methods (algesimetry — qNOX).

Results. VAS values were 32.4% lower in Group 1 vs Group 2 in the immediate postoperative period, P=0.003. By the end of Day 1 this difference was no longer visible following the use of promedol. There was a correlation between qNOX values at the end of surgery and VAS values at patient’s waking up from anesthesia (P=0.0007). Cortisol plasma concentrations in groups 1 and 2 did not differ significantly, P=0.105. The average daily promedol consumption in Groups 1 and 2 was 42±17.5 mg/day and 50±19.7 mg/day, respectively, P=0.022. Cystatin C concentrations in the first morning after surgery was 0.95±0.29 mg/l in the ibuprofen group, and 1.19±0.43 mg/l — in the ketoprofen group, P=0.027. Signs of renal dysfunction were documented in 4 out of 32 patients (12, 5%) from Group 1, and in 10 of 26 (38.5%) patients from Group 2 since the end of surgery and up to the first postop morning, the Chi-squared value was 0.031. Hemostasis was not affected by NSAIDs use in both groups.

Conclusion. Ibuprofen provided more powerful analgesia, than ketoprofen in the postoperative period, while during surgical procedure both drugs showed similar anlgesic eﬃcacy. Patients on ibuprofen required significantly fewer additional boluses of opioid analgesics. Both drugs showed no clinically significant effect on hemostasis and hematopoiesis. More rare occurrence of renal dysfunction in Group 1 patients is indicative of lower nephrotoxicity of ibuprofen.
La gestión del conocimiento en las actitudes y percepciones del aprendizaje en el posgrado de una universidad pública, según la espiral del conocimiento
Authors: Surco Salinas Daniel Víctor
Published: February 2024

El objetivo de este trabajo de investigación fue demostrar la influencia de la gestión del conocimiento en las actitudes y percepciones acerca del aprendizaje de los estudiantes del programa de doctorado de Ingeniería Industrial de la unidad de posgrado de una universidad pública, según el modelo de la espiral del conocimiento. Se trata de una investigación aplicada con enfoque cuantitativo, nivel explicativo y diseño cuasiexperimental con posprueba únicamente. Su población estuvo constituida por los doctorandos y una muestra censal de 22 estudiantes del programa en mención. Del total de las hipótesis específicas planteadas, dos de ellas fueron negativas; no obstante, se comprobó que utilizando una línea base menor a la propuesta inicialmente, las actitudes y percepciones acerca de la combinación e interiorización del conocimiento de los estudiantes superaron las expectativas, lo cual no implica que se haya logrado superar la línea base inicial propuesta. Por tanto, es necesario mejorar la gestión del conocimiento.
El crecimiento económico y su influencia sobre los accidentes de trabajo mortales en el Perú
Authors: Gutiérrez Falcón Pablo César
Published: February 2024

This study aims to determine how economic growth influenced fatal occupational accidents in Peru from 2011 to 2019. Data from the 24 departments, grouped into 4 macro-regions, were used and an econometric analysis using panel data was applied. This analysis consisted of assessing the stationarity of the data, and through first generation unit root tests, it was determined that they are integrated of order one. Likewise, it was found that there is a cointegration relationship between the variables (long-run equilibrium) by Pedroni panel cointegration means testing. Finally, the regression coefficients were estimated using the DOLS (Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares) estimator. It was determined that economic growth has a direct proportional relationship with fatal occupational accidents; that is to say, economic boom would cause fatal occupational accidents to increase.
Análisis comparativo de los exámenes presenciales y virtuales en la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
Authors: Pereyra Salazar Jorge Antonio , Rojas Lazo Oswaldo José , Álvarez Díaz Ezzard Omar
Published: February 2024

The research shows the analysis of the means and standard deviations of the scores obtained in the last eight tests at the Centro Preuniversitario (Cram School) of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) of Peru taken onsite, before the COVID-19 pandemic, versus the eight subsequent tests during the pandemic, after the digitalization of admission processes. The result of this analysis establishes that the digitalization of the process did not cause any significant difference in the results of the onsite and online processes. The results showed that, in the absence of these differences, it is thought that the process was adequately digitalized since the behavior of the online and onsite test scores were similar.
Międzynarodowa konferencja naukowa Kitabistyka — metodologia badań i publikacja źródeł (Kitabistika — tyrimų metodologija ir šaltinių publikavimas / Kitab Studies — Research Methodology and Source Publication) oraz wystawa Droga nauczycieli: badania nad kulturą narodów litewskich jako pokłosie współpracy szkół kitabistycznych uniwersytetów wileńskiego i toruńskiego (5–6.10.2023, Uniwersytet Wileński)
Authors: Kulwicka-Kamińska Joanna
Published: February 2024

On October 5–6, 2023, an international scientific conference Kitabistyka – metodologia badań i publikacja źródeł (Kitabistika – tyrimų metodologija ir šaltinių publikavimas / Kitab Studies – Research Methodology and Source Publication was held at the Faculty of Philology of Vilnius University. The conference was dedicated to the 55th anniversary of the publication of the work of Vilnius University professor A. Antonovich (1910–1980), devoted to Belarusian texts written in Arabic letters, as well as the 85th anniversary of Vilnius University professor Valery Chekmonas (1937–2004). The two-day conference was attended by 37 scientists from Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Ukraine, Turkey and other countries. Plenary sessions and section work were thematically related to the research of Vilnius University professors. The speakers focused on the cultural heritage of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the field of history, culture, language of the Tatars, Old Believers, as well as sociolinguistic Balto-Slavic studies, ethnolinguistics, and language contacts. The conference was preceded by a long history of cooperation between scientific centers of Lithuania and Poland. The exhibition dedicated to the two Professors in the Scientific Library of Vilnius University was presented.
Фрагмент Ин 20.19–31 в руськомовных учительных евангелиях: силецкая и связанные с ней текстологические группы
Authors: Казаринова Ксения
Published: February 2024

The article examines the gospel passage John 20.19-31, presented in the Ruthenian didactic gospels. The material is formed of 16 handwritten texts. They were divided into 8 groups which due to their common features form a single hypergroup. Unique insertions / omissions make distinctive features of the hypergroup. There are three significant insertions: a) the words тыми словы [in these words] are met three times in the pericope; b) expansion of the confession of Apostle Thomas in John 20.28; c) expansion of the general confession in John 20.31. The omissions are noted a) in John 20.20, where the words “And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side” are missing; b) in John 20.23 there are no words “and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained”. The characteristic features of the hypergroup also include the use of Cyrillic numerals for в [12], as well as unique substitution from singular to plural in John 20.29. The data presented in the article allows us to trace close textual relationship between certain groups. The Siltsya’s and the Ipatiev, as well as the Hypatian and the Uhlya groups intersect because of common features. It is noted that the groups Historical (Ис) and Drogoyevsky (Дг) are the most remote from their conditional origin (Siltsya’s manuscript copy).
Recommendations for the meanings of words by Estonian language planning – justified and necessary, or not?
Authors: Risberg Lydia
Published: February 2024

On the example of Estonian language planning, this research paper explores whether it is justified and necessary to give recommendations for the meanings of words. The focus is on the general language. Technical language is out of the scope of this research. First, a brief overview of the history of Estonian language planning and the development of Standard Estonian, as well as the current situation is provided. Then the paper focuses on recent research on the meanings of words in Estonian. The purpose was to revise the recommendations for the meanings of words by Estonian language planning. The research is based on the common approaches in Estonian linguistics today – the usage-based linguistics and corpus linguistics. The paper argues that recommendations by language planning for the meanings of words are not justified nor necessary in the general language, even if some explanations on the choice of words are relevant (e.g., for offensive words).
Patient-Physician Relationship in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Review on Empathy and Stigma
Authors: Kuliaviene Irma , Gelman Sigita , Kupcinskas Juozas
Published: February 2024

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) lacks a clear understanding of the disease‘s pathogenesis and effective treatments thus producing frustration among providers and patients, leading to the stigmatization of the disease and the patients with the syndrome. A literature search was performed to make a hermeneutical review on empathic patient-provider communication and IBS. The relationship is defined by partners being dependent on one another in the pursuit of obtaining good outcomes. It is a unique interaction depending not only on the individual qualities of each partner but also on the specific patterns of the patient-physician synergy. Empathy is crucial for any relationship. It helps to recognize the other as the other of myself, a person like me. Meanwhile, stigmatization results from identifying and labelling human differences and stereotyping persons who are linked to undesirable characteristics. IBS is at high risk of stigmatization in various contexts and settings including health care, causing patients and physicians misconceptions and distress, which in turn leads to the worsening of the disease in patients and burnout in physicians. Narrative-based medicine helps create a holistic perspective of a patient’s problems and health, thus providing a tool for an empathic doctor-patient relationship that fosters mutual understanding and helps patients with IBS make sense of symptoms, increases their ability to manage their IBS in a psychologically flexible manner, subsequently helping them maintain their quality of life.
Comparison of the oral health status and costs of the provision of dental care in ten high-income countries
Authors: Saekel Rüdiger
Published: February 2024

Objective: Comparison of different types of oral health systems in relation to outcome and cost figures with the aim of evaluating system efficiency by using quantifiable results. Method: A composite indicator -the Dental Health Index -was used as the overall value for measuring a population´s dental status. The DHI is linked to the total dental costs as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP), in order to create an index of system efficiency, which subsequently facilitates comparisons with other high-income countries. Results: In general, good oral health can be achieved in each of the different types of advanced dental care. However, the national health system of Sweden (SE) and the social security system of Korea (KR) performed better than the systems of all other countries. Superior in terms of system efficiency is the national health systems of the United Kingdom (UK) and Sweden (SE) and a social security model (KR). Overall, the Swedish system can be considered as best-practice-model for dental care. Conclusion: Across the systems, models that foster a preventive and tooth-retaining approach -also for their adult population – make faster and better progress in improving oral health status, are more cost-effective and demonstrate superior system efficiency. A range of 5% to 6% of GDP turns out to be a good benchmark for cost-efficacy in countries with elevated oral health status. Moreover, countries that implement an active oral health policy perform better.
Dry stone structures and Penedès geology. A pilot study
Authors: Villar Abraham Guillén , Vives Montserrat Traver
Published: February 2024

Dry stone constructions have traditionally been made only from geographically close materials. Usually, farmers and shepherds used stones in the soil of their farmlands, where they were useless, to build new useful structures directly related to their productive activities. Different types of stones allowed a wide variety of constructions. Furthermore, due to their origin related to economical activities, the presence of each kind of construction depends on the needs of the local people. So, these are the reasons why, regarding shape and utility, in each town is possible to find different dry stone buildings. We hypothesized that there could be a clear relation between the information from types of stones in geological maps of a region and the dry stone constructions present in that region, so we could make a first prediction of the possible dry stone constructions in a town before looking them in the field, using geological maps. In this paper, we confirm this hypothesis in the case of the Catalan region of Penedès, in Spain.
Sculptures of dogs licking their wounds in Roman period. A proposal for interpretation
Authors: Portillo Ana
Published: February 2024

The present work analyzes an iconographic model, relatively common during the Antiquity, used in various environments with divergent functions, such as the peristyles and gardens of private or residential spaces, tombs or buildings of a religious nature. This theme and morphological characteristics are repeated in an analogous way in very varied content and meaning places. This fact has led us to propose a series of reflections that help us to resolve the possibility that there was a general content, a symbolic value or a common original message in this typology that was adapted to different environments depending on the needs of each one. The figure of the dog licking a wound could go, in many cases, unnoticed or be interpreted as a piece of little relevance, with a pleasant and recreational nature, which gave a certain affable, funny and everyday meaning, recognizable and appreciated by a large part of Roman society. However, the preserved archaeological evidence of this model and the written sources lead us to think that it contained a transcendental and symbolic meaning that invited to meditation and turned the animal into a cathartic element.
As said by Hippocrates, can we treat the patient and not the disease using acupuncture?
Authors: Ling Huang Wei
Published: February 2024

In acupuncture courses, they usually teach the function of each point to treat the symptoms presented by the patient. In this article, I will follow the commandments of Hippocrates (460 a.c -377 a.c), the father of medicine, that said that “it is more important to treat the patient and not the disease the patient has”. Using acupuncture, we need to treat the patient and not just the symptoms presented by each patient to achieve good results, treating the majority of the patient’s symptoms at the same time.
Electronic Health Record Usability When Caring for Children With Medical Complexity
Authors: Wilson Averi E. , Diaz Marlon I. , Lehmann Christoph U. , Maddox Katherine
Published: February 2024

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate usability of and clinician satisfaction with the electronic health record (EHR) in the context of caring for children with medical complexity (CMC) at a large academic pediatric hospital and to identify key areas for targeted improvements.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of pediatric faculty and advanced practice providers across several pediatric specialties using an online Research Electronic Data Capture survey. EHR usability was measured with 6 validated questions from the National Usability-Focused Health Information System Scale, and satisfaction with common EHR functionalities was measured with 6 original Likert-scale questions and 3 free-text questions. Results were analyzed with bivariate testing.

RESULTS

More than half of providers completed the survey (n = 81, response rate 56%). When asked 6 positively-phrased, validated usability questions, a majority of respondents either agreed or were neutral. Respondents were most dissatisfied with information quality of the summary view and most satisfied with physician communication. Older respondents were less satisfied with EHR usability (P < .01). Focusing on functionalities needed for CMC, the majority of respondents were dissatisfied with the chart review process. More respondents were dissatisfied with order entry (P = .002) and documentation (P = .017) when caring for CMC compared with caring for other patients. The most cited challenges were locating recent patient data, performing an accurate medication reconciliation, and lack of specialized documentation templates.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians are less satisfied with common EHR functionalities when caring for CMC compared with caring for all other patients. Targeted interventions to improve usability and common EHR functionalities for CMC are necessary to improve the user experience.
Hypertonic Saline to Achieve Hyperdiuresis: A Case Report
Authors: Alias Aqtab Mazhar , Shariff Raja Ezman Raja
Published: February 2024

Diuretic resistance can commonly occur following chronic diuretic use, leading to difficulty in diuresis. We report on a 59-year-old man with worsening dyspnoea and lower limb swelling. Clinical findings, alongside bedside echocardiography and lung ultrasound, were suggestive of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Despite initial success with IV loop diuretic for diuresis, the patient’s urine output started to deteriorate soon after despite high-dose frusemide infusion, sequential nephron blockade and attempts at ultrafiltration. A decision was made to attempt hyperdiuresis using hypertonic saline, which led to marked improvement in clinical haemodynamic and urine output over the coming days. Several studies have investigated the utility of hypertonic saline in ADHF and demonstrated its effectiveness to varying degrees. A definitive mechanism as to how hypertonic saline exerts its beneficial effect remains unknown, although several hypotheses have been proposed. Diuretic resistance remains a major challenge when managing patients with ADHF. In cases of refractory ADHF with limited treatment options, there may be a role for hypertonic saline administration.
Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in the Balkans: Clonal distribution and associated resistance determinants
Authors: Chatzidimitriou Maria , Kavvada Asimoula , Kavvadas Dimitrios , Kyriazidi Maria Anna , Eleftheriadis Konstantinos , Varlamis Sotirios , Papaliagkas Vassilis , Mitka Stella
Published: February 2024

Carbapenems are considered to be among the last line antibiotics against extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has been frequently reported and its spread in Europe is indisputable and poses an enormous threat to hospitalized patients which is of growing concern. This review aims to record prevalence of CRKP in the Balkan region and to review the current knowledge about this life-threatening pathogen. In this review, we summarize data about clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae from Greece, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania from published reports between 2000 and 2023. Among Balkan countries, Greece and Romania are the ones with the most reports about CRKP. Since 2007, KPCs are the dominant carbapenemases in both countries. KPC-2 and NDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae strains have been identified as the most frequent CRKP in Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Slovenia. OXA-48 enzyme has been identified in most Balkan countries. In addition, since 2018, CRKP sequence type 11 (ST11) seems to have replaced ST258 in Balkan Peninsula, while ST15 continues to thrive throughout the years. Not only efficacy of colistin against CRKP has decreased dramatically during the last ten years but colistin resistance mechanism is based on alterations of chromosomal mgrB gene, rather than the already known mcr genes.

Moreover, ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant CRKP were detected mostly in Greece. Emergence of CRKP poses a severe threat to the Balkan countries. Due to the narrow therapeutic window, it is essential to prevent the spread of multiresistant K. pneumoniae strains.
Cooking Further Defined
Authors: Hertzmann Peter
Published: February 2024

Explores the inadequacy of definitions of cooking, pointing out that even a simple example of buttering toast provides a maze of techniques when dissected.
Towards a Reassessment of Plato in Food Studies
Authors: Wilkins John
Published: February 2024

What is Plato’s contribution in this field? This article offers preliminary reflections on Plato’s contribution, to be followed by a second that reviews all of Plato’s works.Many might suppose his contribution to be negative: in this article I will revisit three texts often alluded to by those who would divide body from soul, to the detriment of the former, and would downplay the senses in favour of lofty intellectual and spiritual aims. Here Plato shares interests with puritanical thinkers within Christianity and its pagan predecessors, who were obsessed with the dangers of pleasure and luxury.I hope to show, however, that this is only part of the story: Plato has much to tell us about the civilized life of the city and about the importance of the senses. Food has a big part to play for the good in Plato’s thinking.
To What Extent Did People Eat Vegetables in the Early Eighteenth Century?
Authors: Thick Malcolm
Published: February 2024

The article aims to demonstrate that vegetables, for both rich and poor, by both necessity and choice, were a frequent part of a daily diet (especially in London).
Gastronomic Studies
Authors: Santich Barbara
Published: February 2024

The historian Barbara Santich provides a short account of her beginnings as a food historian and describes the changes she has witnessed in the development of the gastronomic/food studies in the academy.
The Original Fish Fight
Authors: Sutton Josh
Published: February 2024

An account of an outbreak of lawlessness between local Newlyn fishermen and interlopers from the East Coast in 1896 and the role played by the coming of the railways to the furthest reaches of the Cornish peninsula.
Bistros! What They Were and What They Are
Authors: Hyman Philip
Published: February 2024

The author looks at the history of the term Bistro and lays out some of the ways they have been described and characterized since the early 20th-century.
Wild Parties in Prehistoric Greece
Authors: Dalby Andrew
Published: February 2024

The article summarizes for lay readers some archaelogical finds at the Greek site of Makrygialos (inhabited from about 5300 to 4950 bc) which indicated feasting on a scale not commensurate with the size of the settlement and discusses other archaeological research about Mycenaen feasting.
The Leeds Symposium on Food History and Traditions
Authors: Wilson C Anne
Published: February 2024

A memoir and history of the history of the Leeds Symposium on Food History and Traditions, its connection to the book collector, Mr John F. Preston, to the Brotherton Library at the University of Leeds. The author recounts her own trajectory within the world of food history and various contacts she made in the course of her research, all of whom were instrumental in founding the Symposium which was launched in 1986.
Rocket, Cress and a Dash of Skirret
Authors: Lyman-Dixon Anthony
Published: February 2024

This article looks at the various cresses and their culinary and medical properties and discusses why it has often been under-explored by contemporary books about medieval foods. Although its inclusion in the medieval diet had a major impact on the health of those who ate it, cress was perceived as a lowly peasant food and that there wasn’t much one could do with it.
Anya von Bremzen: Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking. A Memoir of Food and Longing
Authors: Jaine Tom
Published: February 2024

Anya von Bremzen: Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking. A Memoir of Food and Longing: Doubleday, 2013: 340 pp., hardback, £16.99.
Мethod for determining the level of similarity of images by color component based on correlation analysis and color space quantization
Authors:   South Ural State University, Loginovskiy Oleg , Strueva Anastasia ,   South Ural State University, Shinkarev Alexander ,   Sole proprietor, Yadryshnikova Maria ,   South Ural State University
Published: February 2024

The color component of an image is the basic information about the image. Color determines the mood of an image, its concept, and can also serve as a semantic accent. Obtaining information about the color component of an image is necessary when solving various kinds of tasks. For example, the task of finding similar images according to the content, as information about the color component can be combined with other metadata of the image and more fully describe its concept. In this paper authors describe the physical representation of color, the most popular digital representations of color, ways of extracting color components of an image, such as color histograms, quantization, coherent vectors and K -means, and ways of comparing color components of images, such as Euclidean distance, cosine distance, Manhattan distance, Chebyshev distance, Jaccard index, correlation analysis, Pearson's agreement test and Bhattacharya distance. It is suggested that the use of histogram comparison and vector comparison methods is acceptable for comparing the color components of images, since color histograms can be written in vector form. The authors conduct an experiment in which a human expert reviews combinations of color component acquisition and comparison methods and completes a test protocol based on the criteria highlighted by the authors. The criteria were based on the human interpretability of the results of the methods of determining and comparing the color component. On the basis of the experiment it has been determined that the best of the methods of comparison of color components of the definition images considered in the article is the correlation analysis of color histograms of images, which have been extracted in a quantized color space, because this approach meets all the criteria for testing and keeps the greatest amount of information about the color component.
On the quality of training artificial neural networks without initial data preprocessing under conditions of their limited set
Authors:   Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Kozhemyakin Leonid , Alekseev Aleksander ,   Perm National Research Polytechnic University,   Perm Decision Making Support Center
Published: February 2024

The task of training artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on the magnetic susceptibility of 10 brain veins under conditions of limited initial data (81 patients) is considered. In a recent study, fully-connected ANNs with one and two hidden layers were successfully trained in a recent study after reducing the number of veins to 4 and determining the number of synaptic connections comparable to a neural network based on a decision root. The known results gave rise to the hypothesis that training ANNs on the same data without preprocessing would also yield high-quality neural networks. To assess the quality of ANNs, the following indicators were used: mean square errors of training and generalization (testing), coefficients of determination (R2) on the sets of values used in training and generalization (testing), as well as the number of trained ANNs satisfying a certain value of the above indicators. For graphical representation of the results of repeated experiments on training and testing of ANNs, a new graph is proposed to visualize the quality of ANNs. Thus, the paper demonstrates the quality indicators of 800 ANNs trained without data preprocessing, among which there were 7 neural networks with one hidden layer and 9 neural networks with two hidden layers, for each of which 50 experiments were conducted. For comparison, we present the quality indices of 2400 ANNs trained with preprocessing.
Neuro-fuzzy system of continuous control of density asphalt concrete mixtures
Authors:   Siberian Federal University, Prokopev Andrey
Published: February 2024

Improving the quality and increasing the service life of asphalt concrete pavements of roads is a national economic problem, which is solved through measures related to improving the regulatory framework, improving the properties of road materials, automating its control and management of the compaction process. Existing automated systems for monitoring and controlling the density of road rollers are based on artificial intelligence methods. A feature of the construction of the upper layers of asphalt concrete road surfaces in the Russian Federation is a significant impact on their quality of the results of the work of asphalt pavers, which provide several technological operations - acceptance, laying and compaction of asphalt concrete mixtures. The use of an automatic density control system for asphalt concrete mixtures in the process of laying them will eliminate many defects in road surfaces during their operation. The aim of the work is to build a system of continuous density control in the process of laying and compacting asphalt concrete mixtures by pavers based on artificial intelligence methods. The article presents the results of the development of a new system for intelligent control of the density of the asphalt concrete mixture by pavers. It is proposed to use the structure of a neuro-fuzzy network of the ANFIS type. Training of a neuro-fuzzy system of the ANFIS type was performed on the basis of a combination of methods of least squares and a decreasing gradient on an array of variables obtained on the basis of the results of experimental studies performed by VNIIStroydormash, SoyuzDorNII, MADI. Automation of density control is aimed at improving the quality of asphalt concrete pavements of roads.
Development of software for the management of the maintenance of equipment of thermal power plants
Authors:   Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Romashkin Makar , Vlasov Vasily ,   UralPromBezopasnost, Moshev Evgeny ,   Perm National Research Polytechnic University
Published: February 2024

The relevance of the use of thermal power plants for the generation of thermal and electric energy on the territory of the Russian Federation is revealed, taking into account its geographical and climatic features. The substantiation of the importance of the process of maintenance and repair in relation to boiler units, which are operated at thermal power plants, is given. Difficulties accompanying the practical implementation of this process are identified. The influence of the identified difficulties on the existing shortcomings in the process of maintenance and repair of boiler equipment and the technological pipelines connecting them and pipelines of steam and hot water is shown. The goal of the study is set, which is aimed at eliminating the identified objective difficulties and the tasks are formulated, the solution of which will contribute to the achievement of the goal. The necessity of developing specialized software for managing the process of maintenance and repair of equipment and pipelines of boiler units of combined heat and power plants is substantiated. The methodology of the work is based on the development of digital models of pipelines and boiler equipment, as well as algorithms aimed at processing the parameters of digital models. The software implementation of the developed models and algorithms is made by means of object-oriented programming in the form of a client-server application for the Windows operating system. The description of the results of software development aimed at solving the set tasks is given. Examples of some dialog boxes accompanying the functioning of the developed software are given, as well as examples of created digital models of boiler equipment and their individual elements. The practical application of the research results contributes to an increase in the degree of digitalization of industrial production in general and energy production in particular. The results obtained in the framework of this work, in the form of software, can be used to accompany the process of maintenance and repair of boiler equipment of combined heat and power plants. With appropriate adaptation, the results obtained can also be applied to boiler equipment, pipelines and apparatus that are used in the chemical, petrochemical and oil refining industries.