bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Financial Capacity During a Pandemic Crisis
Authors: Santos Márcia Cadete , Nunes Sandra , Dominguinhos Pedro , Mourato Joaquim , Mata Carlos , Teixeira Nuno Miguel
Published: May 2021

This chapter seeks to provide empirical evidence of the financial shocks that non-profits experienced during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown period. The research included a literature review of the main up-to-date publications to understand non-profits' financial vulnerabilities. The statistical analyses' results facilitate a fuller understanding of the impacts that the abrupt loss of clients, volunteers, and employees due to the pandemic has had on non-profits' finances. These results are discussed in light of the previous studies. Through computer-assisted text analysis, this study examined non-profit managers' perceptions of the most significant challenges faced by these organisations in the pandemic's initial phase. The findings reveal a dramatic situation characterised by a decrease in revenues and increase in expenses, in which non-profits regulated by Portugal's social welfare private institutions statutes were the most strongly affected. The most salient challenges identified include technological preparedness, safety assurance, and physical distancing.
Financial Analysis During the Pandemic and New Consumption
Authors: Segura Liliane Cristina , Pinto Murillo Jose Torelli
Published: May 2021

The economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are not yet known. It is, however, observed that the consumptions in the world have changed dramatically in 2020, and it will keep changing as the pandemic evolves. It is already observed that in consumer confidence, there is a change in the use of energy and petroleum. People are not moving a lot during this pandemic, and they also discovered that they might stay this way in some occasions. It is affecting the petrol sector, maybe one of the most affected in the pandemic, because of the social isolation. This chapter analyzed 44 companies from the oil and gas sector around the world in relation to their financial distress. The Altman´s Z-score was the methodology used, and the mean of the sector was compared with the five most distressed firms and the five least distressed. It is possible to observe that the sector suffered with this pandemic, and most of the companies are already in financial distress.
Analyzing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Value Creation
Authors: Galvão Rosa , Teixeira Ana Bela de Sousa Delicado
Published: May 2021

Operating in an already challenging business environment, companies have faced yet another difficulty since March 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic situation related to the COVID-19 disease. The study's purpose was to analyze the value creation in Euronext Lisbon companies from the first semester of 2019 to the first semester of 2020. The aim was also to identify the areas with the most impact on value creation. To measure value creation, the indicator economic value added (EVA®) was used. The results revealed that the capacity to create value decreased for all companies. The variables included in the study that showed a statistically significant relationship with EVA® were operating profit, sales revenue, and cost of equity. This pandemic situation poses a significant threat to value creation, enhancing the idea that, more than ever, business management needs to focus on long-term value creation strategies.
The Impact of Working Capital Management on Firm Operational Performance Through Business Cycles
Authors: Lisboa Inês , Teixeira Nuno Miguel
Published: May 2021

This chapter aims to analyze the impact of working capital management on firm's profitability, considering economic downturn and boom periods. Analyzing Portuguese firms from 2006-2019 results show that cash conversion cycle, as well as days sales outstanding, days sales inventories, and days payment outstanding decreased after 2009 due to the international financial crisis. When the length of cash conversion cycle increases, firm return on assets also increases. This situation happens especially in recession periods, when sales decrease. Results also exhibit singularities across industries. In some sectors, the impact of working capital management in firm return is positive, while in industries with greater cash conversion periods, the impact is negative. The findings also reveal the impact of financial debt and economic growth on operational profitability. Managers need to focus on short-term financing practices to increase firm profits and create value.
The Uncertainty of the Organizational Environment as Cause of Unfavorable Budget Deviations in the Projects of Portuguese Construction Companies
Authors: Mendes Caropul Capembute , Lisboa João Veríssimo , Couto João Pedro , Ferreira José Vaz
Published: May 2021

Construction companies are increasingly concerned with new strategic guidelines and ways of managing project budgets to improve their competitiveness and sustainability. Thus, with this work, the authors analyse the relationship of the uncertainty of the organizational environment with other constructs, as causes of unfavorable budgetary deviations in the projects of Portuguese construction companies. For its development, quantitative research methods and techniques were adopted. The results presented in the study show a high correlation between the five first-order constructs (internal environment, external environment, time/delay, project process/monitoring, and project financing) justified by the literature review and justify the perception regarding the uncertainty in the organizational environment and other constructs as factors that determine the causes of unfavorable budgetary deviations in construction companies' projects. It should be noted that the objectives outlined for this study were achieved by providing complementary knowledge in this area of research.
The Short-Term Effects of the Pandemic (COVID-19) on Banks With Activity in Portugal
Authors: Pires Maria Clara Pereira , Horta Milene , Fradinho Rute
Published: May 2021

In this chapter, the authors assess the short-term effects of the pandemic (COVID-19) on banks with activity in Portugal. Namely, with regard capital buffer, it is intended to describe, in a succinct way, the measures taken by Portugal government to minimize the crisis effects. On the other hand, researchers divided the factors that can influence bank capital buffer in several groups, namely management efficiency, credit quality, and profitability. The panel dataset is composed of report annual data of 18 banks operating in Portugal, representing about 98% of the Portuguese banking product. The dependent variable is the capital buffer (BUF). The results show that credit quality (ICV), management efficiency (CTIN), and profitability (ROA and ROE) have a significant impact on bank capital buffer. Banks that have good credit quality indicators (ICV), management efficiency (CTIN), capital adequacy, and capital buffer (BUFF) will be better prepared to face the pandemic that is just taking its first steps.
Credit Risk Aversion Model During Economic Downturns and Recovery
Authors: Assensoh-Kodua Akwesi
Published: May 2021

Credit defaulting in the financial sector is a worldwide delinquency that has become a nightmare for this sector. The search for a solution to root out this problem remains a big challenge for academics, the financial sectors, and the governments. For instance, per the American Bankers Association's (ABC) Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin, unserviced bank cards plunged two basis points to 2.96% of all accounts between July-August 2019. This value remained below the 15-year average of 3.68%. (Per ABC, delinquency is a late payment that is 30 days or more overdue.) Though these terrifying statistics sounds like good news, the Trans Union's Industry Insights Report found that the unserviced credit card rate reached 1.81% in the third quarter of 2019, rising from 1.71% for the third quarter of 2018. These figures from the credit bureau are based on accounts that are 90 days or more overdue.
Performance of Exchange-Traded Funds in Europe
Authors: Neves Maria Elisabete Duarte , Conceição Jeremias Amado , Montenegro Vargas Bonfim
Published: May 2021

In this study, the authors analyzed the performance of the exchange traded funds (ETFs) of the European iShares family, using risk-adjusted performance measures: Sharpe index, Treynor index, Sortino index, and Jensen's alpha. They also checked the beta-performance ratio and conjectured that ETFs with the highest betas are the ones that perform best. From the results obtained, they conclude that all ETFs had an average return lower than that of the respective benchmark. Using the Sharpe index, they found that no ETF performed better than its benchmark. As for the Treynor index, two ETFs, namely Belgium and Switzerland, performed better than the respective benchmark. As with the Sharpe index, for the Sortino index, no ETF exceeded its benchmark. As for the beta-performance relationship, the results indicated the existence of the low-risk anomaly.
Using Mutual Information to Analyse Serial Dependence
Authors: Dionísio Andreia , Ferreira Paulo
Published: May 2021

The main objective of this research is to analyse the serial dependence of high frequency data for G7 stock indices. The authors use two different periodicities, and with linear and nonlinear approaches, they evaluate the stock markets' behaviour and conclude about the higher or lower dependence levels of the stock markets in the periods before and after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration. They use mutual information and the global correlation coefficient based on that measure, comparing results with the linear coefficient. The results are clear, showing that nonlinear dependence exists and could be an important factor in terms of historical information, especially for very high frequency data. Results are mixed in regard to the effect of the pandemic declaration in the dependence of stock markets.
Distributional Uncertainty for Spectral Risk Measures
Authors: Berkhouch Mohammed
Published: May 2021

Spectral risk measures, primarily introduced as an extension for expected shortfall, constitute a prominent class of risk measures that take account of the decision-makersrisk-aversion. In practice, risk measures are often estimated from data distributions, and due to the uncertain character of the financial market, one has no specific criterium to pick the appropriate distribution. Therefore, risk assessment under different possible scenarios (such as financial crises or outbreaks) is a source of uncertainty that may lead to concerning financial losses. The chapter addresses this issue, first, by adapting a robust framework for spectral risk measures, by considering the whole set of possible scenarios instead of making a specific choice. Second, the author proposes a variability-type approach as an alternative for quantifying uncertainty, since measuring uncertainty provides us with information about how far our risk measurement process could be impacted by uncertainty. Furthermore, the stated theory is illustrated with a practical example from the NASDAQ index.
Lightweight Cryptography in Cloud-Based IoT
Authors: Guria Payel , Bhattacharyya Aditya
Published: May 2021

IoT and cloud computing are the novel fields that are rapidly progressing in the world of internet technology. A huge and massive amount of data are communicating via IoT and cloud devices. Along with the highly configured devices, IoT and cloud also empowered many resource-constrained devices to communicate and compute information through network. But the major problem that they face is how to provide data security through conventional cryptographic algorithms in such resource-constrained devices having smaller size, limited memory spaces, low computation capabilities, and limited power. In this scenario, the biggest driver towards the problem is lightweight cryptography (LWC). This chapter discusses thoroughly the LWC, different schemes of LWC, and cryptanalysis of different LWC schemes.
Integration of Innovative COIL Models Into the Curriculum of B-Schools in India
Authors: Shrivastava Archana , Kapoor Meera
Published: May 2021

Learning takes place both within humans and across globally networked technologies. Teaching paradigm and pedagogies of two specific COIL exercises are shared to showcase the ‘holistic blend' which COIL proffers and how it can promote intercultural competence across shared virtual learning environments. The purpose is to share insights from the innovative cohort-based models developed for curricular internationalization and provide recommendations for incorporating this pedagogy within any curriculum.
Employer Perspectives on Virtual International Working
Authors: Crawford Izzy
Published: May 2021

This chapter summarises the key findings from a doctoral research project that examined employer perceptions of virtual, international working immediately before, during, and after the global pandemic took hold in Spring 2020. The purposive interview sample included new and experienced professionals who work in communication related roles within public, private, and third sector organisations. The research builds on previous evaluative research concerning student and faculty perceptions of virtual exchange. The key issues and themes that employers identified as important for virtual working are presented in their own words. Intercultural competency, digital literacy, and transferable skills are discussed together with business ethics, generational and sectoral differences, and the pedagogical opportunities created by the shift to remote, digital working. A new conceptual model for the training and preparation of staff and students for the post-pandemic, virtual workplace is recommended.
Minding the Competency Gap From College to Career
Authors: Josephson Kimberlee Beth
Published: May 2021

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is proving the development of certain soft skills to be of utmost importance and yet a skills gap is present regarding human-centric competencies and critical thinking capabilities. Fundamental proficiencies such as professionalism and business acumen are even proving to be deficient according to workforce trends, and this may worsen given the new norm of remote campus communities, whereas students will still engage with course content but less so with each other. As such, organizations utilizing online platforms for e-learning and virtual teaming should be mindful of not only the performance of the group but the abilities of participants and the socialization process necessary for aiding in competency development. The stages of group development identified by Bruce Tuckman are useful for reinforcing the application of the proposed principles for successful virtual team leadership by Deloitte. Through the alignment of stages and principles, virtual teams can increase their chances for not only success but competency development.
New Appearance of Social Services Within the Scope of a New Public Administration Approach
Authors: Yıldırım Arzu
Published: May 2021

With the globalization process and the transition to the information society, change policies in public administration have emerged. In this context, many regulations were made in the 2000s. Participation, accountability, governance, and localization trends have gained importance in the provision of services. As a result of the new public administration approach, holding the non-governmental organizations, private sector, and local administrations responsible for the fulfillment of their duties and responsibilities gained momentum with the withdrawal of the state from the social sphere. The aim of the study is to evaluate the restructuring process that occurs in social services within the scope of restructuring studies carried out in the country. Within the scope of decentralization of services, social municipalism, which is the new aspect of localization of social services, will be emphasized. At this point, it is aimed to reveal the change in social services within the scope of the new public administration approach.
Family Life of Women Forced to Migrate From Syria to Turkey
Authors: Tüfekci Nurcan , Hazer Oya
Published: May 2021

This study was performed to investigate the family life of women forced to migrate from Syria to Turkey. The data of the research was collected as a result of face-to-face interviews with 200 women living in Ankara, forced migrating from Syria in 2011 and after, under temporary protection, aged 18 and over, currently married or with marriage experience. In the study, it was determined that women had conflicts with their spouses mostly on '' financial situation or unemployment '' (42.9%), with their children on '' the boy not being docile and obedient” (38.7%), with their spouse's family and/or their own family on “preventing participation in decisions” (21.3%). As a result of the findings of the study, required recommendations were made to the immigrants and the related institutions and organizations.
Random Acquisition in Compressive Sensing
Authors: Khosravy Mahdi , Cabral Thales Wulfert , Luiz Max Mateus , Gupta Neeraj , Crespo Ruben Gonzalez
Published: May 2021

Compressive sensing has the ability of reconstruction of signal/image from the compressive measurements which are sensed with a much lower number of samples than a minimum requirement by Nyquist sampling theorem. The random acquisition is widely suggested and used for compressive sensing. In the random acquisition, the randomness of the sparsity structure has been deployed for compressive sampling of the signal/image. The article goes through all the literature up to date and collects the main methods, and simply described the way each of them randomly applies the compressive sensing. This article is a comprehensive review of random acquisition techniques in compressive sensing. Theses techniques have reviews under the main categories of (1) random demodulator, (2) random convolution, (3) modulated wideband converter model, (4) compressive multiplexer diagram, (5) random equivalent sampling, (6) random modulation pre-integration, (7) quadrature analog-to-information converter, (8) randomly triggered modulated-wideband compressive sensing (RT-MWCS).
Relationships and Spatial Structure of Soil Physical Properties in a Ten-Year Corn-Cotton Rotation Field
Authors: Ampim Peter A. Y. , Johnson Alton B. , Adiku Samuel G. K.
Published: May 2021

This study quantified the relationships between soil, textural, and hydraulic properties at the field-scale for a conventional tilled Memphis silt loam that had undergone a 10-year corn and cotton rotation and described their spatial variability. Composite soil samples collected from the plow layer at 272 nodes on 15 x 15 m grids were analyzed for texture and bulk density. These values were used as pedotransfer functions to predict unsaturated (Ko) and saturated hydraulic (Ks) conductivities as well as the van Genuchten curve shape parameters α and n. Regression analyses quantified relationships between the measured and model predicted soil properties. While correlations between textural and model predicted soil properties including bulk density were significant (p<0.05), those between sand and clay, clay and n, clay and α were not. Sand and silt appeared to be better predictors of soil hydraulic conductivity and the van Genuchten curve shape parameters for the soil investigated. Spatial dependence was strong for sand, silt, bulk density, Ko, α and n, and moderate for clay and Ks.
Using Google Translate as a Tool to Improve L2 Writing
Authors: Stapleton Paul
Published: May 2021

In the present study, two sets of scripts from primary school students were collected, one written in English and the other in their native Chinese on the same topic. The Chinese scripts were translated into English by Google Translate (GT) and compared with the scripts written in English. Sentences in the two sets of passages that were clearly parallel in meaning were then extracted and compared for accuracy, vocabulary, substance, and length. Findings revealed that in some cases the GT versions (i.e., those originally written in the native tongue) displayed language that was significantly better that what the students produced when writing in English. Patterns of improvement are analyzed and discussed.
Economic Load Dispatch With Multiple Fuel Options and Valve Point Effect Using Cuckoo Search Algorithm With Different Distributions
Authors: Tran Cuong Dinh , Dao Tam Thanh , Vo Ve Song
Published: May 2021

The cuckoo search algorithm (CSA), a new meta-heuristic algorithm based on natural phenomenon of the cuckoo species and Lévy flights random walk has been widely and successfully applied to several optimization problems so far. In the article, two modified versions of CSA, where new solutions are generated using two distributions including Gaussian and Cauchy distributions in addition to imposing bound by best solutions mechanisms are proposed for solving economic load dispatch (ELD) problems with multiple fuel options. The advantages of CSA with Gaussian distribution (CSA-Gauss) and CSA with Cauchy distribution (CSA-Cauchy) over CSA with Lévy distribution and other meta-heuristic are fewer parameters. The proposed CSA methods are tested on two systems with several load cases and obtained results are compared to other methods. The result comparisons have shown that the proposed methods are highly effective for solving ELD problem with multiple fuel options and/nor valve point effect.
Factor Analysis of the Sydney Metro's ITS
Authors: Gharehbaghi Koorosh , Farnes Kenneth , Robson Kathryn M. , Hurst Neville
Published: May 2021

This paper aspires to examine advanced rail transportation systems via the utilization of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) as the basis of the key integration. In doing so, the Sydney Metro ITS will be used as the basis for the case study. This paper also investigates the different perceptions for diverse rail transportation projects. Ordinarily, cities are composed of complex configurations which are supported by various disparate transport systems. These transport infrastructure in turn require comprehensive system thinking as the base research methodologies. ITS provides an excellent mechanism to simplify a city's complex transport configurations. Nevertheless, the core ITS components require careful integration and detailed attention to detail in their design. The ITS integration strategy would also amalgamate crucial transportation issues, including optimized system performance through increased productivity, improved road and traffic safety, and so on. Accordingly, this integration and consolidation of ITS would result in superior overall transportation planning schemes. The resulting improved planning methods will ultimately facilitate the various transportation operators to become better acquainted with the ITS, and to support the making of safer and more synchronized ITS. A synchronized ITS requires a comprehensive process to successfully integrate its components. To assess the Sydney Metro's ITS integration, this research utilized confirmatory factor analysis as the statistical method to produce a model indicating the existence of four sub-systems and emphasized safety standard as the key attribute for a successful deployment. The very high safety benchmark is the pinnacle of the Sydney's advanced rail transportation system.
Sydney Metro and Melbourne Metro Rail Stochastic Comparison and Review
Authors: Gharehbaghi Koorosh , Robson Kathryn M. , Hurst Neville , Myers Matt
Published: May 2021

This paper aims to review an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) apparatus to enhance the rail transportation performance. In this light, the Sydney Metro and Melbourne Metro rail will be compared, since both of these Australian rail networks employ complex AI as part of their overall performance enhancement schemes. These two case studies further highlight the novel critical aspects of AI in rail transportation sector such as recalibration through smart system design and automation, nonlinear controls and precise design, modeling and control apparatus, and so on. As a part of such a view, different aspects of AI systems such as increased reliability and safety were also investigated. This research found that with such enhancements of system performance, the overall transportation functioning would ultimately be significantly improved. Subsequently, AI in the Australian context can be further refined based on comprehensive integration of the key factors.
The Value of Communication in Agile Project Management
Authors: Galli Brian J.
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this research is to understand the importance and impact of communication in an Agile environment so as to suggest ways to overcome communication challenges in Agile projects. In this research, the latest use of communication methods, approaches, and challenges faced by Agile teams are thoroughly evaluated to know the best solutions to communication problems. A literature review in this study proposes that a lack of proper communication is one of the main challenges faced by Agile projects. The authors used a systematic literature review to examine pre-existing literature and to select the most pertinent literature to assess these variables in depth and to create an assessment model. The ultimate outcome of this study was the development of the best practices that improve communication in Agile project environments.
Critical Analysis of Socio-Intercultural Entrepreneurship
Authors: Vargas-Hernández José G.
Published: May 2021

This paper aims to elaborate a critical assessment of socio-intercultural entrepreneurship based on the analysis of recent developments. The study is supported on the assumption that culture is a platform for the socio-cultural entrepreneurial. This research questions the advances of socio-intercultural entrepreneurship based on specific practices in different cultures. The research methodology employed is the exploratory and analytical instruments based on the literature review and the transference of findings to a specific implementation. Some of the concluding remarks are centered on the finding that the socio-intercultural dimensions have relationships with the entrepreneurship orientation and its behaviors although the entrepreneurial practices may vary in different cultures, in such a way that the same entrepreneurial practices may be successful in one culture but dysfunctional in another.
Learning From Doing
Authors: Wang-Trexler Nicole , Yeh Martin K-C. , Diehl William C. , Heiser Rebecca E. , Gregg Andrea , Tran Ling , Zhu Chenyang
Published: May 2021

Software applications in educational technology have been a strong driving force for the success of online learning at all levels. These applications are created for various purposes and are used by a range of experts. The development of a successful educational technology software takes a deliberate team effort and thoughtful project management. This interpretive case study details the processes, successes, and challenges determined throughout the development of an educational web application, the Social Performance Optimization Tool (SPOT). In describing the evolution of SPOT, and the processes the heterogeneous team followed in the development of the web application, this study provides analysis and guidance to educational researchers who are interested in developing educational web applications in the future. The study described how authors mindfully adopted software design models, team management techniques, and communication tools. Additionally, the paper highlights practical and unique implications developers must account for when working in higher education contexts.
Reusing Alignments for Discovering Instances Correspondences
Authors: Ghemmaz Wafa , Benchikha Fouzia , Bouzid Maroua
Published: May 2021

Recently, instance matching has become a key technology to achieve interoperability over datasets, especially in linked data. Due the rapid growth of published datasets, it attracts increasingly more research interest. In this context, several approaches have been proposed. However, they do not perform well since the problem of matching instances that possess different descriptions is not addressed. On the other hand, the usage of the identity link owl:sameAs is generally predominant in linking correspondences. Unfortunately, many existing identity links are misused. In this paper, the authors discuss these issues and propose an original instance matching approach aiming to match instances that hold diverse descriptions. Furthermore, a novel link named ViewSameAs is proposed. The key improvement compared to existing approaches is alignment reuse. Thus, two novel methods are introduced: ViewSameAs-based clustering and alignment reuse based on metadata. Experiments on datasets by considering those of OAEI show that the proposed approach achieves satisfying and highly accuracy results.
One-Stop Serum Assay Identifies COVID-19 Disease Severity and Vaccination Responses
Authors: Haddad Natalie S , Nguyen Doan C , Kuruvilla Merin E , Morrison-Porter Andrea , Anam Fabliha , Cashman Kevin S , Ramonell Richard P , Kyu Shuya , Saini Ankur Singh , Cabrera-Mora Monica , Derrico Andrew , Alter David , Roback John D , Horwath Michael , O’Keefe James B , Wu Henry M , Wong An-Kwok Ian , Dretler Alexandra W , Gripaldo Ria , Lane Andrea N , Wu Hao , Chu Helen Y , Lee Saeyun , Hernandez Mindy , Engineer Vanessa , Varghese John , Patel Rahul , Jalal Anum , French Victoria , Guysenov Ilya , Lane Christopher E , Mengistsu Tesfaye , Normile Katherine Elizabeth , Mnzava Onike , Le Sang , Sanz Ignacio , Daiss John L , Lee F Eun-Hyung
Published: May 2021

SARS-CoV-2 has caused over 100,000,000 cases and almost 2,500,000 deaths globally. Comprehensive assessment of the multifaceted antiviral Ab response is critical for diagnosis, differentiation of severity, and characterization of long-term immunity, especially as COVID-19 vaccines become available. Severe disease is associated with early, massive plasmablast responses. We developed a multiplex immunoassay from serum/plasma of acutely infected and convalescent COVID-19 patients and prepandemic and postpandemic healthy adults. We measured IgA, IgG, and/or IgM against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N), spike domain 1 (S1), S1–receptor binding domain (RBD) and S1–N-terminal domain. For diagnosis, the combined [IgA + IgG + IgM] or IgG levels measured for N, S1, and S1-RBD yielded area under the curve values ≥0.90. Virus-specific Ig levels were higher in patients with severe/critical compared with mild/moderate infections. A strong prozone effect was observed in sera from severe/critical patients—a possible source of underestimated Ab concentrations in previous studies. Mild/moderate patients displayed a slower rise and lower peak in anti-N and anti-S1 IgG levels compared with severe/critical patients, but anti-RBD IgG and neutralization responses reached similar levels at 2–4 mo after symptom onset. Measurement of the Ab responses in sera from 18 COVID-19–vaccinated patients revealed specific responses for the S1-RBD Ag and none against the N protein. This highly sensitive, SARS-CoV-2–specific, multiplex immunoassay measures the magnitude, complexity, and kinetics of the Ab response and can distinguish serum Ab responses from natural SARS-CoV-2 infections (mild or severe) and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
In Memory of Raffaele Gianotti
Authors: Massone Cesare , Perasole Antonio
Published: May 2021

Prof. Raffaele Gianotti (“Raf” for friends) was born on July 7th,1959 in Milan (Italy). His father, Prof. Ferdinando Gianotti (1920-1984), was a famous pediatric dermatologist that gave his name to the “papular acrodermatitis of childhood” (Gianotti-Crosti Syndrome) [...].
IL PUNTO DI VISTA DI UN REGOLATORE EPIGENETICO DELL'ESPRESSIONE GENICA, COMUNE A UOMO E PIANTE
Authors: Mantovani Roberto
Published: May 2021

The regulation of gene expression is at the heart of all the fundamental processes of living organisms. It is controlled by Transcriptional Factors which, by binding to specific DNA sequences of genomes, recruit protein machineries that modify the organization of chromatin (epigenetics). Our studies are focused on the NF-Y trimeric transcription factor, a crucial activator of gene expression in all eukaryotes. Two subunits have a structure similar to histones, the basic elements of chromatin, the third -NF-YA- confers specificity to the CCAAT box. I will illustrate how regulation of NF-Y complexes is important for two completely different gene expression systems: the neoplastic transformation of human cells, and the development of flowers in plants.
The Relationship Between Spiritual Well-Being and Burnout in Collegiate Athletic Trainers
Authors: Oglesby Leslie W. , Gallucci Andrew R , Wynveen Christopher , Ylitalo Kelly , Benson Nicholas
Published: May 2021

Context

Spiritual well-being is the expression of one's spirituality as measured in the dimensions of existential and religious well-being. The Smith Cognitive Affective Model of Athletic Burnout suggests that personality factors such as spiritual well-being and the use of religious coping methods may affect burnout as well as its causes and outcomes. This has not been examined in collegiate athletic trainers (ATs).

Objective

To investigate the relationship between spiritual well-being and burnout in collegiate ATs.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Web-based survey.

Patients or Other Participants

A total of 783 certified ATs employed full time in the collegiate setting participated. Part-time employees (eg, graduate assistants, interns) were excluded.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

A 100-item online questionnaire was created for this study. It used items from previously developed scales, including the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Brief RCOPE, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and substance-use questions from the Monitoring the Future study. Participants were able to complete the survey in approximately 10–15 minutes. Multiple regression analyses were used to analyze survey data. We mapped all independent (existential well-being, religious well-being, positive and negative religious coping) and dependent variables (situational variables, Maslach Burnout Inventory burnout subscales, substance use, and intention to leave) onto the Smith Cognitive-Affective Model of Athletic Burnout to determine which variables altered burnout levels, substance use, and intention to leave. Tests of mediation or moderation were conducted when appropriate.

Results

Existential well-being was a significant positive predictor of social support and a significant negative predictor of work-family conflict, decreased sense of personal accomplishment, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, intention to leave the profession, and binge drinking. Existential well-being also served as a mediator or moderator in several components of the model.

Conclusions

Existential well-being was a protective factor against burnout as well as some of the causes and effects of burnout in collegiate ATs.
Implementing Suicide Prevention Training into an Athletic Training Curriculum: An Introductory Model
Authors: Plos Jennifer M. , Crowley Kelly , Polubinsky Renee L. , Cerullo Cara
Published: May 2021

Context

Best practice guidelines indicate the need for suicide prevention training for athletic trainers. However, no resources exist that address suicide prevention programs that are specifically designed for athletic trainers and their roles working with student-athletes and mental health crisis teams.

Objective

To describe an introductory model for implementing suicide prevention training into an athletic training curriculum.

Background

Current Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education standards identify suicidal ideation as one of the behavioral health conditions that need to be addressed within athletic training curricula. Introducing educational models for implementing suicide prevention training and mental health emergency action plans (EAPs) into curricula will assist educators in preparing athletic training students to recognize and assist student-athletes who are in a suicidal crisis.

Description

An introductory educational model for implementing suicide prevention training into an athletic training curriculum that highlights gatekeeper training, appropriate suicide terminology, recognition of suicidal ideation in student-athletes, proper responses to student-athletes in crisis, use of experiential exercises, and development of a mental health—suicide-specific EAP.

Clinical Advantage(s)

Within this educational model, a threefold benefit exists for athletic training students: (1) engagement in meaningful experiential exercises to enhance their readiness to enter clinical practice with the skills and knowledge needed to recognize, assist, and refer student-athletes dealing with suicidal ideation; (2) skill development in the design, development, and implementation of a mental health—suicide-specific EAP; (3) interdisciplinary collaboration with mental health professionals that enhances appreciation for their expertise and promotes the value of each professional's role on the mental health crisis team.

Conclusion(s)

This introductory model for implementing suicide prevention training within an athletic training curriculum offers an instructional strategy that supports the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education standards, professional readiness for athletic training students, and interdisciplinary collaboration among mental health and athletic training professionals.
Implementation and evaluation of a team approach to managing diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy in the South African district health system
Authors: Abdool Zaheera , Naidoo Kovin , Visser Linda
Published: May 2021

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening programmes have been developed and implemented in different countries based on availability of resources. Most protocols developed for DR have been solely dedicated to DR screening without involving systemic screening.Aim: To implement and evaluate a DR screening model utilising a team of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) to manage diabetes mellitus (DM) to reduce DR progression.Setting: Primary healthcare clinics and Voortrekker hospital in Waterberg district of Limpopo province.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which a total of 107 patients with DM from seven clinics consented to participation. A proposed DR screening model was implemented where patients with DM were screened for systemic complications at clinics and referred to Voortrekker district hospital for retinal photography. Questionnaire responses evaluated the success of the screening process and operational challenges.Results: From the study population, 32 (29.1%) were male and 75 (70.1%) were female. The mean age of patients was 63.7 years with a mean weight of 80.69 kg. The mean duration of DM was 9.26 years and the mean haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level was 9.7%. From the 47 patients who had visual acuity less than 6/9, 74.5% had refractive error. About 10% (9.4%) had DR or diabetic macular oedema (DME) and 38.3% had other lesions. Referral to an ophthalmologist was necessary in 36.5% of cases.Conclusion: The implementation of a team approach to co-manage DM and DR utilising the developed protocol improved the quality of care for patients with DM in the district health system.
Quantitative Analysis of Gasoline Direct Injection Engine Emissions for the First 5 Firing Cycles of Cold Start
Authors: Hu Jinghu , Hall Matthew , Matthews Ron , Moilanen Peter , Wooldridge Steven , Yi Jianwen
Published: May 2021

A series of cold start experiments using a 2.0 liter gasoline turbocharged direct injection (GTDI) engine with custom controls and calibration were carried out using gasoline and iso-pentane fuels, to obtain the cold start emissions profiles for the first 5 firing cycles at an ambient temperature of 22°C. The exhaust gases, both emitted during the cold start firing and emitted during the cranking process right after the firing, were captured, and unburned hydrocarbon emissions (HC), CO, and CO2 on a cycle-by-cycle basis during an engine cold start were analyzed and quantified. The HCs emitted during gasoline-fueled cold starts was found to reduce significantly as the engine cycle increased, while CO and CO2 emissions were found to stay consistent for each cycle. Crankcase ventilation into the intake manifold through the positive-crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve system was found to have little effect on the emissions results. Cold start experiments fueled by highly volatile iso-pentane saw an overwhelming majority of the injected carbon captured in the exhaust gases, while a significant portion of the injected carbon during the gasoline-fueled cold starts was not captured. The comparative results not only validated the experimental methods, but also demonstrated that a significant fraction of the injected gasoline failed to evaporate during cold starts. During the first 5 firing cycles, 22% to 34% of the injected fuel mass was estimated to remain in the liquid phase and escaped capture. Because fuel could be carried over from one cycle to the next, in some cases, the actual unevaporated gasoline portion in a given cold start cycle could be even higher than that measured.
Accelerating the Generation of Static Coupling Injection Maps Using a Data-Driven Emulator
Authors: Mondal Sudeepta , Torelli Roberto , Lusch Bethany , Milan Petro Junior , Magnotti Gina M.
Published: May 2021

Accurate modeling of the internal flow and spray characteristics in fuel injectors is a critical aspect of direct injection engine design. However, such high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are often computationally expensive due to the requirement of resolving fine temporal and spatial scales. This paper addresses the computational bottleneck issue by proposing a machine learning-based emulator framework, which learns efficient surrogate models for spatiotemporal flow distributions relevant for static coupling injection maps, namely total void fraction, velocity, and mass, within a design space of interest. Different design points involving variations of needle lift, fuel viscosity, and level of non-condensable gas in the fuel were explored in this study. An interpretable Bayesian learning strategy was employed to understand the effect of the design parameters on the void fraction fields at the exit of the injector orifice. The results show a strong influence of the amount of non-condensable gas on the level of cavitation as well as the overall shape of the gas-phase structures at the orifice exit. The emulator framework involves the construction of deep autoencoders for efficient dimensionality reduction of the flowfields. Deep artificial neural networks were then employed for prediction of the flowfields for unknown operating conditions. The emulated flowfields were then tested by evaluating spray and combustion predictions from one-way coupling spray simulations. The analysis of the spray predictions from CFD-generated and emulator-predicted injections maps revealed that the emulation framework is capable of reproducing spray predictions with similar level of accuracy, yet at a fraction of the computational cost. The maximum achievable speed-up using the emulator framework is up to 2 million times over the traditional CFD approach for generating static coupling injection maps. The emulation framework provides an efficient pathway for integrating detailed injector simulations into spray and engine simulations.
Impact of Water Vapor on the Performance of a Cu-SSZ-13 Catalyst under Simulated Diesel Exhaust Conditions
Authors: Ottinger Nathan , Xi Yuanzhou , Keturakis Christopher , Liu Z. Gerald
Published: May 2021

Cu-SSZ-13 selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts are broadly applied in diesel aftertreatment systems for the catalytic conversion of oxides of nitrogen (NO + NO2). Diesel exhaust contains a wide range of water vapor concentrations depending on the operating condition. In this study, we evaluate the impact of water vapor on the relevant SCR catalytic functions including NOx conversion, NO oxidation, NH3 oxidation, and N2O formation under both standard and fast SCR conditions. Reactor-based experiments are conducted in the presence and absence of water vapor. Results indicate that water vapor can have both a positive and negative impact on low temperature NOx conversion for standard SCR reaction. At low inlet NOx concentrations, the presence of water vapor has a negative effect on NOx conversion, whereas, at high inlet NO concentrations, water vapor improves NOx conversion. At high temperatures, water vapor has a beneficial effect on NOx conversion at all NOx inlet concentrations evaluated. Experiments under fast SCR conditions reveal that water vapor improves low temperature NOx conversion mainly by minimizing the accumulation of ammonium nitrate, as evidenced with temperature programmed desorption (TPD) results. Furthermore, NO oxidation by ammonium nitrate formed under fast SCR conditions is shown to be significantly faster in the presence of water vapor.
Identification of In-Cylinder Aerosol Flow Induced Emissions due to Piston Ring Design in a DISI Single Cylinder LV Engine Using Oxygenated Synthetic Fuels
Authors: Blochum Sebastian , Ruch Fabian H. , Bastuck Thomas , Härtl Martin , Mittler Richard , Wachtmeister Georg
Published: May 2021

In the near future, pollutant and GHG emission regulations in the transport sector will become increasingly stringent. For this reason, there are many studies in the field of internal combustion research that investigate alternative fuels, one example being oxygenated fuels. Additionally, the design of engine components needs to be optimized to improve the thresholds of clean combustion and thus reduce particulates. Simulations based on PRiME 3D® for dynamic behaviors inside the piston ring group provide a guideline for experimental investigation. Gas flows into the combustion chamber are controlled by adjusting the piston ring design. A direct comparison of regular and synthetic fuels enables to separate the emissions caused by oil and fuel. This study employed a mixture of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and methyl formate (MeFo). These two components have no C-C bonds, and the mixture displayed extremely good performance in terms of the particle number (PN) emissions on an ambient level published in previous studies. This fuel property is employed in this study to identify oil induced, engine-out PN-emissions, while the combustion process remains almost identical to that of conventional gasoline. The PN-emissions are measured and subdivided into two ranges: larger than 10 nm and larger than 23 nm.

It was demonstrated that merely changing the piston ring design has an impact on raw PN engine emissions and gas flow behavior in the piston assembly. An increase in PN-emissions and lower blow-by level could only be detected by changing the piston ring design. With reduced, predicted fluid flows into the combustion chamber, lower VOC emissions could be observed during motored runs. The adaptations in the tested piston ring design demonstrate that it is possible to improve particulate emissions by modifying the piston ring group.