bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Usability of augmented reality technology in tele-mentorship for managing clinical scenarios—A study protocol
Authors: Bui Dung T. , Barnett Tony , Hoang Ha , Chinthammit Winyu
Published: March 2022

Background

Tele-mentorship is considered to offer a solution to training and providing professional assistance at a distance. Tele-mentoring is a method in which a mentor interactively guides a mentee at a different geographic location in real time using a technological communication device. During a healthcare procedure, tele-mentoring can support a medical expert, remote from the treatment site, to guide a less-experienced practitioner at a different geographic location. Augmented Reality (AR) technology has been incorporated in tele-mentoring systems in healthcare environments globally. However, evidence is absent about the usability of AR technology in tele-mentoring clinical healthcare professionals in managing clinical scenarios.

Aim

This study aims to evaluate the usability of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in tele-mentorship for managing clinical scenarios.

Methods

This study uses a quasi-experimental design. Four experienced health professionals and a minimum of twelve novice health practitioners will be recruited for the roles of mentors and mentees, respectively. In the experiment, each mentee wearing the AR headset performs a maximum of four different clinical scenarios in a simulated learning environment. A mentor who stays in a separate room and uses a laptop will provide the mentee remote instruction and guidance following the standard protocols for the treatment proposed for each scenario. The scenarios of Acute Coronary Syndrome, Acute Myocardial Infarction, Pneumonia Severe Reaction to Antibiotics, and Hypoglycaemic Emergency are selected, and the corresponding clinical management protocols developed. Outcome measures include the mentors and mentees’ perception of the AR’s usability, mentorship effectiveness, and the mentees’ self-confidence and skill performance.

Ethics

The protocol was approved by the Tasmania Health and Medical Human Research Ethics Committee (Project ID: 23343). The complete pre-registration of our study can be found at https://osf.io/q8c3u/.
Experiences of distortions to the passage of time during the Argentinian Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Brenlla María Elena , Germano Guadalupe , Seivane Mariana S. , da Lama Rocío Fernández , Ogden Ruth
Published: March 2022

The Coronavirus-19 global pandemic has forced many governments around the world to enforce “lockdowns” to curtail the spread of the virus. Studies conducted in the UK, France, Italy and Brazil have demonstrated that one consequence of these lockdowns is significant distortion to the speed of the passage of time. The current study sought to establish how the passage of time was experienced during the Argentinian lockdown. An online questionnaire was used to measure passage of time judgments for the day and the week, physical activity, satisfaction with social interaction, the extent to which daily routines had changed due to covid and demographic data. The results show that distortions to the passage of time were widely experienced during the lockdown in Argentina. There was a tendency for participants to report time passing more quickly than normal. A faster passage of time was associated with being a woman, of younger age and more physically active. A slower passage of time was therefore associated with being a man, of older age and less physically active. The results indicate that whilst distortions to the passage of time during the covid-19 crisis appear to be a global phenomenon, cross-cultural differences are apparent in the factors which influence temporal experience.
LncRNA-en adierazpen aldakorrak haurren leuzemia linfoblastiko akutuan dituen inplikazioak
Authors: Telleria Zufiaur Jaione , Illarregi Unai , López López Elixabet , Bilbao Aldaiturriaga Nerea , Gutierrez Camino Angela , Martín Guerrero Idoia
Published: March 2022

Haurren leuzemia linfoblastiko akutua (LLA) minbizi pediatrikorik ohikoena da eta heriotza kausa nagusia 20 urte baino gutxiagoko minbizidun gaixoen artean. Aurrerapen teknologikoei esker sailkapen zehaztasuna eta sendatze-tasa hobetu diren arren, oraindik ere asko dira birgaixotzen diren pazienteak. Hori dela eta, pazienteen estratifikazio eta tratamendu espezifikoagoen beharra azaleratu da. LLA minbizi oso heterogeneoa da eta azpitalde ezberdin ugari daude. Oraintsu, pazienteen estratifikazioa egiteko RNA ez-kodetzaileetan jarri da arreta, esaterako, RNA luze ez-kodetzaileetan (lncRNA). Molekula horiek proteinak kodetzen ez dituzten 200 nukleotido baino gehiagoko molekula erribonukleikoak dira, eta frogatu da funtzio erregulatzaile garrantzitsua dutela hainbat prozesu biologikotan, tartean, hematopoiesian.  Azken urteetan ugariak izan dira lncRNA-en adierazpen aldakorra LLA pediatrikoan aztertu dituzten ikerketak. Horietan, sekuentziazio edo array bidezko genoma osoko analisiak eta RT-qPCR bidezko lncRNA zehatzen adierazpena aztertuz, minbizi honen diagnosian, azpitalde ezberdinen sailkapenean, pronostikoan eta tratamenduan duten adierazpen patroi aldakorra ikertu dute. Hala, zenbait kasutan ondorioztatu da lncRNA-k erlazionatuta daudela leuzemia-zelulen proliferazio edo apoptosiarekin, birgaixotzeekin edo tratamenduekiko erresistentziarekin. Hori dela eta, dugun informazioa oraindik ere mugatua izan arren, lncRNA-ek mekanismo molekularretan dituzten funtzioak ezagutzea ezinbestekoa izango da, etorkizunean LLA gaixoen estratifikazio zehatza lortzeko eta tratamendu-itu berriak identifikatzeko.
2021. Kimikako Nobel Saria natura imitatzeari. Biomimetikaren eragina organokatalisiaren garapenean
Authors: Prieto Liher , Reyes Efraím , Uria Uxue , Carrillo Luisa , Vicario Jose L.
Published: March 2022

Prozesu biokimikoen behaketak eta ulerkuntzak ikertzailea inspiratu du entzimen jarrera antzeratzen duten molekula organiko bakunak aurkitzeko. 2021eko Kimikako Nobel Sariak biomimetikan oinarritutako organokatalisian egin den garapena nabarmendu du; gainera, organokatalizatzaileek zenbait abantaila ditzute jatorrizko aitzindari entzimatikoekin alderatuta, hautakortasun eta espezifikotasun hobetua erakusten baitute, besteak beste.
Bi oszilagailu harmonikodun eredu minimalista baten bidezko bero-errektifikazioa
Authors: Alaña Aitor , Muga J. Gonzalo , Pons Marisa
Published: March 2022

Bero-errektifikazioa aztertzen dugu harrapatutako bi atomo ezberdinez osatutako modelo minimalista baten bidez. Atomoek indar linealak jasaten dituzte laserren bidez sorturiko Langevin bainu efektiboekin kontaktuan, Doppler efektuaren bidez sortuak. Egoera egonkorreko korronteen adierazpen analitikoak lortzen ditugu. Sistema lineal honetan bero-korronte asimetrikoa lortzen da bainuen tenperatura eta bainuek sistemarekiko duten akoplamendua aldi berean trukatzen badira. Modelo honen parametro- espazioa ere aztertzen dugu bero-korronte asimetria maximizatzeko.
Fumagilina mikotoxinak aspergilosi inbaditzailearen garapenean duen rola aztertzeko SPE-UHPLC-DAD metodo analitikoa
Authors: Yaldebere Ane , González-Mendia Oskar , Guruceaga Xabier , Ramirez-García Andoni , Rementeria Aitor , Alonso Rosa María
Published: March 2022

Aspergillus fumigatus onddoak sortutako aspergilosi inbaditzailea mehatxua da immunoeskasia duten gaixoentzat. Azkeneko ikerketa batzuen arabera, fumagilinak, onddoak sortutako mikotoxinak, gaixotasunaren hedapenarekin zerikusia duela ikusi da. Hori dela eta, konposatu honen determinazioa lagungarria izan daiteke bai gaixotasunaren mekanismoak hobeto ulertzeko eta baita aspergilosi inbaditzailearen biomarkatzaile gisa erabili ahal izateko ere. Ikerketa mikrobiologikoetan fumagilinaren analisiak garrantzia izan arren, oraindik ez da haren determinaziorako metodo kuantitatiborik garatu zelula-hazkuntzako inguruneetan. Beraz, lan honetan fumagilinaren determinazio kuantitatiborako lehenengo metodo analitikoa balidatu da RPMI-1640 zelula-hazkuntzako ingurunean. Laginaren tratamendua fase solidoko erauzketarekin egin da, anioi trukatzaile sendoak diren modu mistoko kartutxoak erabiliz. Horrela, egon daitezkeen interferentziak modu eraginkorrean ezabatu dira, eta % 83 ± 7ko berreskurapena lortu da. Analisia fotodiodo detektagailuari akoplaturiko bereizmen oso altuko likido kromatografia erabiliz egin da 336 nm-ko uhin-luzeran. Horrela, metodoak EMA (Europako Medikamentuen Agentzia) eta FDA (Elikagai eta Sendagaien Administrazioa) agentziek balidazio bioanalitikoetarako zehazten dituzten parametro guztien onartze-irizpideak betetzen dituela egiaztatu da. Gero, metodoa A. fumigatus-en lau andui analizatzeko aplikatu da, eta bakoitzak mikotoxinaren kantitate desberdina ekoizteko gaitasuna daukala ikusi da.
Presencia (in)migrante, identidad nacional y democracia sexual en Europa
Authors: Gil Araujo Sandra
Published: March 2022

Este artículo indaga en las imbricaciones entre la cuestión migratoria y la identidad nacional, prestando especial atención al modo en que la dimensión familiar de las migraciones internacionales es problematizada bajo el paradigma de la integración. En la introducción se puntualizan unas preguntas que actuaran como guía ordenadora de los argumentos que organizan el texto. A continuación, retomo el legado de Abdelmalek Sayad para explicitar los puntos de partida de mis argumentaciones: las vinculaciones intrínsecas entre orden migratorio y orden nacional y la consiguiente ilegitimidad y provisionalidad de la presencia (in)migrante y sus familias. En los apartados siguientes muestro las relaciones entre la paulatina politización de la vida familiar de las poblaciones migrantes en el contexto europeo; los idearios de género, raza, clase y sexualidad que componen lo que Eric Fassin denomina el imperialismo de la democracia sexual y las cambiantes sustancias de las identidades nacionales.
Erodibilidade obtida por métodos indiretos e diretos de uma voçoroca localizada na região oeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul - Brasil
Authors: Barbosa Pinheiro Rinaldo Jose , Valli Nummer Andrea , Posser Fernandes Leila , Burkert Bastos Cezar Augusto
Published: March 2022

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar os resultados obtidos pela avaliação indireta e direta da erodibilidade em uma voçoroca localizada em uma área rural do município de São Francisco de Assis, região oeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, correlacionando-os ao comportamento destes materiais em campo. Esta avaliação foi realizada por meio de ensaios de desagregação, infiltrabilidade, perda de massa por imersão e ensaio de Inderbitzen (canal hidráulico), variando a condição de umidade inicial das amostras, em um perfil geológico-geotécnico constituído de latossolos arenosos sobre camadas de arenitos da Formação Guará. As amostras de arenito e do horizonte C, quando inundadas desagregaram completamente, o que não ocorreu com as amostras dos horizontes A e B. O horizonte A, independente da condição inicial de umidade, e o horizonte B, na condição de umidade natural, foram classificados como não erodíveis. O ensaio de desagregação foi usado de forma satisfatória na avaliação qualitativa da erodibilidade, evidenciando uma boa correlação com o comportamento das unidades estudadas em campo, sendo seus resultados compatíveis com aqueles obtidos nos ensaios de infiltrabilidade, erodibilidade específica e Inderbitzen.
Multi-Agent Systems to Realize Intelligent Asset Administration Shells
Authors: Sakurada Lucas , Leitão Paulo , Prieta Fernando De la , Corchado Juan M.
Published: March 2022

The digital transformation driven by the fourth industrial revolution is promoting the transition of traditional manufacturing systems towards flexible, reconfigurable and intelligent factories based on Cyber- Physical Systems (CPS), bringing new opportunities and innovative solutions for modern manufacturing systems. However, this condition imposes complex planning across the production chain and lifecycle of the industry. In this context, the Reference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0 (RAMI4.0) provides guidelines to develop Industry 4.0 (I4.0) compliant solutions based on industrial standards. As the main specification of RAMI4.0, the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) is a standardized digital representation of an asset that represents an object of value for the industry. This paper discusses how Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) technology can be used to realize the AAS, mapping their inherits characteristics into AAS functionalities and also extending them, introducing intelligence and data analytics capabilities.
Impact of udder infections on biochemical composition of milk in context of pesticides exposure
Authors: Ali Hala R. , Ali Samah F. , Abd-Algawad Rania H. , Sdeek Fayza A. , Arafa Mahmoud , Kamel Essam , Shahein Momtaz A.
Published: March 2022

Background and Aim: Environmental contaminants such as pesticides have shown immunomodulatory effects that can make animals highly susceptible to pathogenic invasion. The current work aims to study the incidence of udder infections in a single dairy herd of 160 cows in Qalyoubia Governorate, in relation to the potential intoxication of dairy cattle with organochlorine (OCs) pesticides. The study also aims to investigate the impact of udder infections on milk composition. Materials and Methods: The dairy herd was screened for udder infections using the California mastitis test and measurement of somatic cell count (SCC), followed by bacteriological and molecular analysis. In parallel, the milk samples were also tested for residues of 15 OCs compounds using gas chromatographic analysis. Results: The examined herd showed a high prevalence of mastitis (37.5%) and Mycoplasma was identified as the main bacterial pathogen. OCs residues were detected in milk of 45 cows out of 160 with a higher incidence in mastitic (43.3%) than in healthy cows (19%). Further, the biochemical analysis of milk showed a significant drop in major electrolytes combined with a significant rise in blood-borne electrolytes (Na and Cl) and total protein. This was more extreme in the case of Mycoplasam mastitis compared to non-Mycoplasma mastitis. In addition, Mycoplasma mastitic milk revealed a high level of malondialdehyde associated with reduced antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase), compared to non-Mycoplasma mastitis. Conclusion: Mycoplasma mastitis was shown to be associated with increased SCC and, in turn, appeared significantly correlated with increased biochemical changes in milk, indicating the serious impact of Mycoplasma mastitis on the dairy industry. Our data also show a strong correlation between increased SCC and biochemical changes in milk, suggesting that tested biochemical parameters might serve as potential biomarkers for the early detection of mastitis. The study also suggested a potential relationship between poisoning with OCs and susceptibility to bacterial udder infections. However, further studies are required to examine the immune status of a dairy herd in relation to the level of OCs in cow's blood, as well as the water sources used, grass forage and soil.
The Last Touched Vertebra on Supine Radiographs Can Be the Optimal Lower Instrumented Vertebra in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients
Authors: Kim Do-Hyoung , Hyun Seung-Jae , Lee Chang-Hyun , Kim Ki-Jeong
Published: March 2022

Objective: To determine whether the last touched vertebra (LTV) on supine radiographs is suitable for the lower instrumented vertebra (LIV) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) correction surgery.Methods: In total, 57 patients were included in the study following posterior instrumentation and fusion. The average follow-up period was 2.2 years. Patients were classified into 4 groups according to the relationship of the location of LIV, LTV, and the last substantially touched vertebra (LSTV) on upright radiographs and the LTV on supine radiographs. In group 1, the upright LTV and supine LTV were the same. Group 1 was subdivided into group 1A and group 1B according to whether the LTV and LSTV were different or the same, respectively. In group 2, the upright LTV was selected as the LIV, whereas in group 3, the supine LTV was selected as the LIV. The baseline characteristics and the preoperative and postoperative radiographic/clinical outcomes of the groups were analyzed.Results: No differences were found in the preoperative clinical and radiographic baseline characteristics of the 4 groups except the LIV-central sacral vertical line distance. The immediate, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year postoperative outcomes were not significantly different among the 4 groups. One patient (4.3%) in group 1A experienced radiographic addingon without clinical symptoms. No patients underwent revision surgery.Conclusion: The group in whom the LIV was selected as the LTV on supine x-rays showed similar postoperative radiographic and clinical results to other groups. The LTV on preoperative supine radiographs is acceptable as the LIV in AIS surgery to maximize motion segments.
Prediction of Discharge Status and Readmissions after Resection of Intradural Spinal Tumors
Authors: Jin Michael C. , Ho Allen L. , Feng Austin Y. , Medress Zachary A. , Pendharkar Arjun V. , Rezaii Paymon , Ratliff John K. , Desai Atman M.
Published: March 2022

Objective: Intradural spinal tumors are uncommon and while associations between clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes have been explored, there remains a paucity of literature unifying diverse predictors into an integrated risk model. To predict postresection outcomes for patients with spinal tumors.Methods: IBM MarketScan Claims Database was queried for adult patients receiving surgery for intradural tumors between 2007 and 2016. Primary outcomes-of-interest were nonhome discharge and 90-day postdischarge readmissions. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization duration and postoperative complications. Risk modeling was developed using a regularized logistic regression framework (LASSO, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) and validated in a withheld subset.Results: A total of 5,060 adult patients were included. Most surgeries utilized a posterior approach (n = 5,023, 99.3%) and tumors were most commonly found in the thoracic region (n = 1,941, 38.4%), followed by the lumbar (n = 1,781, 35.2%) and cervical (n = 1,294, 25.6%) regions. Compared to models using only tumor-specific or patient-specific features, our integrated models demonstrated better discrimination (area under the curve [AUC] [nonhome discharge] = 0.786; AUC [90-day readmissions] = 0.693) and accuracy (Brier score [nonhome discharge] = 0.155; Brier score [90-day readmissions] = 0.093). Compared to those predicted to be lowest risk, patients predicted to be highest-risk for nonhome discharge required continued care 16.3 times more frequently (64.5% vs. 3.9%). Similarly, patients predicted to be at highest risk for postdischarge readmissions were readmitted 7.3 times as often as those predicted to be at lowest risk (32.6% vs. 4.4%).Conclusion: Using a diverse set of clinical characteristics spanning tumor-, patient-, and hospitalization-derived data, we developed and validated risk models integrating diverse clinical data for predicting nonhome discharge and postdischarge readmissions.
Governance and Sustainability in Local Government
Authors: Armstrong Anona , Li Yongqiang
Published: March 2022

According to auditor reports in 2021, local government councils are failing their communities and their voters. Victorian Auditor General’s Office (VAGO) Reports 2021 suggest that the Councils of local governments are rife with conflicts of interest, manipulation of land deals, lacking independence and captured by their CEOs. The Victorian Government has recently introduced a new Local Government Act 2020 (VIC) to address the corruption, poor professional conducts of particular individuals and poor organisational culture exhibited by local government councils. The paper raises questions about what this will mean for local government governance, risk management and accountability, culture and leadership, relationships within councils, and how the inclusion of community governance will impact on the selection of and efficient delivery of programs. A fundamental challenge facing local government is determining the sustainable governance structures and practices that meet the needs of their communities in ways that balance economic, environmental, social and governance concerns. The paper draws on previous research that touch on ESG issues and identifies some areas for further research.
Exploring Future Hybrid Accounting: A Review of Water Accounting and Management Research
Authors: Liao Siyun , Khan Aila
Published: March 2022

A review of the literature provides empirical evidence that companies use water accounting (WA) to address water shortages and water management issues. Our systematic review suggests two key points: first, phenomena such as water shortages and freshwater scarcity are no longer limited to less developed areas in Asia. Developed economies may also experience a water crisis. Second, in view of the increased pressure from stakeholders, there is a growing tendency amongst firms to manage risks around water as a resource and to implement rigid control of water consumption.
Public participation geographical information systems (PPGIS): Participatory research methods for sustainability ‐ toolkit #1
Authors: Fagerholm Nora , García-Martín María , Torralba Mario , Bieling Claudia , Plieninger Tobias
Published: March 2022

Participatory mapping is a useful approach to engage the general public and stakeholders to communicate place-based values, behaviour, preferences and observations. The approach informs social-ecological research and land-use planning. In land-use planning, PPGIS is applicable, for
example, in initial phases or for assessing project outcomes. This toolkit gives guidance on participatory mapping surveys.
Corona-Wissenschaft: postnormal, nachhaltig oder reduktiv?
Authors: Tretter Felix , Simon Karl-Heinz
Published: March 2022

Die Corona-Krise zeigt es: Medizinische Fächer wie Virologie und Epidemiologie stiften teilweise Orientierung, aber erkennen ihre Grenzen und den Bedarf, Brücken zu schlagen, zu wenig. Wissenschaftstheoretische Reflexionen der ,,Corona-Medizin“ wären sinnvoll, auch
in Hinblick auf den Anschluss zur Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaft.
Social Innovation Model In Indigenous Community
Authors: Philemon Timothy Andrianus , Widyarini Maria , Rachmawati Tutik , Simatupang Elivas
Published: March 2022

During the past decade, social entrepreneurship has become an emerging topic. The primary objective of social entrepreneurship is to address social issues through a business lens. Social capital is a critical indicator of a social enterprise's sustainability. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to examine social capital and its role in the innovation process. At the moment, no valid model adequately describes the role of social capital in social innovation, particularly in indigenous communities. The available model is intended for use in the private sector only for social innovation. The purpose of this paper is to discuss bridging and bonding at the level of actor-actor interaction to the innovation process in the Cireundeu indigenous community. Social innovation is believed to stimulate business growth by leveraging additional ideas from external sources, providing a new capacity for the community to develop a local economy. This paper aims to develop a conceptual model of social capital in social innovation to understand the actors' innovation capabilities better.
The Principle of Good-Neighbourliness in International Nuclear Law
Authors: Gadkowski Tomasz
Published: March 2022

The paper is an English translation of Zasada dobrego sąsiedztwa w międzynarodowym prawie atomowym by Tadeusz Gadkowski, published originally in Polish in 1997. The text is published as a part of a jubilee edition of the “Adam Mickiewicz University Law Review. 100th Anniversary of the Department of Public International Law” devoted to the achievements of the representatives of the Poznań studies on international law.
The Cyclicality of Immigrant Wages and Labour Market Flows: Evidence from Spain
Authors: Gálvez-Iniesta Ismael
Published: March 2022

This article studies the responses of real wages and labour market flows of immigrants in Spain for the period between 1999 and 2019. By using Labour Force Survey microdata, I examine the cyclicality of job-finding and job-separation rates for immigrants and natives over the long Spanish economic expansion and the sharp contraction. During the expansion, 1999–2007, the job-finding rate was higher for immigrants than for natives, but both rates converged to a lower level after the Great Recession took place in 2008. I also find that the impact of the crisis on the job-separation rate was more than three times as high for immigrants than for natives. By using longitudinal social security data, I find that wage cyclicality is higher for immigrants than for natives: a one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate is associated with a 0.61 and 0.85% drop in real wages for natives and immigrants, respectively. However, these differences only occur among low-tenure workers. This study provides novel empirical evidence to enrich macroeconomic theories on the interaction of economic cycles and the impact of immigration.
On the subring of special cycles
Authors: Kudla Stephen S.
Published: March 2022

By old results with Millson, the generating series for the cohomology classes of special cycles on orthogonal Shimura varieties over a totally real field are Hilbert–Siegel modular forms. These forms arise via theta series. Using this result and the Siegel–Weil formula, we show that the products in the subring of cohomology generated by the special cycles are controlled by the Fourier coefficients of triple pullbacks of certain Siegel–Eisenstein series. As a consequence, there are comparison isomorphisms between special subrings for different Shimura varieties. In the case in which the signature of the quadratic space V is

(
m
,
2
)

(m,2)

at an even number

d
+

d_{+}

of archimedean places, the comparison gives a “combinatorial model” for the special cycle ring in terms of the associated totally positive definite space.
QuarantivityVR: Supporting Self-Embodiment for Non-HMD Users in Asymmetric Social VR Games
Authors: Yassien Amal , Soliman Mohamed Ahmed , Abdennadher Slim
Published: March 2022

The prevalence of immersive head-mounted display (HMD) social virtual reality (VR) applications introduced asymmetric interaction among users within the virtual environment (VE). Therefore, researchers opted for (1) exploring the asymmetric social VR interaction dynamics in only co-located setups, (2) assigning interdependent roles to both HMD and non-HMD users, and (3) representing non-HMD users as abstract avatars in the VE. Therefore, we investigate the feasibility of supporting Self-Embodiment in an asymmetric VR interaction mode in a remote setup. To this end, we designed an asymmetric social VR game, QuarantivityVR, to (1) support sense of self-embodiment for non-HMD users in a remote setting by representing them as realistic full-body avatars within the VE, (2) augment visual-motor synchrony for the non-HMD users to increase their sense of agency and presence by detecting their motion through Kinect sensor and laptop’s webcam. During the game, each player performs three activities in succession, namely movie-guessing, spelling-bee, and answering mathematical questions. We believe that our work will act as a step towards the inclusion of a wide spectrum of users that can not afford full immersion and will aid researchers in creating enjoyable interactions for both users in the physical and virtual spaces.
3D virtual full-loop CFD simulation of industrial two-stage FCC reaction–regeneration system
Authors: Zhong Hanbin , Chen Jing , Gao Fei , Zhang Juntao , Zhu Yuqin , Niu Ben
Published: March 2022

The 3D virtual full-loop CFD simulation method with two-fluid model (TFM) was developed to model an industrial two-stage FCC reaction–regeneration system. The virtual connections (mass, species, and energy) between riser reactors, disengager, stripper, and regenerator were realized by defining user-defined functions (UDFs) for boundary conditions according to the reality. Five correction factors were used to correct the reaction rates in the 14-lump FCC reaction kinetics, and two correction factors were used to correct the FCC reaction heat in the first and second riser reactors. As a result, the whole FCC reaction–regeneration system was successfully modeled in one single CFD case. A thorough and comprehensive view of the performance of reaction–regeneration system was obtained by the 3D virtual full-loop CFD simulation, which is helpful for the operating and optimization of FCC unit. The major predicted results were in a good agreement with the industrial data. The effects of operating conditions were also investigated by changing regenerated temperature, catalyst to oil (CTO) ratio, and process capacity.
Analysis of nozzle clogging position in a continuous casting mold
Authors: Jinbo Li , Tao Zhang , Fubin Gao , Yankun Gong , Dan Zhou
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the flow field of the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) in the continuous casting process is analyzed in detail by numerical simulation. It is found that the front and rear positions of the SEN outlets and the bottom of the nozzle are prone to the accumulation of inclusions. Compared with the actual SEN, the clogging positions with the simulated results are consistent. The composition of nozzle nodules at two different positions is analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the inclusions are alumina. The changes in molten steel level characteristics in the mold without and after clogging are compared and analyzed. It is found that the velocity of molten steel near the surface with nozzle clogging reaches 0.483 m/s, the free level fluctuation value of molten steel is 8.9 mm, which is easy to cause steel defects.
Prediction of bearing capacity of driven piles for Basrah governatore using SPT and MATLAB
Authors: Karkush Mahdi O. , Sabaa Majeed R. , Salman Alaa D. , Al-Rumaithi Ayad
Published: March 2022

Based on the results of standard penetration tests (SPTs) conducted in Al-Basrah governorate, this research aims to present thematic maps and equations for estimating the bearing capacity of driven piles having several lengths. The work includes drilling 135 boreholes to a depth of 10 m below the existing ground level and three standard penetration tests (SPT) at depths of 1.5, 6, and 9.5 m were conducted in each borehole. MATLAB software and corrected SPT values were used to determine the bearing capacity of driven piles in Al-Basrah. Several-order interpolation polynomials are suggested to estimate the bearing capacity of driven piles, but the first-order polynomial is considered the most straightforward. Furthermore, the root means squared error (RMSE) for all suggested polynomials are roughly the same. The production of thematic maps demonstrates the variation in bearing capacity of driven piles over the entire territory of Al-Basrah governorate in correlation with different depths. The results of the statistical equations showed that there is good agreement with those obtained from the SPT data. When compared with the observed values from SPT, the allowable bearing capacity results for the driven piles ranged from (−3 to +38)%. The main results of this study showed a variation of 30% between calculated and estimated values of bearing capacity of driven piles for all lengths of piles at a 95% confidence interval.
Nonlinear Thermal Transport with Inertia in Thin Wires: Thermal Fronts and Steady States
Authors: Sciacca Michele , Jou David
Published: March 2022

In a series of papers we have obtained results for nonlinear heat transport when thin wires exchange heat non-linearly with the surroundings, with particular attention to propagating solitons. Here we obtain and discuss new results related to the propagation of nonlinear heat fronts and some conceptual aspects referring to the application of the second principle of thermodynamics to some nonlinear steady states related to non-propagating solitons.
Familial early-onset obesity in Turkish children: variants and polymorphisms in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene
Authors: Kırmızıbekmez Heves , Kendir Demirkol Yasemin , Akgün Doğan Özlem , Seymen Gülcan , İnan Balcı Elif , Atla Pınar , Dursun Fatma
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Genetic factors have a key role in childhood obesity with higher rates in children than adults. Among the monogenic types of non-syndromic obesity, melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) deficiency is the most frequent cause. Beside pathogenic variants, single-nucleotide polymorphisms in MC4R gene are also associated with lower energy expenditure. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of MC4R variants and polymorphisms in a cohort of Turkish children and adolescents with severe early-onset obesity, and to understand the clinical features of patients.

Methods

Patients, 1–17 years of age, with the onset of obesity before 10 years of age and a body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS) of >2.3, and who had a family history of early-onset obesity in at least one of their first-degree relatives were included in the study. Beside routine blood tests genetic analyses for MC4R gene were performed.

Results

Analyses of MC4R revealed previously known variations in three (3.5%) patients, and pathogenic polymorphisms related with obesity in four (4.7%) patients. BMI SDS values were between 2.8 and 5.5 SDS in the pathogenic variant carrier group, and 2.8–4.9 SDS in the polymorphism group. Mean BMI SDS in variant-negative group was 3.4 ± 0.82.

Conclusions

Investigation of the MC4R in individuals with early-onset obesity and presence of obesity first-degree relatives is important. Hypertension is a rare comorbidity compared to other causes. Contrary to studies reporting that insulin resistance was absent or very rare, we found it as a frequent finding in both pathogenic variants and polymorphisms of MC4R.
On Armstrong’s Radical Absolutism
Authors: Tricard Julien
Published: March 2022

Within the metaphysics of quantity, the debate rages between Absolutism and Comparativism. In retrospect, Armstrong appears to be an absolutist, for he claims that magnitudes like being 1 kg in mass are intrinsic properties of particulars, in virtue of which relations like being twice as massive as hold. More importantly, his theory is an instance of what I call ‘Radical Absolutism’ (and the only on the market), for he does not merely argue that relations are grounded in magnitudes, but also (and quite admirably) tries to explain how they “flow from” (his words) the intrinsic features of magnitudes. The goal of the paper is not to support his theory, but to better understand why it fails, and why this must be of concern to contemporary absolutists.
On extensions of the Open Door Lemma
Authors: Amani Mostafa , Aghalary Rasoul , Ebadian Ali , Cho Nak Eun
Published: March 2022

The Open Door Lemma is the well-known famous result due to Miller and Mocanu that provides a sufficient condition for an analytic function on the unit disk to have positive real part. This lemma has already been corrected by Kuroki and Owa for non-real initial point. Also, Li and Sugawa extended the Open Door Lemma in a such way that an analytic function takes its values in the given symmetric sector. Now, by the same methods, we provide a sufficient condition for an analytic function to take its values in the asymmetric arbitrary sector.
Stability and feedback stabilizability of delay periodic differential equations with pairwise permutable matrix functions
Authors: Medveď Milan , Pospíšil Michal
Published: March 2022

Representation of solutions of delayed differential equations with multiple delays and periodic coefficients is established. Consequently, results on stabilizability of weakly delayed closed-loop systems and stability of non-weakly delayed periodic systems are proved. The stabilizability result is an extension of the classical Brunovský theorem for linear periodic systems of ordinary differential equations to a class of delay differential equations with pairwise permutable matrix functions.
Optically tunable split-ring resonators controlled lead sulfide quantum dots modulator for wide THz radiation
Authors: Xu Yifei , Song Qi , Li Enen , Zhang Min , Sun Zhenhua , Wang Tianwu , Liu Fang , Yan Peiguang
Published: March 2022

It is particularly appealing for efficient active terahertz (THz) modulators using photonic structures to enhance light–matter interaction. Here, an optical controlled THz modulator is proposed that combines lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots with subwavelength metallic split-ring resonators (SRRs) for providing field enhancement. The modulation depth reaches 60.3%, which is approximately 3 times larger than the PbS quantum dots film without SRRs (as reference) in the frequency range of 0.1–1.1 THz. Such significant enhanced THz modulation is mainly due to the local THz field enhancement caused by the SRRs, which is consistent with the simulation result.
Recent progress in metasurface-enabled optical waveplates
Authors: Deng Yadong , Cai Ziru , Ding Yingtao , Bozhevolnyi Sergey I. , Ding Fei
Published: March 2022

The polarization of light is crucial for numerous optical applications ranging from quantum information processing to biomedical sensing due to the fundamental role of polarization as another intrinsic characteristic of optical waves, which is uncorrelated with the amplitude, phase, and frequency. However, conventional optical waveplates that enable polarization control are based on the accumulated retardation between two orthogonally polarized electric fields when light propagates a distance much larger than its wavelength in birefringent materials, resulting in bulky configurations and limited functionalities. Optical metasurfaces, ultrathin arrays of engineered meta-atoms, have attracted increasing attention owing to their unprecedented capabilities of manipulating light with surface-confined configurations and subwavelength spatial resolutions, thereby opening up new possibilities for revolutionizing bulky optical waveplates with ultrathin planar elements that feature compactness, integration compatibility, broadband operation bandwidths, and multiple functionalities. Herein, we review the recent progress in metasurface-enabled optical waveplates, which covers both basic principles and emerging applications. We provide an overview of metasurface-based conventional half- and quarter-waveplates as well as their use in wavefront shaping applications, followed by a discussion of advanced waveplates, including multifunctional waveplates and all-polarization generators. We also discuss dynamic waveplates based on active metasurfaces. Finally, we conclude by providing our outlook in this emerging and fast-growing research field.
Hans Vaihinger und die Stiftung Nietzsche-Archiv. Die Briefe an Richard Oehler
Authors: Neuber Matthias
Published: March 2022

Hans Vaihinger and the Stiftung Nietzsche-Archiv. The Letters to Richard Oehler. Hans Vaihinger’s letters to Richard Oehler document the ideological constellation in the context of the First World War. Unconcealed enthusiasm for the war, associated national-chauvinist resentment, and pronounced anti-communism immediately after the war clearly emerge. At first sight, this may be surprising, since Vaihinger is generally regarded as a progressive liberal pacifist. As this article attempts to make clear, however, it is also evident in Vaihinger’s case that the First World War and its immediate aftermath led – at least temporarily – to quite questionable intellectual attitudes even among declared pacifists. In this respect, Vaihinger’s letters to Nietzsche’s cousin, librarian at the Nietzsche Archive in Weimar and later convinced National Socialist Richard Oehler are evaluated as revealing documents of contemporary history.
Study on modal parameter identification of engineering structures based on nonlinear characteristics
Authors: Guo Wei , Rubaiee Saeed , Ahmed Anas , Othman Asem Majed , Khosla Atul
Published: March 2022

To study the nonlinear characteristics of the modal recognition of civil engineering parameters, a method of nonlinear recognition of the parameters of characteristics based on LMD is proposed. The LMD method is applied to decompose the acceleration response signals of the disturbing structure of the building, to obtain the PF components, the instantaneous frequency, and the instantaneous amplitude of each PF component, to determine the modal natural frequency and damping coefficient. To determine the modal parameter based on the LMD, the calculation and analysis results are presented as follows: the frequency of the components fluctuates between the fifth and sixth models, which shows that the components contain the reaction of the fifth and sixth design modes. This is because these two modes (3.101 Hz and 3.147 Hz) are very close to each other, which makes it difficult to distinguish between the responses of these two modes by the LMD method. The frequency of the components is always stable (the first 2.5 s), which indicates that during this period the responses of modes 5e and 6e do not dampen, and the ratio between them in the PF1 components does not differ much. The component frequency curve shows an interesting phenomenon. Starting from about 3.8 s, the frequency curve gradually approaches the first mode, and only the frequency of the first mode is about 6 s, which indicates that the response of the first mode still exists and makes up a significant proportion. Modular response, caused by the damping, is only detected in the first half of the 10 s response, after which it is verified from the nonlinear characteristics of the LMD parameter recognition method that half of the third-order modal response on the scale is very low and almost equal to zero, and despite problems with dense frequency separation mode in the LMD method, the frequency responses of its PF components may reflect the mode combination phenomenon and reflect the duration of each mode throughout the response.
Perceptions and knowledge regarding quality and safety of plastic materials used for food packaging
Authors: Macena Morgana Weber , Carvalho Rita , Cruz-Lopes Luísa Paula , Guiné Raquel P. F.
Published: March 2022

The objective of this study is to investigate the consumer perceptions about quality and safety of foods packed in plastic, as well as the impact of plastic materials on human health. To carry out the study, a questionnaire survey about the consumption habits and knowledge about plastic packaging was conducted to a sample of 487 Portuguese adult citizens. The results revealed that most respondents (81%) think about food safety and quality when purchasing foods. Additionally, it was found that the consumer’s knowledge about the toxicity of components possibly migrating from the plastic packaging to the food is still limited (only 46% of participants). However, other negative effects of plastics well known to consumers include environmental pollution and marine fauna degradation (67 and 82% of participants, respectively). Thus, it was concluded that the Portuguese population need to be further educated about the toxicity of some chemical compounds present in plastic packaging, which can be ingested by migrating to the food or which can be absorbed from the environmental microplastics resulting from incorrect disposal.
The use of statistical models to determine the age of the deceased and the issue of children’s graves identified by the models as adult burials. Based on the example of burials of Tarnobrzeg Lusatian Culture
Authors: Rajpold Wojciech
Published: March 2022

Childhood is the moment in every man’s life when they learn the rules governing the society to which they belong. This process of learning certain principles usually ends when the individual reaches the appropriate age. In primitive communities it was necessary to undergo complex and sometimes painful initiation processes. These moments could be different from one another depending on the community and gender, and what is more, it was often multi-stage. It usually occurred at the age of 14/15 for boys and even a little earlier for girls. It is assumed that up to 60 % of people in the prehistoric populations were under 18 years of age, so it should be assumed that the very moment of initiation could have occurred particularly early. As part of this study, which is the result of NSC grant implemented by the author concerning age and gender determinants in the graves of Tarnobrzeg Lusatian Culture, the author has developed a logit mathematical model that allows to determine on the basis of two variables (vessel size and amount of remains) whether an adult or a child was buried in a given burial. In the case of adults, this model shows very high effectiveness reaching almost 90 %. However, for children, we record ‘only’ 70 % of the correct determinations. There are some indications to believe that among these 30 % false indications there are burials of children who have undergone the initiation process. Confirmation of this thesis and a thorough investigation of this phenomenon are very important because, in a broader source perspective, they can contribute to the discussion on the cultural and biological age in prehistoric populations. It would also create additional opportunities for cooperation between anthropologists and archaeologists, as it is impossible to identify child burials wrongly qualified by the model without the help of the former. In order to verify this regularity, three groups obtained thanks to the model have been assessed in this paper: adults, children correctly indicated by the model and the ones who had been erroneously identified. The tools in the analytical process were various methods of statistical inference, such as: correspondence table, odds ratio chart and chi^2 test. On the basis of the analyses carried out, it was possible to establish that there had been numerous similarities (including similar dimensions and form of urns) between burials of adults and those of children indicated by the model as adults.
Recent progress on fabrication methods of graphene-based membranes for water purification, gas separation, and energy sustainability
Authors: Rehman Faisal , Memon Fida Hussain , Ali Akbar , Khan Shah Masaud , Soomro Faheeda , Iqbal Muzaffar , Thebo Khalid Hussain
Published: March 2022

Graphene-based layered materials have got significant interest in membrane technology for water desalination, gas separation, organic nanofiltration, pervaporation, proton exchange applications, etc. and show remarkable results. Up to date, various methods have been developed for fabrication of high performance membrane. Most of them are only suitable for research purposes, but not appropriate for mass transport barrier and membrane applications that require large-area synthesis. In this comprehensive review, we summarized the current synthesis and fabrication methods of graphene-based membranes. Emphasis will be given on fabrication of both graphene-based nanoporous and lamellar membranes. Finally, we discuss the current engineering hurdles and future research directions yet to be explored for fabrication of such membranes.
On the spread of outerplanar graphs
Authors: Gotshall Daniel , O’Brien Megan , Tait Michael
Published: March 2022

The spread of a graph is the difference between the largest and most negative eigenvalue of its adjacency matrix. We show that for sufficiently large

n

n

, the

n

n

-vertex outerplanar graph with maximum spread is a vertex joined to a linear forest with

Ω

(

n

)

\Omega \left(n)

edges. We conjecture that the extremal graph is a vertex joined to a path on

n
−
1

n-1

vertices.