bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comportamento sedentário e sua associação com incapacidade funcional em idosos
Authors: Lopes Elaine Cristina , Cândido Letícia Martins , Avelar Núbia Pereira Carelli de , Danielewicz Ana Lúcia
Published: November 2022

Atividades sedentárias são frequentes em idosos, tornando importante avançar o conhecimento sobre o comportamento sedentário (CS) e sua relação com a capacidade funcional da população idosa, a fim de contribuir para implementação de intervenções de promoção à saúde. Objetivo: Identificar pontos de corte do CS para rastreio de incapacidade funcional e verificar sua associação com a presença de incapacidade nas atividades básicas (ABVDs) e instrumentais (AIVDs) da vida diária em idosos comunitários. Métodos: Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, domiciliar, realizado com 308 idosos comunitários. As incapacidades nas ABVDs e AIVDs foram avaliadas pelo Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire. Idosos com relato de “pouca/muita dificuldade” ou “incapacidade total” para realizar ao menos uma tarefa em cada domínio foram classificados com incapacidade. O tempo despendido em CS foi avaliado pela média ponderada do tempo sentado em um dia da semana e um dia de final de semana, avaliado pelo Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física. Os pontos de corte do CS para rastrear a incapacidade foram obtidos pela análise da curva ROC. Resultados: Os idosos que permaneceram tempo ≥ 4,4h/dia em CS tiveram 1,92 (IC95%:1,03; 3,57) vezes maiores chances de incapacidade nas AIVDs e aqueles que ficavam ≥ 4,3h/dia em CS tiveram 2,36 (IC95%:1,37;4,05) vezes maiores chances de incapacidade nas ABVDs, comparados aos que ficavam tempo inferior em CS. Conclusão: Estes dados sugerem que os idosos residentes na comunidade limitem o tempo em CS, evitando tempo superior a 4,3 horas diárias, a fim de prevenir a ocorrência de incapacidades funcionais.
Bodies of Knowledge in Philostratus’ Life of Apollonius
Authors: Kelting Edward
Published: November 2022

Philostratus’ Life of Apollonius uses the transmigration of the soul to tie the present to the past through corporal metaphors of cultural preservation. These metaphors are laced throughout Apollonius’ visits to Indian Brahmans and Ethiopian naked sages (Gymnoi), two wisdom groups who respectively celebrate and deny the embodied knowledge of the past that reincarnation allows. This somatic line of thinking culminates in a debate over the Gymnoi’s eponymous nudity, which Apollonius critiques on two counts: it wrongly suggests that the Gymnoi can divest themselves of their past and creates a false dichotomy between clothes and body, ornament and essence.
The Syntax-Morphology Interface in Ancient Greek
Authors: Asraf Nadav
Published: November 2022

Even though syntax and morphology are generally taken to be distinct components of language, two morphological structures in Ancient Greek—denominal adjectives and compounds—possess syntactical properties in that their morphemes, rather than the whole words, participate in select syntactical processes. These phenomena, occurring at the boundary between syntax and morphology, ostensibly violate the generative Lexical Integrity Principle. Nonetheless, instances of such phenomena can be found in various Ancient Greek sources. These instances, traditionally treated as ad sensum constructiones or as syntactical mishaps, are not bereft of internal consistency, and in fact form their own well-organized subsystem and even obey an implicational hierarchy.
The diurnal advertisement and response call of Pulchrana glandulosa (Anura: Ranidae) (Boulenger, 1882), from Langkawi Island, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Ong Dasi , Shahrudin Shahriza
Published: November 2022

Most of Malaysian’s anuran species are nocturnally active, including Pulchrana glandulosa. However, all the studies on the description of this species’ call were done during nocturnal surveys in Sarawak, Borneo. Here we report the diurnal call of this frog from Langkawi Island, Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia. This male frog exhibits two types of calls: repetitive one-note advertisement calls and multiple-note response calls. Anuran bioacoustics can use to monitor the well-being of the environment they occupy. This information is very informative for the conservation management authority and decision-making for conservation purposes. The diurnal call of this frog is a rare discovery and was not yet described in previous records. This research shows us that this frog calls diurnally and nocturnally because its skin secretion has a high toxicity level. Besides that, this frog is well known for its loud “WAHK” call at night. However, the diurnal call is not as rare as one thinks; we need to know the specific spot at a specific time of occurrence. Furthermore, these surveys also need to be done diurnally to minimise the undetected species behaviour as in this study, which is essential for our scientific community.
Marxist Analysis of Alienation (1973)
Authors: Sève Lucien
Published: November 2022

Lucien Sève (1926–2020) was one of the foremost Marxist theoreticians of the Parti Communiste Français. An indomitable opponent of both structural and humanist Marxism, his 1973 article reprinted below represents the core of his conception of alienation. For Sève, whilst the mature Marxism of Das Kapital is fundamentally distinct from the speculative humanism of the 1844 Manuscripts in placing capital, not abstract labour, at the heart of alienation, this reinforces, rather than replaces, the role of alienation at the centre of Marx’s mature thought, and hence of Marxism itself.
La mémoire d’al-Ḥīra et la notice de ʿAdī b. Zayd dans le Kitāb al-Aġānī au regard des sources tardo-antiques et médiévales
Authors: Croq Alice , Brelaud Simon
Published: November 2022

L’étude vise à retracer le milieu de production des histoires de ʿAdī b. Zayd, poète « chrétien » d’al-Ḥīra, et de sa famille, en comparant la version fournie dans le Kitāb al-Aġānī aux autres traditions historiographiques tardo-antiques et médiévales, d’une part, et en soumettant cette version à la critique textuelle et littéraire, d’autre part. Les résultats permettent de défendre l’hypothèse que ces histoires auraient été élaborées à al-Ḥīra, entre 602 et 633 ap. J.-C., afin d’affirmer la légitimité de la famille des Banū Ayyūb à dominer la ville. L’enquête montre aussi que le Kitāb al-Aġānī est un témoin précieux de la circulation de l’information entre milieux chrétiens et musulmans en Mésopotamie durant les premiers siècles de l’islam.
Christianity, Personality and Environmental Concern among 13- to 15-year-old Students in England and Wales
Authors: Francis Leslie J. , Walker David S. , Village Andrew
Published: November 2022

This study explores the connection between Christianity and environmental concern among a sample of 23,714 13- to 15-year-old students (who self-identify as Christian or self-identify as no religion) employing three scales of Attitude toward Christianity, Conservative Christian Belief, and Environmental Concern and Behaviour, together with measures of personality, church attendance, and personal prayer. The key findings are that: religious behaviours, church attendance and personal prayer, are significant predictors, with churchgoing and praying students holding higher levels of environmental concern and behaviour; religious affect is more significant than religious behaviours, with a positive attitude toward Christianity accounting for greater variance than churchgoing and prayer in predicting higher levels of environmental concern and behaviour; conservative Christian belief is associated with lower levels of environmental concern and behaviour (after taking into account religious practice and religious affect); and nominal Christian affiliation is associated with lower levels of environmental concern and behaviour.
Romancing the Nation
Authors: Aldoughli Rahaf
Published: November 2022

Spanning the era of the two Assads (father and son) up to 2007 (the referendum year confirming Bashar al-Assad’s continuation as president) and songs produced during the war, this study will explore the role of ‘love’ (hub) and its relation to ‘blood’ (dam) in the continuity and persistence of heroism in the national narrative. As a form of politics, love and blood have served the Baathist state in obtaining and using power and domination. This article investigates the various ways love as a political tool has been instrumentalized to legitimize the regime and construct national ties and unity. As such, this study interrogates the connection between the sacralization of the nation and the construction of love as a political and cultural tool to subject loyalty and subordination in political culture. Understanding discursive appropriations of love in this way offers a fresh perspective into the meaning—and most importantly, the politics—of love in modern Syria and its relation to Baathism, the Syrian uprising, and popular culture. In this context, the use of the term ‘love’ (hub) by the opposition has become a confirmatory tool of the regime’s illegitimacy. While ‘love’ as a political tool has been instrumentalized by the Syrian Baath regime to consolidate authority, the citizenry now faces many challenges. One of these is not only reversing this imposed ‘love’ with hate or anger towards the regime, but more importantly, rationalizing nationhood and national membership by focusing on establishing civic engagement and representation.
‘Rojava’: Evolving Public Discourse of Kurdish Identity and Governance in Syria
Authors: McGee Thomas
Published: November 2022

The Syrian conflict has contributed to major debates in culture, media and politics around transitions linked to borders, ethnicity and identity. Against this backdrop, this article explores the use of ‘Rojava’, a keyword referring to Kurdish-majority areas in the country. It examines the term’s changing meanings and usage against the evolving backdrop of the governance project led by Kurds since the post-2011 power vacuum in North(eastern) Syria. The article identifies how the term has been both operationalized and later abandoned and replaced by other nomenclature while highlighting the implications of these changes on public and political discourse. The term ‘Rojava’ traces its origins to the context of (pan-)Kurdish nationalism, with its literal meaning of ‘western’ (Kurdistan) implying a notion of trans-border Kurdish identity. From this point of departure, the author considers how it has been popularized in anarchist and Western solidarity circles as well as through international media in expressions such as the ‘Rojava experiment’ and ‘Rojava Revolution’. The article unpacks how it has become shorthand in Western media for an ideology of women’s liberation and leftist grassroots governance, as well as considering the term’s less favorable reception in the Arab press, where the word ‘Rojava’ itself is treated as a foreign, and sometimes threatening, concept. Finally, the article presents how from 2016 the Kurdish-led authorities in this region of Syria sought to formally distance themselves from the term they had introduced. This change was due to realpolitik imperatives to re-brand their governance project under the ‘Syrian Democratic’ banner when incorporating non-Kurdish-majority territories (Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Menbij). In the context of its official abandonment, the term has nonetheless retained currency in the media as well as popular everyday contexts among Kurds on street level.
Partial Implementation of Migrant Rights Protection? Indonesia’s Short-Sighted Approach towards Foreign Migrant Workers
Authors: Setiawan Whisnu , Karim Moch Faisal
Published: November 2022

This article examines the disparity between Indonesia’s efforts to protect its migrant workers abroad with its efforts to ensure the rights of migrant workers within its borders. As a state party to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW), Indonesia is obliged to uphold the rights of migrant workers regardless of their migratory pattern. Despite its efforts to protect Indonesian migrant workers abroad, it often seems to neglect its obligation to enforce migrant workers’ rights at home. This article will show how the state-sanctioned mechanisms to settle labor disputes between foreign migrant workers and employers are generally designed to benefit the latter. These mechanisms usually focus on the legality of the workers to determine to which rights they are entitled, if any. Furthermore, the absence of support from Indonesia in enforcing other migrant workers’ rights at ASEAN regional platforms reinforces this short-sighted approach of defining migrant workers exclusively as Indonesians overseas, while overlooking its obligations to migrant workers within Indonesia.
An Integrated Research Plan for the Tibetan Plateau Land–Air Coupled System and Its Impacts on the Global Climate
Authors: Wu Guoxiong , Zhou Xiuji , Xu Xiangde , Huang Jianping , Duan Anmin , Yang Song , Hu Wenting , Ma Yaoming , Liu Yimin , Bian Jianchun , Fu Yunfei , Yang Haijun , Zhao Ping , Zhong Lei , Ma Weiqiang
Published: November 2022

The unique characteristics of land–air coupling and troposphere–stratosphere interaction over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), the highest landform in the world, play a vital role in weather and climate on regional and global scales. Although a great deal of research has been carried out, large gaps remain in our understanding of TP land–air coupling and its climate effects, due to a lack of observations and the issue of model biases. To address these obstacles, a 10-yr national research program entitled “Changes in the Land–Air Coupled System over the Tibetan Plateau and its Impacts on Global Climate (LASTPIC)” was launched by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in January 2014. What LASTPIC does revolves around three aspects: TP land–air coupled processes; TP’s influence on global climate; and reanalysis and model. This paper mainly focuses on the data collection, scientific understanding, and model development of LASTPIC in terms of TP land–atmosphere–ocean coupling and its global climate impacts since program’s inception.
Homicide and State History
Authors: Gerring John , Knutsen Carl Henrik
Published: November 2022

We argue that cross-national variability in homicide rates is strongly influenced by state history. Populations living within a state are habituated, over time, to settling conflicts through regularized, institutional channels rather than personal violence. Because these are gradual and long-term processes, present-day countries composed of citizens whose ancestors experienced a degree of “state-ness” in previous centuries should experience fewer homicides today. To test this proposition, we adopt an ancestry-adjusted measure of state history that extends back to 0 CE. Cross-country analyses show a sizeable and robust relationship between this index and lower homicide rates. The result holds when using various measures of state history and homicide rates, sets of controls, samples, and estimators. We also find indicative evidence that state history relates to present levels of other forms of personal violence. Tests of plausible mechanisms suggest state history is linked to homicide rates via the law-abidingness of citizens. We find less support for alternative channels such as economic development or current state capacity.
A National Inpatient Sample Analysis of Racial Disparities After Segmental Colectomy for Inflammatory Colorectal Diseases
Authors: Frieder Joel S. , Montorfano Lisandro , De Stefano Felice , Ortiz Gomez Camila , Ferri Francisco , Liang Hong , Gilshtein Hayim , Rosenthal Raul J. , Wexner Steven D. , Sharp Stephen P.
Published: November 2022

Background

Racial disparities and poor access to care are common among African Americans (AA), potentially adversely affecting surgical outcomes in inflammatory bowel conditions. We aimed to analyze the effect of race on outcomes in patients undergoing segmental colectomy for inflammatory bowel conditions.

Methods

Retrospective review of data from the National Inpatient Sample between 2010 and 2015 identified patients who underwent segmental colectomy without ostomy for Crohn’s or diverticular disease. AA patients were compared with Caucasians using a multivariable analysis model. Primary outcomes of interest were overall complications, mortality, and extended hospital stay.

Results

38,143 admissions were analyzed; AA patients constituted 8% of the overall cohort. Diagnoses included Crohn’s (11%) and diverticular disease (89%). After multivariable analysis, AA patients had significantly higher overall risk of complications (OR = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.15-1.40) and extended hospital stay (OR = 1.59; 95% CI, 1.45-1.75) than Caucasians. On bivariate analysis, there was no significant difference in mortality between AA and Caucasian patients. AA patients had significantly higher rates of Medicaid insurance (14% vs 6%, P < .001), lower rates of private insurance (35% vs 47%, P < .001), and were less likely to undergo surgery at a private hospital (31% vs 41%, P < .001).

Conclusions

AA patients requiring segmental colectomy for inflammatory colorectal conditions experience significantly higher rates of postoperative complications, longer hospital stays, and lower rates of private insurance. Direct correlation between insurance status and postoperative outcomes could not be established, but we speculate such great disparity in outcomes may stem from these socioeconomic differences.
Nitrate Classification Based on Optical Absorbance Data Using Machine Learning Algorithms for a Hydroponics System
Authors: Sulaiman Rozita , Azeman Nur Hidayah , Abu Bakar Mohd Hafiz , Ahmad Nazri Nur Afifah , Masran Athiyah Sakinah , Ashrif A Bakar Ahmad
Published: November 2022

Nutrient solution plays an essential role in providing macronutrients to hydroponic plants. Determining nitrogen in the form of nitrate is crucial, as either a deficient or excessive supply of nitrate ions may reduce the plant yield or lead to environmental pollution. This work aims to evaluate the performance of feature reduction techniques and conventional machine learning (ML) algorithms in determining nitrate concentration levels. Two features reduction techniques, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and principal component analysis (PCA), and seven ML algorithms, for example, k-nearest neighbors (KNN), support vector machine, decision trees, naïve bayes, random forest (RF), gradient boosting, and extreme gradient boosting, were evaluated using a high-dimensional spectroscopic dataset containing measured nitrate–nitrite mixed solution absorbance data. Despite the limited and uneven number of samples per class, this study demonstrated that PCA outperformed LDA on the high-dimensional spectroscopic dataset. The classification accuracy of ML algorithms combined with PCA ranged from 92.7% to 99.8%, whereas the classification accuracy of ML algorithms combined with LDA ranged from 80.7% to 87.6%. The PCA with the RF algorithm exhibited the best performance with 99.8% accuracy.
A Versatile Method for Quantitative Analysis of Total Iron Content in Iron Ore Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Authors: Su Piao , Wu Xiaohong , Li Chen , Yan Chenglin , An Yarui , Liu Shu
Published: November 2022

Focus in quality assessment of iron ore is the content of total iron (TFe). Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technology possesses the merits of rapid, in situ, real-time multielement analysis for iron ore, but its application to quantitative TFe content is subject to interference of the iron matrix effect and the lack of suitable data mining tools. Here, a new method of LIBS-based variable importance back propagation artificial neural network (VI-BP-ANN) for quantitative TFe content in iron ore was first proposed. After the LIBS spectra of 80 representative iron samples were obtained, random forest (RF) was optimized by out-of-bag (OOB) error and then used to measure and rank variable importance. The variable importance thresholds and the number of neurons were optimized with five-fold cross-validation (CV) with correlation coefficient (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE). With using only 1.40% of full spectral variables to construct BP-ANN model, the resulted R2, the root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) and the modeling time of the final VI-BP-ANN model was 0.9450, 0.3174 wt%, and 24 s, respectively. Compared with full spectrum-based model, for example, BP-ANN, RF, support vector machine (SVM), and PLS and VI-RF model, the VI-BP-ANN model reduced overfitting and obtained the highest R2 and the lowest RMSE both for calibration and prediction. Meanwhile, the characteristics of variables selected by VI were analyzed. In addition to the elemental emission lines of Ca, Al, Na, K, Mn, Si, Mg, Ti, Zr, and Li, partial spectral baselines of 540–610 nm and 820–970 nm were also selected as characteristic variables, which indicated that VI can take into full consideration the elemental interactions and the spectral baselines. Our approach shows that LIBS combined with VI-BP-ANN is able to quantify TFe content rapidly and accurately in iron ore.
Match or Mismatch? Assistant Principals’ Roles and Their Perceptions of the Evaluation System
Authors: Moyer Anna , Goldring Ellen
Published: November 2022

Purpose: We examine the extent to which assistant principals’ time spent in different leadership roles (instructional leadership, student affairs, and school management) is associated with their perceptions of the evaluation system. We focus on this outcome because individuals are more likely to engage with evaluation feedback if they have positive perceptions of their evaluations. Research Method: We use survey data from assistant principals in Tennessee, where assistant principals are evaluated using a state-wide leadership evaluation system. We use regression analysis to determine the relationship between assistant principals’ roles and their perceptions of this evaluation system. Findings: On average, assistant principals in our sample spend 29% of their time on instructional leadership, 46% of their time on student affairs, and 25% of their time on school management. Those that spend more time on instructional leadership have more positive perceptions of the evaluation system. Perceptions of the evaluation system are also related to previous evaluation scores, the principal–assistant principal relationship, and novice assistant principal status. Implications: Our work raises important questions about the potential misalignment between assistant principals’ roles and their evaluations. This misalignment has potential implications for assistant principals’ development and career advancement. States and districts might consider if assistant principals’ evaluation systems are well-aligned with assistant principals’ roles and developmental needs. Further research is needed on the topic of assistant principals' evaluation systems.
A static load position identification method for optical fiber-composite structures based on particle swarm optimization- back Propagation neural network algorithm
Authors: Shen LB , Tian LP
Published: November 2022

Aiming at researching on health monitoring of composite materials, a static load position identification method for optical-fiber composite structures based on the Particle Swarm Optimization-Back Propagation (PSO-BP) neural network algorithm is proposed. Based on the 2 × 2 optical fibers-composite structures, the PSO-BP algorithm is used to establish a nonlinear mapping between the fiber output intensity and the position. At first, a three-layer BP neural network is established. The number of the hidden layer is 30. And then the PSO algorithm is used to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of the BP neural network. Finally, a BP neural network is built using optimized initial weights and thresholds. A total of 515 sets of data samples are collected by the experimental system, of which 500 sets are used for training and 15 sets are used for the final model prediction. Simulation results show that the Mean Square Error (MSE) of the static load position prediction based on the PSO-BP algorithm is 0.0485. Compared with the position prediction model established by the BP neural network, Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network and Support Vector Regression Machine (SVRM), the PSO-BP neural network model has a higher accuracy. The proposed method has an important application value for the research of health self-diagnosis of composite structures.
Measuring operating efficiency of solar photovoltaic power plants using epsilon-based measure model: A case study in Vietnam
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Quynh Le Tran , Dang Thanh-Tuan
Published: November 2022

Vietnam has enormous potential for solar power thanks to its favorable geographical location. In recent years, the Vietnamese government has strived to develop renewable energy. The objective of this paper is to measure the operational efficiency of solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants using data envelopment analysis (DEA) with the epsilon-based measure (EBM) model. The utilization of the EBM model is due to its advantage to integrate radial and non-radial measurements to get a more exact estimate of relative efficiency. Using the merits of the EBM model, a case study of 18 decision-making units (DMUs) in Vietnam is presented. In the proposed model, three input variables are selected, which are capital cost, installed capacity, solar irradiation, while energy production and consumer density are considered as output variables. Following that, the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method is used to assess the validity and applicability of results. The results illustrate that two methods reach common rankings, in which the priority rankings of the best performing DMUs are very similar. This shows that the applied models are robust in nature. This paper offers significant materials that serve as practical and timelier solutions for decision-makers in the operating and management strategies of the solar energy industry, also a critical guideline in many related decision-making problems for any other industries around the world.
Genetic Study of Elf5 and Ehf in the Mouse Salivary Gland
Authors: Song E.A.C. , Smalley K. , Oyelakin A. , Horeth E. , Che M. , Wrynn T. , Osinski J. , Romano R.A. , Sinha S.
Published: November 2022

Salivary gland (SG) development, maturation, and homeostasis require coordinated roles of transcription factors (TFs) that dictate specific cell identities and fate. The ETS family of proteins are important transcriptional drivers of diverse cell lineages, tissue development, and differentiation programs and hence are also likely to play an important role in the SG. Here we have leveraged genomic and epigenomic data of the SG to examine the expression profile of ETS genes and identified 2 closely related paralogs, Elf5 and Ehf, that are highly expressed in distinct epithelial subpopulations. By using a well-defined mouse knockout model of Elf5, we show that Elf5, despite its enriched expression in the acinar cells, is functionally dispensable for maintaining the homeostatic state of the adult SG epithelium. The lack of a discernible phenotype of the Elf5-null SG might be due to possible functional redundancy with Ehf or other ETS factors. To probe this possibility and to examine the specific consequences of Ehf loss in the SG, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to generate mice in which the DNA-binding ETS domain of Ehf is disrupted due to an insertion mutation. We demonstrate that the Ehf mutant (EhfMut) mice exhibit a distinct cellular phenotype with decreased granular convoluted tubules that are accompanied by an increased accumulation of the intercalated Sox9-positive ductal cell population. Interestingly, the ductal phenotype of the EhfMut animals is highly pronounced in males, reaffirming the established sexual dimorphism of the SG that exists in rodents. Our results show that unlike Elf5, Ehf plays a nonredundant role in directing ductal cell differentiation of the SG and highlights the phenotypic subtlety in mutant mice of closely related TFs and the importance of careful consideration of cell type–specific studies.
Through the back-door: How Australia and Canada use working holiday programs to fulfill demands for migrant work via cultural exchange
Authors: Vosko Leah F.
Published: November 2022

In Australia and Canada, working holidaymaking is rationalized on the basis of encouraging cultural exchange among youth. Yet, in both countries, there is mounting evidence that working holiday programs are operating as back-door migrant work programs to help fill demands for labor in occupations and industries characterized by precarious jobs undesirable to locals. As scholarship on working holidaymakers’ labor market participation is more developed in Australia than in Canada, and administrative data available are also more extensive therein, this article sheds new light on the Canadian case vis-à-vis the Australian example. In exploring regulatory strategies adopted by these two settler states and their effects, comparative analysis of administrative data and historical and contemporary immigration and labor and employment laws and policies reveals how nationally specific program design can foster similar ends: precariousness among participants in the industries in which working holidaymakers are concentrated, including agriculture, tourism, and accommodation and food services. It also shows that stratification between working holidaymakers more closely approximating the image of the “cultural sojourner” and those who are effectively migrating for work purposes takes shape principally along the lines of source country in both countries.
Modeling and simulation of a multistage heat recovery steam generator
Authors: McConnell Jonathan , Das Tuhin , Caesar Andres , Veeravalli Prithvi
Published: November 2022

As the share of renewable energy increases in modern power grids, their inherent intermittency compels existing thermal power plants to become more agile and flexible in their operation. To achieve such flexibility, understanding the transient behavior of thermal power plants is key. In this regard, physics-based dynamic models are useful tools. They help in predicting performance and in exploring various operating conditions in a risk-free, cost-effective manner. To this end, this paper presents a multi-stage Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) model. Fast simulations are demonstrated for this three pressure-stage system with interconnected thermodynamic and mass transfer phenomena. The HRSG’s multi-physics behavior is captured through mathematically modeled and numerically simulated phase change, fluid dynamics, and thermal coupling. Heat exchange elements such as economizers and superheaters are modeled by directly solving the Unsteady Flow Energy Equation (UFEE). The phase change dynamics of the boiler are modeled using a multi-mode switching mechanism, where each mode is characterized by boiling/evaporation/condensation and heating/cooling phenomena. A judicious combination of spatially discretized or lumped and dynamic or quasi-static models is used to achieve reasonably accurate transient response while lowering the computational burden. In collaboration with Siemens Energy Inc., steady-state prediction capability and transient pressure behavior are validated with plant startup data from an operational HRSG.
Study on yellowing mechanism and inhibiting technology based on amide salts modified polyester
Authors: Sun Lina , Zhu Ruishu , Hu Hongmei , Yu Jianyong , Wang Xueli , Huang Liqian , Liu Xiucai
Published: November 2022

Terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol were used to prepare poly(ethylene terephthalate)-co-amide salts with adipate pentamethylenediamine (AP salts) as the modified monomer, improving the hygroscopicity and softness of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers. One of the facets of concern is that the yellowing index of poly(ethylene terephthalate)-co-amide salts increases from 3.8 to 13.8 than poly(ethylene terephthalate) and increases from 2.9 to 11.7 for fibers, limiting its acceptance in textile applications. The convention underpinning the yellowing originated from thermal oxidation and Schiff base reaction in the blend of polyester/polyamide, generating yellowing substances with conjugated imine structure. However, in this paper, an unconventional yellowing mechanism was discovered, attributed to the reaction of AP salts and acetaldehyde (a by-product of poly(ethylene terephthalate)). The structure of yellowing substances was characterized and confirmed the role of conjugated diketoamine (O=C–CH2–CONH–) and conjugated enamines (O=C–C=C–NH–). It is difficult for fiber applications to overcome the yellowing issue. Nevertheless, an inhibiting method for the yellowing phenomenon was provided, end-capping technology, by a clearer understanding of the yellowing processes. Thus, poly(ethylene terephthalate)/APA was prepared with the end-capping product carboxyl-terminated diamide (APA) as the modified monomer, which was synthesized by the reaction of AP salts and adipic acid. The yellowing index decreased from 13.8 to 8.5 than poly(ethylene terephthalate)-co-amide salts and decreased from 11.7 to 6.9 for fibers. This significantly improves the yellowing problem and provides technical support for colorless copolymer fibers.
Experiment on Space-Time Evolution Characteristics of Deformation and Failure of Overlying strata in Longwall Mining of Steeply Dipping Coal Seam
Authors: Luo Shenghu , Wang Tong , Wu Yongping , Xie Panshi , Shi Hui
Published: November 2022

Revealing the space-time evolution characteristics of overlying strata deformation and failure is the key for safe and efficient mining of steeply dipping coal seam. In this paper, based on the physical similarity simulation experiment and field measurement method, the non-uniform filling characteristics of gangue in gob and the roof migration law are comprehensively determined, the evolution characteristics and distribution patterns of the abutment pressure in the upper and lower sections, the distribution characteristics of the working resistance of the support, and the regional strata behavior law in the mining process are analyzed, and the technical measures for the stability control of the support in steeply dipping coal seam are put forward. Results shown: With the advancing distance increases, the accumulation range of gangue increases, and the inverted triangle airspace begins to appear repeatedly in the gob behind the support. In the deep gob, the angle between the gangue pile and the horizontal plane decreases continuously from the lower part to the upper part along the inclined direction. Horizontal displacement, vertical displacement and combined displacement of roof show an evolutionary trend of ‘increase – stability’. The peak displacement position moves from the upper part to the middle part of the working face, which is located at the hinge point between the broken block and the failure envelope surface. The evolution of abutment pressure of headgate and tailgate T-junction shows a trend of ‘increase – stability’. The peak and concentration coefficient at headgate T-junction are greater than tailgate T-junction. The load imbalance characteristics of the support in working face are obvious, and the basic characteristics along the inclined direction are the largest in the middle area, the second in the upper and the smallest in the lower area. The initial force and working resistance of support should be improved, and the position of the support should be adjusted in time in practical engineering. The results provide reference and guidance for practical production.
Anti-cancer activity of pyridoxal phosphate and metformin combination in human pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: Ajumeera Rajanna , Thipparapu Ganapathi , Padya Barath Singh , Tirumala Lalitha , Challa Suresh
Published: November 2022

Background: Pancreatic cancer is the foremost cause of cancer-related deaths in many developed countries with a poor prognosis. With advanced disease conditions chemotherapy, surgery followed by radiation is the regimen to prolong the survival. But a complete cure is questionable. Metformin is the first-line drug used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the world. Aim: The study aims to assess the anti-cancer activity of metformin with the combination of micronutrient pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) in the human pancreatic cancer cell line (PANC-1). Methods: Panc1 cells were maintained in vitro cell culture conditions. The IC50 concentrations of metformin and PLP were estimated and selected by using MTT assay. Morphological changes upon treatments were observed under microscope. Distribution of cells pattern was observed with propidium iodide dye in cell cycle assay. Different phases of cell distribution were studied with apoptosis assay. Results: More morphological changes were observed with PLP followed metformin. MTT assay revelled the IC50 concentrations of metformin and PLP were 20.95 ± 0.98 mM and 5.70 ± 0.07 mM. The cell cycle assay revealed that the percentage of cells was arrested in different phases with the treatments. Apoptosis assay revelled metformin increased necrosis population to 9.9%, whereas PLP has enhanced to 14.2% apoptosis. Tumour suppressor protein p53 levels had increased to 24.8% with PLP and 3.5% with metformin. Conclusion: In conclusion, PLP has significantly induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and enhanced p53 protein expression but a combination of PLP with metformin drug has not synergised anti-cancer activity in human PANC1 cells.
Temporal fluency and floor/ceiling scoring of intermediate and advanced speech on the ACTFL Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview–computer
Authors: Cox Troy L. , Brown Alan V. , Thompson Gregory L.
Published: November 2022

The rating of proficiency tests that use the Inter-agency Roundtable (ILR) and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines claims that each major level is based on hierarchal linguistic functions that require mastery of multidimensional traits in such a way that each level subsumes the levels beneath it. These characteristics are part of what is commonly referred to as floor and ceiling scoring. In this binary approach to scoring that differentiates between sustained performance and linguistic breakdown, raters evaluate many features including vocabulary use, grammatical accuracy, pronunciation, and pragmatics, yet there has been very little empirical validation on the practice of floor/ceiling scoring. This study examined the relationship between temporal oral fluency, prompt type, and proficiency level based on a data set comprised of 147 Oral Proficiency Interview - computer (OPIc) exam responses whose ratings ranged from Intermediate Low to Advanced High [AH]. As speakers progressed in proficiency, they were more fluent. In terms of floor and ceiling scoring, the prompts that elicited speech a level above the sustained level generally resulted in speech that was slower and had more breakdown than the floor-level prompts, though the differences were slight and not significantly different. Thus, temporal fluency features alone are insufficient in floor/ceiling scoring but are likely a contributing feature.
Co-designing Community Out-of-hours Palliative Care Services: A systematic literature search and review
Authors: Low Christine , Namasivayam Pathmavathy , Barnett Tony
Published: November 2022

Background:

In order to provide responsive, individualised and personalised care, there is now greater engagement with patients, families and carers in designing health services. Out-of-hours care is an essential component of community palliative care. However, little is known about how patients, families and carers have been involved in the planning and design of these services.

Aim:

To systematically search and review the research literature that reports on how out-of-hours palliative care services are provided in the community and to identify the extent to which the principles of co-design have been used to inform the planning and design of these services.

Design:

Systematic literature search and review.

Data sources:

A systematic search for published research papers from seven databases was conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Emcare, PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science, from January 2010 and December 2021. Reference list searches of included papers were undertaken to source additional relevant literature. A manifest content analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results:

A total of 77 papers were included. The majority of out-of-hours services in the community were provided by primary care services. The review found little evidence that patients, families or carers were involved in the planning or development of out-of-hours services.

Conclusion:

Incorporating patients, families and carers priorities and preferences in the planning and designing of out-of-hours palliative care service is needed for service providers to deliver care that is more patient-centred. Adopting the principles of co-design may improve how out-of-hours care scan be delivered.
Support from healthcare professionals in empowering family carers to discuss advance care planning: A population-based survey
Authors: Vandenbogaerde Isabel , Cohen Joachim , Hudson Peter , Van Audenhove Chantal , Deliens Luc , De Vleminck Aline
Published: November 2022

Background:

Family carers have a prominent role in end-of-life care for seriously ill persons. However, most of the advance care planning literature is focused on the role of healthcare professionals.

Aims:

To investigate (1) what proportion of family carers discussed advance care planning with their relative and associated socio-demographic and clinical characteristics (2) what proportion received support from healthcare professionals for these conversations, (3) what type of support they received and (4) to what extent the type of support received was considered sufficient.

Design/participants:

Population-based cross-sectional survey in Belgium of bereaved family carers of persons with a serious chronic illness ( N = 3000) who died 2–6 months before the sample was drawn, identified through three sickness funds. The survey explored support from healthcare professionals for family carers during the last 3 months of the patient’s life.

Results:

Response rate was 55%. The proportion of family carers that engaged in an advance care planning conversation with their relative was 46.9%. Of these family carers, 78.1% received support from a healthcare professional, mostly by doing the advance care planning conversation together (53.8%). Of family carers receiving support from a healthcare professional, 57.4% deemed the support sufficient.

Conclusion:

Many family carers engage in advance care planning conversations with their dying relative. Healthcare professionals often support them by performing the advance care planning conversations together. More insight into how family carers can be supported to conduct these advance care planning conversations, both with and without involvement of healthcare professionals, is necessary.
Superselective arterial microcoil embolization for delayed bleeding after peroral endoscopic myotomy
Authors: Liu Xuechen , Zhou Yonghong , Jiang Xiaoyu , Liu Li , Zhao Dongqiang , Ma Huihui , Tian Hui , Jiang Huiqing
Published: November 2022

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has been shown to be an effective treatment for achalasia and with few adverse events. Only a few cases of delayed bleeding have been described. This current case report describes a patient with delayed bleeding in the submucosal tunnel on the eighth day after POEM. The patient was a 21-year-old woman with a 4-month history of dysphagia, vomiting and excessive weight loss. Achalasia was diagnosed according to her symptoms, barium oesophagogram, oesophageal manometry and endoscopy examination. POEM was performed by an experienced operator. On the eighth day after POEM, the patient suddenly developed continuous haematemesis presented with vomiting of fresh blood and melena. An emergency exploratory esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed. A large number of blood clots were found at the wound and a long haematoma was found along the lining of the submucosal tunnel. Re-entry into the submucosal tunnel and exposure of the haemorrhagic site was attempted but failed because of severe submucosal tissue adhesion. An emergency angiography was undertaken and haemostasis was achieved with superselective arterial microcoil embolization.
Influence of Stone Processing Waste on Mechanical, Durability, and Ecological Performance of Hybrid Fiber-Reinforced Engineered Cementitious Composite
Authors: Singh Maninder , Saini Babita , Chalak H.D.
Published: November 2022

The current study is focused on the characteristics of sustainable engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) with the inclusion of various types of fibers (PVA, PET, and MSE) in hybridization, silica sand (SS), river sand (RS), and stone processing waste (SPW). SPW is termed as hazardous material because of the presence of finer particles and inorganic substances which contribute to leaching problems, and cause adverse effects on aquatic life and human health. The objective of this study was to introduce new kind of cost-effective, sustainable, and greener ECC to encourage its use in diversified applications. The characteristics of different ECC mixtures were assessed by observing the slump flow, compressive, tensile, flexural, ultrasonic pulse velocity, air permeability, electrical resistivity (ER), sorptivity, ecological behavior, and cost analysis. Experimental results revealed that the combination of micro-fibers enhanced the overall performance of ECC with reduction in the matrix cost. The addition of SPW in place of aggregates enhanced the flowability, strength, and durability characteristics, and contributed to reducing the carbon dioxide emissions. This study confirms that the combined use of PVA, PET, and MSE fibers with SPW inclusion is a promising alternative over the fully PVA blended ECC with SS.
Method of Determining Arrival-Departure Window of Lateral Runway Based on Risk Theory
Authors: Wang Lili , Yang Jie , Ren Jie
Published: November 2022

The arrival-departure (AD) window is actually an area that controls takeoff, where departing aircraft on the side runway are not allowed to take off when there are approaching aircraft in the AD window. To solve the operation conflict of the lateral runway system, the model and method of AD window based on collision risk theory are proposed for the first time. Firstly, the paper takes the operation process of the landing and departing aircraft under the simultaneous operation of the lateral runway as the research object, and gives the risk prediction based on the flight program protection area combining the runway configuration and the operation characteristics of the aircraft. Secondly, combined with the relative position change characteristics of aircraft pairs on the lateral runway, the real-time dynamic interval calculation model of two aircraft is built. The lateral runway collision risk calculation model based on position error theory is further established. Then, the solution process of AD window is designed based on the dichotomy method, so as to determine the final AD window boundary. Finally, taking Beijing Daxing International Airport, China, as an example, the location of the AD window is calculated, and the boundary of the AD window is determined to be 8,012 m before the entrance of Dongyi runway, and the maximum critical collision risk value is 4.9371 × 10−9 times/flight hour. The results have been verified by the control simulator and applied to the actual operation of Beijing Daxing International Airport from 2019 to the present. The practical operation results show that the proposed method and model can quantitatively determine the position of the AD window and effectively control the operation risk of lateral runway systems.