bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Credibility and Reliability of Online Information on Cannabidiol (CBD) for Epilepsy Treatment
Authors: Zakrzewski Dawid M. , Podlejska Patrycja , Kubziakowska Wiktoria , Dzwilewski Kamil , Waszak Przemysław M. , Zawadzka Marta , Mazurkiewicz-Bełdzińska Maria
Published: January 2024

The interest in potential therapeutic use of cannabis, especially cannabidiol (CBD) has increased significantly in recent years. On the Internet, the users can find lots of articles devoted to its medical features such as reducing seizure activity in epilepsy. The aim of our work was to evaluate the information contained on websites, including social media in terms of the credibility and the reliability of current knowledge about usage of products containing cannabidiol in epilepsy treatment. We used online available links found using the Newspointtool. The initial database included 38367 texts, but after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria the 314 texts were taken into consideration. Analysis was performed by using the DISCERN scale and the set of questions created by the authors. In the final assessment, we observed that most of the texts (58,9%) were characterized by a very poor level of reliability and the average DISCERN score was 26,97 points. Additionally, considering the form of the text, the highest average score (35,73) came from entries on blog portals, whereas the lowest average score (18,33) came from comments and online discussion forums. Moreover, most of the texts do not contain key information regarding the indications, safety, desired effects and side effects of CBD therapy. The study highlights the need for healthcare professionals to guide patients towards reliable sources of information and cautions against the use of unverified online materials, especially as the only FDA-approved CBD medication, Epidiolex, differs significantly from over-the-counter CBD products.
Effect of integrating Yoga along with multimodal pain management approach on post-mastectomy pain syndrome in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery.
Authors: Gondode Prakash , Saxena Ashok Kumar , Chilkoti Geetanjali
Published: January 2024

Aim & Background: To evaluate the efficacy of Yogic intervention (pranayama) along with integrated multimodal approach on the incidence and severity of post mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
Materials and methods: Forty patients aged 20-65 years undergoing breast cancer surgery of American Society of Anaesthesiologists physical status I – II were included. All patients received thoracic paravertebral block and tablet pregabalin till the end of the fourth postoperative week. Patients were randomly allocated into one of the two groups; “Control” and “Yoga.” Patients in the Yoga group practiced yogic exercise “Anulom-vilom’’ from post operative day 3 till day 90. The primary outcome was incidence of PMPS and secondary outcomes include Pain Detect Questionnaire (PDQ) score, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI) score, Activity assessment scores (AAS) and Quality of Life (QoL) using Short Form (SF)-12 score.
Results: A reduced incidence of PMPS (10% vs 30%), mean VAS pain score, PDQ, and NPSI was observed in Yoga group along with improvement in SF-12 scores and AAS score in post mastectomy patients; however, not statistically significant.
Conclusion: This study encourages the integration of yoga along with multimodal pain management approach for PMPS.
Determinants of Suboptimal Birth Spacing among Reproductive-Age Women in Adama District, Ethiopia: A Community-Based Unmatched Case-Control Study
Authors: Belachwe Yohanes Abera , Komicha Meyrema Abdo , Girsha Worku Dugassa , Getahun Mihiret Shawel , Seifu Beminate Lemma , Negussie Yohannes Mekuria
Published: January 2024

Background
Birth spacing is crucial for ensuring the health of mothers and their children, as well as determining population growth. Short birth intervals represent a universal public health problem associated with adverse maternal, fetal, neonatal, and child outcomes. However, there is limited information in the study area regarding the determinants of suboptimal birth spacing. Thus, this study aimed to identify the determinants of suboptimal spacing among women of reproductive age in the Adama district, Ethiopia.
Methods
A community-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among 568 randomly selected reproductive-age women using the multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epi Info version 7.2 and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to model the association between suboptimal birth spacing practices and independent variables. Adjusted odds ratios with their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine the strength of the association. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance.
Result
Educational status (no formal education) (AOR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.23–1.75), Inadequate knowledge of optimal birth space (AOR = 2.60; 95% CI; 1.80–3.90), non-use of modern contraceptives (AOR = 3.00; CI: 1.90–4.20), short breastfeeding duration (AOR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.50–3.40), and having female index child (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.13–2.50) were independent determinants of suboptimal birth spacing practice.
Conclusion
Having no formal education, Inadequate knowledge of optimal birth space, non-use of modern contraceptives, having short breastfeeding duration, and having a female index child were determinants of suboptimal birth spacing. Encouraging women's education, contraceptive use, and breastfeeding is crucial for birth spacing. Cultural awareness and parental understanding are key to preventing sex-based birth intervals.
Gene Expression and Clinical Relevance Analysis of ALG3 as an Adverse Prognosis Biomaker in Multiple Myeloma Based on Oncomine Database and CCLE Database
Authors: Xu Jie , Zhao Wen-Xiao , Jiao Yu-Tian , Gu Xiao-Ran , Yu Xiao-Xiao , Du Jun , Huang Zou-Fang
Published: January 2024

Aim
To investigate the expression and clinical relevance of the alpha- 1,3- mannosyltransferasegene (ALG3) gene in Multiple Myeloma through intensive mining of the Oncomine database and CCLE database.
Methods
Meta-analysis was performed on all MM datasets included in the Oncomine database. The ALG3 gene was identified and the expression changes in MM patients were analyzed. Download the source files of MM datasets containing survival information and perform survival analysis depending on the level of ALG3 mRNA expression. Correlation analysis and Cox multifactor regression analysis were performed using SPSS statistical analysis software for factors including ALG3 expression and 1q21 + status. The expression of ALG3 in each tumor cell line was evaluated with CCLE database. Co-expression analysis, as well as KEGG and GO enrichment analysis, were performed for ALG3 through the STRING online data analysis tool.
Results
The Oncomine database contains 33 MM datasets with 3157 samples. Meta-analysis of two datasets containing 207 samples labeled "Multiple Myeloma vs Normal" showed that ALG3 was the 18th most significantly hyper-expressed molecule. Survival analysis indicated that ALG3 expression was negatively associated with overall survival of MM patients. High ALG3 expression was a poor prognostic factor independent of 1q21 amplification. KEGG and GO enrichment analysis of molecules co-expressed with ALG3 revealed the correlation of ALG3 with pathways involving RNA degradation, proteasome regulation, HIF- 1 signaling pathway and shear body formation.
Conclusion
ALG3 is highly expressed in multiple myeloma and negatively correlates with survival prognosis of patients. ALG3 is a poor prognostic marker in MM patients, associated with upregulation in myeloma with pathways including proteasome regulation, RNA degradation and shedder formation, which is promising as a precise therapeutic target for MM.
Statistical damage constitutive model of MICP-treated specimens based on Lognormal Distribution
Authors: Jiang Qiwu , Huang Ming , Xu Kai , Cui Mingjuan , Li Shuang , Jin Guixiao
Published: January 2024

Microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technique have the potential to be an eco-friendly and sustainable solution for engineering problems that has presented promise in various geotechnical applications. Despite the extensive amounts of studies about the MICP technique has been conducted recently, there are few studies on the constitutive model of MICP-treated specimens. In this study, the statistical damage constitutive model of MICP-treated specimens was established based on the statistical theory and damage mechanics theory. The model assumed that the microelement strength of bio-cemented sand obeys the log-normal random distribution and the D-P criterion. The parameters S0 and F0 in the constitutive model were determined and the physical significance of parameters were discussed accordingly. The reasonableness of the proposed model were verified by comparing the theoretical results and the experimental results. The evolution of the damage variable (D), parameter S0 and parameter F0 with different calcium carbonate content (CCC) were analyzed. The statistical damage models based on log-normal distributions was then compared with that based on Weibull distributions. The results show that the parameter F0 and S0 can reflect the limiting strength and brittleness of MICP-treated specimens, respectively. The damage rate accelerates with increase in cementation level, leading to larger damage values. The damage variables eventually reaches a stable value as the axial deformation increases. The proposed model can reflect the strain softening and strain hardening phenomena well, which can also represent the shear expansion and shear contraction characteristics of the volume strain curve. Overall, the research in this study provide some theoretical support for the engineering application of MICP-treated specimens.
Kidney Damage Following a 90-day Subchronic Inhalation Exposure to HTP Aerosol and Cigarette Smoke in Rats
Authors: Tian Yushan , Wang Hongjuan , Fu Yaning , Wang Wenming , Ma Shuhao , Xu Xiaoxiao , Li Xianmei , Lu Fengjun , Feng Pengxia , Han Shulei , Chen Huan , Hou Hongwei , Hu Qingyuan
Published: January 2024

Cigarette smoking (CS) was reported to increase renal damage and the risk of kidney diseases. Heated tobacco product (HTP) was a new type of tobacco product, which contained lower harmful and potentially harmful constituents than cigarette and was reported a modified risk tobacco product to reduce exposure risk. Up to now, there are few studies on HTP, its health risk of kidneys is largely unknown. In our study subchronic inhalation toxicity of HTP aerosols and CS for 90 days was preformed to assess the health risk of kidney in rats. All the rats were randomly into sham, HTP (HTP_10, HTP_23, and HTP_50), and CS (Cig_23) groups and exposed using nose-only exposure system. After exposure, the blood, oxidative stress, biomarkers in early injury, apoptosis and histopathology of kidney were measured. The results showed that HTP and CS induced the increase of biomarkers including KIM-1, NGAL, and IL-18, oxidative stress and biochemical markers associated with of kidney function, while CS displayed more significant effect than CS on oxidative stress and creatinine and uric acid. Moreover, no obvious apoptosis and pathology of kidney were observed after HTP exposure and CS inhalation induced pathological damage only in male rats, which suggested that CS induced kidney damage in male rats in an un-dependent way with apoptosis and HTP exposure may cause no obvious pathological changes but along with in some biomarker abnormal. Overall, these results suggested that the health risks of HTP are significantly lower than those of cigarettes.
The k-Egalitarian Myerson values: Characterizations and Implementation
Authors: Boruah Parishmita , Kakoty Niharika , Borkotokey Surajit
Published: January 2024

Network games under cooperative setups have gained significant attention due to their potential applications in various fields, involving humans, computers and society. Players in such games generate values by forming networks under binding agreements. The challenge lies in identifying an appropriate allocation rule that can effectively distribute the generated value. Allocation rules are either player-based or link-based. The Equal Division rule and the Myerson value are two widely used player-based allocation rules, rooted in egalitarian and marginalistic principles, respectively. Egalitarianism emphasizes equality and fairness among individuals, while marginalism focuses on individuals’ additional involvement in a particular work and their inequalities. However, in many real situations, both these mechanisms are inadequate to deal with societal issues as egalitarianism attempts to establish equality, while marginalism highlights existing inequalities. Therefore, a trade-off between these two mechanisms has gained ample interest in recent years. In this paper, we propose a player-based allocation rule for network games that consolidates the Equal Division rule and the Myerson value. The proposed rule allocates an equal share to each player in a component with a size not surpassing a specified number k, and assigns her marginal contributions in components with a size exceeding k. Further, we provide axiomatic characterisations and a bidding mechanism that implements our proposed allocation rule.
On the Convergence of Inexact Alternate Minimization in Problems with ℓ0 Penalties
Authors: Lapucci Matteo , Sortino Alessio
Published: January 2024

In this work, we consider unconstrained nonlinear optimization problems where the objective function presents a penalty term on the cardinality of a subset of the variables vector; specifically, we prove that an alternate minimization scheme has global asymptotic convergence guarantees towards points satisfying first order optimality conditions, even when the optimization step with respect to one of the blocks of variables is inexact and without introducing proximal terms. This result, supported by numerical evidence, justifies the use of pure alternate minimization in applications, even in absence of convexity assumptions.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2020) 90C26 · 90C30
Enhancing electrical properties by in-situ controlled nanocrystallization of V2O5 -TeO2 glass
Authors: Okoczuk Piotr , Kwiatkowska Agnieszka , Murawski Leon , Pietrzak Tomasz , Wójcik Natalia A. , Garmroudi Fabian , Wicikowski Leszek , Kościelska Barbara
Published: January 2024

Vanadium oxide-containing materials became an interest in the energy industry, therefore, understanding the conductivity enhancement of vanadium oxide glass under annealing became crucial to further developing new, superior materials. V2O5-TeO2 glass-ceramics (VTGC) were prepared by controlled annealing of the V2O5-TeO2 glass (VTG), which serves as an illustration of a parent glass matrix with a single charge carrier. The annealing proceeded at six temperatures selected between the glass transition and the maximum of the first crystallization process to obtain various nanocrystallite sizes. Heat treatment caused an increase in DC conductivity by 2.5–3.5 (250°C-285°C) order of magnitude. Using thermal analysis, the crystal growth process was determined to be 1D. Structural studies show that the obtained materials are partially amorphous and polycrystalline with nanometer-sized crystallites. Subtle thread-like structures were observed using conductive AFM. The activation energy of the conduction process decreased from 0.38 eV in VTG to 0.18 − 0.11 eV (250°C-285°C) in VTGC. The radii of crystallites were calculated based on the theoretical model of electron hopping between connected semiconducting nanocrystallites and vary between 1.7 nm and 2.8 nm (250°C-285°C). Thermoelectric studies indicate constant carrier concentration. Features characteristic of small polaron hopping-governed materials were observed. We suggest V3O7 nano-crystals as conductive media in VTGC.
Predicting voided computerized physician order entry in oral and maxillofacial surgery inpatients: development and validation of machine learning model
Authors: Nathan John M. , Arce Kevin , Herasevich Vitaly
Published: January 2024

Objective
The aim of this study is to determine if supervised machine learning algorithms can accurately predict cancelled and self-intercepted computerized physician order entry in oral and maxillofacial surgery inpatients.
Methods
Data from Electronic Medical Record included patient demographics, comorbidities, procedures, vital signs, laboratory values, and medication orders were retrospectively collected. Predictor variables included patient demographics, comorbidities, procedures, vital signs, and laboratory values. Outcome of interest is if a medication order was voided or not. Data was cleaned and pro1cessed using Microsoft Excel and Python v3.12. Gradient Boosted Decision Trees, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Naïve Bayes were trained, validated, and tested for accuracy of the prediction of voided medication orders.
Results
37,546 medication orders from 1,204 patient admissions over 5 years were used for this study included 3,892 (10.4%) medication orders that were voided. Gradient Boosted Decision Trees, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Naïve Bayes had an Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve of 0.802 802 with 95% CI [0.787, 0.825], 0.746 with 95% CI [0.722, 0.765], 0.685 with 95% CI [0.667, 0.699], and 0.505 with 95% CI [0.489, 0.539], respectively. Area Under the Precision Recall Curve was 0.684 with 95% CI [0.679, 0.702], 0.647 with 95% CI [0.638, 0.664], 0.429 with 95% CI [0.417, 0.434], and 0.551 with 95% CI [0.551, 0.552], respectively.
Conclusion
Gradient Boosted Decision Trees is the best model of the supervised machine learning algorithms with satisfactory performance in validation cohort for predicting voided Computerized Physician Order Entry in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery inpatients.
Detection and attribution for land surface air temperature Warming in China based on a perfect model selection analysis of optimal fingerprint strategy
Authors: Guo Ziyou , Li Chao , Li Qingxiang
Published: January 2024

Observations show that the warming trends of annual and seasonal surface air temperature (SAT) in China have been about 0.20 ~ 0.35 ℃/10a in China since the 1950s. The warming trend is higher in winter and spring than in summer and fall, and higher in the northern region than in the southern region. Additionally, the warming trend is higher in the western part of China than in the eastern part, except for spring. These variations have been well simulated by the recent CMIP6 models. Using a perfect model method, the all-forcing (ALL) + anthropogenic aerosol forcing only (AER) + natural forcing only (NAT) strategy has been applied to the detection and attribution of SAT trends in China since 1951. It is found that GHG (greenhouse gas forcing only) is detected robustly in all seasons and regions except winter in eastern China, contributing to a warming of 0.21 ~ 0.36 ℃/10a. This indicates that the greenhouse gas from human activities is the primary factor causing the warming in mainland China over the past 70 years. The contribution of the AER has only been detectable in the variations in summer of the whole mainland China and western China with neglectable effect since the late 20th century. The NAT forcing can also be neglected.
Energy calculations for sodium vs potassium on a prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channel: a quantum study.
Authors: Ferrer Juan , Fabian Emilio San
Published: January 2024

The selectivity of the sodium channel has been the subject of numerous exper- imental and theoretical studies. In this work we address this problem from a theoretical point of view, based on a model built from the selectivity filter (SF) of the open structure of the voltage-activated channel of the bacterium Mag- netococcus marinus. This approach has allowed us to calculate the interaction energies of the system (cation-water-SF-fragment), both for the sodium cation and the potassium cation. The results obtained have highlighted the importance of differential dehydration of cations, as well as the environment where it occurs. Semi-empirical and ab initio methods have been applied to analyze and quantify the interaction energies when the cations are in the SF of the sodium channel, with the DFT (ab initio) methods being those that have given us the key to the distribution of the interaction energies and therefore how dehydration occurs.
The causal relationship between gut microbiota and two neoplasms, malignant and benign neoplasms of bone and articular cartilage: a two-sample mendelian randomization study
Authors: Lv Jia , Qin Xiuyu , Wang Jiani , Li Jian , Bai Junjun , Lan Yanping
Published: January 2024

Background
Previous research has demonstrated a close connection between the development of bone neoplasms and variations in the abundance of specific gut microbiota. It remains unclear, however, how the gut microbiota and bone neoplasms are causally related. Hence, in our study, we aim to clarify this relationship between gut microbiota and two neoplasms, malignant neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage (MNBAC) and benign neoplasm of bone and articular cartilage (BNBAC), by employing a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.
Methods
In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide association studies (GWAS)-pooled data related to bone neoplasms and gut microbiota abundance were evaluated. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) was employed as the major method for assessing the aforementioned causal relationship, while the weighted median, MR-Egger, weighted mode, and simple mode were employed as complementary methods. Furthermore, the horizontal multiplicity was evaluated utilizing the mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) and the MR-Egger intercept test. Cochran's Q test to evaluate heterogeneity and “leave-one-out” sensitivity analysis to determine the reliability of causality. Finally, inverse MR analysis was performed to assess reverse causality.
Results
IVW results indicate a potential genetic relationship between 4 gut microbiota and MNBAC, and 3 gut microbiota and BNBAC. On the one hand, Eubacterium eligens group (OR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.04–0.67, P = 0.01), Odoribacter (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.06–0.84, P = 0.03), Slackia (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.13–0.93, P = 0.04), and Tyzzerella3 (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.24–0.82, P = 0.01) exhibited a protective effect against MNBAC. On the other hand, of the three gut microbes identified as potentially causally related to BNBAC, Oscillibacter (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.63–0.98, P = 0.03) and Ruminococcustorques group (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.39–0.98, P = 0.04) were regarded as protective strains of B, while Eubacterium ruminantium group (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.04–1.47, P = 0.02) was considered to be a risk factor for increasing the incidence of BNBAC. Additionally, the bone neoplasms were not found to have a reverse causal relationship with the above 7 gut microbiota taxa. No heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was identified in this study.
Conclusion
The causal relationship between the gut microbiota and two neoplasms, MNBAC and BNBAC, was revealed in this two-sample MR study. Of course, further research needs to be conducted to verify the above findings.
Efficient quantum circuit contraction using Tensor Decision Diagrams
Authors: Lopez-Oliva Vicente , Badia Jose M. , Castillo Maribel
Published: January 2024

Quantum computing holds the potential to solve complex problems currently beyond the capabilities of classical computers by exploiting the principles of quantum mechanics. However, due to the immaturity of such computers and the inability to know the state of the circuit during execution, efficient quantum simulators on classical computers are needed. This paper compares different methods for the contraction of quantum circuits represented as tensor networks. Tensor Decision Diagrams (TDD) are used to implement two contraction ordering methods that exploit the structure of the circuits to reduce temporal and spatial costs. Experimental results show that these methods improve other well established approaches and that they are faster that other well-known simulation tools based on other circuit representations. In addition, an analysis of different implementations of the same quantum algorithm highlights the impact of gate sets on contraction efficiency.
New record of southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii (Lacépède, 1804), in coastal waters of Brazil
Authors: Arrial Luiz Gustavo Ramos , Correa Thayusky Penha , de Castilho Pedro Volkmer , Machado Rodrigo
Published: January 2024

The southern right whale dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii (Lacépède, 1804), is a species of cetacean that is distributed in cold and deep waters throughout the Southern Hemisphere, with records in coastal waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean being extremely rare and difficult to confirm. In 2019, a recording was made of a specimen, still alive, entangled in a beachside fishing gillnet at Cardoso Beach (-28.6073844°S, -48.8247058°W), in the state of Santa Catarina, on the southern coast of Brazil. The recording was made by a lifeguard using a GoPro camera, made available through citizen science. The animal was untangled and released while still alive, and was not found stranded again after the date of the event. Based on existing literature, this is the second record of the species in Brazilian waters. Analyzing meteorological and oceanographic features from the days preceding the record, it was not possible to make any association between the stranding and the variables analyzed, and it was most likely the record of an individual disoriented due to unknown factors.
Arid1a-dependent canonical BAF complex suppresses inflammatory programs to drive efficient Germinal Center B cell responses
Authors: Abraham Ajay , Samaniego-Castruita Daniela , Paladino Jillian , Han Isabella , Ramesh Prathyaya , Tran Mi Thao , Southern Rebecca M , Shukla Ashima , Shukla Vipul
Published: January 2024

Differentiating B cells in germinal centers (GC) require tightly coordinated transcriptional and epigenetic transitions to generate efficient humoral immune responses. The mammalian Brg1/Brm-associated factor (BAF) complexes are major regulators of nucleosomal remodeling, crucial for cellular differentiation and development, and are commonly mutated in several cancers, including GC-derived B cell lymphomas. However, the specific roles of distinct BAF complexes in GC B cell biology and generation of functional humoral immune responses are not well understood. Here, we show that the A–T Rich Interaction Domain 1a (Arid1a) containing canonical BAF (cBAF) complex is required for maintenance of GCs and therefore high affinity antibody responses. While Arid1a-deficient B cells undergo activation to initiate GC responses, they fail to sustain the GC program resulting in premature GC collapse. We discovered that Arid1a-dependent cBAF activity establishes permissive chromatin landscapes during B cell activation and is concomitantly required to suppress inflammatory gene programs to maintain transcriptional fidelity in early GC B cells. Interestingly, the inflammatory signatures instigated by Arid1a deficiency in early GC B cells recruited neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes and eventually disrupted GC homeostasis. Dampening of inflammatory cues with anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid receptor signaling rescued GC B cell differentiation of Arid1a-deficient B cells, thus highlighting a critical role of inflammation in impeding GC responses. In sum, our work identifies essential functions of Arid1a-dependent BAF activity in promoting efficient GC responses. These findings further support an emerging paradigm in which unrestrained inflammation limits GC-derived humoral responses, as reported in the context of severe bacterial and viral infections.
Effect of Low Vacuum Medium Temperature Drying on Reduction of Residual Stress and Correction of Warp of Japanese Cedar Timber
Authors: Jiang Zhuoting , Yamamoto Hiroyuki , Yoshida Masato , Dohi Motoo , Tanaka Kento , Yamashita Kana , Watanabe Ken
Published: January 2024

In Japan, the increasing utilization of large-diameter logs has become an important issue, and effectively utilizing these logs has been a key topic of discussion. When producing timber-without-pith from large-diameter logs, unavoidable warp occurs due to the release of residual stress within the logs. And warp is the most serious processing problem compared to other factors as cracks. Warp can adversely affect the production efficiency and economic returns of the timber. Utilizing high-temperature drying with load to those timber has achieved significant drying effects, and residual stress-induced warp was corrected and maintained at the same level for up to six months after drying. However, high-temperature drying comes with drawbacks such as high energy consumption which connects to long treatment period and potential for thermal degradation. To achieve the same effect as high-temperature drying to correct warp, and to reduce residual stress, but with shorter treatment period and avoid thermal degradation, this study applied low vacuum medium temperature drying to large-diameter logs. Through this method, effective drying is achieved, residual stress is reduced and warp are corrected to a certain extent. Low vacuum medium temperature drying is practical as a drying method for timber from large-diameter logs because it is effective in reducing residual stress and correcting warping, while at the same time shortening the treatment period and avoiding thermal degradation.
Ar-O 2 plasma treatment of polyvinyl chloride surface enhanced antimicrobial properties of quaternary ammonium coating
Authors: Sui Siyuan , Ni Guohua , Sun Hongmei , Kong Ling , Sun Tao
Published: January 2024

In the present work, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was activated by Ar-O2 plasma and grafted with quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) in order to improve QAC coating antimicrobial properties. The PVC surface treated with Ar and Ar-O2 plasma, both surface coated with QAC were characterized to compare its properties. Chemical composition of PVC surface treated with Ar and Ar-O2 did not differ but a significantly difference in morphology. Surface of Ar-O2 plasma treated PVC exhibited the formation of a mesh-shaped nanostructure consist of 15 nm high spikes, while the PVC surface treated with Ar plasma remained smooth. The application of the QAC coating on the PVC surface treated with Ar-O2 plasma resulted in ridge-shaped nanostructures distribute of smaller and denser 6 nm high spikes. Antibacterial assessments have demonstrated that the QAC coating with the mesh-shaped nanostructured morphology on Ar-O2 plasma treated PVC, exhibits enhanced antimicrobial potency against Staphylococcus aureus. This study introduces a novel approach to enhance the antibacterial efficacy of coatings.
Study on parallel linkage type forging operator hanging mechanism
Authors: zhang Qiliang , Yang Jin , Ding Wangcai
Published: January 2024

Considering the hanging mechanism of the parallel link forging manipulator, we analyzed the forging process of the workpiece and parameters of the typical forging process to determine the influence of the press-down amount and workpiece elongation on the manipulator during the forging process. According to the structure and working characteristics of the buffer cylinder, we also simplified the stress analysis model of the hanging mechanism, studied the stress state, and obtained the key factors affecting the stress on the rod of the hanging mechanism. Based on the forging process of the workpiece and stress state of the hanging mechanism, the correlation between the hanging mechanism and the forging process was explored, and the working principle for the hanging mechanism was determined. Consequently, the design idea of the hanging mechanism was proposed. Combined with the working characteristics of the leveling and buffer cylinders, the working state of the accumulator connected to them was analyzed, and the idea of determining the performance parameters of the accumulator was clarified. By the correlation analysis of the forging process parameters, the structural parameters of the hanging mechanism, working parameters of the accumulator connected to the leveling and buffer cylinders, key factors affecting the hanging mechanism were determined. Thus, the design method of the hanging mechanism was clarified, laying a theoretical foundation for the research and structural design of the heavy-duty forging manipulator.
Experimental and Numerical Study on Jet Sand Bed Erosion
Authors: Shengqun Jiang , Jixiang Yue , Xinghui Tian , Yancong Liu
Published: January 2024

Water jet technique is widely used in the dredging of rivers and canals, and has significant engineering value. This work develops the sediment dynamic model to build a velocity-based bed load sediment transport model. The process of low-pressure water jet river bed erosion was investigated at various water jet pressures and nozzle outlet diameters, with the Shields Parameter serving as the sediment initiation threshold. The process of developing a flow scour pit is divided into three key stages: particle triggering, quick development, and dynamic equilibrium. A transient simulation of submerged three-dimensional jet erosion was performed using a mixture model in Fluent software, with the laboratory physical model parameters as reference. The numerical simulation findings that the erosion sand pit characteristic parameters agreed with experimental data, and the particle initiation model was also confirmed. An empirical formula was established based on numerical modeling and experimental data to estimate the characteristic size of the scouring pit during jet erosion equilibrium.
Armamentarium Phantasmagoria
Authors: Marquis Johnathan J.
Published: January 2024

Purpose – This author will argue for the establishment of a formalised area of study and science centered around the objective, observable phenomena of ideas and ideation and the creation of a formalised Armamentarium (guide, toolkit and practicum) to serve as the foundation for such a science and practice. Methodology – What would someone who practices and studies ideas and ideation need to conduct work around such concepts? This question is the core of creating a science of ideas. Previous attempts at creating such a science will be discussed. Observations shall be made pertaining to common themes and patterns that can be observed about ideas. The Idom Hypothesis will be introduced, alongside avenues of experimentation. Current technologies and techniques will be considered on the merits of relatedness and usefulness in researching, understanding and working with ideas and ideation as both a micro and macro phenomenon. By extension, significant consideration will be given to how ideas relate to physics and how one might study them non-anthropocentrically. Connections will be made across disciplines, as ideas permeate them all. By making such connections one can state the goals needed to connect the world’s scholarly pursuits into one large interdisciplinary science, with ‘the study of ideas’ as the binding agent. This author contends that with a formalised debate and framework Ideonomy would not only be practically possible, but inevitable. Value – Ideas are an integral part of all intelligent pursuits. Being able to understand their properties, limits and dynamics furthers the greater need for creative solutions in our sciences, technologies, and social systems which garner more complex problems. All professions require more flexible and creative thinking in the context of their work. The advent of technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality finds these tools in need of application. Their very nature is based around creative potential. Ideonomy and a common ideonomic literacy would inform the average individual and the professional practitioner on how to create new ideas and track old ones. For sciences that often have difficulty translating their concepts to one another, it would be used as a medium for avoiding linguistic traps. Ideonomy would inform on how rigidity of language leads to assumptions of fact. It would create the tools for representing ideas better and for understanding why some worked and others did not. It would inform how time affects ideas. An armamentarium for Ideonomy would give us the knowledge needed for the world, work, and problems of the near future. It would help prepare us for the professions that have yet to be invented.
A Systemic Approach to Building an Innovation Culture: A Case Study
Authors: De Schryver Luc , Lahuis Jan
Published: January 2024

Purpose – Parktheater Eindhoven (PTE) wants to become an organization that constantly reinvents and rediscovers itself. It wants to manage the expected growth in both the core business of theater performances and the soft core businesses of impact social and cultural education by working (and thinking) differently. Design/methodology/approach – To make sure there would be a sustained impact and a successful transformation the authors used a systemic approach to help transform PTE into an innovative organization. The four main elements of this approach are Person, Process, Press and Product. The approach was based on scientifically based, proven methodologies. The intervention started with the assessment of the organizational climate for creativity, innovation and change. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of this organizational climate was crucial in planning the change initiative. Problem-solving styles were used to clarify individual preferences and why collaboration sometimes leads to decreased trust or increased conflict. The third element of the intervention was to ensure the organization had the necessary capabilities to initiate and manage creativity. 12 coworkers were trained to become CPS facilitators. Finally, we are focusing on coaching the leadership team (based on the result of the SOQ climate assessment ). Leadership plays after all an important role in the creation of an innovative organizational climate. Originality/value – The systemic approach allows PTE to develop into a dynamic organization that offers a varied and attractive program, develops new cultural products, undertakes numerous social projects, supports many cultural partners and seeks cooperation with more and more cultural and non-cultural partners. PTE has the potential to evolve in the near future into a platform where theory and practical application of creativity are brought together. During 2023, PTE employees trained in CPS will also facilitate projects or challenges outside PTE.
The Representational Imperative: Sketching and Design Creativity
Authors: Goldschmidt Gabriela
Published: January 2024

Design belongs to the compositional disciplines, which require a search at the front end of working on assignments. The end outcome is, in most cases, not the entity to be realized but a representation of it, in two or three dimensions. This is a complex process, as there are always many acceptable possible approaches and solutions. Creative design aspires to not only satisfy given requirements, but to surpass them, creating something that is both functional and pleasing to the senses, hopefully innovative and even surprising and exciting. To facilitate this complex practice, designers create intermediate representations that provide essential feedback, thus enabling actions that advance development of a solution. The fastest and most efficient representational device is a freehand sketch, manual of digital, which has many cognitive advantages, operating as a thinking tool as well as an external memory and communication device. Styles vary, and specific gains from sketching differ from one discipline to another.
Promoting Creativity in the Classroom: Assessment Experiments in the Brave Space
Authors: Heijne Katrina
Published: January 2024

In this paper a vision on how to teach creativity and how to assess elements of it are proposed in a case study as part of the minor Connected Creativity which is taught at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at the Delft University of Technology. Intrinsic motivation and a ‘brave space’ are essential elements for enabling learning as well as creativity. Since the aim of the Connected Creativity course is to learn about creativity, intrinsic motivation and the brave space are further examined. Two approaches for assessing creativity in the brave space are proposed and reflected upon. One is about the ‘learning pact’ to allow students to customize the course’s learning objectives and make them more relevant for them. The other approach is reflecting upon the experiment of assessing journals on quantity only: so, how many pages are filled, instead of assessing the quality of the pages by using rubrics.
Abandoning Functional Fixedness: Creative Solutions in Fracture Surgery Using Widely Available Materials
Authors: Langenberg Lisette Charlotte , Botman Mathijs
Published: January 2024

Purpose – Functional fixedness is a well-known phenomenon in psychology and design, which may be described as the perception that a tool is linked to only one function. This article presents a collection of examples of the use of materials and instruments in fracture surgery, abandoning functional fixedness. The aim is to demonstrate practical examples on how surgical tools are being used effectively out of their “fixed” purpose. The most important goal is to reach surgeons that operate in remote areas in which there is a lack of surgical instruments and materials, and surgeons are forced to abandon functional fixedness in surgical problem-solving. Design/methodology/approach – A series of examples of surgical ingenuity was gathered by the authors during more than a decade of orthopaedic and general surgery training. Subsequently a Pubmed search was performed to evaluate if these tips and tricks could be substantiated by international literature. Several surgical tips and tricks that may be used in surgery preparation, exposure, fracture reduction and fixation (use of Kirschner wires, plate and screw fixation and intramedullary fracture fixation) are presented. Originality/value – The surgical tips and tricks that are presented in this article may be useful anywhere, especially in resource-limited settings. As surgeons, it is useful to be aware of the concept of functional fixedness, and to realize the value of abandoning it and be creative, if possible. Parallels with non-medical professions like the automotive industry may be inspiring.
A Grounded Theory Study on the Family Supporting Process of Young Carers
Authors:   Korean Association of Family Therapy, Kim Min Jeong , Kim Hyun Joo
Published: January 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to understand the family supporting experiences of young carers and to explore the family supporting process and factors affecting it. Methods: To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 men and women aged 18 or older who currently live in Korea and had experienced family care for more than two years in adolescence. The data were analyzed applying a grounded theory qualitative research approach. Results: As a result of this research, 116 concepts, 48 subcategories, and 21 categories were derived. According to the passage of time, the family supporting process of young carers consists of four stages: “start and conflict stage,” “struggle stage,” “cognitive transition stage,” and “change and growth stage”. The core category was identified as “aspiring to the postponed true self, enduring unprepared family care.” Conclusions: This research is meaningful in that it provides academic evidence to understand the family supporting process of young carers and to identify practical ways to help them.
A Study on the Mediating Effects of Self-differentiation and Distress Tolerance of Early Adult Children in the Relationship of Perceived Parental Psychological Control and Well-being
Authors:   Korean Association of Family Therapy, Kim Yeeun , Jeon Hyeseong
Published: January 2024

Objectives: This study aims to examine the mediating effects of self-differentiation and distress tolerance on the relationship between perceived parental psychological control and psychological well-being in early adulthood. Methods: An online questionnaire survey was conducted with early adult children in their 20s and 30s, from which 281 responses were retrieved and analyzed using SPSS 29.0 and the PROCESS macro. Results: The main findings of this study are as follows: First, self-differentiation mediated the relationship between parental psychological control and psychological well-being. Second, distress tolerance mediated the relationship between parental psychological control and psychological well-being. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of self-differentiation and distress tolerance in improving the psychological well-being of early adult children who perceive parental psychological control.
Advancing low-flow quantile estimation: The role of areal scale factor (ASF) and annual flow–duration curves
Authors: Asikoglu Omer Levend , Narin Tugce
Published: January 2024

Estimating the streamflow corresponding to a particular probability is of great importance in many hydrological studies, such as determining hydroelectric water potential, assessing water quality, and investigating sedimentation and drought. This paper aims to effectively estimate low-flow quantiles since hydrologic droughts motivate the study. The study illustrates a methodology, where droughts are characterized by the lower part of the flow–duration curve (FDC), and offers a perspective estimating low-flow quantiles related to the basin characteristics. Low-flow quantiles are derived both from traditional FDCs curves and median annual FDCs (AFDCs). As an innovation, the concept of areal scale factor, which represents a scaling ratio between the basin area and flow quantiles, was introduced. Unlike many other parametric approaches, this study models the streamflow quantiles depending on the basin characteristics instead of the parameters in the analytical equation of FDCs. The methodology was evaluated for the Western and Southwestern Anatolia regions in Turkey. The outcomes were compared for two types of FDCs in two regions. The approach gave similar results for both study regions. AFDCs provided a distinct advantage over traditional FDCs, especially for low-flow quantiles, due to the superiority of AFDCs in estimating streamflow quantiles of intermittent streams.
Adsorptive removal of reactive yellow 145 dye from textile industry effluents using teff straw-activated carbon: RSM-based process optimization
Authors: Merine Melkamu Kifetew , Venkatesa Prabhu Sundramurthy , Worku Zemene , Fito Jemal , Alemayehu Esayas
Published: January 2024

The study was focused on preparing activated carbon from one of the predominant agro-wastes, teff straw (TS), through chemical activation and investigating the optimum process condition for removing the reactive yellow 145 dye (RY 145) from simulated textile effluent and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from textile industry effluent. The prepared activated carbon (TSAC) was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), point of zero charge (pHpzc), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area. Response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to optimize the process variables. Optimum parameters for the removal of RY 145 dye were contact time, pH, adsorbent dose, and initial dye concentration of 120 min, 2, 0.4 g, and 0.3 g/L, respectively, and 97% removal efficiency was achieved. The experimental data that well-fitted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, while examining isotherms, was the Langmuir model. Furthermore, the TSAC reusability study confirmed that TSAC can be used multiple times in dye removal from wastewater. These results suggested that a low-cost and eco-friendly bio-based adsorbent, TSAC, could be a promising and reusable adsorbent that could be an alternative for commercial activated carbon to be applied in polluted wastewater treatment.