bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Family Governance on the Value of Chinese Family Businesses: Signal Transmission Effect of Financial Performance
Authors: Li Yanan
Published: March 2022

The phenomenon of family governance in Chinese family businesses may not only signal a high second-party agency cost that infringes on the interests of small and medium shareholders, but it may also signal this as a stable governance structure. Based on the theory of signal transmission, this paper studies the degree of influence of Chinese family governance on the corporate value of Chinese family businesses and the signaling role played by corporate financial performance in this process. This paper also analyzes a sample of Chinese A-share listed family businesses from 2011 to 2020. The results show that the family governance of Chinese family enterprises can promote the improvement of enterprise value, because operating capacity, solvency, profitability, and development capacity can improve the credibility of family governance signals.
Olfactory and Gustatory Supra-Threshold Sensitivities Are Linked to Ad Libitum Snack Choice
Authors: Abeywickrema Sashie , Ginieis Rachel , Oey Indrawati , Peng Mei
Published: March 2022

Snacking is a common eating habit in the modern food environment. Individual snack choices vary substantially, with sweet versus savoury snacks linked to differential health outcomes. The role of olfactory and gustatory sensitivities in snack choices and consumption is yet to be tested. A total of 70 Caucasian young males (age: 21–39 years; BMI: 20.5–40.5 kg∙m−2) were tested for their supra-threshold sensitivities to sweet and savoury associated odours and tastants (vanillin, methional; sucrose, NaCl). The participants also attended an ad libitum task in which their intakes of sweet and savoury snacks were recorded and analysed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to test for relationships between odour/taste sensitivities and sweet versus savoury snack intake. Results indicated that individual sensitivities to sweet-associated stimuli (e.g., vanillin, sucrose) were negatively linked with intake of the congruent (e.g., sweet) snacks and positively linked with incongruent (e.g., savoury) snacks (p < 0.05). These differences were reflected by energy intake rather than consumption weight (p > 0.05). This study outlines the fundamental roles of olfactory and gustatory sensitivities in snack choices and offers novel insights into inter-individual variability in snack consumption.
Selection and Application of ssDNA Aptamers for Fluorescence Biosensing Detection of Malachite Green
Authors: Xie Miaojia , Chen Zanlin , Zhao Fengguang , Lin Ying , Zheng Suiping , Han Shuangyan
Published: March 2022

Malachite green oxalate (MG) is a kind of veterinary drug, which is freely soluble in water and hazardous to aquatic products, resulting in food toxicity and human health problems. The demand for effective and sensitive detection of MG residues is increasing in food safety. In this work, three DNA aptamers MG-36-12/16/17 targeting MG with good affinity (Kd values were 169.78, 71.94, and 102.46 μM, respectively) were obtained by Capture-SELEX. Furthermore, MG-36-12, MG-76-16-6A, and MG-36-17 were found to perform sensitively and specifically to detect MG as a sensing probe in a FRET fluorescent aptasensor, where the FAM-labeled aptamer and GO were employed as efficient energy donor–acceptor pair. The linear range of this aptasensor using aptamer MG-36-12 was from 1.71 to 514.29 ng/mL and the LOD was as low as 0.79 ng/mL. Additionally, the fluorescent assay using aptamer MG-36-17 to detect MG exhibited a linear relationship from 1.71 to 857.14 ng/mL and a LOD of 2.13 ng/mL. Meanwhile, the aptasensor showed high specificity to MG with no cross-reactivity to other veterinary drugs and had a mean recovery of 81.54% to 100.96% in actual water samples from the aquatic product market.
A Numerical Method for Simulating Viscoelastic Plates Based on Fractional Order Model
Authors: Jin Suhua , Xie Jiaquan , Qu Jingguo , Chen Yiming
Published: March 2022

In this study, an efficacious method for solving viscoelastic dynamic plates in the time domain is proposed for the first time. The differential operator matrices of different orders of Bernstein polynomials algorithm are adopted to approximate the ternary displacement function. The approximate results are simulated by code. In addition, it is proved that the proposed method is feasible and effective through error analysis and mathematical examples. Finally, the effects of external load, side length of plate, thickness of plate and boundary condition on the dynamic response of square plate are studied. The numerical results illustrate that displacement and stress of the plate change with the change of various parameters. It is further verified that the Bernstein polynomials algorithm can be used as a powerful tool for numerical solution and dynamic analysis of viscoelastic plates.
On Z-Intuitionistic Fuzzy Fractional Valuations for Medical Diagnosis: An Intuitionistic Fuzzy Knowledge-Based Expert System
Authors: Dhiman Nitesh , Gupta Madan M. , Singh Dhan Pal , Vandana Vandana , Mishra Vishnu Narayan , Sharma Mukesh K.
Published: March 2022

In an uncertain situation, data may present in continuous form or discrete form. We have various techniques to deal with continuous data in a realistic situation. However, when data are in discrete form, the existing techniques are inadequate to deal with these situations, and these techniques cannot provide the proper modulation for adequate analysis of the system. In order to provide the proper acceleration to discrete data, we need an appropriate modulation technique that can help us to handle unconditional boundedness on the technique and will operate like the techniques used for continuous data with fractional variables. In this work, we developed an intuitionistic fuzzy fractional knowledge-based expert system using unconditional and qualified fuzzy propositions based on the Z-intuitionistic fuzzy fractional valuation probability density function. In this proposed method, the discrete fractional variables will be converted into intuitionistic fuzzy fractional numbers and then be used in our algorithm. The proposed Z-intuitionistic fuzzy fractional valuation knowledge-based system can easily be applied in the medical field for the diagnosis of diseases in a vague environment due to the ordered-pair characteristics of the Z-intuitionistic fuzzy fractional valuation. In this study, we collected data of dengue patients, which included seven clinical findings: Temperature, sugar, Pulse Rate (PR), age, cough, and Blood Pressure (BP). A numerical example was also carried out to elaborate on the present technique. In addition, a comparative study is discussed in this work. We also provide the managerial implications of the data, with the limitations of the proposed technique presented at the end of this work.
A Study of Generalized Hybrid Discrete Pantograph Equation via Hilfer Fractional Operator
Authors: Shammakh Wafa , Selvam A. , Dhakshinamoorthy Vignesh , Alzabut Jehad
Published: March 2022

Pantograph, a device in which an electric current is collected from overhead contact wires, is introduced to increase the speed of trains or trams. The work aims to study the stability properties of the nonlinear fractional order generalized pantograph equation with discrete time, using the Hilfer operator. Hybrid fixed point theorem is considered to study the existence of solutions, and the uniqueness of the solution is proved using Banach contraction theorem. Stability results in the sense of Ulam and Hyers, and its generalized form of stability for the considered initial value problem are established and we depict numerical simulations to demonstrate the impact of the fractional order on stability.
From Human Remains to Powerful Objects: Ancestor Research from a Deep-Time Perspective
Authors: Büster Lindsey
Published: March 2022

Family history research has seen a surge in popularity in recent years; however, is this preoccupation with who we are and where we come from new? Archaeological evidence suggests that ancestors played crucial and ubiquitous roles in the identities and cosmologies of past societies. This paper will explore how, in the absence of genealogical websites and DNA testing, kinship structures and understandings of personhood beyond genealogy may have influenced concepts of ancestry. Case studies from later prehistoric Britain will demonstrate the ways in which monuments, objects and human remains themselves created bonds between the living and the dead, prompting us to reflect on genealogy as just one aspect of our identity in the present.
Effective Macrosomia Prediction Using Random Forest Algorithm
Authors: Wang Fangyi , Wang Yongchao , Ji Xiaokang , Wang Zhiping
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: Macrosomia is prevalent in China and worldwide. The current method of predicting macrosomia is ultrasonography. We aimed to develop new predictive models for recognizing macrosomia using a random forest model to improve the sensitivity and specificity of macrosomia prediction; (2) Methods: Based on the Shandong Multi-Center Healthcare Big Data Platform, we collected the prenatal examination and delivery data from June 2017 to May 2018 in Jinan, including the macrosomia and normal-weight newborns. We constructed a random forest model and a logistic regression model for predicting macrosomia. We compared the validity and predictive value of these two methods and the traditional method; (3) Results: 405 macrosomia cases and 3855 normal-weight newborns fit the selection criteria and 405 pairs of macrosomia and control cases were brought into the random forest model and logistic regression model. On the basis of the average decrease of the Gini coefficient, the order of influencing factors was: interspinal diameter, transverse outlet, intercristal diameter, sacral external diameter, pre-pregnancy body mass index, age, the number of pregnancies, and the parity. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve were 91.7%, 91.7%, and 95.3% for the random forest model, and 56.2%, 82.6%, and 72.0% for logistic regression model, respectively; the sensitivity and specificity were 29.6% and 97.5% for the ultrasound; (4) Conclusions: A random forest model based on the maternal information can be used to predict macrosomia accurately during pregnancy, which provides a scientific basis for developing rapid screening and diagnosis tools for macrosomia.
Enhanced Removal of Malachite Green Using Calcium-Functionalized Magnetic Biochar
Authors: Wang Pengjie , Chen Wei , Zhang Rui , Xing Yanfeng
Published: March 2022

To efficiently remove malachite green (MG), a novel calcium-functionalized magnetic biochar (Ca/MBC) was fabricated via a two-step pyrolysis method. Iron-containing oxides endowed the target complexes with magnetic properties, especially the chemotactic binding ability with MG, and the addition of calcium significantly changed the morphology of the material and improved its adsorption performance, especially the chemotactic binding ability with MG, which could be confirmed through FTIR, XPS, and adsorption experiments. Electrostatic adsorption, ligand exchange, and hydrogen bonding acted as essential drivers for an enhanced adsorption process, and the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity was up to 12,187.57 mg/g. Ca/MBC maintained a higher adsorption capacity at pH = 4–12, and after five adsorption–desorption cycles, the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of MG remained at 1424.2 mg/g and 71.21%, highlighting the advantages of Ca/MBC on adsorbing MG. This study suggests that biochar can be modified by a green synthesis approach to produce calcium-functionalized magnetic biochar with excellent MG removal capacity. The synthetic material can not only remove pollutants from water but also provide an efficient way for soil remediation.
UTAUT Model for Smart City Concept Implementation: Use of Web Applications by Residents for Everyday Operations
Authors: Popova Yelena , Zagulova Diana
Published: March 2022

The article considers the attitude of smart city residents towards the use of web applications in everyday life. It is very important for many stakeholders since it affects the involvement of people in all processes of urban life and contributes to the implementation of the smart city concept. The goal of the research is to study the factors influencing the intention and use of web applications in a smart city. Based on the results of surveying the residents of Riga, the UTA UT model was applied with the employment of partial least squares structural equation modeling in Smart PLS. The traditional constructs of the UTAUT model—Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Social Influence (SI), Facilitating Conditions (FC), as well as Attitude towards the use of Applications (ATA)—had a direct or indirect positive relationship with the intention to use technologies (Behavioral Intention: BI) and/or with usage of these technologies (Use Behavior: UB). Anxiety indirectly via ATA showed a negative effect on UB. The influence of Age, Gender and Education on BI and UB as moderators was also investigated. Only Age as a moderator negatively affected the relationship between FC and PE and SI. The results showed that in order to involve in full scope of the population of Riga in the use of communication technologies and the implementation of the smart city concept, it is necessary to create the appropriate conditions for residents, in particular by teaching people on a permanent basis. Some of the obtained results were different from similar studies’ results, which emphasizes that city authorities and other stakeholders should make decisions on the involvement of citizens in smart process based on the local peculiarities, which supports the slogan of smart cities—think globally, act locally.
Analysis of Citrus Tristeza Virus Incidences within Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citri) Populations in Florida via High-Throughput Sequencing
Authors: Britt Kellee , Gebben Samantha , Levy Amit , Achor Diann , Sieburth Peggy , Stevens Kristian , Al Rwahnih Maher , Batuman Ozgur
Published: March 2022

The destructive citrus disease, Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, continues to devastate Florida’s citrus industry. A hemipteran insect, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), disperses Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, one of the putative bacterial pathogens of HLB. This study builds upon ongoing research utilizing high-throughput sequencing to analyze the virome of ACP populations collected from citrus groves throughout Florida. Following the widespread detection of sequences aligning to the genome of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) across consecutive years in the Florida ACP virome, we continued to detect a pervasive amount of CTV in Florida ACPs during subsequent years. Simultaneously, we also detected mixed infections of CTV strains in pooled ACPs from different Florida regions. Predating the HLB epidemic, CTV has been present in Florida for many years and our results confirm its widespread and diverse persistence in Florida citrus groves through a unique lens, the ACP. CTV presence in the ACP likely results from feeding on CTV-infected citrus trees in Florida citrus groves, which may help to understand an overlapping presence of CTV and HLB, both endemic citrus pathosystems in the state, and their role in future integrated pest management strategies.
Periodontitis-Related Knowledge and Its Relationship with Oral Health Behavior among Adult Patients Seeking Professional Periodontal Care
Authors: Dolińska Ewa , Milewski Robert , Pietruska Maria Julia , Gumińska Katarzyna , Prysak Natalia , Tarasewicz Tomasz , Janica Maciej , Pietruska Małgorzata
Published: March 2022

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that not only damages the stomatognathic system, but may also adversely influence other systems and organs. Patients with low oral health literacy levels are more prone to gingivitis/periodontitis and have a more severe disease course. Methods: A written questionnaire was carried out to assess the knowledge of patients of the Outpatient Clinic of Department of Periodontal and Oral Mucosa Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. The questions concerned knowledge regarding the causes of periodontal disease, its risk factors, and the connection between periodontal disease and general health status. To analyze the population, patients were divided according to gender, age and if they were first-time or regular outpatients. Results: Written questionnaires were completed by a total of 302 patients. In the studied population, we noted knowledge deficits, particularly related to weaker periodontal disease risk factors (stress, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity) and the genetic factor, which is the determinant of periodontitis. The patients’ awareness of the role of plaque bacteria and the effect of smoking on the periodontium was at a relatively high level. The respondents were also aware of the impact of periodontal disease on general health as well as the role of oral hygiene in preventing the disease. At the same time, few of them (26%) used interdental brushes or an irrigator (8%). Conclusions: We demonstrated that patients have an insufficient level of knowledge related to risk factors as well as the prevention of periodontal disease. Awareness of the extent of oral health literacy among patients will help to identify key issues connected with health education interventions
Rare Disorders: Diagnosis and Therapeutic Planning for Patients Seeking Orthodontic Treatment
Authors: Arriagada-Vargas Carolina , Abeleira-Pazos María Teresa , Outumuro-Rial Mercedes , García-Mato Eliane , Varela-Aneiros Iván , Limeres-Posse Jacobo , Diz-Dios Pedro , Diniz-Freitas Márcio
Published: March 2022

The available literature on the orthodontic treatment of patients with rare disorders is extremely scarce. The aim of this study was to analyze the diagnosis and orthodontic treatment of a group of 94 individuals with rare diseases, referred for orthodontic evaluation to a university special care dentistry center (University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain). We created a control group of 94 systemically healthy individuals, paired by sex and age range. For all participants, we recorded their dental and skeletal abnormalities, oromotor dysfunctions and the characteristics of their orthodontic treatment. Some of the morphological and functional abnormalities were more prevalent in the rare disorders group than in the control group, including dental agenesis, microdontia, enamel defects, maxillary hypoplasia, overbite, cleft lip/palate, mouth breathing, atypical swallowing, lingual/labial interposition, labial incompetence, modified consistency diet, bruxism, and muscle tone abnormalities. Compared with the control group, the 56 patients with rare disorders who underwent orthodontic treatment required more desensitization sessions, used mixed appliances (fixed and removable) more often and for longer periods and had more frequent complications, such as gingivitis, caries, mucosal ulcers and recurrent debonding of the device. In conclusion, for selected patients with rare disorders, it is feasible to perform orthodontic treatment, whose planning will be determined by the dental-skeletal abnormalities and oromotor dysfunctions. Although complications are more frequent, they can typically be solved without having to stop treatment.
Outcome-Affecting Parameters of Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement with Concomitant Cartilage Damage—Data Analysis from the German Cartilage Registry
Authors: Serong Sebastian , Fickert Stefan , Niemeyer Philipp , Banke Ingo J. , Goronzy Jens , Sobau Christian , Zinser Wolfgang , Landgraeber Stefan
Published: March 2022

This study aims to report on a prospectively collected, multicenter database of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI) and concomitant cartilage damage (according to the International Cartilage Repair Society) and to assess the outcome-affecting parameters. In the study, 353 hips with up to 24 months’ follow-up were assessed by iHOT-33 scoring and achievement of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) levels. Multiple and binary regression analyses were performed to identify factors related to (un-) favorable outcomes and to assess their clinical relevance with regard to achieving the MCID and PASS. Multiple regression yielded the parameters of male sex (p = 0.022) and lower body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.019) at 6 months, lower BMI (p = 0.022) and younger age (p = 0.022) at 12 months, and younger age at 24 months (p = 0.039) to be significantly associated with higher iHOT scoring. Male sex (p = 0.019) and lower BMI (p = 0.018) were significantly correlated with achievement of the PASS in binary regression at 6 months, whereas at 12 (p = 0.010) and at 24 (p = 0.003) only younger age was shown to be significantly correlated. None of the parameters was statistically associated with achievement of the MCID. As the parameters of younger age, male sex, and lower BMI were identified as temporarily correlated with a preferable outcome in general and with achievement of the PASS in particular, these findings help to preoperatively identify factors associated with (un-) favorable therapy results.
A Novel Deep-Learning-Based Framework for the Classification of Cardiac Arrhythmia
Authors: Jamil Sonain , Rahman MuhibUr
Published: March 2022

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary cause of death. Every year, many people die due to heart attacks. The electrocardiogram (ECG) signal plays a vital role in diagnosing CVDs. ECG signals provide us with information about the heartbeat. ECGs can detect cardiac arrhythmia. In this article, a novel deep-learning-based approach is proposed to classify ECG signals as normal and into sixteen arrhythmia classes. The ECG signal is preprocessed and converted into a 2D signal using continuous wavelet transform (CWT). The time–frequency domain representation of the CWT is given to the deep convolutional neural network (D-CNN) with an attention block to extract the spatial features vector (SFV). The attention block is proposed to capture global features. For dimensionality reduction in SFV, a novel clump of features (CoF) framework is proposed. The k-fold cross-validation is applied to obtain the reduced feature vector (RFV), and the RFV is given to the classifier to classify the arrhythmia class. The proposed framework achieves 99.84% accuracy with 100% sensitivity and 99.6% specificity. The proposed algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art accuracy, F1-score, and sensitivity techniques.
Hydrodynamics of a Moored Permeable Vertical Cylindrical Body
Authors: Konispoliatis Dimitrios , Chatjigeorgiou Ioannis , Mavrakos Spyros
Published: March 2022

In this study, the problems of diffraction and radiation of water waves by a permeable vertical cylindrical body are formulated within the realm of the linear potential theory. The body, which is floating in constant water depth, is moored with a catenary mooring line system. The method of matched eigenfunction expansions for the prediction of the velocity potential in the fluid domain surrounding the body is applied. Furthermore, the static and dynamic characteristics of the mooring system are combined with the hydrodynamics of the body, to set up the coupled motion equations of the dynamical model, i.e., floater and mooring system, in the frequency domain. Numerical results obtained through the developed solution are presented. The results revealed that porosity plays a key role in reducing/controlling the exciting wave loads. As far as the mooring system is concerned, its quasi-static and dynamic characteristics, by employing several motion directions on the fairlead in accordance to varying environmental conditions, are examined, highlighting their effect on the body’s motions.
Tailored Leaching Tests as a Tool for Environmental Management of Mine Tailings Disposal at Sea
Authors: Pedersen Kristine , Lejon Tore , Evenset Anita
Published: March 2022

The expanding human activities in coastal areas increase the need for developing solutions to limit impacts on the marine environment. Sea disposal affects the marine environment, but despite the growing knowledge of potential impacts, there are still no standardized leaching tests for sea disposal. The aim of this study was to contribute to the development of leaching tests, exemplified using mine tailings, planned for submarine disposal in the Repparfjord, Norway. The mine tailings had elevated concentrations of Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn and Ni compared to background concentrations in the Repparfjord. Variables known to affect metal leaching in marine environments (DOC, pH, salinity, temperature, aerated/anoxic) were studied, as was the effect of flocculant (Magnafloc10), planned to be added prior to discharge. Stirred/non-stirred setups simulated the resuspension and disposal phases. Leaching of metals was below 2% in all experiments, with the highest rate observed for Cu and Mn. Multivariate analysis revealed a different variable importance for metals depending on their association with minerals. Higher leaching during resuspension than disposal, and lower leaching with the addition of Magnafloc10, especially for Cu and Mn, was observed. The leaching tests performed in this study are transferable to other materials for sea disposal.
Assessing Coastal Road Flood Risk in Arctic Alaska, a Case Study from Hooper Bay
Authors: Miller Anna Christina , Ravens Thomas Michael
Published: March 2022

Rising waters and land subsidence are increasing relative sea levels in western and northern Alaska, forcing communities to relocate or armor in place. To appropriately plan and make equitable decisions, there is a need to forecast the risk of flood exposure in coastal Alaskan communities and to evaluate methods to mitigate that risk. This paper conducts use-inspired science to evaluate the current and future flood exposure of roads in Hooper Bay, Alaska, proposes a unit cost of flood exposure to estimate the cost of flooding, and compares various mitigation efforts including elevating roads and building dikes. Nine historic storms and their associated flood depths were subject to return-period analysis and modeled for several sea level rise scenarios. Based on the simulated road flood exposure (km hours/storm), and the storm-return period, an annual flood exposure (km hours/year) was computed. Then, the unit cost of flood exposure (USD/km hours) was determined as the ratio of the cost of flood mitigation (USD/year) to the annual flood exposure mitigated by the project. The analysis found that the unit cost of flood exposure, in conjunction with flood exposure calculations, does provide an approximate flood risk calculation, though a unitized cost of flood exposure needs to be divided into lump sum costs and materials costs. The analysis also found that dikes may be a more cost-effective alternative than road elevation. The flood risk calculation, based on the unit cost of flood exposure, could be made for all of the communities in a given region to identify those communities that face a high flood risk. Furthermore, if one divides the unit cost of flood exposure by the population, one obtains a cost/benefit ratio that potentially could be used to prioritize flood mitigation work.
Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Why, When, How?
Authors: Kotsifa Evgenia , Vergadis Chrysovalantis , Vailas Michael , Machairas Nikolaos , Kykalos Stylianos , Damaskos Christos , Garmpis Nikolaos , Lianos Georgios D. , Schizas Dimitrios
Published: March 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy. It is principally associated with liver cirrhosis and chronic liver disease. The major risk factors for the development of HCC include viral infections (HBV, HCV), alcoholic liver disease (ALD,) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The optimal treatment choice is dictated by multiple variables such as tumor burden, liver function, and patient’s health status. Surgical resection, transplantation, ablation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and systemic therapy are potentially useful treatment strategies. TACE is considered the first-line treatment for patients with intermediate stage HCC. The purpose of this review was to assess the indications, the optimal treatment schedule, the technical factors associated with TACE, and the overall application of TACE as a personalized treatment for HCC.
Explanatory Models of Burnout Diagnosis Based on Personality Factors and Depression in Managing Nurses
Authors: Membrive-Jiménez María José , Gómez-Urquiza José L. , Suleiman-Martos Nora , Monsalve-Reyes Carolina , Romero-Béjar José Luis , Cañadas-De la Fuente Guillermo A. , De la Fuente-Solana Emilia Inmaculada
Published: March 2022

Nurse managers are affected by burnout due to the high degree of interaction between managers with their registered nurses. Explanatory models based on psychological, and personality related variables purvey an estimation to level changes in the three dimensions of the burnout syndrome. A categorical-response logistic ordinal regression model, supported on a quantitative, crosscutting, multicentre, descriptive study with 86 nursing managers in the Andalusian Health Service in Granada, Spain is performed for each dimension. The three models included different variables related to personality, as well as depression as the only explanatory variable included in all the models. The risk factor neuroticism was significant at population level and related to emotional exhaustion, whilst responsibility was significant in the model estimated to personal accomplishment dimension. Finally, depression was significant for the three dimensions of Burnout. This analysis provides useful information to help the diagnosis and evolution of this syndrome in this collective.
Examining Farm Financial Management: How Do Small US Farms Meet Their Agricultural Expenses?
Authors: Omobitan Omobolaji , Khanal Aditya R.
Published: March 2022

Small farms in the US have significant challenges in financial management. This study examines how small farmers undertake farm financial management to meet their agricultural and farm-related spending and expenses. Using primary survey data from Tennessee, the study investigates the factors influencing the extent of use of five financing sources to meet the spending and expenses: cash/fund directly generated from the sale of agricultural products, farmer’s past savings, farm household’s off-farm income, income/incentives from government payments, and external loans. Using negative binomial regression estimation of generalized linear models, findings suggest that the decision on the use of financing sources is significantly influenced in general by age, education, income and land acreage holdings, off-farm work, and risk factors related to farmer or farm household. However, the associated factors and their effects on the extent of use are different depending on the financing source.
Can Family Farmers Thrive in Commodity Markets? Quantitative Evidence on the Heterogeneity in Long Agribusiness Supply Chains
Authors: Verano Thiago de Carvalho , Medina Gabriel da Silva , Oliveira Júnior João Ricardo de
Published: March 2022

Background: Family farmers’ participation in marketing channels has prompted debates on the types of market best suited to this type of farmer. Commodity production by rural communities and the role of agribusiness long marketing channels for family-based farmers are the subjects of numerous qualitative studies. However, quantitative studies capable of assessing the relevance of long channels to family-based farmers are scarce. Therefore, this study intends to assess the relevance of long marketing channels for family farmers. Methods: We compiled the data from the survey responses of family farmers from 155 municipalities in a state in the central region of Brazil. Results: (1) There was an economic concentration of some marketing channels, namely, the sale of commodities occurred in 35% of the municipalities and included 4.15% of the sampled family farmers. The income derived through these channels represented 2.13% of the farmers’ total income included in the study. (2) There is a low diversity of market types. On average, we found 2.95 long marketing channels per municipality. (3) Family farmers’ participation is low in most commodity long channels. Between 0.11% and 4.15% of the family farmers in the sampled municipalities participate in these channels. Long channels linked to the cattle production chain showed more relevant capacity for inclusion. Conclusions: Contrary to the expectations of those behind initiatives to promote the marketing and sale of locally-sourced commodities within rural communities, agribusiness long marketing channels provide limited opportunities for family farmers to market their goods.
Numerical Studies of the Effects of the Substrate Structure on the Residual Stress in Laser Directed Energy Additive Manufacturing of Thin-Walled Products
Authors: Jing Hang , Ge Peng , Zhang Zhao , Chen Jun-Qi , Liu Zhong-Ming , Liu Wei-Wei
Published: March 2022

A new method of controlling the residual stress in laser directed energy deposition additive manufacturing (DED AM) products proposed based on constraints used in manufacturing and the substrate design. The simulation results of the residual stress, which were validated with the experimental measured data, showed that weaker constraints on the substrate could greatly decrease the residual stress in the laser DED AM products. In addition, by designing local reduced thickness regions into the substrate, such as long strip holes or support legs, the residual stress in DED AM products could be further decreased. In this study, when long strip holes were designed in the substrate, the tensile residual stress was decreased by 28%. An even smaller amount of residual stress was achieved when the design structure was changed to support legs. The tensile residual stress decreased by more than 30%. The fewer support legs, the smaller the residual stress. The residual stress in DED AM products could be well-controlled by design, while the stiffness can be weakened with fewer constraints.
Effective Tuning of the Performance of Conductive Silicon Compound by Few-Layered Graphene Additives
Authors: Wu Zhensheng , Yang Haitao , Tian Fuqiang , Ren Hao , Chen Yu
Published: March 2022

Electric conductive silicon compounds are widely used and essential in electric power, energy and information industries. However, there are still problems such as insufficient stability of physical and chemical properties and weak electrical conductivity. To address the problem of low contact reliability of electrical joints in high-power transmission and distribution equipment, we assessed the influence of mechanically exfoliated graphene (MEG) content on the physicochemical properties of electrical joint compound (EJC). Varying amounts of few-layer MEG prepared with the conventional mechanically exfoliated method was added to the conductive silicon compounds, of which various physicochemical properties, such as penetration, drip point, volume resistivity and frictional properties were systematically assessed and compared with those with copper additive. We found that the addition of MEG effectively enhanced the temperature and mechanical stability of EJC and significantly reduced the material volume resistivity. This work paves the way to improve the key performance of electric conductive silicon compounds with advanced nanomaterials.
Coreopsis tinctoria and Its Flavonoids Ameliorate Hyperglycemia in Obese Mice Induced by High-Fat Diet
Authors: Zhang Feng , Yang Minglan , Xu Jia , Hu Yanzhou , Gao Ruxin , Huang Kunlun , He Xiaoyun
Published: March 2022

With the prevalence of obesity all over the world, human health has been seriously affected. In particular, the number of diabetic and cardiovascular diseases has increased dramatically. The herb Coreopsis tinctoria (C. tinctoria) shows diverse biological and pharmacological activities, which are mainly attributed to its flavonoids. However, the specific functional substances that play an active role in C. tinctoria remain unclear, and its mechanism has not been deeply explored. In this study, we established a diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice model and treated mice with C. tinctoria or kaempferol for 8 weeks. The results showed that both C. tinctoria and kaempferol lowered body weight, reduced fasting blood glucose, and improved glucose tolerance and insulin resistance to alleviate obesity in DIO mice. The level of hemoglobin A1c also decreased significantly after treatment with C. tinctoria and kaempferol. Moreover, the administration of C. tinctoria and kaempferol also restored gut microbiota imbalance and significantly increased Desulfovibrio and Butyricimonas levels, which have been reported to improve glucose metabolism and intestinal health. In general, our study shows that C. tinctoria is a potential hypoglycemic substance for obesity and may reduce blood glucose by regulating gut microbiota, and that kaempferol is one of the effective substances of C. tinctoria.
Salvage Therapy for Alveolar Echinococcosis—A Case Series
Authors: Burkert Sanne , Peters Lynn , Bloehdorn Johannes , Grüner Beate
Published: March 2022

Benzimidazoles are the only approved drugs for the treatment of inoperable human alveolar echinococcosis but may be limited due to intolerance or, rarely, ineffectiveness. A medical second-line or salvage therapy is not available, though it is urgently needed. We report long-term follow-up data from 14 patients who underwent salvage therapy with repurposed drugs with cumulatively 53.25 patient-years. Treatment response was evaluated by both clinical outcome and image studies, preferably PET/CT. Eleven patients received amphotericin B, and 70% of evaluable cases showed some positive treatment response, but side effects often limited therapy. Five patients received nitazoxanide, of which two showed clear progression but one achieved a lasting stable disease. One patient was treated with mefloquine combination therapy in advanced disease, and overall, a positive treatment response could not be assessed. Furthermore, we report on one patient receiving pembrolizumab for a concomitant malignancy, which did not result in a reduction of echinococcal manifestation. In summary, current options of salvage therapy can sometimes induce persistent disease control, although with potentially significant side effects and high treatment costs, and mortality remains high. No clear recommendation for a salvage therapy can be given; treatment remains highly experimental, and non-pharmaceutical interventions have to be considered.
Infrared Spectroscopy Studies of Aluminum Oxide and Metallic Aluminum Powders, Part I: Thermal Dehydration and Decomposition
Authors: Ludwig Bellamarie , Burke Taryn T.
Published: March 2022

In this work, we study three aluminum oxides (alpha, gamma, boehmite) and various oxidized metallic aluminum powders to observe their dehydration and decomposition behavior using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We find that a temperature increase to the aluminum oxides (aluminas) reduces physically adsorbed water molecules to reveal the presence of hydroxyl groups. All three aluminas contained bridged hydroxyls located at 3670 cm−1; we found additional surface hydroxyls, which varied based on the oxidation state of the aluminum atom. Oxidized metallic aluminum powders that were aged resulted in similar behavior; however, the results differed depending on the method of aging. We find that naturally aged aluminum (NA-Al) powders with heavy oxidation in the form of the tri-hydroxide decomposed and did not reveal any detectable surface hydroxyl peaks. When aged using artificial methods (AA-Al), we find both surface hydroxyls, including bridged hydroxyls at 3670, 3700, and 3730 cm−1, and a remaining boehmite-like surface. These results show that metallic aluminum powders can be tailored for specific applications, regardless of age. It also elucidates different ways to pre-process the powders to control the surface oxide layer, corroborated by comparison with the models oxides studied herein.
Experimental Investigation of SO2 Removal from Flue Gases by Cleaning with Solution of Lime Suspension and Formic Acid
Authors: Milotić Milan , Đurić Slavko , Čepić Zoran , Adamović Dragan , Obrovski Boris , Đorđić Dragiša , Stošić Milena
Published: March 2022

The experimental investigation presented in this research was performed in order to examine the possibility of the removal of SO2 from flue gases by cleaning with a solution of lime suspension and formic acid (Ca(OH)2 and HCOOH). Research was conducted in a laboratory plant (rotary kiln) of 44 kW. The mass of the lime suspension (LS) was 400 g. The mass of the LS was homogenized (mixed) in a sample cup with 2 g (0.5%), 4 g (1%) and 8 g (2%) of 60% formic acid. The solution was placed in a gas washing bottle, where a partial flow of flue gas generated by the combustion of diesel fuel was injected. Simultaneously with the diesel fuel combustion, SO2 from a bottle was injected in a rotary kiln. The average mass concentration of SO2 in the flue gas at the entry point of the gas washing bottle was around 2900 ppm. The results indicated that the absorption of SO2 by the cleaning of flue gas with LS was 96.83%. Adding formic acid to the LS in mass ratios of 0.5% (2 g), 1% (4 g) and 2% (8 g) resulted in absorptions of 99.25%, 98.77% and 98%, respectively. The absorption of flue gases in the gas washing bottle with LS, with the addition of formic acid in the mentioned ratios, showed a reduction in sulfates and pH value, and a rise in sulfides and calcium, respectively.
Aḥmad Amīn’s Rationalist Approach to the Qur’ān and Sunnah
Authors: Peta Ines
Published: March 2022

The emergence of Islamic reformist thinking in the period of the so-called Nahḍah (Renaissance), in particular in the latter part of the XIX century, entailed a revival of interest in Muʿtazilite rationalism. Among the Sunni intellectuals who reevaluated the ancient theological school, a prominent place belongs to Aḥmad Amīn (1886–1954). Muʿtazilism takes up much space in his famous trilogy Fajr al-Islām (The Dawn of Islam), Ḍuḥā al-Islām (The Morning of Islam) and Ẓuhr al-Islām (The Noon of Islam). Although the trilogy has been defined as the first critical research work carried out by a Muslim writer on Islamic civilisation, it has not been the subject of any specific or in-depth studies. The present article aims to partially fill this gap through a detailed linguistic and content analysis of selected passages from the trilogy. This analysis shows how Aḥmad Amīn’s interpretation of the Muʿtazilism fits into the wider project that he pursued to reform Islam: on the one hand, he fought against the traditional dependence on transmitted data (naql), which he considered to be the main cause of the intellectual stasis of the Muslims; on the other hand, he promoted a critical reading of the sacred texts, the Qur’ān and Sunnah, based on reason and on modern Western scientific methodology.
Research on Weigh-in-Motion Algorithm of Vehicles Based on BSO-BP
Authors: Xu Suan , Chen Xing , Fu Yaqiong , Xu Hongwei , Hong Kaixing
Published: March 2022

Weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems are used to measure the weight of moving vehicles. Aiming at the problem of low accuracy of the WIM system, this paper proposes a WIM model based on the beetle swarm optimization (BSO) algorithm and the error back propagation (BP) neural network. Firstly, the structure and principle of the WIM system used in this paper are analyzed. Secondly, the WIM signal is denoised and reconstructed by wavelet transform. Then, a BP neural network model optimized by BSO algorithm is established to process the WIM signal. Finally, the predictive ability of BP neural network models optimized by different algorithms are compared and conclusions are drawn. The experimental results show that the BSO-BP WIM model has fast convergence speed, high accuracy, the relative error of the maximum gross weight is 1.41%, and the relative error of the maximum axle weight is 6.69%.
Problems in Adolescents: What Are the Psychological, Social and Financial Consequences?
Authors: Livazović Goran
Published: March 2022

Adolescence is a time of change and a period of personal and social transition, which imposes a degree of risk taking with the goal of achieving developmental benefits associated with these changes [...]
Properties and Limiting Forms of the Multivariate Extended Skew-Normal and Skew-Student Distributions
Authors: Adcock Christopher J.
Published: March 2022

This paper is concerned with the multivariate extended skew-normal [MESN] and multivariate extended skew-Student [MEST] distributions, that is, distributions in which the location parameters of the underlying truncated distributions are not zero. The extra parameter leads to greater variability in the moments and critical values, thus providing greater flexibility for empirical work. It is reported in this paper that various theoretical properties of the extended distributions, notably the limiting forms as the magnitude of the extension parameter, denoted τ in this paper, increases without limit. In particular, it is shown that as τ→−∞, the limiting forms of the MESN and MEST distributions are different. The effect of the difference is exemplified by a study of stockmarket crashes. A second example is a short study of the extent to which the extended skew-normal distribution can be approximated by the skew-Student.
A Novel Approach towards Sustainability Assessment in Manufacturing and Stakeholder’s Role
Authors: Rasheed Aamir , Ion William
Published: March 2022

With increasing consumer awareness about sustainability and governmental policies to address environmental challenges and social responsibility, the manufacturing sector is under continuous pressure to adopt more sustainable practices. Trends show that factories of the future (FOF) will need to adapt to market demands, growing economic and ecological efficiency requirements, and corporate social responsibility; such versatility is vital to address consumer disquiet and sustainability expectations. Various approaches have been proposed to assess sustainability over the last few decades. Most of these approaches have limitations in that they are of marginal relevance to the manufacturing environment, tend to focus on only one aspect of sustainability, or are too complicated for most organisations to implement. Moreover, numerous studies have demonstrated a gap in sustainability expectations among various stakeholders, and no active mechanisms exist to prioritise sustainability in manufacturing. This paper introduced a novel approach to address both the manufacturer and multiple stakeholders’ expectations about sustainability prioritisations in manufacturing practices. It achieved this using a modified quality function deployment (QFD) tool along with AHP and normalisation techniques. A set of system boundaries was adopted to evaluate sustainability in the manufacturing context; this research was a ‘Gate to Gate’ border. These indicators and a score-based approach will help organisations better grasp how manufacturing operations interact with sustainability and decision-making. They will help lead to improvements in the allocation of corporate resources used to manage and improve sustainability performance in manufacturing.
A New Species of Large Duck (Aves: Anatidae) from the Miocene of New Zealand
Authors: Tennyson Alan J. D. , Greer Liam , Lubbe Pascale , Marx Felix G. , Richards Marcus D. , Giovanardi Simone , Rawlence Nicolas J.
Published: March 2022

We describe a new species of extinct duck, Miotadorna catrionae sp. nov. (Anatidae, Tadornini, Tadorninae), based on a right humerus from the Miocene lacustrine deposits of St Bathans, Otago, New Zealand. Principal component analysis reveals that the new taxon is distinguished by its large size and relative proportions. This is the eighth and largest species of duck described from the St Bathans fossil assemblage and further underscores the global importance of this site for understanding anatid evolution.