bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical simulation of an osteoporotic femur
Authors: Tellache Mohamed , Rixrath Emmanuel , Chabrand Patrick , Hochard Christian , Pithioux Martine , Wendling-Mansuy Sylvie
Published: July 2021

Bone remodelling adapts bone geometry and properties under supported loadings. This optimization process is deteriorated by metabolic diseases like osteoporosis which involves femoral neck fractures and implies Total Hip Arthroplasty. Two finite element models are developed to evaluate the stress distribution within osteoporotic human femur bone tissue, and its influence on the stem stability. The geometries of human femur and prosthesis are obtained by helicoid scanner acquisition. The cortical bone was separated from the trabecular bone by apparent density threshold. The results obtained for osteoporotic femur show that the degradation of trabecular architecture causes high stresses in the anteroinferior zone of the cortical bone. For the femur with hip prosthesis, high stresses weak the bone tissue in the lateral zone of the proximal dyaphisis and in the medial zone of the distal part at the end of the stem.
An axi-symmetric thermo-hydraulic model to better understand spot laser welding
Authors: Medale Marc , Touvrey Charline , Fabbro Rémy
Published: July 2021

The aim of this study is to better understand the basic mechanisms leading to possible defect occurrence in spot laser welding. For that purpose we have developed a numerical model, which takes into account the key-hole dynamics together with a dedicated energy deposition model featuring the multiple reflection effects. Many experiments have also been achieved enabling us to report several defect classes. The analysis of some of these scenarios have been performed and favourably compared to experiments.
Numerical aspects of fluid infusion inside a compressible porous medium undergoing large strains
Authors: Celle Pierre , Drapier Sylvain , Bergheau Jean-Michel
Published: July 2021

A new model for a thermo-reactive fluid flow across a highly compressible porous medium has been proposed and employed to predict infusion-based manufacturing processes for polymer composites (Celle, 2006). These techniques consist in mixing the reinforcements and the resin during the manufacturing cycle, transversely to the fabrics plane, by applying a pressure on the resin/preform stacking. This yields cost reductions and avoids filling problems. The introduction of a numerical model in a finite element software to study infusion-based processes will increase their diffusion by a reliable prediction of both part thickness and porosity (Celle et al., 2008). The present paper deals mainly with the numerical treatments related to the resin layer.
Sequential and global optimization in powder injection molding processing
Authors: Ayad Ghassane , Barriere Thierry , Gelin Jean-Claude , Song Jiupeng , Liu Baosheng
Published: July 2021

The work is focused on the overall optimization associated to powder injection molding (PIM). The PIM process includes four main stages, from the mixture of the powders and binders to the final sintering stage. Injection and sintering stages are considered to be the most important for optimization, as they mostly affect the final quality of the produced components. The injection stage shapes the green parts but initiates powders segregation that will be inherited and amplified by the sintering stage to finally appear in the resulting products. One first introduces an optimization loop based on the surfaces response method to minimize the powder segregation. Then the results are transferred to a sintering optimization loop applied through an experimentally calibrated thermo-mechanical creep model to predict the shrinkage and density contours on the final parts. The overall optimization combines both optimizers based on the developed simulation tools to provide a realistic way to improve the PIM process design accounting the different processing stages.
Parametric and nonparametric models of the impedance matrix of a random medium
Authors: Cottereau Régis , Clouteau Didier , Soize Christian
Published: July 2021

Two approaches are presented for the modeling of the impedance matrix of a random medium: one parametric and the other nonparametric. The former allows to take into account the data uncertainties while introducing a model error, that yields, in some cases, very high levels. The latter is based on a much simpler, deterministic, model, for which both data uncertainties and model errors are accounted for. When the model error is negligible, the parametric approach can be used for the identification of the parameters of the nonparametric model of the impedance matrix.
A time-variant reliability approach applied to corroded naval structures with non-linear behaviour
Authors: Cazuguel Mikaël , Cognard Jean-Yves
Published: July 2021

As corrosion effects can lead to catastrophic consequences in naval structures, methods to take it into account are a source of concern. Its variability in time and space, in addition to the consideration of random and temporal character of material behaviours, environmental conditions and loads, requires adapted strategies from mechanical and reliability points of view. In this paper, we propose a 2D non-linear finite element mechanical approach modelling local decreases of the safe thickness of the structure, avoiding successive re-meshing. A time-variant reliability analysis of a corroded plate submitted to a stochastic load is carried out to validate the propounded strategy. The reliability analyses are posttreated in a time-variant way by the PHI2 method, whose two existing formulations are compared in terms of stability and convergence speed.
Assessment of water availability in the period of 100 years at the head of the São Francisco river basin, based on climate change scenarios
Authors: Coutinho Priscila Esposte , Cataldi Marcio
Published: July 2021

In the last century, changes in climate trends have been observed around the planet, which have resulted in alterations in the hydrological cycle. Studies that take into account the impact of climate change on water availability are of great importance, especially in Brazil’s case, where water from rivers, beyond being destined for human consumption, animal watering and economic activities, has a great participation in electricity generation. This fact makes its energy matrix vulnerable to variations in the climate system. In this study, a flow analysis for the head of the São Francisco river basin was performed between 2010 and 2100, considering the precipitation data of the CCSM4 climate model presented in the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Projections of future flow were performed for the scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, based on the SMAP rain-flow model, followed by a comparative analysis with the present climate. In general, we can observe that the decades of 2010 to 2100 will be marked by the high levels of precipitation, interspersed by long droughts, in which the recorded flow will be lower than the Long Term Average (LTA) calculated for the basin. Therefore, new management strategies must be considered to maintain the multiple uses of the basin.
Is social capital underproduced?
Authors: Craig Alexander W. , Storr Virgil Henry
Published: July 2021

Is social capital likely to be underproduced without state action? Where previous analysts have typically argued that social capital is a public good and, therefore, needs government action to be produced at an optimal level, we argue that social capital is not a public good because though often non-rivalrous, it is almost always excludable. As such, social capital is more appropriately conceived of as a club good. Further, we argue that governments are not likely to be in a position to improve a society’s social capital due to epistemic limits and the complexity of social capital. Finally, we argue that rather than a state solution, solutions to social capital-related problems are best solved through a bottom-up process. As we demonstrate throughout, this has implications for how we understand community resilience in the wake of disasters. The key role that social capital plays in facilitating community rebound after disasters has been widely acknowledged. If social capital is a public good, then policymakers could be justified in focusing on cultivating social capital as a strategy for promoting community resilience. If social capital is a club good and there are limits to top-down strategies for creating social capital, however, then social capital creation is not an available policy lever.
Controlling the dynamics of the plasmonic field in the nano-femtosecond scale by chirped femtosecond laser pulse
Authors: Song Hanbing , Lang Peng , Ji Boyu , Song Xiaowei , Lin Jingquan
Published: July 2021

Arbitrary control of the electromagnetic field in femto-nano scale has attracted significant research attention in nano-photonics. Although the electromagnetic field controlled in femto-nano scale could be realized by illuminating metallic nanoparticles with femtosecond chirped laser pulses, the quantitative relation of the laser chirp and the temporal evolution of the plasmonic field hasn’t yet been fully revealed. Here, active control of the localized plasmonic field is demonstrated by a chirped femtosecond laser pulse in an asymmetric Au nano-cross system within nm-fs scale using the finite differential time domain method. The transferring of the plasmonic field between the two poles of the nanocross is determined by the laser chirp and exhibits linear dependence on the time interval between the corresponding plasmonic resonant frequencies dispersed in the chirped laser pulse. The arrival time and amplitude of the peak field from the plasmonic hot spot are determined by the superposition of the induced field excited by the on-resonant and off-resonant frequency components distributed in the chirped laser pulse. The peak field would arrive behind the resonant frequency component for sufficient oscillation of the localized field. This relative delay between the resonant frequency and field peak is influenced by the temporal distribution of the resonant frequency in the chirped pulse and the response of localized field interpreted by the damped harmonic oscillator model. This result demonstrates that larger near-field enhancement is determined by not only the temporal sequence of the frequency component modulated by chirp but also the temporal distribution of the resonant frequency.
Validation and psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese dispositional flow scale 2 (DFS-BR)
Authors: Bittencourt Ig Ibert , Freires Leogildo , Lu Yu , Challco Geiser Chalco , Fernandes Sheyla , Coelho Jorge , Costa Júlio , Pian Yang , Marinho Alexandre , Isotani Seiji
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Flow state is a psychological concept used to describe the optimal engagement in different activities. Therefore, the DFS-2 has been developed as an instrument to measure an individual’s dispositional tendency to flow state as a personality trait. Objective: Aiming to obtain an adapted version of the DFS-2 for the Brazilian-Portuguese language (DFS-BR) and for general activities, we performed its forward- and backward-translation, and we validated it. Methods: After gathering answers from 681 Brazilian participants, we performed: (1) the construct validity of the DFS-BR; and (2) the psychometric item quality analysis. Results: the Confirmatory Factorial Analysis (CFA) indicates the best fit for the gathered data is a nine multi-correlated factorial model (χ2/df= 4.23,CFI= 0.94,TLI= 0.93 andRMSEA= 0.069). Reliability tests performed in this structure indicates excellent internal consistency for the DFS-BR. The item quality analysis indicates that its difficulty and discriminating parameters have a good endorsement to estimate the dispositional flow state. Additionally, we proposed and validated a short version of the DFS-BR (composed of only nine items). The validation results indicates good fit (χ2/df= 2.94,CFI= 0.98,TLI= 0.97 andRMSEA= 0.053) and good internal consistency. The Test Information Curve of the short version indicates that it is very informative in the estimation of individual dispositional flow state. Discussion and Conclusions: In view of these results, we conclude that the DFS-BR showed good evidence of its validity to be used with Brazilian people. We also suggest the use of a short version when we need only measure the person’s flow state based on the principle of Occam’s razor. This principle is supported by the analysis presented in this article.
The clinicopathologic significance of Tks5 expression of peritoneal mesothelial cells in gastric cancer patients
Authors: Sugimoto Atsushi , Okuno Tomohisa , Tsujio Gen , Sera Tomohiro , Yamamoto Yurie , Maruo Koji , Kushiyama Shuhei , Nishimura Sadaaki , Kuroda Kenji , Togano Shingo , Miki Yuichiro , Yoshii Mami , Tamura Tatsuro , Toyokawa Takahiro , Tanaka Hiroaki , Muguruma Kazuya , Ohira Masaichi , Yashiro Masakazu
Published: July 2021

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) patients frequently develop peritoneal metastasis. Recently, it has been reported that peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) activated by GC cells acquire a migratory capacity and promote GC cell invasion. The invasiveness of PMCs reportedly depends on the activity of Tks5, an adaptor protein required for invadopodia formation. However, the relationship between clinicopathologic features and Tks5 expression in PMCs has been poorly documented. In this study, we evaluated the clinicopathologic significance of the Tks5 expression of PMCs in GC patients.

Materials and methods

A total of 110 GC patients who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. Tks5 expressions in PMCs from the greater omentum, lesser omentum and retroperitoneum were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. We analyzed the correlation between Tks5 expressions in PMCs and the patients’ clinicopathologic features.

Results

Tks5 expression was found in 71 (64.5%) of the 110 patients, while 39 (35.5%) were Tks5-negative. Tks5 positivity was significantly (p = 0.038) associated with a greater tumor depth (i.e., T3/4 compared with T1/T2). Peritoneal recurrence was found in 12 of 98 cases within 3 years of surgery. The 3-year peritoneal recurrence-free survival (PRFS) rate in Tks5-positive cases was significantly poorer than that in Tks5-negative cases (80.1% vs 97.4%,p= 0.024). Multivariate analysis revealed that Tks5 positivity and lymph node metastasis were independent factors for PRFS.

Conclusion

Tks5 is frequently expressed in PMCs in advanced-stage gastric cancer. Tks5 might be a useful predictor for peritoneal recurrence in GC patients.
Pulmonary rehabilitation in Lebanon “What do we have”? A national survey among chest physicians
Authors: Farah Rebecca , Groot Wim , Pavlova Milena
Published: July 2021

Background

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is not very often used by physicians in Lebanon despite evidence on its positive effects on health-related quality of life.

Aim

This study assesses the knowledge, attitudes and practices of PR among physicians in Lebanon. In addition, the study identifies the main barriers to access to PR according to chest physicians. Insight into these issues will help to increase awareness about the need for PR programs and can contribute to designing such programs in the country.

Methods

A survey was conducted during the regional conference of the Lebanese Pulmonary Society. One week after the initial survey, the survey questionnaire was sent by email to all chest physicians who were registered with the Lebanese Pulmonary Society but did not attend the conference. A 25-item questionnaire was used to collect information on PR.

Results

Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The response rate was 40%. Results show that only one-third of Lebanese chest physicians have good knowledge about the nature and multidisciplinary content of PR. Physicians generally support the current “Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program” in Beirut. Key barriers found are the lack of referral, lack of motivation by patients due to their health, cost of care and lack of qualified health care specialists in Lebanon.

Conclusion

Absence of awareness and education about PR among healthcare providers plays an important role in increasing access to the “Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program”. Awareness campaigns and education for physicians, health care professionals and patients should be considered to increase PR in the country.
Bacterial superinfection in adults with COVID-19 hospitalized in two clinics in Medellín-Colombia, 2020
Authors: Cataño-Correa Juan Carlos , Cardona-Arias Jaiberth Antonio , Porras Mancilla Jessica Paola , García Marcela Tabares
Published: July 2021

COVID-19 represents high morbidity and mortality, its complications and lethality have increased due to bacterial superinfections. We aimed to determine the prevalence of bacterial superinfection in adults with COVID-19, hospitalized in two clinics in Medellín-Colombia during 2020, and its distribution according to sociodemographic and clinical conditions. A cross sectional study was made with 399 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by RT-PCR. We determined the prevalence of bacterial superinfection and its factors associated with crude and adjusted prevalence ratios by a generalized linear model. The prevalence of superinfection was 49.6%, with 16 agents identified, the most frequent were Klebsiella (pneumoniae and oxytoca) and Staphylococcus aureus. In the multivariate adjustment, the variables with the strongest association with bacterial superinfection were lung disease, encephalopathy, mechanical ventilation, hospital stay, and steroid treatment. A high prevalence of bacterial superinfections, a high number of agents, and multiple associated factors were found. Among these stood out comorbidities, complications, days of hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, and steroid treatment. These results are vital to identifying priority clinical groups, improving the care of simultaneous infections with COVID-19 in people with the risk factors exposed in the population studied, and identifying bacteria of public health interest.
Reflexiones sobre el acceso a los servicios de salud de las personas con discapacidad intelectual o del desarrollo en el marco de la crisis sanitaria creada por la pandemia de la Covid-19
Authors: Muñoz Bravo Javier , De Araoz Sánchez-Dopico Inés
Published: July 2021

La pandemia de COVID-19 tuvo en su primera oleada entre marzo y mayo de 2020 un impacto enorme sobre el sistema sanitario español. La saturación del mismo y la escasez de recursos materiales y personales obligaron a tomar decisiones que implicaban la priorización de la atención de unos pacientes sobre otros. La toma de estas decisiones se hizo en la mayoría de los casos sin tomar en consideración las características, las necesidades y los derechos de las personas con discapacidad intelectual y del desarrollo cuando no basadas en sesgos negativos sobre el colectivo. Se analiza la situación creada durante el primer pico pandémico y se extraen conclusiones relevantes para la preservación del derecho a la salud.
Expressions of heat shock protein 90, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and vascular endothelial growth factor in the skin of diabetic rats
Authors: Alawneh Khaled Z. , Raffee Liqaa A. , Alshehabat Musa A. , Alkhatib Ahed Jumah
Published: July 2021

Background and Aim: Chronic skin ulceration is a common and painful condition that affects about 15% of patients with diabetes worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expressions of heat shock protein 90 (HSP 90), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the skin of diabetic rats.

Materials and Methods: A total of 20 rats were divided randomly into two equal groups. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced in the rats of Group 2, whereas the rats in Group 1 were kept healthy and served as control. DM was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate at 120 mg/kg. Rats were considered diabetic if the blood glucose level was above 200 mg/dL. After induction of DM, the rats were monitored daily for 28 days. On day 28, the rats were humanely euthanized, and full-thickness skin punch biopsy was obtained from the dorsal side of the thoracolumbar region. Indirect immunoperoxidase staining was used to evaluate the expressions of HSP 90, iNOS, and VEGF in the skin tissue specimens.

Results: The expressions of HSP 90, iNOS, and VEGF in the skin were significantly higher in diabetic rats than in the control rats. On day 28 in diabetic rats, a positive correlation (r=0.65, p=0.01) was detected between mean blood glucose level and the expression levels of HSP 90, iNOS, and VEGF.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that DM upregulated the expressions of HSP 90, iNOS, and VEGF in the skin tissues of diabetic rats and may impact the healing of skin wounds. However, this study was preliminary and further studies to investigate this relationship are warranted.
A Hajdú-Bihar megyei sportszektorban működő sportvállalkozások jövedelmezőségi helyzetének vizsgálata
Authors: Koroknay Zsuzsa , Bácsné Bába Éva
Published: July 2021

A sport napjainkra egyre inkább meghatározó iparággá válik. A mérhetőség iránti igény itt is előtérbe került a vezetői szinteken. Jelen tanulmányban a sportvállalkozások pénzügyi adatait tekintettük át. A pénzügyi adatokat felhasználva megvizsgáltuk a jövedelmezőségi helyzetét azoknak a sportvállalkozásoknak, amelyek székhelye Hajdú-Bihar megyében van. Adatbázisunkat az OPTEN Céginformációs szervezet segítségével állítottuk össze. Mintánkba azon sportvállalkozások beszámolói kerültek, amelyek főtevékenysége TEÁOR szám szerint 931 Sporttevékenység. Összehasonlítás érdekében a vállalkozásokat tevékenységi kör és árbevételi kategóriák szerint csoportosítottuk. Összességében elmondható, hogy kedvezőbb jövedelmezőséggel rendelkeznek azok a vállalkozások, melyeknek árbevétele 50 001 - 100 000 eFt között van. Tevékenységi körüket tekintve, pedig a sportlétesítményeket működtető vállalkozások jövedelmezőségi helyzete a legkiegyensúlyozottabb.
A főbb szántóföldi növények strukturális változásának alakulása és jövőbeni kilátásai a Dél-Alföld mezőgazdaságában
Authors: Kovács Helga
Published: July 2021

Magyarország területének mintegy 80%-a termőterület, melynek részét képezi az erdő, nádas, halastó és a mezőgazdasági területek. Az ország különböző részein más-más termelésszerkezet alakult ki a természetföldrajzi adottságoktól és a kulturális tényezőktől függően, ami régiónként eltérő időbeli változásokat mutat. A dolgozat célja annak tanulmányozása, hogy miként változott a Dél- Alföldön termesztett főbb szántóföldi növények (búza, kukorica, napraforgó és repce) termőterülete és termésátlaga a 2000 és 2019 közötti időszakban. Egyszempontos varianciaanalízist (ANOVA) alkalmaztam annak eldöntésére, hogy a vizsgált szántóföldi növények termőterületeinek részesedése az ország fő régióiban szignifikánsan különbözik-e egymástól. Megvizsgáltam továbbá a búza, a repce, a napraforgó és a kukorica vetésterületének az országosan megművelt termőterületekből való részesedése trendjeit. Az elemzéshez a KSH adatbázisait alkalmaztam.
Undisturbed Burial of the Slab Grave Culture with a Horse Skull in Northern Mongolia
Authors:   Altai State University, A. Tishkin , T.-O. Iderkhangai ,   Ulaanbaatar State University, N. Plasteeva ,   Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, S. Orgilbayar ,   Ulaanbaatar State University, D. Tsend ,   Altai State University,   Ulaanbaatar State University
Published: July 2021

The article presents detailed results of archaeological excavations carried out on the territory of Northern Mongolia in the valley of the Egiin-gol river. Under one of the stone layouts at the Kharuulyn Gozgor site there was an undisturbed human burial which belongs to the culture of slab graves. A feature of this object is the presence of a horse skull and other animal bones. Special attention was paid to the study of the osteological remains of the horse since such finds are quite rare. On the basis of archaeozoological determinations, it was concluded that the grave contained the skull and lower jaw of a stallion aged 12–15 years old and some bones of its forelimbs. The notice was made of the injuries to the parietal and frontal bones obtained during the killing of the horse which judging by the given morphometric parameters was not large. The skull and individual bones of a young sheep were also found. The obtained osteological materials are important for carrying out paleogenetic studies. Key words: Northern Mongolia, culture of slab graves, archaeological excavations, human burial, horse skull, sheep bones, archaeozoological definitions Acknowledgments: Field research was carried out within the framework of the international program of the St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution of Culture “Museum-Institute of the Roerich Family” (Russia) and during the archaeological practice of students of Ulaanbaatar University (Mongolia). Analytical work and writing of the article were carried out with partial financial support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 19–59–15001 “Horses and Their Importance in the Life of the Ancient Population of Altai and Adjacent Territories: Interdisciplinary Research and Reconstruction”).
Medieval Mirrors from the Collection of Altai State Museum of Local Lore.
Authors:   Altai State University, N. Seregin , E. Narudtseva ,   Altai State Museum of Local Lore, A. Chistyakova ,   Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University, S. Radovsky ,   Altai State University
Published: July 2021

The article presents the characteristic of medieval metal mirrors in the collection of the Altai State Museum of Local Lore (Barnaul). The analysis of three items (two fragments and one complete product) has been carried out. The authors reviewed the history of the formation of this small collection, and also provided a detailed description of each mirror. It has been established that the find from the Kirillovka-V complex is a part of an eight-bladed artifact, which, judging by the recorded characteristics, is an original Chinese mirror of the late Tang time. The fragment discovered during the excavations of the Khoroshonok-I necropolis has no analogies in the sites of North and Central Asia. The dating of both designated objects is determined by the last centuries of the 1st millennium AD. The third mirror was made during the Yuan Dynasty and belongs to a very rare type of product. The analysis of the considered group of objects from the Altai State Museum of Local Lore collection demonstrates a significant informational potential for further study of metal mirrors from museum collections, some of which have not yet been published and are not included in the context of modern research. Keywords: metal mirrors, Middle Ages, museum, Altai, archaeological sites, China, chronology Acknowledgements: The study was carried out within the framework of the state assignment of the Altai State University, project No. 748715Ф.99.1. ББ97АА00002 “The Turkic-Mongolian World of the “Great Altai”: Unity and Diversity in History and Modernity”.
The distribution of primes in a short interval
Authors: Feliksiak Jan
Published: July 2021

This research paper begins the presentation, with the topic of the distribution of primes in a short interval. The lower and upper limits for the number of primes within the interval are defined unambiguously. This provides us with a solid foundation, to resolve conclusively the Second Hardy-Littlewood´s conjecture. The paper concludes with the Merit of a Prime Gap and the Second Harald Cramer´s conjecture.
A Sentinel based agriculture monitoring scheme for the control of the CAP and food security
Authors: Koutroumpas Antonios , Sitokonstantinou Vasileios , Drivas Thanassis , Koukos Alkiviadis , Karathanassi Vassilia , Kontoes Haris , Papoutsis Ioannis
Published: July 2021

Effective and efficient control of the agrarian obligations imposed by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the high-level decision making for national and global food security, requires systematic and timely monitoring of the agricultural land. In this study we focus on rice paddy monitoring in South Korea to ultimately deliver food security related information. Food security monitoring demands knowledge at large scales to allow for decision making at the highest level. In this work, we monitor the growth of rice using the TIMESAT solution on a time-series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), extracting useful metrics with reference to the phenological phases of the crop, but also biomass and yield indicators. TIMESAT requires user provided parameters to define the start and the end of season to then compute the relevant metrics. In order to automate this procedure, the vegetation indices Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI) are used to develop a data based parameter tuning for TIMESAT.
U-Learning – The Design and Evaluation of Evocative Learning based Method for Futuristic Ubiquitous Educational Learning Environment
Authors: Jabeen Munazza Mah
Published: July 2021

Technology has travelled a long way from an analogue world to a digital age, where our interaction in the virtual world is leading us towards virtual reality. Ubiquitous learning (UL) can be considered as a pattern in erudition grounded on ubiquitous latest technologies usage through smart devices. The research has gaged the level of awareness of ubiquitous learning and analyzed the contribution of various factors that are responsible for the rate of adoption of UL. The outcome of this research has led to coming up with a framework which if applied in any academic setup will lead to the effective delivery of the futuristic ubiquitous educational learning environment.
Postoperative Hospital Outcomes of Elective Surgery for Nonmalignant Colorectal Polyps: Does the Burden Justify the Indication?
Authors: Kruger Andrew J. , Hussan Hisham , Stanich Peter P. , Gray Darrell M. , Porter Kyle M. , Hinton Alice , Raju Gottumukkala S. , Krishna Somashekar G.
Published: July 2021

INTRODUCTION:

Despite the increasing availability of advanced endoscopic resections and its favorable safety profile, surgery for nonmalignant colorectal polyps has continually increased. We sought to evaluate readmission rates and outcomes of elective surgery for nonmalignant colorectal polyps on a national level in the United States.

METHODS:

The Nationwide Readmissions Database (2010–2014 [International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision] and 2016–2018 [International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision]) was used to identify all adult subjects (age ≥18 years) who underwent elective surgical resection of nonmalignant colorectal polyps. Multivariable analyses were performed for predictors of postoperative morbidity and 30-day readmission.

RESULTS:

Elective surgery for nonmalignant colorectal polyps was performed in 108,468 subjects from 2010 to 2014 and in 54,956 subjects from 2016 to 2018, most of whom were laparoscopic. Postoperative morbidity and 30-day readmission rates were 20.5% and 8.5% from 2010 to 2014, and 13.0% and 7.6% from 2016 to 2018, respectively. Index admission mortality rates were 0.3–0.4%; mortality rates were higher in those with postoperative morbidity. Multivariable analyses revealed that male sex, ≥3 comorbidities, insurance status, and open surgery predicted an increased risk of both postoperative morbidity and 30-day readmission. In addition, postoperative morbidity (2010–2014 [odds ratio 1.58; 95% confidence interval 1.44–1.74] and 2016–2018 [odds ratio 1.55; 95% confidence interval 1.37–1.75]) predicted early readmission.

DISCUSSION:

In this investigation of national practices, elective surgery for nonmalignant colorectal polyps remains common. There is considerable risk of adverse postoperative outcomes, which highlights the importance of increasing awareness of the range of endoscopic resections and referring subjects to expert endoscopy centers.
Decolonising the curriculum beyond the surge: Conceptualisation, positionality and conduct
Authors: Abu Moghli Mai , Kadiwal Laila
Published: July 2021

In recent years, there has been increased interest in, and work towards, decolonising the curriculum in higher education institutions in the UK. There are various initiatives to review university syllabuses and identify alternative literature. However, there is an increasing risk of turning ‘decolonisation’ into a buzz term tied to a trend. We fear that decolonisation within academia is becoming an empty term, diluted and depoliticised, allowing for superficial representations that fail to address racial, political and socio-economic intersectionalities. In this article, we examine several initiatives to decolonise the curriculum with a focus on the field of education as a discipline and medium. Based on our analysis, we engage with three main themes:conceptualisation,positionalityandconduct. The article concludes that decolonisation cannot happen in a vacuum, or as an aim disconnected from the rest of the structure of the university, which leads to diluting a wider movement and turns into a box-ticking exercise. We argue that there needs to be a deconstruction of asymmetrical power relationships within academic spaces to allow for meaningful decolonisation in practice. This requires a real political will, a change in the structure, and in the hearts and minds of those in decision-making positions, and a shift in the practices of knowledge production.
Analysis of CSR and the impact of the supply chain on sustainable performance practices: a case study of a mexican exporting company
Authors: Arredondo-Hidalgo María Guadalupe , Caldera González Diana del Consuelo
Published: July 2021

El estudio de caso de la empresa investigada busca comprender la responsabilidad social empresarial (RSE), analizando su cadena de valor desde el Modelo de las 31 prácticas de las cadenas de suministro que el World Economic Forum (2015) propone, desde la perspectiva de la triple ventaja: rentabilidad, medio ambiente y desarrollo de las economías locales. Es una investigación de tipo cualitativa con enfoque de estudio de caso descriptivo. El objetivo del trabajo es observar el impacto de las operaciones de logística internacional en una pyme exportadora mexicana, y analizar si su trascendencia económica ha tenido un desarrollo sustentable en lo social, económico y ambiental. Los resultados indican una ventaja competitiva en la diferenciación del producto a partir del concepto de valor compartido de Porter y Kramer (2002). De acuerdo con el Modelo del WEF, el arquetipo es Liberal humanista, puesto que enfatiza el valor del negocio en 65% y pondera aspectos socio ambientales en un 35 %. No obstante, los impactos en la cadena de suministro deberán mitigarse si se espera que se identifique a la organización como una empresa socialmente responsable.
Eine »divinatorische Kultur par excellence«?
Authors: Lackner Michael
Published: July 2021

Ausgehend von bedeutenden Formen der chinesischen Divination befasst sich der Artikel mit Parallelen und Unterschieden zu vergleichbaren Phänomenen im Westen. Anhand von Konzeptualisierungen des freien Willens werden unterschiedliche Dimensionen der Theoretisierung von Vorhersage untersucht. Hinzu tritt eine Analyse der Affinität bestimmter Orakel zur Religion.
Gegenwartsorientierung aus Zukunftsgewissheit
Authors: Schart Aaron
Published: July 2021

Der Artikel rekonstruiert die sozio-religiöse Rolle des »Propheten«. Der Vergleich mit den mesopotamischen Parallelphänomenen macht deutlich, dass die israelitischen Propheten in ihrer Funktion und in ihrem Selbstverständnis als »Gottesbote« mit dem mesopotamischen Phänomen weitgehend übereinstimmen. Als Beispieltext dient Am 7,7–17. Zur Erstellung von Prophetenbüchern kam es nur in Israel. Deren Rezeption im Geist der Apokalyptik prägt das Neue Testament.
Digitalisierung und Künstliche Intelligenz
Authors: Grunwald Armin
Published: July 2021

Seit Beginn des Computerzeitalters werden Vorhersagen modell- und datengestützt unternommen. Künstliche Intelligenz und Big Data haben neue Erwartungen auf bessere Vorhersagen geweckt. Am Beispiel der Technikfolgenabschätzung werden diese rekonstruiert und kritisch reflektiert. Im Ergebnis bleibt festzuhalten, dass sich an der Grundproblematik von Vorhersagen durch die Digitalisierung nichts ändert: Sie erfolgen auf Basis vergangener Daten, deren Extrapolierbarkeit in die Zukunft eigenständiger Überlegung bedarf.
»Vorhersageprodukte«
Authors: Weiskopf Richard
Published: July 2021

Der Beitrag problematisiert das »new profiling«. Dieses bezieht seine Attraktivität aus dem Versprechen, mithilfe von Daten und leistungsfähigen Algorithmen Unsicherheit zu reduzieren und das Verhalten, Denken, Entscheiden von Menschen vorhersehbar zu machen. Auf der Basis scheinbar rationaler und neutraler Berechnungen verwandeln diese »Vorhersageprodukte« (S. Zuboff) das offene Werden in eine kalkulierte Zukunft, die zu einer Quelle der Generierung von Einkommen und Kapital wird und zugleich mögliche Zukünfte verbaut.
Color and composition of beauty products formulated with lemongrass essential oil: Cosmetics formulation with lemongrass essential oil
Authors: Tran Thien Hien , Tran Thi Kim Ngan , Ngo Thi Cam Quyen , Pham Tri Nhut , Bach Long Giang , Phan Nguyen Quynh Anh , Le Thi Hong Nhan
Published: July 2021

Diversification of products that are derived from essential oils carries important implications in reducing agricultural waste and promoting the medicinal materials industry. In this study, we formulated a shampoo and a body wash product incorporated with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) essential oils (LEOs) and evaluated their color stability and the LEO compositional change. We first determined the color change and chemical composition of bare LEO under different storage conditions. Afterward, the washing product base was formulated, and its formulation process was optimized to minimize the color change by varying a wide range of parameters including pH, the inclusion of preservatives and antioxidants, LEO/antioxidant ratio, and emulsification temperature. The base product was then used in body wash and shampoo formulation following our previously reported procedure. The results indicated that direct incorporation of the LEO into the cosmetic products resulted in better color stability and citral retention in comparison with emulsion formation. In addition, shampoo and body wash products showed no detectible presence of compounds resulting from citral decomposition such as 3,7-dimethyl-1,3,6-octatriene, p-mentha-1,5-dien-8-ol, and p-cymene-8-ol. The current findings are expected to aid in diversifying LEO-derived commodities and justifying scalability of the cosmetics production process with a focus on the incorporation of naturally derived ingredients.
Troubling Pasts: Teaching Public History in Northern Ireland
Authors: Purdue Olwen
Published: July 2021

This article explores the challenges and opportunities presented for the teaching and practice of public history in a post-conflict society that remains deeply divided over its past. It examines some of the negative ways in which history is used in the public arena, but also the potential of public history initiatives for building a more cohesive and forward-looking society. It examines how students can use the rich cultural landscape of Northern Ireland and engage with a wide range of experienced practitioners to learn more about the ways in which history divides; how we can negotiate these divisions over interpretations; how different communities understand, represent, and engage with their past; and why this matters.
“How Do We Play this Thing?”: The State of Historical Research on Videogames
Authors: Guay-Bélanger Dany
Published: July 2021

Though previously overlooked by academia, scholars from a wide array of fields now consider videogames as a serious subject of inquiry. The emergence of game studies as a standalone discipline has led to the publication of high-quality work on the medium, yet the field of videogame history is still immature. Initial attempts to introduce critical historical analysis of videogames in a field dominated by journalistic accounts were themselves plagued by an overemphasis on videogame canons and on the United States and Japan. In effect, early writings by videogame historians resembled “great man” theory, something one could qualify as “great game” theory. Over the last decade, this situation has started to be redressed and there are now growing efforts to produce solid historical scholarship on videogames. Still, game scholars and game historians need to collaborate, engage in conversation, and develop and adapt proper methods to conduct historical research on videogames in order to write relevant histories of this relatively young medium.
Nanoengineered photoactive theranostic agents for cancer
Authors: Jain Nishant K. , Chathoth Bavya M. , Bhaskar Vinil S. , Meena Himanshu , Prasad Rajendra , Srivastava Rohit
Published: July 2021

Cancer has gained much attention because of slow development of advanced diagnostics and therapeutic strategies. So far, conventional procedures like surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are only available options for cancer treatment which have various limitations. To overcome the limitations of conventional procedures, nanodiagnostics, and therapeutics are emerging approaches for localized diagnosis and treatment of cancer nowadays. So far, various bio-mimicking and stimuli active cancer theranostic platforms have been established but they are limited only for animal studies and their clinical translational progress is slow. Among various cancer theranostics platforms, photoresponsive systems have shown promising outcomes for cancer theranostics applications due to their specific physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, multifunctionality etc. Moreover, these photothermal agents in combination with diagnostics probes and surface functional targeting moieties demonstrate their synergistic response for site selective imaging and ablating cancer cells/tumor. Photoactive principles are rife and with increasing access to light irradiation setups, more the discovery of photoactive products, more would be the success reaped in cancer battle. This review highlights recent developments in cancer nanotheranostics with a special focus on photoactive functional nanotheranostics. Moreover, the challenges involved in clinical translation of photoactive materials along with their application in vivid areas of cancer nanomedicine and elucidate the future implications on photoactive therapy have been addressed here.
The crystal structure of 13-(pyrazole-1-yl-4-carbonitrile)-matrine, C19H25N5O
Authors: Li Jun-Jie , Dong Fang-Yun , Zou Qi-Wen , Feng Yin , Yang Yu-Tao , Su Kai-Xuan , Huang Yong-Fu , Jiang Xu-Hong , Cheng Xing-An
Published: July 2021

C19H25N5O, monoclinic, P21 (no. 4), a = 16.0600(2) Å, b = 5.3992(1) Å, c = 19.8514(2) Å, β = 94.260(1)°, V = 1716.58(4) Å3, Z = 4, R

gt
(F) = 0.0350, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0908, T = 100.00(10) K.
Crystal structure of (E)-7-methoxy-2-((6-methoxypyridin-3-yl)methylene)-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one, C18H17NO3
Authors: Wang Lei , Meng Qing-Guo , Jiang Nan , Wei Lin , Wang Chun-Hua
Published: July 2021

C18H17NO3, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 14.702(3) Å, b = 7.0421(11) Å, c = 15.303(3) Å, β = 113.32(2)°, V = 1454.9(5) Å3, Z = 4, R

gt
(F) = 0.0522, wR

ref
(F
2) = 0.1274, T = 100.03(18) K.
The crystal structure of 4-chloro-thiophenol, C6H5ClS
Authors: Manana Pholani , Hosten Eric C. , Betz Richard
Published: July 2021

C6H5ClS, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 5.7461(2) Å, b = 9.7601(4) Å, c = 5.7466(3) Å, β = 95.869(2)°, V = 320.59(2) Å3, Z = 2, R

gt
(F) = 0.0216, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0545, T = 200 K.
Crystal structure of (E)-7-fluoro-2-((6-methoxypyridin-3-yl)methylene)-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one, C17H14FNO2
Authors: Su Xiang-Yi , Zhang Xiao-Fan , Meng Qing-Guo , Li Hong-Juan
Published: July 2021

C17H14FNO2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 15), a = 7.3840(6) Å, b = 10.9208(8) Å, c = 16.7006(15) Å, β = 101.032(9)°, V = 1321.84(19) Å3, Z = 4, R

gt
(F) = 0.0589, wR

ref
(F
2) = 0.1561, T = 100.00(18) K.
The crystal structure of dichlorido-bis(3-methyl-3-imidazolium-1-ylpropionato-κ2)-cadmium(II), C14H20CdCl2N4O4
Authors: Yang Fei , Wang Zongwei , Liu Pengju , Guo Libing , Xian Dong
Published: July 2021

C14H20CdCl2N4O4, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 8.261(3) Å, b = 16.390(5) Å, c = 13.967(4) Å, β = 95.850(4)°, V = 1881.3(10) Å3, Z = 4, R

gt
(F) = 0.0342, wR

ref
(F
2) = 0.0873, T = 296 K.
Future directions of material chemistry and energy chemistry
Authors: Cao Jing , Ma Ding , Yu Shu-Hong
Published: July 2021

Energy is an important substantial foundation for the survival and development of humans. However, the over-consumption of resources and environmental pollution have become more prominent. The key factors for solving energy problems are to increase energy utilization efficiency and optimize energy structure. The development of new materials is the research emphasis in the field of material chemistry all the time. For instance, developing new light-capture materials and catalysts to improve the efficiency of existing photovoltaic cells is one of the most effective approaches to increasing solar power capacity radically. The design of high-performance catalytic materials to make better use of energy from fossil fuels and biomass. In addition, it is an important research direction of material chemistry and energy chemistry to deeply understand the reaction mechanism of energy conversion.
Structural and electronic properties of Cu4O3 (paramelaconite): the role of native impurities
Authors: Živković Aleksandar , Sheehama Jacobina , Warwick Michael E. A. , Jones Daniel R. , Mitchel Claire , Likius Daniel , Uahengo Veikko , Dzade Nelson Y. , Meenakshisundaram Sankar , Dunnill Charles W. , de Leeuw Nora H.
Published: July 2021

Hybrid density functional theory has been used to study the phase stability and formation of native point defects in Cu4O3. This intermediate copper oxide compound, also known as paramelaconite, was observed to be difficult to synthesize due to stabilization issues between mixed-valence Cu1+ and Cu2+ ions. The stability range of Cu4O3 was investigated and shown to be realized in an extremely narrow region of phase space, with Cu2O and CuO forming readily as competing impurity phases. The origin of p-type conductivity is confirmed to arise from specific intrinsic copper vacancies occurring on the 1+ site. Away from the outlined stability region, the dominant charge carriers become oxygen interstitials, impairing the conductivity by creating deep acceptor states in the electronic band gap region and driving the formation of alternative phases. This study further demonstrates the inadequacy of native defects as a source of n-type conductivity and complements existing experimental findings.