bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human factors influencing the reliability of fire and gas detection system
Authors: Idris Ahmad M. , Rusli Risza , Burok Nor A. , Mohd Nabil Nur H. , Ab Hadi Nurul S. , Abdul Karim Abdul H. M. , Ramli Ahmad F. , Mydin Idris
Published: December 2019

This paper presents some fundamental factors that influence the reliability of fire and gas (F&G) alarm systems by incorporating human factor's principles. As compared, standard alarm and the safety‐related alarm will show two different values of IPF given in process hazard analysis (PHA) studies. In this study, fault tree diagram has been used to calculate the process flow diagram (PFD) value, to identify which alarm type could meet the standard of safety integrity level (SIL1) for F&G system for a single train process. Comparison of both alarms is done for three types of selected detectors; flammable gas detectors, flame detectors, and toxic gas detectors. It has been identified that standard alarm for all type of detectors does not meet the SIL1 requirement. Compared to safety‐related alarm, all detectors are able to meet the requirement of SIL1. Since the greater IPF will be given for safety‐related alarm, it is crucial to study the holistic factor that could maintain the system with good efficiency and performance. The human factor has been identified as the most critical element for safety‐related alarm. A complete coordinated approach is needed to ensure the performance and efficiency of the F&G alarm system can be maintained while process plants are able to be safely operated within as low as reasonably achievable region.
Effect of wind directions on human injury and fatality risk modeling due to vapor cloud explosion in offshore platforms
Authors: Niazi Usama M. , Nasif Mohammad S. , Muhammad Masdi
Published: December 2019

Vapor cloud explosion (VCE) accidents have the potential to cause loss of life in offshore platforms. In order to quantify risk, quantitative risk assessment has served as a robust methodology. However, previous research focuses on macroscale assessment of risk which does not take into consideration the local specific details such as piping and equipment congestions. The overpressure developed by VCE is greatly influenced by local specific details. In addition, VCE occurs due to the ignition of vapor cloud that is influenced by parameters such as wind speeds and directions. This study investigates the effect of different wind conditions on VCE and resulting human injury and fatality risk by employing a grid‐based approach in an offshore platform. Flame Acceleration Simulator software is utilized to model dispersion of vapor cloud and resulting VCE. The methodology is an integrated tool that enables a grid‐by‐grid mapping risk, thereby providing a complete and precise picture of risk in all the locations. It was found that risk values were increased to maximum of 91% when wind speed was increased from 0 to 7 m/s. Among four wind directions, West to East wind direction recorded maximum risk values and South to North wind direction recorded minimum risk values.
Atop‐the‐barrier localization in periodically driven double wells: A minimization of information entropic sums in conjugate spaces
Authors: Kumar Naveen , Raj Prashant , Balanarayan Pananghat
Published: December 2019

The spatio‐temporal localization of a system in the presence of an oscillating electric field for a symmetric double‐well potential is examined via numerical simulations of the time‐dependent Schrödinger equation. For an initial state with equal probability densities in both the wells, stabilized localization atop the barrier can be achieved on a periodic high‐frequency driving. The barrier localization is characterized using Shannon information entropies in position and momentum spaces, defined as
Sρ =  −  ∫ |ψ|2 ln |ψ|2 dx and
Sγ =  −  ∫ |ϕ|2 ln |ϕ|2 dp, where ψ and ϕ refer to position and momentum space wave functions, respectively. The information entropy sum, Sρ + Sγ, goes through a minimum indicating the formation of the barrier‐localized state, when the peak intensity of the oscillating field is reached. The generalized uncertainty via the Białynicki‐Birula‐Mycielski inequality (
Sρ + Sγ ≥ 1 + lnπ) is saturated upon this minimization. This serves as a signature of the formation of the barrier‐atop localized state, in terms of Shannon entropies of measurable densities.
Updates in Hepatitis E virus (HEV) field; lessons learned from human liver chimeric mice
Authors: Sayed Ibrahim M. , Meuleman Philip
Published: December 2019

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of viral hepatitis globally, and it is an emerging pathogen in developed countries. In vivo studies of HEV have long been hindered due to the lack of an efficient small animal model. Recently, human liver chimeric mice were described as an elegant model to study chronic HEV infection. HEV infection was established in mice with humanized liver that were challenged with stool preparations containing HEV genotype (gt)1 and/or gt3. An increase in viral load and the level of HEV Ag in mouse samples were markers of active infection. Plasma‐derived HEV preparations were less infectious. The kinetics of HEV ORF2 Ag during HEV infection and its impact on HEV diagnosis were described in this model. In addition, the nature of HEV particles and HEV ORF2 Ag were characterized. Moreover, humanized mice were used to study the impact of HEV infection on the hepatic innate transcriptome and evaluation of anti‐HEV therapies. This review highlights recent advances in the HEV field gathered from well‐established experimental mouse models, with an emphasis on this model as a tool for elucidating the course of HEV infection, the study of the HEV life cycle, the interaction of the virus with the host, and the evaluation of new anti‐HEV therapies.
Security distributed state estimation for nonlinear networked systems against DoS attacks
Authors: Liu Jinliang , Suo Wei , Zha Lijuan , Tian Engang , Xie Xiangpeng
Published: December 2019

This paper is concerned with security distributed state estimation for nonlinear networked systems against denial‐of‐service attacks. By taking the effects of resource constraints into consideration, an event‐triggered scheme and a quantization mechanism are employed to alleviate the burden of network. A mathematical model of distributed state estimation is constructed for nonlinear networked systems against denial‐of‐service attacks. Sufficient conditions ensuring the exponential stability of the estimation error systems are obtained by utilizing the Lyapunov stability theory. The explicit expressions of the designed state estimators are acquired in terms of the linear matrix inequalities. Finally, a numerical example is used to testify the feasibility of the proposed method.
Substantive commitments: Reconciling work ethics and the welfare state in Norway
Authors: McKowen Kelly
Published: December 2019

Among some policymakers and elites, it is common sense that human behavior is rational and guided by material self‐interest. In turn, this view underpins the idea that cash transfers and social services, if made too generous, risk distorting economic incentives, diminishing the “work ethic” and fostering a “culture of dependency.” The Nordic countries, however, pose a significant empirical challenge to this common sense, as they feature both comprehensive welfare systems and high rates of employment, labor force participation, and surveyed “employment commitment.” What remains unclear is the nature of this commitment, how it is cultivated at the level of everyday life, and what its broader scholarly and policy implications might be. This article, based on sixteen months of fieldwork among the unemployed in Oslo, Norway, argues that the country's distinctive “social democratic” welfare regime endows formal wage labor—as opposed to the labor process itself—with meanings and values that make having a job central to shared ideas of social personhood and moral life. This “employment ethic” is affirmed, my unemployed interlocutors show, by experiences of worklessness. The article concludes by suggesting that a focus on the moral dimensions of contemporary welfare regimes points the way toward a generative, “neosubstantivist” economic anthropology.
Oxygen isotope homogeneity assessment for apatite U‐Th‐Pb geochronology reference materials
Authors: Yang Qing , Xia Xiao‐Ping , Zhang Le , Zhang Wanfeng , Zhang Yanqiang , Chen Linli , Yang Yanan , He Miaohong
Published: December 2019

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurement of oxygen isotopes in apatite has been employed more and more in petrogenetic, metallogenic, and climate change studies. Well‐characterised reference materials are needed due to the matrix effect, but they are yet to be well established. In this study, we conducted in‐situ oxygen isotopic and chemical analyses on six commonly used apatite reference materials (ie, Emerald, Kovdor, McClure, Mud Tank, Otter Lake, and Slyudyanka) and two in‐house apatite references (Qinghu and GEMS 203) to assess their oxygen isotope homogeneity and applicability for microbeam analyses. Our results show that all these apatite references are in general chemically homogeneous. In terms of oxygen isotopes, GEMS 203 (δ18O = 9.85 ± 0.40‰ [2SD], corrected by Durango 3), Kovdor (δ18O = 6.55 ± 0.38‰, 2SD), and McClure (δ18O = 5.94 ± 0.42‰, 2SD) are fairly homogeneous, whereas Emerald (δ18O = 10.37 ± 0.45‰, 2SD), Mud Tank (δ18O = 6.35 ± 0.46‰, 2SD), Otter Lake (δ18O = 9.71 ± 0.47‰, 2SD), Qinghu (δ18O = 5.44 ± 0.49‰, 2SD), and Slyudyanka (δ18O = 17.49 ± 0.43‰, 2SD) are less homogenous. This indicates that the former group represents better reference materials for in‐situ oxygen isotopic analyses, whilst the latter group can be used as secondary reference material for analytical quality control.
Selective Liquid Sliding Surfaces with Springtail‐Inspired Concave Mushroom‐Like Micropillar Arrays
Authors: Kang Seong Min , Choi Ji Seong
Published: December 2019

Herein, a mushroom‐like reentrant structure is proposed, inspired by springtails, to create a selective liquid sliding surface by implementing a simple yet sturdy silicon fabrication and lithography method. The fabricated arrays display high structural fidelity, presenting a novel geometry of a concave tip. The mushroom‐like head shape of these structures is found to have superomniphobicity, which is independent of a variation of temperatures for even low surface tension liquids such as mineral oil. A design rule for the novel cap of the proposed structures, which results in a selective liquid sliding property with deionized (DI) water and mineral oil, is also investigated. It is demonstrated that oil starts to slide at a roll‐off angle (ROA) 10° and then DI water rolls off at ROA 15° on the same fabricated transparent and flexible surface with repeatable durability.
Formal design of scalable conversation protocols using Event‐B: Validation, experiments, and benchmarks
Authors: Benyagoub Sarah , Aït‐Ameur Yamine , Ouederni Meriem , Mashkoor Atif , Medeghri Ahmed
Published: December 2019

Contemporary interaction‐based complex systems are often built by reusing existing distributed peers, which have to coordinate with each other to fulfill the client, system, and environment requirements. In this paper, we address the design of distributed systems composed of peers (state‐transitions systems) communicating through message exchanges. We consider choreographies as the formal model, allowing a developer to describe and specify peers coordination as a set of conversations; ie, all sequences of messages exchanged between the communicating peers. Proceeding this way requires building neither the individual peers nor their composition as they may be obtained by the choreography projection. The correctness of the preservation of such messages exchanges by each peer obtained after projection is a key issue, known as the realizability problem. Checking choreography realizability is mandatory to build third‐party applications with no coordination error, eg, absence of deadlocks, missing messages, and erroneous messaging order. In our previous work, we have proposed a set of composition operators, allowing designers to build realizable choreographies that are represented by conversation protocols (CPs). In this work, realizability is guaranteed by construction. We rely on the correct‐by‐construction Event‐B method to prove that each CP constructed using our operators is realizable. In this paper, we show how our approach applies and scales to a set of use cases borrowed from the literature and used by the research community. We also show that our approach allows to detect failures and failure recovery in case realizability does not hold.
Fruit Wastes as Promising Sources of Starch: Extraction, Properties, and Applications
Authors: Kringel Dianini Hüttner , Dias Alvaro Renato Guerra , Zavareze Elessandra da Rosa , Gandra Eliezer Avila
Published: December 2019

Fruits are widely consumed and play a crucial role in diet. Furthermore, changes in dietary habits and growing world population have promoted the increase in demand of this product, which consequently increase their wastes. Besides, the fruit processing, including juice processing, pulp extraction, jams, and frozen pulp, also generates significant amounts of waste. Wastes include skin, pulp, seed waste, and pomace, which are rich in value‐added compounds like starch. The search for new starch sources has been motivated by three main reasons: growing market demand; industry demand for new starches with different physicochemical, structural, and functional properties than conventional starch sources; and food supply to meet the increase of world population. The principal conventional sources of starch are cereal and tubers. However, fruit wastes can contain significant amounts of starch that can be better explored. Fruit waste starches have unique features and can expand the possible range of starch uses in industry. This review explores fruit wastes, including kiwifruit, pineapple, mango, litchi, tamarind, longan, loquat, annatto, jackfruit, avocado, apple, and banana as new sources of starch, and also discusses their extraction methods, properties, and potential uses.
Acts of God: Continuities and change in Christian responses to extreme weather events from early modernity to the present
Authors: Hardwick Joseph , Stephens Randall J.
Published: December 2019

Scholars, activists and others increasingly acknowledge that religion—whether conceived in terms of ideas, rituals or institutions—can help us cope with climate change and make sense of extreme weather events. Churches provide moral lessons in times of crisis, they spread awareness of climate change and, through community ritual, religious institutions can nurture a sense of collective responsibility. Much has been written on how contemporary faith groups have understood and acted on climate change and extreme weather events. Yet this literature is often not historically rooted and makes only superficial reference to the complex relationships between climate, extreme weather and religion in the past. Without an historical awareness we cannot understand the extent to which present‐day religious discourses on the environment—from those articulated by “greener faith” advocates to fundamentalist skeptics—connect with how past societies understood climate and, more specifically, extreme weather events. A survey of the literature on Christian responses to extreme weather events, whether these be slow disasters (droughts) or isolated events (storms), suggests that histories that emphasize ruptures in attitudes to the natural world are problematic. Extreme weather events have long been regarded as omens and signs, and as divine judgments on sin. It is still thought that weather disturbances reflect disorders in human society. This literature survey introduces these continuities in Christian responses to extreme weather by ranging broadly across the English‐speaking world from early modernity, though special attention is given to current work on Anglophone settler societies.

This article is categorized under:

Climate, History, Society, Culture > Ideas and Knowledge
Modification of NaY zeolite by lanthanum and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and its removal performance for nitrate
Authors: Wu Donglei , Sun Yue , Wang Linlin , Zhang Zhiming , Gui Jiaxi , Ding Aqiang
Published: December 2019

Nitrate in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is the main nitrogen resource in natural water. The excessive nitrogen in natural water causes ecological issues such as aqueous eutrophication. A novel modified NaY zeolite (SMZ‐La) with hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA) and lanthanum (La) as modifying agents for ‐N adsorption was investigated in this study. Results showed that SMZ‐La had a higher adsorption capacity (3.82 mg ‐N/g) than zeolite only modified with HDTMA or La (2.75 and 2.23 mg ‐N/g, respectively). Moreover, the adsorption process was endothermic with a maximum theoretic adsorption of 14.49 mg ‐N/g. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that adsorption rate principally depended on chemisorption between SMZ and ‐N. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that HDTMA was loaded on the surface of NaY zeolite with double layer. Scanning electron microscope and X‐ray spectroscopy analysis illustrated that La was primarily loaded in the pore of NaY zeolite, and the loading of HDTMA and La did not affect the original crystal structure of NaY zeolite. The novel adsorbent provided a promising perspective for nitrogen control in WWTPs and natural water.

Practitioner points

A novel modified zeolite (SMZ‐La) was prepared successfully with HDTMA and La.

SMZ‐La had an excellent adsorption capacity compared to SMZ and NaY‐La.

There were both physical and chemical adsorptions in the adsorption process of SMZ‐La on ‐N.
Yield reduction historically associated with the Aegilops ventricosa 7DV introgression is genetically and physically distinct from the eyespot resistance gene Pch1
Authors: Pasquariello Marianna , Berry Simon , Burt Christopher , Uauy Cristobal , Nicholson Paul
Published: December 2019

Key message

Yield penalty and increased grain protein content traits associated with Aegilops ventricosa 7D introgression have been mapped for the first time, and they are physically distinct from the eyespot resistance locus Pch1.

Wheat wild relatives represent an important source of genetic variation, but introgression of agronomically relevant genes, such as for disease resistance, may lead to the simultaneous introduction of genetically linked deleterious traits. Pch1 is a dominant gene, conferring resistance to eyespot and was introgressed to wheat from Aegilops ventricosa as part of a large segment of the 7DV chromosome. This introgression has been associated with a significant yield reduction and a concomitant increase in grain protein content. In this study, we evaluated both traits and their relationship to the location of the Pch1 gene. We found that both QTLs were clearly distinct from the Pch1 gene, being located on a different linkage group to Pch1. In addition, we found that the QTL for increased grain protein content was strong and consistent across field trials, whereas the yield penalty QTL was unstable and environmentally dependent. The yield and grain protein content QTLs were genetically linked and located in the same linkage group. This finding is due in part to the small size of the population, and to the restricted recombination between wheat 7D and Ae. ventricosa 7Dv chromosomes. Although recombination in this interval is rare, it does occur. A recombinant line containing Pch1 and 7D_KASP6, the marker associated with increase in grain protein content, but not Xwmc221, the marker associated with the yield penalty effect, was identified.
Advanced threat intelligence: detection and classification of anomalous behavior in system processes
Authors: Luh Robert , Schrittwieser Sebastian
Published: December 2019

With the advent of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), it has become increasingly difficult to identify and understand attacks on computer systems. This paper presents a system capable of explaining anomalous behavior within network-enabled user sessions by describing and interpreting kernel event anomalies detected by their deviation from normal behavior.

The prototype has been developed at the Josef Ressel Center for Unified Threat Intelligence on Targeted Attacks (TARGET) at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences.
Acquired factor XIII deficiency in two patients with bleeding events during veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment
Authors: Ito Asami , Iwashita Yoshiaki , Esumi Ryo , Sasaki Ken , Yukimitsu Masahiro , Kato Takafumi , Kawamoto Eiji , Suzuki Kei , Imai Hiroshi
Published: December 2019

We report two cases of acquired factor XIII deficiency with bleeding events during veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Case 1: A 76-year-old man diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia after near-drowning was started on ECMO. Later, the patient presented with hemoptysis and anemia. Blood tests showed a decreased factor XIII activity of 29%. Although the patient recovered after receiving 1200 International Units of factor XIII concentrate, the patient had another episode of decreased factor XIII activity and bloody stool and was treated again with factor XIII concentrate. Case 2: A 48-year-old female diagnosed with pneumonia was started on ECMO. Soon after, she presented with hemoptysis and anemia. Blood tests showed a decreased factor XIII activity of 39%. The patient was treated with 720 IU of factor XIII concentrate with good recovery. Acquired factor XIII deficiency cannot be detected by routine coagulation tests, therefore it may be under-diagnosed in the ICU. Detection of acquired factor XIII deficiency is essential when treating a bleeding ECMO patient.
Transcriptome analysis of the dimorphic transition induced by pH change and lipid biosynthesis in Trichosporon cutaneum
Authors: Wang Ya , Tang Li Juan , Peng Xuan , Zhang Zhi Bin , Yang Hui Lin , Yan Ri Ming , Zhu Du
Published: December 2019

Trichosporon cutaneum, a dimorphic oleaginous yeast, has immense biotechnological potential, which can use lignocellulose hydrolysates to accumulate lipids. Our preliminary studies on its dimorphic transition suggested that pH can significantly induce its morphogenesis. However, researches on dimorphic transition correlating with lipid biosynthesis in oleaginous yeasts are still limited. In this study, the unicellular yeast cells induced under pH 6.0–7.0 shake flask cultures resulted in 54.32% lipid content and 21.75 g/L dry cell weight (DCW), so lipid production was over threefold than that in hypha cells induced by acidic condition (pH 3.0–4.0). Furthermore, in bioreactor batch cultivation, the DCW and lipid content in unicellular yeast cells can reach 21.94 g/L and 58.72%, respectively, both of which were also more than twofold than that in hypha cells. Moreover, the activities of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), malic enzyme (MAE), isocitrate lyase (ICL) and ATP citrate lyase (ACL) in unicellular cells were all higher than in the hyphal cells. In the meanwhile, the transcriptome data showed that the genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis, carbon metabolism and encoded Rim101 and cAMP–PKA signaling transduction pathways were significantly up-regulated in unicellular cells, which may play an important role in enhancing the lipid accumulation. In conclusion, our results provided insightful information focused on the molecular mechanism of dimorphic transition and process optimization for enhancing lipid accumulation in T. cutaneum.
Team Ethical Cultures Within an Organization: A Differentiation Perspective on Their Existence and Relevance
Authors: Cabana Guillem C. , Kaptein Muel
Published: December 2019

Studies on the ethical culture of organizations have mainly focused on ethical culture at the organizational level. This study explores ethical culture at the team level because this can add a more detailed understanding of the ethics of an organization, which is necessary for more customized and effective management interventions. To find out whether various teams within an organization can have different ethical cultures, we employ the differentiation perspective and conduct a survey of 180 teams from one organization. The results show that there are significant differences between the ethical cultures of teams. These differences are relevant given the different relationships that were established between high and low clusters of team ethical culture and two outcome variables (i.e., the frequency of unethical behavior and employee responses to unethical behavior). The results also show that the dimensions of ethical cultures among teams have different patterns, which indicates the usefulness of using a multidimensional scale for capturing further differences among team ethical cultures.
How to Tell If Animals Can Understand Death
Authors: Monsó Susana
Published: December 2019

It is generally assumed that humans are the only animals who can possess a concept of death. However, the ubiquity of death in nature and the evolutionary advantages that would come with an understanding of death provide two prima facie reasons for doubting this assumption. In this paper, my intention is not to defend that animals of this or that nonhuman species possess a concept of death, but rather to examine how we could go about empirically determining whether animals can have a concept of death. In order to answer this question, I begin by sketching an account of concept possession that favours intensional classification rather than mere extensional discrimination. Further, I argue that the concept of death should be construed as neither binary nor universal. I then present a proposal for a set of minimal conditions that must be met to have a concept of death. I argue that having a minimal understanding of death entails first expecting a dead individual to be alive, and then grasping its non-functionality and irreversibility. Lastly, I lay out the sort of observational and experimental evidence that we should look for to determine whether animals have the capacity for a minimal comprehension of death.
Horizontal and Vertical Geotechnical Variations of Soils According to USCS Classification for the City of An-Najaf, Iraq Using GIS
Authors: Al-Mamoori Sohaib Kareem , Jasem Al-Maliki Laheab A. , Al-Sulttani Ahmed H. , El-Tawil Khaled , Hussain Hussain M. , Al-Ansari Nadhir
Published: December 2019

The unified soil classification system (USCS) first proposed by Casagrande and subsequently developed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It widely used in many building codes and books. An-Najaf city is the most important city in Iraq due to its religious and spiritual value in the Muslim world, so it is fast expanding and continuous developing city in Iraq. The data from 464 boreholes in the study area for depths of 0–26 m have been used. 13 Soil samples were collected from each borehole with 13 depths level (0–26) m with 2 m intervals. The USCS was applied to the soil samples from 13 depth levels borehole. This research aims to create a geodatabase for soil properties for An-Najaf. The ArcGIS 10.5 software was used to interpolate the spatial data to produce 33 geotechnical maps for fine soil, coarse soil and USCS for 13 depth levels. For numerical soil data, Ordinary Kriging has been used for interpolation mapping of Fine and Coarse percentage data for each depth. For non-numerical (nominal) soil data (USCS class), the Indicator Kriging method is used. The results show that the coarse soil occupied 85–95% for depth 0–16 m and consist of (SP, SP-SM, SM) while fine soil occupied 5–15% consisting of (OL, CH, ML) subsequently, this soil when compacted has a permeability of pervious to semi impervious, good shearing strength, low to very low compressibility and acceptable workability as a construction material. The results also show that after 16 m depths until 26 m, the fine soil percentage increased to 40% with a coarse soil percentage of 60%, indicating changes in soil characteristics as the permeability became semi-pervious to impervious, fair shearing strength, medium compressibility and fair workability as a construction material. The study results will provide help and saving time, efforts and money in preliminary engineering designs.
China ‘goes out’ in a centre–periphery world: Incentivizing international publications in the humanities and social sciences
Authors: Xu Xin
Published: December 2019

The current expansion of English language publishing by scholars from China is supported by national and university policies, including monetary and career incentives to publish in English. These incentives, which extend to work in the humanities and social sciences (HSS, the focus of this paper) as well as the sciences and technologies, are situated in evolving strategies of internationalization. China has moved from an internationalization strategy simply based on learning from the West, to a ‘going out’ strategy designed to both lift domestic research capacity and advance China’s influence in the world. However, the ‘going out’ strategy nonetheless embodies ambiguities and dilemmas. The world of academic knowledge is not a level playing field but more closely approximates the centre–periphery dynamic described in world systems theory. This study explores the influence of publication incentives in the context of a centre–periphery world. It draws on analysis of 172 institutional incentive documents and interviews with 75 HSS academics, university senior administrators, and journal editors. The study identifies practices within China’s HSS that reproduce centre–periphery relationships. By focusing on international publications, Chinese universities run the risk of downplaying Chinese-language publications and adopting standards and norms from global centres to assess domestic knowledge production. These could result in creating knowledge from and about China primarily in Western terms without adding a distinctive Chinese strand to the global conversation. Nonetheless, the study also identifies alternative dynamics that challenge the existing power hierarchies in global HSS, highlighting indigenous knowledge and the need to pluralize global knowledge production.
Cross-visiting Behaviour of Online Consumers Across Retailers’ and Comparison Sites, a Macro-Study
Authors: Karimi Sahar
Published: December 2019

Extant academic research provides a comprehensive view of online consumer behaviour on a single website, paying less attention to the integrated environment in which websites operate. Retailers’ products, however, are not only available on their own website, but also through other connected channels such as comparison sites. Our limited knowledge of consumers’ integrated behaviour across the entire market poses difficulties to design effective online strategies. At the same time, practitioners have mainly focused on website performance measures, ignoring the reasons behind the behaviour of consumers. A deeper understanding of consumers who visit different websites or, cross-visit, can inform successful online channel strategies. This macro-level study aims to bridge this gap by investigating how the usage behaviour on retailers’ websites and comparison sites influences each other, using large-scale industry-based data. A new measure of ‘cross-visiting’ behaviour is introduced and examined.
Numerical study of mixing and heat transfer of SRF particles in a bubbling fluidized bed
Authors: Alagha Mohamed Sobhi , Szucs Botond , Szentannai Pal
Published: December 2019

In this article, numerical investigations on mixing and heat transfer of solid refused fuel (SRF) particles in a bubbling fluidized bed are carried out. The numerical model is based on the Eulerian–Eulerian approach with empirical submodels representing gas–solid and solid–solid interactions. The model is verified by experimental data from the literature. The experimental data include SRF vertical distribution in SRF–sand mixtures of different sand particle sizes ($$d_{\mathrm{pm}} = 654,810$$

d
pm

=
654
,
810

and 1110 $$\upmu$$
μ
m) at different fluidization velocities ($$u/u_{\mathrm{mf}} = 1.2$$

u
/

u
mf

=
1.2

–2.0). We proposed magnification of drag force exerted by the gas on SRF particles based on Haider and Levenspiel (Powder Technol 58(1):63–70, 1989) drag coefficient. The proposed model shows good agreement with the experimental data at high fluidization velocities ( $$u/u_{\mathrm{mf}} = 1.5$$

u
/

u
mf

=
1.5

–2.0) and poor predictions at low fluidization velocities ($$u/u_{\mathrm{mf}} = 1.2$$

u
/

u
mf

=
1.2

–1.5). Heat transfer results showed that the present model is valid and gives good agreement with the experimental data of wall–bed heat transfer coefficient.
The advisory role of non-family board members: a case-based study of a family firm
Authors: Sievinen Hanna Maria , Ikäheimonen Tuuli , Pihkala Timo
Published: December 2019

The objective of this case-based study is to provide insights into the advisory role of non-family board members in a family firm attempting strategic renewal. By studying the non-family board members of a family firm in a Nordic country, we suggest that non-family board members’ advisory role evolves in a dynamic way. We show at the micro-level how the role, content, intensity, and locus of advice change and how it can be both inertia- and stress-inducing. This facilitates the renewal and hence a firm’s capacity to improve its alignment with changing external demands. We highlight the collaborative nature of the advisory role and the importance of the non-family member chair in ensuring effective board processes. Through our research we contribute to the understanding on the contextual nature of the board roles and tasks and on family firm renewals. We provide insights into how the family firm owners and the chair of the board can enhance the prospects that the non-family board members create value through their advisory role.
Test–retest repeatability of the NX-16: a three-dimensional (3D) body scanner in a male cohort
Authors: Gleadall-Siddall Damien Oliver , Turpin Richard Lincoln , Douglas Caroline Clare , Ingle Lee , Garrett Andrew Thomas
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Whole-body three-dimensional scanning is a tool utilised for the collection of body girths, volume, and surface area measurements. Few studies have investigated the validity and repeatability of this technology. The aim of the present study was to investigate the test retest variability of the NX-16 body scanner (NX-16, TC2, Cary, North Carolina, USA).

Methods

Phase one involved the measurement of a mannequin on 300 occasions (30 scans over 10 sessions). In phase two, 13 apparently healthy male participants were recruited; each participant was scanned a total of four times (two scans over two sessions). Stature, body mass, and body fat % were obtained. Fourteen girth measurements were obtained (chest, underbust, stomach, waist, seat, hip, R/L bicep, R/L thigh, R/L mid-thigh, and R/L calf). Coefficient of variation was calculated for measurements obtained.

Results

Coefficient of variation for phase one ranged from 0.0% for the R calf, to 3.3% for the L thigh measurement. For phase two, values were higher, ranging from 0.5% for calf and chest to 4.6% for thigh measurements.

Conclusions

Test–retest variability of the measurements provided by the NX-16 body scanner varied according to body location. However, variability within measurements was low using a mannequin or human participant. The NX-16 body scanner (TC2, Cary, North Carolina, USA) may be a useful tool for tracking changes in body composition over time during large population studies.
Tropical dendrochronology applied to invasive tree species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Xavier Carolina Nogueira , Granato-Souza Daniela , Barbosa Ana Carolina M. C. , da Silva José Reinaldo Moreira
Published: December 2019

The Atlantic Forest is one of the largest and most biodiverse rainforests of South America but anthropogenic activities are drastically changing these landscapes. The invasion of alien or exotic species is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. There are few studies of invasive species in tropical Brazilian ecosystems. This research examines growth and ecological aspects ofSyzygium cuminiandClitoria fairchildiana, two invasive tree species in the Pedra Branca State Park, an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil. Both species were successfully dated, indicating an average age of 58 and 31 years, respectively. A positive relationship between growth and precipitation of the previous growing season suggests an ecological adaptive strategy, which could be facilitating their invasion into the environment. Cumulative growth diameter curves indicate slow and fast growth rates forS. cuminiandC. fairchildiana, respectively. Growth release episodes detected in the tree rings indicate increased anthropogenic disturbances over the last 50 years.
Pollinator effectiveness of a specialist bee exploiting a generalist plant—tracking pollen transfer by Heriades truncorum with quantum dots
Authors: Konzmann Sabine , Kluth Margareta , Karadana Deniz , Lunau Klaus
Published: December 2019

Heriades truncorum(Megachilidae) is a specialist bee that forages on Asteraceae and collects pollen by tapping its abdomen on pollen-presenting florets which places the grains directly in the ventral scopa. We tracked pollen transfer by femaleH.truncorumbetween conspecific inflorescences ofInula ensifoliaandPulicaria dysentericaby labelling pollen with quantum dots. On average, bees transferred 31.14 (I.ensifolia) and 9.96 (P.dysenterica) pollen grains from the last visited inflorescence, 39% and 45% of which were placed on receptive styles. Pollen germination ratio is significantly lower for inflorescences ofP.dysentericavisited by oneH.truncorum(0.13%) compared with open control inflorescences (0.51%), which suggests that the bees mainly transfer self-pollen of these self-incompatible plants. Thus, a single visit byH.truncorumdoes not grant the plant high reproductive success, but the bees’ abundance and flower constancy might reduce this disadvantage.
Trialling techniques for rearing long-tongued bumblebees under laboratory conditions
Authors: Carnell Joanne D. , Page Sam , Goulson Dave , Hughes William O. H.
Published: December 2019

Bumblebees are important pollinating insects, but many species have suffered declines over the last century. Long-tongued bumblebees have been identified as particularly at risk, partly due to their more selective diet. Attempts to study these species in captivity have been impeded by stress-induced behaviours which cause queens to kill or abandon their brood. Here, we attempt to further develop techniques, using queen pairing and Bombus terrestris cocoons, to successfully rear two common long-tongued bumblebee species (B. pascuorum and B. hortorum) in captivity. Approximately half of queens laid eggs and 29% produced workers. Although challenges remain, there is a great deal to be gained from optimising the captive rearing of these species.
Comparative study on corrosion resistance and lubrication function of lithium complex grease and polyurea grease
Authors: Ren Guanlin , Zhang Pengfei , Ye Xiangyuan , Li Wen , Fan Xiaoqiang , Zhu Minhao
Published: December 2019

In this study, lithium complex grease (LCG) and polyurea grease (PUG) were synthesized using mineral oil (500SN) and polyalphaolefin (PAO40) as base oil, adsorbed onto lithium complex soap and polyurea as thickeners, respectively. The effects of grease formulation (thickener and base oil with different amounts (80, 85, and 90 wt%) on the corrosion resistance and lubrication function were investigated in detail. The results have verified that the as-prepared greases have good anti-corrosion ability, ascribed to good salt-spray resistance and sealing function. Furthermore, the increase in the amount of base oil reduces the friction of the contact interface to some extent, whereas the wear resistance of these greases is not consistent with the friction reduction, because the thickener has a significant influence on the tribological property of greases, especially load-carrying capacity. PUG displays better physicochemical performance and lubrication function than LCG under the same conditions, mainly depending on the component/structure of polyurea thickener. The polyurea grease with 90 wt% PAO displays the best wear resistance owing to the synergistic lubrication of grease-film and tribochemical film, composed of Fe2O3, FeO(OH), and nitrogen oxide.
Evaluation of an Immersive Virtual Reality Safety Training Used to Teach Pedestrian Skills to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Dixon Dennis R. , Miyake Christopher J. , Nohelty Karen , Novack Marlena N. , Granpeesheh Doreen
Published: December 2019

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at an increased risk of injury, making safety skills training essential. Whether such training is conducted in the natural environment or in contrived settings is an important consideration for generalization and safety purposes. Immersive virtual reality (VR) environments may offer the advantages of both contrived and natural environment training settings, providing structure to create repeated learning opportunities in a safe and realistic analogue of the natural environment. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of an immersive VR safety skills training environment in teaching 3 children with ASD to identify whether it is safe to cross the street. After modifications to the VR training environment, all 3 participants reached mastery criteria in both VR and natural environment settings. Findings suggest that immersive VR is a promising medium for the delivery of safety skills training to individuals with ASD.
European consensus on core principles and future priorities for geriatric rehabilitation: consensus statement
Authors: Grund Stefan , Gordon Adam L. , van Balen Romke , Bachmann Stefan , Cherubini Antonio , Landi Francesco , Stuck Andreas E. , Becker Clemens , Achterberg Wilco P. , Bauer Jürgen M. , Schols Jos M. G. A.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

In response to the growing recognition of geriatric rehabilitation and to support healthcare providers which need strategies to support older people with frailty who have experienced functional decline, we developed a consensus statement about core principles and future priorities for geriatric rehabilitation.

Methods

We used a three-stage approach to establish consensus—preparation, consensus and review.

Results

The consensus statement is grouped under 11 headings from (1) “Definition of GR” to (11) “Effective strategies to develop GR in Europe”, which define geriatric rehabilitation in a way that is compatible with existing service models across Europe. Additionally future goals around research and education are highlighted.

Conclusion

The definitions of the consensus statement can provide a starting point for those wishing to further develop geriatric rehabilitation in their jurisdiction and help to develop strategic alliances with other specialties, serving as a basis for a pan-European approach to geriatric rehabilitation.
Adolescent internet addiction - role of parental control and adolescent behaviours
Authors: Martins Miguel Vieira , Formiga Adriana , Santos Constança , Sousa Diana , Resende Carla , Campos Ricardo , Nogueira Natália , Carvalho Paula , Ferreira Sofia
Published: December 2019

Introduction:

Excessive Internet use can negatively affect academic performance, family relationships and emotional development among the youth. Such issues have been identified as Internet addiction (IA). We aimed to determine the prevalence of IA among Portuguese adolescents and assess how parental control can relate to IA.

Methods:

An observational cross-sectional study was performed at public schools within a Portuguese region, using Young's Internet Addiction Test survey. General sociodemographic and emotional wellbeing data were obtained. A descriptive and bivariate analysis was done among Internet-addicted and average users, followed by a logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were computed with two-sided P values < .05 for statistical significance.

Results:

A total of 1916 eligible responses were obtained. Mean age was 15 ± 1.8 years, with a slight predominance of female (53.3%) participants. In our sample, 16.5% were deemed Internet addicted and less likely to have any parental control over Internet use (aOR 0.74, P <.05). Moreover, 28% of the Internet-addicted users were less likely to have control over time spent online (aOR 0.72, P < .05), and close to half were unlikely to have online content restrictions (aOR 0.56, P < .01).

Conclusions:

Our findings reported a significant rate of Internet-addicted youth. IA was negatively related to parental control. Whenever any kind of parental control over Internet use was reported, IA was less likely to occur. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the risks of IA in adolescents to improve its prevention and intervention.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Technical Efficiency in Alberta Dairy Production: What Are the Trade-Offs?
Authors: Le Stephanie , Jeffrey Scott , An Henry
Published: December 2019

The impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction on the efficiency of Alberta’s dairy industry is assessed through a technical efficiency analysis over the period 1996–2016, with and without emissions included as a “bad” output. Environmentally adjusted technical efficiency and technical efficiency estimates are highly correlated; thus, reducing GHG emissions may not result in decreased efficiency. Increased milk per cow, a southern Alberta location, and increased use of forage are associated with greater environmentally adjusted technical efficiency. The opportunity cost of foregone milk revenue associated with reduced emissions is Can$308.29 per metric ton of GHG. The results imply possible policy strategies to reduce emissions.
ON MARINE LIABILITY PORTFOLIO MODELING
Authors: Guevara-Alarcón William , Albrecher Hansjörg , Chowdhury Parvez
Published: December 2019

Marine is the oldest type of insurance coverage. Nevertheless, unlike cargo and hull covers, marine liability is a rather young line of business with claims that can have very heavy and long tails. For reinsurers, the accumulation of losses from an event insured by various Protection and Indemnity clubs is an additional source for very large claims in the portfolio. In this paper, we first describe some recent developments of the marine liability market and then statistically analyze a data set of large losses for this line of business in a detailed manner both in terms of frequency and severity, including censoring techniques and tests for stationarity over time. We further formalize and examine an optimization problem that occurs for reinsurers participating in XL on XL coverages in this line of business and give illustrations of its solution.
The holy grail of hand hygiene compliance: Just-in-time peer coaching that leads to behavior change
Authors: Sickbert-Bennett Emily E. , DiBiase Lauren M. , Teal Lisa J. , Summerlin-Long Shelley K. , Weber David J.
Published: December 2019

We describe the delivery of real-time feedback on hand hygiene compliance between healthcare personnel over a 3-year time period via a crowdsourcing web-based application. Feedback delivery as a metric can be used to examine and improve a culture of safety within a healthcare setting.