bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Configuration Management for Model Based Systems Engineering — An Example from the Aerospace Industry
Authors: D'Souza Adriana , Thota Phanikrishna
Published: April 2023

Model‐based systems engineering approach is increasingly used to manage the complexity of modern systems and to reduce costs of their development. In the aerospace industry, modelling and simulation is not only a cost‐effective verification and validation strategy where test rigs and flight tests are far more expensive but also is increasingly used in the certification process. Nevertheless, as with any digital artefact, if the models aren't configured and traceability isn't assured, then the models are not of much use. Configuration management comes into play as a key discipline to enable the use and maintenance of the models. This paper explores the use of configuration management for modelling and simulation in an aerospace setting, with a specific example involving landing gear and its surrounding systems.
Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Safety of Ranibizumab, Bevacizumab, and Aflibercept in Ocular Diseases: An Analysis of the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) Database
Authors: Zeng Yanbin , Guo Xiaohui , Xiao Fengjiao , Zhang Haixia
Published: April 2023

The cardiovascular and cerebrovascular safety of ranibizumab, bevacizumab, and aflibercept for ocular diseases is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular safety in patients receiving ranibizumab, bevacizumab, and aflibercept for ocular disease. A cross‐sectional study was conducted from 2017 (Q1) to 2021 (Q4) in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. The outcomes of interest were central nervous system vascular disorders, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, torsade de pointes/QT prolongation, embolic and thrombotic events, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac failure, and cardiomyopathy. Data mining was performed by a disproportional method with a compression, using compressed reporting odds ratios (sRORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to measure signals. The results showed 1462 cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events associated with aflibercept, 834 with ranibizumab, and 150 with bevacizumab. Ranibizumab, bevacizumab, and aflibercept were linked to central nervous system vascular disorders (sROR, 5.57[95%CI, 4.95‐6.26] vs sROR, 2.23 [95%CI, 1.75‐2.85] vs sROR, 2.73[95%CI, 2.43–3.06]), ischemic heart disease (sROR, 3.31[95%CI, 2.65–4.13] vs sROR, 1.98 [95%CI, 1.24‐3.16] vs sROR, 3.00 [95%CI, 2.46‐3.65]), embolic and thrombotic (sROR, 3.36 [95%CI, 3.04‐3.72] vs sROR, 2.16 [95%CI, 1.70‐2.74] vs sROR, 5.25 [95%CI, 4.82‐5.72]). Both ranibizumab and bevacizumab produced hypertension (sROR, 1.73 [95%CI, 1.41‐2.12] vs sROR, 1.46 [95%CI, 1.03‐2.06]) and arrhythmias (sROR, 2.82 [95%CI, 1.99‐3.99] vs sROR, 2.13 [95%CI, 1.08‐4.22]) signals. The signals of heart failure were detected in ranibizumab (sROR, 5.64 [95%CI, 4.08‐7.79]) and aflibercept (sROR, 2.80 [95%CI, 2.03‐3.86]). Ranibizumab, bevacizumab, and aflibercept for ocular disease have different safety profiles in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular. The overall cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk of the patient should be thoroughly assessed in order to select the safest drug for treatment.
Histologic evidence of brachial plexus compression sites at the thoracic inlet and variations in formation of the lower trunk in cadavers
Authors: Tiongco Rafael Felix P. , Dellon A. Lee
Published: April 2023

Background

In thoracic “outlet” syndrome (TOS), pathologic evidence is well documented for vascular but not neurologic compression. We hypothesized that histologic evidence of compression would be identified at sites where the upper trunk was impacted by the anterior scalene muscle and the lower trunk by anatomic anomalies or the first rib. The purpose of this study was to investigate this hypothesis in human cadavers.

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐five cadavers' brachial plexuses were dissected and excised. Histologic and descriptive analysis was directed at juncture 1, the upper trunk and anterior scalene muscle, and juncture 2, C8 and T1 nerve roots (lower trunk) with the posterior border of the first rib. Measurements were obtained at the juncture of the T1 nerve root with the C8 nerve root in relationship to the first rib.

Results

Histologic analysis demonstrated epineurial and perineurial fibrosis, myelin thinning, and Renaut bodies at junctures 1 and 2. Lower trunk formation occurred on or lateral to the first rib in 66% of specimens, with asymmetry in 32% of cadavers. A muscle of Albinus was present in 18% of cadavers. A large dorsal scapular artery coursed through 36% of plexuses with a high, arched subclavian artery.

Conclusions

We report histologic changes consistent with chronic compression of the upper and lower plexus in the thoracic inlet at hypothesized sites of brachial plexus compression that may correlate with clinical neck/shoulder (upper trunk) and “ulnar nervelike” (C8‐T1/lower trunk) symptoms. Anatomic anomalies identified should alert the surgeon to variations of lower trunk formation at compression sites.
How colored noise shifts the boundaries of oscillatory zones in suspension flows
Authors: Bashkirtseva Irina
Published: April 2023

A mathematical model of the suspension flow forced by colored random disturbances is considered. We focus on the parameter zone adjacent to the Andronov–Hopf bifurcation separating stable equilibrium and self‐oscillatory modes. A phenomenon of stochastic excitement with colored‐noise‐induced generation of spiking oscillations in the equilibrium zone is investigated. We show how colored noise shifts boundaries of oscillation modes, and study dependence of this shift on the correlation time parameter. Zones of the stochastic resonance are revealed and parametrically described in terms of probability of excitement.
Unraveling the dependence of proton transfer on solvent polarity in ion pairs of carbamates and dithiocarbamates with nitrogen‐based counterions
Authors: Poon Louis , Hum Jacob R. , Kertesz Miklos , Weiss Richard G.
Published: April 2023

Small, but important, differences in the structure–property relationships between ionomers composed of amidinium or imidazolinium groups with alkylcarbamate or alkyldithiocarbamate counterions have been examined experimentally by us previously. To unravel the sources of these differences, DFT calculations are conducted here for ion‐pair complexes (IPs) of these systems and their corresponding uncharged base and acid components (NPs). Calculations include IPs and NPs in which the amidine/amidinium and imidazoline/imidazolinium groups are anchored to a dimethylsiloxane pentamer. A surprising dependence of proton transfer on the dielectric constant (ε) of the medium is found for the systems: Whereas interconversion between the NPs and IPs is strongly dependent on medium dielectric in systems with an alkylcarbamate, none of the initial IP forms with an alkyldithiocarbamate transforms to an NP. Although the calculations do not include individual solvent–solute molecular interactions, they do probe how the components sense their bulk environments. The lack of detectable reversible proton transfer from the amidinium or imidazolinium cations to the dithiocarbamates is consistent with the “principle of proton affinity/pKa equivalence”: Because the acidity of dithiocarbamates is higher than that of carbamates, the gap between their proton affinities (ΔPA) is decreased, favoring stronger electrostatic‐based H‐bonds in the ion‐pair complexes of the dithiocarbamates. The differences can also be estimated from the Deuri–Phukan nucleophilicity index scale, which is based on DFT calculations and suggests a strong dependence of proton transfer on the nucleophilicity of the base and the dielectric constant of the solvent. Predictions from these calculations on some important experimental systems are mentioned.
The institutional antecedents of sustainable development in cultural heritage tourism
Authors: Mzembe Andrew Ngawenja , Koens Ko , Calvi Licia
Published: April 2023

This paper consolidates the fragmented literature and evidence by highlighting the three important lenses on the institutional antecedents of sustainable development agenda in cultural heritage tourism. Our study, therefore, identifies three distinct institutional antecedents olensesf sustainable development in cultural heritage tourism such as governance mechanisms, community agency, and the influence of supranational institutions. It demonstrates that sustainable cultural heritage tourism is multidimensional as it spans institutional and sectoral domains. This study brings to light the interplay of these elements and further evaluates their efficacy in embedding the sustainable development agenda in cultural heritage tourism. It also contributes to the literature by bringing to light the current state of the literature on institutional antecedents of sustainable development in cultural heritage tourism. This allows our study to attempt to show the scope of the current knowledge about institutional antecedents and their relationship with sustainable cultural heritage tourism. Most importantly, the study identifies gaps in the research on institutional antecedents and sustainable cultural heritage tourism—the basis on which future research directions have been identified and suggested.
Ecological development practices of marine ranching enterprises in China: Case studies of early movers
Authors: Wang Ye‐Cheng , Fan Yi‐Pin , Du Yuan‐Wei
Published: April 2023

Marine ranching can help solve the dilemma facing food systems by providing more food for humans under the constraints of resources and the environment. Many marine ranching enterprises have committed to ecological development to help advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Little is known, however, about the drivers, initiatives, and performance implications of this behavior. To fill this gap, we conducted case studies of five early movers among marine ranching enterprises in China. These firms took both fishery output and environmental protection into consideration and achieved significant results. We identified six main drivers: “synergistic benefits,” “sustainable business value,” “government incentive and supervision,” “sense of social responsibility,” “environmental pressure,” and “market enforcement.” The main initiatives, meanwhile, were “habitat restoration,” “ecological production,” “science and technology innovation,” “ecological operation,” and “ecological management.” We showed that businesses' ecological development practices can generate synergistic benefits, including economic, environmental, and social benefits. Moreover, based on our key path analysis of early movers' ecological development practices, we developed an ecological development model to illustrate their successful experiences. This model can help guide other businesses toward fulfilling their ecological development commitments.
The disparate economic outcomes of stigma: Evidence from the arms industry
Authors: Sadri Mohamad , Piazza Alessandro , Phung Kam , Helms Wesley
Published: April 2023

Research Summary

Organizational stigma has been commonly associated with a number of negative economic externalities in prior literature, but the mechanism by which this occurs and the extent of the associated consequences have received little attention. We address these gaps by theorizing that stigmatizing labels damage the legitimacy of the target by highlighting a deviation from the expectations of relevant audiences. We also argue that the content and focus of stigmatizing labels, as well as the features of the stigmatizer audience deploying them, will affect the magnitude of the negative economic consequences of stigma. Through an analysis linking the condemnation of arms producers in the media between 1998 and 2016 to cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) in the stock market, we find broad support for our arguments.

Managerial Summary

This paper examines the economic impact of stakeholder criticism on firms, using data from the global arms industry to develop a typology of criticism based on its content, focus, and origin. We find that criticism can negatively affect a firm's stock market returns, particularly when those criticizing have the authority to condemn specific behaviors. Civil society entities like nonprofits or the media, politicians, and economic players such as investors each have unique authority to criticize harmful behavior, illegal behavior, and unethical affiliations, respectively. Understanding the different types of criticism and their potential economic consequences can help firms better manage stakeholder relationships and mitigate negative impacts on their financial performance.
Design teams and industry life cycles: The interplay of innovation and complexity
Authors: Padhee Soumyakant , Lore Nunzio , Heydari Babak
Published: April 2023

This paper studies how innovation teams can be optimally configured to yield the best possible performance at different stages of a certain technology's life cycle, which correspond to different levels of environmental complexity. To conduct our analysis, we have employed computational simulations of communities searching NK landscapes at varying levels of complexity. We studied how the relative proportion of exploring agents to exploiting agents in a community impacts the evolution of scores over time, and conducted additional investigations into the role of specialization (i.e., the agents' propensity to take their preferred action) and density (i.e., the expected width of social groups within the community).

We discover that majority‐explorer teams are to be preferred when complexity is high and over the long run, whereas majority‐exploiter teams are more effective in the short run and at low complexities. Furthermore, we show that higher levels of specialization yield better results at higher complexities, and that majority‐explorer teams benefit the most from higher levels of density. We conclude that different team compositions are to be preferred at different stages of maturity, and that selecting a time horizon for operations is of crucial importance when designing an innovation team.
Enhanced membrane fouling control through self‐forming dynamic membrane and sponge‐wrapped membrane: A novel membrane bioreactor
Authors: Nagalakshmi S. , Mohan S. Mariraj
Published: April 2023

Membrane technology offers a wide variety of advantages in wastewater treatment, but fouling impedes its widespread applications. Hence, in this study, a novel method was tried to control membrane fouling by combining the self‐forming dynamic membrane (SFDM) with a sponge‐wrapped membrane bioreactor. The configuration is termed a “Novel‐membrane bioreactor” (Novel‐MBR). To compare the performance of Novel‐MBR, a conventional membrane bioreactor (CMBR) was operated under similar operating conditions. CMBR and Novel‐MBR were run consequently for 60 and 150 days, respectively. The Novel‐MBR was composed of SFDMs in two compartments before a sponge‐wrapped membrane in the membrane compartment. In Novel‐MBR, the formation times for SFDMs on coarse (125 μm) and fine (37 μm) pore cloth filers were 43 and 13 min, respectively. The CMBR experienced more frequent fouling; the maximum fouling rate was 5.83 kPa/day. In CMBR, the membrane fouling due to cake layer resistance (6.92 × 1012 m−1) was high, and that alone contributed to 84% of fouling. In Novel‐MBR, the fouling rate was 0.0266 kPa/day, and the cake layer resistance was 0.329 × 1012 m−1. Also, the Novel‐MBR experienced 21 times less reversible fouling and 36 times less irreversible fouling resistance than the CMBR. In Novel‐MBR, the formed SFDM and the sponge wrapped on the membrane helped to reduce both reversible and irreversible fouling. With the modification tried in the present study, the Novel‐MBR experienced less fouling, and the maximum transmembrane pressure at the end of 150 days of operation was 4 kPa.

Practitioner Points

CMBR experienced frequent fouling, and the maximum fouling rate was 5.83 kPa/day.

Cake layer resistance was dominant in CMBR and contributed to 84% of fouling.

The fouling rate of Novel‐MBR at the end of the operation was 0.0266 kPa/day.

Novel‐MBR is expected to perform for ≈3380 days to reach the maximum TMP of 35 kPa.
Analysis of Fast Power Reduction System for CPR1000 Nuclear Power Plants
Authors: Cheng Yanhua , Wang Kai , Xu Xingxing , Mao Yulong , Hu Yousen
Published: April 2023

CPR1000 nuclear power plants have the risk of reactor trip during the house load and turbine trip transients. Rapid power reduction system of AP1000 nuclear power plants and fast power setback system for VVER nuclear power plants are designed respectively, which can avoid this problem and thus provide more availability of units. It is necessary to introduce the Fast Power Reduction system to CPR1000 units to get more economy and flexibility. Based on the core control mode of CPR1000 units, the rod control assembly banks are regrouped to realize the fast power reduction function. Besides, the impact of fast power reduction system on the normal transients are evaluated. The results show that more operational margin can be released, and also the capacity of turbine bypass system can be reduced. Finally, more availability and economy can be obtained for CPR1000 units.
Application of MC-MC Coupled Method in Neutron Shielding Analysis of Reactor Pit in Reactor Building
Authors: Zeng Guanghao , Huang Qianqian , Yang Shouhai , Zhou Yonghai , Xiong Jun
Published: April 2023

As one of the areas with highest radiation risk in nuclear power plant with neutron and gamma ray radiation emitted from the reactor core, the reactor pit in reactor building has great radiation impact on personnel radiation safety by neutron. In order to further improve the shielding design effort of reactor pit, the MC-MC coupled method is developed. By applying the MCNP code and SuperMC code, the variance of the effective dose rate and thermal neutron flux inside the reactor pit is lower than 5% by consuming 6.7 h. The result shows that the MC-MC coupled method can effectively solve neutron shielding problem in large scale or in complex space.
Preparation and Shielding Performance of Gamma Ray Shielding Composite Materials Based on 3D Printing Technology
Authors: Li Yulong , Li Chengxin , Jiang Danfeng , Liu Feng , Liu Xiajie , Li Li
Published: April 2023

Excessive gamma-rays will be emitted when a nuclear power plant is under the refueling overhaul, leading to a certain number of hotspots. To meet the shielding requirements of these hotspots of complex components, a nylon-tungsten shielding composite material was developed by laser selective sintering 3D printing technology. The effects to shielding performance of 3D printing shielding materials were emphatically studied for two preparation processes (including mechanical mixing method and coating method) of 3D printing composite powders. Experimental results show that the nylon-tungsten shielding composite material with tungsten content of 70–85% was obtained by 3D printing technology, which realizes the manufacture of mold-free customized and bonded shielding materials. The shielding material prepared by 3D printing technology by coating method is better than that by mechanical mixing method in shielding performance. When the mass ratio of tungsten powders is 80%, the linear attenuation coefficient can reach 0.32, which is the best formula of the composite material and can be used for shielding of complex components. All these results lay a theoretical foundation for the engineering application of 3D printing shielding materials.
Effects of Inlet Conditions on the Two-Phase Flow Water Hammer Transients in Elastic Tube
Authors: Zhao Zixiang , Duan Zhongdi , Xue Hongxiang , Yuan Yuchao , Liu Shiwen
Published: April 2023

Two-phase flow water hammer events occur in the pipelines of the nuclear power systems and lead to transient and violent pressure shock to tube structures. For the sake of operation safety, the occurrence and severity of the two-phase water hammer should be carefully assessed. This paper presents a parameter analysis of the inlet conditions on the two-phase flow water hammer transients, with considering the elastic effect of the tube walls. A numerical model is established for the vapor-liquid two-phase flow based on the two-fluid six-equation modelling approach, with incorporating correlations and criterions for two-phase flow regime, interfacial interactions and heat transfer. The governing equations are transformed to matrix form expressed by characteristic variables, and solved using the splitting operator method and the total variation diminishing scheme. The accuracy of the model is verified against the experimental data in open literature. Then, the model is applied to investigate the effect of inlet velocity and inlet water temperature on the two-phase flow water hammer transients. The simulation results show that the increase of inlet velocity increases the pressure peak values and brings forward the onset of water hammer, and the increase of inlet temperature decreases the pressure shock. A comparison of the water hammer results between the elastic tube and rigid tube is further presented, and the effect of the elastic modulus on the water hammer is analyzed. The results also show that the pressure peak is largely affected by the tube diameter.
Study on Coupling Effect and Dynamic Behavior of Double Bubbles Rising Process
Authors: Gong Lanxin , Peng Changhong , Zhang Zhenze
Published: April 2023

Gas-liquid two-phase flow widely exists in nuclear energy engineering, in which bubble movement and deformation are critical problems. Because the activity of bubbles in the fluid is a very complex physical process, and the movement process is a flow field-bubble coupling process, which has strong nonlinearity and unsteady, the relevant research is usually based on experiments and simulation.

We built a medium-sized experimental device to generate double bubbles with different sizes and characteristic numbers and recorded the motion trajectory with a high-speed camera. We developed and improved the image processing method to obtain high-quality bubble motion information and realized a good capture of bubble shape and rotation.

The experimental results show that in the two bubbles rising successively, the trailing bubble is affected by the trailing field of the leading bubble, and the bubble velocity, relative distance, deformation rate, and other parameters change accordingly. In addition, through simulation, we get the interaction mechanism of the bubbles under experimental conditions. The results show that the coupling leads to flow field velocity and pressure changes, which explains the experimental results. The research results are helpful for a thorough understanding of the law of bubble movement and provide empirical data support for developing a thermal-hydraulic model.
Automatisierte, randomisierte Online-Programmierprüfung mit geringem, kurzzeitigem Datenverkehr
Authors: Beckmann Nils
Published: April 2023

Die Möglichkeit zur Teilnahme an Online-Prüfungen ist generell bedingt durch die Stabilität und Geschwindigkeit der Internetverbindung der Prüfungsteilnehmer sowie die Zuverlässigkeit der Computer und Server, über welche die Prüfung bereitgestellt wird. Insbesondere bei großen Teilnehmerzahlen können hohe Serverlasten zu Beginn und Ende der Prüfung auftreten, wenn viele Teilnehmer zur selben Zeit größere Dateien herunter- oder hochladen. Im Folgenden wird eine Prüfungsmethode vorgestellt, die diese beiden Hürden für eine Prüfungsteilnahme reduziert. Hierbei sind die zu übertragenden Datenmengen gering, betragen insgesamt weniger als ein halbes Megabyte je Teilnehmer und müssen nur zu Beginn und Ende der Prüfung einmalig übermittelt werden. Die Prüfungsmethode eignet sich insbesondere für Programmierprüfungen, ist aber auch für andere Fachgebiete anwendbar. Es stehen verschiedene Fragentypen zur Auswahl. Die Aufgaben werden zufällig auf die Teilnehmer verteilt, können lokal bearbeitet sowie anschließend größtenteils automatisiert korrigiert und ausgewertet werden.
Can gadolinium contrast agents be replaced with saline for direct MR arthrography of the hip? A pilot study with arthroscopic comparison
Authors: Meier Malin K. , Wagner Moritz , Brunner Alexander , Lerch Till D. , Steppacher Simon D. , Vavron Peter , Schmaranzer Ehrenfried , Schmaranzer Florian
Published: April 2023

Objective

To compare image quality and diagnostic performance of preoperative direct hip magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) performed with gadolinium contrast agent and saline solution.

Methods

IRB-approved retrospective study of 140 age and sex-matched symptomatic patients with femoroacetabular impingement, who either underwent intra-articular injection of 15–20 mL gadopentetate dimeglumine (GBCA), 2.0 mmol/L (“GBCA-MRA” group, n = 70), or 0.9% saline solution (“Saline-MRA” group, n = 70) for preoperative hip MRA and subsequent hip arthroscopy. 1.5 T hip MRA was performed including leg traction. Two readers assessed image quality using a 5-point Likert scale (1–5, excellent-poor), labrum and femoroacetabular cartilage lesions. Arthroscopic diagnosis was used to calculate diagnostic accuracy which was compared between groups with Fisher’s exact tests. Image quality was compared with the Mann–Whitney U tests.

Results

Mean age was 33 years ± 9, 21% female patients. Image quality was excellent (GBCA-MRA mean range, 1.1–1.3 vs 1.1–1.2 points for Saline-MRA) and not different between groups (all p > 0.05) except for image contrast which was lower for Saline-MRA group (GBCA-MRA 1.1 ± 0.4 vs Saline-MRA 1.8 ± 0.5; p < 0.001). Accuracy was high for both groups for reader 1/reader 2 for labrum (GBCA-MRA 94%/ 96% versus Saline-MRA 96%/93%; p > 0.999/p = 0.904) and acetabular (GBCA-MRA 86%/ 83% versus Saline-MRA 89%/87%; p = 0.902/p = 0.901) and femoral cartilage lesions (GBCA-MRA 97%/ 99% versus Saline-MRA 97%/97%; both p > 0.999).

Conclusion

Diagnostic accuracy and image quality of Saline-MRA and GBCA-MRA is high in assessing chondrolabral lesions underlining the potential role of non-gadolinium-based hip MRA.

Key Points

• Image quality of Saline-MRA and GBCA-MRA was excellent for labrum, acetabular and femoral cartilage, ligamentum teres, and the capsule (all p > 0.18).

• The overall image contrast was lower for Saline-MRA (Saline-MRA 1.8 ± 0.5 vs. GBCA-MRA 1.1 ± 0.4; p < 0.001).

• Diagnostic accuracy was high for Saline-MRA and GBCA-MRA for labrum (96% vs. 94%; p > 0.999), acetabular cartilage damage (89% vs. 86%; p = 0.902), femoral cartilage damage (97% vs. 97%; p > 0.999), and extensive cartilage damage (97% vs. 93%; p = 0.904).
Die Biomechanik der Hornhaut vor und nach Crosslinking bei Patienten mit Keratokonus
Authors: Feld S. , Flockerzi E. , Daas L. , Xanthopoulou K. , Sideroudi H. , Langenbucher A. , Seitz B.
Published: April 2023

Fragestellung

Ziel dieser Studie war es, den Effekt des kornealen Crosslinking (CXL) auf die Biomechanik der Hornhaut und den Visus zu analysieren.

Patienten und Methoden

Die Untersuchungsergebnisse vor und nach CXL an 56 Augen von 56 Patienten zwischen 2017 und 2021 wurden retrospektiv ausgewertet. Es wurde die letzte präoperative Untersuchung mit den postoperativen Werten nach 6 bzw. 12 Monaten verglichen. Die untersuchten Zielgrößen umfassten verschiedene biomechanische Parameter aus Corvis ST (CST) und der Pentacam und den Visus (logMAR, „logarithm of the Minimal Angle of Resolution“, Logarithmus des minimalen Auflösungswinkel). Für die Auswertung von Längsschnittdaten wurde ein lineares Modell für wiederholte Messungen und für Mehrfachvergleiche eine Bonferroni-Korrektur angewendet. Das Signifikanzniveau lag bei 5 %.

Ergebnisse

Die maximale Hornhautbrechkraft Kmax reduzierte sich geringfügig ohne statistische Signifikanz von 57,1 ± 6,1 Dioptrien (dpt) auf 56,6 ± 6,3 dpt nach 6 Monaten (p = 0,076) und 56,8 ± 6,6 dpt nach 12 Monaten (p = 0,443). Der Pentacam-Parameter Belin/Ambrósio Enhanced Ectasia Total Deviation Display (BAD D) erhöhte sich vom präoperativen Wert 8,4 ± 3,7 nach 6 Monaten statistisch signifikant auf den postoperativen Wert 9,1 ± 3,6 (p < 0,001) und auf 8,9 ± 3,5 nach 12 Monaten (p = 0,051). Der CST-Parameter Ambrósio’s relational thickness to the horizontal profile (ARTh) verringerte sich statistisch signifikant von 229,9 ± 109,6 auf 204,8 ± 84,9 nach 6 Monaten (p = 0,017) und 205,3 ± 93,7 nach 12 Monaten (p = 0,022). Der CST-Parameter Stiffness Parameter A1 (SP A1) erhöhte sich geringfügig vom präoperativen Wert 69,9 ± 17,2 auf 70,4 ± 17,2 nach 6 Monaten (p = 1) und 71 ± 18,2 nach 1 Jahr (p = 1). Der mittlere bestkorrigierte cc-Visus (logMAR) zeigte eine Verbesserung von 0,39 ± 0,3 auf 0,34 ± 0,3 nach 6 Monaten (p = 0,286) und auf 0,31 ± 0,3 nach 12 Monaten (p = 0,077). Präoperativ wurden hinsichtlich der ABCD-Klassifikation die Parameter mit durchschnittlich A2B3C1D2 bestimmt. Sie zeigten nach 6 und 12 Monaten den gleichen Wert von A2B3C1D2.

Schlussfolgerungen

Korneales Crosslinking hat bei progredientem Keratokonus als komplikationsarme Therapiemöglichkeit das Potenzial, die Biomechanik der Hornhaut und den Visus positiv zu beeinflussen.
Investigation and Optimization of the Hot Disk Method for Thermal Conductivity Measurements up to 750 °C
Authors: Heisig Lisa-Marie , Wulf Rhena , Fieback Tobias M.
Published: April 2023

The Hot Disk method is a transient measurement method for the determination of thermal properties like the thermal conductivity, which is characterized by advantages such as a short measurement time or a low effort for the sample preparation. However, some difficulties related to measurements at elevated temperatures, which could be attributed to inaccuracies of the Temperature Coefficients of Resistance (TCRs), have been pointed out in the past. This paper presents a detailed investigation of the Hot Disk method for the determination of the thermal conductivity and contributes to a further improvement of its measurement accuracy. Subsequent to an extensive literature review of available reference materials for the thermal conductivity, measurements up to 750 °C were carried out with a Hot Disk TPS 2500 S with various Kapton and Mica sensors using three reference materials (Silcal 1100, Pyroceram 9606, Inconel 600). While room-temperature measurements confirmed the suitability of the reference samples as well as the independence of the measured thermal conductivity from the sensor, temperature-dependent measurements allowed the verification of the accuracy of the given TCRs. A set of optimized TCRs is proposed, with which the thermal conductivity of all three reference materials could be determined with an accuracy of 2 %. Furthermore, the measurement uncertainty of ± 5 % specified by the manufacturer could be confirmed. Hence, with the newly suggested TCRs, the Hot Disk method enables the determination of the thermal properties of a variety of materials even at high temperatures with high accuracy.
The Debated Discovery of Dolomite and the Proposal of a New Geosite at Borcola Pass (Eastern Italian Pre-Alps) in Honor of Giovanni Arduino
Authors: Zampieri Dario , Roghi Guido , Preto Nereo , Dalconi Maria Chiara
Published: April 2023

Within the Venetian Pre-Alps, the Borcola Pass connects the Posina (Vicenza province) and the Terragnolo (Trento province) valleys. The Posina valley is located north of Schio (Vicenza) within the Italian Southern Alps structural unit. In this area, the injection of Paleogene basaltic dykes along fault/fractures in the late Triassic Dolomia Principale unit has produced a local metamorphism of the dolomite rock into a marble characterized by the presence of brucite veins. This marble was studied in the eighteenth century by the famous Italian scientist Giovanni Arduino, who understood its metamorphic origin. In fact, the marble is always associated with sub-vertical basaltic dykes intruded into the carbonate rocks of the Pre-Alps. Arduino performed also chemical experiments on the marble. The reading of the description of the experiments induced later authors (e.g., Maraschini, von Morlot, Mc Kenzie) to infer that Arduino unknowingly discovered the mineral called dolomite. In this work, we propose that the abandoned Borcola Quarry should be nominated as a geosite, to allow its conservation and popularization and to preserve the memory of a probably minor, yet informative step in the long-lived history of the discovery of dolomite. In addition, this site presents other reasons of interest, such as petrography, mineralogy, structural geology, industrial archeology, and eco-geotourism. The proposed geosite is therefore of great importance in terms of its multidisciplinary scientific value, aesthetic appeal, and educational value.
Investigation on thermal pyrolysis of microalgae grown in winery wastewater: biofuels and chemicals production
Authors: Spennati Elena , Casazza Alessandro A. , Converti Attilio , Busca Guido
Published: April 2023

Current innovations in microalgae technology include the use of wastewater as a cultivation medium for renewable energy generation and wastewater treatment. In this study, thermal pyrolysis was performed on a co-culture of Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis grown in winery wastewater fed continuously into a membrane photobioreactor. The yield and composition of the reaction gases, reaction liquids, and solid residues collected at different reaction times and pyrolysis temperatures were compared with those of the same co-culture grown in its conventional medium. In general, the gaseous fraction resulted rich in combustible compounds. The highest yield in liquid products (55 %) was obtained by thermal pyrolysis of the co-culture grown in winery wastewater at 500 °C. Liquid fraction was made up of a mixture of oxygenated and nitrogenated compounds that are suitable as chemical intermediates and can therefore contribute to making the pyrolysis treatment economically feasible. For example, this fraction resulted particularly rich in crotonic acid, useful for the synthesis of copolymers (crotonic acid-vinyl acetate) and probably derived from the thermal cracking of polyhydroxy alkenoate. The results of this study suggest that thermal pyrolysis may be a good strategy to recover the energy potential of microalgae co-cultures used to treat wastewater.

Graphical abstract
Integrating motivated goal achievement in maritime simulator training
Authors: Hjellvik Simen , Mallam Steven
Published: April 2023

The application of cloud-based simulators has increasing momentum in maritime education and training as a virtual platform for supplementing professional training with task-specific simulation-based learning. Congruent with traditional simulator technology and training methods, this new condition allows for asynchronous and unlimited simulator access where participation in training sessions is at the discretion of the trainee. Furthermore, this provides a learning environment that can have adaptive features to the trainee characteristics with selectable complexity levels, automated feedback, and automated performance assessment. With the advent of this emerging training technology, the organization of how training is deployed, the new roles and expectations for trainees and instructors, and the application of new data-driven analytics are not yet well understood. This paper employs a quasi-experimental study to investigate trainee motivation, personality traits, and task performance using a novel training design. The study was administered remotely to a sample (N = 18) of first-year maritime students who first completed a knowledge acquisition phase before conducting a skill acquisition phase with repeated simulator training of a procedural task, and finally a performance assessment of the simulator scenario. Data was collected from (1) a multiple-choice knowledge test, (2) a short-scaled Big Five Inventory, (3) the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and (4) programmed simulator metrics. Results indicate that Extraversion correlates with motivation and self-efficacy predicts training performance. No significant relationship between prior knowledge and the training performance was found. The results can provide knowledge for implementation and delivery of remote simulator training in maritime education and training, as well as other fields.
Learning ignorance and illiteracy through education: reflections on highland Bolivia
Authors: Canessa Andrew
Published: April 2023

Literacy is clearly more than an ability to read or write in one language, and today we talk of multiple ‘literacies’. In each case, literacy represents education, knowledge and particularly the ability to get by competently in the world we inhabit; in short, it is about being a full citizen. This article looks at literacy, knowledge and schooling in a highland Aymara village in Bolivia, not in terms of what is being learned but rather in terms of what knowledge is lost through the process of schooling. Literacy and formal education do not liberate people but actually disempower them: while giving them one kind of knowledge, they can simultaneously act to make people ignorant. As with other indigenous peoples around the world, literacy pushes those in this village to see the knowledge of their parents and grandparents as valueless, and certainly not as something worth acquiring.
Improving the management of air traffic congestion during the approach phase
Authors: Idrissi O. , Bikir A. , Mansouri K.
Published: April 2023

Nowadays most busy international airports and their corresponding terminal areas are suffering from huge congestion issues due to the simultaneity of their arrival aircraft. The aim of this paper is to establish a new separation method using time- based-separation, speed modification during approach phases and Point Merge System (PMS) so as to ensure efficiently the traffic flow. This work took as a case study the busiest airport of Morocco, The Mohammed V International airport of Casablanca. The proposed management model offers very good results when compared with other models such as the first-come first-served (FCFS) model.
Political Legitimacy as Grounded in the Wills of Citizens: A Reply to Peter
Authors: PRENDERGAST E. R.
Published: April 2023

Fabienne Peter (2020) recently proposed a taxonomy of accounts of the meta-normative grounds of political legitimacy. In this article, I argue that there is an important distinction left out of that taxonomy that complicates the picture. This is the distinction between attitude-independent and attitude-dependent conceptions of normative truth. Through an examination of these conceptions of normative truth (and correlate interpretations of what counts as a normative reason) I argue that what Peter calls a fact-based conception of legitimacy may collapse into a will-based conception. Further, the distinction has important implications for what Peter calls the belief-based conception. Finally, I defend the will-based conception against Peter's arbitrariness objection through an examination of ideally coherent eccentrics.
Costa’s concavity inequality for dependent variables based on the multivariate Gaussian copula
Authors: Asgari Fatemeh , Alamatsaz Mohammad Hossein
Published: April 2023

An extension of Shannon’s entropy power inequality when one of the summands is Gaussian was provided by Costa in 1985, known as Costa’s concavity inequality. We consider the additive Gaussian noise channel with a more realistic assumption, i.e. the input and noise components are not independent and their dependence structure follows the well-known multivariate Gaussian copula. Two generalizations for the first- and second-order derivatives of the differential entropy of the output signal for dependent multivariate random variables are derived. It is shown that some previous results in the literature are particular versions of our results. Using these derivatives, concavity of the entropy power, under certain mild conditions, is proved. Finally, special one-dimensional versions of our general results are described which indeed reveal an extension of the one-dimensional case of Costa’s concavity inequality to the dependent case. An illustrative example is also presented.
The Obama effect? Race, first-time voting, and future participation
Authors: Brown Jacob R.
Published: April 2023

Did the 2008 United States presidential election produce stronger future mobilization for Blacks than non-Blacks? First-time voting influences long-term political behavior, but do minority voters see the most powerful effects when the formative election is tied to their group's political empowerment? I test this hypothesis in the context of the election of the first Black president in United States history, using voting eligibility discontinuities to identify the effect of voting in 2008 on future voting for Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites. Voting in 2008 caused a greater increase in the likelihood of voting in 2010 for Blacks than for other new voters, but there is no evidence of a sustained mobilizing advantage in subsequent elections. Furthermore, 2008 was not a unique formative voting experience for new Black voters, but rather produced similar effects on future voting as other presidential elections. These results signal that group political empowerment does not drive habitual voting.
Human occupation, site formation, and chronostratigraphy of a mid-Holocene archaeological site at the eastern Pampa-Patagonia transition, Argentina
Authors: Martínez Gustavo , Martínez Gustavo Adolfo , Owen Lewis A.
Published: April 2023

Intense aeolian processes in arid and semi-arid environments play an essential role in the preservation and destruction of archeological sites. This is especially the case in the lower basin of the Colorado River at the eastern Pampa-Patagonia Transition of Argentina, as is illustrated by geoarchaeological and chronostratigraphic studies at a mid-Holocene hunter-gatherer site, La Modesta, where aeolian processes strongly influence the archeological record in dune sediments. At La Modesta, surface archaeological materials are numerous and well preserved, although the stratigraphic record is incomplete. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments that contain cultural material provides a chronology dating from ca. 8.2 ka but shows one or more hiatuses from ca. 6–2 ka in the sedimentary succession. Intense morphogenesis related to arid climates likely caused gaps in sedimentation, affecting the integrity and resolution of the archaeological record. This study helps explain mid-Holocene archaeological discontinuities throughout central Argentina and highlights the importance of considering taphonomic and geologic biases when dealing with the absence or reduction of the archaeological record in dryland regions.
Mormonism's First Bad Girl: Lucy Harris and the Gendering of Faith and Doubt in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Authors: Newell Quincy D. , Patterson Sara M.
Published: April 2023

Why has Lucy Harris been blamed for the loss of 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript? Analysis of storytelling about Lucy Harris, Mormonism's first “bad girl,” allows us to see the creation of one element of the Latter-day Saint chain of memory. Through the accretion of stories about Lucy Harris, church members came to code doubt as feminine in Mormon memory while viewing the concept of witness as masculine. These understandings of the relationship between gender and religious faith are embedded understandings in the Latter-day Saint chain of memory. Preserving the memory and reputation of Martin Harris, Lucy's husband, scribe for the Book of Mormon, and one of its three witnesses, allowed Latter-day Saints to cement the intersections of masculinity, priesthood, and witness. Church members used stories about Lucy Harris to teach, discipline, and perform gender norms for future generations of Mormons.
Australian retirement village residents: wellbeing profiles and factors associated with low wellbeing
Authors: Joe Angela , Dickins Marissa , Cyarto Elizabeth V. , Lowthian Judy A.
Published: April 2023

The characteristics of Australian retirement village residents, an under-researched population, are not well understood. Knowledge of their wellbeing and modifiable factors associated with low wellbeing would aid in the introduction of health promotion measures and supports to facilitate healthy ageing-in-place. A novel approach utilising latent class analysis (LCA), a statistical method not previously employed to study this population, was undertaken to analyse cross-sectional survey data from 871 participants aged ≥65 years from retirement villages in Queensland, Australia. LCA identified latent, i.e. unobserved, underlying and often difficult to measure, groups within this population based on the responses of individuals to multiple observed variables. Survey participants were divided into groups, each with a distinct profile associated with a wellbeing state, as determined by responses to questions about physical health, unplanned hospitalisations, cognitive health and social connectedness. Multinomial logistic regression explored the relationship between modifiable health and lifestyle characteristics and membership of a particular wellbeing group. The median age of participants was 82 years (interquartile range = 76–88). While 69.0 per cent reported good to excellent health, polypharmacy was evident with 45.6 per cent of participants taking five or more prescription medications. In the previous 12 months, 33.3 per cent had experienced one or more falls and 30.6 per cent an unplanned hospitalisation. Distinct profiles were identified for three wellbeing groups: high (57.7% of participants), moderate (20.6%) and low wellbeing (21.7%). Injurious falls, limited ability to prepare meals and debilitating pain were associated with the moderate and low wellbeing groups. Physical activity significantly lowered the probability of a retirement village resident being in the low wellbeing group. Our findings highlight falls prevention, maintaining adequate nutrition, pain management and regular physical activity as actions that may optimise wellbeing, mitigate functional decline and support the independence of retirement village residents into later years of life.
Where neoliberalism and neoconservatism meet: the inception and reception of a Model Music Curriculum for English Schools
Authors: Young Susan
Published: April 2023

Neoliberalism and neoconservatism are two political ideologies that currently shape state directives for education in many countries. In this article, I describe the confluence of neoliberal and neoconservative ideologies that led to the introduction, by the English state department for education, of a Model Music Curriculum for schools. I describe how neoliberalism has transformed the music education ‘ecology’ in England and created an environment that was receptive to the introduction of a curriculum on neoconservative principles. I consider the current position of progressive music education and why it seems unable to mount a sufficiently persuasive challenge. I make a case for the importance of analysis that explicitly focuses on political ideologies and their present-day rhetoric and discourses. Finally, I point to the general early years sector in England as an illustration for how to respond to state interventions in curriculum that might be emulated by the music education sector.
Random amenable C*-algebras
Authors: JACELON BHISHAN
Published: April 2023

What is the probability that a random UHF algebra is of infinite type? What is the probability that a random simple AI algebra has at mostkextremal traces? What is the expected value of the radius of comparison of a random Villadsen-type AH algebra? What is the probability that such an algebra is$\mathcal{Z}$-stable? What is the probability that a random Cuntz–Krieger algebra is purely infinite and simple, and what can be said about the distribution of itsK-theory? By constructing$\mathrm{C}^*$-algebras associated with suitable random (walks on) graphs, we provide context in which these are meaningful questions with computable answers.