bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Efficiency of the Classifier Method When Analysing the Sales Data of Agricultural Products
Authors: Wang Yuxin , Avdeenko Svetlana , Shmidt Yuriy
Published: January 2022

Data classification as a method of input analysis is of the greatest interest and necessity for proper distribution and quality evaluation of agricultural products. The use of classification methods allows predicting whether a selected sample from the data set will fit into a particular class or group, which is necessary for the process of sorting products. This study presents the results of a comparative analysis of high-performance classifiers for assessing the effectiveness of further use in the sorting of agricultural products. The study was carried out utilising the classifiers of k-nearest neighbours, naive Bayesian classifiers, and artificial neural networks for data analysis during apple fruit sorting. It has been established that the greatest accuracy 99% of the results is demonstrated by the classifiers of k-nearest neighbours, but, at the same time, they show the lowest calculation speed (0.47 s). The best performance at any data size (65-100%) is shown by the neural network. A comprehensive review of the features and restrictions of the studied classification algorithms, as well as their applications in various areas of agriculture, has been performed.
Analysing the Changes in Water Quality of River Ganga Passing Through Urban Cities with Remote Sensing and GIS Support
Authors: Singh Kamakshi , Jha Ramakar
Published: January 2022

River Ganga in India has tremendous self-purification capacity due to its dynamic, turbulent and meandering characteristics. In addition due to the presence of anti-bacterial agents such as Bacteriophages virus killing bacteria and its medicinal properties, the refinement capacity increases. In the present work, water quality samples of river Ganga at Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna and Bhagalpur were collected and analysed for the years 2017-2019 to assess the change in water quality of the river Ganga in terms of total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity through remote sensing data and ground observations. The change in spectral reflectance of water along the river in the visible region has been analysed using the Landsat-8 multispectral remote sensing data and water quality samples have been collected from all the sites on the date of pass of Landsat-8 satellite. The results obtained shows that the satellite based remote sensing approach can be effectively used to make qualitative and quantitative estimates of total suspended solids and turbidity using nonlinear equations with high accuracy, even in the absence of field observations.
Study The Suitability of Water Quality For Agricultural Uses In Al- Diwaniyah Governorate in Iraq
Authors: Mukheef Rana Abd Al-Hadi , Obayes Alaa Adnan , Omran Zainab Ali
Published: January 2022

This study was conducted to assess the water quality of the Diwaniyah river by using the water quality index for irrigation uses (WQII), which was done over the period from November 2019 to June 2020. The water quality of the river shape has a different pattern over various climatic areas. Our study evaluated the spatial scale variation of the water quality index (WQI) to comprehend this phenomenon. They were analysed based on the standard methods for the following parameters: SAR, HCO3–, Cl–, Na+, and EC. The assessment of water quality was made using the water quality index (WQI). The calculated value of WQII for six stations along the river for the eight months duration showed that the water might be utilised in soils texture with moderate to high permeability magnitudes; being proposed that moderate leaching of salts for soils and plants with moderate tolerance to salts may be grown in moderate restrictions (MR) depending on the index of irrigation water quality.
School Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Psychosocial Outcomes in Children - a Systematic Review
Authors: Lehmann Juliane , Lechner Viola , Scheithauer Herbert
Published: January 2022

With implemented school closures, the global crisis of COVID-19 has caused drastic changes in the dynamics and routines of children and their families. The rapid transition to homeschooling and social distancing measures have been particularly challenging for schoolchildren and their parents. In the adverse situation of COVID-19, children are more vulnerable to contextual factors such as familial risks, leading to unfavorable outcomes in children’s mental health, their emotional and psychosocial development. The present study aimed to synthesize available literature on psychosocial outcomes in schoolchildren (ages 6–13 years) who were exposed to family-related stressors during mandatory school closures. A systematic review was carried out, following the PRISMA guideline. A total of 419 records were retrieved from electronic databases, journals, and reference lists of primary studies and reviews. Studies were analyzed by the interrelation of negative child outcomes and parent-related variables during the period of school closure. Ten studies were included in this review. Studies varied in quality, in the combination of psychosocial factors, and child outcomes. Identified psychosocial variables impacting children included parental mental health, parental stress, parent-child interaction, and parenting stress. Identified negative outcomes in children encompassed emotional problems, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, anxiety and depression. Overall, results highlighted the link between children’s psychological response and parent-related variables during school closures. Results show that pandemic-related school closures had a considerable effect on children. However, findings cannot be interpreted conclusive as studies measured other factors, that contributed to a child’s psychological status quo.
Impact of psychological ownership on customer citizenship behaviour in the sharing economy
Authors: Wang Gaixia , Zhang Jian
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to explore the effects of customers’ psychological ownership of shared products on customer citizenship behaviour in the sharing economy. This study hypothesizes that customer-company identification can increase consumers’ psychological ownership of shared products in the absence of legal ownership, thereby promoting customer citizenship behaviour. This study asserts that psychological ownership plays a mediating role in the relationship between customer-company identification and customer citizenship behaviour based on social identity theory. We explore the moderating role of consumers’ proactive personalities in the sharing economy. METHODS: A questionnaire including the following was constructed: customer-company identification, psychological ownership, customer citizenship behaviour, and proactive personality. We administered the online consumer questionnaire in China to investigate the factors that affect consumer behavioural intentions in the sharing economy. RESULTS: First, based on a sample of 326 participants, the results suggest that both customer-company identification and psychological ownership are positively related to customer citizenship behaviour. Second, psychological ownership partially mediates the relationship between customer-company identification and customer citizenship behaviour. Third, proactive personality moderates the relationship between customer-company identification and customer citizenship behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of psychological ownership in promoting customer citizenship behaviour in the sharing economy.
Do career anchors matter to IT personnel?
Authors: Chang Christina Ling-Hsing
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND: Due to the significant role of IT personnel (ITP) in the 21th century, how to retain the qualified ITP should now be considered as a critical issue in the e-era. Career planning has been a critical issue for the turnover rate of the ITP. IT researchers have identified many anchors among the ITP, but these career anchors are too difficult to manage. Although Wils et al. [1] provides a model which has classified these career anchors into different categories; however, whether it can be suitable to ITP, and expect the management to easily manage the career anchors of the ITP emphasized anchors. OBJECTIVE: This study expects to provide a suitable Category of Career Anchors to ITP, and management to easily manage the career anchors of the ITP emphasized anchors. METHODS: This study conducted a multiple-case study as the research strategy, and followed a positivist process while allowing sufficient evidence to suggest additional relationships. Therefore, a qualitative study involving 16 ITP was conducted to validate the propositions. RESULTS: The results have provided these new propositions: (1) The quadrants relationship of a circumplex career anchor model of Wils et al. [1] is not appropriate to an ITP, hence, this study provides three new sub-propositions (P1 - 1new, P1 - 2new, and P1 - 3new); (2) management should provide the ITP desired and complementary anchors, as it is a way to increase their job/career satisfaction (P2new). CONCLUSIONS: This study has explored the different results from Wils et al. (2016) [1], and it should mention that scholars and experts in different professional fields could have a different aggregated way of career anchors. Organizations should provide career anchors that not only are desired by ITP, but also are complementary anchors for the ITP, instead of opposite anchors for increasing their job/career satisfaction. Thus, this study provides a correct and valuable direction for future study, and both academic and practice can refer to it.
Age and Anterior Basal Forebrain Volume Predict the Cholinergic Deficit in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Richter Nils , David Lara-Sophia , Grothe Michel J. , Teipel Stefan , Dietlein Markus , Tittgemeyer Marc , Neumaier Bernd , Fink Gereon R. , Onur Oezguer A. , Kukolja Juraj
Published: January 2022

Background: Early and severe neuronal loss in the cholinergic basal forebrain is observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To date, cholinomimetics play a central role in the symptomatic treatment of AD dementia. Although basic research indicates that a cholinergic deficit is present in AD before dementia, the efficacy of cholinomimetics in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains controversial. Predictors of cholinergic impairment could guide individualized therapy. Objective: To investigate if the extent of the cholinergic deficit, measured using positron emission tomography (PET) and the tracer 11C-N-methyl-4-piperidyl acetate (MP4A), could be predicted from the volume of cholinergic basal forebrain nuclei in non-demented AD patients. Methods: Seventeen patients with a high likelihood of MCI due to AD and 18 age-matched cognitively healthy adults underwent MRI-scanning. Basal forebrain volume was assessed using voxel-based morphometry and a cytoarchitectonic atlas of cholinergic nuclei. Cortical acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured using MP4A-PET. Results: Cortical AChE activity and nucleus basalis of Meynert (Ch4 area) volume were significantly decreased in MCI. The extent of the cholinergic deficit varied considerably across patients. Greater volumes of anterior basal forebrain nuclei (Ch1/2 area) and younger age (Spearman’s rho (17)  = –0.596, 95% -CI [–0.905, –0.119] and 0.593, 95% -CI [0.092, 0.863])) were associated with a greater cholinergic deficit. Conclusion: Data suggest that less atrophy of the Ch1/2 area and younger age are associated with a more significant cholinergic deficit in MCI due to AD. Further investigations are warranted to determine if the individual response to cholinomimetics can be inferred from these measures.
Cognitive Improvement via Left Angular Gyrus-Navigated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Inducing the Neuroplasticity of Thalamic System in Amnesic Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients
Authors: Yang Zhiyuan , Sheng Xiaoning , Qin Ruomeng , Chen Haifeng , Shao Pengfei , Xu Hengheng , Yao Weina , Zhao Hui , Xu Yun , Bai Feng
Published: January 2022

Background: Stimulating superficial brain regions highly associated with the hippocampus by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may improve memory of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) spectrum patients. Objective: We recruited 16 amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and 6 AD patients in the study. All the patients were stimulated to the left angular gyrus, which was confirmed a strong link to the hippocampus through neuroimaging studies, by the neuro-navigated rTMS for four weeks. Methods: Automated fiber quantification using diffusion tensor imaging metrics and graph theory analysis on functional network were employed to detect the neuroplasticity of brain networks. Results: After neuro-navigated rTMS intervention, the episodic memory of aMCI patients and Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of two groups were significantly improved. Increased FA values of right anterior thalamic radiation among aMCI patients, while decreased functional network properties of thalamus subregions were observed, whereas similar changes not found in AD patients. It is worth noting that the improvement of cognition was associated with the neuroplasticity of thalamic system. Conclusion: We speculated that the rTMS intervention targeting left angular gyrus may be served as a strategy to improve cognitive impairment at the early stage of AD patients, supporting by the neuroplasticity of thalamic system.
A new distance measure for pythagorean fuzzy sets based on earth mover’s distance and its applications
Authors: Yin Longjun , Zhang Qinghua , Zhao Fan , Mou Qiong , Xian Sidong
Published: January 2022

In uncertain information processing, new knowledge can be discovered by measuring the proximity between discovered and undiscovered knowledge. Pythagorean Fuzzy Sets (PFSs) is one of the important tools to describe the natural attributes of uncertain information. Therefore, how to appropriately measure the distance between PFSs is an important topic. The earth mover’s distance (EMD) is a real distance metric that can be used to describe the difference between two distribution laws. In this paper, a new distance measure for PFSs based on EMD is proposed. It is a new perspective to measure the distance between PFSs from the perspective of distribution law. First, a new distance measure namely DEMD is presented and proven to satisfy the distance measurement axiom. Second, an example is given to illustrate the advantages of DEMD compared with other distance measures. Third, the problem statements and solving algorithms of pattern recognition, medical diagnosis and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problems are given. Finally, by comparing the application of different methods in pattern recognition, medical diagnosis and MCDM, the effectiveness and practicability of DEMD and algorithms presented in this paper are demonstrated.
Risk assessment of cruise construction logistics allocation based on improved intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS method
Authors: Ziquan Xiang , Jiaqi Yang , Naseem Muhammad Hamza , Zuquan Xiang
Published: January 2022

In view of the extremely complex logistics level, long logistics cycle, high-risk coefficient, extremely fuzzy and uncertain evaluation information of cruise construction logistics allocation, an improved intuitionistic fuzzy TOPSIS method is proposed to evaluate the risk of cruise construction logistics allocation. Firstly, on the basis of empirical data analysis and research interviews, risk sources and risk assessment criteria are determined, and different weights are given to experts according to their importance. Then, in order to reduce the fuzziness and uncertainty of risk source information, an intuitionistic fuzzy weighted arithmetic average (IFWAA) operator is used to aggregate the experts’ opinions, and the intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation decision risk matrix is obtained. The objective weight of risk assessment criteria is introduced to balance the impact of subjective weight on the final results, to improve the accuracy of the evaluation results. Finally, according to the relative closeness coefficient between each risk source and the positive-ideal solution, the priority of the risk sources of cruise construction logistics allocation is obtained, and the corresponding risk control measures are put forward. Compared with other methods and sensitivity analysis, the effectiveness and applicability of this method are verified.
RETRACTED: Approximation of fuzzy complex numbers by the form x ˜ + i y ˜ 1
Authors: Gong Zengtai , Xiao Zhiyong
Published: January 2022

This article has been retracted. A retraction notice can be found at https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-219433.
MuST-POS: multiscale spatial-temporal 3D atrous-net and PCA guided OC-SVM for crowd panic detection
Authors: Tripathy Santosh Kumar , Sudhamsh Repala , Srivastava Subodh , Srivastava Rajeev
Published: January 2022

Crowd panic detection (CPD) is crucial to control crowd disasters. The recent CPD approaches fail to address crowd shape change due to perspective distortion in the frame and across the frames. To this end, we are motivated to design a simple but most effective model known as multiscale spatial-temporal atrous-net and principal component analysis (PCA) guided one-class support vector machine (OC-SVM), i.e., MuST-POS for the CPD. The proposed model utilizes two multiscale atrous-net to extract multiscale spatial and multiscale temporal features to model crowd scenes. Then we adopted PCA to reduce the dimension of the extracted multiscale features and fed them into an OC-SVM for modeling normal crowd scenes. The outliers of the OC-SVM are treated as crowd panic behavior. Three publicly available datasets: the UMN, the MED, and the Pets-2009, are used to show the effectiveness of the proposed MuST-POS. The MuST-POS achieves the detection accuracy of 99.40%, 97.61%, and 98.37% on the UMN, the MED, and the Pets-2009 datasets, respectively, and performs better to recent state-of-the-art approaches.
Fuzzy set analysis of electroencephalogram data pertaining to tDCS in math skill enhancement
Authors: Heim Isaac , Fonseca Daniel J. , Houser Rick , Cook Ryan , O’Donnell John
Published: January 2022

This paper deals with the design and development of a novel approach, centered on the creation and development of a fuzzy controller to analyze electroencephalogram (EEG) data. The fuzzy controller makes use of the functions associated with the different regions of the brain to correlate multiple Brodmann areas to several outputs, where a normal analysis would associate only one region to one output. This controller was designed to quickly adapt to any data imported into it. The current implemented framework supports a math study. The math subjects’ outputs were attuned to their related study which involved transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which is a form of neurostimulation. Anode affinity, cathode affinity, calculation, memory, and decision making were the outputs focused on for the math study. This task is best suited to a fuzzy controller since interactions between Brodmann areas can be analyzed and the contributions of each area accounted for by indicating which regions have stronger and weaker effects on any given output.
An intelligent hybrid technique for optimal generator rescheduling for congestion management in a deregulated power market
Authors: Saravanan C. , Anbalagan P.
Published: January 2022

Congestion not only affects the power flow, but also leads certain issues, like market power, market inefficiency and security. When the transmission line exceeds their limits congestion is occurred (voltage, thermal, stability). Congestion management is a technique that helps to deal the issue corresponding to congestion. Many methods have been developed to manage congestion, and also several countries execute various strategies for the smooth functioning of their network. In this manuscript, the rescheduling of congestion management in a deregulated environment using DA-MRFO is proposed. The proposed hybrid technique is the combined execution of both the dragonfly algorithm (DA) and manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO). Dragonfly algorithm is enhanced using Manta ray Foraging optimization (MRFO), hence it is named DA-MRFO technique. The proposed method is used to alleviate transmission grid congestion on group-based electricity market via reprogramming active power of generators and also to reprogram the generator power. Congestion is the major Independent System Operator (ISO) concern on deregulated electricity market that is traditionally controlled by reprogramming generator output power. However, the effects of changes in the generator output power on the overloaded line flow are not identical. All the generators do not represent a desirable approach for congestion management. Here, a generator sensitivity factor is adapted for supporting the optimal generator selection in a congestion management (CM). In a congestion relief process, it is provided at the lowest possible cost. The reduction of power flow with collection of congested lines is probable through coordinated response of reactive energy dispatch as wind farms. The proposed approach is executed in modified IEEE 30 bus system and IEEE 57 bus system, then the efficiency is compared with the various existing optimization approaches.
Design and development of extract maximum power from single-double diode PV model for different environmental condition using BAT optimization algorithm
Authors: Thangamuthu Logeswaran , Albert Johny Renoald , Chinnanan Kalaivanan , Gnanavel Banu
Published: January 2022

To minimize real-time errors in a Photovoltaic (PV) system performances must be forecasted through precise simulation design before continuing into a practical application. However, due to the scarcity of data in datasheets and the inherent transcendental connections are between PV current and PV voltage, to determining the Single Diode Model (SDM) parameters becomes a more challenging problems. This paper offers a simulated study of a SDM and Double Diode Model (DDM) solar PV system under various irradiation represents, and the performance was developed by incorporating an optimization-based Maximum Power Point (MPP) tracking techniques. According to the present simulation presented in this article, a mathematical model for a SDM/DDM as well as optimization methodologies has been estimated MATLAB platform. The present MPP circuit model designed and compared with BAT optimization algorithms. The nonlinear relationship between Voltage (V) - Current (I) and Voltage (V) –Power (W) acknowledged as characteristic curves for different temperature (∘c) and irradiance (W/m2) values are verified in numerical simulation results. MPP tracking power and efficiency are examined for maximum power (Pmax) to test the optimization based system. The simulation results show that the BAT optimization model was achieved the highest tracking efficiency better than other heuristic algorithms.
Relationship of the brief-balance evaluation systems test with physical functioning and activities of daily living: A cross-sectional study among hospitalized acute stroke patients
Authors: Igarashi Tatsuya , Takeda Ren , Hayashi Shota
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND: The Brief-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Brief-BESTest) has the potential to be used effectively for interventions on specific balance components. However, it has not been utilized for acute stroke cases. OBJECTIVE: This study determined the characteristics of the distribution of the Brief-BESTest scores of patients who suffered acute stroke and examined its relationship with physical function and activities of daily living ability. METHODS: The Brief-BESTest, sub-items of Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) were conducted among 41 hospitalized acute stroke patients (71.3±9.5 years, 32 males). The skewness of the Brief-BESTest and Spearman’s rank correlation (ρ) between Brief-BESTest, SIAS, and FIM were analyzed. RESULTS: The skewness of the total score of the Brief-BESTest was -0.038. There were no ceiling or floor effects. The total score of the Brief-BESTest had a weak positive correlation with the SIAS lower extremity motor function (ρ= 0.457) and muscle tone (ρ= 0.374), and the total score on FIM (ρ= 0.365). Each sub-item of the Brief-BESTest was associated with different physical functions. CONCLUSIONS: The Brief-BESTest was unaffected by floor and ceiling functions among hospitalized acute stroke patients, and different physical functions were associated with each balance component.
Toward successful future use of telehealth in occupational therapy practice: What the COVID-19 rapid shift revealed
Authors: Abbott-Gaffney Cynthia R. , Gafni-Lachter Liat , Cason Jana , Sheaffer Katherine , Harasink Rachael , Donehower Kelsey , Jacobs Karen
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND: Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, occupational therapy (OT) services delivered through telehealth demonstrated comparative effectiveness to in-person services. At the onset of the pandemic, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) needed to continue delivering care to clients without being in-person. Many OT practitioners pivoted rapidly to telehealth, in many instances, with very little training. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the use of telehealth in occupational therapy during the early stages of the pandemic, and to explore how participants traversed the barriers. The perceived benefits and barriers to success with rapid telehealth adoption as experienced by OTPs, along with the specific strategies used to promote favorable outcomes may inform ongoing successful telehealth use in occupational therapy. METHOD: This study used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. Data was collected from September to December 2020 with an electronic survey. RESULTS: A total of 193 OTPs completed the survey, representing the delivery of OT services in 13 countries. Three main barriers to the use of telehealth were availability of materials, mastery of technology, and collaboration with caregivers/e-helpers. These barriers were negatively and significantly correlated with the participants’ confidence level in the use of telehealth. Participants overcame barriers by independently obtaining telehealth training, including training within one’s organization, support from social media, self-directed learning, and paid online telehealth webinars. CONCLUSION: Employers and educators can remove barriers to telehealth use by OTPs by providing a variety of learning opportunities and supports to enhance practitioners’ confidence, thus increasing the likelihood of continued use of telehealth as a powerful and gap-bridging delivery model in occupational therapy.
The virtual office: A perspective from college students
Authors: Kotowski Susan E. , Davis Kermit G.
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND: As the COVID-19 pandemic took root in the United States, most universities quickly transitioned to online and remained there through spring 2021. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to identify the impact of the switch to online on student home offices and corresponding health outcomes. METHODS: An online survey was sent out to all student at a large Midwest university to assess the work practices and health outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 1074 responses were completed. The shift to online not only resulted in most students utilizing laptop computers without external monitors, keyboards, or mouse input devices, but also a major increase in the amount of time spent using technology (on average 31 to 40 hours per week). The amount of severe to extreme discomfort in the neck, shoulder, upper back, and lower back was alarming (above 41%). CONCLUSION: The home offices of students were often sub-optimal, indicating the need to educate university students.
Physicochemical regularities of complex reduction of iron chromite
Authors:   National Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine, Grishin A.M. , Petrenko V.A. , Sokolova L.A.
Published: January 2022

Physicochemical patterns of complex reduction of multicomponent charge have been studied in the absence of liquid phases in order to obtain spongy ligatures. The charge contained both simple oxides and complex oxide compounds. The reduction was conducted being realized at the expense of carbon and gases (CO and H2) as well as with the participation of the carbide phase, which was formed during the reduction process. The dependence of the phase composition of the reduction products on the initial ratios O/(C+H) and C/H was determined. The possibility of the presence of Femet in the products was shown at increasing the C/H ratio and the formation of complex carbide based on (1/60 Fe3C+1/3 Cr3C2). The temperature limits of the appearance of metallic and carbide phases have been theoretically determined based on both thermodynamic modeling of the system Cr–Fe–C–O–H using the software HSC Chemistry 5.1 and the results of X-ray phase analysis of the reduction products. The equilibrium composition of the gas phase for the complex reduction of iron chromite under different conditions was calculated. To evaluate the kinetic features of the reduction of iron chromite, the rate of the complex reduction of Fe(CrO2)2 was determined under conditions of chemical-catalytic action. Salts of alkali metals (potassium and sodium) were used as catalytic additives. The influence of temperature, reducing agent composition and the nature and amount of catalytic additive on the process rate was investigated. Conclusions on the type and optimal proportion of additives have been made. The mechanism of influence of catalytic additives on the kinetic characteristics of the complex reduction of iron chromite was analyzed.
Investigation of the effect of crystallization conditions and "Difron-4201" depressant additive on the composition and properties of paraffin deposits
Authors:   Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Gurbanov H.R. , Adigezalova M.B. ,   Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University
Published: January 2022

For the first time in the laboratory, the physical and chemical characteristics of the model oil sample, the composition, and relative amounts of normal alkanes with carbon atoms from C8 to C60 were determined by high-temperature liquid-gas chromatography. When Difron-4201 is added to the model oil, seven carbon atoms are displaced in the direction of the lower molecular weight distribution of paraffin hydrocarbons in the sediment. The effect of the Difron-4201 additive on the group composition of model oil and oil sediments obtained at different temperatures of the "cold finger" was studied. It was found that with the addition of the additive and with a decrease in the temperature of model oil and "cold pipe", the number of paraffin hydrocarbons in the group composition of sediment increases and the amount of resin and asphaltenes decreases. Microanalysis of the structure of asphaltene–resin–paraffin sediments obtained after the addition of the additive showed that the model oil sediments, separated at 30/1500C and containing large amounts of high-molecular paraffin hydrocarbons, resin, and asphaltene components, have the highest proportion of amorphous structures. An increase in the share of dendritic modification of the crystalline structure is characteristic for paraffin hydrocarbons in sediments obtained with the addition of 900 g/t "Difron-4201" additive.
Synthesis and study of ferri-diopside ceramic pigments
Authors:   University of Ruse ", Dimitrov Ts.I. ,   Angel Kanchev", Titorenkova R.H. ,   Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography "Acad. I. Kostov", Zaichuk А.V. ,   Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology, Tzvetanova Y.K. ,   Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography "Acad. I. Kostov"
Published: January 2022

The article reports the mineralogical composition, structural features and changes in color parameters of iron-containing diopside pigments. The source of SiO2 in these pigments was SiO2nH2O with a particle size in the range of 2–7 m, which is much more reactive than conventionally used quartz sand. A series of ceramic pigments on the basis of stoichiometric diopside in the system CaO–Fe2O3–MgO–SiO2 was synthesized via solid-state high temperature sintering at 1000, 1100 and 12000C. The resulting ceramic pigments were examined by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The color characteristics were measured using spectrophotometry method. It was found that multiphase ceramic pigments were obtained under the synthesis conditions, which contain diopside, wollastonite, cristobalite, akermanite and periclase in various proportions. The synthesized ceramic pigments are brown and beige in color, depending on the content of Fe2O3 additive, firing temperature and phase composition. The synthesized pigments can be used for staining of ceramic glazes.
Can the Heston Model Forecast Energy Generation? A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Reichert Bianca , Souza Adriano Mendonça
Published: January 2022

The ability to predict the price of stock exchange assets has attracted the attention of economists and physicists around the world, as physical models are useful to predict volatility behaviors. Knowing that volatility is crucial for energy sector planning, the research aim was to investigate whether the Heston pricing model is useful to predict energy generation, trough the steps established by the systematic review protocol. In a corpus of 25 documents, it was possible to identify: lots of financial studies, energy and demography researches; a low level of interaction among universities; the largest number of publications from Australia and China; the most important journal; and the advantages of applying Econophysics models to solve volatility problems. In conclusion, the Heston model can be applied to predict energy generation, since it is a closed-form model and capable of modeling the stochastic volatility, reversing it to the predicted value of average energy generation.
Transformando la educación para la paz en cultura de paz por medio de la eticidad y el pensamiento crítico
Authors:   Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Alanis Aguilar Juan
Published: January 2022

En el siguiente artículo exploraremos algunas definiciones de paz que se han construido después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, así como las posturas que han tenido algunos autores respecto a este tema. Seguiremos con la explicación del pensamiento crítico, por medio de diversas descripciones y posturas teóricas, así como la construcción de un sujeto crítico, pues se considera a este, por lo menos en este trabajo, como una pieza fundamental para construir una cultura de paz, a través de la educación para la paz. Posteriormente, encaminaremos los esfuerzos en vincular estos dos aspectos con otros dos más: la eticidad y la for-mación. Sin ellos, según nuestro entender, cualquier ejercicio para transformar la cultura por el hecho de cambiarla sería fútil, ya que se trata de un proceso gradual que dispone de muchas habilidades y capacidades de los sujetos para su realización, además de un ejercicio práxico, que requiere de quien lo lleva a cabo un alto grado de responsabilidad consigo mismo y para con las otredades.
Determinants of Capital Structure in Canadian Non-financial Firms: A Recent Study
Authors: Amatya Krisha
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this research is to examine firm-specific determinants of capital structure in Canadian non-financial firms. The research uses a sample of 208 firms listed on Toronto Stock Exchange from 1999 to 2016. Panel data analysis has been performed using a fixed effects model estimation. The study also investigates the impact of firm-specific factors on capital structure in three different phases: pre-crisis (1999-2006), during crisis (2007-2009), and post-crisis (2010-2016).

The analysis suggests that age, liquidity, asset tangibility, size, growth opportunities, and profitability are the determinants of capital structure in Canadian non-financial firms. The findings suggest that Pecking Order Theory better explains capital structure choices across Canadian non-financial firms. However, some hypotheses of Trade-off Theory are also applicable in certain contexts. This study adds to the existing literature on factors influencing capital structure of Canadian non-financial firms. Both practitioners and academicians may benefit from the findings of this study.
Recognition of Opportunity for Internationalization in the Sub- Sahara Africa: An Attention-Based Perspective
Authors: Bankole Inioluwa
Published: January 2022

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is home to six of the top ten fastest-growing economies in the world. Despite this strong performance, Canadian firms have a limited presence in SSA. International business studies suggest that global expansion of firms into foreign markets is possible when firms have solid access to international networks, familiar market institutions, and senior managers with international experience. By analyzing several cases, grounded in an attention- based perspective, this study aims to answer 1) how senior managers’ attention processes enable opportunity recognition in SSA and 2) how they translate the recognized business opportunity into global expansion in SSA. This thesis uses qualitative research in which interviews were conducted with staff from seven companies that internationalized into SSA. The key findings show that senior managers’ initial motivations to expand into and their categorization of the SSA market impacted opportunity recognition for global expansion.
Assessing Sustainability Activities in Sport-Related Software Start-Ups: An Application of the Triple-Layered Business Model Canvas
Authors: Behounek Hannah
Published: January 2022

Due to the increasing number of environmental and social issues present in society, sustainability is viewed as the mechanism to remedy these issues. Researchers believe sustainability at the societal level is impossible without businesses embracing it first, and that the business model is the key component to integrate sustainability throughout the entire business. Start-ups are considered the ideal foundation for achieving sustainability in businesses, as this is when the business model is usually developed and refined. However, few start-ups are founded with sustainability activities incorporated into the business model. This project examines three software-based start-ups to understand what current or potential future environmental and social considerations are or could be incorporated into the business models, how the entrepreneurs view sustainability activities in relation to their start-ups, and how they view sustainability activities effect on receiving funding from venture capitalists. It is found that the three start-ups have very limited current and potential environmental and social considerations in their business model. Only one entrepreneur believes that sustainability and having environmental and social considerations can help receive funding from venture capitals.
Challenges of COVID-19: Preschool Teachers’ Views and Experiences During the Quarantine
Authors: Güneş Gökhan , Toran Mehmet
Published: January 2022

The purpose of the study is to analyze the evidence gathered from the preschool teachers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. The study was carried out with 11 teachers who have professional experience ranging between 3 to 19 years from private and public preschools. The study was specified according to criterion sampling strategy under the purposeful sampling method. The data gathered via open-ended questions and the phenomenology method, one of the qualitative research designs, was used. The qualitative content analyses technique was applied for analyzing the data. It was reached remarkable themes about the preschool teachers’ pedagogical challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic based on the analysis of data. The themes and their subthemes are as follows: The theme “challenges in the distance education process” contains the sub-themes of children, teachers, and parents, the theme “views about educational policy in new normal” contains the sub-themes of technological infrastructure problems, unpreparedness, and negative attitudes, the theme “expectations for the improvement of distance education” contains the sub-themes of teacher training, effective family involvement activities, and technology-based programs.
Okul Yöneticilerinin Duygusal ve Sosyal Zekâları ile Liderlik Stilleri Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi
Authors: Yıldız Baran Barış , Çelikceken Tevfik Sertaç , Gülper Mesut
Published: January 2022

Bu araştırmanın amacı, okul yöneticilerinin duygusal zekâ ve sosyal zekâ yeteneklerinin cinsiyet ve yaş değişkenleri açısından anlamlı düzeyde farklılaşıp farklılaşmadığını, okul yöneticilerinin duygusal zekâ ve sosyal zekâ yeteneklerinin liderlik stillerini anlamlı düzeyde yordayıp yordamadığını belirlemektir. Araştırmanın verilerinin toplanmasında WLEIS, Tromso Sosyal Zekâ Ölçeği, Çok Faktörlü Liderlik Ölçeği ve Kişisel Bilgi Formu kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini; 2019-2020 eğitim-öğretim yılı İstanbul ili Avcılar, Beyoğlu, Çatalca, Esenyurt ve Güngören İlçelerinde görev yapan 67 kadın ve 210 erkek olmak üzere toplam 277 eğitim yöneticisi oluşturmaktadır. Verilerin istatiksel analizinde bağımsız örneklemler için T testi, tek yönlü varyans analizi, Tukey testi ve çok değişkenli doğrusal regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre, eğitim yöneticilerinin duygusal zekâ yeteneklerinin bütün olarak dönüşümcü liderlik stili ve serbestlik tanıyan liderlik stili puanlarını yordadığı, sürdürümcü liderlik stili puanlarını ise yordamadığı tespit edilmiştir. Duygusal zekâ yetenekleri dönüşümcü liderlik stilindeki toplam varyansın %36,7’sini ve serbestlik tanıyan liderlik stilindeki toplam varyansın %26,2’sini açıklamaktadır. Yine eğitim yöneticilerinin sosyal zekâ yeteneklerinin bütün olarak dönüşümcü liderlik stili, sürdürümcü liderlik stili ve serbestlik tanıyan liderlik stili puanlarını yordadığı tespit edilmiştir. Sosyal zekâ yetenekleri dönüşümcü liderlik stilindeki toplam varyansın %38,7’sini, sürdürümcü liderlik stilindeki toplam varyansın %15,6’sını ve serbestlik tanıyan liderlik stilindeki toplam varyansın %34,3’ünü açıklamaktadır.
Z KUŞAĞININ ALIŞVERİŞ YÖNELİMİNDE YENİLİĞE AÇIKLIĞIN ROLÜ
Authors: ÖZKAN PİR Esra
Published: January 2022

Z kuşağı olarak ifade edilen kesim bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerine son derece hakim ve gün geçtikçe ekonomik özgürlüklerini eline alarak satın alma kararları işletmeler açısından büyük önem ifade etmeye başlayan bir kesimdir. Bu çalışmanın amacı Z kuşağı olarak ifade edilen potansiyel tüketicilerin alışveriş yönelimlerini belirleyerek bu yönelimlerinde sahip oldukları yeniliğe açıklık özelliğinin rolünü ortaya koymaktır. Ayrıca çalışma alışveriş yönelimi ve yeniliğe açıklığın demografik değişkenler açısından farklılıklarını değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bu sebeple günümüz şartlarında pazarlamanın yakın geleceğini şekillendireceği düşünülen bu kuşağın alışveriş yönelimleri marka ve firmalar açısından büyük öneme sahip olmaktadır ve yapılan literatür taraması neticesinde Z kuşağının alışveriş yöneliminin potansiyel yerel tüketiciler üzerinde detaylı olarak incelenmediği görülmektedir. Bu sebeple yapılan çalışmanın literatüre katkı sunacağı düşünülmektedir.Yapılan analizler neticesinde alışveriş yöneliminin sahip olduğu sekiz alt boyutun hepsinde yeniliğe açıklığın etkiye sahip olduğu tespit edilmiş ve demografik özelliklere göre Z kuşağının alışveriş yönelimi detaylı olarak çalışma içerisinde ortaya konmuştur.
Management of A Desmoid Tumor in Pregnancy: A Case Report
Authors: Caroline Viana Tavares Santos , Katrynni Oliveira Rodrigues , Henrique Dadalto Rossoni João , Brunelle Batista Fraga Mendes , Antônio Chambô Filho
Published: January 2022

A desmoid tumor is a rare, non-metastasizing, locally aggressive, monoclonal proliferative disease of fibroblastic origin with a high recurrence rate. The etiology remains unclear. Desmoid tumors can be found in the abdominal wall, abdominal cavity, trunk and limbs. When sporadic, the abdominal wall is the most common site, particularly around the rectus abdominis muscle, with tumors tending to develop in young women of reproductive age or those who have suffered trauma, principally pregnant or postpartum women. Due to its unpredictable clinical course and high recurrence rate, the exclusive use of resection with a wide safety margin, the treatment of choice in cases of advanced tumors, has been questioned. This paper describes a case of a large desmoid tumor on the abdominal wall that developed in the 10th week of pregnancy in a 29-year-old patient with no history of familial adenomatous polyposis. Ultrasound showed that the tumor had increased around 158% during pregnancy. The patient underwent Cesarean section during which a mass of around 20 cm was detected between the anterior and posterior layer of the aponeurosis of the rectus abdominis muscle. Conservative management (no intervention) was adopted with follow-up imaging. Ultrasound-guided core biopsy was performed four and a half months after delivery, with histopathology revealing a spindle cell neoplasm, with possible musculoaponeurotic fibromatosis. Six months after childbirth, the tumor had decreased spontaneously by 40.5% in thickness and nine months following delivery the patient continues to be monitored under expectant management, with no complaints or symptoms. Although rare, obstetricians should be aware of the possibility of a desmoid tumor during pregnancy and should evaluate the best management option (surgery, pharmacological treatment or expectant management) according to the patient’s profile in order to avoid visceral complications, the need for extensive surgery with possible aesthetic and functional sequelae, and even iatrogenic complications.
Neuromuscular Control Modelling of Human Perturbed Posture Through Piecewise Affine Autoregressive With Exogenous Input Models
Authors: Tigrini Andrea , Verdini Federica , Maiolatesi Marco , Monteriù Andrea , Ferracuti Francesco , Fioretti Sandro , Longhi Sauro , Mengarelli Alessandro
Published: January 2022

In this study, the neuromuscular control modeling of the perturbed human upright stance is assessed through piecewise affine autoregressive with exogenous input (PWARX) models. Ten healthy subjects underwent an experimental protocol where visual deprivation and cognitive load are applied to evaluate whether PWARX can be used for modeling the role of the central nervous system (CNS) in balance maintenance in different conditions. Balance maintenance is modeled as a single-link inverted pendulum; and kinematic, dynamic, and electromyography (EMG) data are used to fit the PWARX models of the CNS activity. Models are trained on 70% and tested on the 30% of unseen data belonging to the remaining dataset. The models are able to capture which factors the CNS is subjected to, showing a fitting accuracy higher than 90% for each experimental condition. The models present a switch between two different control dynamics, coherent with the physiological response to a sudden balance perturbation and mirrored by the data-driven lag selection for data time series. The outcomes of this study indicate that hybrid postural control policies, yet investigated for unperturbed stance, could be an appropriate motor control paradigm when balance maintenance undergoes external disruption.