bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiographic measurements in distal radius fracture evaluation: a review of current techniques and a recommendation for standardization
Authors: Suojärvi Nora , Waris Eero
Published: July 2024

Radiographic measurements play a crucial role in evaluating the alignment of distal radius fractures (DRFs). Various manual methods have been used to perform the measurements, but they are susceptible to inaccuracies. Recently, computer-aided methods have become available. This review explores the methods commonly used to assess DRFs. The review introduces the different measurement techniques, discusses the sources of measurement errors and measurement reliability, and provides a recommendation for their use. Radiographic measurements used in the evaluation of DRFs are not reliable. Standardizing the measurement techniques is crucial to address this and automated image analysis could help improve accuracy and reliability.
Effect of current intensity on molten pool and solidification in vacuum arc remelting process of Ti60 alloy
Authors: Wang Xinghan , Liu Zhongqiu , Wang Fang , Zhao Zibo , Baleta Jakov , Li Baokuan
Published: July 2024

Current intensity is a critical parameter in the vacuum arc remelting (VAR) process, significantly impacting the molten pool, solidification structure, and ultimately, the quality of the ingot. This study establishes a transient electromagnetic-fluid-thermal-solidified coupled model to examine the effects of current intensity on the shape of molten pool and the solidification process of Ti60 alloy ingots produced by VAR process. Findings indicate that with the increase in current intensity, there is a corresponding rise in the magnetic induction intensity, current density, and Lorentz force. This enhancement leads to more vigorous flow in the liquid phase, creating a vortex flow opposing to the ingot's center at the boundary, influenced by the strong current. As a consequence, the molten pool's shape tends to shift from a “V” shape to a “U” shape, and the depth of molten pool increases while the mushy zone thickness diminishes. For instance, at 17000 A, the depth of molten pool surges by 57.43%, and the mushy zone thickness contracts by 62.01% compared to 5000 A. Over time, the depth of molten pool gradually decreases, with its reduction range ( Δh) within 400 to 6000 s inversely related to current intensity. At 17000 A, Δh is 23.71% less than at 5000 A. Furthermore, elevating the current intensity results in a higher temperature gradient within the ingot and a marked reduction in local solidification time, particularly in the ingot's central area.
Research on strip surface defect detection based on improved YOLOv5 algorithm
Authors: Lv Shuaishuai , Tao Chuanzhen , Hao Zhuangzhuang , Ni Hongjun , Hou Zhengjie , Li Xiaoyuan , Gu Hai , Shi Weidong , Chen Linfei
Published: July 2024

In the production process of hot rolled strip, there will inevitably be defects such as iron scale, slag inclusion and scratch on the surface, and there is no effective identification method for these defects. Therefore, based on the improved YOLOv5s algorithm, this article proposes an improved YOLOv5s-GCB model by introducing the coordinate attention module, improving the feature fusion structure and lightening the feature extraction backbone network. The experiment shows that the precision of YOLOv5s-GCB is 89.7%, recall is 90.2% and mAP@0.5 is 93.1%, which are 2.1%, 3.0% and 1.6% higher than YOLOv5s, respectively. The average detection time of a single image is 7.9 ms, and the detection speed is improved. Finally, the ablation experiment shows that the proposed improved strategy is feasible, and the detection effect of YOLOv5s-GCB is further verified by the comparison experiment with other target detection models. Therefore, it can be concluded that the proposed method provides an important reference for the detection of indicated defects in strip steel.
The performance and charge behaviour in melter/smelter for the production of hot metal in hydrogen DRI-based steelmaking
Authors: Shahabuddin M. , Rahbari Alireza , Sabah Shabnam , Brooks Geoffrey , Pye John , Rhamdhani M. Akbar
Published: July 2024

Direct reduced iron (DRI)-based steelmaking requires high-grade iron ore (Fe > 65 wt-%). However, a swift decline in ore grade has forced steelmakers to use lower-grade ores for DRI making, creating challenges in subsequent processes dealing with high gangue content for steelmaking. Hence, an intermediate melting/smelting furnace has been proposed to treat high gangue content from the DRI before transferring hot metal into an electric arc furnace (EAF)/basic oxygen furnace (BOF) for steelmaking. This study investigates and models the performance and charge behaviour in a melter/smelter with respect to the gangue content, DRI carbon content and temperature. The results showed that the specific energy consumption (SEC) and off-gas production increase with increasing temperature, carbon in DRI and gangue content. At 90 wt-% metallisation ratio (MR) using the lowest-grade ore (gangue 16 wt-%), the SEC at 1300 °C was calculated to be 706 kWh/tHM compared to 850 kWh/tHM at 1600 °C using 3.5 wt-% carbon. The MR is predicted to profoundly impact the SEC, as the increasing MR decreases the SEC markedly. At 90 wt-% MR, the SEC using the lowest-grade ore was 805 kWh/tHM, decreasing to 684 kWh/tHM using 100 wt-%MR.

Increasing MR, carbon in DRI and temperature decreases slag production consistently while increasing with the increasing gangue. Using hot DRI onsite is predicted to significantly reduce the SEC compared to cold DRI. Overall, the energy demand from cold DRI is predicted to be 120 kWh/tHM higher than hot DRI. Increasing the scrap-to-DRI ratio is predicted to decrease the energy demand, that is, every 1.0 wt-% increase in scrap decreases the SEC by 2.5 kWh/tHM.
Effect of rare earth element on H13 microscopic structure and mechanical properties
Authors: Li Bobo , Liu Tao , Hou Dong , Wang Deyong , Yang Zhicheng , Hu Shaoyan
Published: July 2024

In view of the phenomenon that irregular inclusions are easy to use as crack sources, rare earth H13 steel with different gradients is designed. The results showed that ellipsoidal rare earth inclusions (Ce2O3, CeAlO3 and Ce2O2S) were formed from irregular Al2O3 inclusions with the assistance of rare earths. The carbides that precipitated from liquid phases were arranged in a network along the grain boundary, forming composite carbides that are rich in Mo and V. Along the grain boundary, the morphology of the composite carbides got finer, and MC-type carbides enclosed the modified inclusions into nuclei, facilitating their precipitation. After annealing, the microstructure revealed that the carbides were dispersed in black segregated patches along the grain boundary and were discontinuous. The average diameter of carbides decreased from 109.7 to 79.2 nm in the same region according to a statistical comparison of the number of carbides before and after the addition of rare earth elements. The carbides were distributed alongside primary carbides as tiny particles of M7C3 and M23C6 secondary carbides. Especially when the rare earth content was 0.032 wt-%, the impact toughness increased to 34%. This work offers a reference value for the practical application of rare earth in hot work die steel in addition to revealing the strengthening mechanism of ultra-high strength RE-13 steel.
Forecasts of thermal coal prices through Gaussian process regressions
Authors: Jin Bingzi , Xu Xiaojie
Published: July 2024

Given thermal coal's significance as a tactical energy source, price projections for the commodity are crucial for investors and decision-makers alike. The goal of the current work is to determine whether Gaussian process regressions are useful for this forecast problem using a dataset of closing prices of thermal coal traded on the China Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange from January 4, 2016, to December 31, 2020. This is a significant financial index that has not received enough attention in the literature in terms of price forecasting. Our forecasting exercises make use of Bayesian optimizations and cross-validation. The price from January 02, 2020, to December 31, 2020 is successfully predicted by the generated models, with the out-of-sample relative root mean square error of 0.4210%. Gaussian process regressions are shown to be useful for the thermal coal price forecast problem. The outcomes of this projection might be used as independent technical forecasts or in conjunction with other forecasts for policy research that entails developing viewpoints on price patterns.
Slim-YOLOv8: A fast and accurate algorithm for surface defect detection of steel strips
Authors: Zhao Jia , Liu Song , Tao Han , Liu Wanming
Published: July 2024

Steel strip is an extremely important industrial material and is widely used in various industrial fields. During the production process, surface defects need to be detected quickly and accurately. This study proposes a model. This study proposes a new slim-YOLOv8 (lightweight YOLOv8) detection model. The model is based on YOLOv8 and adopts a lightweight design paradigm, which reduces the number of parameters of the model and enhances the detection real-time performance. At the same time, an online reparameterization method is introduced to enhance the feature extraction capability of the network without raising the inference cost, and to improve the model's detection accuracy for complex defects. Finally, an auxiliary training head that can provide richer gradient information is added to the model to help train the model while preventing model overfitting. The performance of slim-YOLOv8 in mean average precision and parameters was evaluated on the well-known steel strip surface defect detection dataset NEU-DET, reaching a mAP of 85.8% at IoU 0.50 and 50.3% in the IoU 0.50–0.95 range. This is an improvement of 8.3% and 3%, respectively, compared to the baseline model. Meanwhile, the number of parameters of the model was reduced from 3.0 M to 2.7 M, which is 7% lower than the baseline model. The experimental results show that slim-YOLOv8 uses a smaller number of parameters, but has higher accuracy and is able to detect various defects in the dataset well.
Cells and the city: The rise and fall of urban biopolitics in San Francisco, 1970–2020
Authors: Murray Andy , Browe Dennis , Darling Katherine Weatherford , Reardon Jenny
Published: July 2024

STS theories of biocapital conceptualize how biomedical knowledge and capital form together. Though these formations of biocapital often are located in large urban centers, few scholars have attended to how they are transforming urban spaces and places. In this paper we argue that the twinned technological development of cells and cities concentrates economic and symbolic capital and sets in motion contentious practices we name urban biopolitics. We draw on archival research and a nearly decade-long ethnography of the expansion of biomedical campuses in a major American city to show how the speculative logics of land development and biomedical innovation become bound together in a process we describe as speculative revitalization. We examine how the logics of speculative revitalization imagine a future in which cities and biomedicine produce wealth and health harmoniously together. However, in practice—as buildings of new biomedical urban campuses get built—the dreams of billionaire philanthrocapitalists to create global cities clash with the plans of biomedical researchers to create global health. We document the reproduction of stratified and racialized biomedical exclusions that result while also highlighting the unlikely opportunities for creating alliances committed to creating equitable biomedical research and healthcare in urban communities.
Flying Sidekick Traveling Salesman Problem in Truck–Drone Team Logistics with Energy Issues
Authors: Aksit Beste , Ozden-Gurcan Gokce , Saricicek Inci
Published: July 2024

Last-mile delivery has become increasingly important in recent years because of changes in customer needs. In this study, single-truck–multi-drone team logistics is considered. A mixed integer mathematical model is developed for the flying sidekick traveling salesman problem, a single-truck–multi-drone problem by considering technical and energy issues. Two different objective functions are used in the model. The first objective function is to minimize the sum of arrival times. Minimizing the sum of arrival times for customers also minimizes the distance traveled by the vehicles and, accordingly, the cost. The second objective function is to minimize total tardiness. A dataset is generated to test the proposed model. Trade-offs between the results for the two objective functions are analyzed. The technical requirements of the drone, energy limits, and fleet size are considered in the proposed mathematical model. The effects of the flight ranges of the drones are investigated with respect to the energy constraint. It has been observed that changes in the number of customers and drones affect the results of the objective functions. The total arrival time and tardiness decreased with increasing number of drones. Thus, the number of deliveries by truck decreases for customers. In addition, the advantages of this hybrid approach have been proven by comparing situations where only land vehicles are used with truck–drone team logistics.
Car or Cargo Bike? Determinants for the Use of a Small Vehicle Type in Urban Logistics: A Stated Preference Survey Among Commercial Transport Operators
Authors: Gruber Johannes , Plener Martin , Damer Lara , Dubernet Ilka
Published: July 2024

To address the adverse effects of urban freight, downshifting to smaller vehicles, such as cargo bikes, has been indicated as a viable solution. Existing literature on freight mode choice rarely considers vehicles smaller than truck size. We aimed to fill this research gap by quantifying how vehicular, operational, trip-based, contextual, and individual determinants influenced the decision between cargo bikes and cars in urban logistics. To that end, a stated preference survey was conducted among 537 German organizations after they had been familiarized with cargo bikes through a 3-month vehicle trial period. Participants then took part in a survey in which they had to choose between the modes cargo bike, car, or neither of these two alternatives. The survey data were analyzed using a mixed logit model with 4,833 observations. The model estimations demonstrated that the values and signs of parameters were in accordance with both our expectations and the literature. The results indicated that cargo bikes were an attractive alternative to cars for delivery and service trips of short duration in fair weather. The probability of choosing a cargo bike over a car could be further increased by improving bike infrastructure or imposing parking limitations. The preference for cargo bike could be observed for respondents in dense urban centers and low-density parts of the country alike. Around 3 out of 10 respondents decided to buy their own cargo bike after the study, demonstrating the effectiveness of low-threshold testing programs in changing habits toward more sustainable mobility solutions.
Driving Characteristics of Drivers Avoiding Lateral Obstacles in Mountain Highway Tunnels: A Dynamic Lateral Safety Distance Prediction Model
Authors: Chen Ying , Du Zhigang , Xu Jin , Luo Shuang
Published: July 2024

A natural driving real-vehicle test was conducted in nine tunnels in Chongqing, China. The driving trajectories and speeds of 40 drivers were recorded to better understand drivers’ driving characteristics under the mutual influence of various tunnel lengths and numerous lateral obstacles on mountainous highways. According to the driver’s need for lateral safety distance in different scenarios, the conditions and scope of the occurrence of the shy away effect are defined, and a dynamic avoidance prediction model is established in multiple scenarios. It was demonstrated that, when there were no lateral dynamic obstacles, drivers were influenced by the tunnel sidewalls to drift away from them. However, when lateral dynamic obstacles were present, drivers’ driving trajectories were corrected to be closer to the inside of the lane. The influence of vehicles of the same type resulted in the trajectory offset to the left by 0.2 m (extra-long tunnel), 0.7 m (long tunnel), 0.5 m (medium tunnel), and 0.7 m (short tunnel) compared with the driving trajectory without the influence of the obstacle. The influence of trucks causes the trajectory offset to the left compared with the driving trajectory without obstacles by 0.2 m (extra-long tunnel), 0.5 m (long tunnel), 1 m (medium tunnel), and 1.75 m (short tunnel). There is some variation in the degree of risk to the driver from different obstacles under different tunnels. The lateral distance between the driver and the dynamic obstacle is related to the nature of the available driving distance ahead. A sufficiently long driving maneuver distance enables the subject vehicle to gradually overtake the lateral dynamic obstacle in a more stable state. Dynamic avoidance models with fitting accuracies of 0.6–0.99 were implemented to predict vehicle trajectories in different tunnels and under the influence of various lateral dynamic obstacles. The study of the correlation of vehicle trajectories under the influence of various factors in tunnels is completed by the research findings, which can serve as a foundation for the design of driving behavior regulation, an improvement in traffic safety facilities, traffic management, and monitoring of lateral safety distances of intelligent vehicles in tunnels.
Career transformations: How career guidance counselling understands the labour market
Authors: Boland Tom
Published: July 2024

Career Guidance shapes the labour market by providing advice to school leavers, jobseekers and career changers. While there are a vast variety of approaches within Career Guidance, arguably there are central ideas within the discourse about the labour market reflecting cultural understandings of transition and transformation. To illustrate how Career Guidance understands the labour market, this article traces a genealogy from 19th century cultural ideas about careers from Smiles and Parsons to psychologised accounts from Maslow and Rogers. These imagine career transitions as personal transformations and recommend intensive interviewing to overcome internal barriers and unleash potential. Drawing from 15 interviews with Guidance Counsellors, the contemporary presence of this understanding of the labour market is traced. This emphasis on transformation variously reflects neo-liberal enterprise culture, religious ideas of vocation and modern experiments of the self, all of which emphasise internal potential over structural forces.
The call for an evidence-based integrated funding and service delivery system for newcomers
Authors: Pepler Eileen Florence , Kinsman Lorraine
Published: July 2024

As immigration continues to drive Canada’s growth, the newcomer serving sector remains pivotal in facilitating newcomers’ integration into communities. However, this sector grapples with ongoing challenges, exacerbated by the federal government’s priority to increase immigration levels, thereby complicating the settlement landscape. This article examines the funding and service delivery difficulties organizations encounter. It underscores a system that fosters funding competition, impedes interorganizational collaboration, complicates program outcome reporting, and entails high administrative costs. Additionally, it addresses the specific challenges faced by newcomer children, youth, and families settling in Canada. The recommendations emphasize that no single agency can resolve the settlement sector crisis alone. Urgent actions include piloting integrated networks over integrated services and adopting a new Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada funding model that aligns with population and cultural needs. Moreover, eliminating silos is essential to establish a cohesive and efficient service delivery network committed to public outcomes and accountability.
The bay of La Isabela, Dominican Republic: The first enclave for the shelter, reception, construction and maintenance of ships in the New World, 1494–1498
Authors: Bueno Jiménez Alfredo
Published: July 2024

La Isabela emerged as the first node or point of commercial connection between the ancient kingdoms of Spain and the Caribbean. This achievement was due to the meticulous spatial arrangement and planning of the settlement in the Isabeline cove, designed to facilitate interaction with both the surrounding environment and the maritime routes. Christopher Columbus achieved effective intercommunication between resource-rich areas strategically located for both maritime and river navigation. The subsidiary station of Marta, located in the Bajabonico Valley, played a crucial role as a complement to the residential centre of El Castillo, providing the basic inputs necessary for the functioning of the settlement and the shipbuilding industry. Additionally, the adjacent bay, with its arched configuration, served as a resting and recuperation place for the crew. At the opposite end, to the north-east, the shipyard was located in the La Playa area, equipped with personnel, resources and sufficient infrastructure for the construction, outfitting and repair of vessels.
Prolonged Fatigue and Mental Health Challenges in Critical COVID-19 Survivors
Authors: Hultgren Malin , Didriksson Ingrid , Håkansson Anders , Andertun Sara , Frigyesi Attila , Mellerstedt Erik , Nelderup Maria , Nilsson Anna C. , Reepalu Anton , Spångfors Martin , Friberg Hans , Lilja Gisela
Published: July 2024

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the development of fatigue and mental illness between 3 and 12 months after critical COVID-19 and explore risk factors for long-lasting symptoms. Study Design and Methods: A prospective, multicenter COVID-19 study in southern Sweden, including adult patients (≥18 years) with rtPCR-confirmed COVID-19 requiring intensive care. Survivors were invited to a follow-up at 3 and 12 months, where patient-reported symptoms were assessed using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist version 5 (PCL-5). The development between 3 and 12 months was described by changes in relation to statistical significance and suggested values for a minimally important difference (MID). Potential risk factors for long-lasting symptoms were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. Results: At the 3-month follow-up, 262 survivors (87%) participated, 215 (72%) returned at 12 months. Fatigue was reported by 50% versus 40%, with a significant improvement at 12 months (MFIS; median 38 vs. 33, P < .001, MID ≥4). There were no significant differences in symptoms of mental illness between 3 and 12 months, with anxiety present in 33% versus 28%, depression in 30% versus 22%, and posttraumatic stress disorder in 17% versus 13%. A worse functional outcome and less sleep compared to before COVID-19 were risk factors for fatigue and mental illness at 12 months. Conclusions: Fatigue improved between 3 and 12 months but was still common. Symptoms of mental illness remained unchanged with anxiety being the most reported. A worse functional outcome and less sleep compared to before COVID-19 were identified as risk factors for reporting long-lasting symptoms.
Parameters Predictive of Propofol-Associated Acute Pancreatitis in Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Alabdul Razzak Iyiad , Korchemny Nikolay , Smoot Daniel , Jose Aju , Jones Allison , Price Lori Lyn , Jaber Bertrand L. , Moraco Andrew H.
Published: July 2024

Background

Propofol, a commonly used agent for short- and long-term sedation, is associated with acute pancreatitis. The main indirect mechanism of propofol-associated acute pancreatitis is by inducing hypertriglyceridemia. Patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia often require prolonged mechanical ventilation and sedation. We examined the incidence rate of acute pancreatitis among critically ill adults with COVID-19 pneumonia on mechanical ventilation receiving propofol. In addition, we attempted to determine cutoff levels of serum triglycerides and doses of propofol that are predictive of propofol-associated acute pancreatitis.

Methods

This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study using a large dataset of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The collected data included the number of days on propofol, cumulative doses of propofol, peak levels of serum triglycerides, serum lipase levels, and abdominal imaging findings. We used receiver-operating characteristic analysis in conjunction with Youden's index to identify the optimal thresholds for propofol administration parameters and levels of triglycerides that would provide maximal sensitivity and specificity for predicting acute pancreatitis.

Results

Out of 499 critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, 154 met the inclusion criteria. Six (4%) patients had suspected acute pancreatitis based on elevated serum lipase levels. Cutoff values greater than 688 mg/dL for peak level of triglycerides, 4.5 days on propofol, 3007 mg/day for average daily propofol dose, and 24 113 mg for cumulative propofol dose were associated with high risk of suspected acute pancreatitis. The negative predictive values for suspected acute pancreatitis using these cutoffs ranged from 98% to 100%.

Conclusions

Propofol use in critically ill COVID-19 patients is associated with a low incidence rate of acute pancreatitis. We identified cutoff values for serum triglycerides and cumulative propofol dose that are linked to higher risk of propofol-associated pancreatitis. More research is needed to examine the true incidence of propofol-associated pancreatitis and help develop optimal cutoff values for certain parameters to help guide safe propofol administration.
Planning for the Emerging Geography of Distributed Work
Authors: Adikesavan Manju Aishwarya , Ramasubramanian Laxmi
Published: July 2024

Office-based knowledge work is becoming spatially distributed due to technological advances, just-in-time space optimization practices, and the post-COVID intensification of remote and hybrid operations. Land use and policy planning around distributed work intersects and impacts planning for smart cities and innovation-driven economic development. Our review identifies four facets of the spatial DNA of distributed work and explains their built-environment outcomes. We examine these findings in three US metros that are grappling with tech-driven growth, development, and its consequences. We strongly encourage planning scholars and practitioners to investigate these dynamic phenomena and collaborate with techno-futurist designers to shape phygital decisions rather than focusing on regulating or managing them.
Zen Den: A Novel Approach to Promote Well-Being in the Workplace
Authors: Naone Melanie , Ford Christina , Davis Katherine Finn
Published: July 2024

Purpose: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, holistic nurses at an academic level 1 trauma center in Hawaii utilized a novel holistic approach to combat stress and anxiety symptoms while promoting nurse's well-being. This assessment aimed to determine whether a brief session incorporating Reiki and meditation could decrease nurses’ perceived stress and anxiety while increasing perceived happiness and coping ability. Methods: Two Reiki-certified holistic nurses developed a mobile 10-minute individual well-being session called “Zen Den.” In each session, the holistic nurse provided hands-on Reiki concurrent with a meditation streamed by a free online application. Pre and post-self-assessments were measured using a Likert scale. Findings: Participants (N = 92) showed an average decrease in perceived stress by 46% and anxiety by 45%, and an increase in feelings of happiness by 17% and perceived coping ability by 18%. Conclusion: This novel approach to promote well-being in the workplace can be achieved using existing resources such as Reiki-trained staff, a quiet space, and a 10-minute well-being session with guided meditation using a free online application.
Severe Bilateral Sialadenitis of the Mandibular and Parotid Salivary Glands with Severe Panniculitis in a 2-Year-old Standard Poodle
Authors: Yee Deborah E. , Cyrus Parambeth Joseph , Kawalilak Lukas , Sauvé Christopher
Published: July 2024

A 2-year-old male neutered Standard Poodle weighing 17.9 kg was presented to their primary care veterinarian for enlarged bilateral submandibular swellings following an interdog altercation sustained in the previous weeks. Cytology performed following fine-needle aspirates of the regions of swelling was inconclusive, and the patient was treated empirically with Clavaseptin. Despite treatment, the submandibular swellings continued to enlarge, and right-sided intermittent epistaxis was reported. On biochemical profile, there was mild hypercalcemia and mild hyperglobulinemia. The computed tomography (CT) findings were indicative of severe multifocal sialadenitis with severe regional cellulitis and inflammatory lymphadenopathy. Histopathology and cytology results described mixed inflammation of the salivary gland. Methenamine silver staining and Fite's acid-fast staining were negative. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were negative. Targeted, next-generation DNA sequencing detected no known fungi or bacterial pathogens. These findings were consistent with the diagnosis of severe bilateral mandibular sialadenitis, panniculitis, and lymphadenopathy. The patient was prescribed enrofloxacin, clindamycin, phenobarbital, and prednisolone for 1 month. One week after initiating treatment, the patient had a significant reduction in size of the salivary glands. CT imaging was helpful in the diagnosis of this patient and allowed the clinician to identify which submandibular anatomical structures were abnormal, guiding subsequent diagnostic decisions to provide medical management to resolve the condition.
Biomechanics of Dental Implantation in the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca): A Comparative Study Using Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Long Han , Zhang Huimin , Deng Linhua , Li Caiwu , Zhu Yan , Ling Shanshan , Li Desheng , Zhou Xiaoxiao , Liu Haifeng , Zhong Zhijun , Peng Guangneng , Wang Chengdong , Zhou Ziyao
Published: July 2024

Giant pandas have a high incidence of tooth wear, loss, and fracture since their diet is specifically bamboo. Dental implantation is a common treatment for tooth loss in humans while rarely reported in wild animals. To explore the applicability of dental implantation in giant pandas, this study measured mandible parameters of the giant panda, from an adult skeletal specimen. The mandible bone block model was developed using computer-aided design 3D mechanical drawing software. Implants of different radius and thread types of the third premolar tooth (PM3) were assembled and imported into an analysis software system for finite element analysis. As a result, the reverse buttress implant with a radius of 7.5 mm and 8.3 mm, and a length of 15 mm was found to be the most suitable implant for use in the giant panda PM3. This study provides a reference for appropriate clinical giant panda dental implantation, although, the feasibility of giant panda dental implantation needs to be studied further.
The power should be balanced: Central dimensions of healthy intergenerational partnerships
Authors: DiGiacomo Daniela Kruel ,   The Kentucky Student Voice Team, Ritchie Katherine R
Published: July 2024

This article tells the story of the Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT), a youth organization that is working toward educational justice in Kentucky by amplifying student voice in education research, advocacy, and policy. In particular, this study examines what makes a healthy intergenerational partnership. Findings reveal three key dimensions of the constitution of healthy intergenerational partnership: the purposeful shifting of power; flexible, vulnerable communication; and ongoing acknowledgement and accommodation to different people, processes, and places. Challenges and opportunities within contemporary collaborative research are also discussed.
Appraising the philosophical influences on modern public administration research
Authors: Tang Li , Li Zhaopeng , Liu Hongxu , Jing Yijia
Published: July 2024

As an interdisciplinary field, public administration (PA) has evolved by borrowing and integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines, including philosophy. Consequently, the means by which these disciplines’ influence diffuses to PA may significantly influence PA research quality and direction. This study is a first step to quantitatively appraise the effect of philosophy on PA research alongside other disciplines. Using a dataset of 58,333 PA journal articles, their 2,224,146 references, and 563,237 philosophy articles extracted from the Web of Science database, this study explores the evolution of knowledge sources, temporal-geographical distribution, and thematic topics of PA journal articles under direct philosophical influences. Empirical evidence reveals that citing philosophy in PA research continues to grow, despite continuing to make up a lesser share of citations than political science, economics, management and law. Articles published in top PA journals tend to cite the most impactful philosophical journals. There is no significant difference in authorship structures between PA journal articles citing or not citing philosophy articles, but those that do have greater research impacts and demonstrate different topical preferences.
Research on AZ31 magnesium alloy tee joint tube with lateral hole by hot extrusion forming with sand mandrel limited by stainless steel gasket
Authors: Shengnan Shi , Hongyu Wang , Yuanyuan Li , Juncai Sun , Naibao Huang , Jie Sun , Shunhu Zhang
Published: July 2024

As one of the lightest metals in the world, magnesium alloy can be used to reduce weight and save energy. Magnesium alloy tubes with different shapes can also further direct the transportation of fluid in this light weight. But the tee joint tube is difficult formed because of the complex shapes. In this paper, magnesium alloy tube is applied to form tee joint tube with sand mandrel. During the deformation, the magnesium alloy tube is driven by the sand mandrel pressed by the push. Different from traditional extruding with full tubes without hole on the sidewall, some tube with holes on the sidewalls are also used in the extrusion. All the key parameters such as extrusion depth, temperature, tube length, hole size, and hole location are discussed in both simulations and experiments. After the extrusion results are obtained, the microhardness and microstructures are observed to explain the promotion of the mechanical properties. Based on the results received from both simulations and experiments, deeper extrusion depth, higher temperature, shorter length of tube, larger size of the hole, and the higher location of the hole influence positively on forming results. No matter there are holes or not on the sidewalls, the errors between the results in simulation and experiment are small. Also the simulation and experiment results can be used to investigate the shape of tee joint tubes. The surface quality can be also measured to prove the surfaces in extrusion with sand mandrel acceptable. A novel strategy to sand mandrel extrusion of magnesium alloy tee joint tube by tube with holes on sidewall is provided.
Process improvement in Zamak injection machines for automotive component fabrication
Authors: Pereira José Luís Torres Alves , Campilho Raul Duarte Salgueiral Gomes , Silva Francisco José Gomes da
Published: July 2024

Die casting processes are nowadays widely used in the industry and differentiate from metal casting from the high-speed and pressure applied to inject the metal into the cavity. Due to this procedure, the produced parts manage to acquire better mechanical characteristics, dimensional precision, and smaller roughness. Due to the automation possibility, and mould coating possibilities, the process becomes cost competitive at significant production rates. However, to assure proper functioning and extended life of die casting equipment, it is necessary to continuously control the process variables, undertake maintenance, and implement process improvement actions to the production lines. The objective of the present work is to improve the efficiency of a Zamak die cast injection line for cable terminals used in Bowden or control cables for the automotive industry. By reducing wear and number of failures of standard components in this production line, and thus by diminishing the stoppage and replacement costs, it becomes possible to improve the current process. By applying specific improvements to the injection subset, heating element, and pump, including geometry modifications to the injection elements and respective interactions, heat treatments, higher power resistor, and groove/ring system in the pumps’ piston, a significant process improvement was accomplished by the proposed and tested modifications, leading to reduction of failures and operational costs, and consequently higher competitiveness of the process.
Experiment research on the characteristics and mechanism of noise caused by a car door sealing cavity at wind excitation
Authors: Zhang Binyu , Wang Yigang , Yu Wuzhou , Ye Bin , Peng Zining , Zhang Hao
Published: July 2024

Due to the various geometric shapes of cavities within car door sealing systems, the resulting cavity noise induced by wind excitation exhibits complex characteristics, leading to unclear noise mechanisms. To address this, a study was conducted to examine the acoustic properties of door sealing cavities located in the B-pillar, C-pillar, and backdoor of an SUV within a full-scale aeroacoustic wind tunnel. The main objective was to explore the relationship between cavity noise and interior noise. The results showed that peak components in the sound pressure level spectrum of the cavities significantly contribute to interior noise, particularly for cavities located close to the car’s interior. To gain further insight, the geometric characteristics of the cavities were extracted and transformed into equivalent regular cavities. These equivalent cavities were subsequently tested for their noise performance in a small-scale aeroacoustic wind tunnel, and the occurrence mechanisms were thoroughly investigated. The results demonstrated that the noise spectra of different cavities, whether they had sealing strips or leakage gaps, exhibited typical multipeak characteristics, with some cases even leading to whistling (e.g. backdoor cavity). The reason for the whistling was a resonance when the self-sustained oscillation frequencies of the cavities coincided with or approached the Helmholtz resonance frequencies or modal frequencies of the cavities. Interestingly, the self-sustained oscillation frequency and cavity modal resonance still persisted even when the two frequencies were somewhat separated, albeit with peaks of lower magnitude in the sound pressure spectrum (e.g. in the sealed cavities of the B-pillar and C-pillar).
Controllable region analysis of active front steering and differential braking system stability control characterized by additional yaw moment
Authors: Wu Xiaojian , Guan Sheng , Zhu Yueyan , Zhang Tingfang , Luo Yunxing
Published: July 2024

Active Front Steering (AFS) and Differential Braking System (DBS) are commonly used execution systems for vehicle anti-rollover or handling stability control. They regulate the vehicle’s yaw moment by adjusting the lateral tire force and longitudinal tire force, respectively. However, these two systems differ in terms of control capabilities and regulatory sensitivities. In emergency conditions, it becomes crucial to allocate and coordinate the tasks for the execution systems according to their yaw moment control capability and adjustment sensitivity. This paper proposes a method for calculating the controllable region represented by the additional yaw moment. This method allows for the computation of the control capability of AFS and DBS based on the current state. Additionally, the influence of different vehicle states on the controllable regions of the two execution systems is analyzed. Building upon this analysis, the yaw moment adjustment sensitivities of AFS and DBS systems under the current state are further investigated. Finally, a task coordinated strategy between AFS and DBS is developed based on the analysis of controllable regions and sensitivities of different execution systems. Simulink simulations are conducted on yaw stability and roll stability conditions to comprehensively analyze the working process of the proposed task coordination strategy.
Empathy or sympathy: a necessary distinction?
Authors: Marková Ivana S
Published: July 2024

As a deeply hybrid discipline, psychiatry demands research that tackles the concepts constituting it and its objects. This is an essential prerequisite to empirical studies, the validity of which are directly dependent on a clear understanding of the underlying concepts. Empathy and sympathy are concepts used variably and inconsistently in clinical practice and research, with ensuing uncertainties around their role and meaning. Using a historical epistemology approach, this paper compares these concepts by examining the structures, intersections, stabilities and factors that shape them. It shows that neither concept is invariant, and, despite overlap, the concepts are essentially different, underpinned by different assumptions, holding different functions and capturing different phenomena. In turn, such differences require apposite approaches to their empirical study.
Optimization on manifold injection in DI diesel engine fuelled with acetylene
Authors: Sonachalam M. , Manieniyan V. , Senthilkumar R.
Published: July 2024

Researchers demonstrated that implementing new combustion technology and optimising fuel quantity results in a significant reduction in traditional fossil fuel usage and emission levels. The Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) combustion strategy is one of the low temperature combustion technologies, and it is used to reduce the overall combustion temperature while also providing better combustion control. This study looks into RCCI combustion technology, which uses conventional diesel fuel as the high reactivity fuel (HRF) injected through the injector and acetylene gas as the low reactivity fuel (LRF) injected into the cylinder via a modified inlet manifold alongside air. The modified engine setup was tested for performance, emissions, and combustion under various load conditions, as well as different mass flow rates of acetylene gas, a low reactivity fuel that is injected with air. The flow field of the low reactivity fuel at the inlet manifold is analysed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics principle, which is used to determine the best flow rate for improving combustion quality. According to the simulation results, the optimal acetylene flow rate is 3 Litres Per Minute (LPM), and experimentation shows that at 3 LPM acetylene injection, the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) improves by about 3.2%, and emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), smoke intensity, and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are reduced by about 35%, 17%, 10%, and 21%, respectively.
Evaluating the performance of spherical, hemispherical, and tubular solar stills with various configurations - A detailed review
Authors: Jodah Faiz T , Alawee Wissam H , Dhahad Hayder A , Omara ZM
Published: July 2024

Solving global water shortages has become an urgent challenge, hindering sustainable development. Therefore, comparing different solar still designs from application and economic perspectives is necessary. Solar distillation is considered a major innovation in the alternative energy sector for purifying brackish or brine water into clean water. Despite the extensive literature on improved solar stills, determining the most efficient designs for residential and industrial applications remains difficult. This review compares the productivity of spherical, hemispherical, and tubular solar still designs. The aim is to study the factors that influence the efficiency of each type and to analyze recent research and results obtained under different conditions. The results show that innovations in solar distillation design can take many forms to improve efficiency and productivity. For example, adding parabolic mirrors can increase productivity in spherical, hemispherical, and tubular stills by 35 to 70%. Likewise, innovative designs such as rotating spheres and changing bowl shapes significantly increased the productivity of spherical and hemispherical stills. Likewise, retrofitting a still with vacuum generation technology can significantly increase yields by 50 to 70%. In addition, using nanomaterials, especially nanophase change materials (NPCM), has increased the efficiency of the spherical and tubular stills by 116.5%, producing 7.62 kg/m2 per day. Therefore, the NPCM-equipped model was still the most efficient option among the three designs.
Unveiling the dynamic nexuses between foreign investment, trade openness, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions in South Africa: A vector error correction model approach
Authors: Joshua Ampofo , Xusheng Qian , Emmanuel Baffour Gyau , Sakoane Khanyisa , Appiah Michael
Published: July 2024

Amidst the rising carbon emissions posing significant challenges for the global environment, there exists an inadequate recognition of the profound implications associated with foreign investment, trade openness, and energy consumption in South Africa. This study investigates the dynamic relationship among foreign investment, trade, energy, and the interactive effect of foreign investment and trade openness on environmental pollution in South Africa using time series data from 1990 to 2020. The results from the Johansen cointegration analysis and vector error correction model confirm a sustained long-term relationship among foreign investment, trade, energy, and CO2 emissions. This suggests that any deviations from CO2 emissions equilibrium would gradually self-adjust autonomously. This study reveals the long-run positive effects of trade openness and energy consumption on environmental pollution, while foreign investment exhibits a persistent negative impact on environmental pollution in the long run. Economic growth reduces CO2 emissions, while population growth and inflation are detrimental to the environment in the long run. The interaction between foreign investment and trade reduces environmental pollution in the short and long run. The Granger causality tests show a two-way causal relationship between population growth and CO2 emissions and a one-way causal connection among other variables, enlightening the linkage among these critical factors. The study offers several policy suggestions including environmentally friendly trade practices, investing in energy efficiency and transition, and promoting sustainable foreign investment in South Africa to achieve long-term economic sustainability while curbing environmental impact.