bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
12 tips for developing Physician Education
Authors: McCoy Kelly , Fore-Arcand Lisa
Published: January 2024

The education of a physician is a life-long process. Healthcare is a dynamic field characterized by continuous advancements in medicine, evolving treatment options, changing regulations, care models, and technology. Physicians must keep up-to-date with new practices, procedures, medications, and diseases and fulfill the educational requirements to maintain their medical licensure. Continuing education for physicians serves the essential purpose of nurturing lifelong learning, ensuring that medical practices align with the latest standards, and ultimately enhancing the quality of patient care and outcomes. In a broader context, physician education encompasses all activities designed to enhance skills, professional performance, and relationships that physicians employ to provide services to patients and the public and to improve collaborations within the field. This paper outlines a step-by-step plan for designing high-quality education programs for physicians. It aims to assist in ongoing education, aligning their practices with the latest medical care standards, and optimizing their clinical performance to improve patient and community health.
Thompson Sampling-Based Partially Observable Online Change Detection for Exponential Families
Authors: Guo Jie , Yan Hao , Zhang Chen
Published: January 2024

This paper proposes a holistic sequential change detection framework for partially observable high-dimensional data streams with exponential-family distributions. The framework first proposes a general composite decomposition for exponential-family distributed data by projecting its natural parameter onto normal bases and abnormal bases, which enables efficient inference for sparse changes. Then, the inference results are used for detection scheme construction, and different types of test statistics can be compacted in our framework. Last, by further designing the test statistic as the reward function in the combinatorial multi-armed bandit problem, a Thompson sampling-based sensor allocation strategy is constructed to select the most anomalous variables. Theoretical properties of the detection framework are discussed. Finally, examples of Gaussian, Poisson, and binomial distributed data streams are given in numerical studies and case studies to evaluate the performance of our proposed method.

History: Bianca Maria Colosimo served as the senior editor for this article.

Funding: C. Zhang is partially supported by the NSFC [Grants 71932006 and 72271138], the BNSF [Grant 9222014], and the ASFC [Grant 2020Z063058001]. H. Yan is partially supported by NIH [R21 AI157618] and NSF [CMMI 2316654].

Data Ethics & Reproducibility Note: No data ethics considerations are foreseen related to this paper. The code capsule is available on Code Ocean at https://codeocean.com/capsule/8794940/tree/v1 and in the e-Companion to this article (available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijds.2022.00011 ).
How Do Consumers Interact with Digital Expert Advice? Experimental Evidence from Health Insurance
Authors: Bundorf M. Kate , Polyakova Maria , Tai-Seale Ming
Published: January 2024

Consumers increasingly use digital advice when making purchasing decisions. How do such tools change consumer behavior and what types of consumers are likely to use them? We examine these questions with a randomized controlled trial of digital expert advice in the context of prescription drug insurance. The intervention we study was effective at changing consumer choices. We propose that, conceptually, expert advice can affect consumer choices through two distinct channels: by updating consumer beliefs about product features (learning) and by influencing how much consumers value product features (interpretation). Using our trial data to estimate a model of consumer demand, we find that both channels are quantitatively important. Digital expert advice tools not only provide consumers with information, but also alter how consumers value product features. For example, consumers are willing to pay 14% less for a plan with the most popular brand and 37% less for an extra star rating when they incorporate digital expert advice on plan choice relative to only having information about product features. Further, we document substantial selection into the use of digital advice on two margins. Consumers who are inherently less active shoppers and those who we predict would have responded to advice more were less likely to demand it. Our results raise concerns regarding the ability of digital advice to alter consumer preferences as well as the distributional implications of greater access to digital expert advice.

This paper was accepted by Stefan Scholtes, healthcare management.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging [Grant K01AG059843] and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute [Grant CDR-1306-03598]. The project also received financial support from Stanford Innovation Funds.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2020.02453 .
Comparing easywrap with six other adjustable wraps for compression therapy in venous and lymphatic disease by variation in pressure, stiffness and elasticity
Authors: Phillips Natalie , Wright Tom
Published: January 2024

Background:

There is no clear guidance or comprehensive comparative evidence to help clinicians select between adjustable wraps for compression therapy. However, adjustable wraps could be compared with three metrics used for compression bandages: variation in pressure, stiffness and elasticity.

Aims:

To determine whether easywrap (Haddenham Healthcare) had lower standard deviation (SD) in lying pressure, greater static stiffness index (SSI) and/or a greater mean elongation ratio than six other adjustable wraps.

Methods:

In this preliminary exploratory study, seven adjustable wraps were tested in vivo 20 times each (140 tests in total), on 20 people (with a variable number of readings per participant), to give the SD in lying pressure and mean SSI. The same wraps were tested in vitro five times each to give the mean elongation ratio.

Findings:

Of all seven adjustable wraps, easywrap had the second lowest SD in lying pressure at 5.9 mmHg, compared with 8.9 mmHg overall; the highest mean SSI at 13.2 mmHg, compared with 9.5 mmHg overall; and the highest mean elongation ratio at 137.0%, compared with 107.1% overall.

Conclusions:

These metrics suggest that easywrap has clinical advantages over other adjustable wraps. A lower variation in lying pressure suggests more consistent application of pressures within intended therapeutic levels. Higher SSI indicates greater resistance to stretching, which is linked to improved venous function and oedema reduction. Higher elongation ratio demonstrates greater tensile strength, which should maintain therapeutic pressure for longer without readjustment.
Transformations of the transverse Poynting vector distribution upon diffraction of a circularly polarized paraxial beam
Authors: Mokhun I. , Galushko Y. , Viktorovskaya Y. , Karabchyivskyi M. , Bekshaev A.
Published: January 2024

Usually, the structure of paraxial light beams is characterized by the intensity
associated with distribution of the longitudinal energy flow density
(Poynting momentum) across the transverse plane. In this work, special
attention is paid to the distribution of internal energy flows
described by the transverse Poynting momentum (TPM) components. This
approach discloses additional polarization-dependent features of the
vector beam transformations; in application to the edge diffraction of
a circularly polarized (CP) Gaussian beam, it reveals the
helicity-dependent asymmetry of the diffracted-field TPM profile
characterized by the shifts of the TPM singularity, maximum, etc.
These phenomena are confirmed experimentally and interpreted in terms
of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and spin Hall effect of light. In
contrast to the known SOI manifestations in the CP beams’ diffraction
originating from the small longitudinal component of a paraxial field,
the new TPM-related effects stem from the transverse field components
and are thus much higher in magnitude.
Improving the perception of low-light enhanced images
Authors: Vazquez-Corral Javier , Finlayson Graham D. , Herranz Luis
Published: January 2024

Improving images captured under low-light conditions has become an important topic in computational color imaging, as it has a wide range of applications. Most current methods are either based on handcrafted features or on end-to-end training of deep neural networks that mostly focus on minimizing some distortion metric —such as PSNR or SSIM— on a set of training images. However, the minimization of distortion metrics does not mean that the results are optimal in terms of perception (i.e. perceptual quality). As an example, the perception-distortion trade-off states that, close to the optimal results, improving distortion results in worsening perception. This means that current low-light image enhancement methods —that focus on distortion minimization— cannot be optimal in the sense of obtaining a good image in terms of perception errors. In this paper, we propose a post-processing approach in which, given the original low-light image and the result of a specific method, we are able to obtain a result that resembles as much as possible that of the original method, but, at the same time, giving an improvement in the perception of the final image. More in detail, our method follows the hypothesis that in order to minimally modify the perception of an input image, any modification should be a combination of a local change in the shading across a scene and a global change in illumination color. We demonstrate the ability of our method quantitatively using perceptual blind image metrics such as BRISQUE, NIQE, or UNIQUE, and through user preference tests.
Efficient intra-cavity frequency doubled, diode-pumped, Q-switched alexandrite laser directly emitting in the UV
Authors: Scheuer Sarah , Munk Alexander , Strotkamp Michael , Haefner Constantin Leon , Höffner Josef , Froh Jan
Published: January 2024

We present an intra-cavity frequency doubled Q-switched diode-pumped alexandrite ring-laser directly emitting in the UV at 386 nm. Using LBO as nonlinear crystal, the laser yields a pulse energy up to 3 mJ at 500 Hz with an excellent beam quality of M2 = 1.1. The pulse length is about 920 ns, allowing for very narrow bandwidth in single longitudinal mode operation. The optical-to-optical efficiency for the UV laser is > 9% and almost unchanged compared to the fundamental laser. First injection-seeding experiments show single longitudinal mode operation. The parameters of the laser are suitable for the use as an emitter in a multi-purpose atmospheric Doppler lidar system.
Trans-reflective tunable color filter using electro-optic material
Authors: Kanwal Ayesha , Rana Ahsan Sarwar , Noureen Sadia , Aljaloud Khaled A. , Alqahtani Ali H. , Hussain Rifaqat , Alomainy Akram , Mehmood Muhammad Qasim
Published: January 2024

This research presents designing a tunable trans-reflective color filter utilizing Barium Titanate (BTO) and optimizing its performance by applying an artificial intelligence (AI) based inverse design model. The AI-based color filter design process is efficient and minimizes design challenges. The AI model comprising two sub-blocks is trained using a dataset that correlates geometrical parameters, refractive index, and input voltage variations with desired color outputs to precisely control the color filter's performance. The first is the parametric optimization block (POB), which employs two deep neural networks (DNNs) in the forward and inverse directions to achieve the optimized geometry of the proposed meta-atoms. Once the optimal parameters are completed, the next block, i.e., voltage tuning block (VTB), is employed to map specific colors onto the refractive index and the applied voltage of the BTO layer. In this way, by changing the voltage of the BTO layer, we can leverage BTO's tunable optical properties, which allow for a broad range of vibrant and customizable colors. The optimized color filter demonstrates enhanced tunability and efficiency, opening up new possibilities for applications in displays and imaging devices.
Tuning exciton dynamics by the dielectric confinement effect in quasi-two-dimensional perovskites
Authors: Cui Minghuan , Qin Chaochao , Jiang Yuanzhi , Zhang Shichen , Sun Changjiu , Yuan Mingjian , Yang Yonggang , Liu Yufang
Published: January 2024

The dielectric confinement effect plays an essential role in optoelectronic devices. Existing studies on the relationship between the dielectric confinement and the photoelectric properties are inadequate. Herein, three organic spacers with different dielectric constants are employed to tune the exciton dynamics of quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite films. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that the small dielectric constant ligand enables a weak dynamic disorder and a large modulation depth of the coherent phonons, resulting in a more complete energy transfer and the inhibition of a trap-mediated nonradiative recombination. Additionally, the increase in the bulk-ligand dielectric constant reduces the corresponding exciton binding energy and then suppresses the Auger recombination, which is beneficial for high-luminance light-emitting diodes. This work emphasizes the importance of dielectric confinement for regulating the exciton dynamics of layered perovskites.
Heterogeneous tunable III-V-on-silicon-nitride mode-locked laser emitting wide optical spectra
Authors: Billet Maximilien , Cuyvers Stijn , Poelman Stijn , Hermans Artur , Seema Saseendra Sandeep , Nakamura Tasuku , Okamoto Shinya , Inada Yasuhisa , Hisada Kazuya , Hirasawa Taku , Ramirez Joan , Néel Delphine , Vaissière Nicolas , Decobert Jean , Soussan Philippe , Rottenberg Xavier , Roelkens Gunther , Kjellman Jon Ø. , Kuyken Bart
Published: January 2024

We demonstrate a III-V-on-silicon-nitride mode-locked laser through the heterogeneous integration of a semiconductor optical amplifier on a passive silicon-nitride cavity using the technique of micro-transfer printing. In the initial phase of our study, we focus on optimizing the lasing wavelength to be centered at 1550 nm. This optimization is achieved by conducting experiments with 27 mode-locked lasers, each incorporating optical amplifiers featuring distinct multiple-quantum-well photoluminescence values. Subsequently we present a comprehensive study investigating the behavior of the mode-locking regime when the electrical driving parameters are varied. Specifically, we explore the impact of the gain voltage and saturable absorber current on the locking stability of a tunable mode-locked laser. By manipulating these parameters, we demonstrate the precise control of the optical spectrum across a wide range of wavelengths spanning from 1530 to 1580 nm. Furthermore, we implement an optimization approach based on a Monte Carlo analysis aimed at enhancing the mode overlap within the gain region. This adjustment enables the achievement of a laser emitting a 23-nm-wide spectrum while maintaining a defined 10 dB bandwidth for a pulse repetition rate of 3 GHz.
Time-space multiplexed photonic-electronic digital multiplier
Authors: Zhang Wenkai , Wu Bo , Gu Wentao , Cheng Junwei , Zhou Hailong , Chen Liao , Dong Wenchan , Dong Jianji , Zhang Xinliang
Published: January 2024

Optical computing has shown immense application prospects in the post-Moore era. However, as a crucial component of logic computing, the digital multiplier can only be realized on a small scale in optics, restrained by the limited functionalities and inevitable loss of optical nonlinearity. In this paper, we propose a time-space multiplexed architecture to realize large-scale photonic-electronic digital multiplication. We experimentally demonstrate an 8×2-bit photonic-electronic digital multiplier, and the multiplication with a 32-bit number is further executed at 25 Mbit/s to demonstrate its extensibility and functionality. Moreover, the proposed architecture has the potential for on-chip implementation, and a feasible integration scheme is provided. We believe the time-space multiplexed photonic-electronic digital multiplier will open up a promising avenue for large-scale photonic digital computing.
Understanding transmission risk and predicting environmental suitability for Mayaro Virus in Central and South America
Authors: Celone Michael , Beeman Sean , Han Barbara A. , Potter Alexander M. , Pecor David B. , Okech Bernard , Pollett Simon
Published: January 2024

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is a mosquito-borne Alphavirus that is widespread in South America. MAYV infection often presents with non-specific febrile symptoms but may progress to debilitating chronic arthritis or arthralgia. Despite the pandemic threat of MAYV, its true distribution remains unknown. The objective of this study was to clarify the geographic distribution of MAYV using an established risk mapping framework. This consisted of generating evidence consensus scores for MAYV presence, modeling the potential distribution of MAYV in select countries across Central and South America, and estimating the population residing in areas suitable for MAYV transmission. We compiled a georeferenced compendium of MAYV occurrence in humans, animals, and arthropods. Based on an established evidence consensus framework, we integrated multiple information sources to assess the total evidence supporting ongoing transmission of MAYV within each country in our study region. We then developed high resolution maps of the disease’s estimated distribution using a boosted regression tree approach. Models were developed using nine climatic and environmental covariates that are related to the MAYV transmission cycle. Using the output of our boosted regression tree models, we estimated the total population living in regions suitable for MAYV transmission. The evidence consensus scores revealed high or very high evidence of MAYV transmission in several countries including Brazil (especially the states of Mato Grosso and Goiás), Venezuela, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and French Guiana. According to the boosted regression tree models, a substantial region of South America is suitable for MAYV transmission, including north and central Brazil, French Guiana, and Suriname. Some regions (e.g., Guyana) with only moderate evidence of known transmission were identified as highly suitable for MAYV. We estimate that approximately 58.9 million people (95% CI: 21.4–100.4) in Central and South America live in areas that may be suitable for MAYV transmission, including 46.2 million people (95% CI: 17.6–68.9) in Brazil. Our results may assist in prioritizing high-risk areas for vector control, human disease surveillance and ecological studies.
Water distribution pipe lifespans: Predicting when to repair the pipes in municipal water distribution networks using machine learning techniques
Authors: Farajzadeh Nacer , Sadeghzadeh Nima , Jokar Nastaran
Published: January 2024

Water is one of the essential matters that keeps living species alive; yet, the lifespan of pipes has two direct impacts on wasting water in very great amounts: pipe leakages and pipe bursts. Consequently, the proper detection of aged pipes in the water distribution networks has always been an issue in overcoming the problem. This makes water pipe monitoring an important duty of municipalities. Traditionally, leakages and bursts were only detected visually or through reports in local areas, leading municipalities to change the old pipes. Although this helps to fix the issue, a more desired way is to perhaps let officials know about the possibilities of such problems in advance by predicting which pipes are aged, so they can prevent the wastage. Therefore, to automate the detection process, in this study, we take the initial steps to predict the pipes needing repair in a particular area using machine learning methods. We first obtain a private dataset provided by the municipality of Saveh, Iran which outlines pipes that were damaged previously. We then train three machine learning algorithms to predict whether a set of pipes in an area is prone to damage. To achieve this, One-Class (OC) Classification methods such as OC-SVM, Isolation Forest, and Elliptic Envelope are used and they achieved the highest accuracy of 0.909. This study is of value since it requires zero additional devices (i.e., sensors).
Do credit unions contribute to financial inclusion and local economic development? Empirical evidence from Poland
Authors: Náñez Alonso Sergio Luis , Jorge-Vázquez Javier , Sastre-Hernández Beatriz , Ziębicki Bernard
Published: January 2024

Financial inclusion is currently on the political agenda of many governments and international institutions as an unavoidable objective of territorial cohesion and economic development programs. It is also central to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For their part, the role of credit unions as agents of local economic development and their commitment to the provision of financial services in regions subject to unfavorable demographic and economic stress has been verified by various studies. However, this article examines the contribution of credit unions to the processes of financial inclusion and economic development in Poland under a regional analysis approach. For this purpose, spatial analysis method is applied to a sample of 3,556 credit union bank branches representative of all Polish voivodeships to determine the distribution of these branches. Then, a model based on the research of Di Pietro (2016) and Coccorese and Shaffer (2018) is estimated to assess the impact of credit unions on the endogenous economic development of the territory. The obtained results suggest that credit unions have a significant influence on the local economic development of Polish voivodeships and contribute to the financial inclusion in these regions.
Social capital in cooperatives: A typology and their influence on performance
Authors: García-Pérez Ana M. , Román-Cervantes Cándido , González-Dávila Enrique , Yanes-Estévez Vanessa
Published: January 2024

One of the distinctive characteristics of cooperatives is their social capital. This article contributes to the literature by proposing a classification of cooperatives according to their social capital: internal social networks (relationships between their members, and between their members and their managers) and/or external social networks (relationships with customers, other cooperatives, institutions etc.).
The sample comprised managers from 50 agrifood cooperatives located in the Canary Islands (Spain) who answered a questionnaire designed on the basis of the existing literature. Descriptive statistics such as means and non-parametric test (Pearson's Chi-square test) were used to process the information.
The largest group of cooperatives developed strong internal and external social networks (i.e., a broad social network). The second group was the opposite: social networks were weak internally as well as externally (the so-called narrow social network). The results also showed that when cooperatives developed only one type of network, they focused on a strong internal network (asymmetric internal social network).
The only difference in the performance of cooperatives depending on their social network was observed in cooperatives with an asymmetric external social network. Such cooperatives had a better public image than their competitors.
Predicting bankruptcy using artificial intelligence: The case of the engineering industry
Authors: Letkovsky Stanislav , Jencova Sylvia , Vasanicova Petra , Gavura Stefan , Bacik Radovan
Published: January 2024

Bankruptcy prediction is a powerful early-warning tool and plays a crucial role in various aspects of financial and business management. It is vital for safeguarding investments, maintaining financial stability, making informed credit decisions, and contributing to the overall health of the economy. This paper aims to develop bankruptcy prediction models for the Slovak engineering industry and to compare their effectiveness. Predictions are generated using the classical logistic regression (LR) method as well as artificial intelligence (AI) techniques (artificial neural networks (ANN) and support vector machines (SVM)). Research sample consists of 825 businesses operating in the engineering industry (Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.; Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers; Manufacture of other transport equipment). The selection of eight financial indicators is grounded in prior research and existing literature. The results show high accuracy for all used methods. The SVM outcomes indicate a level of accuracy on the test set that is nearly indistinguishable from that of the ANN model. The use of AI techniques demonstrates their effective predictive capabilities and holds a significant position within the realm of tools for forecasting bankruptcy.
Innovation in the economies of Central and Eastern Europe – long-term benchmarking
Authors: Jonek-Kowalska Izabela
Published: January 2024

Innovation is an important determinant of development that is of particular importance in developing and emerging economies. For this reason, the aim of this research is to analyze innovation in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe from a long-term perspective, covering 2015-2022, and to classify the studied economies taking into account the dynamic approach to the development of innovation. The article uses data from the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), descriptive statistics, and cluster analysis as a method of unsupervised learning. The research results indicate the existence of five innovation development paths in the analyzed region: (1) very low average innovativeness, regressive or low rate of innovation change, very large distance to the EU average; (2) low average innovativeness, high pace of innovation changes, large distance to the EU average; (3) medium average innovation, low rate of innovation change, large distance to the EU average; (4) high average innovation, high rate of innovation change, small distance to the EU average; and (5) very high average innovation, low rate of innovation change, zero distance to the EU average.
Sulphur related Corrosion in Power Modules and its Impact on the Switching Performance
Authors: Hanf Michael , Schnell Raffael , Matthias Sven , Kaminski Nando
Published: January 2024

High power semiconductor modules, exposed to polluted (i.e. H2S) and moist climates can experience corrosion at the packaging materials. Sulphur and copper will form Cu2S-dendrites in the insulation trenches of the substrates, which are able to short the insulation distance. But, previous experiments pointed out, that modules with excessive dendrite growth are able to withstand high blocking voltages under DC-bias. While most IGBTs will operate under switching operation with fast transients, ohmic connections at insulation distances will change the situation tremendously. For this study, 1200 V silicon-IGBT-modules in a standard package were preconditioned in an accelerated corrosive gas test and will be operated in a switching test bench to verify corrosion related performance issues in active operation.
The Influence of Internal Control Quality on Corporate Financial Performance: An Empirical Analysis based on Panel Quantile Regression Model
Authors: Xu Meng , Loang Ooi Kok
Published: January 2024

This study delves into the relationship between internal control quality and the financial performance of Chinese-listed corporations. Employing a distinctive research approach featuring panel quantile regression, this study meticulously examines data spanning the period from 2011 to 2020, encompassing 953 Chinese-listed entities. The analysis, in comparison to conventional methods such as ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and fixed-effects models, consistently reveals a robust and statistically significant positive correlation between internal control quality and corporate financial performance. Notably, the findings of the panel quantile regression bring to the forefront a nuanced perspective, elucidating an enhancing effect of internal control quality on Return on Assets. Nevertheless, this effect diminishes as one ascends the quantile distribution, elucidating varying degrees of influence contingent upon the internal control quality spectrum. These findings underscore the pivotal role of effective internal control systems in augmenting financial performance, with implications for corporate governance. Furthermore, this research underscores the evolving nature of internal control frameworks, particularly in the context of digitalization, thus delineating an imperative area for prospective scholarly exploration.
Personal Persistence and Post-Mortem Survival
Authors: Baber Harriet E.
Published: January 2024

Can a materialist look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come? Dean Zimmerman’s Falling Elevator Model is a speculative account of how persons, understood as material beings, might survive in a post-mortem resurrected state—a just-so story. It assumes endurantism, the doctrine that persons and other ordinary objects are three-dimensional beings which are wholly present at every time they exist. I argue that neither endurantism, nor purdurantism, according to which persons are four-dimensional ‘worms’ who have proper temporal parts at every time that they exist, provides a plausible account of personal survival. If you want to be a Christian materialist you should embrace exdurantism, the ‘stage theory’, according which persons are instantaneous stages and are not identical to their temporal successors either in this world or in any world to come. Exdurantism provides a plausible account of survival in ordinary cases and extraordinary cases of this-worldly fission, and of post-mortem survival.
Understanding Written Teacher Feedback in L2 Writing in Higher Education: Perceptions, Emotions and Practices of Pre-service English Language Teachers
Authors: KAYA Fatma
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to explore pre-service English language teacher’s performance in revising their writing assignments based on written teacher feedback. Moreover, the participants’ perceptions and emotions were investigated in addition to their writing self-efficacy levels. A total of 15 pre-service teachers took part in the study. Data were collected through teacher written feedback, students’ drafts, an open-ended survey and a semi-structured interview with the participants. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis tools were employed in the study. Quantitative data analysis results revealed that the participants were more successful in revising direct teacher feedback compared to indirect teacher feedback, and there was not a positive correlation between the participants’ feedback revision success and self-efficacy levels. The results of qualitative data analysis showed that the pre-service teachers were in favor of written teacher feedback and considered it a necessity for the L2 writing class. Moreover, they opted for indirect feedback and feedback on all errors. Finally, they experienced both positive and negative emotions although negative emotions were more prevalent.
Analysis of Music Literacy Levels of Primary Teachers
Authors: VAPUR Haşim , ŞEN Yavuz
Published: January 2024

The aim of this study is to examine the music literacy levels of primary teachers. In line with this objective, it is considered that assessing the music literacy levels of primary teachers according to diverse factors is crucial for enhancing the quality of the education provided. The study employed the relational survey model, which is one of the non-experimental quantitative research methods. The research sample consisted of 337 primary teachers who work in the urban and rural areas of Ağrı, Ardahan, Iğdır, and Kars provinces, located in the Eastern Anatolia region. Data were collected through the “Music Literacy Scale to Preschool and Elementary School Education Department” and a personal information form. The results showed that the music literacy of primary teachers was at an intermediate level. Demographically, the variables of gender, employment province, and the number of semesters involving music education in their undergraduate studies did not make a statistically significant difference. However, the variables of age, seniority, adequacy of music education received in the undergraduate period, having extracurricular music education beyond the undergraduate study, and receiving a music certificate during or after the undergraduate study made significant differences.
Preparation of PVDF/PVA composite films with micropatterned structures on light-cured 3D printed molds for hydrophilic modification of PVDF
Authors: Li Shengkai , Jin Zhengyang , Chen Yutong , Shan Changpeng , Xu Yan
Published: January 2024

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is widely used in biotechnology due to its excellent biocompatibility, high temperature and pressure resistance, and outstanding mechanical properties. However, the hydrophobic nature of PVDF surface hinders the attachment of biological proteins. In order to enhance the wettability of PVDF surfaces, this study prepared composite films by blending PVDF with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and micro-patterned structures were fabricated on the material surface using a mold-replication method based on digital light processing (DLP) photopolymerization printing technology. A series of characterization techniques including surface morphology analysis, chemical composition analysis, and wettability testing were employed. The surface morphology analysis results indicated that the method of using DLP photopolymerization technology to print mold replicas and create micro-patterned structures was indeed effective in creating micro-patterned structures on both PVDF and PVDF/PVA composite films. The chemical composition analysis showed that the spin-coating of PVDF powder material resulted in PVDF β-phase crystalline structure, which has a positive effect on cell growth. Furthermore, the introduction of hydrophilic groups was achieved by mixing PVDF with PVA. Wetting test results indicate that the incorporation of the hydrophilic material PVA and micro-patterned surfaces both contribute to the improved hydrophilicity of the material. The water contact angle of the micro-patterned PVDF/PVA composite film reached 30.8°, exhibiting excellent hydrophilic properties. This study achieved the optimization of PVDF surface properties through micro-patterned surface modification and material composition design, providing novel insights for the further development of PVDF materials in the field of biotechnology.
Oscillatory nonlinear thermal instability in nanoliquid under gravity modulation within Hele-Shaw cell
Authors: Kiran Palle
Published: January 2024

The effect of gravity-field modulation is investigated in a nano liquid-confined Hele-Shaw cell. This study aims to finish the work described in (S. N. Rai, B. S. Bhadauria, K. Anish, and B. K. Singh, “Thermal instability in nanoliquid under four types of magnetic-field modulation within Hele-Shaw cell,” Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, vol. 145, no. 7, p. 072501, 2023) for oscillatory convection. The existence of the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation (CGLE) model is constrained by the requirement ω
2 > 0. The magnetic fluxes in the Hele-shaw cell are governed by CGLE with g-jitter. The quantity of heat-mass transfer is examined in the presence of a g-jitter. In addition, the findings of our research on transport analysis indicate that oscillatory mode is preferable to stationary mode. It is also found that the gravity-driven Hele-Shaw layer has lower transport properties. Further, the transport analysis is compared to previous research and shown to have improved results.
Sirolimus potentiated angioedema: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Beaini Hadi , Bjorkman Carol , Johnson Kelly , Araj Faris G.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

In the realm of organ transplantation, particularly heart transplantation, angioedema presents a significant challenge. This clinical condition ranges from minor facial edema to life-threatening swelling of vital structures. Its multifactorial etiology involves various factors and mechanisms, including C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency, food allergen hypersensitivity, and adverse drug reactions, notably involving angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTOR-Is). We present a rare case of sirolimus potentiated angioedema in a patient with long-standing ACE inhibitor therapy.

Case

A 52-year-old male with a history of heart transplant developed severe upper and lower lip edema. The patient had been on Lisinopril without any adverse events. However, sirolimus was recently added to his drug regimen. Sirolimus potentiated angioedema was suspected.

Intervention

Intravenous methylprednisolone, famotidine, and diphenhydramine were initiated, and both lisinopril and sirolimus were discontinued. The patient showed improvement and was discharged with oral antihistamines.

Lessons

Transplant physicians should be aware of the life-threatening interaction between ACE inhibitors and mTOR-Is like sirolimus. Consideration should be given to switching from an ACE inhibitor to an angiotensin-receptor blocker when initiating patients on mTOR-Is.
Avoiding Burnout with Compassionate Accompaniment: A Novel Approach to Training, Selecting, Managing, and Regulating Frontline Workers
Authors: Oelberger Carrie
Published: January 2024

A significant amount of nonprofit work happens on the “frontlines”—interacting directly with clients and developing relationships with them in unpredictable and complex social service settings. As a result, frontline work tends to result in high degrees of burnout among staff, manifesting in emotional exhaustion and cynicism towards clients, as well as poor health for workers and ongoing turnover for organizations. How do frontline workers avoid burnout and attrition while doing effective work with clients? Informed by an inductive qualitative research study of frontline workers across 10 social service organizations, this policy brief first presents two approaches to frontline work that I witnessed, both of which have negative impacts on staff and clients. These approaches align with extant scholarship on street-level bureaucracy. I then present a third approach, drawing from a practice of compassionate accompaniment I observed in my research, and which avoids the commonplace negative outcomes. This approach aligns with literature from liberation theology, as well as abolitionist organizing, decolonizing approaches, and feminist theory. Inspired by the practice of compassionate accompaniment, I propose four policy suggestions involving novel processes of training, selecting, managing, and regulating frontline workers to reduce staff burnout and increase their effectiveness with clients.
Inequality or insecurity? The case of pre-colonial farming communities in southern Africa
Authors: Siteleki Mncedisi J. , Fredriksen Per Ditlef
Published: January 2024

Comparative studies of inequality based on archaeological data rely on universal notions of status or prestige that are not always meaningful across diverse cultural contexts. Here, the authors evaluate three broadly contemporaneous urban communities (Marothodi, Molokwane and Kaditshwene) in the southern African interior in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries AD. The study combines a statistical measure of inequality, the Gini coefficient, with insights from the rich ethnohistorical archives of African knowledge systems. The results suggest markedly different levels of inequality, but contextualisation points to divergent social strategies for settlement organisation and for managing sociopolitical insecurity. The findings raise important questions about cross-cultural indices of social inequality.
Characterization of undoped and doped CdS nano-thin films by ZnO for photocatalytic application
Authors:   College of Environmental Sciences Al- Qasim Green University, Babylon, Iraq, Thame A. , Mohamed S. ,   College of materials engineering, University of Babylon, Iraq
Published: January 2024

Using Sol-gel technology, nanocomposite CdS: ZnO thin films with an equal molar ratio of 0.5 M on a glass substrate for water decontamination purposes. The ZnO doping ratios were (0, 1, 3, 5) vol. The ultrastructural, morphological, and optical properties of the prepared thin films were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-vis spectra. The results indicated that the prepared nanostructured CdS: ZnO thin films contain uniformly spaced crystalline grains of both CdS and ZnO. The ZnO-doped selection ratio and uniform grain distribution produced outstanding photocatalytic and photocatalytic performance. With a red shift in the optical band gap of CdS, the UV-Vis transmittance spectrum of the nanocomposite shows behavior that extends almost uniformly throughout the entire UV-visible region according to the near-band edge emissions of CdS and CdS: ZnO, respectively. Last but not least, the photocatalytic activity of the photodegradation of methylene blue dye was investigated and the results indicated an enhanced efficiency of approximately 87% in 60 min, much higher than that of pristine CdS: ZnO as well as CdS.
Characterization of Bi substitution of strontium cobalt zinc ferrites synthesized by micro-emulsion technique
Authors:   Department of physics, GC University Faisalabad, Rasool G. , Shifa M. S. ,   Institute of Physics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Asghar H. M. N. H. K. ,   Department of Physics, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering & Management Sciences, Quetta 87300, Pakistan, Gilani Z. A. ,   Department of Physics, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering & Management Sciences, Quetta 87300, Pakistan, Javid A. ,   Institute of Physics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Alam M. M. ,   Institute of Physics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Ali S. M. ,   Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, P.O. BOX 2455, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia, Shar M. A. ,   Department of Mechanical & Energy Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Informatics, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, United Kingdom, Abdo H. S. ,   Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Published: January 2024

Strontium cobalt zinc bismuth ferrites with formula are provided in this study using formula Sr0.5Co0.4Zn0.4BixFe2-xO4 at different variation of x= 0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 synthesized by Micro-emulsion techniques. To check the physical characteristics of this series (Sr0.5Co0.4Zn0.4BixFe2-xO4) of nano-ferrites using FTIR (Fourier Transformation of infrared spectroscopy), UV-visible, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. SEM and XRD analysis were used to examine the structure and morphology of manufactured nano-ferrites. The spectra of XRD demonstrated the production of a single-phase cubic spinel ferrite structure in the nanometer size range with no minor phase. When extending metal-oxygen bonds at tetrahedral and octahedral sites, FTIR analysis showed two bands centered at 592 and 410 cm-1 . Using ultraviolet-DRS, we determined that band-gap range for the synthesised magnetic materials was between 2.42 and 2.32 eV.
Manufacture spectral responsivity of n-Fe2O3/p-Si heterojunction with effect Cl doping for high sensitive devices
Authors:   Department of physics, College of Education for Pure Science (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, Hassun H. K. , Al-Maiyaly B. K. H. ,   Department of physics, College of Education for Pure Science (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, Hussein B. H. ,   Department of physics, College of Education for Pure Science (Ibn Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq, Moussa Y. K. H. ,   Remote Sensing & GIS Department, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
Published: January 2024

Visible-light photodetectors constructed Fe2O3 were manufactured effectively concluded chemical precipitation technique, films deposited on glass substrate and Si wafer below diverse dopant (0,2,4,6)% of Cl, enhancement in intensity with X-ray diffraction analysis was showed through favored orientation along the (110) plane, the optical measurement presented direct allowed with reduced band gap energies thru variation doping ratio , current–voltage characteristics Fe2O3 /p-Si heterojunction revealed respectable correcting performance in dark, amplified by way of intensity of incident light, moreover good photodetector properties with enhancement in responsivity occurred at wavelength between 400 nm and 470 nm.
Colossal permittivity, impedance analysis and electric properties in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs
Authors:   Department of Transport Technology and Engineering, Higher Institute of Transport and Logistics, University of Sousse, Tunis, Mosbahi H. , Essaoudi A. ,   Laboratory of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia, Gorji N. E. ,   Mechatronic Engineering, Technological University Dublin, Dublin 15, Ireland, Gassoumi A. ,   Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia, Almohammedi A. ,   Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah, 42351, Saudi Arabia, Helali A. ,   Laboratory of Micro-Optoelectronics and Nanostructures (LMON), University of Monastir, Avenue of the Environment, 5019 Monastir, Tunisia, Gassoumi M. ,   Laboratory of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia
Published: January 2024

The electric and dielectric processes of AlGaN/GaN/Si HEMTs produced by molecular beam epitaxy were examined utilizing direct current-voltage, impedance spectroscopy, and DLTS measurements. Using current-voltage measurements, the DC electrical characteristics of AlGaN/GaN/Si HEMTs revealed the self-heating effect. The relaxation dynamics of charge carriers appear to be studied by the conductance mechanism and electric modulus formalisms. Behavior that is frequency dependent has been observed in impedance spectroscopy. Last but not least, DLTS data have demonstrated the existence of electron traps. The prevalence of parasitic effects and conduction mechanisms are remarkably correlated with deep levels.
First-principle study on the optical properties of TiO2 doped with different Lu contents
Authors:   College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing 408100, PR China, Luo J. H. , Xiang L. J. ,   School of Mechatronic Engineering, Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, Guangzhou 510665, PR China, Chen L. S. ,   College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing 408100, PR China, Li Y. ,   College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing 408100, PR China
Published: January 2024

Compared to pure TiO2, Lu-doped TiO2 shows enhanced photocatalytic performance in the visible light range. In order to investigate the influence of Lu doping contents on optical properties of Lu-doped TiO2, we conducted first-principle on TiO2 with different contents of Lu doping. The results indicate that as the contents of Lu increases, the band gap of Lu-doped TiO2 gradually decreases. Within the visible light range, Lu-doped TiO2 exhibits an expanded absorption band ranging from 450 nm to 600 nm. Furthermore, when the Lu contents reaches 9.09 at%, the absorption intensity shows a higher value between 700 nm and 800 nm. Lu-doped TiO2 demonstrates a low reflectance in the visible light region, with the maximum reflectance occurring in the infrared region at approximately 65%. The calculated dielectric constant results suggest that the probability of electronic absorption of photons in Lu-doped TiO2 initially decreases and then increases with an increase in Lu contents.