Thermal-mechanical analysis of a power module with parametric model order reduction

This paper presents parametric model order reduction (pMOR) by the Lagrange approach of matrix interpolation for the thermal-mechanical and reliability study of a power electronics module (PEM) with nonlinear behaviours. Most pre-vious research in model order reduction (MOR) studies reports thermal-mechanical simulations using a sequentially coupled method. In this research, a direct-coupled thermal-mechanical analysis, which simultaneously solves the thermal and structural governing equations, has been used to obtain thermal and defor-mation results. Furthermore, for pMOR, the linear approach of matrix interpolation is limited to linear changes between sampled-parametric points. Hence, a new way of interpolating system matrices using the Lagrange interpolation method has been adopted to implement the matrix interpolation efficiently. The parametric reduced-order model (pROM) solution by the Lagrange approach of matrix interpolation agrees well with the full-order model (FOM) and takes similar computational time as the linear (bi-linear) approach of matrix interpolation. pROM simulations offer up to 85.5 % reduction in computational time

Neo-Victorian poetry

A. S. Byatt’s 1991 novel, Possession, positions “Victorian” poetry at the centre of text and often drives plot in neo-Victorian literature. However, it is extremely rare to see articles focusing on poetry in books and journals dedicated to neo-Victorian studies. This chapter seeks to redress this, offering an overview of the most significant interventions in neo-Victorian poetry, before focusing specifically on poems addressing the pre-eminent Victorian poet, Alfred Tennyson. It considers poets such as Anthony Thwaite, Carol Ann Duffy, Margaret Atwood, Richard Howard, Daljit Nagra, Ruth Padel, Susana Gardner, Andrew Motion, Mick Imlah, Rosie Miles, John Seed, and Oliver Reynolds, all having produced poems and collections which can be considered neo-Victorian in their form (very often the quintessentially Victorian dramatic monologue) and focus (often about eminent or forgotten, Victorians, and sometimes as direct Possession responses to Victorian poems). Morton offers a case study of the varied ways in which poets have returned to address, challenge, and (less often) celebrate Alfred Tennyson and his works, in order to demonstrate a sustained trend in neo-Victorian poetry of hostility to “eminent Victorians” while acknowledging, in a much less iconoclastic fashion, the enduring force of his work

The built environment’s contribution to the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals

It is now more than six years since the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed to be achieved by all member countries by 2030. While the deadline is approaching fast, still much of the counties are not on track to achieve these goals by the set deadline. This is further supplemented by COVID with a negative impact on the progress on these goals worldwide, but the progress of developing countries was particularly derailed. The aim of this chapter is therefore to explore the progress of UN SDGs in developing countries with a specific reference to the contribution of built environment. The discussion reveals that Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth), Goal 9 (industry innovation and infrastructure), Goal 11 (sustainable cited and communities), and Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) are the key goals where most of the developing countries are facing major challenges. At the same, these are goals where the built environment can play a vital role in their progress and achievement. Finally, the chapter provides an insight of several aspects of built environment sector which can excel the progress these and other SDGs in the context of developing countries – establishing a great contribution of built environment on the progress of SDGs

The association of total pulses with the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment-resistant major depression: A dose-response meta-analysis

Aim This study aimed to examine dose-effects of total pulses on improvement of depressive symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) receiving repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Materials and methods The MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrial.gov databases were systematically searched. We included randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (RCT) that used rTMS over left DLPFC in patients with TRD. Excluded studies were non-TRD, non-RCTs, or combined other brain stimulation interventions. The outcome of interest was the difference between rTMS arms and sham controls in improvement of depressive symptoms in a dose-response manner. A random-effects meta-analysis and dose-response meta-analysis(DRMA) was used to examine antidepressant efficacy of rTMS and association with total pulses. Results We found that rTMS over left DLPFC is superior to sham controls (reported as standardized mean difference[SMD] with 95% confidence interval: 0.77; 0.56–0.98). The best-fitting model of DRMA was bell-shaped (estimated using restricted cubic spline model; R2 =0.42), indicating that higher doses (>26,660 total pulses) were not associated with increased improvement of depressive symptoms. Stimulation frequency(R2 =0.53) and age(R2 =0.51) were significant moderators for the dose-response curve. Furthermore, 15–20 Hz rTMS was superior to 10 Hz rTMS (0.61, 0.15–1.10) when combining all doses. Conclusions Our findings suggest higher doses(total pulses) of rTMS were not always associated with increased improvement of depressive symptoms in patients with TRD, and that the dose-response relationship was moderated by stimulation frequency and age. These associations emphasize the importance of determining dosing parameters to achieve maximum efficacy

Aquaponics nomenclature matters: it is about principles and technologies and not as much about coupling

The food production system ‘aquaponics’ has moved a long way from its inceptions in the 1970s and 1980s. This paper suggests that it is the principle of aquaponics that should define what aquaponics is and then the rest follows according to systems and technologies. This paper supports the Palm et al. (Aquac Int. 2018;26(3):813–42) position of having a nutrient supply threshold (>50%) from the feed via the aquatic organisms to the plants. We test the most recent alternative definitions (e.g. Baganz et al. Rev Aquac. 2021;14:252–64) that overcomplicate existing definitions and nomenclature. Any new definition needs to be referential to existing terms and prop- erly tested. This paper does exactly that, concluding that several recent changes by Baganz et al. (Rev Aquac. 2021;14:252–64) are not needed. We also debate that the key principle behind aquaponics is ‘all about coupling’. Whilst coupling is an important aspect, existing technologies and those that will emerge are far more complex. Finally, this paper highlights the idiosyncrasies in the term aquaponics and we sug- gest an alternative term ‘aquaorganoponics’, which in essence better describes the principles of aquaponics (s.s.) which transfers natural organic compounds combined with microbes in water from the aquaculture unit to the plants

Building rural public cultural spaces for enhanced well-being: evidence from China

Rural public cultural spaces are important living environments that improve resident well-being. According to space theory, this research explored the core dimensions of rural public cultural spaces, and analyzed the relationship between these spaces and resident well-being through a case study. The moderation of place attachment and mediation of space openness between rural public cultural space on resident well-being was tested based on a survey of 1,755 residents in Foshan, Guangdong, China. The results showed that physical, power and meaningful spaces were the three core dimensions of rural public cultural spaces. Rural public cultural spaces positively impacted resident well-being. Furthermore, the effects of public cultural spaces on resident well-being were mediated by place attachment and strengthened by space openness. These research findings not only provide new insights on enhancing resident well-being during the transformation period of China, but also enrich the theoretical perspectives on rural public space production

A multilab replication of the induced-compliance paradigm of cognitive dissonance

According to cognitive-dissonance theory, performing counter-attitudinal behavior produces a state of dissonance that people are motivated to resolve, usually by changing their attitude to be in line with their behavior. One of the most popular experimental paradigms used to produce such attitude change is the induced-compliance paradigm. Despite its popularity, the replication crisis in social psychology and other fields, as well as methodological limitations associated with the paradigm, raise concerns about the robustness of classic studies in this literature. We therefore conducted a multilab constructive replication of the induced-compliance paradigm based on Croyle and Cooper (Experiment 1). In a total of 39 labs from 19 countries and 14 languages, participants (N = 4,898) were assigned to one of three conditions: writing a counter-attitudinal essay under high choice, writing a counter-attitudinal essay under low choice, or writing a neutral essay under high choice. The primary analyses failed to support the core hypothesis: No significant difference in attitude was observed after writing a counter-attitudinal essay under high choice compared with low choice. However, we did observe a significant difference in attitude after writing a counter-attitudinal essay compared with writing a neutral essay. Secondary analyses revealed the pattern of results to be robust to data exclusions, lab variability, and attitude assessment. Additional exploratory analyses were conducted to test predictions from cognitive-dissonance theory. Overall, the results call into question whether the induced-compliance paradigm provides robust evidence for cognitive dissonance

City branding and sustainable urban development

City destination branding is "the steps city destination management organisations take to develop and communicate particular identities and personalities for city tourism that are different from those of all competitors” (Morrison and Maxim, 2022, p. 139). What is the relationship between city destination branding and sustainable urban development? In this chapter, the authors argue that it is when particular cities use sustainability or stewardship as part of their expressions of identity and personality. They want visitors and residents to associate them with sustainability. Several examples of countries that feature sustainability in destination branding include New Zealand, Costa Rica, Bhutan, Dominica, and Slovenia. However, more attention should be given to combining sustainability and branding at a city level, particularly in the context of smart cities and smart tourism destinations (Coca-Stefaniak, 2019; Huertas et al., 2021), although many urban areas are heavily engaged with sustainable development. Insch (2011) also noted limited research on green destination marketing and branding, and this chapter addresses these gaps in the literature. The main aim of this chapter was to explore the relationship between sustainable urban development and city destination branding. The specific objectives were to: 1. Compare place branding, city branding, and destination branding 2. Discuss green destination branding 3. Review the relationship between city destination branding and sustainable urban development 4. Analyse sustainable tourism city branding cases and derive indicators and actions for sustainable branding strategies 5. Describe a new paradigm for city destination brandin

Musa species variation, production, and the application of its processed flour: a review

Banana (Musa spp.), an evergreen perennial crop belonging to the Musaceae family, is one of the world’s most important tropical and subtropical fruits. It is characterized by a wide variation in production, composition, and usefulness due largely to the cultivar, planting method, climate, as well as the availability of nutrients. Bananas are a rich source of essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, vitamins such as vitamins A, B6, B12, and C, and phytochemicals such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, tetrapenoids and catecholamines. The Cavendish group including cultivars like Grand Nain, Williams, Chinese, and Valery, is preferred over other cultivars due to a high yield potential and marketability both in the domestic and international markets. However, incomplete identification of cultivars used in producing flour, developing innovative products as well as postharvest losses, are key issues hindering the expansion of banana production. Identification of suitable cultivars and determining the applicable maturity stage of unripe banana is thus crucial for various food and industrial applications. This review therefore provides information on the taxonomy of bananas, their diverse cultivars, and elaborates on the composition of unripe banana flour required in various food applications

Pathophysiology of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disease that occurs during pregnancy in 3 to 8% of pregnancies worldwide. This disease causes significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. This article attempts to understand the pathophysiological mechanism of preeclampsia, which appears to result from a complex interaction between maternal and fetal factors and affects multiple organ systems. A central role in pre-eclampsia appears to be abnormal placentation with subsequent excess of anti-angiogenic factors and malabsorption. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathophysiology of preeclampsia to better understand the disease, more appropriate treatment, and reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality