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

Building data driven culture for digital competitiveness in construction industry: a theoretical exploration

Despite studies related to big data in construction is growing, most of them have focused more on data application and less on the social element of the big data technology (e.g., data culture). This study aims to explore the key elements of data culture practices, towards providing a deeper insight into how they could drive digital competitiveness in the industry. A total of 136 papers related to big data in construction published in peer-reviewed journals were reviewed and analysed using the well-established systematic literature review (SLR) methodology. The findings indicate that four key drivers of data: data analytics, data literacy, data democratization and data leadership are critical for organisation’s competitiveness in digital environment. A framework for data driven culture is proposed consisting of five elements: culture of production, culture of use, cultivation of data, datafication and data infrastructure. As cultural shifts are complicated endeavors, exploring the key elements on what it takes to drive the data culture in construction is necessary for the development of an effective digital ecosystem of the organisation. This study extends the digital literature in the construction context by providing deeper insights into the conceptualisation of data driven culture

Deregulating the volume limit on share repurchases

We empirically advocate for UK regulators to increase the volume limit of 15% outstanding shares on open market repurchases. Our main framework initially tests the determinants of share repurchases based on their size, Small, Medium and Large. The findings reveal that consistent with extant literature, the payout is primarily determined by its capability of distributing excess cash to shareholders and signaling undervaluation. We then check the viability of increasing the volume limit by testing new levels at 2.50% increments, up to 30%. The results indicate that any increase does not broadly change the determinants’ relationship with the payout, rather increased efficiency is realized at every interval, with the 20% and 30% levels being the most favorable

Maintenance resources optimization using Pareto analysis: instrumentation air compressor in Oredo, Nigeria

Managing resource allocation for optimum effectiveness at various levels of maintenance activities is always a challenging task. Optimizing maintenance resources enables an organization to set priorities towards achieving certain goals which are availability and reliability of the equipment for operational excellence. The purpose of this analysis is to determine the optimum resources allocation proportions among the failure modes and to identify the failure modes that have the greatest cumulative effect on the equipment’s downtime. This paper presents a methodology using the Pareto analysis in conjunction with failure mode effect and criticality analysis in maintenance resources optimization. The approach is based on ensuring all failure mode criticality number are considered to obtain the significant failures mode that you should focus on as a priority. The analysis shows that failure mode; FM5, FM 3, FM 2, FM 12, FM 7 and FM 13 are confirmation to the Pareto principle, identifying that most of the downtime of the Instrumentation Air Compressors originated from these failure modes

Cost-utility analysis of transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural therapy for people with persistent physical symptoms in contact with specialist services evaluated in the PRINCE secondary trial

Objective: To compare the cost-utility of transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural therapy (TDT-CBT) plus standardised medical care (SMC) to SMC alone to support people with persistent physical symptoms in contact with specialist services. Methods: This study compared the cost-utility of TDT-CBT. A two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted in secondary care settings. Participants received either TDT-CBT+SMC or SMC alone. Measures were taken at baseline and at 9-, 20-, 40-, and 52-week follow-up. Service use was measured, and costs calculated. Costs were combined with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) based on the EQ-5D-5L using incremental cost-utility ratios with uncertainty addressed using cost-effectiveness planes and acceptability curves. Results: The costs during the follow-up period were £3473 for TDT-CBT+SMC and £3104 for SMC alone. The incremental cost for TDT-CBT+SMC adjusting for baseline was £482 (95% CI, -£399 to £1233). QALYs over the follow-up were 0.578 for TDT-CBT+SMC and 0.542 for SMC alone. The incremental QALY was 0.038 (95% CI, -0.005 to 0.080). The incremental cost per QALY was £12,684 for TDT-CBT+SMC. There was a 68.3% likelihood that TDT-CBT+SMC was the most cost-effective option at a threshold of £20,000 per QALY. Conclusion: Adding TDT-CTB to SMC results in slightly increased costs and slightly better outcomes in terms of QALYs. This represents a cost-effective option based on the conventional QALY threshold value

The impact of interprofessional student training initiatives in older adults’ care home settings: a scoping review

Interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives, where students from multiple professions learn from, with and about each other, have been implemented in various care environments. However, no reviews have examined the impact they have in older adult’s care home settings, despite their potential to enhance care quality. This review scopes out the available and comparable evidence reporting on the impact and structure of IPE initiatives based in the care home sector. The review aims to report countries and settings where IPE research is conducted in care homes, characterise these IPE programs (length, type, and activities), determine the professional groups involved, and assess the impact of IPE on students, residents, and care home staff. The search was limited to articles published in English from January 2010 to July 2023. Key databases and gray literature were searched, resulting in the inclusion of 10 studies. A draft charting table was developed to record key characteristics of the included studies. Thematic analysis resulted in the construction of four themes: knowledge, skills, personal development, and models for future delivery. Literature demonstrates the benefits of IPE initiatives in older adult’s care home settings, though it mainly focuses on student learning and development. Few studies examine the impacts of IPE on staff or residents, and there is limited emphasis on IPE in UK care homes. Further research is also needed to understand its longer-term implications in this context

Comparative genomics and transcriptomics reveal differences in effector complement and expression between races of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lactucae

This study presents the first genome and transcriptome analyses for Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (Fola) which causes Fusarium wilt disease of lettuce. Long-read genome sequencing of three race 1 (Fola1) and three race 4 (Fola4) isolates revealed key differences in putative effector complement between races and with other F. oxysporum ff. spp. following mimp-based bioinformatic analyses. Notably, homologues of Secreted in Xylem (SIX) genes, also present in many other F. oxysporum ff. spp, were identified in Fola, with both SIX9 and SIX14 (multiple copies with sequence variants) present in both Fola1 and Fola4. All Fola4 isolates also contained an additional single copy of SIX8. RNAseq of lettuce following infection with Fola1 and Fola4 isolates identified highly expressed effectors, some of which were homologues of those reported in other F. oxysporum ff. spp. including several in F. oxysporum f. sp. apii. Although SIX8, SIX9 and SIX14 were all highly expressed in Fola4, of the two SIX genes present in Fola1, only SIX9 was expressed as further analysis revealed that SIX14 gene copies were disrupted by insertion of a transposable element. Two variants of Fola4 were also identified based on different genome and effector-based analyses. This included two different SIX8 sequence variants which were divergently transcribed from a shared promoter with either PSE1 or PSL1 respectively. In addition, there was evidence of two independent instances of HCT in the different Fola4 variants. The involvement of helitrons in Fola genome rearrangement and gene expression is discussed

STEM Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Is there a future?

No abstract available

El pensamiento planetario de Nietzsche en Asi hablo Zarathustra

Afirmar nuestra responsabilidad hacia la tierra es el corazón de la instrucción del famoso libro Así habló Zaratustra. Para Nietzsche, la responsabilidad clave de las futuras generaciones de filósofos es cuidar la tierra y parte de esta ética del cuidado es la idea de que tenemos que devolver al ser humano a la naturalidad y reconectarnos con otra vida que no es humana. Este artículo intentará conectar los desarrollos recientes en las humanidades y las ciencias sociales, el "giro vegetal" y el "giro planetario", y relacionar ambos desarrollos con la cuestión candente de cómo deberíamos habitar este planeta ahora que nuestra propia actividad está creando. habitable para tantos miembros de la comunidad de vida. Nos preguntamos qué nos podía enseñar la filosofía de Nietzsche, y su libro Así hablaba con Zaratustra de tiernos puentes entre mundos y de reconectar al ser humano con la vida terrestre y planetaria. El objetivo de mi artículo es extraer lo que llamo el pensamiento planetario de Así hablo Zaratustra a través de tres ideas claves del libro: 1. la idea del ser humano en tanta tensión entre lo animal y lo sobrehumano; 2. la idea del filósofo en tal árbol, y más concretamente la imagen de Zaratustra como una clavija; y 3. la idea de la virtud que regala. Pensar en el humano como una cuerda, en el filósofo como una planta y la virtud que le otorga proporciona formas de reconsiderar nuestra relación con los demás, incluso cuando ese otro no es humano, lo cual es muy relevante hoy en una época de colapso ambiental. Estas tres ideas o imágenes ofrecen pistas para entender a Nietzsche como un pensador planetario que entiende la vida humana como arraigada en la tierra y al mismo tiempo conectada con la atmósfera. En Nietzsche, este vínculo con la tierra y lo planetario es inseparable de nuestra responsabilidad por la tierra, reconociendo que somos una especie de cuidadores profundamente arraigados en la vida terrestre y planetaria

Finding pattern in the noise: persistent implicit statistical knowledge impacts the processing of unpredictable stimuli

Humans can extract statistical regularities of the environment to predict upcoming events. Previous research recognized that implicitly acquired statistical knowledge remained persistent and continued to influence behavior even when the regularities were no longer present in the environment. Here, in an fMRI experiment, we investigated how the persistence of statistical knowledge is represented in the brain. Participants (n = 32) completed a visual, four-choice, RT task consisting of statistical regularities. Two types of blocks constantly alternated with one another throughout the task: predictable statistical regularities in one block type and unpredictable ones in the other. Participants were unaware of the statistical regularities and their changing distribution across the blocks. Yet, they acquired the statistical regularities and showed significant statistical knowledge at the behavioral level not only in the predictable blocks but also in the unpredictable ones, albeit to a smaller extent. Brain activity in a range of cortical and subcortical areas, including early visual cortex, the insula, the right inferior frontal gyrus, and the right globus pallidus/putamen contributed to the acquisition of statistical regularities. The right insula, inferior frontal gyrus, and hippocampus as well as the bilateral angular gyrus seemed to play a role in maintaining this statistical knowledge. The results altogether suggest that statistical knowledge could be exploited in a relevant, predictable context as well as transmitted to and retrieved in an irrelevant context without a predictable structure