2,113 research outputs found

    Effects of municipal smoke-free ordinances on secondhand smoke exposure in the Republic of Korea

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    ObjectiveTo reduce premature deaths due to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-smokers, the Republic of Korea (ROK) adopted changes to the National Health Promotion Act, which allowed local governments to enact municipal ordinances to strengthen their authority to designate smoke-free areas and levy penalty fines. In this study, we examined national trends in SHS exposure after the introduction of these municipal ordinances at the city level in 2010.MethodsWe used interrupted time series analysis to assess whether the trends of SHS exposure in the workplace and at home, and the primary cigarette smoking rate changed following the policy adjustment in the national legislation in ROK. Population-standardized data for selected variables were retrieved from a nationally representative survey dataset and used to study the policy action’s effectiveness.ResultsFollowing the change in the legislation, SHS exposure in the workplace reversed course from an increasing (18% per year) trend prior to the introduction of these smoke-free ordinances to a decreasing (−10% per year) trend after adoption and enforcement of these laws (β2 = 0.18, p-value = 0.07; β3 = −0.10, p-value = 0.02). SHS exposure at home (β2 = 0.10, p-value = 0.09; β3 = −0.03, p-value = 0.14) and the primary cigarette smoking rate (β2 = 0.03, p-value = 0.10; β3 = 0.008, p-value = 0.15) showed no significant changes in the sampled period. Although analyses stratified by sex showed that the allowance of municipal ordinances resulted in reduced SHS exposure in the workplace for both males and females, they did not affect the primary cigarette smoking rate as much, especially among females.ConclusionStrengthening the role of local governments by giving them the authority to enact and enforce penalties on SHS exposure violation helped ROK to reduce SHS exposure in the workplace. However, smoking behaviors and related activities seemed to shift to less restrictive areas such as on the streets and in apartment hallways, negating some of the effects due to these ordinances. Future studies should investigate how smoke-free policies beyond public places can further reduce the SHS exposure in ROK

    Archaeological palaeoenvironmental archives: challenges and potential

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    This Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) sponsored collaborative doctoral project represents one of the most significant efforts to collate quantitative and qualitative data that can elucidate practices related to archaeological palaeoenvironmental archiving in England. The research has revealed that archived palaeoenvironmental remains are valuable resources for archaeological research and can clarify subjects that include the adoption and importation of exotic species, plant and insect invasion, human health and diet, and plant and animal husbandry practices. In addition to scientific research, archived palaeoenvironmental remains can provide evidence-based narratives of human resilience and climate change and offer evidence of the scientific process, making them ideal resources for public science engagement. These areas of potential have been realised at an imperative time; given that waterlogged palaeoenvironmental remains at significant sites such as Star Carr, Must Farm, and Flag Fen, archaeological deposits in towns and cities are at risk of decay due to climate change-related factors, and unsustainable agricultural practices. Innovative approaches to collecting and archiving palaeoenvironmental remains and maintaining existing archives will permit the creation of an accessible and thorough national resource that can service archaeologists and researchers in the related fields of biology and natural history. Furthermore, a concerted effort to recognise absences in archaeological archives, matched by an effort to supply these deficiencies, can produce a resource that can contribute to an enduring geographical and temporal record of England's biodiversity, which can be used in perpetuity in the face of diminishing archaeological and contemporary natural resources. To realise these opportunities, particular challenges must be overcome. The most prominent of these include inconsistent collection policies resulting from pressures associated with shortages in storage capacity and declining specialist knowledge in museums and repositories combined with variable curation practices. Many of these challenges can be resolved by developing a dedicated storage facility that can focus on the ongoing conservation and curation of palaeoenvironmental remains. Combined with an OASIS + module designed to handle and disseminate data pertaining to palaeoenvironmental archives, remains would be findable, accessible, and interoperable with biological archives and collections worldwide. Providing a national centre for curating palaeoenvironmental remains and a dedicated digital repository will require significant funding. Funding sources could be identified through collaboration with other disciplines. If sufficient funding cannot be identified, options that would require less financial investment, such as high-level archive audits and the production of guidance documents, will be able to assist all stakeholders with the improved curation, management, and promotion of the archived resource

    Inexact Proximal Newton Methods for Finite Strain Plasticity

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    Evaluating EEG–EMG Fusion-Based Classification as a Method for Improving Control of Wearable Robotic Devices for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation

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    Musculoskeletal disorders are the biggest cause of disability worldwide, and wearable mechatronic rehabilitation devices have been proposed for treatment. However, before widespread adoption, improvements in user control and system adaptability are required. User intention should be detected intuitively, and user-induced changes in system dynamics should be unobtrusively identified and corrected. Developments often focus on model-dependent nonlinear control theory, which is challenging to implement for wearable devices. One alternative is to incorporate bioelectrical signal-based machine learning into the system, allowing for simpler controller designs to be augmented by supplemental brain (electroencephalography/EEG) and muscle (electromyography/EMG) information. To extract user intention better, sensor fusion techniques have been proposed to combine EEG and EMG; however, further development is required to enhance the capabilities of EEG–EMG fusion beyond basic motion classification. To this end, the goals of this thesis were to investigate expanded methods of EEG–EMG fusion and to develop a novel control system based on the incorporation of EEG–EMG fusion classifiers. A dataset of EEG and EMG signals were collected during dynamic elbow flexion–extension motions and used to develop EEG–EMG fusion models to classify task weight, as well as motion intention. A variety of fusion methods were investigated, such as a Weighted Average decision-level fusion (83.01 ± 6.04% accuracy) and Convolutional Neural Network-based input-level fusion (81.57 ± 7.11% accuracy), demonstrating that EEG–EMG fusion can classify more indirect tasks. A novel control system, referred to as a Task Weight Selective Controller (TWSC), was implemented using a Gain Scheduling-based approach, dictated by external load estimations from an EEG–EMG fusion classifier. To improve system stability, classifier prediction debouncing was also proposed to reduce misclassifications through filtering. Performance of the TWSC was evaluated using a developed upper-limb brace simulator. Due to simulator limitations, no significant difference in error was observed between the TWSC and PID control. However, results did demonstrate the feasibility of prediction debouncing, showing it provided smoother device motion. Continued development of the TWSC, and EEG–EMG fusion techniques will ultimately result in wearable devices that are able to adapt to changing loads more effectively, serving to improve the user experience during operation

    Numerical simulation of combustion instability: flame thickening and boundary conditions

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    Combustion-driven instabilities are a significant barrier for progress for many avenues of immense practical relevance in engineering devices, such as next generation gas turbines geared towards minimising pollutant emissions being susceptible to thermoacoustic instabilities. Numerical simulations of such reactive systems must try to balance a dynamic interplay between cost, complexity, and retention of system physics. As such, new computational tools of relevance to Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of compressible, reactive flows are proposed and evaluated. High order flow solvers are susceptible to spurious noise generation at boundaries which can be very detrimental for combustion simulations. Therefore Navier-Stokes Characteristic Boundary conditions are also reviewed and an extension to axisymmetric configurations proposed. Limitations and lingering open questions in the field are highlighted. A modified Artificially Thickened Flame (ATF) model coupled with a novel dynamic formulation is shown to preserve flame-turbulence interaction across a wide range of canonical configurations. The approach does not require efficiency functions which can be difficult to determine, impact accuracy and have limited regimes of validity. The method is supplemented with novel reverse transforms and scaling laws for relevant post-processing from the thickened to unthickened state. This is implemented into a wider Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) context to deliver a unified LES-AMR-ATF framework. The model is validated in a range of test case showing noticeable improvements over conventional LES alternatives. The proposed modifications allow meaningful inferences about flame structure that conventionally may have been restricted to the domain of Direct Numerical Simulation. This allows studying the changes in small-scale flow and scalar topologies during flame-flame interaction. The approach is applied to a dual flame burner setup, where simulations show inclusion of a neighbouring burner increases compressive flow topologies as compared to a lone flame. This may lead to favouring convex scalar structures that are potentially responsible for the increase in counter-normal flame-flame interactions observed in experiments.Open Acces

    Current issues of the Russian language teaching XIV

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    Collection of papers “Current issues of the Russian language teaching XIV” is devoted to issues of methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language, to issues of linguistics and literary science and includes papers related to the use of online tools and resources in teaching Russian. This collection of papers is a result of the international scientific conference “Current issues of the Russian language teaching XIV”, which was scheduled for 8–10 May 2020, but due to the pandemic COVID-19 took place remotely

    Development of an Integrated thermal hydrolysis process - Anaerobic Digestion (THPAD) Model

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    Historically, anaerobic digestion is one of the most common processes used to treat sludge generated from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes. However, with the exponential increase in populations, which implies an increase in WWTP loads, the amount of waste generated poses an imminent problem to the handling capacity of current anaerobic digesters. Subsequently, there has been a lot of research into various physical and chemical processes that would allow for a more efficient sludge handling mechanism. Studies have reported various advantages associated with digesting sludge at higher temperatures known as thermophilic temperatures. These advantages include increased sludge handling capacity, a higher degree of sludge biodegradability and subsequently increased methane production and better sludge dewatering characteristics implying cheaper sludge transportation costs just to mention a few. However, despite the advantages associated with thermal treatment, this technology has not yet been proven in a South African context. This project involved the development of an integrated thermal hydrolysis process (THP) and anaerobic digestion (AD) model capable of simulating these processes at elevated temperatures. A comparative desktop case study of the existing AD facility at the Cape Flats wastewater treatment works (CFWWTW) in Western Cape, South Africa was investigated following the City of Cape Town's (CCT) initiative to retrofit a THP unit to the anaerobic digesters to help deal with the increase in sludge handling capacity. A comparison was therefore carried out, investigating the base case scenario of maintaining the existing conventional mesophilic anaerobic digesters (MAD) and retrofitting a THP unit to the conventional anaerobic digesters (THPAD). A steady-state THP and AD model was developed and used in conjunction with an integrated dynamic THP and modified AD (termed as the Extended-UCTSDM3P) model for simulating both the conventional MAD and THPAD processes. This allowed for a comparison of results not only between the two processes, but also the two types of models. These models were then used to simulate the treatment of a mixture of primary sludge (PS) and waste activated sludge (WAS) at a ratio of 60:40 with the WAS obtained from a Nitrification Denitrification Biological Excess Phosphorus Removal (NDBEPR) activated sludge treatment. The AD models, therefore, accounted for the increased phosphorus concentration as a result of iv polyphosphates (PP) breakdown and consequently the possible precipitation of struvite (MgNH4PO4) from the AD liquor. The results showed that the THPAD configuration allowed the digesters to process 2.3 times more sludge than with the conventional mesophilic anaerobic digesters. Furthermore, the methane production in the THPAD was conservatively calculated to be 2.5 times higher than the MAD. This implied an increased potential for use of the methane gas as an alternative source of energy in the wastewater treatment plants. Given that no laboratory experiments were carried out, the results were based on theoretical scenarios and knowledge collected from an extensive literature review. However, given the capacity, flexibility and detail the model has been developed to, different scenarios in the anaerobic digestion process can be investigated and valuable practical insight extracted. Furthermore, through calibration with accurate meaningful data from a pilot or full-scale plant, the developed model is a tool that could be used in predicting digester performance

    A Phase-Field Discrete Element Method to study chemo-mechanical coupling in granular materials

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    This paper presents an extension of the discrete element method using a phase-field formulation to incorporate grain shape and its evolution. The introduction of a phase variable enables an effective representation of grain geometry and facilitates the application of physical laws, such as chemo-mechanical couplings, for modeling shape changes. These physical laws are solved numerically using the finite element method coupled in a staggered scheme to the discrete element model. The efficacy of the proposed Phase-Field Discrete Element Model (PFDEM) is demonstrated through its ability to accurately capture the real grain shape in a material subjected to dissolution only and compute the stress evolution. It is then applied to model the phenomenon of pressure solution involving dissolution and precipitation in granular materials at the microscale and enables to reproduce the creep response observed experimentally. This framework contributes to the enhanced understanding and simulation of complex behaviors in granular materials and sedimentary rocks for many geological processes like diagenesis or earthquake nucleation.Comment: 68 pages, 37 figures, 5 table

    Exercise therapy for tendinopathy: a mixed-methods evidence synthesis exploring feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness.

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    Tendons are cords of strong, flexible tissue that attach muscles to bones, allowing joints to move. Tendinopathy is a common condition that can affect any tendon in the body, causing pain and limiting function. Exercise is often used to treat tendinopathy. We examined over 500 research papers on exercise for tendinopathy. The most common tendons to be studied were the calf (Achilles), knee (patellar), elbow, and shoulder. Strengthening exercise was studied most often, especially in lower limb tendinopathy. Other types of exercise such as stretching, balance and aerobic activity were less common, but were used to some extent in the upper and lower limbs. We found that exercise therapy is safe and beneficial for the tendinopathies that have been studied to date. Exercise may be most beneficial when combined with another intervention such as injection or electrotherapy. Strengthening exercise may be most beneficial for lower limb tendinopathies. However, more research is needed on the type of strengthening and the dosage, such as how many exercises and how much resistance to use. Shoulder tendinopathies may benefit from exercise that targets joint flexibility and position more than strengthening. We also found that people who receive exercise therapy for tendinopathy are generally satisfied with the effect it has on their symptoms. Finally, we found that an individualised, person-centred approach to delivering exercise therapy is valued by people with tendinopathy. They also believe that the patient-healthcare provider relationship is important for promoting the confidence and motivation people need to continue with exercise programmes, especially when they complete them independently. Although we examined a lot of papers, many of the studies were low quality. This means there is still a need for high-quality studies to tell us how effective specific types of exercise are for specific tendinopathies. There is also a need for more studies on patients' and professionals' experiences of receiving or providing exercise for tendinopathy.This project is registered as www.osf.io/a8ewy/ (scoping review); PROSPERO CRD 42020168187 (efficacy reviews); https://osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/y7sk6/ (efficacy review 1); https://osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/eyxgk/ (efficacy review 2); https://osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/mx5pv/ (efficacy review 3); PROSPERO CRD42020164641 (mixed method review)
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