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Found 6327 publications
Optimization and validation of HPLC–DAD method for simultaneous analysis of sweeteners, preservatives, and caffeine in sugar-free beverages
Publication Name: European Food Research and Technology
Publication Date: 2023-11-01
Volume: 249
Issue: 11
Page Range: 2797-2805
Description:
In this study, the optimization and performance evaluation of a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC–DAD) method for the simultaneous determination of four sweeteners (acesulfame-potassium, saccharin, aspartame, and rebaudioside A), two preservatives (sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate), and caffeine in sugar-free drinks are presented. The separation was carried out using a gradient elution of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (12.5 mM, pH = 3.3) on a reversed-phase column. Under the optimized conditions, the method allowed for the specific and selective simultaneous separation of all target analytes in less than 9 min. The developed HPLC–DAD method was validated and demonstrated excellent linearity (all analytical curves showed R2 ≥ 0.9995), satisfactory accuracy (recovery values ranging between 94.1 and 99.2% in real samples), and repeatability (intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were ≤ 2.49%). Overall, 69 products available in the Hungarian market were successfully tested with the applied method.
Open Access: Yes
Nonlinear Static Analysis for Seismic Evaluation of Existing RC Hospital Building
Publication Name: Applied Sciences Switzerland
Publication Date: 2023-11-01
Volume: 13
Issue: 21
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Nonlinear Static Analysis otherwise known as pushover analysis will be used in this study to evaluate the seismic performance of an existing reinforced concrete (RC) hospital structure. This method aids in determining the structure’s ability to withstand lateral loads and calculating its local and global deformation requirements. The study begins with a thorough analysis of the geometry, materials, and structural elements of the structure, followed by a review of pertinent building regulations and codes. A finite element model in three dimensions of the hospital building is created, encapsulating the main features of the structure’s behavior under seismic loading. The lateral force method of analysis and static pushover analysis is then carried out and compared, and the findings are used to pinpoint crucial weak places, potential failure mechanisms, and regions needing additional research or fortification. Recommendations are given to improve the seismic performance of the current RC hospital building based on the pushover analysis’s findings. These adjustments can be made to the structural system via retrofitting techniques or to non-structural elements. For engineers, architects, and legislators concerned with the seismic assessment and renovation of hospital buildings and other crucial infrastructure, the findings from this study are valuable.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/app132111626
The role of organizational and individual-level factors for the inclusion of women managers in Japan
Publication Name: International Journal of Organizational Analysis
Publication Date: 2023-10-31
Volume: 31
Issue: 5
Page Range: 1384-1396
Description:
Purpose: This study aims to analyze and contrast the role of organizational and individual level factors in influencing the effective participation of women managers in decision-making in Japanese business organizations. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study based on 21 in-depth interviews with women and men in managerial positions in Japanese organizations is adopted. Findings: Results show that gender equality structures and practices are not effectively institutionalized within Japanese organizations. In particular, corporate social responsibility programs are perceived by women respondents to be formally adopted to gain legitimacy in the eyes of foreign investors. However, they lack effectiveness in giving the woman manager a “voice” in business decisions. Organizational practices such as leadership development and mentoring are generally not evident in the organizations analyzed. Conversely, the personal traits of the woman manager, such as determination, self-confidence and “being able to confront men colleagues” are the factors perceived to be crucial in influencing women’s participation in decisions. Social implications: The study suggests that to increase the weight of women managers in Japanese organizations’ decision-making, action is still needed within organizations to create a true diversity-culture. Additionally, action at the educational level has to remove women’s own self-segregation. Originality/value: The study offers novel evidence on the “glass ceiling” in Japanese businesses by investigating whether women’s access to management positions corresponds to effective decision power. The study also highlights the key enabling factors, therefore contributing to the analysis of how to create more effective gender “diversity” within Japanese businesses.
Open Access: Yes
Contribution to the knowledge of the Neotropical Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata)
Publication Name: Zootaxa
Publication Date: 2023-10-26
Volume: 5360
Issue: 2
Page Range: 255-268
Description:
Two new species of Uropodina are described from Peru—Stammeroplitis panguanaensis sp. nov. and Rotundabaloghia (Circobaloghia) koepckeorum sp. nov.. the genus Stammeroplitis is diagnosed and a key to its Neotropical species is presented. twenty species of Oplitis are moved to Stammeroplitis. the new family clausiadinychidae fam. nov. is established for the genus Clausiadinychus and a key to the known species of Clausiadinychus species is provided. New information is presented for three known species of Uropodina (Clausiadinychus quadricaudatus hirschmann, 1973, Rotundabaloghia dillerae Błoszyk, 2019 and Trichouropoda solaris hirschmann, 1972).
Open Access: Yes
Co-Channel Compatibility Analysis of IMT Networks and Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting in the Frequency Range 470-694 MHz Based on Monte Carlo Simulation
Publication Name: Sensors Basel Switzerland
Publication Date: 2023-10-25
Volume: 23
Issue: 21
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
According to Resolution 235 adopted during the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) and the preliminary agenda item 1.5 of WRC-2023, the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) has been entrusted to carry out sharing and compatibility studies between broadcasting and mobile services in the frequency range 470-694 MHz in Region 1. This study specifically focuses on evaluating electromagnetic compatibility in potential co-channel sharing scenarios between Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) and International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) systems within the 470-694 MHz frequency band that may arise in the foreseeable future. To assess the conditions for coexistence, a Monte Carlo simulation method implemented through the SEAMCAT software version 5.4.2 is employed, examining six potential interference scenarios. The simulation results yield the minimum coordination distance required between IMT and DTTB services in the 470-694 MHz band based on the protection criteria to ensure harmonious coexistence while maintaining satisfactory performance. Furthermore, the study investigates the impact of various factors such as transmitter power, antenna heights, coverage radius, antenna discrimination, and antenna tilt angle on the separation distances. The focus lies primarily on critical interference scenarios across neighboring countries' borders. The simulation outcomes confirm that sharing the same frequency band between IMT and DTTB networks would result in significant mutual interference. Nevertheless, carefully analyzing diverse parameters and assumptions helped provide recommendations to reduce the required separation distances. These findings are valuable for broadcasters, mobile operators, and regulators in establishing the technical coexistence conditions for DTTB and IMT in the new band.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/s23218714
Three new species of Oppiidae (Acari, Oribatida) from Mexico
Publication Name: Zootaxa
Publication Date: 2023-10-25
Volume: 5360
Issue: 1
Page Range: 113-126
Description:
Three new species of oppiidae (oribatida)—Graptoppia (Apograptoppia) rooensis sp. nov., Neoamerioppia (Neoamerioppia) mexicoensis sp. nov., and Ramusella (Insculptoppia) quintanaensis sp. nov.—are described based on adults collected from leaf litter in a large karst pit in the secondary semi-evergreen tropical forest in Mexico. the subgenus Graptoppia (Apograptoppia) is recorded for the first time in the neotropical region.
Open Access: Yes
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health of critical care workers
Publication Name: Orvosi Hetilap
Publication Date: 2023-10-22
Volume: 164
Issue: 42
Page Range: 1646-1655
Description:
Introduction: The coronavirus pandemic has focused attention on the importance of critical care and highlighted the shortage of critical care specialists. Due to increasing workloads and high mortality rates, healthcare professionals were exposed to higher levels of physical and psychological stress during the pandemic than before. Objective: Our study investigated the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on the emotional, mental and moral stress of intensive care professionals. Method: Our workgroup performed paper-based surveys among caregivers in the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy at Semmelweis University. The first survey was conducted at the start of the pandemic in 2020, the second survey was conducted after the third wave in 2021. We applied validated questionnaires (Professional Quality of Life, Demoralization Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Impact of Event Scale, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory), collected demographic data and information on lifestyle, recreation, dietary habits, and accepting psychological support. Results: The number and demographic characteristics of the participants in the two studies are different, reflecting the changes in the workforce during the pandemic. Our results revealed no differences between the working and socio-demographic groups before the outbreak, however, one year later, nurses scored significantly higher on all negative psychological scales compared to other groups. Only a minority of the respondents had sought psychological support (9.5–12.7%), although more than a third of respondents reported the need for psychological support. Employees in new work positions showed significantly increased posttraumatic growth (2.91 ± 0.82 vs. 2.20 ± 1.06, p = 0.016). Discussion: These findings demonstrate that nurses are the most strained workgroup during an uncertain and stressful period. The available mental support alone is not enough to help caregivers. Conclusion: Further steps are needed to improve the mental health of critical care workers
Open Access: Yes
Reliability based bi-directional evolutionary topology optimization of geometric and material nonlinear analysis with imperfections
Publication Name: Computers and Structures
Publication Date: 2023-10-15
Volume: 287
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This paper aims to present a novel computational technique for using reliability-based design while taking into account the effect of geometrically and materially nonlinear imperfect analysis. Consequently, a new bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization scheme is developed. A comparison is made between perfect geometrically and materially nonlinear analysis and imperfect geometrically and materially nonlinear analysis topology optimization designs for both deterministic and probabilistic analysis. In the case of probabilistic analysis, relevant parameters such as volume fraction (including manufacturing imprecisions), material properties, and geometrical imperfections (for stability calculations) are assumed to be random variables that follow a normal distribution to represent the uncertainties. The considered numerical examples have successfully illustrated that the proposed method can find the optimal topology for a reliability-based design using perfect geometrically and materially nonlinear analysis and imperfect geometrically and materially nonlinear analysis. Additionally, the results of the topology optimization according to the mean stress and the final optimized shapes have been influenced by introducing a reliability-based design, considering the reliability index as a bound governing the process.
Open Access: Yes
Burnout syndrome among Hungarian midwives in 2014 and 2022
Publication Name: Orvosi Hetilap
Publication Date: 2023-10-08
Volume: 164
Issue: 40
Page Range: 1592-1599
Description:
Introduction: The healthcare sector is the most studied area of burnout, as the mental health of healthcare workers has a significant impact on the mental health of the people they care for. Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate whether there have been changes in the dimensions of burnout among midwives, and how the relationships between burnout and the individual factors and working conditions that influence it have evolved, using national data from 2014 and 2022. Method: An anonymous, voluntary, questionnaire-based survey of midwives working exclusively in maternity units was conducted using the Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire, which measures burnout, and questions on respondents demographic characteristics and working conditions. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to explore associations between burnout and respondent characteristics, and associations were characterized by odds ratios. Results: Among the dimensions of burnout, no change in depersonalization was observed in 2022, but both emotional exhaustion and personal ineffectiveness were significantly more common in 2022 than in 2014. Responses from 224 midwives in 2014 and 152 midwives in 2022 were analyzed. Looking at the influencing factors, higher levels of burnout in 2014 were significantly associated with poorer perceived health, lack of a partner, smoking, shorter time in healthcare, having a job in a larger city, feeling overworked and dissatisfied. In 2022, on the other hand, younger age, smoking, shorter time in healthcare, feeling overworked, dissatisfied and unvalued were associated with higher levels of burnout. Looking at the combined effect of these factors, willingness to attend a health promotion lecture and having a second job also showed a significant effect on burnout in 2022. Discussion: The authors discuss the change in burnout among midwives and the possible reasons for the correlations shown. Conclusion: The results of the first study on burnout among midwives in Hungary show that improving the working conditions of midwives is essential for the functioning of family-friendly midwifery. In addition, to prevent burnout, more emphasis should be placed on the prevention of the risk factors identified in the study in education and training.
Open Access: Yes
