Research Concepts Research Articles

A review of electrochemical cells and liquid metal battery (LMB) parameter development

Liquid Metal Battery (LMB) technology is a new research area born from a different economic and political climate that has the ability to address the deficiencies of a society where electrical energy storage alternative are lacking. The United States government has begun to fund scholarly research work at its top industrial and national laboratories. This was to develop liquid metal battery cells for energy storage solutions. This research was encouraged during the Cold War battle for scientific superiority. Intensive research then drifted towards high energy rechargeable batteries, which work better for automobiles and other applications. Intensive research has been carried out on the development of electrochemical rechargeable all-liquid energy storage batteries. The recent request for green energy transfer and storage for various applications, ranging from small-scale to large-scale power storage, has increased energy storage advancements and explorations. The criteria of high energy density, low cost, and extensive energy storage provision have been met through lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and Liquid Metal Battery development. The objective of this research is to establish that liquid metal battery technology could provide research concepts that give projections of the probable electrode metals that could be harnessed for LMB development. Thus, at the end of this research, it was discovered that the parameter estimation of the Li//Cd-Sb combination is most viable for LMB production when compared with Li//Cd-Bi, Li-Bi, and Li-Cd constituents. This unique constituent of the LMB parameter estimation would yield a better outcome for LMB development.

Polychlorinated biphenyls exposure and type 2 diabetes: Molecular mechanism that causes insulin resistance and islet damage.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are typical persistent organic pollutants that have been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in cohort studies. This review aims to comprehensively assess the molecular mechanisms of PCBs-induced T2DM. Recent progress has been made in the research of PCBs in liver tissue, adipose tissue, and other tissues. By influencing the function of nuclear receptors, such as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), pregnancy X receptor (PXR), and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ), as well as the inflammatory response, PCBs disrupt the balance of hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism. This is associated with insulin resistance (IR) in the target organ of insulin. Through androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor α/β (ERα/β), and pancreato-duodenal-homeobox gene-1 (PDX-1), PCBs affect the secretion of insulin and increase blood glucose. Thus, this review is a discussion on the relationship between PCBs exposure and the pathogenesis of T2DM. It is hoped to provide basic concepts for diabetes research and disease treatment.

Ligeti and Artistic Research

AbstractGyörgy Ligeti was very interested in many artistic and scientific fields and drew inspiration for his compositional work from them (his engagement with mathematics – particularly fractal geometry and chaos theory – is perhaps the best known). In this chapter I compare the concept of artistic research with Ligeti's practice and oeuvre. While the notion of artistic research was only appearing in embryonic form during the latter stages of Ligeti's career, many – though not all – of his statements seem to be suitable for describing his artistic processes. The benefit of this investigation is expected to be twofold: applying the concept of artistic research to Ligeti's approaches and practices should yield new insights on the relationship between his work and his interest in other humanities and sciences. Yet this look at Ligeti may also help to refine the concept of artistic research as discussed and applied to the artistic output of today.

Guidelines for post-marketing research on clinical effectiveness of Chinese patent medicines

Due to the lack of specialized guidance, the post-marketing research on clinical effectiveness of Chinese patent medicines demonstrates varied quality and lacks high-quality evidence, failing to meet the demands of policy-making, clinical decision-making, and industrial decision-making. To address this issue, this project gathered experts in clinical medicine, clinical pharmacy, evidence-based medicine, drug epidemiology, medical ethics, and policy and regulation in China. They referred to the model of international post-marketing research on medicines and developed Guidelines for post-marketing research on clinical effectiveness of Chinese patent medicines under the framework of relevant laws and regulations and technical guidance documents in China. The guidelines were developed with consideration to the characteristics of Chinese patent medicines, China's national conditions, and all the stakeholders including marketing authorization holders, clinical researchers, drug administration, and users. The development of the guidelines followed the requirements for developing group standards set by the China Association of Chinese Medicine. The guidelines fully implement the concept of full life-cycle research, emphasizing the combination of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theory, human use experience, and clinical trials and pay attention to the compliance, scientificity, and ethics of research. The guidelines clarify the topic selection and decision-making path of the post-marketing research on effectiveness of Chinese patent medicines through six steps: determining research purpose, analyzing drug characteristics, evaluating research basis, proposing clinical orientation, clarifying research purpose, and implementing classified research. The general principles of research design and implementation were clarified from eight aspects: research type, research objects, sample size, efficacy indicators, bias, missing data, evidence level, and practicality. It focuses on the research on the TCM syndrome-based efficacy evaluation, clinical value-oriented mechanism of action, and the effectiveness of Chinese patent medicines with different routes of administration. The guidelines provide a universal methodological basis for the post-marketing research on clinical effectiveness of Chinese patent medicines.

Competency Development of Food Tourism in Thailand

Purpose: Food tourism has become great potential in the tourism industry, especially in Thailand. When foreign tourists come to travel and witness the diverse gastronomic experience at local levels, however, in 2022, Thailand received 11.15 million foreign tourists, and only 19.45% came because of food attractions. Therefore, this study aims to develop competency in food tourism in Thailand. Theoretical Framework: This study examines and reviews the concepts of competitive advantage and food tourism. Competitiveness in terms of human resource is the ability to sell his or her ability over other competitor’s employees. Competitive Advantage in human resource is developed either by himself or by company attitude and resource. Competitive Advantage can be developed by (1) Elevating productivity, (2) Purposeful collaboration, (3) Learning Agility, (4) Social binding, (5) well- being. Moreover, food tourism is defined as “visitation to primary and secondary food producers, food festivals, restaurants and specific locations for which food tasting and/or experiencing the attributes of specialist food production region are the primary motivating factor for travel”. Food tourism is also defined as cultural turn from those early management-focused studies to more wholesome and exploratory discussions of food and culture. Not only did the frequency or volume of the studies significantly increase, but so did the variety of research approaches and concepts be explored. Design/Methodology/Approach: This quantitative research collected data from food tourism stakeholders in Thailand 400, including foreign visitors, local visitors, restaurant owners, culinary academic institutions, and tourism authorities. Data were analyzed in descriptive and inferential statistics, and a structural equation model tested the hypothesis. Findings: The findings reveal that (1) Tourism policy must include food tourism in the tourism event and public relation scheme of tourism authorities, (2) Unique local cultural experiences must be embedded into food stories, and (3) Nutrition and herbal nutrition must be presented for health-conscious tourists. The observed variables had component weights between 0.241 and 0.79. They were significantly different from zero at the 0.01 level. Latent variables were between 0.058 - 1.153, and 2) the harmonization of the hypothetical model and the empirical data found that all criteria were within the acceptable range (Pass) structural equation model analysis (Chi-Square = 44.113, df = 35, p = 0.139, RMSEA = 0.026, GFI = 0.026, AGFI = 0.960). Research Practical and Social Implication: Food tourism has become great potential in the tourism industry, especially in Thailand. When foreign tourists come to travel and witness the diverse gastronomic experience at local levels. However, in 2022, Thailand received 11.15 million foreign tourists; only 19.45% came because of food attractions. Therefore, this study aims to develop competency in food tourism in Thailand. This quantitative research collected data from food tourism stakeholders in Thailand 400, including foreign visitors, local visitors, restaurant owners, culinary academic institutions, and tourism authorities. Data were analyzed in descriptive and inferential statistics; a structural equation model tested the hypotheses. Originality/Value: The findings reveal that (1) Tourism policy must include food tourism in the tourism event and public relation scheme of tourism authorities, (2) Unique local cultural experiences must be embedded into food stories, and (3) Nutrition and herbal nutrition must be presented for health-conscious tourists.

Entropy generation analysis of micropolar fluid flow through a vertical microchannel under the combined effect of Joule heating, viscous dissipation, and thermal radiation with convective boundary conditions

ABSTRACT In this era of modern science, microfluidics has gained much importance in the field of research due to large-scale applications in science and engineering. Transfer of heat via nanofluids in microfluidics is the key concept of research. Therefore, here we have considered micropolar fluid for better heat transfer in vertical microchannel and discussed the influences of radiative heat flux, Joule heating, and uniform heat source/sink with viscous dissipation. The equations that govern the physical model are nondimensionalised by the application of suitable dimensionless parameters. Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg 4th−5th order method is applied for solving the non-dimensional governing ordinary differential equations, and precisely computed microrotation, velocity, and temperature profiles of micropolar fluid. The impacts of various factors on entropy generation and Bejan number are explored and analysed through graphs. It is investigated that a higher coupling number decelerates the fluid flow and reduces the temperature of the fluid. Further, minimum entropy generation can be attained by rising coupling number, Hartmann number, and radiation parameter.

Development In Setu Babakan Tourism Village As A Betawi Icon In Modern Times

This study aims to explore the potential possessed by Setu Babakan Tourism Village in maintaining and developing Betawi Cultural identity in the modern era. Setu Babakan Village is known as one of the leading cultural tourism destinations in Jakarta, which promotes art, music, dance, culinary, and typical Betawi traditions. In the context of globalization and technological development, this study aims to analyze how Setu Babakan Village utilizes its cultural potential to maintain its status as an icon of Betawi Culture. We discussed the efforts of local communities and government support, as well as the challenges faced in safeguarding cultural heritage and promoting it to present and future generations. This research provides insight into the importance of preserving local culture amid the ongoing flow of modernization and globalization. The foundation of this research concept uses the A5 concept (Attractions, Accessibility, Accommodation, Activities, Amenities). The method used in this study is qualitative descriptive. Techniques for determining informants use purposive techniques in data collection using interviews, observation, and documentation techniques. The results of the study show that the development of tourism in Setu Babakan Tourism Village is optimal. However, there are still things that can be improved from each of these components.

High-robustness autofocusing method in the microscope with laser-based arrayed spots.

Accurate and rapid autofocus technology plays a crucial role in various fields, including automatic optical inspection technology, bio-chips scanning, and semiconductor manufacturing. The current photoelectric autofocus methods have limitations because of detecting the focal plane solely at the center of the microscope field of view. In the application of Stereo-seq the risk of autofocus errors will be increased, which have reduced the robustness of the system, like when the surface of the tested samples are wrinkling and inconsistent thickness, or the detection spot is at the edge of the sample. To enhance the robustness of the autofocus system and mitigate the constraints of the photoelectric autofocus methods, the laser-based arrayed spots photoelectric autofocus method has been proposed. To achieve the uniform light splitting, a 2D-Dammann grating is incorporated into the optical path of the autofocus system, resulting in the formation of an n × n arrayed spots on the surface of the sample. Through experimental verification, it has been demonstrated that this method can achieve the autofocus range of ±100μm and the autofocus accuracy of ±1/4 DOF when applied to a microscope equipped with a 10× objective lens, thereby satisfying the requirements for microscopic focusing. The arrayed light autofocus method devised in this study presents what we believe is a novel research concept for active autofocus detection and holds significant application value.

Ecological Restoration in Eastern Canada Using Four Early-Successional Species on Severely Degraded Sites Using a Factorial of Site-Preparation Treatments: Growth and Biomass over Two Years

Barren sites that lack soil are exposed to some of the harshest elements, which include high temperatures, solar radiation, wind, extreme temperature changes, and low soil moisture and nutrient conditions. An ecological restoration experiment was conducted using three site-preparation treatments, straw (S), Meri-Crusher (MC), and coarse woody debris (CWD), in a site-/no site-preparation 2 × 2 × 2 factorial on sites that had been barren for 25 years. In addition, four early successional deciduous species, white birch (WB, Betula papyrifera Marshall), gray birch (GB, Betula populifolia Marshall), green alder (GA, Alnus viridis Vill. subsp. crispa Ait), and speckled alder (SA, Alnus incana L. subsp. rugosa Du Roi), were examined. The two- and three-way interactions were almost all magnitude effects and not rank changes. Gray birch had the greatest overall first-year height growth, followed by GA, SA, and WB, with 12.1, 9.7, 9.6, and 5.6 cm, respectively. Straw doubled first-year growth, while CWD and MC increased first-year height growth by 43 and 31%, respectively. Straw’s ability to retain moisture in the dry summer provided the greatest benefit. In the second year, GA had the greatest height growth, followed by SA, GB, and WB, with 42.5, 30.5, 13.4, and 13.0 cm, respectively. Alders form symbiotic relationships with N-fixing bacteria and, although this was observed in some first-year roots, they did not fully express this advantage at these severely degraded sites until the second year, which allowed them to surpass birches in growth. Site-preparation treatments furthered their height growth affect, with S, and CWD doubling second-year height growth and MC, with an increase of 25%. Alders and birches had, on average, three and one stems, respectively, and the mean stem number of alders increased under S and CWD. After two years, overall stem dry mass had very large genus and species differences with GA, SA, GB, and WB, with 58.4, 30.3, 5.4, and 4.0 g, respectively. The N-fixing ability of alders under these conditions resulted in a 13-fold stem dry mass production increase compared with birches. Straw tripled, CWD doubled, and MC increased stem dry mass by 40%. For WB, site-preparation combinations had an additive effect, whereas GB, GA, and SA had several combined site-preparation treatments showing synergistic results, which were greater than the additive effects of single treatments. Under the control (no site prep.), second-year stem dry masses for WB, GB, GA, and SA were 0.7, 1.4, 17.8, and 0.5 g, respectively. Under the three combined treatments, MC × S × CWD, WB, GB, GA, and SA had 6.6, 12.3, 115.7, and 70.6 g stem dry masses, respectively. SA is ecologically a lowland species, hence the low 0.5 g under the control; however, the result under the three combined treatments demonstrates their combined effectiveness on these barren sites. Green alder seems to be the best adapted to the sites, having the greatest stem dry mass under control, although that was considerably magnified under the site-preparation treatments. This study using combinations of treatments with these early successional species introduces a novel research concept, and similar studies in the literature are currently lacking, creating an opportunity for future exploration.

The form-affordance-function (FAF) triangle of design

AbstractFor centuries, the relationship between form and function has been a point of debate in the communities of architecture and design, leading to the development of various theories which have attempted to establish a tangible relationship between these two entities. Besides, the concept of affordance, adopted from Gibson’s ecological psychology theory, has appeared as a widely-used concept in design practice and research. Nevertheless, while it is generally accepted that these concepts have close dependencies and interactions, it appears that there is no explicit theoretical framework that relates three of the most fundamental concepts of design, namely form, function, and affordance. This paper aims to analyze the concept of affordance in the context of industrial design, where we attempt to develop insights into the role of affordances in relation to form and function. To this end, we define the form-affordance-function (FAF) triangle of design as a major contributor to the establishment of a partial product design specification (PDS) in the design process. We present several examples to investigate the position of affordances in competition with other design considerations such as engineering performance, ergonomics, and aesthetics. The insights into these relationships could have potential implications for designers in making informed early-stage design decisions.

The Interplay of Health Behaviour within Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts: An Integrative Review

This integrative review examines the multifaceted interplay of health behaviour within social, cultural, and political frameworks, emphasising the transition from a reductionistic to a holistic paradigm in understanding health dynamics. Recognising health as more than the absence of disease, the paper underscores the significance of lifestyle factors in modern morbidity and mortality, advocating for health promotion strategies that include lifestyle modifications and legislative measures. Delving into systems research, it highlights the importance of socio-political and ecological factors in shaping health behaviours, exploring the evolution of the concept of a healthy lifestyle as a dynamic and interconnected phenomenon. The review further discusses the implications of social determinants, technological advances in gathering longitudinal health data, and the impact of social discrimination and interpersonal dynamics on health behaviours. Innovative research concepts integrating social and behavioural sciences, such as complex systems, social genomics, and epigenetics, are explored. The paper culminates by drawing parallels between the health behavioural approaches to HIV and COVID-19, illustrating the necessity of a multidisciplinary, multi-level approach to health behaviour research and policymaking. This comprehensive review emphasises the need for an integrated understanding of health behaviours, considering individual, community, and societal influences to inform effective health promotion and disease prevention strategies.

The Effect of Religious Spiritual Education and Care on the Quality of Life among the Elderly: A Review

This segment explores spirituality in elderly care, emphasizing its significance and challenges. It highlights Cicely Saunders' pioneering holistic approach to integrating spirituality into patient care, especially in palliative settings. The lack of universally defined research concepts and cultural diversities impeding the understanding of spiritual care practices in elderly care environments are emphasized. It underscores how contemporary secular societies redefine spirituality from traditional religious institutions, yet its importance in addressing existential questions remains intact. We outline the study's methodology for evaluating spirituality's impact on the quality of life of the elderly in Iran. It details the systematic review and meta-analysis used to synthesize findings from relevant studies, assessing the influence of religious-spiritual education, notably theotherapy, on quality of life. Factors affecting intervention efficacy, such as cultural norms, are discussed. The study showed positive outcomes post-intervention, indicating improvements in various life quality dimensions. The potential of theotherapy is noted, acknowledging cultural influences on effectiveness. Insights into spirituality's role in emotional stability, leadership, and organizational practices within Malaysian contexts, particularly amidst Industry 4.0, are presented. The need for comprehensive caregiver education and incorporating culturally aligned religious-spiritual education for the elderly's well-being is underscored. Additionally, the significance of emotional stability and effective organizational practices in Malaysia's evolving socio-economic context for quality care among the elderly is emphasized. This conclusion stresses the holistic approach necessary for optimized elderly care and organizational success.

A systematic review of antiproliferative and antitumour activity of earthworm extracts

Earthworm extracts have become an interesting research concept in cancer studies because they have various cancer-stopping and preventive substances. Determining the anticancer effect of the extract on cancer cells may lead to new treatment strategies and alternative medicine against the toxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, this study aims to raise awareness for drug development and future anticancer therapeutics by emphasizing the nature of earthworm extracts and the types of cancer they are used in through a systematic review. A systematic search of CINAHL, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were conducted to identify articles published between January 2018 and December 2022. We utilized various arrangements of the keywords ‘earthworm’, ‘earthworm extract’, and ‘anticancer effect’. We identified original studies written in English depicting in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic impact of worm extracts on cancer cells were included in the review. We found 15 studies matching our search criteria. Among the studies, Eisenia Foetida was determined as the most studied type of earthworm, while Colon cancer was the most frequently studied cancer type. Coleomic Fluid was found to be the commonly used extract to test for anticancer activity with positive results. The study contributes to the literature by providing information about earthworm extracts' antiproliferative and antitumor effects.

Leveraging organizational knowledge to develop agility and improve performance: the role of ambidexterity

PurposeAs a response to the increased frequency of disruptive events and intense competition, organizational agility has become a key concept in organizational research. Fostering organizational agility requires leveraging knowledge that exists both outside (exploration) and inside (exploitation) the organization. This research tests the so-called ambidexterity hypothesis, which claims that a balance between exploration and exploitation leads to increased organizational outcomes, including the development of organizational agility. Complementing previously established measurement models on ambidexterity, this research proposes an alternative measurement model to analyze how ambidexterity can enhance organizational agility and, indirectly, performance, taking into consideration the moderating effect of environmental competitiveness.Design/methodology/approachA review of existing measurement models for ambidexterity shows that tension, a crucial aspect of ambidexterity, is often neglected. The authors, therefore, develop a new measurement model of ambidexterity to incorporate ambidexterity-induced tension. Using this measurement model, they examine the effect of ambidexterity on the development of entrepreneurial and adaptive agility as well as performance.FindingsAmbidexterity positively influences both entrepreneurial and adaptive agility, indicating that a balance between exploration and exploitation has superior organizational effects. This finding confirms the ambidexterity hypothesis with respect to organizational agility. Furthermore, both entrepreneurial and adaptive agility drive organizational performance. These two indirect effects via agility fully mediate the impact of ambidexterity on organizational performance. Finally, environmental competitiveness positively moderates the relationship between ambidexterity and adaptive agility.Originality/valueThe findings extend research on ambidexterity by showing its positive effects on organizational agility. Furthermore, the study proposes an alternative operationalization to capture the ambidexterity construct that may lay the groundwork for further applications of the ambidexterity concept.

Scientific-methodological knowledge and its development in the educational process

Introduction. For students, mastering the methodological foundations of scientific research plays an important role in professional education, providing scientifically proven support for professional thinking and readiness to scientifically substantiate the practical activities of a specialist to form a mechanism for intellectual and personal self-development. Today, numerous educational literature is being published, and educational disciplines devoted to the methodology of science and scientific research are being introduced. However, in most of the educational and scientific works created by students (course projects, final qualification papers, etc.), methodological provisions are formulated with errors; descriptions of the organisation of research, interpretation and design of their results are unsatisfactory. Therefore, there is the problem of finding ways to improve methodological literacy, methodological competence, and methodological culture of students. The relevance of such research is conditioned by the need to study the causes of such a situation, to develop ways for improving student methodological competence, to highlight and summarise the experience of teaching methodological knowledge, and to suggest ways for improving the educational process. The solution to this problem is especially significant for the humanities specialists (in particular, for educators and psychologists), who deal with the influence on the personality and human consciousness included in the social regulation of human behaviour. Aim. The present research aims to: 1) substantiate the theoretical approach to the scientific and methodological support of the process of mastering the methodological foundations of scientific research by students as to the development of scientific-methodological knowledge (SMK) based on the analysis of scientific and educational literature, the practice of teaching disciplines aimed at studying the methodological aspects of psychological and pedagogical research; 2) to identify the main guidelines for improving the ways to support the formation of SMK using examples from empirical studies of its development by students in the educational process, from the generalisation of the practical experience of the authors. Methodology and research methods. The research methodological framework was based on the approaches of Russian scientists to the methodological foundations of science and scientific research as a holistic knowledge, in which principles, norms, methods and scientific and cognitive activity are developed at the philosophical, general scientific, concrete scientific, methodical levels. Analysis, generalisation and systematisation were used as theoretical research methods; testing, survey, included observation and generalisation of experience were applied as empirical methods. To prove the propositions put forward by the authors, four empirically verifiable hypotheses were formulated. Two of them were confirmed: one was partially confirmed; the second one (about the absence of a connection between direct and remote forms with the formation of SMK) was not confirmed. In the mathematical and statistical interpretation of individual research results (correlation and variance types of analysis), the IBM SPSS Statistics 23 was employed. Results. The guidelines for supporting the development of SMK by students in the educational process were outlined: reliance on the creation of a research project by the trainee; placing the trainees in the position of an independent researcher; developing an understanding of the content and scope of the key concepts of research, its unity and integrity; paying special attention to the transformation of information and its presentation in various forms. Scientific novelty. The authors proposed and substantiated the idea of the study of the research methodological foundations as the development of SMK, which equips the researcher with an arsenal of guidelines, means and methods of action, providing the closest possible approach to the truth in the search for new scientific knowledge. Practical significance. The proposed approaches to the development of SMK can be used in the practice of studying disciplines devoted to the research methodological foundations in the social sciences and humanities, in support of students’ course projects and final qualifying works.

Metodologija književnodidaktičnega raziskovanja

Educational research of the 20th century is marked by a transition from a predominantly quantitative methodology to a qualitative methodology. In the case of research into literary didactics, a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods seems appropriate. The article defines the fundamental concepts of quantitative research – pedagogical experiment, survey, a statistically relevant sample – and presents two successful models of combining the described methodological principles in the area of research into literary didactics.

Exploring the potential of polyaniline-calcium titanate (PANI-CaTiO3) nanocomposites in supercapacitors: Synthesis and electrochemical investigation

This work presents the simple approach for the synthesis of CaTiO3 incorporated polyaniline nanocomposites (PANI- CaTiO3) by facile in-situ oxidative polymerization route, to be used as electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs). The developed samples were evaluated using several analytical methods viz. X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET). The electrochemical performance of the prepared nanocomposites for energy storage application was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3 M of KOH as an electrolyte. In comparison to pristine PANI, which demonstrated a specific capacitance of 257 Fg−1, and pure CaTiO3, which exhibited a specific capacitance of 142 Fg−1, the results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) for PANI-35 % CaTiO3 nanocomposites revealed a higher specific capacitance of 966 Fg−1 at 10 mV/s sweep rate. The highest energy density and power density for the PANI-35 % CaTiO3 nanocomposites were shown by galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) measurements to be 58.14 Whkg−1 and 3.2 kWkg−1, respectively, at a higher specific capacitance value of 984.21 Fg−1 at 6.86 Ag−1 current density. Additionally, the straight line in low frequency Nyquist plots was linked to the low electrolyte diffusion (Warburg) resistance within the electrode and ions diffusion into the electrode surface, confirming the CV results. Moreover, this study proposes an innovative research concept for the fabrication of electrode materials specifically designed for supercapacitors.

Social Potential of Teachers in the Professional Environment

The article presents the results of a study on the social potential of teachers in a professional environment. Social potential was understood as intangible resources of commitment, trust, norms of reciprocity and networks of personal connections among teachers that enable cooperation and exchange of knowledge. The research concept was based on the theory of social capital, which has been popular for some time in economics and politics, but also in the social sciences. It is clarified that in the education system in the current conditions of formation of a new information society, the role and importance of the teacher’s social potential is increasing. Therefore, the work of a modern teacher takes place in the context of the expectations that society places on him or her. The study distinguished four main variables: participation and cooperation, interpersonal relationships and communication, trust and credibility, reciprocity and loyalty. The results reveal the division of the respondents into two groups. The first of them are teachers who, in their assessments, create a positive image of their own social potential, especially in the case of participation, involvement and cooperation. The second group are teachers who are more skeptical and ambivalent. This is especially visible in the dimensions of reciprocity and loyalty as well as relationships and communication. Teachers do not strive to evaluate their own environment negatively. Perhaps they do not notice or do not want to notice uncomfortable, difficult or conflicting issues. It can therefore be assumed that this is a confirmation of the façade and superficiality of behavior and relationships among teachers, and the desire to maintain a safe status quo.

Leadership in ophthalmology training : Opportunities and risks of medical specialist education.

Medical specialist training requires constant improvement and adaptation of the contents to the current situation. Nowadays, young physicians have the opportunity to select among the most renowned institutions and can choose the one most qualified for their training. Hospitals on the other hand still have the desire to recruit highly qualified physicians for their resident programs, which requires agood, well-rounded and reliable offer by the department under good leadership. Thus, among other issues amodern and multilingual homepage is already an important instrument for successfully addressing applicants and winning them over for the department. In addition to awell-planned and structured training plan (e.g., the "Homburg Curriculum") and aso-called "resident guide", many other additional offers are nowadays part of asuccessful training, such as structured internal and external specialist training courses, well thought out research concepts available to all interested parties, wet labs for practical exercises on pig's eyes and as the latest most innovative addition, avirtual reality simulator. Due to astructured curriculum with regular continuous education during the daily early morning meetings and an exchange program with another university eye hospital, not only the residents can benefit but ultimately also the department itself. In addition, future specialists are involved in the respective organization (so-called "service teams") from the very beginning. This conveys agreat deal of knowledge and expertise but also organizational skills and thus improves the quality of training. In any case, standardized residency training with aview beyond the horizon, which is transparently organized and reliably carried out, improves the quality of training in order to become acertified ophthalmologist and increases the satisfaction of the residents. Adepartment which is committed and can offer awide range of services will benefit from motivated and satisfied employees in agood interpersonal climate, which in the end benefits not only the team but also the patients.

Developing a synthetic news corpus to validate generic frame detection methods

Frames are a central concept in communication research. Based on our literature review, we propose that frame identification is an act of identifying selected reality and communicative intention. We then highlight the conceptual and methodological issues of frame identification using computational methods. To avoid the correlation between topics and frames, we provide a synthetic dataset for evaluating frames found in multi-topical news content, using the detection of generic frames as a test case. With this dataset, for the first time, we benchmark manual coding and various automatic and semi-supervised methods. Based on the preliminary benchmark results, this study provides evidence that generic frame identification using both manual coding and automatic methods might not be accurate.