External Phenomena Research Articles

Micro Methods for Megafauna: Novel Approaches to Late Quaternary Extinctions and Their Contributions to Faunal Conservation in the Anthropocene.

Drivers of Late Quaternary megafaunal extinctions are relevant to modern conservation policy in a world of growing human population density, climate change, and faunal decline. Traditional debates tend toward global solutions, blaming either dramatic climate change or dispersals of Homo sapiens to new regions. Inherent limitations to archaeological and paleontological data sets often require reliance on scant, poorly resolved lines of evidence. However, recent developments in scientific technologies allow for more local, context-specific approaches. In the present article, we highlight how developments in five such methodologies (radiocarbon approaches, stable isotope analysis, ancient DNA, ancient proteomics, microscopy) have helped drive detailed analysis of specific megafaunal species, their particular ecological settings, and responses to new competitors or predators, climate change, and other external phenomena. The detailed case studies of faunal community composition, extinction chronologies, and demographic trends enabled by these methods examine megafaunal extinctions at scales appropriate for practical understanding of threats against particular species in their habitats today.

BRAIN-DRAIN PHENOMENON AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Background: One of biggest challenge for health human resource is the brain-drain issue. Regardless of the push and pull factors, migration of health care workers from developing countries to developed ones, have done more harm than good on the health care deliveries in the various countries. The aim of this paper is to review and explore the factors, impacts and strategies to improve the brain-drain phenomenon among healthcare workers. Materials and Methods: A general review was conducted with the focus on the healthcare workers issues related to the brain-drain from various countries, guided by one research question; What are the brain-drain factors among the healthcare workers, its impacts and the strategies to improve the phenomenon? Relevant studies were identified. The literature searching was done based on the formulated research question from the electronic databases, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. Result: 14 articles were reviewed from high-, middle- and low-income countries. Focusing on the healthcare sectors, most low- to middle-income countries demonstrated the internal brain-drain issues as income-generating potential was commonly observed within the private service. However, external brain-drain was more common in high-income countries. The factors that causes brain-drain include financial rewards, continuing rewards, career development, continuing education, hospital infrastructure, resource availability, hospital management, political issues, family issues, training, education and development. Conclusion: The internal and external brain-drain phenomenon among healthcare workers were contributed by the pulling and pushing factors either from the donor countries or the receiving countries. The most common factors including income-generated potential, inadequate wages despite of poor working condition, no clear professional development and intellectual stimulation, and aggravated by the political and economic instability. A comprehensive approach needed by the policy maker and political actors to tackle these factors to improve the equity at all levels of healthcare service deliveries. Keywords: brain-drain phenomenon, brain-drain factors, brain-drain impacts, brain-drain strategies, brain-drain in healthcare.

Amplitudes and Energy Fluxes of Simulated Decayless Kink Oscillations

Recent observations with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on the SDO spacecraft have revealed the existence of decayless coronal kink oscillations. These transverse oscillations are not connected to any external phenomena like flares or coronal mass ejections, and show significantly lower amplitudes than the externally excited decaying oscillations. Numerical studies have managed to reproduce such decayless oscillations in the form of footpoint driven standing waves in coronal loops, and to treat them as a possible mechanism for wave heating of the solar corona. Our aim is to investigate the correlation between the observed amplitudes of the oscillations and input the energy flux from different drivers. We perform 3D MHD simulations in single, straight, density-enhanced coronal flux tubes for different drivers, in the presence of gravity. Synthetic images at different spectral lines are constructed with the use of the FoMo code. The development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability leads to mixing of plasma between the flux tube and the hot corona. Once the KHI is fully developed, the amplitudes of the decayless oscillations show only a weak correlation with the driver strength. We find that low amplitude decayless kink oscillations may correspond to significant energy fluxes of the order of the radiative losses for the Quiet Sun. A clear correlation between the input energy flux and the observed amplitudes from our synthetic imaging data cannot be established. Stronger drivers lead to higher vales of the line width estimated energy fluxes. Finally, estimations of the energy fluxes by spectroscopic data are affected by the LOS angle, favoring combined analysis of imaging and spectroscopic data for single oscillating loops.

External surface phenomena in dealumination and desilication of large single crystals of ZSM-5 zeolite synthesized from a sustainable source

Abstract Zeolite dealumination and desilication are common methods, which improve accessibility of the active sites located inside the zeolite crystallites and tune the zeolite acidity. The exact mechanism of these post-synthesis zeolite treatments remains under discussion. In this paper, a series of dealuminated and desilicated ZSM-5 zeolites are prepared using single or combined post-synthesis dealumination and desilication of large zeolite single crystals with oxalic acid and sodium hydroxide. The ZSM-5 zeolite has been synthesized using silica extracted from fly ash. Zeolite desilication results in the potholes, leaf-type structures and other clearly visible defects on the surface of zeolite crystallites, while the effect of dealumination is less pronounced. The low temperature nitrogen adsorption suggests the formation of mesopores in the zeolites formed by the voids between and in the irregular zeolite crystallites produced during post-synthesis treatments. 27Al and 29Si MAS NMR in combination with XRD data are indicative of only minor modifications of the bulk zeolite structure during dealumination and desilication. The total Bronsted acidity only slightly decreases and is not affected by the type of zeolite post-synthesis treatment. After desilication of large single crystals of ZSM-5, noticeable enhancement of the Bronsted acidity on the zeolite external surface has been detected by FTIR of adsorbed collidine. The zeolites with higher acidity on the external surface have shown higher activity in the anisole acylation with hexanoic acid. A combination of characterization techniques suggests that the dealumination and desilication of the large crystals of ZSM-5 zeolite using post-synthesis treatments respectively with acid and alkali selectively starts at the zeolite external surface.

Inside-out sustainability: The neglect of inner worlds

In the context of continuing ecosystem degradation and deepening socio-economic inequality, sustainability scientists must question the adequacy of current scholarship and practice. We argue that pre-occupation with external phenomena and collective social structures has led to the neglect of people’s ‘inner worlds’—their emotions, thoughts, identities and beliefs. These lie at the heart of actions for sustainability, and have powerful transformative capacity for system change. The condition of people’s inner worlds ought to also be considered a dimension of sustainability itself. Compassion, empathy and generosity, for example, are personal characteristics that mark individual expressions of sustainability. Sustainability science must take inner life more seriously by considering how language shapes and is shaped by paradigms about the world, prioritising enquiry into how spirituality, contemplation and sustainability transformation relate, and encouraging scholars and practitioners to intentionally cultivate their inner worlds to strengthen inner resources necessary for addressing sustainability challenges.

Band gap tuning of defective silicon carbide nanotubes under external electric field: Density functional theory

We have theoretically investigated the effect of applying longitudinal and transverse electric field on silicon carbide nanotubes with different orientations of Stone Wales defects. We found that each type of Stone Wales defects maintained different formation energy. We have also successfully proved that the orientation of Stone Wales defects in silicon carbide nanotubes response quite differently upon applying external electric field, whereas, two important and interesting phenomena were observed. First, the semiconductor-metal phase transition occurred in silicon carbide nanotubes as well as the three types of Stone Wales defects. However, clear band gap variations were observed in all silicon carbide nanotubes under study. Second, the band gap variations in pristine silicon carbide nanotubes and nanotubes with different orientations of Stone Wales defects have the same trend, even though all silicon carbide nanotubes have clear band gap values under different strengths of the applied external electric field. However, band gap tuning under longitudinal electric field is less significant compared to band gap tuning under the transverse electric field.

Study on hump characteristics of pump turbine with different guide vane exit angles

In order to study the influence of different guide vane outlet angles on the external characteristic hump phenomenon under the pump mode of pump turbine with splitter blades, the pump work condition of a pump turbine model pump of a pumped storage generator unit in China was studied. Three different guide vane outlet angle models of 9.6, 17.5 and 25.6 were selected to discuss the variation law of hump characteristics with the guide vane outlet angle under the pump working condition, and the internal flow pattern of the draft tube, impeller and guide vane region was studied. The results show that the calculated external characteristic curves of the three different guide vane exit angles are in good agreement with the test results under the corresponding working conditions. With the increase of the guide vane exit angle, the hump phenomenon becomes more and more obvious and appears earlier, and the smaller the guide vane exit angle is, the higher the head is. There is no wide high efficiency region under the small guide vane exit angle, and the high efficiency region widens as the guide vane exit angle increases. There are secondary flow and backflow in the vane rotating passage, and a large number of whirlpools exist in the guide vane basin. Due to the existence of these bad flow state, the flow loss is greatly increased and the head is reduced, which eventually leads to the hump phenomenon of the external characteristic curve.

Transparent high-pressure nozzles for visualization of nozzle internal and external flow phenomena.

A new design for transparent high-pressure nozzles is presented in this work. This new design enables using the innovative Selective Laser Etching (SLE) method to manufacture transparent nozzles with outstanding accuracy. Therefore, not only the simultaneous visualization of the flow mechanics inside and outside the nozzle is enabled, but the manufacturing method applied also allows for the realization of individual nozzle geometries. Thus, nozzle internal flow phenomena (e.g., cavitation, swirl, and air inlet) and their influence on primary breakup can be analyzed with realistic nozzle geometries, e.g., for automotive applications. In addition, targeted three dimensional nozzle geometric parameters can be designed and manufactured in order to get specific tailor-made spray characteristics (e.g., droplet size distribution, spray angle, and penetration length). The basis for the transparent nozzle design is a two-parted nozzle, consisting of a re-machined original serial nozzle body and a transparent nozzle tip. The innovative SLE is used to produce the geometry of the transparent nozzle tip in fused silica, and laser polishing is utilized to achieve a maximum optical quality of nozzle surfaces for visualization. Bonding of both nozzle parts is achieved by a specially designed adhesive method. For a first feasibility study, a transparent nozzle with a simplified nozzle geometry is manufactured and used for a first study. In this study, simultaneous investigation of nozzle internal flow phenomena and their impact on spray breakup are visualized. First microscopic images of the nozzle internal flow show the formation of cavitation, its effect on nozzle internal temperature (apparent by differences in the fluid refractive index), and also the corresponding impact on spray breakup during injection. The penetration of ambient gas into the nozzle is verified at the end of injection as well as the influence of this air on the spray formation during the start of injection.

Philosophical prospective of organisational learning

This article reviews and evaluates the concepts of the philosophical foundation of the organisational learning. Drawing on established literature in the field of organisational learning, the authors analyse learning from three perspectives - epistemological, ontological and sociological. They argue that how different internal and external phenomenon gives birth to the learning in organisation and how the organisation can benefit utilising them for the better management and productive engagement. The study concludes with some practical suggestions about how organisations can increase their ability to learn.

ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯ ТУРИЗМУ ІСПАНІЇ В УМОВАХ ПЕРІОДИЧНИХ КОНФЛІКТІВ

The current state of tourism organization in Spain is investigated. Methods of analysis, synthesis, historical, statistical, comparative- geographical, political marketing are used. The features of the influence of the Catalan conflict on the tourist activity of Spain are considered. It was found that the Catalan conflict reduces the intensity of tourism activities in the region, but is not a deterrent for tourists. The mechanism of the organization of tourist activity in the conditions of periodic conflicts is revealed. It was found that the tourism sector in Spain for the first time faced with the change of a long cycle, which suggests a new era in which digitization is the catalyst for this. This entails breaking the traditional value chain, conferring, on the one hand, a Central role to the tourist, with a more demanding and critical profile and perhaps more decision-making power. The market has clearly turned into a market of demand, forcing an in-depth rethinking of the tourism marketing strategy, which should be based on the tourist. Six strategic objectives have been identified that meet the relevant tactical objectives depending on the geographical area and the purpose of the strategic marketing plan, attracting quality and sustainable tourism demand. It is established that positive changes in tourism activity in Spain are due to the development of a new strategic plan for the development of tourism. It is indicated that the Catalan conflict is of concern in the organization of tourism activities, so it involved some steps that will contribute to the aggravation of the conflict, reduce its impact. It was found that the strategic goal involves taking risks, namely external phenomena such as political instability, lack of security or other international events that are very difficult to predict. The positive components of marketing activities, which are proposed to be implemented in Ukraine in order to overcome the negative consequences of the conflict in the post-conflict period, are obtained.

Learning Process Monitoring of e-Learning for Corporate Education

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to conduct a monitoring study on the learning process of e-learning contents. This study has two research objectives. First, by conducting monitoring research on the learning process, we aim to explore the implications for content development that reflects future student needs. Second, we want to collect empirical basic data on the estimation of appropriate amount of learning. Research design, data, and methodology - This study is a case study of learner's learning process in e-learning. After completion of the study, an in-depth interview was made after conducting a test to measure the total amount of cognitive load and the level of engagement that occurred during the learning process. The tool used to measure cognitive load is NASA-TLX, a subjective cognitive load measurement method. In the monitoring process, we observe external phenomena such as page movement and mouse movement path, and identify cognitive activities such as Think-Aloud technique. Results - In the total of three research subjects, the two courses showed excess learning time compared to the learning time, and one course showed less learning time than the learning time. This gives the following implications for content development. First, it is necessary to consider the importance of selecting the target and contents level according to the level of the subject. Second, it is necessary to design the learner participation activity that meets the learning goal level and to calculate the appropriate time accordingly. Third, it is necessary to design appropriate learning support strategy according to the learning task. This should be considered in designing lessons. Fourth, it is necessary to revitalize contents design centered on learning activities such as simulation. Conclusions - The implications of the examination system are as follows. First, it can be confirmed that there is difficulty in calculating the amount of learning centered on learning time and securing objective objectivity. Second, it can be seen that there are various variables affecting the actual learning time in addition to the content amount. Third, there is a need for reviewing the system of examination of learning amount centered on 'learning time'.

Some Problems with Scientific Relativism and Moral Realism

In its early development philosophy of science did not allow the possibility of a relativistic approach with regard to explanation of external phenomena. Relativism was seen as justified exclusively with regard to internal phenomena, for example, in the realm of moral and aesthetic judgment. In the realm of moral judgment, external realism functions as a necessary hypothesis, according to which our moral judgment and moral decisions have a real effect in the external world, for which we can be held responsible. A paradigm shift in the theory of science, inaugurated by Th. S. Kuhn, led to the rise of relativism with regard to judgment in the realm of external phenomena and specifically with regard to the validity of scientific theories. Critics of relativism do not take into account that it is not enough to point out the logical inconsistency of relativism. Most arguments for scientific justification of external realism are doomed to failure, because they do not take into account the role of the judgmental subject. In this article I will show that the role of “second nature” is significant not only for the constitution of moral realism, but also for the implementation of scientific naturalism.

The Social Construction of Official Statistics: The Case of the UK ‘Measuring National Well-being’ Programme

This article is interested in the process of official statistic-making which, it is argued, has previously only been lightly examined. It makes the case that role of statistics in public discourse makes them an important object of study but that while literatures exist around the topic of official statistics, they tend to present their subject as neutral factual claims rather than purposeful interpretations of phenomena. This article seeks to contribute to literatures around the nature of the official statistic by examining official statistic making as a social process, one in which agents act with and against both structures and each other to produce contingent readings of external phenomena. This is done through an examination of moments in the process of the making of the UK’s ‘Measuring National Well-being’ programme. These moments show a statistical outcome which is shaped by agents acting to serve a multitude of ends. It is argued that considerations of official statistics from the standpoint of their production allow new ways of understanding the form and content of statistics, and with it the uses to which they are put.

A soft-sensor approach to mixing rate determination in powder mixers

Mixing of powders is of great importance in food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. However, direct online measurement of mixing is impractical due to difficulties in real-time particle sampling. In such systems, soft-sensors placed external to the equipment may be used to indirectly determine the behaviour of the system using relationships between internal and external phenomena. In this paper, a soft-sensor approach is studied for a ribbon powder mixer with 0, 2, 4 and 6 impeller spokes, and 20, 30, 40 and 50% volumetric particle filling, using two types of particles of different densities and a fixed impeller speed of 100 RPM. The particle data are based on DEM simulation results in a previous study. Force sensors along the underside of the mixer identify the number of particle-wall contacts and the force experienced by the sensors during the DEM simulations. This information is used along with mixing data to determine a relationship between external force data and internal mixing behaviour. The dividing rectangles global optimisation technique is used to approximate the mixing rate coefficient from particle data, and principal component analysis is used to develop a fast and practical means to estimate the mixing rate coefficient using only readings from external force sensors. This approach is then extended to allow for real time estimation of the required mixing time.

Smartphone audio port data collection cookbook

The audio port of a smartphone is designed to send and receive audio but can be harnessed for portable, economical, and accurate data collection from a variety of sources. While smartphones have internal sensors to measure a number of physical phenomena such as acceleration, magnetism and illumination levels, measurement of other phenomena such as voltage, external temperature, or accurate timing of moving objects are excluded. The audio port cannot be only employed to sense external phenomena. It has the additional advantage of timing precision; because audio is recorded or played at a controlled rate separated from other smartphone activities, timings based on audio can be highly accurate. The following outlines unpublished details of the audio port technical elements for data collection, a general data collection recipe and an example timing application for Android devices.
 Received: 5 January 2018, Accepted: 20 April 2018; Edited by: A. Martí, M. Monteiro; Reviewed by: P. Jeanjacquot, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon – Institut Francais de lEducation, France; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4279/PIP.100006
 Cite as: K Forinash, R Wisman, Papers in Physics 10, 100006 (2018)
 This paper, by K Forinash, R Wisman, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0.

Behavioural location theory – evolution, tools and future

The behavioural location theory emphasises high importance of the limited rationality and the subjective perception of space in selecting of the location for a business activity. The article discusses key competencies from the scope of behavioural location theory. Ac-cording to the Authors, the behavioural location theory is rather complementary than competitive in relation to the neoclassical or modern approach, as it allows to explain the deviations of the decision-makers from the optimisation behaviour.

Education: 7. Integrality of Musical Education Lesson – Praxeological Perspectives

Abstract One of the most important goals of modern pedagogy is to identify the educational potential, to define ways of asserting man as a subject of cognition, communication and creation. This article investigates the praxeological aspects of the musical education lesson, expressed through the concept of integrality. The issue of integrality is one of the key concerns related to man's cognition of reality: the integrality of internal and external phenomena (cognitive and affective); the logics that moves the processes of cognition; the categories of the integral system, divided into partitioned / whole and others. From this perspective, for a fundamental change in education, a global and unitary vision is needed on the concept of integrality and on the activity of personality formation and development.

Convective drying of fermented Amazonian cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao var. Forasteiro). Experiments and mathematical modeling

The general objective of this work is to contribute to the characterization and the mathematical modeling of the convective drying of fermented Amazonian cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao var. Forasteiro). A combined approach is used, including the analysis of the bean physical characteristics, the determination of the bean sorption isotherms, the realization of drying experiments in a convective dryer (for different operating conditions) and the development of a mathematical model, based on the different transport (heat and mass) phenomena involved inside and outside the beans during their drying. The results show that the drying of an Amazonian cocoa bean can be divided in two phases. It is demonstrated that this is due to the combination of two elements. First, the initial volumetric concentration of water is higher in the shell than in the core of the bean. Second, at the beginning of the drying, the drying rate is controlled by both internal and external transport phenomena while, in the second part of the drying (for moisture content of the bean below 0.5kg of water/kg of dry matter), it is totally controlled by the water diffusion inside the bean. The model is compared to the experimental results in order to characterize the effective diffusion coefficient of water inside a bean. It is shown that this diffusion coefficient approximately doubles when the temperature is increased from 30 to 60°C. It is close to 1.5×10−10m2/s at 60°C. Finally, measuring the polyphenol content of the dry beans allows assessing that, regarding chocolate quality, the fermented Amazonian cocoa beans should be dried at 30–40°C.

Situating mental time travel in the broad context of temporal cognition: A neural systems approach

Mental time travel (MTT) is the ability of remembering personal past events or thinking about possible personal future happenings. This mental property is possible due to our capacity to be aware of subjective time, which enables us to experience the flow of time, to conceive non-present times, and to process time as a dimension of real world phenomena. Temporal cognition encompasses the mental functions which rely on temporal information enabling the experience of the temporal flow and the processing of the temporal dimension of external phenomena. Given the broad range of our time experiences and, hence, the broad scope of our temporal cognition, it is expected that certain kinds of temporal information can be of particular importance when we mentally transport ourselves to events in the past or future, whereas others could be unrelated to this mental property. The present paper seeks to situate the process of MTT within human temporal cognition. This will be done by identifying the commonalities and differences in the neural correlates of MTT and those of the three main subjective time processing systems, namely metric timing, ordinal timing and autobiographical timing.Keywords: mental time travel, time perception, temporal cognition.

Nonlinear dynamics of mushy layers induced by external stochastic fluctuations.

The time-dependent process of directional crystallization in the presence of a mushy layer is considered with allowance for arbitrary fluctuations in the atmospheric temperature and friction velocity. A nonlinear set of mushy layer equations and boundary conditions is solved analytically when the heat and mass fluxes at the boundary between the mushy layer and liquid phase are induced by turbulent motion in the liquid and, as a result, have the corresponding convective form. Namely, the 'solid phase-mushy layer' and 'mushy layer-liquid phase' phase transition boundaries as well as the solid fraction, temperature and concentration (salinity) distributions are found. If the atmospheric temperature and friction velocity are constant, the analytical solution takes a parametric form. In the more common case when they represent arbitrary functions of time, the analytical solution is given by means of the standard Cauchy problem. The deterministic and stochastic behaviour of the phase transition process is analysed on the basis of the obtained analytical solutions. In the case of stochastic fluctuations in the atmospheric temperature and friction velocity, the phase transition interfaces (mushy layer boundaries) move faster than in the deterministic case. A cumulative effect of these noise contributions is revealed as well. In other words, when the atmospheric temperature and friction velocity fluctuate simultaneously due to the influence of different external processes and phenomena, the phase transition boundaries move even faster. This article is part of the theme issue 'From atomistic interfaces to dendritic patterns'.This article is part of the theme issue 'From atomistic interfaces to dendritic patterns'.