Previous Literature Research Articles

Inference of highly time-resolved melt pool visual characteristics and spatially-dependent lack-of-fusion defects in laser powder bed fusion using acoustic and thermal emission data

With a growing demand for high-quality fabrication, the interest in real-time process and defect monitoring of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) has increased, leading manufacturers to incorporate a variety of online sensing methods including acoustic sensing, photodiode sensing, and high-speed imaging. However, real-time acquisition of high-resolution melt pool images in particular remains computationally demanding in practice due to the high variability of melt pool morphologies and the limitation of data caching and transfer, making it challenging to detect the local lack-of-fusion (LOF) defect occurrences. In this work, we propose a new acoustic and thermal information-based monitoring method that can robustly infer critical LPBF melt pool morphological features in image forms and detect spatially-dependent LOF defects within a short time period. We utilize wavelet scalogram matrices of acoustic and photodiode clip data to identify and predict highly time-resolved (within a 1.0 ms window) visual melt pool characteristics via a well-trained data-driven pipeline. With merely the acoustic and photodiode-collected thermal emission data as the input, the proposed pipeline enables data-driven inference and tracking of highly variable melt pool visual characteristics with R2≥0.8. We subsequently validate our proposed approach to infer local LOF defects between two adjacent scanlines, showing that our proposed approach can outperform our selected baseline theoretical model based on previous literature. Revealing the physical correlation between airborne acoustic emission, thermal emission, and melt pool morphology, our work demonstrates the feasibility of creating an efficient and cost-effective acoustic- and thermal-based approach to facilitate online visual melt pool characterization and LOF defect detection. We believe that our work can further contribute to the advances in quality control for LPBF.

Mediating effect of financial inclusion on FinTech innovations and economic development in West Africa: Evidence from the Benin Republic

AbstractStudies from previous literature has exhausted the direct relationship between FinTech innovations and economic development with mixed findings. Thus, the current study investigates the mediating effect of financial inclusion on FinTech innovations and economic development in the Benin Republic. The study is survey research that used a questionnaire from bank customers and residents of suburb areas with a sample size of 357 respondents. The study employed a regression‐based data analysis technique using SPSS and SEM‐PLS 3 software. The results indicate a positive and significant relationship between FinTech and economic development. In addition, there is a positive and significant association between financial inclusion and economic development. The study also reports a positive and significant mediating role of financial inclusion in the relationship between financial technology and economic development. Consequently, the research confirms that financial inclusion serves as a crucial mechanism through which financial technology influences economic development. In light of these findings, it is recommended that efforts to enhance financial inclusion in the Benin Republic should specifically focus on fostering FinTech innovations to support sustainable economic development.

전이성 호르몬 민감성 전립선암 치료를 위한 안드로겐 수용체 표적 저해제 사용의 비용-효용 분석 방법에 대한 체계적 문헌고찰

As the clinical effectiveness of androgen receptor targeting agents (ARTAs) has been proven, countries worldwide recommend ARTAs treatment to delay the progression of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). This study aimed to summarize the methods and data resources by systematically reviewing the cost-utility analysis (CUA) studies of ARTAs in patients with mHSPC. PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases were utilized for literature searches, and the relevant studies were selected with pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria according to the PRISMA guideline. The Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist was used to assess selected studies’ risk-of-bias. Of the 362 publications identified initially, ten eligible studies from six countries were included. All studies were trial-based CUA studies. Ten studies were selected which included eighteen CUAs (eight abiraterone acetate, four apalutamide, and six enzalutamide as interventions, and the comparator was ADT with ARTAs or docetaxel, or ADT alone). Eight studies used Markov models with key health states (mHSPC, mCRPC, death), while the rest were structured as partitioned survival analysis model and descriptive-analytical model, respectively. All the transition probabilities were derived from the pivotal clinical studies. Utility values were calculated by referring to studies that directly measured utility values such as randomized controlled trials or previous literature on economic evaluations or utility, while costs were estimated from real-world data from each country. The reporting quality of studies is valid from 79.2% to 100% (median 95.8%). The results of this study can serve as valid input values for elaborating CUA studies of ARTAs in the future.

Labor Force Participation of Central American Migrant Women in Mexico

Central Americans living in Mexico remain a small group (100 thousand) relative to the size of the Mexican population. However, they experienced accelerated growth between 2000 and 2020, with Guatemalans as the largest group and Hondurans as the most dynamic one. The previous literature has found a positive and significant, albeit decreasing, income advantage of Central American workers in Mexico. Meanwhile, the percentage of migrant women reported as spouses has gone down and the female labor force has increased. The paper uses information from the 2000, 2010, and 2020 Mexican censuses as well as the 2015 Intercensal Survey to compare access to the labor market for men and women from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras residing in Mexico. We compare marital status, female labor force participation, main economic sectors, human capital, and income levels of the men and women of each of the three nationalities considered, seeking to identify from a gender perspective the differentiated labor performance of each nationality.

Exploring an Effective International Higher Education Partnership Model Through Virtual Student Mobility Programs: A Case Study

Purpose This study examined the role of virtual student mobility (VSM) programs in developing international education partnerships and explored key factors for building successful transnational partnerships. Design/Approach/Methods Drawing on Yin’s case study approach, we explored several VSM programs offered by a Japanese national university in partnership with four research universities in China. Data sources included an autoethnographic account of planning and organizing virtual exchange programs and interviews with the partner universities’ virtual exchange program coordinators as well as with students who took different virtual exchange courses under the partnership. Findings Our case study showed that VSM models require significant collaboration, support, and commitment from universities to offer high-quality exchange programs. The initial establishment of VSM programs relies on existing relationships, clear communication, and a commitment to collaborate; however, VSM programs’ success depends heavily on the quality of online support, as well as inter-university communication and collaboration between administrators and faculty and intra-university communication and collaboration with partner universities. Based on the research results and the previous literature on international higher education partnerships, we propose a renewed partnership model in VSM comprising three main characteristics: (1) effective coordination and support, (2) effective communication, and (3) a commitment to partnership. Originality/Value Amidst emerging VSM models in higher education, this study contributes to the literature by proposing a renewed partnership model for sustaining VSM programs.

Individual differences and the transposed letter effect during reading.

When a preview contains substituted letters (SL; markey) word identification is more disrupted for a target word (monkey), compared to when the preview contains transposed letters (TL; mnokey). The transposed letter effect demonstrates that letter positions are encoded more flexibly than letter identities, and is a robust finding in adults. However, letter position encoding has been shown to gradually become more flexible as reading skills develop. It is unclear whether letter position encoding flexibility reaches maturation in skilled adult readers, or whether some differences in the magnitude of the TL effect remain in relation to individual differences in cognitive skills. We examined 100 skilled adult readers who read sentences containing a correct, TL or SL preview. Previews were replaced by the correct target word when the reader's gaze triggered an invisible boundary. Cognitive skills were assessed and grouped based on overlapping variance via Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and subsequently used to predict eye movement measures for each condition. Consistent with previous literature, adult readers were found to generally encode letter position more flexibly than letter identity. Very few differences were found in the magnitude of TL effects between adults based on individual differences in cognitive skills. The flexibility of letter position encoding appears to reach maturation (or near maturation) in skilled adult readers.

A virtual gym in your pocket: the influence of augmented reality exercise app characteristics on user’s continuance intention

In recent years, with the development of augmented reality (AR) technology and the prevalence of COVID-19, augmented reality exercise applications (AREAs) have entered people’s lives and changed people’s exercise ways. However, there is still little research on how AREAs affect users’ continuance intention, which limits our deeper understanding of the further use of AREAs by users for the potential benefits they provide. This study investigates the role of AREAs by proposing the original proposition of AREAs characteristic classification based on previous AR literature and dividing their characteristics into two categories: service and system characteristics. Through an online empirical study, 398 valid questionnaires were collected to test the hypotheses using the structural equation model. The results showed that hedonic and utilitarian value and presence are vital inner states which mediate the influence of service and system characteristics on user’s satisfaction and continuance intention. The results further show that only hedonic value is found to have a positive and significant relationship with continuance intention. This study contributes to the literature in the AR field by examining how different AR application characteristics affect user continuance intention in the context of sports and fitness. It also suggests that practitioners should identify the impact of different characteristics on user value and focus on the hedonic aspects of the application.

Study on the development path of cultural tourism integration in Yubai Village in the context of rural revitalization

As a historical node on the coal transportation route along the Old Road of Western Beijing, Yubai Village served as an important business travel station. However, as time passed by, the Old Road of Western Beijing transport line gradually declined, the Mentougou District coal yard shut down, the service function of Yubai Village disappeared, and the local industry development became slow, necessitating revitalization of the village economy. At present, rural revitalization has become an important strategy to promote rural modernization, and Yubai village has ushered in new opportunities for development. The village can rely on its regional advantages, adjust its own development direction, and become a distribution center on the tourism route. Based on the previous field investigation and literature review of Yubai Village, this paper integrates the current resources of the village, analyzes its realistic development predicament, and, from the perspective of culture and tourism integration, proposes new strategies suitable for the development of Yubai Village, such as improving the overall reception services, improving the village landscape node, improving the village road system, carrying out research and education activities, and developing derivative cultural and creative brands. The purposes are to extend the stay time of tourists and give full play to the function of a service station, realize the revitalization of industry, promote the economic development of the village, and provide a reference for the development of similar villages in the future.

Survey of the multi-stage mass spectrometry of common ionic liquid cations and some polyfluorinated ions

Ionic liquids are useful for many applications and the structural diversity as a class is ever increasing. Knowledge of gas-phase dissociation pathways can inform analytical method development for the characterization of novel syntheses, degradation products, or environmental contaminants, and can inform our knowledge of the fate of ionic liquid species in the gas phase (e.g., after ejection by electrospray spacecraft thrusters). In this work, the N-heterocyclic (NHC) ions:1-butyl-1-methylpiperidinium (BMPi), 1-methyl-1-propylpiperidinium (MPPi), 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (BMPyr), 1-ethyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (EMPyr), 1-butylpyridinium (BPy), and 1-Butyl-1-(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl) imidazolium (BFIm) were studied. An additional fluorinated anion, nonafluorobutanesulfonate (NFBS), was also studied. Collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry (CID-MS), as MS2 and MS3 using an ion trap mass spectrometer and energy-resolved breakdown curves using a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer, were used to determine dissociation patterns. Assignment of proposed dissociation pathways were made based on the experimental results and complementary computational chemistry. It was observed that for aromatic NHCs, cleavage at the C–N bond was preferred, to generate alkene-based neutral losses. Non-aromatic NHCs typically generated both alkane- and alkene-based neutral losses. Breakdown curves, supported by theoretical thermodynamic calculations, suggest that the loss of the alkane is the favorable dissociation pathway. Additionally, some ring-opening and ring contraction reactions via C–C bond cleavage were observed in non-aromatic species, whereas the intact aromatic NHC is typically a stable terminal ion. The polyfluorinated imidazolium fragmented via the breaking of C–N, C–C, and C–F bonds. The fluorinated anion, NFBS, fragmented by C–C and C–S bond cleavage to generate fluoroalkene, sulfur dioxide, and sulfur trioxide neutral losses. Beyond these broad stroke findings, the dissociation pathways of the seven ionic liquid ions were mapped using evidence from MS3, breakdown curves, and computational chemistry together assigning product ions as either arising from competitive or sequential pathways and proposing tentative structures. Some of the ionic liquid ions showed class-based product ions which will be useful in analytical development for their characterization. Finally, these results were contextualized within previous literature reports on other ionic liquid species.

Message-sidedness in performance information disclosure and citizens’ perceived accountability

ABSTRACT Governments disclose performance information to citizens on the assumption that doing so helps improve public accountability. The previous literature implies that citizens’ interpretations of such information are shaped by the information’s presentation types, however, it is not known whether one-sided messages (only positive information) and two-sided messages (adding negative attributes to the one-sided messages) have different effects on citizens’ perceptions regarding government information disclosure. Drawing on attribution-correspondence theory and utilizing a large-scale survey experiment conducted in Korea, this study demonstrates that two-sided performance message is more effective in improving the citizens’ perceptions of governmental transparency and accountability than one-sided message.

Factors Affecting Construction Delay in Residences

Construction projects in India are facing delays. It is essential to create a clear understanding among experts in the field and carry out an in-depth analysis of the causes of delays because the volume and capacity of the Indian construction sector have changed significantly over the past ten years. Construction delays have a considerable influence on residential projects budgets, schedules, and stakeholder satisfaction. Construction delays are a big issue in the residential construction industry since they increase costs, cause time delays, and disrupt quality. It is crucial to pinpoint the primary causes of these delays in order to reduce the effect they have on project performance. This research study attempts to give a thorough understanding of the factors that contribute to construction delays in residences. This study synthesises previous literature and research findings to investigate a number of factors, their interactions, and their influence on project delays. In order to properly manage and reduce construction delays in residential construction projects, the review underlines the relevance of recognising these aspects.

AI pricing algorithms under platform competition

AbstractPlatforms play an essential role in the modern economy. At the same time, due to advances in artificial intelligence (AI), algorithms are becoming more widely used for pricing and other business functions. Previous literature examined algorithmic pricing, but not in the context of network effects and platforms. Moreover, platform competition literature has not considered how algorithms may affect competition. We study the performance of AI pricing algorithms (Q-learning and Particle Swarm Optimization) and naïve algorithms (price-matching) under platform competition. We find that algorithms set an optimal price structure that internalizes network effects. However, no algorithm is always the best because profitability depends on the type of competing algorithms and market characteristics, such as differentiation and network effects. Additionally, algorithms learn autonomously when an equilibrium is unstable and avoid it. When algorithm adoption is an endogenous strategic decision, several algorithms can be adopted in equilibrium; we characterize the conditions for the various outcomes and show that the equilibrium and platform profits are sensitive to algorithm design changes. Overall, our research suggests that AI algorithms can be effective in the presence of network effects, and platforms are likely to adopt a variety of algorithms. Lastly, we reflect on the business value of AI and identify opportunities for future research at the intersection of AI algorithms and platforms.

In-between the West and the other: Postcolonial contradictions in Korean students’ understandings of Islam

ABSTRACT This study investigated how Korean students understand Islam, Islamic cultures, and Muslims by conducting open-ended, task-based interviews with 29 participants. Findings indicate the students believed that Islamic customs and cultures stalled in premodern periods and that Islamic ideas could not harmonise with the values of present-day society and might even be dangerous. At the same time, students showed sympathy towards Muslims, recognising them as marginalised throughout the world, including in Korean society. These contradictory ideas are discussed in relation to the postcolonial context in South Korea: students’ perceptions of Islam are situated in a unique context involving colonial experiences of being oppressed intertwined with Westernised perspectives. By revealing the conflicting understandings of Islam among non-Western students, this study adds complexity to the previous literature on Islamophobic understandings of students in Western countries.

Fractal study of electrical conductivity and streaming potential in rough fractured porous media

Research has demonstrated the significant influence of surface roughness on electrical conductivity and streaming potential. This article presents a model for the flow potential in a porous medium with rough fractures, based on fractal theory and representative elementary volume theory. Expressions for the model’s permeability, conductivity, and coupling coefficient between flow and potential are derived. The results indicate that both the relative roughness and structural parameters of the model have certain effects on the conductivity and coupling coefficient. By comparing experimental data from previous literature with the predicted values from the model, the correctness and effectiveness of the model are validated.

Factors influencing Digital Transformation Success: A Study on a Sri Lankan Commercial Bank

The purpose of this research was to identify the most influencing factors to the success of Digital Transformation (DT) journey of a commercial bank in meeting the digital savvy, dynamic customer demand in the banking business. The study has focused on the predominant stages of Digital Transformation, various theoretical models related to DT, the influence of the DT over Banking Industry, Benefits, Challenges and Barriers of DT along with various internal factors influencing Success of DT. The expansion of the DT phenomenon at national level over the years with the regulatory influence has urged Commercial Banks to digitally transform to be in the competition. The low success rate reported consistently for a considerable period in the selected commercial bank was identified as the Research problem for the study. The respondents have been selected from the population of managerial level employees and the scaling down of DT success had been concentrated on the empirically used “Digital Maturity Model”. The conceptual framework consists of four independent variables contributing to DT success most cautiously selected by researchers from the previous literature on the higher frequency in simultaneous research. The Author recommends the strategies and measures to increase the low success rate reported in the DT initiatives of the Banks such as (1) Recognizing Change and urgent response (2) Strategic Alignment (3) Reinvigoration of Culture (4) Training and upskilling workforce (5) Business perspective Technology disruption (6) Significance on Data Culture and (7) Digital Product Development. The research significantly covers the theoretical gap in the DT discipline in local context and by assessing the internal factors subject to inside-out approach anticipating making a reference to support sustainable future growth in the Digital Business in the Banking Industry despite the limitations of individuals researching on a typical discipline like Digital Transformation. Keywords: Digital Business, Digital Maturity Model, Digital Savvy, Digital Transformation.

Effectiveness of Ultrasonic and Manual Instrumentation in Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy: Are Additional Therapies More Effective? A Systematic Review

Nonsurgical periodontal therapy aims to remove supragingival and subgingival biofilm to restore periodontal health. This systematic review aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of manual and/or ultrasonic instruments and to determine whether other therapies can improve periodontal clinical outcomes. Case-control, cross-sectional and cohort studies and clinical trials of patients undergoing nonsurgical periodontal therapy with ultrasonic and/or manual instruments (and any adjunctive therapies, such as glycine, erythritol, ozone, laser and glycine) from 2013 to 2023 were analyzed using Pub-med/MEDLINE, Scopus and Google Scholar. To assess the risk of bias in this review, blinding, randomization, allocation concealment, outcome data and outcome recording were assessed. No differences between treatments were found; all methods, including manual and ultrasound, were helpful in improving clinical parameters (primary outcome). Although the results were mixed, adjunctive therapies seemed to be helpful in the treatment of periodontal disease. The results of this systematic review are consistent with the previous scientific literature and have shown that both manual and ultrasonic instruments are effective in nonsurgical periodontal therapy. This review could not show how complementary therapies could further improve nonsurgical periodontal therapy. For future research, it would be good to standardize the sample with regard to the degree and stage of periodontal disease and to evaluate the risks and benefits of the instruments (manual and ultrasonic scalers).

Non-classical 11β-hydroxylase deficiency caused by a novel heterozygous mutation: a case report and review of the literature.

11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11β-OHD) constitutes a rare form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), typically accounting for ~5-8% of CAH cases. Non-classical 11β-OHD is reported even more rarely and frequently results in misdiagnosis or underdiagnosis due to its mild clinical symptoms. A clinical, biochemical, radiological, and genetic study was conducted on a 9-year-old girl presenting with mild breast development, axillary hair growth, and advanced bone age. Additionally, a comprehensive review and synthesis of the literature concerning 11β-OHD were conducted. The patient presented with breast enlargement, axillary hair development, and accelerated growth over the past year. Laboratory tests revealed levels of cortisol, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and progesterone that were below normal. A gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test suggested the possibility of central precocious puberty. Radiologic examination revealed a 2-year advance in bone age, while bilateral adrenal ultrasonography showed no abnormalities. Her mother exhibited hirsutism, while her father's physical examination revealed no abnormalities. Whole-exon genetic testing of the child and her parents indicated a heterozygous mutation of c.905_907delinsTT in exon 5 of the 11β-hydroxylase gene (CYP11B1) in the child and her mother. This mutation resulted in a substitution of aspartic acid with valine at amino acid position 302 of the coding protein. This frameshift resulted in a sequence of 23 amino acids, culminating in a premature stop codon (p.Asp302ValfsTer23). A review of the previous literature revealed that the majority of heterozygous mutations in 11β-OHD were missense mutations, occurring primarily in exons 2, 6, 7, and 8. The most common mutation among 11β-OHD patients was the change of Arg-448 to His (R448H) in CYP11B1. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses revealed that heterozygous mutation of c.905_907delinsTT had deleterious effects on the function of CYP11B1 and affected the stability of the protein, presumably leading to a partial impairment of enzyme activity. The results of the in vitro functional study demonstrated that the missense mutant (p.Asp302ValfsTer23) exhibited partial enzymatic activity. We report a novel heterozygous mutation of CYP11B1 (c.905_907delinsTT), enriching the spectrum of genetic variants of CYP11B1. This finding provides a valuable case reference for early diagnosis of non-classical patients with 11β-OHD.

Quantitative NMR Spectrometry of Phenylpropanoids, including Isoeugenol in Herbs, Spices, and Essential Oils.

Isoeugenol (2-methoxy-4-(1-propenyl)phenol) has been recently classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This study conducted an analysis of isoeugenol in common herbs and spices, including basil, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. Additionally, over 1300 coffee samples were analysed by 1H-NMR for isoeugenol, but it was not detected in any of the analysed samples. Various essential oils, including nutmeg, basil, clove, sweet flag, and ylang-ylang oils, were examined for isoeugenol content. Out of the twelve nutmeg oils tested, four contained isoeugenol, with concentrations ranging from 3.68 ± 0.09 g/kg to 11.2 ± 0.10 g/kg. However, isoeugenol was not detected in the essential oils of calamus, basil, ylang-ylang, and clove using NMR spectrometry. These findings warrant critical evaluation of the previous literature, given reports of high isoeugenol levels in some of these matrices. A toxicological assessment has determined that there is no risk to human health by exposure to isoeugenol via nutmeg essential oils.

Relationship of consumer behaviour in social media influences between perceived quality and brand awareness respectively towards brand image

This study aims to investigate how consumer behaviour in Malaysia is influenced by the characteristics of social media influencers who shape consumers' perceptions of drone quality and brand awareness. The research framework on brand recognition, brand loyalty and brand image were adopted from the previous literature. The Malaysian Gen-Z population with disposable income and who use social media are the target of this study. They were users of social media such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and email. Convenience sampling was used to deliver online surveys. A total of 230 samples were successfully collected. The findings indicate that brand awareness and perceived quality are positively and significantly impacted by social media influencers while brand image is positively and significantly impacted by perceived quality but not brand awareness. Perceived quality acts as a mediator between social media influencers and brand image. An analysis of prior research frameworks and studies was conducted to assess the relationship between drone brand image and influencers. Drone research has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this will address some knowledge gaps. A thorough comprehension of the principles of perceived quality and brand awareness is necessary in order to better comprehend the role that social media influencers can play in marketing consumer drone brands.

Mapping the Sustainable Development in Health Tourism: A Systematic Literature Review

Health tourism is recognised as a growing industry. Therefore, sustainable development in health tourism is crucial not only for the well-being of patients but also for destinations and communities. In this sense, sustainable development in health tourism aims to develop solutions related to the environmental, social, and economic challenges faced by the country and the tourism sector. After the COVID-19 pandemic, health tourism has become popular, and despite the increase in research related to the theme, the existing literature is still relatively fragmented and lacks a comprehensive view. This study addresses this gap by investigating sustainable development in health tourism through a systematic literature review. Ninety-three articles were collected from the Web of Science database. After subjecting them to bibliometric analysis, it is possible to examine the topic’s current state of the art. This research permits the systematisation of the existing literature into five areas: (1) stakeholders of sustainable tourism, (2) impact of COVID-19, (3) health tourism, (4) challenges and opportunities, and (5) sustainability values. This research provides significant contributions to the field of sustainable development in health tourism. Firstly, it sheds light on aspects that previous literature has examined, offering valuable insights into the drivers of sustainable development in health tourism, thus enriching our comprehension of the subject. Additionally, the article delineates a prospective research agenda, suggesting various directions that can lay the foundation for upcoming inquiries and the development of pertinent theories for assessing the impact of sustainable development in health tourism.