Adjustment Process Research Articles

How the extreme 2019–2020 Australian wildfires affected global circulation and adjustments

Abstract. Wildfires are a significant source of absorbing aerosols in the atmosphere. Extreme fires in particular, such as those during the 2019–2020 Australian wildfire season (Black Summer fires), can have considerable large-scale effects. In this context, the climate impact of extreme wildfires unfolds not only because of the emitted carbon dioxide but also due to smoke aerosol released up to an altitude of 17 km. The overall aerosol effects depend on a variety of factors, such as the amount emitted, the injection height, and the composition of the burned material, and is therefore subject to considerable uncertainty. In the present study, we address the global impact caused by the exceptionally strong and high-reaching smoke emissions from the Australian wildfires using simulations with a global aerosol–climate model. We show that the absorption of solar radiation by the black carbon contained in the emitted smoke led to a shortwave radiative forcing of more than +5 W m−2 in the southern mid-latitudes of the lower stratosphere. Subsequent adjustment processes in the stratosphere slowed down the diabatically driven meridional circulation, thus redistributing the heating perturbation on a global scale. As a result of these stratospheric adjustments, a positive temperature perturbation developed in both hemispheres, leading to additional longwave radiation emitted back to space. According to the model results, this adjustment occurred in the stratosphere within the first 2 months after the event. At the top of the atmosphere (TOA), the net effective radiative forcing (ERF) averaged over the Southern Hemisphere was initially dominated by the instantaneous positive radiative forcing of about +0.5 W m−2, for which the positive sign resulted mainly from the presence of clouds above the Southern Ocean. The longwave adjustments led to a compensation of the initially net positive TOA ERF, which is seen in the Southern Hemisphere, the tropics, and the northern mid-latitudes. The simulated changes in the lower stratosphere also affected the upper troposphere through a thermodynamic downward coupling. Subsequently, increased temperatures were also obtained in the upper troposphere, causing a global decrease in relative humidity, cirrus amount, and the ice water path of about 0.2 %. As a result, surface precipitation also decreased by a similar amount, which was accompanied by a weakening of the tropospheric circulation due to the given energetic constraints. In general, it appears that the radiative effects of smoke from single extreme wildfire events can lead to global impacts that affect the interplay of tropospheric and stratospheric budgets in complex ways. This emphasizes that future changes in extreme wildfires need to be included in projections of aerosol radiative forcing.

Group Finance Companies and Dynamic Adjustment of Capital Structure of Related Listed Companies

ABSTRACT Using the data of all A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2018, we find that the group finance companies inhibit the dynamic adjustment speed of capital structure to their optimal level of the related listed companies. The reason is that the controlling shareholders may occupy the related deposits of listed companies in the finance companies. We find that the inhibition effect is more significant when the controlling shareholders’ shareholding ratio is low and the related party transactions are high, and is weakened after the implementation of the deleveraging policy. Moreover, the inhibition effect is significant in both the upward and downward adjustment processes. In addition, the finance companies make the deviation of capital structure of listed companies larger, and this effect is mainly reflected in upward deviation. We also find that the functions of finance companies will affect the dynamic adjustment of capital structure of listed companies.

Special concepts of edge regularity in the cubic fuzzy graph structure environment with an application

The cubic fuzzy graph structure is a tool for modeling problems, in which there are two fuzzy values for each variable and the relationships between them that cannot be expressed as a single fuzzy number. Inducing the same relationship among different subjects has an important effect on the understanding of uncertain problems. This is especially ambiguous and complicated when we are dealing with two different fuzzy values. With the aim of explaining edge regular in relationships among vertices, the current research has introduced this concept in the cubic fuzzy graph structure and expressed some of its characteristics. The edge regular and the total edge regularity are described in relation to several relationships. This concept has been applied in some special types such as the complete cubic fuzzy graph structure, and its results have been reviewed. Moreover, the vertex regular and its relationship with the edge regularity have been discussed. This study showed that the degree of vertices is effective in the edge adjustment process. In the end, an application of the topic under discussion is presented.

Cultural Navigation and Multiple Roles: Study of Adaptation of Minangkabau People in Overseas Land in the Perspective of the Proverb "Nan Sakuduang Jadi Saruik, Nan Salapeh Jadi Kambang"

This article focuses on immigration in Minangkabau culture and how Minangkabau people assimilate in foreign lands. Using the Minangkabau proverb "Nan sakuduang jadi saruik, nan salapeh jadi kambang" as a theoretical framework, this study examines how the Minangkabau people maintain and preserve their culture while contributing to and assimilating into the new society Identity ("nan sakuduang jadi saruik"). It ('nan salapeh jadi kambang'). Research methods included a literature review, in-depth interviews, and participatory observation of Minangkabau communities in multiple resettlement sites. The results of this study show that despite the challenges and obstacles, the Minangkabau people successfully navigated and adapted to a new culture without losing their own cultural identity. This study provides new insights into immigrant cultural dynamics and adjustment processes in the context of Minangkabau, and has the potential to make a significant contribution to broader cultural and social research.

Паритет технического и гуманитарного потенциалов общества как фактор его устойчивого развития

A thoughtful study of the historical process with all its ups and downs allows us to argue that at all turning points in the development of mankind such a characteristic feature of social consciousness as its humanitarian-instrumental dualism has clearly manifested itself. The subject of this study is interdependent and mutually complementary evolution of the two parameters of social intelligence — technical and humanitarian. Substantively the article is divided into two parts. The first discusses the possibilities of using reason in the field of morality. One of the main trump cards of ethical skeptics (non-cognitivists), D. Hume’s guillotine, is presented, and the conclusion is made that it only limits ways of justification of moral norms, but does not exclude this perspective in principle. Some of the foundations of ethical cognitivism are discussed, and a firm belief is expressed that this is the approach that needs to be cultivated by the educational system to provide a justificatory sentence to reason in the field of morality. The second part of the article is devoted to a description of various aspects of the techno-humanitarian balance model. It is shown that modernity is marked by a painful process of cultural-psychological adjustment to new information and communication technologies. Two levels of this process — global and existential — are distinguished. The role of education in mitigating the lapping and increasing its efficiency at each of these levels is assessed.

A myopic adjustment process for mean field games with finite state and action space

In this paper, we introduce a natural learning rule for mean field games with finite state and action space, the so-called myopic adjustment process. The main motivation for these considerations is the complexity of the computations necessary to determine dynamic mean field equilibria, which makes it seem questionable whether agents are indeed able to play these equilibria. We prove that the myopic adjustment process converges locally towards strict stationary equilibria under rather broad conditions. Moreover, we also obtain a global convergence result under stronger, yet intuitive conditions.

Are Mediators of Grief Reactions Better Predictors Than Risk Factors? A Study Testing the Role of Satisfaction With Rituals, Perceived Social Support, and Coping Strategies

The present study aimed to assess the mediating role of adjustment processes in known risk factors associated with prolonged grief disorder. Data were collected in March–April 2021 through an online survey of 542 Canadian adults bereaved since March 2020. The mediating role of satisfaction with funeral rituals, bereavement support, and coping strategies on grief outcomes was tested using structural equation modeling. Results showed that such adjustment processes played a significant role in the grief process and that they were better predictors than risk factors alone. Since they are more amenable determinants of grief reactions, they should be further studied using a longitudinal design.

Optimization of Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler Combustion Key Control Parameters Based on Machine Learning

During the coal-fired circulating fluidized bed unit participation in the peak regulation process of the power grid, the thermal automatic control system assists the operator to adjust the mode focusing on pollutant control and ignoring the economy so that the unit’s operating performance maintains a huge potential for deep mining. The high-dimensional and coupling-related data characteristics of circulating fluidized bed boilers put forward more refined and demanding requirements for combustion optimization analysis and open-loop guidance operation. Therefore, this paper proposes a combustion optimization method that incorporates neighborhood rough set machine learning. This method first reduces the control parameters affecting multi-objective combustion optimization with the neighborhood rough set algorithm that fully considers the correlation of each variable combination and then establishes a multi-objective combustion optimization prediction model by combining the online calculation of boiler thermal efficiency. Finally, the NSGAII algorithm realizes the optimization of the control parameter setting value of the boiler combustion system. The results show that this method reduces the number of control commands involved in combustion optimization adjustment from 26 to 11. At the same time, based on the optimization results obtained by using traditional combustion optimization methods under high, medium, and medium-low load conditions, the boiler thermal efficiency increased by 0.07%, decreased by 0.02%, and increased by 0.55%, respectively, and the nitrogen oxide emission concentration decreased by 5.02 mg/Nm3, 7.77 mg/Nm3, and 7.03 mg/Nm3, respectively. The implementation of this method can help better account for the economy and pollutant discharge of the boiler combustion system during the variable working conditions, guide the operators to adjust the combustion more accurately, and effectively reduce the ineffective energy consumption in the adjustment process. The proposal and application of this method laid the foundation for the construction of smart power plants.

Balancing home unit visibility and integration in host unit: understanding differences in repatriation adjustment processes

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the question of whether the repatriation adjustment process varies with different combinations of duration and purpose of international assignments.Design/methodology/approachA multiple-case study within one company was conducted based on in-depth interview data.FindingsThe authors find that learning-driven international assignments are more beneficial for career growth and receive better organizational support, as assignees are able to maintain regular communication (visibility) with the home unit. On the other hand, those on demand-driven, long-duration international assignments need to have a closer connection (integration) with employees in the host unit and find it challenging to maintain high visibility in the home unit simultaneously.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to existing research by highlighting that demand-driven assignees on longer assignments face greater challenges upon returning home. In addition, expatriates on short-term assignments face drastically fewer challenges than expatriates on longer assignments.

Dynamic Regulation Process of the Variable-Geometry Power Turbine

In this paper, the dynamic regulating process of a variable-geometry power turbine is investigated through wind-tunnel experiments. Particle image velocimetry is used to obtain the dynamic evolution of the flowfield in the cascade passage, including two adjustment processes of increasing and decreasing the throat area. During the test, snapshots of the clockwise/counterclockwise rotation of a blade in the range of to are processed with a piecewise time-averaged method. The results indicate that the macroscopic change in the flowfield structure mainly appears in the wake region and the high-velocity region. In this process, the velocity and flow angle change monotonously with the blade rotation. The change rate of velocity is determined by both the blade position and the dimensionless outlet location . The overall change rate of velocity when the blade approaches the design position is higher than that at other positions, and the airflow near the suction surface is more sensitive to the adjustment of the cascade geometry compared with that near the pressure surface. As for the flow angle, the specific value is mainly determined by the blade position, and the variation law is related to the blade rotation speed.

The 15 West African countries as an optimum currency area and the role of labour mobility in the adjustment to asymmetric shocks

This paper assesses the nature and correlation of shocks in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries and investigates the readiness of member countries for the formation of a monetary union. It also assesses the role of labour mobility as an adjustment mechanism to asymmetric shocks. Structural vector autoregression (SVAR) models are used in assessing the nature and correlation of shocks while cointegrated panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) models are employed to examine the role of labour mobility in the adjustment process to asymmetric shocks. The results show that the ECOWAS region is characterised by asymmetric shocks. The study also finds that most countries failed to consistently meet the convergence criteria for the formation of the monetary union and that labour mobility in the region is low to act as an efficient adjustment mechanism to asymmetric shocks. It takes about 2–5 years for member countries to adjust to asymmetric shocks through labour mobility.

Pengaruh Penyesuaian Diri Terhadap Stres Akademik pada Mahasiswa FKM Undana Kupang Selama Masa Pandemi Covid-19 di Tahun 2022

This study aims to determine the effect of adjustment to academic stress on students of the Faculty of Public Health, University of Nusa Cendana Kupang, during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022. The participants in this study were 400 students of the Faculty of Public Health, University of Nusa Cendana Kupang, for the 2021/2022 academic year. People were selected using a simple random sampling technique. This study uses a quantitative approach with a scale of student adjustment during Rovika's online learning in 2021 and Affani's academic stress scale during online learning in 2021, adapted from Bedewy & Gabriel's (2015) academic stress scale. Data analysis used a simple linear regression test. The results showed that there was a positive influence between adjustment and academic stress (p-value = 0.000; R² = 0.198), where adjustment contributed 19.6% to academic stress experienced by students of the Faculty of Public Health, University of Nusa Cendana Kupang for the 2021/2022 academic year. The higher the perceived academic stress, the better adjustment process is needed for each student during academic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022.

Bearing the burden of spill-over effects: Living with a woman affected by symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse after vaginal birth – from a partner’s perspective

IntroductionSymptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (sPOP) can have a negative impact on a woman’s health. While research exists about the impact of sPOP on women, little is known about the effect on their partners. Therefore, this study aimed to explore, from the partner’s perspective, what it means to live with a woman with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse after vaginal birth. MethodsA qualitative explorative design with a constructed grounded theory approach was taken to analyse the interviews of 13 partners who experienced living with a woman who had sPOP after vaginal birth. Results“The theory of bearing the burden of spill-over effects” was constructed based on a core category: “Facing a new restricted life”, with related categories “Giving up valued activities”; “Struggling with added demands”; “Changing intimate behaviour” and “Redefining future family planning”. The theory also contains factors constraining and enabling adjustment to the new reality. While the shortcomings of healthcare constrained the process of adjustment, getting competent treatment and the feeling of love for the family enabled it. ConclusionThis study demonstrated that women’s sPOP had an apparently negative impact on partners’ health behaviours, sexual health, relationship harmony, and psychological well-being.The partners indicated they were unprepared for post-birth adversities and distressed by the lack of treatment options. There is a need to develop prenatal information highlighting the potential risks of sPOP which may be accompanied by levator ani muscle injury, implement guidelines for the prevention and management of these conditions, and offer targeted support to partners if needed.

Subsistence consumption and natural resource depletion: Can resource-rich low-income countries realize sustainable consumption paths?

This contribution is concerned with efficient use of a resource if households are characterized by Stone–Geary preferences with a minimum subsistence level of consumption. Subsistence consumption implies particular minimum requirements for initial endowments with reproducible man-made capital and resources. If these are not met, the economy is not able to cover subsistence consumption such as nutrition. Focusing on the steady state, we find that the equilibrium can be governed by zero or positive growth. The latter occurs if the rate of exogenous technical change exceeds the rate of time preference. In the former case, we can show that Hartwick’s investment rule applies in a steady state. Finally, we calibrate the model for developing but resource-rich countries and trace the full dynamic development of the economy. Furthermore, we evaluate this full adjustment process regarding several sustainability indicators.

Measuring and improving performance of clinicians: an application of patient-based records

BackgoundEfforts to measure performance and identify its driving factors among clinicians are needed for building a high-quality clinician workforce. The availability of data is the most challenging thing. This paper presented a summary performance measure for clinicians and its application on examining factors that influence performance using routine patient-based records.MethodsPerfomance indicators and difficulty score were extracted from electronic medical records (EMRs). Difficulty adjustment and standardized processing were used to obtain indicators which were comparable between specialties. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to estimate the summary performance measure. The performance measure was then used to examine the influence of person-job fit and burnout through a mediator effect model and cluster analysis.ResultsA valid sample of 404 clinicians were included in this study, and 244 of them had valid response in the questionnaire. PCA explained 79.37% of the total variance presented by the four adjusted performance indicators. Non-performance attributes and performance driving factors help distinguish different clusters of clinicians. Burnout mediates the relationship between person-job fit and performance in a specific group of clinicians (β = 0.120, p = 0.008).ConclusionsWe demonstrated the analytical steps to estimate clinicians’ performance and its practical application using EMRs. Our findings provide insight into personnel classified management. Such practice can be applied in countries where electronic medical record systems are relatively less developed to continuously improve the application of performance management.

Multi-dimensional adjustment of Eurasian self-initiated expatriates in Korea

PurposeThis qualitative study has two aims. The first is to explore the cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions of Eurasian self-initiated expatriates’ (SIEs) work and non-work adjustments in Korea. The second is to understand how the Confucian-oriented Korean culture influences Eurasian SIEs' work and non-work domains, in particular their organisational practices and relations with locals.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted through a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with 27 Eurasian SIEs working in Korea. The interviews were conducted face-to-face with open-ended questions.FindingsEurasian SIEs in Korea express different cognitive, affective, and behavioural life and work adjustment processes that affect their future careers. A high level of language proficiency and knowledge of cultural and social expectations does not guarantee work and life adjustment success. Due to the heavy presence of Korean culture in work and living environments, SIEs face challenges in joining social and work networks and balancing work and life domains, which slows down adjustment. Results indicate that SIEs adjusted well regarding cognitive and behavioural dimensions in work and non-work domains. However, affective adjustment is difficult to achieve, even for SIEs who have lived in the country for many years, and many have the intention to leave if there were other options.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by focussing on the multidimensionality of SIEs' work and life adjustments, with cognitive, affective, and behavioural components. SIEs have been in a complicated process of adaptation and integration for a long time. This study attempts to contribute to SIE literature by analysing the elements of Confucianism-oriented Korean culture and organisational practices prevalent in SIEs' multidimensional adjustment and career challenges.

Superelastic NiTi Functional Components by High-Precision Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process: The Critical Roles of Energy Density and Minimal Feature Size.

Additive manufacturing (AM) was recently developed for building intricate devices in many fields. Especially for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), its high-precision manufacturing capability and adjustable process parameters are involved in tailoring the performance of functional components. NiTi is well-known as smart material utilized widely in biomedical fields thanks to its unique superelastic and shape-memory performance. However, the properties of NiTi are extremely sensitive to material microstructure, which is mainly determined by process parameters in LPBF. In this work, we choose a unique NiTi intricate component: a robotic cannula tip, in which material superelasticity is a crucial requirement as the optimal object. First, the process window was confirmed by printing thin walls and bulk structures. Then, for optimizing parameters precisely, a Gyroid-type sheet triply periodic minimal-surface (G-TPMS) structure was proposed as the standard test sample. Finally, we verified that when the wall thickness of the G-TPMS structure is smaller than 130 μm, the optimal energy density changes from 167 J/m3 to 140 J/m3 owing to the lower cooling rate of thinner walls. To sum up, this work puts forward a novel process optimization methodology and provides the processing guidelines for intricate NiTi components by LPBF.

Profit and utility optimization through joint dynamic pricing and vehicle relocation in carsharing operations

Pricing is one of the main determinants of a successful carsharing business plan. Companies develop different pricing strategies to increase attractiveness, profit, and service usage. Using dynamic pricing strategies can lead to service improvement in terms of profit and better customer satisfaction. This paper presents a novel research contribution to the field of transportation policy by introducing a new framework for designing dynamic pricing strategies in carsharing operations. We develop two hybrid-pricing strategies to increase profit and user utility in car sharing and analyze the service key performance indicators. These two different hybrid-pricing strategies are based upon two different approaches: one relying on demand related information (i.e., fixed price and time-based dynamic price) and one relying on supply related characteristics (i.e., maximum profit price and availability-based dynamic price). By considering both user utility and company indicators, this model features a bi-level structure that allows for rapid implementation. The framework relies on real-world data, typically available to carsharing companies, including membership data, geographic distribution of users, fleet composition, and the location of vehicles and stations. Additionally, we propose a relocation procedure that relocates vehicles on a day-to-day adjustment process. We study the impact of these strategies in an agent-based environment capable to accurately replicate a real carsharing service that operated in the city of Munich, Germany. Once these policies are in place, results show how it is possible to increase profit and customers’ utility. Moreover, we show how an increment in profit corresponds to a reduction of the utility and vice versa. Overall, the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid-pricing strategies in improving key performance indicators such as profit and score in carsharing services is demonstrated through the positive impact of demand-based pricing combined with relocation operations, while supply-based pricing strategies were found to be ineffective in enhancing profit and booking time.

A new superimposed model of the Tongnanba anticline in northeastern Sichuan and its exploration implications

Understanding the structural style, kinematic process, and timing of superimposed structures worldwide is often difficult due to complex structure deformation process. Fortunately, the newly acquired high-quality seismic reflection data and geological observations covering the Tongnanba anticline provide an excellent chance to characterize such structures. Here, we used geological and seismic data from the Tongnanba region to evaluate the structural style and deformation sequence of Tongnanba anticline. In this regard, we propose a new model of the northeastern Sichuan Basin, which are different from the model that deep structures formed earlier than shallow structures demonstrated by previous studies, and we also discussed the implications of this new model for the deep oil and gas exploration. Compressed by Micangshan and Dabashan thrust belts and controlled by three detachment layers, the Tongnanba anticline shows a complex multi-stage, multi-directional, and multi-level superimposed structure. There were three deformation layers vertically, leading to the multi-level detachment thrust structure style. Specifically, the upper and middle deformation layers were mainly controlled by South Dabashan thrust belt in the early stage, forming long-distance detachment thrust structure extended in the NW-SE direction. A series of pop-up structures propagated toward the upper and middle detachment layers. On the other hand, the lower deformation layer was primarily controlled by the Micangshan thrust belt in the late stage, forming complex basement faults extended in the NE-SW direction, which was consistent with Trishear fault-propagation fold. Along the basement detachment developed multiple branch slopes spread from northeast to southwest. The middle and upper deformation layers was transformed by the basement faults, thus forming the complex superimposed structure of north-south zonation and east-west segmentation at present. It was such complex superimposed structure that control the process of hydrocarbon accumulation and adjustment in each deformation layer, and the deep-ultra-deep ancient oil and gas reservoirs may be worth of exploring.

A novel acid-free leaching route of recovering Li2CO3 and FePO4 from spent LiFePO4 black powder

With the rapid increase in the usage of lithium ion batteries, recovering Li2CO3 from LiFePO4 black powder has become an issue of public concern. Nowadays, the widely used acid leaching technology has some obvious disadvantages, such as complex recovery process, serious equipment corrosion and unavoidable secondary pollution. In this work, a novel acid-free leaching route of recovering Li2CO3 and FePO4 from LiFePO4 black powder is proposed. This novel route does not include inorganic or organic acid leaching, complex pH adjustment and wastewater treatment processes. After optimizing the technological conditions, Li2CO3 and FePO4 with high purity are recovered with high recovery rate of over 96%. Then, the recovered Li2CO3 and FePO4 are used as iron and lithium sources to regenerate LiFePO4 and the electrochemical performances are compared in detail. When the molar ratio of Li2CO3:FePO4:C6H12O6 (glucose) is 1.03:2:0.35, the regenerated LiFePO4 (R-LFP-0.35) cathode displays the optimal electrochemical performance with the discharge capacity of 163.9 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, 120 mAh g−1 at 4 C and excellent capacity retention ratio of 98.0% after 100 cycles at 0.2 C. This work provides a new green and environmentally friendly strategy for the recycling of LiFePO4 black powder.