Significant Findings Research Articles

Widows’ Rights and Customary Law: Addressing Responsive Law to Divorce Cases of Tolaki Community in Indonesia

This article discusses the tendency to ignore women's rights in customary law practices in the Tolaki tradition, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Women often become a victim of deprivation of rights by customary legal tradition, such as ex-wife rights in post-divorce and the right to make choices. This article aims to discuss how widows are protected by custom by offering responsive law as a process for resolving marriage and divorce through customary decisions. Normatively, legal divorce settlements can only be processed through religious court institutions. Using a normative-empirical approach, this study has three significant findings. First, the process of resolving family conflicts involves complying with applicable customary provisions that must be obeyed by the Tolaki community. Second, tradition is not the only basis for consideration in the elements for making customary decisions. Third, responsive law can theoretically direct the lives of the people of the Tolaki traditional community by providing recommendations for considerations that are in accordance with the social structure and community relations related to the application of customary law. However, according to custom, widows who are not resolved before a court hearing can be followed up again to immediately register their case in a religious court in order to minimize neglect of the right to terminate a unilateral divorce and the rights of the widow and children after divorce. Under these conditions, offering responsive law is a strategy to balance rights in divorce cases bound by state legal norms.

Probably the most active population in the world: accelerometer measurements of 72 school-children in Greenland

ABSTRACTPhysical activity is the most important lifestyle factor to contribute to a healthy early life. International recommendations are that children should be vigorously physically active for at least 1 h per day, and in Greenland, authorities have claimed a goal of being the world’s most active population. Since 1994, the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) has measured physical activity among school-children in Greenland by questionnaire data, but the measurement properties of self-reported data in comparison to more objectively measured accelerometer data are unknown. The present paper describes the first study using clinical measures of physical activity among Greenlandic youth. Seventy-two school-children (56% girls) with a mean age of 12 years (range 25%; 75% was 11.5; 12.25) wore accelerometers for seven consecutive days, and data produced significant and informative findings for both practice and future research. Fifty-two per cent of the school-children met the international recommendations of being physically active >1 h per day, when measured by accelerometers, but self-reported data reported a prevalence of 10% meeting the recommendations. A majority of this sample of Greenlandic school-children lives up to international recommendations, which indicates that the goal of being the world’s most active population is within reach.

Risk management for barter exchange policy under retail industry

Nowadays, barter exchange has become growingly popular in the national and global industries as an alternative to excessive inventory transfers. Many companies exchange their surplus products on barter platforms for products they need without using money. In a traditional supply chain, the retailer holds unsold products that hinder the supply chain's profitability from reaching its maximum level. This paper solves this issue by proposing a stochastic model of two players (single manufacturer, single retailer) with trade-credit (delayed payment) and barter exchange policy under a supply chain management. In this work, to entice the retailer and increase sales, the manufacturer grants a credit payment facility to the retailer on the items ordered for a specified period, and the manufacturer does not charge any interest on the outstanding amount during this credit period. The concept of a credit period raises the possibility of default risk. In this case, some interest is charged. Several investments are made here to diminish setup and ordering costs and improve the product quality of the system. This work focuses on the flexible production to manage the demand uncertainty and the marginal reduction technology to lessen carbon emissions that occur during the production and inventory holding. In contrast, a retailer can exchange unsold items in the barter market for its required products, which is extensively discussed in this study. Finally, the maximum profit is assessed in terms of credit period, investments, quality improvement, and production rate. The result numerically and graphically proves a huge impact of the barter platform for any business industry on overstock transfers, conserving cash, managing unpredictable demand, and reaching the maximum profit. Moreover, the significant finding is observed in the proposed work that the idea of the flexible production, barter exchange policy, and several investments increase the system profit up to 50.55%.

Severity of Dengue Viral Infection Based on Clinical and Hematological Parameters among Pakistani Patients.

The global burden of dengue infections has increased dramatically. Early diagnosis of dengue infection is critical to proper medical management to avoid further complications in patients. This study was geared to assess the severity of dengue infections based on clinical and hematological examinations. A cross-sectional study was conducted among febrile patients with dengue infection in a teaching hospital in Pakistan. Blood samples were investigated for dengue-specific antibodies (IgM and IgG) and the nonstructural 1 antigen. The clinical findings of each subject were noted to assess the severity of the infection. Tests for hematological parameters were performed. Of 130 patients with confirmed dengue infection, 23 had severe and 107 had nonsevere dengue. Patients with severe dengue experienced mucosal bleeding (71.4%), fluid accumulation (57.1%), shock (35.7%), and gastrointestinal bleeding (28.6%). The most significant hematological findings among severe and nonsevere patients with dengue infection were thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and a raised hematocrit level (P < 0.001). Patients with severe dengue infection showed marked thrombocytopenia, with a mean platelet count of 49.96 × 109 platelets/L. The clinical presentation of patients with dengue infection along with hematological markers are the most important clues for the diagnosis of, prognosis of, and therapy for dengue infection. Thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and raised hematocrit levels were the most significant hematological parameters when assessing the severity of dengue infection.

Factors Influencing Customer Loyalty Among Optical Clinics in The City of Koronadal, South Cotabato, Philippines

This paper investigates customer loyalty factors in Koronadal's optical clinic industry. It aims to provide insights for enhancing customer service and loyalty. Key factors identified in past studies include service quality, customer satisfaction, trust, and brand image. Using a quantitative approach with a descriptive-multivariate correlational design (predictive analysis), this study collects primary data through purposive-convenient sampling. Statistical results confirm that customer satisfaction and brand image significantly influence customer loyalty in the optical clinic industry, accounting for 46.7% of the loyalty variance. However, this study also revealed significant findings specific to this industry. Researchers observed that customer satisfaction and brand image played crucial roles in influencing customer loyalty in these clinics. Surprisingly, neither service quality nor customer trust exhibited a statistically significant impact on customer loyalty.These findings have important implications, stressing businesses' need to prioritize customer satisfaction and brand image to enhance loyalty, particularly given the pandemic's impact.

Computational Studies for Development of Triazole‐Pyrimidines as Inhibitor of α‐Tubulin Receptor

AbstractMicrotubules are among the critical targets for chemotherapeutic agents to fight against cancer because of their crucial role in mitosis. Microtubule inhibitors block cell cycle progression and result in apoptosis, they can frequently disrupt microtubule/tubulin dynamics by binding to the α‐tubulin receptor. To this end, we have developed compounds against α‐tubulin receptor using several tools of computational chemistry: 3D‐QSAR, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, and ADMET prediction. The significant findings incorporated two reliable models: CoMFA (Q2=0.75; R2=0.89) and CoMSIA (Q2=0.57; R2=0.78). Molecular Docking was generated and validated using Molecular Dynamics simulation to investigate the binding mode between the most active compound and the α‐tubulin receptor. The results of the MD simulation demonstrated stability over a 100 ns period. Four compounds (C1, C2, C3, and C4) were developed based on the contour maps, and their activities were predicted. Additionally, Molecular Docking was executed to elucidate the interaction and affinity between the novel compounds and the α‐tubulin receptor. C1 exhibited high affinity and essential interactions and was subjected to MD simulation studies. The results of the MD simulation revealed that the modifications made to enhance the anticancer activity did not impact stability. Finally, ADMET analysis was utilized to examine drug‐likeness.

ICESat-2 ATL08 Verileri Kullanılarak Veri Toplama Zamanının Orman Kanopi Örtüsü Tahmini Üzerindeki Etkisinin Değerlendirilmesi

Aim of study: This study investigates the estimation success of using day and night segments in producing Forest Canopy Cover (FCC) maps with the Canopy Cover Estimation Model (CCEM) for the years 2020 and 2022.&#x0D; Area of study: The study area covers 17 interconnected counties situated in the southeastern part of Texas state, adjacent to the state of Louisiana, and near the southern coastlines, known for their extensive forested areas.&#x0D; Material and methods: This study incorporated both day and night acquisition segments from Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) data for a comprehensive comparison of their effectiveness in mapping the forest canopy cover using the CCEM. &#x0D; Main results: The study’s findings reveal that night segment-derived FCC maps outperform those derived from day segments, showing higher kappa coefficients of 0.77 and 0.83 for the years 2020 and 2022, respectively. In addition, notable differences were observed among classes of FCC estimations successes for day and night segment-derived maps.&#x0D; Research highlights: This study introduces a significant finding that the FCC maps derived from night segments yield more accurate results than those derived from day segments. The study further discovers a notable difference in the forest canopy cover classification success, particularly with a lower accuracy observed in the Moderate Forest Canopy Cover (MFCC) category.

The impacts of extreme temperature on mortality and emergency hospital admissions within East Sussex in comparison with pre-existing national trends.

The impacts of heatwaves are a rapidly growing area of study; however, much of the existing research focusses on national data analysis. This article aims to add a local perspective using data from only one county, East Sussex, and comparing these with the pre-existing national data. Population data were obtained from publicly available sources such as the Office of National Statistics, in addition to anonymized data from patients. Statistical analysis calculated excess mortality and emergency hospital admissions associated with both winter and heatwaves. Further analyses into factors associated with worse health outcomes in pre-existing data, such as the extremes of age (under 1s and over 75s), dementia and respiratory conditions, were conducted and their effect on excess mortality and emergency admissions was compared with national data. Excess winter mortality within East Sussex averaged 22.5%. Excess heatwave mortality averaged 17%, measuring higher than national data. The relative significance of these data is expected to increase over the next 30years in line with the UK Health Security Agency projection of heat-related mortality tripling by 2050 in the context of global warming and increasing temperatures. Although the number of residents dying or requiring emergency admission due to cold weather is larger than that of heatwaves, trends show a worsening impact of heatwaves. The results of this report are significant findings which show more action is required to mitigate the effects of extreme heat.

What's up in WhatsApp research: a comprehensive analysis of 12,947 papers indexed in Dimensions.ai

PurposeIn recent years, instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp have gained substantial popularity in both academic and practical domains. However, despite this growth, there is a lack of a comprehensive overview of the literature in this field. The primary purpose of this study is to bridge this gap by analyzing a substantial dataset of 12,947 articles retrieved from the Dimensions.ai, database spanning from 2011 to March 2023.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the authors' objective, the authors employ bibliometric analysis techniques. The authors delve into various bibliometric networks, including citation networks, co-citation networks, collaboration networks, keywords and bibliographic couplings. These methods allow for the uncovering of the social and conceptual structures within the academic discourse surrounding WhatsApp.FindingsThe authors' analysis reveals several significant findings. Firstly, the authors observe a remarkable and continuous growth in the number of academic studies dedicated to WhatsApp over time. Notably, two prevalent themes emerge: the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the role of WhatsApp in the realm of social media. Furthermore, the authors' study highlights diverse applications of WhatsApp, including its utilization in education and learning, as a communication tool, in medical education, cyberpsychology, security, psychology and behavioral learning.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the field by offering a comprehensive overview of the scholarly research landscape related to WhatsApp. The findings not only illuminate the burgeoning interest in WhatsApp among researchers but also provide insights into the diverse domains where WhatsApp is making an impact. The analysis of bibliometric networks offers a unique perspective on the social and conceptual structures within this field, shedding light on emerging trends and influential research. This study thus serves as a valuable resource for scholars, practitioners and policymakers seeking to navigate the evolving landscape of WhatsApp research. The study will also be useful for researchers interested in conducting bibliometric analysis using Dimensions.ai, a free database.

Would you be willing to purchase virtual gifts during esports live streams? Streamer characteristics and cultural traits

China is not only the largest but also one of the fastest-growing live streaming markets globally. In comparison to Western countries, Chinese viewers have a tendency to engage with streamers by exchanging various forms of virtual gifts. This behavior pattern has resulted in substantial economic benefits for China's esports live streaming platforms. This study, grounded in the Howard-Sheth model, endeavors to investigate the driving mechanisms behind viewers' purchase of virtual gifts during esports live streaming. It takes into account both streamer characteristics and cultural traits. To achieve this, a combination of structural equation modeling, artificial neural networks, and necessity analysis is employed. Specifically, the study examines how the background environment, composed of streamer characteristics (such as expertise, trustworthiness, attraction, interactivity, and affinity) and Chinese cultural traits (such as social orientation and face consciousness), shapes viewers' social cognitions. These social cognitions encompass the sense of presence and belonging that viewers experience towards both the streamer and the viewer community. Furthermore, the study illuminates how such social cognitions foster flow experiences, emotional attachment, and ultimately influence viewers' purchase intentions. The findings of this research hold great significance for both live streaming platforms and streamers, as they can assist in formulating effective marketing strategies to encourage viewers to participate in the purchase of virtual gifts during esports live streaming sessions.

An Attempt to Understand Stock Market Investors’ Behaviour: The Case of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Forces in the Pakistani Stock Market

The present study investigates the decision-making process of investors on the Pakistan Stock Exchange with regard to portfolio construction, explicitly focusing on the incorporation of ESG concerns. A quantitative research approach has been implemented for this paper. The hypotheses have been developed and tested through the adapted questionnaires. The data were collected from individual Pakistani investors. The present study employed SmartPLS-SEM to quantitatively assess data received from a sample of 421 out of 500 respondents. Based on the available data, investors participating in the Pakistan Stock Exchange are notably impacted by ESG aspects. The findings of this study hold significance for emerging economy firms, regulators, and investors, in terms of both theoretical and practical ramifications. The study’s findings demonstrate a clear indication of investors’ significant emphasis on ESG matters. This research made a significant contribution to the field of behavioural finance with a focus on ESG-related issues. This work contributes to the literature on ESG elements by using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to adapt the ESG components from the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and Thomson Reuters Corporate Responsibility Index (TRCRI). Furthermore, it provides valuable insights for stakeholders who are involved in the ever-evolving realm of sustainable finance within developing countries.

Nonagenarians in Hyperpolypharmacy: relationship between the level of drug interactions and sociodemographic, clinical, and functional characteristics

Aim: This research aimed to study the association of drug interactions and sociodemographic, clinical, and functional characteristics in nonagenarians in hyperpolypharmacy. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of an evaluation performed by the Multiprofessional Care for the Oldest-old Project in 2016, with participants identified in hyperpolypharmacy. Results: Results revealed that 69% of 29 participants had at least one major drug interaction, 41% had 10 or more moderate interactions, and 59% had minor interactions. The study revealed significant relationships for major drug interactions with the characteristics of recurrent urinary tract infections, anxiety, and palpitations. The study found near significance for white colour, not good general health and appetite, depression, and impaired cognition. For moderate drug interaction, findings showed a relationship near significance for females, perception of not good general health and appetite, hypertension, diabetes, urinary infection, depression scale change, agitation, pain, fatigue, and a fear of falling. For minor drug interactions, the study revealed significant findings for an association with depression, and apathy or sleepiness. There were findings near significance for an association with white colour, diabetes, agitation, pain, fatigue, and cough. Conclusion: Drug interactions are highly prevalent among nonagenarians in hyperpolypharmacy, with clinical and quality of life impact. Thus, they must be constantly evaluated for the presence of drug interactions at all levels of care, whether in primary care or in specialized care. A study with larger sample size and longitudinal contour is proposed to prove the importance of our observations.

Effect of transcranial static magnetic stimulation over unilateral or bilateral motor association cortex on performance of simple and choice reaction time tasks.

Transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that place a strong neodymium magnet on scalp to reduce cortical excitability. We have recently developed a new tSMS device with three magnets placed close to each other (triple tSMS) and confirmed that this new device can produce a stronger and broader static magnetic field than the conventional single tSMS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the conventional single tSMS as well as triple tSMS over the unilateral or bilateral motor association cortex (MAC) on simple and choice reaction time (SRT and CRT) task performance. There were two experiments: one involved the conventional tSMS, and the other involved the triple tSMS. In both experiments, right-handed healthy participants received each of the following stimulations for 20 min on different days: tSMS over the unilateral (left) MAC, tSMS over the bilateral MAC, and sham stimulation. The center of the stimulation device was set at the premotor cortex. The participants performed SRT and CRT tasks before, immediately after, and 15 min after the stimulation (Pre, Post 0, and Post 15). We evaluated RT, standard deviation (SD) of RT, and accuracy (error rate). Simulation was also performed to determine the spatial distribution of magnetic field induced by tSMS over the bilateral MAC. The spatial distribution of induced magnetic field was centered around the PMd for both tSMS systems, and the magnetic field reached multiple regions of the MAC as well as the sensorimotor cortices for triple tSMS. SD of CRT was significantly larger at Post 0 as compared to Pre when triple tSMS was applied to the bilateral MAC. No significant findings were noted for the other conditions or variables. We found that single tSMS over the unilateral or bilateral MAC did not affect performance of RT tasks, whereas triple tSMS over the bilateral MAC but not over the unilateral MAC increased variability of CRT. Our finding suggests that RT task performance can be modulated using triple tSMS.

Computer simulation of two phase power-law nanofluid of blood flow through a curved overlapping stenosed artery with induced magnetic field: entropy generation optimization

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the impact of two-phase power law nanofluid on a curved arterial blood flow under the presence of ovelapped stenosis. Over the past couple of decades, the percentage of deaths associated with blood vessel diseases has risen sharply to nearly one third of all fatalities. For vascular disease to be stopped in its tracks, it is essential to understand the vascular geometry and blood flow within the artery. In recent scenarios, because of higher thermal properties and the ability to move across stenosis and tumor cells, nanoparticles are becoming a more common and effective approach in treating cardiovascular diseases and cancer cells.Design/methodology/approachThe present mathematical study investigates the blood flow behavior in the overlapped stenosed curved artery with cylinder shape catheter. The induced magnetic field and entropy generation for blood flow in the presence of a heat source, magnetic field and nanoparticle (Fe3O4) have been analyzed numerically. Blood is considered in artery as two-phases: core and plasma region. Power-law fluid has been considered for core region fluid, whereas Newtonian fluid is considered in the plasma region. Strongly implicit Stone’s method has been considered to solve the system of nonlinear partial differential equations (PDE’s) with 10–6 tolerance error.FindingsThe influence of various parameters has been discussed graphically. This study concludes that arterial curvature increases the probability of atherosclerosis deposition, while using an external heating source flow temperature and entropy production. In addition, if the thermal treatment procedure is carried out inside a magnetic field, it will aid in controlling blood flow velocity.Originality/valueThe findings of this computational analysis hold great significance for clinical researchers and biologists, as they offer the ability to anticipate the occurrence of endothelial cell injury and plaque accumulation in curved arteries with specific wall shear stress patterns. Consequently, these insights may contribute to the potential alleviation of the severity of these illnesses. Furthermore, the application of nanoparticles and external heat sources in the discipline of blood circulation has potential in the medically healing of illness conditions such as stenosis, cancer cells and muscular discomfort through the usage of beneficial effects.

Trends in research on latent heat storage using PCM, a bibliometric analysis

Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) is a particularly noteworthy thermal energy storage (TES) technology due to its high energy storage density. LHTES involves the use of phase change materials to store thermal energy, which can subsequently be used for heating and cooling applications as well as power generation. This paper outlines the techniques and tools employed to analyse the existing literature on TES and LHTES systems research. Bibliometric, a statistical approach to analysing written publications in specific fields of research, is used to identify significant findings and determine the course of scientific output. A strategic analysis of knowledge development is crucial for detecting opportunities and advancements within the field. This research offers valuable insights into the publication trends within the fields of TES and LHTES over the last three decades. Additionally, the study conducts a thorough examination of the geometric configurations of LHTES systems and their potential impacts on ongoing and future research. By tracking publication rates over 30 years, this study provides a comprehensive overview of how research in TES and LHTES has evolved. Understanding these trends helps researchers and policy makers gauge the growth and relevance of these fields in the context of energy storage and thermal management.

Incidental Findings in Trauma Patients: How Big is the Challenge?

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of incidental findings (IFs) identified during workup of trauma patients and the effectiveness with which they were documented and communicated. Materials and methodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of all trauma patients ≥15 y of age in 2018, who underwent at least one computed tomography scan. Patients’ Electronic Medical Record was reviewed for the presence of IFs. IFs were classified in three categories: category 1, which includes highly significant findings requiring attention during hospitalization; category 2, which warrants attention in an outpatient basis; and category 3, which includes nonsignificant findings that require no follow-up. Results836 patients were identified, of which 582 had at least one IF. Of the patients with IFs; 14 (2.4%) were category 1, 138 (23.7%) were category 2, and 569 (97.8%) met category 3 criteria. All category 1 patients received appropriate documentation of their IFs. Of patients with category 2 findings, only 13% had documentation of the IFs. Patients with IFs had longer length of stay (P: 0.04) and lower probability of being discharged to home (P < 0.01) compared to patients with no IFs. Only 12.5% of the patients admitted to trauma surgery service received an outpatient follow-up. ConclusionsThere was timely documentation and intervention for all patients with category 1 IFs. However, 87% of patients with category 2 IFs had inadequate documentation of the IF and outpatient follow-up. Outpatient follow-up of IFs poses a challenge for trauma patients partially due to their discharge disposition.

Executive functions in a population of guide dog candidates

Dogs in various working roles undergo careful selection and rigorous training, but organisations still face high failure rates due to behavioural issues. Identifying potential indicators of working success in dogs early on can save valuable resources and improve success rates. Previous research has indicated that cognitive abilities, particularly executive functions (EFs) like inhibition and working memory, might be important factors for working dog success, but more work is needed to understand the relationship between EF skills and working success in dogs. The present study included 147 dogs from a dog guide breeding and training organisation. Two samples of dogs were assessed. One group of young puppies underwent laboratory-based cognitive tests to measure inhibition (n=50) and working memory (n=36). Puppy raisers for a second, partially overlapping, group of adolescent dogs (n=98) completed the Dog Executive Function Scale (DEFS), which measures six components of EF: Behavioural Flexibility, Motor Regulation, Delay Inhibition, Working Memory, Instruction Following, and Attention Towards Owner. The dogs' training outcomes were categorised as either success or released. Most measures were not associated with working success and reasons for this are discussed. However, motor inhibition in puppies and attention towards the puppy raiser in adolescent dogs were associated with working success, with motor inhibition being particularly informative. While puppies who made up to two errors on an A-not-B task were approximately equally likely to be successful or released, of fourteen puppies who made three or more errors on this task, only one was successful. This highly significant finding suggests that assessing EF skills in young dogs can help predict their potential for success as working dogs, potentially providing a means of optimising resources and interventions and ultimately improving selection and training processes.

A Transcriptome Array-Based Approach to Link SGLT-2 and Intrarenal Complement C5 Synthesis in Diabetic Nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. It is characterized by progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) with decline of kidney function by hyperfiltration. On a mechanistic level, activation of the complement system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, here we pursued a transcriptome array-based approach to link intrarenal SGLT-2 and the synthesis of distinct complement components in diabetic nephropathy. Publicly available datasets for SLC5A2 (encoding SGLT-2) and complement system components were extracted specifically from microdissected tubulointerstitial (healthy controls: n = 31, diabetic nephropathy: n = 17) and glomerular compartments (healthy controls: n = 21, diabetic nephropathy: n = 12). First, we compared tubulointerstitial and glomerular log2SLC5A2 mRNA expression levels and confirmed a predominant synthesis within the tubulointerstitial compartment. Among various complement components and receptors, the only significant finding was a positive association between SLC5A2 and the tubulointerstitial synthesis of the complement component C5 in diabetic nephropathy (p = 0.0109). Finally, intrarenal expression of SLC5A2 was associated predominantly with pathways involved in metabolic processes. Interestingly, intrarenal complement C5 synthesis was also associated with enrichment of metabolic signaling pathways, overlapping with SLC5A2 for "metabolism" and "biological oxidations". These observations could be of relevance in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy and implicate a mechanistic link between SGLT-2 and intrarenal complement synthesis.

Adults' perspectives of experiences and preferences for end-of-life care

Background: Decisions about end-of-life care often raise clinical and ethical challenges, especially when the person's capacity to contribute in the decision making at the end of life is limited. Aim: This study aimed to explore Taiwanese adults' preferences associated with communication, healthcare planning, life-sustaining treatments and palliative care and experiences of end-of-life care. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 adults aged 20 years and above. The sampling approach was a convenience strategy in a community centre located in a metropolitan area in the Southern region of Taiwan. A qualitative content analysis approach was used to elicit key themes from the data. Results: Significant findings related to the two main themes of adults' experiences, including the observed distress of those who were dying and the distress experienced by the family. Other key findings pertain to personal preferences for end-of-life care, such as preferred end-of-life communication, preparing for the end-of-life and maintenance of quality of life. Conclusions: This exploratory study offers insight into 16 Taiwanese community-dwelling adults' views of preferences regarding end-of-life communication, preparation for the end of life and maintenance of quality of life, as well as their experiences of end-of-life care. A further exploration is suggested to elicit how personal end-of-life experiences shape individuals' health practices in advance care planning for end-of-life care.

Effect of bluff body embedded in flow channel on power performance of microbial fuel cell

The microbial fuel cell (MFC) has emerged as an eco-friendly method for generating clean energy from wastewater. However, its current power performance falls short of meeting commercial application requirements, highlighting the urgent need for power enhancement. To address this, the implementation of bluff bodies within the MFC channel is a proof of concept to enhance nutrient mass transport without the need for external energy input. In this study, fluid simulation was first conducted to analyze the impact of different bluff body designs on flow regimes. The results showing bluff body having spread-out six circles arrays with a height of 0.5 mm (6C_H5) led to a wide velocity distribution within the flow channel, high velocity, and no solute accumulation on the electrode surface, thereby facilitating increased nutrient coverage during transport. Through experimental confirmation, MFC with 6C_H5 achieved an impressive 154 % increase in maximum power density compared to without a bluff body. The outcome can be attributed to sufficient nutrient acquisition for the bacteria to generate more power due to better nutrient transport and a shear environment. The significant finding of the bluff body’s impact on the fluid dynamic aspect has proven the feasibility of enhancing MFC power performance.