Typical Performance Research Articles

Is the dark triad always detrimental to firm performance? Testing different performance outcomes and the moderating effects of competitive rivalry.

There is growing evidence that CEOs who have the 'dark triad' of personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) detrimentally influence firm performance. However, there is still much we do not know. The present study suggests that the CEO dark triad might directly influence typical performance indicators in different ways: positively affecting external performance indicators (breakthrough sales), but negatively affecting internal performance indicators (organizational performance). We argue that the CEO dark triad can be interpreted differently by those external to the firm versus internally, where managers are much closer to the CEO's dark personality. Our model includes managerial capital as a mediator and competitive rivalry as a moderator, and ultimately tests a moderated mediation model. Using data from 840 New Zealand firms, we find that the dark triad links to outcomes, as expected. While the CEO dark triad is negatively related to managerial capital, managerial capital does positively predict both performance indicators, and partially mediates the CEO dark triad effect. Overall, moderating effects highlight that the CEO dark triad is less detrimental in fiercely competitive business environments, acting as a consistent boundary condition across models. As competitive rivalry increases, the indirect effect of the CEO dark triad on performance decreases. We discuss the implications for understanding the role that the CEO dark triad can play in firms.

A Systematical Review of the Largest Polymer Flood Project in the World: From Laboratory to Pilots and Field Application

Summary This paper presents a systematical review of the largest polymer flood project in the world, applied to multilayered, heterogeneous sandstone reservoirs in the giant Daqing Oilfield in China. First, reservoir and fluid characteristics are highlighted to understand the heterogeneity of the reservoir. Next, the project history is summarized, including laboratory studies, pilot tests, commercial tests, and fieldwide applications. Third, typical polymer flood performance and reservoir management measures are presented. Finally, key understandings and lessons learned from more than 50 years of experience are summarized. The La-Sa-Xing Field in the Daqing Field Complex contains three types of reservoir sands: Type I sand with high permeability, Type II sand with medium permeability, and Type III sand with low permeability. Polymer flood was studied in the laboratory in the mid 1960s, followed by small-scale pilots beginning in 1972 and industrial-scale pilots starting in 1993, all of which successfully reduced water cut and enhanced oil recovery. Fieldwide application commenced in 1996, targeting the Type I sand. With Type II sand being brought onstream in 2003, the project achieved a peak production of 253,000 BOPD in 2013. Polymer flood reduced water cut by 24.8%. Reservoir management measures, such as zonal injection, profile modification, hydraulic fracturing in low-permeability sand, and injection optimization, proved to be effective. Based on the water-cut performance, production can be divided into four stages: (1) water-cut decline, (2) low water cut, (3) rebound, and (4) water chase. Fit-for-purpose improved-oil-recovery measures were implemented for each stage to improve production performance. Key understandings and lessons learned include the following: (1) Polymer flood improves both sweeping and displacing efficiencies; (2) high interlayer permeability contrast leads to low incremental recovery; (3) variable well spacing should be adopted for different reservoir types; (4) adoption of large molecular weight (MW) and large slug size greatly enhances recovery; and (5) salt-resistant polymer is beneficial for produced water reinjection in Type II sand; (6) zonal injection increased swept reservoir zones by 9.8% and swept pay thickness by 10.3%; (7) profile modifications helped improve vertical conformance in injection wells and led to enhanced sweeping efficiency and extended low water-cut stage; and (8) optimization-recommended well spacing for Type I, Type II, and Type III sands is 10–15.5, 5.6–7.6, and 2.5–3.6 acres, respectively. In comparison with generally 6–8% incremental recovery by polymer flood in the industry, this project achieved an impressive incremental recovery of 12%, enhancing the oil recovery factor from 40% by primary recovery and waterflood to 52% stock tank oil initially in place (STOIIP). The progressive approach from laboratory experiments through pilots and finally to field application is a best practice for applying polymer flood fieldwide for a giant field such as the La-Sa-Xing Field.

The Status and Challenges of Image Data Augmentation Algorithms

Image data-augmentation algorithms effectively trump the problem of insufficient training samples for deep learning in some application fields, and it is typically for scholars to choose some of them for various computer vision tasks. But as the algorithms develop rapidly, the early proposed classification that the data-augmentation algorithms are sorted into classical ways and generating methods is no more suitable, because such classification misses some other meaningful strategies. Besides, it is frustrating for someone to decide which is the exact method to undertake, though there are too many optional algorithms to choose. Towards the goal of making some suggestions, the paper categorizes image data-augmentation algorithms into three kinds from the perspective of algorithm strategy, and they are matrix transformation algorithm, feature expansion algorithm and model generation based on neural network algorithm. The paper analyzes the typical algorithm principle, performance, application scenarios, research status and future challenges, and forecasts the development trend of data augmentation algorithms. The paper can provide academic reference for data augmentation algorithm in the fields of medicine and military.

NIR-II xanthene dyes with structure-inherent bacterial targeting for efficient photothermal and broad-spectrum antibacterial therapy.

Development of novel broad-spectrum sterilization is an efficient strategy that can overcome drug resistance and avoid antibiotics abuse toward bacterial-infected diseases. Photothermal therapy (PTT) in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) therapeutic window with an increased tissue penetration and elevated maximal permissible exposure has attracted considerable attention in antibacterial applications. However, the lack of bacterial-targeted photothermal agents limits their further development. Herein, we developed three xanthene derivatives (CNs) with intense light harvesting ability around 1180 nm. Their bulky planar conformations facilitated the formation of H-aggregates with outstanding photothermal conversion ability and good photostability in the NIR-II therapeutic bio window. By manipulating side chains of CNs, their liposomes exhibited different surface charges, ranging from negative to positive. Remarkably, the intermolecular hydrogen bonding of CN3 dimer drived the positively charged xanthene skeleton exposed to the periphery, which endowed it natural bacterial targeting potency. Therefore, CN3 possessed a good NIR-II photothermal and broad-spectrum sterilization against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The photothermal antibacterial activities for S. aureus and E. coli were 99.4% and 99.2%, respectively, promoting significant wound healing in bacteria-infected mice with superior biocompatibility. This structure-inherent bacterial targeting strategy as a proof-of-concept shows an efficient broad-spectrum bacterial inactivation, indicating more encouraging NIR-II photothermal antibacterial therapy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Photothermal therapy (PTT) in the second near-infrared region (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) enables the treatment of deep inflammation more satisfactory due to higher tissue penetration depth. In this work, three new NIR-II xanthene derivatives (CNs) with intense light harvesting ability around 1180 nm were developed. CNs showed typical H-aggregated performance with bulky planar conformations and outstanding photothermal conversion ability. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the intermolecular hydrogen bonding of CN3 dimer drived the exposure of positively charged xanthene skeleton to periphery of dimer. Therefore, CN3 NPs possessed natural bacterial targeting potency and excellent NIR-II photothermal and broad-spectrum sterilization, and so as to significantly promote the wound healing of Gram-positive / negative bacteria infected mice.

Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence and Other Pelvic Floor-Related Symptoms in Female Professional Dancers.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common issue in female athletes and is known to negatively impact quality of life and sport performance. However, the prevalence of UI in dancers has not been widely investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of UI as well as other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in female professional dancers. An anonymous online survey that included the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) was developed and distributed via e-mail and social media. Two hundred and eight female professional dancers between the ages of 18 and 41 years (mean: 25.4 ± 5.2 years) who had a typical dance training and performance schedule of 25 hours or more per week completed the survey. A total of 34.6% of participants reported experiencing UI, with 31.9% of the dancers who reported UI reporting symptoms consistent with urge UI, 52.8% reporting UI with coughing or sneezing, and 54.2% reporting UI with physical activity or exercise. For those reporting UI, the mean ICIQ-UI SF score was 5.4 ± 2.5 points and the mean score for impact on everyday life was 2.9 ± 1.9. A report of pain with sexual activity and intercourse was significantly associated with presence of UI (p = 0.024), but the effect size was not notable (phi = 0.159). The prevalence of UI in female professional dancers is similar to that found in other high-level female athletes. Based on the notable prevalence of UI, health care professionals working with professional dancers should consider regularly screening for UI and other symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.

Free-running 4H-SiC single-photon detector with ultralow afterpulse probability at 266 nm.

Ultraviolet single-photon detector (UVSPD) provides a key tool for applications requiring ultraweak light detection in the wavelength band. Here, we report a 4H-SiC single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) based free-running UVSPD with ultralow afterpulse probability. We design and fabricate the 4H-SiC SPAD with a beveled mesa structure, which exhibits the characteristic of ultralow dark current. We further develop a readout circuit of passive quenching and active reset with a tunable hold-off time setting to considerably suppress the afterpulsing effect. The nonuniformity of photon detection efficiency (PDE) across the SPAD active area with a diameter of ∼180 μm is investigated for performance optimization. The compact UVSPD is then characterized, exhibiting a typical performance of 10.3% PDE, 133 kcps dark count rate, and 0.3% afterpulse probability at 266nm. Such performance indicates that the compact UVSPD could be used for practical ultraviolet photon-counting applications.

I forgot that I forgot: PTSD symptom severity in a general population correlates with everyday diary-recorded prospective memory failures.

Extant research suggests a complex relationship between prospective memory (PM) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. In a general population, this relationship exists for self-report assessment but not objective, in-lab PM performance (e.g., pressing a certain key at a particular time, or when particular words appear). However, both these measurement methods have limitations. Objective, in-lab PM tasks might not represent typical everyday performance, while self-report measurement might be biased by metacognitive beliefs. Thus, we used a naturalistic diary paradigm to answer the overarching question: are PTSD symptoms associated with PM failures in everyday life? We found a small positive correlation between diary-recorded PM errors and PTSD symptom severity (r = .21). Time-based tasks (i.e., intentions completed at a particular time, or after a specified time has elapsed; r = .29), but not event-based tasks (i.e., intentions completed in response to an environmental cue; r = .08), correlated with PTSD symptoms. Moreover, although diary-recorded and self-report PM correlated, we did not replicate the finding that metacognitive beliefs underpin the PM-PTSD relationship. These results suggest that metacognitive beliefs might be particularly important for self-report PM only.

Journey of an Information System in Railway Industry development approach through an enterprise framework

AbstractAn enterprise framework based on the philosophy research approach to Information System (IS) features a holistic view in an industry that allows room for technological advancement, an industry with increasing expectations and demands for IS drives towards a more integrated framework and rethinking of the concept of delivering insightful outcomes. The specific features of IS in this study focus on the information criteria for the daily assignment of the railway industry operations through an industry enterprise framework. The study objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of emerging knowledge from structuring IS and enterprise framework stages and their mashup characteristics in designing a model-driven development framework. The outcome will be a design of a strategic performance framework for a typical strategic performance application as the most vital outcome indicators, to focus on understanding the baseline of technology revolution (Industry Revolution 5.0) achievement to measure the transformation expected and the railway industry evaluation, based on the year-on-year target will be established. The usage of decision-making systems and strategic applications has increased massively to fulfill various kinds of purposes for organizations, businesses, and individuals. In this case, a high-quality decision-making system and strategic application are required to ensure it provides the intended functionalities.

Effect of blade tips ice on vibration performance of wind turbines

There are abundant wind resources in cold regions. Therefore, it is essential to systematically study some icing situation of wind turbines blades (especially the blade tip area) to reduce the loss of wind turbines blades caused by faults, which has important significance to the development and utilization of superior wind power resources in alpine regions in the future. An S8025 airfoil blade was used as this research object to research this influence of different loads on this typical vibration performance of a wind turbines with blade tip icing. The results display that the tip area of these wind turbines will be covered with ice because of the small chord length. Blade tip icing results in an increase in blade mass, blade stiffness, blade torsional stiffness, and other parameters, and the low-order vibration frequencies decreases while the high-order vibration frequencies increases. The centrifugal force load significantly affects the vibration performance of a wind turbines with blade tip icing. The results can be used as a reference to improve the deicing of wind turbines blade tips.

A Derating-Sensitive Tantalum Polymer Capacitor's Failure Rate within a DC-DC eGaN-FET-Based PoL Converter Workbench Study.

Many recent studies have revealed that PoL (Point of Load) converters' output capacitors are a paramount component from a reliability point of view. To receive the maximum degree of reliability in many applications, designers are often advised to derate this capacitor-as such, a careful comprehending of it is required to determine the converter's overall parameters. PoL converters are commonly found in many electronic systems. Their most important requirements are a stable output voltage with load current variation, good temperature stability, low output ripple voltage, and high efficiency and reliability. If the electronic system in question must be portable, a small footprint and volume are also important considerations-both of which have recently been well accomplished in eGaN transistor technologies. This paper provides details on how derating an output capacitor-specifically, a conductive tantalum polymer surface-mount chip, as this type of capacitor represented a step forward in miniaturization and reliability over previously existing wet electrolytic capacitors-used within a discrete eGaN-FET-based PoL buck converter determines the best performance and the highest MTBF. A setup based on an EPC eGaN FET transistor enclosed in a 9059/30 V evaluation board with a 12 V input voltage/1.2 V output voltage was tested in order to achieve the study's main scope. Typical electrical performance and reliability data are often provided for customers by manufacturers through technical papers; this kind of public data is often selected to show the capacitors in a favorable light-still, they provide much useful information. In this paper, the capacitor derating process was presented to give a basic overview of the reliability performance characteristics of tantalum polymer capacitor when used within a DC-DC buck converter's output filter. Performing calculations of the capacitor's failure rate based on taking a thermal scan of the capacitor's capsule surface temperature, the behavior of the PoL converter was evaluated.

Redox-Active Azulene-based 2D Conjugated Covalent Organic Framework for Organic Memristors.

As a conjugated and unsymmetric building block composed of an electron-poor seven-membered sp2 carbon ring and an electron-rich five-membered carbon ring, azulene and its derivatives have been recognized as one of the most promising building blocks for novel electronic devices due to its intrinsic redox activity. By using 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)-benzene and azulene-1,3-dicarbaldehyde as the starting materials, an azulene(Azu)-based 2D conjugated covalent organic framework, COF-Azu, is prepared through liquid-liquid interface polymerization strategy for the first time. The as-fabricated Al/COF-Azu/indium tin oxide (ITO) mem-ristor shows typical non-volatile resistive switching performance due to the electric filed induced intramolecular charge transfer effect. Associated with the unique memristive performance, a simple convolutional neural network is built for image recognition. After 8 epochs of training, image recognition accuracy of 80% for a neutral network trained on a larger data set is achieved.

Improvement in Acid Resistance of Polyimide Membranes: A Sustainable Cross-Linking Approach via Green-Solvent-Based Fenton Reaction

In this study, we present a facile surface modification method using green solvents for a commercial polyimide (PI) nanofiltration membrane to exhibit good acid stability. To enhance acid stability, the PI organic solvent nanofiltration membrane was modified using Fenton's reaction, an oxidative cross-linking process, using environmentally friendly solvents: water and ethanol. The surface properties of the pristine and modified PI membranes were investigated and compared using various analytical tools. We studied the surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy, performed elemental analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, investigated chemical bonds using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and studied thermal stability using thermogravimetric analysis. The acid resistances of the pristine and modified membranes were confirmed through performance tests. The pristine PI nanofiltration membrane exposed to a 50 w/v% sulfuric acid for 4 h showed an increase in the normalized water flux to 205% and a decrease in the MgSO4 normalized rejection to 44%, revealing damage to the membrane. The membrane modified by the Fenton reaction exhibited a decline in flux and improved rejection, which are typical performance changes after surface modification. However, the Fenton-modified membrane exposed to 50 w/v% sulfuric acid for 4 h showed a flux increase of 7% and a rejection increase of 4%, indicating improved acid resistance. Furthermore, the Fenton post-treatment enhanced the thermal stability and organic solvent resistance of the PI membrane. This study shows that the acid resistance of PI membranes can be successfully improved by a novel and facile Fenton reaction using green solvents.

Edge Learning for B5G Networks With Distributed Signal Processing: Semantic Communication, Edge Computing, and Wireless Sensing

To process and transfer large amounts of data in emerging wireless services, it has become increasingly appealing to exploit distributed data communication and learning. Specifically, edge learning (EL) enables local model training on geographically disperse edge nodes and minimizes the need for frequent data exchange. However, the current design of separating EL deployment and communication optimization does not yet reap the promised benefits of distributed signal processing, and sometimes suffers from excessive signalling overhead, long processing delay, and unstable learning convergence. In this paper, we provide an overview on practical distributed EL techniques and their interplay with advanced communication optimization designs. In particular, typical performance metrics for dual-functional learning and communication networks are discussed. Also, recent achievements of enabling techniques for the dual-functional design are surveyed with exemplifications from the mutual perspectives of "communications for learning" and "learning for communications." The application of EL techniques within a variety of future communication systems are also envisioned for beyond 5G (B5G) wireless networks. For the application in goal-oriented semantic communication, we present a first mathematical model of the goal-oriented source entropy as an optimization problem. In addition, from the viewpoint of information theory, we identify fundamental open problems of characterizing rate regions for communication networks supporting distributed learning-and-computing tasks. We also present technical challenges as well as emerging application opportunities in this field, with the aim of inspiring future research and promoting widespread developments of EL in B5G.

Robust Personal Identification Using Wearable Devices Based on LSTM and CNN

Various studies exist to identify individuals. Personal identification research based on inertial data, that is, acceleration and angular velocity acquired with an inertial sensor, is also one of these efforts. In fact, when learning inertial data with convolutional neural network (CNN), it is known to be able to identify individuals with high accuracy. However, we found that the individual identification model using inertial data significantly lowers the performance of recognition from 99% to 81% when the shoes worn by the individual change. This paper deals with solving this problem by using a gait cycle extracted from inertial data. First, we study a method to detect the gait cycle using long short‐term memory, a representative recurrent neural network model. Second, the CNN model using the gait cycle is implemented, and then the model is evaluated with the typical performance evaluation indicators such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1‐score. As a result, it is confirmed that the proposed model can identify individuals with more than 90% accuracy even when the shoes worn are different.

Assessment of a Decision-Making Model for Monitoring the Success of a Project for Smart Buildings

Objective: To express the usage of intelligent concepts in the architectural building construction field that are primarily concerned with reducing building energy use. Improved energy-saving methods and the use of environmentally friendly design principles are essential in this field. This type of managerial decision-making is necessary for the success of these types of projects. Methods: monitoring the performance of intelligent buildings use the cost variance (CV) and schedule variation as standard metrics to track the progress of a project based on the save energy concept. Also, this research conducted a comparative study on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and (MCDM) decision-making limitations as presented in the article. Analysis: the conventional technique, on the other hand, is unable to offer data on variance from typical performance levels. The main point based on Delphi results of construction cost variables has been observed 19 effective factors. Finding and Novelty: The RII observed that the most effective aspects of an intelligent building are the number of floors in the building, the kind of structural design, and the size of the shadow cast on the surface of the building. The Multi-Criteria Decision Maker (MCDM) observed significant differences in planned value (PV) and actual value (AC) results. In addition, as a result of the current approach, it is possible to track project costs and timelines more precisely. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-01-010 Full Text: PDF

Room-temperature sensing performance of binary Co–Zn doped MoS2/graphite composites toward ppb-level NO2

Schematic diagram of the sensing mechanism and typical performance of a binary Co–Zn/MG composite sensor.

An innovative material for space-oriented structures and habitat design

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate a new and innovative sandwich material evaluating its capability for use in space habitat structural components in deployable and foldable configurations. The main habitat requirements were considered in the preliminary design of a typical space outpost, proposing a preliminary architecture.Design/methodology/approachThe stiffness properties of the innovative sandwich (MAdFlex ®) were evaluated using numerical and experimental investigations. Four-point bending tests were performed for complete sandwich characterization. Numerical FE simulations were performed using typical material properties and performance. The application to a space habitat main structure as a basic material has also been discussed and presented.FindingsMAdFlex basic stiffness performances have been determined considering its double behavior: sufficiently stiff if loaded in a specific direction, flexible if loaded in the opposite direction and enhanced folding performance. Successful application to a typical space habitat confirms the validity and convenience of such a material in designing alternative structures.Research limitations/implicationsThe innovative material demonstrates wide potential for structural application and design in demanding space situations under operating conditions and in stored ones at launch.Practical implicationsSeveral simple deployable structural components can be designed and optimized both for the space environment and for the more traditional terrestrial applications.Social implicationsSimplification in structural design can be derived from deployable low-weight items.Originality/valueInnovative customized material in sandwich configuration has been proposed and investigated with the aim to demonstrate its potentiality and validity in alternative design architecture.

Zero-Shot Video Grounding for Automatic Video Understanding in Sustainable Smart Cities

Automatic video understanding is a crucial piece of technology which promotes urban sustainability. Video grounding is a fundamental component of video understanding that has been evolving quickly in recent years, but its use is restricted due to the high labeling costs and typical performance limitations imposed by the pre-defined training dataset. In this paper, a novel atom-based zero-shot video grounding (AZVG) method is proposed to retrieve the segments in the video that correspond to a given input sentence. Although it is training-free, the performance of AZVG is competitive to the weakly supervised methods and better than unsupervised SOTA methods on the Charades-STA dataset. The method can support flexible queries as well as different video content. It can play an important role in a wider range of urban living applications.

Commissioning and first results of the OLMAT facility

The OLMAT (Optimization of Liquid Metal Advanced Targets) facility has recently undergone the commissioning and start-up phases. Solid Titanium-Zirconium- Molybdenum (TZM) alloy and liquid tin (Sn) metallic targets were exposed to a hydrogen neutral beam injector (NBI) particle flux with power densities up to 58 ± 14 MW/m2, pulse duration up to 150 ms, and repetition rates up to 2 pulses/minute. These beam parameters are well above the estimates based on the typical performance of this NBI system when used for heating plasmas in the TJ-II stellarator. The parameters of the plasma generated through the interaction of the fast (32.5 keV) neutrals and ions and the solid were characterized by spectroscopic methods while surface temperature and total absorbed power were followed using pyrometry, infrared (IR) thermography, and calorimetry, respectively. Targets were visually monitored during the exposure and microscopically analyzed ex-situ. Electrical isolation of the target permitted recording the floating voltage during irradiation as well as for active biasing tests. In this work, a description of the facility, its operating parameters, and firsts results are provided and assessed as a new High Heat Flux (HHF) Facility for testing solid and liquid metal divertor targets under reactor-relevant heat load conditions.

Comparison of the sensory integrative function of South African infants to normative data on two standardised tests

BACKGROUND: The Dunn Infant Toddler Sensory Profile and DeGangi's Test of Sensory Functions in Infants are two standardised tests that are widely used by South African therapists to assess sensory integrative function in infants. There is, however, no research available on the validation of these standardised tests for a South African population. This research determined whether the normative data established in the United States of America on the Infant Toddler Sensory Profile and the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants were valid for use with South African infants between the ages of 7 and 18 months. METHODOLOGY: A quantitative cross-sectional, descriptive, correlation study design was used to investigate the equivalence between the normative data from the United States of America and a sample of typically developing South African infants. FINDINGS: The results indicated that the mean scores for the South African sample in five of the six processing sections of the Infant Toddler Sensory Profile and all quadrant scores, were in the lower range of the typical performance according to the normative data of the United States of America. On the Oral Processing Section and the Sensation-Seeking Quadrant, test results should be interpreted with caution due to the medium effect size indicating clinical differences to the reported norms. A higher percentage of South African infants had a clear definite difference "more than others" score compared to normative data from the United States of America. On the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants, the means of the frequency distribution for deficient, at risk, and typical for all five sections and the Total Test Scores for the South African sample were significantly different from the normative data of the United States of America and the mean scores fell into the lower range or below the range for the typical performance reported in the test manual. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The Infant Toddler Sensory Profile can be used without substantial re-norming based on the findings related to this South African sample. Due to significant differences in scores on the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants, the first author questions the use of the test and recommends further research on South African infants with a larger population group. However, it should be noted that this study had a small sample size and therefore the results should be interpreted with caution and cannot be generalised.