The risk assessments during the COVID‐19 pandemic were primarily based on dose–response models derived from the pooled datasets for infection of animals susceptible to SARS‐CoV. Despite similarities, differences in susceptibility between animals and humans exist for respiratory viruses. The two most commonly used dose–response models for calculating the infection risk of respiratory viruses are the exponential and the Stirling approximated β‐Poisson (BP) models. The modified version of the one‐parameter exponential model or the Wells–Riley model was almost solely used for infection risk assessments during the pandemic. Still, the two‐parameter (α and β) Stirling approximated BP model is often recommended compared to the exponential dose–response model due to its flexibility. However, the Stirling approximation restricts this model to the general rules of β ≫ 1 and α ≪ β, and these conditions are very often violated. To refrain from these requirements, we tested a novel BP model by using the Laplace approximation of the Kummer hypergeometric function instead of the conservative Stirling approximation. The datasets of human respiratory airborne viruses available in the literature for human coronavirus (HCoV‐229E) and human rhinovirus (HRV‐16 and HRV‐39) are used to compare the four dose–response models. Based on goodness‐of‐fit criteria, the exponential model was the best fitting model for the HCoV‐229E (k = 0.054) and for HRV‐39 datasets (k = 1.0), whereas the Laplace approximated BP model followed by the exact and Stirling approximated BP models are preferred for both the HRV‐16 (α = 0.152 and β = 0.021 for Laplace BP) and the HRV‐16 and HRV‐39 pooled datasets (α = 0.2247 and β = 0.0215 for Laplace BP).

: Ischemic coronary disease is one of the leading causes of death in Portugal. As a chronic disease, it is imperative to develop skills for effective behavioural change and a higher level of acceptance and adherence to the recommendations provided

Heat transfer through building envelopes is a crucial aspect of energy efficiency in construction. Masonry walls, being a commonly used building material, have a significant impact on thermal performance. In recent years, green roofs and walls have gained popularity as a means of improving energy efficiency, reducing urban heat islands, and enhancing building aesthetics. This study aims to investigate the effect of ivy (Hedera helix) greening on heat transfer through masonry walls and their corresponding surface temperatures. Ivy was chosen as a model plant due to its widespread use and ability to cover large surface areas. The results of this study suggest that ivy greening can have a significant impact on the thermal performance of masonry walls. During winter, the heat transfer coefficient of greened walls was found to be up to 30% lower compared to non-greened walls. This indicates that ivy greening can help reduce energy consumption for heating and thus improve the energy efficiency of buildings. In addition, the surface temperature under the ivy was found to be significantly higher than on the bare wall during winter. However, during summer, the surface temperature under the ivy was lower than on the bare wall, which may help reduce cooling energy consumption. The results of this study are consistent with previous research in the field. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of ivy greening on the thermal performance of masonry walls.

Landmines and explosive remnants of war are still present in the Western Balkans and remain a deadly legacy of the hostilities at the end of the 20th century. Over the years, several incidents have occurred in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Serbia, and in Croatia where intact ordnance has caused injuries and fatalities. Floods, torrential flows, and gravitational mass movements pose a particular threat. Landmines and explosive remnants of war are mobilized and displaced into previously uncontaminated areas. We first discuss the historical and technical background of this hazardous situation. We then show which hydro-morphological processes are responsible for the mobilization and displacement. We then illustrate how a prediction of the likely contaminated areas can be obtained. We show that the problem can only be tackled using a stochastic-deterministic model. However, for the eventual development of risk-hazard maps, preliminary work using laboratory experiments and field surveys is required. The article, therefore, proposes a novel approach to the problem in an international research project. The aim would be to produce risk-hazard maps that can be used by elected decision-makers, administrative authorities, and emergency personnel in affected municipalities.

: The intensity of convective electric heating of the fluid is mainly determined by its volumetric flow, the installed power of the heater and the geometric characteristics of the channel through which it flows. The temperature of the surface of the heating source, and its power is limited by the maximum allowed value. The constant convective surface of the electric heating source, with the above limitations, results in a wide range of electric convective heaters. The thermal efficiency of these heaters depends on a case-by-case basis, while the temperature of the fluid varies in some intervals in relation to the required temperature that needs to be achieved. During fast transient fluid heating processes, convective electric heaters are thermally inert, low efficiency, while in some cases their application is unjustified. Therefore, the thermally generated entropy of the described convective heaters and fluids increases, from case to case, while their energy efficiency is minimized.

Solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) emit nearly monochromatic light, yet seamless tuning of emission color throughout the visible region remains elusive. Color-converting powder phosphors are therefore used for making LEDs with a bespoke emission spectrum, yet broad emission lines and low absorption coefficients compromise the formation of small-footprint monochromatic LEDs. Color conversion by quantum dots (QDs) can address these issues, but high-performance monochromatic LEDs made using QDs free of restricted, hazardous elements remain to be demonstrated. Here, we show green, amber, and red LEDs formed using InP-based QDs as on-chip color convertor for blue LEDs. Implementing QDs with near-unity photoluminescence efficiency yields a color conversion efficiency over 50% with little intensity roll-off and nearly complete blue light rejection. Moreover, as the conversion efficiency is mostly limited by package losses, we conclude that on-chip color conversion using InP-based QDs can provide spectrum-on-demand LEDs, including monochromatic LEDs that bridge the green gap.

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to minimize the effects of small duty cycle perturbations, due to extremum seeking control (ESC), on the output current of a photovoltaic (PV) cell array connected to the electrical grid. Specifically, we formulate a bilevel optimization problem that incorporates the power maximization objective together with a current quality objective. Next, by means of monotone operator theory, we show how to solve the problem via optimized ESC. Finally, we test the effectiveness of the proposed approach on a numerical simulation example.

<p><strong>Introduction.</strong> Conflict is a process during which one person consciously and intentionally makes an effort to prevent the other person&rsquo;s efforts, some kind of blockade that will lead to interruption in achieving the goals and interests of the other person. Conflicts in the healthcare team are common and can lead to reduced productivity in the work of healthcare professionals, which can have a negative impact on the care and treatment of patients. <strong>Methods. </strong>This cross-sectional study involved 100 health professionals, nurses and doctors employed in the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health care. The research was conducted from March to August 2020. A questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, a questionnaire on conflicts of health professionals, and a standardized scale of depression, anxiety and stress with 21 questions (DASS-21) were used to measure the level of subjective depression, anxiety and stress <strong>Results.</strong> Seventy-four health workers (74%) had experience of conflict in the workplace, doctors (95%) significantly more often than nurses (58%) (p=0.001). Forty percent of health workers stated that communication problems were the most common cause of conflict. Seventy-nine respondents (79%) chose cooperation and compromise as a style in conflict resolution. Doctors chose cooperation more often (84%) than nurses (74%) and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.048). Subjects who had experience of conflict had significantly higher average values of anxiety (8.01&plusmn;2.12) (p=0.026) and stress (10.32&plusmn;2.91) (p=0.008) compared to subjects who had no experience of conflict (6.13&plusmn;1.91; 6.12&plusmn;2.03). <strong>Conclusion.</strong> Doctors were significantly more likely to have conflict situations in the workplace. For conflict resolution doctors were more likely to choose a style of cooperation and compromise than nurses who were more likely to choose a style of conflict avoidance.</p>

O trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o nível de conhecimento dos gestores do ramo de Farmácia que utilizam o ERP “InovaFarma” e sua percepção de como os dados retornados podem ser utilizados para obter maiores informações administrativas para apoio na tomada de decisões. Tem também como objetivo verificar se o sistema é “alimentado” de forma correta para que possam obter informações precisas e certeiras.  Por meio de questionário será observado até que ponto os gestores buscam informações nas ferramentas que possuem a disposição e como podem utilizá-las para auxiliar no dia a dia. O método de pesquisa utilizado foi a pesquisa descritiva, onde utilizou-se a técnicas de pesquisa bibliográfica, coleta de dados, análise e interpretação dos resultados. Os gestores que utilizam de forma frequente e muito frequente as ferramentas disponíveis encontram-se mais aptos a realizarem investimentos mais assertivos, e conseguem tomar decisões de forma mais facilitada, além de que ao realizarem uma “alimentação” mais constante das informações financeiras da empresa, conseguem disponibilizar aos demais participantes das tomadas de decisão informações mais transparentes e que podem ser comprovadas de acordo com os dados inseridos no sistema. Palavras-chave: ERP. Gestores. Informações. Tomada de decisão.

This study uses conventional 87Sr/87Sr and 87Nd/87Nd isotope and interelement ratios of Ca, Sr, K, Mn, Mg, and Ti as fingerprints for ordinary Portland cements (OPC) provenancing. Herein, the first database of Sr and Nd isotope ratios investigated in OPCs stemming from twenty-nine cement plants located worldwide was created. The results show that the Sr isotope ratios of OPCs are higher than those of seawater from the observed geological period. The spread of 87Nd/87Nd in OPCs is not as large as the spread for 87Sr/87Sr isotope ratios. However, the combination of both Sr and Nd isotope ratios provides the potential for distinguishing between cements of different production sites. Most of the investigated OPCs have measurable differences in their 87Sr/87Sr and 87Nd/87Nd isotope ratios, which can be employed as a valuable analytical fingerprinting tool. In the case of equivocal results, Divisive Hierarchical Clustering was employed to help overcome this issue. The construction of geochemical profiles allowed computing suitably defined distances between cements and clustering them according to their chemical similarity. By applying this methodology, successful fingerprinting was achieved in 27 out of 29 analysed ordinary Portland cements.