Literature data about all-cause and cause-specific mortality among professional drivers are inconsistent. Most studies report lower all-cause and higher cause-specific mortality. Higher ...cause-specific mortality is most often the result of malignant and circulatory diseases. The aim of our retrospective cohort study was to get a better insight into the mortality, cancer incidence, and occupational disability of the entire professional driver population in Slovenia (N=8,231) from 1997 to 2016 through standardised mortality ratio (SMR), standardised proportional mortality ratio (SPMR), standardised cancer incidence ratio (SIR), and standardised disability ratio (SDR). Total mortality was significantly lower than that of the general working population (SMR=0.49; 95 % CI=0.44–0.55). When SPMR was calculated, however, the risk of all-cause mortality increased to 1 (SPMR=1.00; 95 % CI=0.89–1.12), of cancer-related mortality to 1.13 (95 % CI=0.94–1.35), and of injury-related mortality to 1.25 (95 % CI=0.97–1.59). Cancer incidence was lower than in the general male working population for all types of cancer (SIR=0.66; 95 % CI=0.59–0.72), lung cancer included (SIR=0.56; 95 % CI=0.41–0.73). Occupational all-cause and cause-specific disability were also lower than in the rest of the working population. Even though all types of cancer and injuries were established among professional drivers in Slovenia, no major risk stand out. However, our findings may have been skewed by the healthy worker effect.
In this research, a cryogenically cooled, near-dry, wire-cut, electrical discharge machining (CNDWEDM) investigation was performed using air, oxygen, and helium gases mixed with the minimum quantity ...of dielectric water as the working medium to cut Inconel-718 alloy with a molybdenum wire tool. All the experiments have been performed using the –150 °C temperature of the liquid-nitrogen-cooled wire electrode. The comparative analysis of the wire wear ratio (WWR), and the material removal rate (MRR) have been performed using an L27 orthogonal array. The air/gas pressure, mixing water-flow rate, spark current, and pulse duration are considered as influencing parameters on the cutting characteristics. It was observed from a comparative analysis that the WWR of oxygen-mist and helium-mist CNDWEDM processes are 30.39 % and 27.91 % higher than air-mist CNDWEDM, respectively. The MRR of the oxygen-mist and helium-mist CNDWEDM processes are 7.09 % and 3.60 % higher than the air-mist CNDWEDM, respectively. The contributions of the process parameters on the MRR and WWR for all three dielectric media have also been illustrated. It was observed from scanning electron microscope (SEM) images that the crater size in the wire tool of the oxygen-mist CNDWEDM is higher than the crater-size of the wire in the air-mist and helium-mist CNDWEDM.
Changes in human growth and development depend on genetic and environmental factors. In the case of Slovenia, the environmental factors changed as a result of the period of socio-economic transition ...that the country underwent between 1991 and 2013. The authors used anthropometric techniques to evaluate differences in body height, proportions and sexual maturity in 1,221 adolescents aged 14 in 1993, 2003 and 2013.
Data was collected as a part of the ACDSi study, which has monitored children's somatic growth and motor development every decade over the last 40 years.
Between 1993 and 2013, a trend (p=0.08) towards increased body height was observed in males. The comparison of age at peak height velocity (PHV) between generations demonstrated a trend (p=0.07) of earlier entry into puberty in adolescents in 2013 compared to those in 1993. The leg-to-body height ratio increased (p<0.05) with every decade in males, while in females it decreased (p<0.05) in 2013. Similar trends were observed in the leg-to-trunk ratio. Contemporary generations experienced PHV at a younger age (p<0.05), which is true for both genders even in adolescents born no more than two decades (1993 (2013) apart. In both generations, females experienced PHV sooner than their male peers.
The authors assume that females of the 2013 generation reached puberty earlier than females of older generations. It is most likely that, unlike females from older generations and unlike males, they were already at the stage of trunk growth at the time of the measurements, which explains the observed changes in their trunk length, leg-to-body height and leg-to-trunk ratios in comparison to earlier generations.
We propose a modified design of a microstrip patch array antenna for RF energy optimization over 2.45 GHz WLAN communication applications. Initially, a one-patch and a two-patch array antennas were ...developed and considered as the base for the construction of a four-patch array antenna in the GSM 1800 frequency range. The energy usage by the WLAN application model includes a radiofrequency WLAN supply, a wireless connection, the proposed array antenna, impedance network matching, a voltage rectifier and a storage circuit that achieves higher efficiency. The proposed antenna design is utilized to examine the distance effect on the received RF power and it achieves the maximum efficiency of 47 % at 2.45 GHz at a 1-meter distance from the source. Improved gain is acquired at the expense of a greater array-antenna size with a -26 dB return loss, proving that it is much more efficient than other structures. Moreover, when experimentally analysed with HFSS, it delivers sufficient energy over WLAN applications.
Initial shear stress is inevitable in actual engineering slopes, subgrades and foundations, and soils exhibit different dynamic characteristics under the influence of initial shear stress. Using a ...dynamic triaxial test system, this study explores the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio of saturated sand from Wenchuan, investigates the effects of the initial shear stress and vibration frequencies on the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio of saturated sand and proposes a normalised dynamic shear modulus formula that considers the initial shear stress and vibration frequency. Results show a threshold dynamic shear strain of the saturated sand. When the dynamic shear strain is below this threshold, the dynamic shear modulus significantly increases with the initial shear stress and vibration frequency. Otherwise, the influence of the initial shear stress and vibration frequency gradually decreases and eventually stabilises. The initial shear stress significantly affects the normalised dynamic shear modulus/strain curves where a larger initial shear stress corresponds to a higher curve. Meanwhile, the vibration frequency only exerts a slight influence. The curves under different frequencies are generally within the same band and fall near the Seed upper envelope. The initial shear stress also has a significant influence on the damping ratio where a larger initial shear stress corresponds to a smaller damping ratio. On the basis of the experimental results, a normalised dynamic shear modulus/shear strain formula that considers the influence of the initial shear stress and vibration frequency is established. Fitting results indicate that this formula shows good agreement with the test data.
In this paper, I explore causation in Classical Chinese during the Warring States period and in the Han Dynasty. Whether causation is realised via causative use of words with covert causative verbs, ...or via overt causative verbs, causation structures can always be divided into Agentive and Causative constructions, which can be further categorised into lexical causatives and productive causatives. I also account for causation in Classical Chinese by means of Feng’s (1998, 2000, 2009) prosodic approach and show that both strategies to form causation structures are compatible with a prosodic theory. I discuss both VO and VV causation and state that Agentive and Causative constructions involving covert causative (light) verbs are prosodic words, whereas those involving overt causative verbs exhibit properties of phrases.
There is currently a strong scientific evidence about the negative health consequences of physical inactivity. One of the potential tools for promoting physical activity at the institutional level of ...the Ecological model is to create conditions and settings that would enable pupils, students and employees engage in some form of physical activity. However, physical activities as a subject are being eliminated from the study programs at Slovak universities. The purpose of the study was to find current evidence about the level of structured physical activity and health-related variables in university students in Košice.
The sample consisted of 1,993 or, more precisely, 1,398 students who attended two universities in Košice. To collect data, students completed a questionnaire and were tested for body height, body weight, circumferential measures and percentage body fat.
The university students did not sufficiently engage in a structured physical activity. A large number of students had either low or high values of percentage body fat and BMI and high WHR values.
Our findings have shown that the research into physical activity of university students should receive more attention.
Avtorica po uvodnem razmišljanju o tem, kako težko je konceptualizirati mentoriranje, proces, ki ima številne razsežno-sti (poučevanje, svetovanje, spremljanje, navduševanje, prijateljevanje ipd.), ...obravnava mentorsko razmerje (izobra- ževanje in komunikacijski odnos), kakršnega srečamo v diadah mentorja in mentoriranca. V mentorskem razmerju sta dva akterja, mentor in mentoriranec, razen njiju pa je navzoč tudi »izključeni tretji partner«, denimo tovarna, podjetje, izobraževalna organizacija ipd., ki razmerju prispeva svoj organizacijski princip. Avtorica preučuje transformiranje mentorja, mentoriranca in družbenega okolja ter proces prenašanja znanja, pri tem pa poudari, da gre v mentorskem razmerju predvsem za skupno ustvarjanje novega znanja in delovanje, ki je gonilna sila učenja. V mentorskem razmerju dveh gre za komunikacijo in recipročnost v učenju, za prenos znanja, najpogosteje z neformalnim izobraževalnim programom. Gre pa seveda tudi za mentorski odnos. Mentorsko razmerje ima več faz, opozarja avtorica. Nekatere med njimi so bolj interaktivne in takrat je več recipročnosti, imamo pa tudi več kognitivne disonance in večje bogastvo čustev.
Extended description:
Bogastvo pohorskih gozdov je bilo dolga stoletja vir zaslužka tamkajšnjim ljudem. A so si Pohorci kaj kmalu v gozdovih našli še drugo, trše delo, za katero je potrebna spretna, ...vendar močna roka. Skorajda sto let že lomijo v Cezleku kamen. Granit. Pravijo mu tudi najtrši med kamni. A se ga da oblikovati. Z voljo in močjo. To pa Pohorci, ki v krajih okrog Oplotnice živijo s kamnom in od kamna, imajo.
Information:
Tonček Strnad describing his 35 years of work in a granite quarry.
Original language summary:
Pripoved delavca Tončka Strnada, ki že 35 let dela v kamnolomu Granit.
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