bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emmanuelle Danblon : Les exercices de rhétorique ou l’art de retrouver « le goût du vrai »
Authors: Danblon Emmanuelle , Koren Roselyne
Published: April 2024

Après avoir théorisé une approche anthropologique de la fonction persuasive et exploré les enjeux des régimes de rationalité de la raison pratique, Emmanuelle Danblon se consacre, ces dix dernières années, à une approche réaliste et « artisanale » de la rhétorique pratiquée dans le cadre d’exercices de rhétorique. Ceux-ci ont la renaissance du « goût » perdu de la vérité pour enjeu. Plutôt que de prendre les arguments fallacieux pour objet et de donner la primauté au décryptage théorique descriptif de vérités « alternatives » et d’énoncés jugés irrationnels, Emmanuelle Danblon propose aux actants de ces exercices, dans un premier temps, une initiation collective commune à une typologie d’arguments, puis des jeux de rôles où ils devront essayer de défendre des positions contraires aux leurs ou qui leur semblent paradoxales, difficiles à imaginer ou irrationnelles, face à d’autres actants défendant des points de vue inverses. Les enjeux sont alors à la fois cognitifs et éthiques : comprendre l’Autre de l’intérieur au lieu de le juger, progresser dans la connaissance de soi et travailler sur un mode artisanal, à retrouver le goût du vrai.
Analyse de l’activité de joueurs dans deux jeux de rôle en ligne massivement multijoueurs
Authors: Owczarek Floriane
Published: April 2024

Les jeux de rôle en ligne massivement multijoueurs1 offrent un terrain particulier quant à l’étude de l’activité narrative. Cette activité se fait en effet à partir de l’univers d’un jeu en ligne où les joueurs évoluent et où on leur propose de faire évoluer leur personnage. Quels sont les éléments qui peuvent influencer l’émergence de ce type de récit ? Peut-on les identifier ? Pour répondre à cette question, deux jeux distincts sont retenus : Rappelz (2006) et Landes Éternelles (2003), le premier aux orientations commerciales, le second tenu par des bénévoles passionnés. Au travers de l’utilisation du modèle NAM, nous réalisons des entretiens avec des joueurs-narrateurs, l’analyse des forums, l’observation au sein même des deux jeux, et l’analyse des récits. Nous nous proposons de mettre en évidence les rapports entre les récits écrits par les joueurs et les différents éléments que l’on retrouve respectivement, ou en commun, dans les deux jeux. À l’issue de la présentation des résultats, Landes Éternelles semble susciter beaucoup plus l’activité narrative que Rappelz, où pourtant, bien qu’elle soit moins importante, elle est tout aussi existante. La différence se fait également sentir sur le fond avec des thématiques différentes et des éléments de jeux intégrés à l’histoire eux aussi différents. La fin de l’article sera l’occasion de revenir sur la méthode et ses limites, mais aussi les pistes d’ouvertures.
Public et pratique du podcast natif. Une écoute féminine, jeune et distribuée. Enquête CSA / Havas Paris 2023
Authors: Glevarec Hervé
Published: April 2024

Le podcast est un nouveau format apparu dans les années 2000 et il a enregistré la plus forte croissance parmi les formats audio numériques ces dernières années. Il se décline en deux grands types que sont le podcast de rediffusion – issu principalement de la radio – et le podcast natif ou original – issu de la radio mais aussi de podcasteurs, de studios, d’organes de presse, d’institutions ou de sociétés privées. Le podcast natif est-il le prolongement de l’émission de radio ou un média qui en redessine les contours par sa sortie du direct, sa promesse d’horizontalité, sa sérialité et ses thématiques ? Cet article se propose de mener une première caractérisation du public, des usages et des goûts des auditeurs de podcasts natifs. Il s’appuie pour cela sur l’enquête menée en 2023 par l'Institut CSA / Havas Paris sur un panel représentatif de Français·es adultes sur leur pratique du podcast et plus spécifiquement du podcast dit « natif ». Il montre une ouverture de l’auditoire traditionnel de la radio vers les jeunes et les femmes notamment.
Developing Emotional Intelligence Skills in Emerging Talent
Authors: Franzen Roberta Maldonado
Published: April 2024

Today's workplace demands continue to evolve, and prospective talent is expected to lead upon arrival. In response to these expectations, academia and industry partnerships emerge to support the development of undergraduate students with the essential skills to lead. Scholars suggest emotional intelligence (Ei) is necessary for career success. This case study reflects on the collaboration between a university and industry partnership that integrated the Ei framework in the coaching and training of students. It further explains the elements of curricula design and program evaluation.
Virtual Reality Technology in Developing Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Skills in HE
Authors: Shokri Hossein
Published: April 2024

There is a growing awareness of the need to adopt new technologies and techniques for optimising educational outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) are growing concepts in the modern age and have received much attention from researchers and practitioners in recent years. They are also recognised as the most important developments in educational technologies. VR is not a recent technology in the education sector, and numerous studies have highlighted the positive impact of the application of VR technology in education. VR simulation technology is a potential tool to accelerate the development of critical thinking and entrepreneurship skills because it allows users to have embodied and immersive experiences. It can provide a safe and playful environment for students to experiment and explore new ideas without fear of failure or judgment. However, these technologies have their own issues. Even with the encouraging outcomes of using VR technology in the educational sector, it hasn't been widely employed and has failed to gain enough adoption by educators. A range of internal barriers, design issues, and external barriers are constrained intentions to use VR technology in HE.
Engaging Minds, Shaping Spaces
Authors: Jaskari Minna-Maarit E.
Published: April 2024

This chapter presents a case study on the conceptualization of an innovation space within a university setting, using the framework of Academic Design Thinking Pedagogy (ADTP). The theoretical background discusses the benefits and challenges of design thinking in a higher education setting. The case study explores the co-creation of innovation space concepts, highlighting students' active role as agents of change. Extensive data comprising student work, instructor notes, client feedback, and student input provides a comprehensive understanding of the design thinking process in this context. While the chapter does not cover the physical construction of innovation spaces, it offers an insightful look into their design and conceptualization, emphasising student-led co-creation and the challenges and benefits therein.
Unlocking the Success of Mobile Wallets Among Hawkers in India
Authors: Tabeck Pooja Sehgal
Published: April 2024

Smartphone penetration in India has led to the successful adoption of technology among all demographic segments. Smartphone adoption, followed by affordable internet, opened the doors for many technologies and applications to disseminate among various segments. Mobile wallets also piggyback on the penetration of mobile phones and the Internet, providing wonderful opportunities for hawkers to manage their payments. Mobile wallets are like physical wallets and are one of the latest innovations with considerable potential which has been adopted by all. Ease of use, trialability, and relative advantage are a few factors leading to hawkers' adoption. The present chapter will try to unlock the factors that fuel mobile wallet adoption.
The Role of Social Media in the Adoption of Stock Investment Applications Among Gen Z
Authors: Dabas Shweta , Nagvanshi Sarita
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of social media on the intention to adopt stock investment applications among Generation Z. The study also delves into the parallel mediating roles of attitude, perceived behavioral control, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire was conducted among Generation Z individuals in India. A total of 204 Gen Z respondents were considered for the study. The findings indicate that the excessive usage of social media has a negative influence on the intention of the young generation to adopt stock investment applications. Moreover, the results of parallel mediation highlight the significant roles of attitude, perceived behavioral control, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use as mediating factors between the use of social media and application adoption intention. These findings carry significant practical implications for financial service providers, finance content creators on various social media platforms, and financial advisers.
A Novel Study on IoT and Machine Learning-Based Transportation
Authors: Sharma Vibhor , Srivastava Deepak , Kumar Lokesh , Payal Mohit
Published: April 2024

Smarter apps and connected devices are now possible because of the proliferation of IoT, which has greatly improved the quality of life in today's urban centers. ML and IoT approaches have been employed in the study of smart transportation, which has attracted a large number of researchers. Smart transportation is viewed as a catch-all word that encompasses a wide range of topics, including optimization of route, parking, street lighting, accident detection, abnormalities on the road, and other infrastructure-related issues. The purpose of this chapter is to examine the state of machine learning (ML) and internet of things (IoT) applications for smart city transport in order to better comprehend recent advances in these fields and to spot any holes in coverage. From the existing publications it's clear that ML may be underrepresented in smart lighting and smart parking systems. Additionally, researchers' favorite applications in terms of transportation system's intelligence include optimization of route, smart parking management, and accident/collision detection.
Fractional Order Epidemiological Model of Fake Information Mitigation in OSNs With PINN, TFC, and ELM
Authors: Srivastava Vineet , Srivastava Pramod Kumar , Yadav Ashok Kumar
Published: April 2024

Online social networks (OSNs) have emerged as the most convenient platforms for transmitting and communicating media, including news and electronic content. It is imperative to develop technology that can mitigate the spread of fake information/rumors, which badly harm society. This chapter employs an epidemic approach to develop a model for controlling and examining the dissemination of fake information on OSNs. The model is designed in the form of a system of fractional differential equations, exploring the real-world effects of misinformation propagation in OSNs with memory effect. It incorporates the concept of physics-informed neural networks with approximation based on the theory of functional connection and extreme learning machines. The proposed model elucidates the impact of various measures for correcting misinformation and shows how misinformation spreads across different groups. The validity of the suggested OSN model is confirmed through extensive computational analysis and investigation.
The Effect of Adding Variations in Glycerol Concentration from Used Cooking Oil on the Physical Properties of Edible Film Made from Potato Starch
Authors: Permata Mutiara Eka , Sedyadi Endaruji , Irwanto Dodi , Karmanto Karmanto
Published: April 2024

Making edible films from potato starch by adding glycerol from used cooking oil with various concentrations of 10, 20 and 30% (v/w starch). This study aims to determine the physical properties of edible films made using these materials and the effect of adding variations in glycerol concentration on the physical properties of the resulting edible films. The physical property tests carried out included thickness, tensile strength, elongation and WVTR (Water Vapor Transmission Rate) tests as well as to see the effect using the pearson correlation test on SPSS version 25. The physical properties of edible film made from potato starch raw materials with the addition of variations in glycerol concentration produced successive thicknesses respectively 0.0670; 0.0674 and 0.0818 mm. Tensile strength respectively 24.237; 14.929 and 3.417 N/m2. Consecutive elongation 2.4064; 5.6768 and 20.096 %. As well as WVTR 5.05556 respectively; 6.38426 and 8.36574. The addition of variations in glycerol concentration to the physical properties of the edible film showed that the addition of glycerol did not significantly affect the thickness, but greatly affected the tensile strength, elongation and WVTR of the resulting edible film.
Effect of Reaction Time on Production Biodiesel of Schleichera oleosa
Authors: Suherman Suherman , Ilmi Abdullah , Sabri Muhammad , Silitonga Arridina Susan
Published: April 2024

The world's energy needs to be enhanced after the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a shortage of petroleum-based fuels that has occurred in almost all countries in the world. It is essential to use non-edible vegetable oil as a renewable energy source. This study aimed to produce Schleichera Oleosa oil as biodiesel using a homogeneous catalyst (KOH). This study uses the ester/transesterification method in which Schleichera oleosa oil (SO) is heated in a 1L double jacket reactor at 60 °C. The results showed that the optimum conditions were obtained at 0.75 vol% KOH and an agitation speed of 1000 rpm with a reaction time of 90 minutes. This condition resulted in a biodiesel yield of 89%. Furthermore, it was found that the high oxidation stability was 9.03 h, and the pour point was 9 °C. Thus, the physicochemical biodiesel produced is acceptable according to the ASTM 6751 standard.
Application of Optical Character Recognizer Prototype and Convulsion Neural Network for Vehicle License Plate Detection
Authors: Achmadi Fuad , Nufaily Fathur Rachman , Bahar Afdi Fauzul , Uyun Shofwatul
Published: April 2024

License plates play an important role in vehicle identification in a variety of applications such as traffic safety, parking management, and traffic enforcement. In this study, we propose the development of license plate recognition applications using optical character recognition (OCR) and convolutional neural network (CNN) techniques. The OCR method is used to recognize characters on license plates and the CNN method is used to recognize license plates in images. The purpose of this research is to develop a system that can automatically recognize and recognize license plates in images. The OCR method accurately recognizes the characters on the license plate. Additionally, the CNN method is employed to detect license plates with good accuracy, even in various formats of license plates. The proposed methods in this research are implemented in the form of an application using the Python programming language. The application takes vehicle images as input and produces text recognition of the license plate as output. Furthermore, the application can also display additional information such as date, time, location, and detected vehicle type. Through this research, it is expected that the license plate recognition application using OCR and CNN methods can contribute to improving efficiency and reliability in automatic license plate recognition. Moreover, this application also has the potential to be used in various security applications, traffic monitoring, and automatic vehicle recognition
Sustainability Assessment of Lightweight Artificial Aggregates Made from Industrial Waste Using a Double-Step Cold Bonding Palletization Process
Authors: Raza Jehangeer , Singh Narinder , Colangelo Francesco , Farina Ilenia
Published: April 2024

The use of recycled resources in the construction industry, such as lightweight artificial aggregates, has recently gained more and more attention. In the present study, experimental procedures and multi-criteria model were applied to choose among the lightweight artificial aggregates. Mechanical, environmental, and economic factors were examined and integrated to identify the most sustainable lightweight artificial aggregate. Three mixtures containing cement and industrial waste were created for this purpose. While cement content (15%, 10%, 5%) and blast furnace slag (5%, 10%, 15%) changed in the mixtures, fly ash content (80%) was kept constant. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was put into place to assist in identifying preferred scenarios in relation to the three mixtures. The outcomes showed that aggregates with 80% of fly ash, 5% of blast furnace slag and 15% of cement are the best choice in terms of sustainability.
Bioelectricity Production through Dual-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell Using Tofu Liquid Waste: Effect of Differences in Electrolyte Solutions
Authors: Purwanto Mochammad , Ramdani M Anuari , Firdhaus Wildan Wahyu , Yogaswara Rachmad Ramadhan
Published: April 2024

The Dual-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell system has been successfully developed to produce bioelectricity based on tofu liquid waste. In this study, variations of the operating parameters of the MFC were carried out, namely differences in electrolyte solutions of potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) and potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇). In addition, the configuration of the reactor circuit used is a series reactor circuit and a single reactor. The results of the MFC process show that the maximum electric voltage and current strength values obtained in the KMnO₄ electrolyte solution are 880 mV and 0.352 mA, respectively. Meanwhile, the maximum electric voltage and current strength in the K₂Cr₂O₇ electrolyte solution are 569 mV and 0.228 mA. Furthermore, the use of potassium permanganate is known to produce a maximum power density of 20.88 mW/cm², which is two times greater than the maximum power density value produced by potassium dichromate, which is 8.73 mW/cm². Whereas the difference in the reactor series shows that the series reactor circuit can increase the maximum power density value of 356.61 mW/cm², higher than the single reactor which is 26.21 mW/cm². Based on all the data generated from this study, tofu liquid waste has the potential as the main ingredient in the MFC process to produce bioelectricity.
Time Series Analysis on Covid-19 Cases in Malaysia and Thailand
Authors: Xinne Koh Ee , Binti Saharan Sabariah
Published: April 2024

The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), also known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a highly contagious illness. The first Malaysia COVID-19 case was discovered on January 25, 2020, while Thailand reported their first confirmed case on January 13, 2020. In this research, the main objectives are to identify and forecast the trend of COVID-19 confirmed cases and death cases in Malaysia and Thailand by using the simple exponential smoothing method and Holt’s linear trend method. This research used 365 data of daily COVID-19 confirmed cases and death cases for Malaysia and Thailand. The results showed that Thailand recorded a higher accuracy with MAPE value of 10.41% in terms of daily confirmed cases by using a simple exponential smoothing method and the same findings applied to daily death cases, with Thailand accounted for 25.89% of MAPE. Meanwhile, by using Holt's linear trend method, Thailand achieved a higher accuracy of MAPE (16.77%) in terms of daily confirmed cases and the same conclusions held true for daily death cases, with Thailand accounting for 25.00% of MAPE. However, the simple exponential smoothing method outperformed Holt's linear trend method when forecasting daily confirmed cases, while Holt's linear trend method outperformed it when forecasting daily death cases.
Improvement of Bottlenecks in Printed Brown Sugar Production Using Line Balancing and Simulation
Authors: Prakoso Indro , Priyanto Dika , Asyari Hasyim , Sibarani Ayu Anggraeni , Shandi Nike Meidita
Published: April 2024

UD XYZ is a small and medium enterprise (SME) that produces printed brown sugar. In fulfilling customer demands, this SME produces sugar using a make-to-order system. Based on initial observations, indications of bottlenecks were found in the production process. The indications of bottleneck were found in the cooking process as this process is repeated and takes a long time. The prolonged cooking process results in the subsequent process stopping because there are no products to process. In addition, signs of bottleneck also occurred in the printing process, which takes a long time. After identification, the bottleneck occurred at workstation 4 where the cycle time at workstation 4 exceeded the production takt time. The bottleneck caused the company to experience delays in meeting production targets. To improve the bottleneck problem, workstation balancing was done using the rank positional weight method. The RPW method is a heuristic method that has advantages in terms of performance and is easy to apply to real problems. The results of the improvement were then simulated using Extend software. Line balancing with the RPW method resulted in 2 proposed workstation allocations. The first proposal divides the workstations into 5 workstations with idle time calculation results of 157.3 minutes and line efficiency of 65%. The second proposal divides the workstations into 5 workstations with idle time calculation results of 57.31 minutes and line efficiency of 84%. Based on the simulation results, no bottleneck was found in both proposals, with the first proposal producing an average output of 3.7 batches while the second proposal producing an average output of 4.1 batches. The recommended improvement proposal is to allocate workstations according to the second proposal.
Implementation of Taguchi Method to Assessment Workspace Design
Authors: Mazda Chadziqatun Najilatil , Setyaningsih Ira
Published: April 2024

In order to have a good workspace design, it takes a series of activities consisting of several stages. Starting from the design planning stage, design testing/ experimentation, design analysis, selection of the best design, to design implementation. This research was conducted to evaluate workspace designs using the Taguchi method. In this study, four factors were determined as elements of the workspace environment: the level of lighting, noise, temperature, and aroma of the room. Taguchi orthogonal array design produces 8 experiments obtained from a combination of 4 factors and 2 levels. Experimental activities in the form of the influence of the physical work environment on the resulting typing speed. The research sample in each experiment was 30 responses. The experimental results were analyzed using the Taguchi method with the help of Minitab software. In the analysis of the larger the better factor, based on the ranking, it is found that three factors have amajor influence on typing speed: lighting using room lights, not adding sound (noise), and regulating the room temperature to keep it cool. The ANOVA results show that lighting, noise, and temperature factors significantly affect typing speed. It is known that the calculated F value of the lighting factor is 42.10, noise is 12.22 and temperature is 14.45, all of which are greater than the F table of 4.07. The results of this study can be used as managerial evaluation material for companies to design workspaces by prioritizing bright lighting, not too noisy, and cool temperature of room.
Web Application Vulnerability Analysis Using the OWASP Method (Case Study: OJS CSFD UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta)
Authors: Arromdoni Bad'ul Hilmi , Kusuma Mandahadi , Sugiantoro Bambang
Published: April 2024

The Cyber Security and Digital Forensics (CSFD) Open Journal System (OJS) website owned by the information technology center and database (PTIPD) Islamic University Negri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta is a software content management system (CMS) application that is intended as a media and means of research publications from academic research. Web-based applications that are not properly monitored will have the impact of being attacked by attackers. Vulnerability gaps that have been found by irresponsible attackers will have a very bad impact on the performance of the website application. From the summary of the results of the vulnerability scan, the researcher did not find high status vulnerability gaps using Aucentix tools, the researcher only found 18 vulnerability gaps at the medium risk level, 8 vulnerability gaps at low level and 10 informational vulnerability loopholes. As a comparison, the researchers conducted another scan using the OWAS-ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) tool and found 17 vulnerabilities with details: 1 with high status, 4 with medium status, 8 with low status and 4 with informational status. The research is based on the OWASP Top-10 method as a measure and parameter in testing using penetration testing. researchers got 1 test result with successful status, namely Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities. Then the researcher found 1 type of vulnerability with posibility status, namely Sensitive Data Exposure with finding data that was not sensitive and 8 vulnerabilities that were not discovered, including: 1. Broken Authentication, 2. Cross-Site Scripting, 3. Security Misconfiguration, 4. Insufficient Logging and Monitoring, 5. Broken Access Control, 6. SQL Injection, 7. XML External Entities , 8. Insecure Deserialization.
The Effect of Crude Ficin Enzyme Concentration on the Characteristics of Peptones from Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) Dark Meat
Authors: Ismed Ismed , Yenrina Rina , Hasbullah Hasbullah , Yusniwati Yusniwati , Syukri Daimon , Anggraini Tuty , Mardiah Annisa Rizki
Published: April 2024

Peptones are protein hydrolysis products consisting of a mixture of free amino acids, oligopeptides, and other fragmented protein components easily digestible by microorganisms. This study aimed to investigate the effect of crude ficin enzyme on the characteristics of peptones derived from yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) dark meat and their potential application in microbial growth. Crude ficin enzyme concentrations used to produce peptones from yellowfin tuna dark meat were 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4%. The results showed that using crude ficin enzyme impacted the characteristics of peptones from yellowfin tuna dark meat, including protein content, amino nitrogen, degree of hydrolysis, and optical density. The research findings revealed protein content of 16.20%-32.51%, amino nitrogen of 2.74%-6.53%, hydrolysis degree of 28.37%-39.16%, and optical density value of 0.342-0.574. The optimal concentration of crude ficin enzyme, based on the results obtained in this study, 0.2% crude ficin enzyme was used for producing peptone from yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) dark meat. .
Integrated Maintenance Management to Increase the Availability of Drilling Equipment: Case Study in a Peruvian Mine
Authors: Banda Lourdes , Sanchez Nancy , Ramos Edgar
Published: April 2024

Drilling equipment is the main asset of mining companies; therefore, a decrease in the operability and availability of such equipment can generate negative impacts on organizations, such as the generation of extra expenses due to the hiring of third parties for the performance of activities and contractual projects. According to statistics from previous studies, the availability of equipment in the sector should be 95% to be considered optimal for use in mining operations. Equipment downtime can be avoided by establishing and following a preventive maintenance schedule and having spare parts and hydraulic components readily available for maintenance. The purpose of this work is the implementation and follow-up of a maintenance management plan based on a failure mode analysis and autonomous maintenance and preventive maintenance with the purpose of keeping the equipment in optimal conditions, maintaining an adequate level of availability and extending the useful life of the assets. With the simulation of the Arena program, a possible availability of 95% was evidenced, which corresponds to being adequate for the optimal operation of the equipment and the continuity of the projects.
Overview of Sleep and Fatigue at Indonesian Coal Mining Workers Working with Shift Work
Authors: Sunarno Stevan Deby Anbiya Muhamad , Sedilla Keneth Bautista , Nishimura Takayuki , Maeda Takafumi
Published: April 2024

Implementing shift work is a common practice to boost productivity in various industries. Despite its advantages in sustaining continuous business operations, shift work has negative effects on the physical health of its employees. Both immediate and long-term health effects may result from this kind of work. Acute health impacts of working in shifts include fatigue and loss of focus at work. However, it is unclear, whether there are differences between shift work and non-shift work in relation to sleep and fatigue, particularly among Indonesian coal mining workers. This cross-sectional study collected field data from a coal mining company in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). This study included 397 respondents classified as non-shift, 2-shift and 3-shift workers. It was found that (2-shift and 3-shift) sleep for around 30 minutes shorter than non-shift workers. The coal miners with the lowest sleep efficiency were those who worked two shifts. There are significance differences between sleep duration, sleep efficiency, educational attainment, working task, sleep quality, and fatigue among non-shift, 2-shift, and 3-shift workers. Working on shifts increases the level of fatigue and sleepiness at work. Coal mining operations are required to operate continuously, and working with shifts is inevitable. In contrast, shift work increases the danger of an accident and has a negative impact on one's health. Thus, to mitigate the risks associated with shift work, it is essential to have a well-managed shift work schedule that considers the unique characteristics of each worker.
Lean Maintenance Design to Optimize the Manufacturing Process: A Peruvian Textile Company Case
Authors: Cabana Jacqueline , Quino William , Ramos Edgar
Published: April 2024

In recent years, the textile industry has increased its exports compared to previous years and produces thousands of jobs per year. However, some manufacturing companies in the textile industry experience low efficiency, such as the current textile company under study associated with unplanned machine downtime and idle time. In this sense, this study aims to promote the capacity, productivity, and efficiency of textile companies that manufacture garments. Therefore, a Lean Maintenance model supported by the integration of Lean Manufacturing instruments and techniques such as TPM, 5S, Kaizen is proposed in order to improve machine availability and quality through management metrics. After the implementation of the proposed tool integration, the activities of the operations were standardized, an increase in efficiency was generated, and a favorable change in maintenance metrics was achieved.
Compressive Strength Target Method for Optimal Zero Carbon Concrete Mixtures Synthesized from Fly Ash
Authors: Hassoon Maher M. , Qissab Musab Aied
Published: April 2024

Zero Carbon Concrete (ZCC) mix design and material proportioning are complex when compared to normal concrete due to the numerous variables involved in the design process of ZCC mixtures. Despite the fact that the published experimental data related to the design and proportioning of ZCC ingredients, the lack of standards of practice hinders its general implementation. Design mixture and mixing procedure were mostly according to a trial-and-error method. Thus, this research aims to investigate the impact of Molarity concentration and ratio of (Sodium Silicate (SS)), which is called R ratio, on the strength of ZCC manufactured from low Calcium fly ash (FA) Class F. Design of Experiment (DOE) was employed using MINITAB program for test, statistical and analysis of variance (ANOVA) purposes. The finding of the current study proved that increasing the R ratio led to improving the strength. It was found that the optimum R ratio was 2.5. Furthermore, the values of NaOH Molarity effected significantly the strength of ZCC.
Drag reduction design and experiments for the chisel-shaped shovel tip
Authors: Wang Longlong , Zheng Changjiang , Li Mingke , Mi Tongtong , Li Songze , Yi Xuemei
Published: April 2024

To address the issue of high resistance encountered by traditional chisel-shaped shovel tips during tillage, this study drew inspiration from the micro V-shaped structures found in shark skin. Using laser cladding technology, a V-shaped wear-resistant coating was applied to the front surface of the shovel, with different drag-reducing V-shaped structures achieved by controlling the coating overlap ratio H (including 20%, 40%, and 60%). Additionally, the rear surface of the shovel tip was designed to mimic the V-shaped morphology of shark skin, proportionally amplified, and given a certain backward tilt angle θ to further reduce resistance. Through the discrete element simulation experiments while maintaining θ at 0°, it was found that the shovel tip achieved the best drag reduction effect when H was 40%. Based on this, the study varied the values of θ (including 0°, 1°, 3°, and 5°) while keeping H at 40%. Discrete element simulation experiments were conducted at depths of 250mm, 275mm, and 300mm to analyze the disturbance effect, fragmentation effect, and resistance of the shovel tip. Considering all factors, the shovel tip with θ of 5° was selected as the optimal choice. Finally, a soil trench experiment was conducted to verify the performance of the V-shaped shovel tip with H of 40% and θ of 5°, as well as the chisel-shaped shovel tip, in tillage operations. The experimental results showed good agreement with the simulation results, and the designed V-shaped shovel tip achieved a maximum drag reduction of 12.87%. This design provides valuable references for the structural optimization of subsoiler, contributing to the improvement of their performance and efficiency.
Cohort profile of the largest health & demographic surveillance system (Dibrugarh-HDSS) from North-East India
Authors: Rasaily Reeta , Devi Utpala , Borah Kamakhya , Chetry Prakash , Saikia Himanshu , Borah Nilutpal , Pathak Jyotismita , Gogoi Nabajyoti , Saha Uday Kumar , Khaund Purnananda , Borah Prasanta Kumar
Published: April 2024

Dibrugarh Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Dibrugarh-HDSS), was started in the year 2019 with the objective to create the health and demographic database of a population from a defined geographical area and a surveillance system for providing technical assistance for the implementation of programmes and formulating intervention strategies for reducing disease morbidities and mortalities in the population. Dibrugarh-HDSS adopted a panel design and covered 60 contiguous villages and 20 tea gardens. Line listing of all the households was conducted and a unique identification number detailing State, district, village/tea garden and serial number was provided along with geotagging. Detailed sociodemographic variables, anthropometric measurements (subjects ≥five years) and blood pressure data (subjects ≥18 yr), disease morbidity and mortality were collected. All data were collected in pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaires using a mobile application package developed for this purpose. Dibrugarh-HDSS included a total of 106,769 individuals (rural: 46,762, tea garden: 60,007) with 52,934 males (49.6%) and 53,835 females (50.4%). The number of females per thousand males were significantly higher (1042 in tea garden vs. 985 in rural populations) in the tea-garden community as compared to the village population. More than one-third (35.1%) of tea populations were illiterate compared to the rural population (17.1%). Villagers had significantly higher body mass index than the tea-garden community. The overall prevalence of hypertension (adjusted for age) was 29.4 vs. 28.2 per cent, respectively, for the village and tea-garden population. For both these communities, males (village=30.8%, tea garden=31.1%) showed a higher prevalence of hypertension (adjusted for age) than females (village=28.2%, tea garden=25.8%). The findings of the present study give an insight into the profile of the native rural and tea-garden populations that will help to identify risk factors of different health problems, review the effectiveness of different ongoing programmes, implement intervention strategies for reducing morbidity and mortality and assist the State health authorities in prioritizing their resource allocation and implementation strategies.
Practical aspects of palliative care & palliative radiotherapy in incurable cervical cancer
Authors: George Reena , Rai Bhavana
Published: April 2024

Cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths among economically disadvantaged women. The symptoms of pain, discharge, constipation, foul smell, insomnia and depression can be controlled with inexpensive medicines such as oral morphine, maintenance oral metronidazole, antidepressants and laxatives. These medications should be prescribed according to the palliative care guidelines and titrated to the individual patient’s clinical response, pathophysiology, and metabolic parameters. A hypothetical clinical scenario illustrates some aspects of pain and symptom management, inter-disciplinary palliative care, medical ethics and communication needs in low-resource settings. Palliative radiotherapy is a cost-effective intervention to reduce vaginal discharge, bleeding, pressure effects and nociceptive or neuropathic pain caused by pelvic and para-aortic disease. The role of palliative radiotherapy in patients with malignant fistulae is discussed and the literature on hypo-fractionated pelvic radiotherapy is briefly reviewed.
Outbreak of cholera in a remote village in western India
Authors: Kumar Anuj , Barve Uday , Gopalkrishna V. , Tandale Babasaheb V. , Katendra Savita , Joshi Madhuri S. , Salve Dawal , Viswanathan Rajlakshmi
Published: April 2024

Background & objectives:

Atypical El Tor strains of Vibrio cholerae are frequently implicated in outbreaks of cholera. It is important to understand genetic variations of such strains which impact clinical and epidemiological outcomes. The present study was carried out to characterize an outbreak of cholera which occurred between July 8 and 13, 2018, in a remote settlement in Nashik district, Maharashtra.

Methods:

A large number of acute diarrhoea cases were reported in Rahude village, Nashik, Maharashtra since July 8, 2018. Molecular characterization of the isolated strains of V. cholerae was done.

Results:

195 cases of cholera were detected from a population of 850 (attack rate 22.9%) with two deaths (Case Fatality Ratio of 1.03). A non-haemolytic polymyxin B sensitive strain of V. cholerae O1 Ogawa was isolated from 5/14 fecal samples. Molecular characterization of the isolates indicated that this strain was an altered El Tor (AET) strain. Deletion of the trinucleotide ‘GTA’ in the rstB gene, a unique feature of classical strains, was observed.

Interpretation & conclusions:

A cholera outbreak caused by a non-haemolytic polymixin B sensitive AET strain, occurred from July 8 to 13, 2018, in a remote settlement in western India. The molecular characterization of the outbreak strains highlighted an assortment of genetic determinants, stressing the need to monitor the genetic attributes of V. cholerae O1 in outbreaks for better understanding and mapping of clinical and epidemiological changes.
Sarcomeric gene variants among Indians with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A scoping review
Authors: Koshy Linda , Ganapathi Sanjay , Jeemon Panniyammakal , Madhuma M. , Vysakh Y. , Lakshmikanth L.R. , Harikrishnan Sivadasanpillai
Published: April 2024

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic heart muscle disease that frequently causes sudden cardiac death (SCD) among young adults. Several pathogenic mutations in genes encoding the cardiac sarcomere have been identified as diagnostic factors for HCM and proposed as prognostic markers for SCD. The objective of this review was to determine the scope of available literature on the variants encoding sarcomere proteins associated with SCD reported among Indian patients with HCM. The eligibility criteria for the scoping review included full text articles that reported the results of genetic screening for sarcomeric gene mutations in HCM patients of Indian south Asian ancestry. We systematically reviewed studies from the databases of Medline, Scopus, Web of Science core collection and Google Scholar. The electronic search strategy included a combination of generic terms related to genetics, disease and population. The protocol of the study was registered with Open Science Framework (
https://osf.io/53gde/
). A total of 19 articles were identified that reported pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants within MYH7, MYBPC3, TNNT2, TNNI3 and TPM1 genes, that included 16 singletons, one de novo and one digenic mutation (MYH7/ TPM1) associated with SCD among Indian patients. Evidence from functional studies and familial segregation implied a plausible mechanistic role of these P/LP variants in HCM pathology. This scoping review has compiled all the P/LP variants reported to-date among Indian patients and summarized their association with SCD. Single homozygous, de novo and digenic mutations were observed to be associated with severe phenotypes compared to single heterozygous mutations. The abstracted genetic information was updated with reference sequence ID (rsIDs) and compiled into freely accessible HCMvar database, available at
https://hcmvar.heartfailure.org.in/
. This can be used as a population specific genetic database for reference by clinicians and researchers involved in the identification of diagnostic and prognostic markers for HCM.
Diversity of sandflies in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India, a region endemic to Chandipura virus encephalitis
Authors: Sudeep A.B. , Shil P. , Selarka K. , Godke Y.S. , Sonawane P.A. , Gokhale & M.D.
Published: April 2024

Background & objectives:

Sandflies are implicated as vectors of Chandipura virus (CHPV) (Vesiculovirus: Rhabdoviridae). The virus is prevalent in central India including Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. CHPV causes encephalitis in children below 15 yr of age with case fatality rates ranging from 56 to 78 per cent. The present study was undertaken to determine the sandfly fauna in the CHPV endemic Vidharba region.

Methods:

A year round survey of sandflies was conducted at 25 sites in three districts of Vidarbha region. Sandflies were collected from their resting sites using handheld aspirators and identified using taxonomical keys.

Results:

A total of 6568 sandflies were collected during the study. Approximately 99 per cent of the collection belonged to genus Sergentomyia, which was represented by Ser. babu, Ser. bailyi and Ser. punjabensis. Genus Phlebotomus was represented by Ph. argentipes and Ph. papatasi. Ser. babu was the predominant species (70.7%) collected during the study. Ph. argentipes was detected in four villages with 0.89 per cent, whereas Ph. papatasi was detected in only one village with 0.32 per cent of the total collection. CHPV could not be isolated despite processing all the sandflies for virus isolation in cell culture.

Interpretation & conclusions:

The present study showed influence of higher temperature and relative humidity on sandfly population dynamics. An important observation during the study was the absence or decline in the population of Ph. papatasi and Ph. argentipes in the study area. Surge in Sergentomyia population and their breeding/resting in close vicinity to humans pose a concern as they are known to harbour CHPV and other viruses of public health importance.
Determination of a cut-off value for the serological diagnosis of scrub typhus by detecting anti-Orientia tsutsugamushi immunoglobulin M
Authors: Jain Amita , Jain Parul , Rebello Sanjay C. , Todaria Moulika , Kaur Harmanmeet , Gupta Nivedita , Aggarwal Neeraj , Vijay Neetu , Narayan Jitendra ,   VRDL Team
Published: April 2024

Background & objectives:

The diagnosis of scrub typhus (ST) is usually done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) due to its ease of performance and reading objectivity. The cut-off value for ELISA needs to be calculated for each geographical location as it depends on zonal endemicity of the disease. This study was, therefore, undertaken to calculate the pan-India cut-off for anti-Orientia tsutsugamushi (OT) immunoglobulin M (IgM) by ELISA.

Methods:

Samples from cases (cases of ST) and controls (voluntary, consenting, healthy adults) were collected by a network of 29 laboratories across India and tested for anti-OT IgM by immunofluorescence assay (IFA), the considered gold standard test. These samples were retested by ELISA for anti-OT IgM and their optical densities (ODs) were used for cut-off estimation by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results:

Anti-OT IgM ELISA ODs from 273 controls and 136 cases were used for the cut-off estimation. The ODs of the anti-OT IgM ELISA on healthy individuals and those of confirmed ST cases ranged from 0.1 to 0.75 and 0.5 to 4.718, respectively. ROC curve-based cut-off for ELISA was calculated as 0.554 at a sensitivity of 95.2 per cent and specificity of 95.1 per cent. A value of >1 was noted to have a specificity of 100 per cent in diagnosing ST.

Interpretation & conclusions:

The cut-off calculated for India was similar to the previous cut-off that was used until now.
Maternal & perinatal outcome of fever in pregnancy in the context of dengue - A retrospective observational study
Authors: Sagili Haritha , Krishna R. Selva , Dhodapkar Rahul , Keepanasseril Anish
Published: April 2024

Background & objectives:

Pregnant women with dengue infection may be at increased risk of adverse maternal-foetal outcomes. This study was conducted to assess the maternal and perinatal outcomes in women who presented with fever and diagnosed to have dengue infection during pregnancy.

Methods:

A retrospective observational study was conducted on pregnant women admitted with fever, in a tertiary referral centre in South India, during January 2015 to December 2018. We compared outcomes of women diagnosed with dengue with that of women without dengue. The study outcomes included pre-term birth, stillbirth, low-birth weight (LBW), maternal mortality and thrombocytopenia.

Results:

During the study period, there were six maternal deaths following complications from dengue infection. Higher rates of thrombocytopenia (24.7% vs. 14.6%, P=0.02) were noted among those with recent dengue infection. The risk of still birth was 2.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09, 6.57], LBW [risk ratio (RR) 1.13, 95% CI 0.87, 1.45] and pre-term birth (RR 1.33, 95% CI 0.89, 1.97) among the cases.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Occurrence of adverse maternal and foetal outcomes was increased in pregnant women with fever diagnosed with dengue infection. Future studies are needed to formulate the optimum monitoring and treatment strategies in pregnant women, where dengue can have additive adverse effects to other obstetric complications.