bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental studies and numerical validation of sound insulation of plastic acoustic metamaterial composed of perforated layers and resonators
Authors: NAIMUŠIN Andrej , JANUŠEVIČIUS Tomas
Published: October 2023

Noise – messy loud noises of different frequencies, which have various types of pressure, which can be felt
as air vibrations or sounds that interfere with human comfort. This kind of noise can be transferred through building
construction and/or directly to the human ear. To prevent or minimise noise transfer, sound insulation of considerate
construction should be improved. The accumulation of plastic waste and the lack of proper disposal methods has created
a critical and unprecedented problem where plastic waste enters our water resources, overflows landfills, leaches
into the soil, and enters the air, polluting all natural objects and other resources in our environment. In this research,
plastics would be used as secondary raw material to create a better sound insulation solution than what is currently
available on the market, such as plasterboard. By applying Circular Economy principles, plastic waste will extend its
life cycle and be used as secondary raw material to create metamaterial structures with good sound insulation properties.
Numerical validation of metamaterial acoustic characteristics will be compared to the experimental study using
an impedance tube.
Asphalt pavement interlayer systems for structural performance enhancement and fatigue reduction
Authors: KARBOČIUS Martynas , VAITKUS Audrius
Published: October 2023

One of the possible alternatives to extend the service life of the pavement, reducing the maintenance costs of
the pavement and possibly the thickness of the overlay, is the use of grids as a reinforcing interlayer of newly installed
asphalt layers. Laboratory studies and the very limited amount of visual observation data from real use cases of grids
partially substantiate the effectiveness of this measure in neutralizing the formation of reflecting cracks, but there is a
lack of quantitative data on the performance of the renewed pavement structure distressed with fatigue cracking. This
article presents the results of periodic structural monitoring of a pavement structure with a stress absorbing membrane
interlayer (SAMI) and grid-reinforced overlay. The test section consists of 3 subsections, where SAMI and two different
types of grid were installed on the distressed asphalt base layer and overlaid with a conventional asphalt binder course
and wearing course. Measurement of the bearing capacity of the pavement structure with a falling weight deflectometer
and visual survey of the pavement condition were used to investigate the performance of the renewed pavement
structure. The interim results of the 3-year observation show a good structural condition of rehabilitated pavement.
The effect of ion-exchange stabilizer and cement amount on improved road subgrade soil laboratory specimens compressive strength and resistance to frost
Authors: VAITKUS Audrius , KILAITĖ Deimantė , MICKEVIČ Rafal , ŠERNAS Ovidijus
Published: October 2023

Due to high price of construction materials and earthworks, scientists are looking for cost-effective solutions,
especially in roads that are sensitive to moisture fluctuations and frost. To improve the performance of weak
soils, usually treatment with cement or lime is applied. However, in the most cases, treatment only with cement or lime
only requires relatively high amount of these materials or do not ensure resistance to frost. Usually, to improve the performance
of treated soils, various additives are applied. One of the most popular additives is ion-exchange stabilizers.
However, the performance of additives depends on soil type and the composition of additive. The aim of this study is
to evaluate the properties as compressive strength and resistance to frost of soil, treated with different additives. Research
showed that the application of an ion-exchange stabilizer increases compressive strength of clay up to 12% and
the compressive strength of sand up to 18%.
Application of nano zero-valent iron particles for the removal of phosphate from river water
Authors: DANILA Vaidotas , JANUŠEVIČIUS Tomas
Published: October 2023

Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles have attracted much attention due to their ability to eliminate phosphate
(PO4-P) from water. In this study, samples of river water with a high concentration of PO4-P were collected from
Laukupė River, near the treated municipal wastewater drain outlet. The concentration of PO4-P in the sampled river
water was 1.1 mg/L (bad ecological status). Adsorption experiments were carried out to determine the suitability of
nZVI to remove PO4-P from actual river water. The applied dose of nZVI ranged from 0.05 g/L to 3.2 g/L, and contact
time ranged from 5 to 120 min. The results have shown that the 0.4 g/L dose of nZVI was sufficient to reduce the
PO4-P concentration below 0.05 mg/L after 5 min of contact time to reach a high ecological status of river water with
respect to phosphate.
The design of additional public transport services to increase the resilience of road networks
Authors: DE MATTEIS Luca , STRANO Salvatore , D’ACIERNO Luca
Published: October 2023

Some events (as, for instance, a bridge collapse, an underpass closure or a road maintenance intervention)
may generate the total or partial unavailability of some elements of urban road networks. Hence, some users have to
redirect their paths generating an increase in congestion on the remaining part of the network. In this context, this
paper proposes the design of additional public transport services to increase the resilience of road urban networks by
affecting the user modal choices to reduce road flows and bring congestion levels as close as possible to the initial equilibrium
conditions. Finally, to verify the usefulness and feasibility of the proposed methodology, it has been applied in
the case of the road network of Fuorigrotta, a district of the city of Naples, in southern Italy.
Linked system assessment to support sustainable energy supplies “LiSA”
Authors: RIXRATH Doris , SCHAUER Raphael , SABO Elena , PIRINGER Gerhard
Published: October 2023

The globally agreed climate targets require an expansion of renewable energies within the entire supply
system. To support this a well-developed set of methods is needed to assess technical, environmental, social, and
economic impacts. These methods must cover the entire life cycle and should enable an efficient and target-oriented
assessment of energy technologies and systems. The Josef-Ressel (JR) centre LiSA (established 1st January 2022) will
address this need. It will develop assessment methods focusing on thermal energy conversion systems embedded in a
renewables-rich energy landscape.
Intersecting urban and traffic models for virtual reality environments with realistic traffic behaviour
Authors: SINGLER Oliver , THIEBES Leon , FEDIOR Marco , DISSE Leonie , PLANK-WIEDENBECK Uwe
Published: October 2023

A novel framework for modelling urban infrastructure and traffic for Virtual Reality with a focus on datadriven
scalability and integration of simulated realistic driving behaviour is presented. Publicly available terrain and
building models are automatically fused to recreate a representative traffic intersection of the German city of Erfurt.
The generated 3D model is used to incorporate longitudinal road inclines in a microscopic traffic simulation. The simulated
vehicle trajectories are visualized on the 3D model in a Virtual Reality environment, resulting in an environment
based on a real intersection with realistic traffic behaviour. The developed framework is easy to use and can be adapted
to other cities with similar data available. The Virtual Reality environment can be used, among others, for the evaluation
of traffic safety, urban planning, and emerging technologies.
A bibliometric analysis of river restoration
Authors: SURVILĖ Oksana , KALIBATIENĖ Diana
Published: October 2023

Increasing environmental pollution and human intervention in nature today require the restoration, study,
and monitoring of the positive effects on water quality in the restored rivers. Consequently, the main research questions
arise: what are the main trends in river restoration impacting water quality and the watershed ecosystem? How
does it contribute to the sustainable development of the environment? To answer these questions, this paper presents
the results of the bibliometric analysis of papers from the Web of Science database and a keyword map of water quality
in the restored rivers. The results of this study will help scientists and practitioners to monitor the restoration of the
river ecosystem and its impact on water quality, and to choose further directions of river exploitation activity.
Principles of creating a public transport network model for regions
Authors: RANCEVA Justina , UŠPALYTĖ-VITKŪNIENĖ Rasa
Published: October 2023

This article analyzes one of the steps of the transportation system model - network modeling. The network
model consists of: zoning of the considered region, selection of network connections and routes of public transport
lines, choosing the demand time series of the model. The model created for the region has its own specificities, such
as uneven population density, big differentiation of public transport demand in terms of place and time. Therefore, the
development of a public transport model for a region is very different from a public transport model for a city. The purpose
of this article is to determine the specifics of creating a regional network model. To achieve this goal, the article
analyses the best features and principles of the components of the such kind network model.
Modelling of sound reduction of sound insulating enclosure with recycled rubber covered walls
Authors: VILNIŠKIS Tomas , JANUŠEVIČIUS Tomas
Published: October 2023

The excessive noise of machines and devices could be reduced with the use of acoustic enclosures. Additional
requirement for enclosures: free air circulation through construction walls, which is important for device ventilation.
The acoustic properties of the construction parts are essential to model their ability to reduce noise. The basic properties
of airborne sound insulation of construction walls and absorption of used material should be experimentally
tested. In this article, sound reduction modelling of acoustic enclosure with recycled materials covered walls was presented.
Sound pressure level reduction of enclosure was modelled with Odeon software. A 3D model was created that
includes the acoustic properties of the materials used. The enclosure walls consist of two different constructions. The
side walls and roof were made from a single plasterboard covered with recycled rubber material. The back and front
walls were constructed as louver construction, which plates were mounted with the ability to change the tilt angle
which allows to create an air transparent construction. Acoustic properties of the materials used were tested in different
ways. Sound absorption properties of 50 mm thick sample of recycled rubber and transmission loss parameters of
used sound insulating walls were measured in the impedance tube. The results of the experimental test of the construction
parts were included in the 3D model. The modelling results represented a decrease in sound pressure levels with
an increasing distance from the enclosure on different sides. Four different enclosures with different tilt angle of louver
plates (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°) were modelled. Results were presented in the 125–4000 Hz frequency range. According to the
results, efficiency of enclosure sound reduction with 45° tilted plates could reach up to 12 dB.
Bus network characteristics for promoting sustainable urban mobility systems
Authors: PETRELLI Marco
Published: October 2023

The present study deals with the systematic analysis of the bus network characteristics in many Italian cities
and towns, characterized by a supply of public transport services mainly based on buses. The aim of the analysis is to
derive the key characteristics for providing effective public transport services. The database built for the study is related
to 54 municipalities, with a population from 80,000 to 360,000 inhabitants, and it is composed by a large set of indicators
about supply and demand of the bus services network and of the territorial characteristics of the municipalities.
The results of the analysis permit to underline the existence of very different condition about level of provided services,
impacting on the level of demand using the public transport. These differences are not only related to the territorial
characteristics but are also due to completely different characteristics of the supply.
Influence of low noise barrier height on sound insertion loss
Authors: TUMAVIČĖ Aja , JASIŪNIENĖ Vilma
Published: October 2023

Ensuring the best possible quality of the living environment is the worldwide aim. One of the very important
factors strongly affecting people’s health is the traffic produced noise, the reduction of which to permissible values
can significantly improve the well-being of those living and working near traffic areas. On railway lines where rolling
stock does not exceed 250 km/h, low noise barriers may be used. The aim of the study is to determine which low noise
barriers are the most effective in Lithuanian conditions. This article analyses the insertion loss of low noise barriers of
different heights installed at different distances. The obtained results show that the highest loss insertion in all 45 m
long low sound barriers at a distance of 45 m from the track axis was found for the 1.2 m high straight sound barrier
located 2.6 m from the track axis and the 1.3 m high and inverted L-shaped (bracket length – 0.65 m) noise barriers
located at a distance of 3.1 m from the track axis. Their insertion loss is 2.9–4.6 dBa, depending on the running speed
(slightly) and the level of the microphone.
Fast charging electric buses in Maribor: a comparative analysis of simulation and real-world results
Authors: KLEMENČIČ Mitja , ŠPANER Marijan , LEP Marjan , MOHARIĆ Matej
Published: October 2023

This paper presents a study of the energy consumption of a full electric bus charged at a fast-charging station
with pantographs in the city of Maribor. The results of simulated and real tests on the PT line 6 are compared and analysed.
The partly electrified PT line 6 provides insights on comparison between simulated energy consumption and real-
life energy consumption, charging time and reliability of charging. The results reveal that the simulation considered
several important factors like real life turnaround time, driving cycle, regenerative braking, charging time, peak hour
charging time, heating/cooling systems, full passenger load as important and critical to identify the appropriate concept
for charging. Technical and operational errors were identified in real world, due to connectivity failures or driver errors
in positioning the vehicle, which were not considered in the simulation. The real-world data and procedure for selection
of the most appropriate charging technology represent a good basis for full electrified Public Transport in Maribor.
A Broadband X-Ray Study of the Dwarf Nova SS Cyg during Quiescence and Outburst
Authors: Dutta Anirban , Rana Vikram , Mukai Koji , de Oliveira Raimundo Lopes
Published: October 2023

We present a broadband X-ray study (∼0.3–50 keV) of the dwarf nova SS Cyg highlighting the changes in the accretion during two phases, the quiescence and the outburst states. The investigation was based on simultaneous observations carried out with the XMM-Newton and NuSTAR telescopes in two epochs, involving medium- and high-resolution spectroscopy. Spectra were harder during quiescence (kT
high ∼ 22.8 keV) than the outburst (kT
high ∼ 8.4 keV), while the mass accretion rate increased by ∼35 times in the outburst (1.7 × 1016 g s−1) as compared to quiescence. The bolometric luminosity (0.01–100.0 keV) during the outburst was dominated by a blackbody emission (kT
BB ∼ 28 eV) from the optically thick boundary layer (BL), and the inner edge of the accretion disk resides very close to the white-dwarf (WD) surface. X-rays from the BL are consistent with the WD having mass

1.18

−
0.01

+
0.02

M

⊙

. Our study conclusively confirms the presence of the reflection hump in the 10–30 keV range for both phases, which arises when X-ray photons hit colder material and undergo Compton scattering. We estimated a similarly strong reflection amplitude during quiescence (∼1.25) and the outburst (∼1.31), indicating both the WD surface and disk are contributing to reflection. The neutral Fe K
α
line, which is correlated with Compton reflection, also showed similar strength (∼80 eV) in both phases. Finally, X-rays also revealed the presence of a partial intrinsic absorber during the outburst, possibly due to an outflowing accretion disk wind.
Evaluation of antibiotics using ATC/DDD and DU 90% methods on ICU patients at Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital
Authors: Nasution Embun Suci , Tanjung Hari Ronaldo , Putri Inggianti
Published: October 2023

Background: Evaluation of the use of antibiotics is the control of antimicrobial resistance. The ATC/DDD method was recommended to evaluate drug use quantitatively which can be used to compare the quantity of antibiotic use between hospitals and between countries. This research was a descriptive study with retrospective data collection cross-sectional. This research was conducted at the ICU of Universitas Sumatera Utara hospital in August-November 2022 from medical record data for the period January-December 2021 which included patient demographics, patient diagnoses, antibiotic dosage forms, routes of administration, types of antibiotics, dosage, duration of antibiotics use, and duration of treatment.

Methods: Evaluation of antibiotic doses using the ATC/DDD method. The results of the study from 57 medical records that met the inclusion criteria showed that the ICU patients who used the most antibiotics were male (59.7%), the age group was >56 years (56.14%), patient diagnoses with COVID-19 (33.33%), and the dosage form was injection with the intravenous route of administration. The most frequently used antibiotics were levofloxacin (48.54%) 45.61 DDD/100 patient-days and ceftriaxone (30.06%) 28.25 DDD/100 patient-days, and the average value of Length of Stay (LOS) is 5.4 ±3.98 days with a total DDD/100 patient-days value of 93.96 (reference value of 51–67 DDD/100 patient-days). DU 90% segment namely levofloxacin (48.69%), ceftriaxone (30.16%) and meropenem (12.82%). The results of the study concluded that the use of antibiotics in ICU patients at Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital showed a high DDD/100 patient-days rate. Therefore, it is necessary for hospital to continuously monitor and evaluated the rational use of antibiotics to prevent resistance of antibiotics.
Beyond the consolations of professionalism: resisting alienation at the neoliberal university
Authors: Davies Jonathan S. , Standring Adam
Published: October 2023

The British university system is in a deep crisis, born of a two-pronged assault. The crisis is born firstly from decades of neoliberal marketisation and the rise of a remote and authoritarian executive elite presiding over a downwardly mobile and culturally deprivileged academic profession.
We call this process neoliberal managerialism. It is born secondly from the ideological and political assault on universities, currently led by the Tories, reflecting the resurgence of anti-intellectualism since the millennium. The paper argues that although these currents embody ostensibly
conflicting values, they combine and reinforce each other. We illustrate this argument by discussing lacunae in the decolonisation of British universities, notably the colonial ideologies and practices inscribed in neoliberal university governance and management. The final section reflects
on how to resist and overcome the crises engulfing UK higher education. Framed by reflections on the positionalities of the authors, it argues that no consolations can be found in old-style academic professionalism, which historically was no less regressive than neoliberal managerialism and
often complicit in its rollout. We conclude that academics could instead embrace the ineluctable dynamics of de-professionalisation and work towards an authentic and solidaristic public intellectuality.
The reflections of a health-practitioner on entering academia
Authors: Morton Amy
Published: October 2023

This personal and experiential account reflects on the transition the author has made from working as a midwife and health visitor to becoming a clinical academic within a university setting. This was a shift between a profession with a very clear sense of itself and one where there
are a large number of spoken and unspoken issues - of status, professionalism, class, gender, to name a few. These can reinforce a sense of imposter syndrome among people whose trajectories into academia have not been traditional and unilinear. A commonly-shared difficulty in internalising
academic success, reinforced by dominant ideas about what academics are/should be like, is embedded in the institutional discourses that circulate in academic environments, particularly for working-class academics. 'First in family' students are much less likely to attend a Russell
Group university, and are also more likely to drop out; and this filter means that many fewer become academics. Certain subjects are also perceived as being of higher value; for example English Literature is held in higher esteem than a vocational course such as nursing. Indeed, this notion
of being 'lesser than' also applies to higher education institutions: the author's place of work, Birmingham City University, with its roots in a former polytechnic, is supposedly inferior to its geographical neighbour, the University of Birmingham. In reflecting on the current
neoliberal landscape in HE, the author argues that a recognition of the equal value of vocational courses is urgently required - for students, for academics, and for the future of the whole sector. There is also discussion of the usefulness of the pedagogy of vocational training for other
areas of teaching. The article includes an exploration of some of the wider problems in the current neoliberal higher education landscape. It also discusses another, more particular, source for a personal sense of dissonance for HE academics in this field. The narrative from the university
is that students are customers: they pay considerable fees to complete the course and should leave with a degree and a professional qualification. Academic regulations are skewed towards delivering a commodity to the students, sometimes to the detriment of what is surely the key priority -
to ensure that future practitioners are qualified, and possess the skills and attributes necessary to deliver safe, patient-centred care.
Higher education policy and a future Labour government: distinguishing the probable from the possible
Authors: Stevenson Howard
Published: October 2023

There is now the very real possibility of a change of UK government before the end of next year. This articles looks for clues as to what a Labour led government might mean for the higher education sector, at a time when substantial and radical change is desperately needed. It seems
that Labour's approach to the university sector will be dominated by a focus on the economic role of higher education, combined with a fiscal conservatism that will further undermine more radical options. A longer-term transformative project remains a possibility, but its proponents must
look beyond the lifetime of the next government. The realisation of any aspirational project for change will depend on the development of a broad and progressive alliance that is able to articulate, and organise around, a more hopeful and optimistic vision of the public university. There is
potential for such a movement to emerge from the current industrial disputes in the sector, which have clearly exposed the limitations of the neoliberal university; but such a movement must also transcend any tendency to a narrow economism and link to a much broader political agenda
When does a book launch become a meeting?
Authors: Prasad Leila
Published: October 2023

This is an account of a discussion between Sita Balani, Amardeep Singh Dhillon, Gail Lewis and Adam Elliott-Cooper on Sita Balani's book, Deadly and Slick: Sexual Modernity and the Making of Race, offered as a means of sharing its insights and exchanges among a wider community
of activists and organisers. The origin of the book was Sita's observation of two dynamics at play at the end of the 1990s and early 2000s. The first was the fracturing of British Asian identity in the early years of the 'War on Terror', as Muslim became a racialised category
in and of itself. The second was the rapid rise in 'gay rights': until 2003, Section 28 had criminalised the teaching of homosexuality as a 'pretended family relationship'; in 2004, civil partnerships had been introduced. Sita recognised that the moving around of these
categories of sexuality and race was not merely coincidental. To help understand this she has introduced the concept of 'sexual modernity', which also has two parts: the promise of self-realisation through the pursuit of romantic love, the nuclear family and sexual adventure, and
then - what 'stalks' this possibility - all of the sexual conduct and sexual practice that is disavowed and excluded from this. The book charts the state's racial taxonomies alongside its mobilisation of categories of sexuality and gender, in both the historical colonial context
and the contemporary imperial centre. Panellists discussed some of the contradictions of these developments. These included the inclusion of police officers in the Gay Pride parade; moral panics about - and violence against - asylum seekers and drag queens; the 'problem' of the Black
boy being attributed to not-enough-patriarchy, while for South Asian Muslim women it is a question of too-much-patriarchy; in an historical context, sexual violence being the norm in Jamaica but a source of paranoia in the colony of India. Through showing us the field of battle and its character,
Sita gives us a tool with which to help build aligned constituencies of opposition and vision
Israël face à la guerre en Ukraine, ou l’impossible équilibre
Authors: Encel Frédéric
Published: October 2023

Israël ne pouvait en aucun cas demeurer neutre dans la guerre russe en Ukraine. Pourtant, pour le gouvernement Bennet/Lapid, le dilemme était difficile à trancher : d’une part l’opinion – surtout chez les nombreux russophones du pays – n’était pas massivement en faveur d’une Ukraine au passé antisémite, d’autre part, il s’agissait de ne pas froisser Vladimir Poutine, maître de l’espace aérien syrien en pleine pénétration iranienne face au Golan. Mais la nouvelle coalition Netanyahou en place depuis décembre 2022, a décidé d’obtempérer pour partie au moins aux exigences de l’Occident (notamment en termes de ventes de systèmes de détection), les États-Unis et l’UE représentant presque les trois quarts des importations de l’État hébreu et la quasi-totalité des investissements en son sein. Cela dit, les pressions occidentales n’expliquent pas tout ; en contrepartie de son positionnement pro-ukrainien, le nationaliste Netanyahou a demandé et obtenu une grande réserve et l’absence de pressions sur le dossier palestinien... Sollicité pour ces capacités techniques militaires, mais politiquement incapable de résister aux pressions de ses soutiens, Israël démontre tout à la fois sa force et sa faiblesse.
L’intégration par les « soft skills ».Une « ­­start-­­up sociale » au service de ­­l’insertion professionnelle des réfugié·es en France
Authors: Bical Ulysse
Published: October 2023

Cet article ­­s’intéresse aux récentes évolutions de la politique ­­d’intégration des personnes étrangères en France, en particulier à la priorité donnée à ­­l’emploi des réfugié·es. À partir ­­d’une enquête ethnographique menée dans un organisme auquel est déléguée la mise en œuvre de cet objectif, il analyse le travail ­­d’intégration tel ­­qu’il est réalisé par ­­l’organisme et prescrit aux réfugié·es. La ­­start-­­up leur dispense, outre des cours de langue, une formation aux « compétences relationnelles » qui enjoint les immigrant·es à se conformer à une série de normes comportementales – dont le respect conditionnerait leur entrée et leur maintien sur le marché du travail.
Un travail social « réaliste » : Comment les associations « opératrices » de ­­l’action sociale tempèrent les attentes envers ­­l’État français
Authors: Bonduelle Tessa
Published: October 2023

Pour gérer la crise des réfugié·es, ­­l’État français a ­­sous-­­traité ­­l’accompagnement des demandeurs et demandeuses ­­d’asile et des réfugié·es à des associations. La ­­sous-­­traitance soumet ces associations à des objectifs ­­d’efficacité et ­­d’austérité, contraignant le travail de leurs salarié·es et mettant à mal ­­l’idéal ­­d’un travail social humain et relationnel. Cet article analyse les pratiques ­­d’accompagnement des salarié·es de ces associations dans des centres ­­d’hébergement et des programmes de réinstallation. Fortement contraint·es dans leur capacité à humaniser les opérations de ­­l’État, ces salarié·es entreprennent un travail social « réaliste ». Ils et elles façonnent le « rapport ordinaire » (Spire, 2016) des demandeurs et demandeuses ­­d’asile et des réfugié·es à ­­l’État en les socialisant à une forme de résignation face à des services publics dégradés.
Statistical analysis of stoppages in a metal stamping line: Case study
Authors: Rodríguez Alvarado Lisaura , Silva Rivera Usiel , Loyo Quijada Jesús
Published: October 2023

Purpose: This article seeks to establish a statistical analysis to estimate the time of stoppages in a stamping line, which have a high variability that generates an unreliable scenario for the production program. Likewise, this document shows the methodological sequence to carry out a statistical analysis in a case study at an industrial level, considering variables of a real scenario.Design/methodology/approach: The methodological sequence is divided into five stages. Initially, the information of the stamping process was collected, later the types of stoppage were categorized according to the characteristics of the process. A collection of historical data information on stoppage times was carried out. With the information collected, the percentage frequency of occurrence of stops due to tool changes and incidents in the process was determined, and they were characterized by a Weibull distribution. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the downtime behavior, a model was developed to simulate the availability of the stamping line in the Vensim Ple ® program.Findings: The model showed that the frequency analysis and the Weibull distribution obtained a similar behavior to reality. The study verified that it is necessary to establish a categorization of the characteristics of the downtimes, according to the characteristics of the pieces produced to evaluate the information, in this way, the times of change by tooling were established through a frequency of use and the stoppages by additional incidences to the process were better.Research limitations/implications: The basis for this study is the reliability of the information, especially in the data record. It has the disadvantage that the bias of the analyst is present when the information is recorded and analyzed.Practical implications: The methodology presented in this article is a reference for industrial applications in which it is required to establish improvement scenarios based on the reduction of stoppages present in the production lines.Originality/value: The importance of this study is that it was possible to establish a suitable workload allocation in the presses to optimize production.
Supply chain disruptions and resilience in manufacturing industry during covid-19: Additive manufacturing intervention in perspective
Authors: Dzogbwu Thywill , Afrifa Jnr Sampson , Amoah Nathaniel , Fianko Samuel Koranteng , Imdaadulah Adam , De Beer Deon
Published: October 2023

Purpose: This paper examined supply chain disruptions in the manufacturing industry in South Africa and how additive manufacturing technology was used to help deal with disruptions encountered.Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a qualitative research approach in order to meet the objectives of the study. A total of ten (10) managers of conventional manufacturing firms and ten (10) managers of 3D printing firms in Free State, South Africa participated in the study through the use of a purposive sampling technique. Interview guides were used in the collection of data. Data transcriptions and thematic analysis were used to analyze data gathered from the interviews.Findings: The results of the study showed that 3D printing contributed positively in dealing with manufacturing disruptions that were encountered by manufacturing firms in Free State, South Africa through the production of components and spare parts that were broken down in manufacturing machinery/plants. From the study, the researchers recommend that 3D printing technology should be adopted by manufacturing firms because of its practicality in providing manufacturing support and production continuity even in supply chain disruptive experiences caused by pandemics such as Covid-19.  Originality/value: The study proves that due to the versatility of the 3D printing technology it could be used to minimize the effect of supply chain disruption during cries such as the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the unique contributions of the current study is the realization that additive manufacturing was not of much relevance to the generic supply chain challenges encountered in supply chain activiteis, but rather very relevant in helping to prevent disruptions of the manufacturing process by improvising spare parts at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The dynamics and harvesting strategies of a predator-prey system with Allee effect on prey
Authors: Lu Chengchong , Liu Xinxin , Li Zhicheng
Published: October 2023

The study of harvesting mechanisms in predator-prey systems with an Allee effect on prey has always garnered significant attention. In this paper, the dynamics and harvesting strategies of a predator-prey system are investigated, where the prey is subject to the Allee effect. The positivity and boundedness of solutions, the existence and stability of equilibria are further studied. The existence of a Hopf bifurcation at the interior equilibrium point of the system is investigated and verified by numerical simulations. Furthermore, we investigate the maximum sustainable yield (MSY), maximum sustainable total yield (MSTY) and the optimal economic profit of the proposed system. We find that MSY can be attained through predator harvesting, while MSTY is observed when harvesting efforts are uniform across species. In these situations, the biological system maintains stability. Using the method of control parametrization, the optimal economic profit and harvesting strategy are obtained. The results show that the harvesting efforts can affect the stability of the system, resulting in several interesting biological phenomena. This research provides a theoretical basis for biological resource management.
Modeling the interplay between albumin-globulin metabolism and HIV infection
Authors: Sreejithkumar Vivek , Ghods Kia , Bandara Tharusha , Martcheva Maia , Tuncer Necibe
Published: October 2023

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a major public health concern with 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States. The role of nutrition in general, and albumin/globulin in particular in HIV progression has long been recognized. However, no mathematical models exist to describe the interplay between HIV and albumin/globulin. In this paper, we present a family of models of HIV and the two protein components albumin and globulin. We use albumin, globulin, viral load and target cell data from simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected monkeys to perform model selection on the family of models. We discover that the simplest model accurately and uniquely describes the data. The selection of the simplest model leads to the observation that albumin and globulin do not impact the infection rate of target cells by the virus and the clearance of the infected target cells by the immune system. Moreover, the recruitment of target cells and immune cells are modeled independently of globulin in the selected model. Mathematical analysis of the selected model reveals that the model has an infection-free equilibrium and a unique infected equilibrium when the immunological reproduction number is above one. The infection-free equilibrium is locally stable when the immunological reproduction number is below one, and unstable when the immunological reproduction number is greater than one. The infection equilibrium is locally stable whenever it exists. To determine the parameters of the best fitted model we perform structural and practical identifiability analysis. The structural identifiability analysis reveals that the model is identifiable when the immune cell infection rate is fixed at a value obtained from the literature. Practical identifiability reveals that only seven of the sixteen parameters are practically identifiable with the given data. Practical identifiability of parameters performed with synthetic data sampled a lot more frequently reveals that only two parameters are practically unidentifiable. We conclude that experiments that will improve the quality of the data can help improve the parameter estimates and lead to better understanding of the interplay of HIV and albumin-globulin metabolism.
Propagation of lump-type waves in nonlinear shallow water wave
Authors: Guan Hong-Yang , Liu Jian-Guo
Published: October 2023

In this work, a new extended shallow water wave equation in (3+1) dimensions was studied, which represents abundant physical meaning in a nonlinear shallow water wave. We discussed the interaction between a lump wave and a single solitary wave, which is an inelastic collision. Further, the interaction between a lump wave and two solitary waves and the interaction between a lump wave and a periodic wave was also studied using the Hirota bilinear method. Finally, the interaction among lump, periodic and one solitary wave was investigated. The dynamic properties of the obtained results are shown and analyzed by some three-dimensional images.
Aberrant intrinsic functional brain topology in methamphetamine-dependent individuals after six-months of abstinence
Authors: Li Xiang , Cong Jinyu , Liu Kunmeng , Wang Pingping , Sun Min , Wei Benzheng
Published: October 2023

Our aim was to explore the aberrant intrinsic functional topology in methamphetamine-dependent individuals after six months of abstinence using resting-state functional magnetic imaging (rs-fMRI). Eleven methamphetamines (MA) abstainers who have abstained for six months and eleven healthy controls (HC) were recruited for rs-fMRI examination. The graph theory and functional connectivity (FC) analysis were employed to investigate the aberrant intrinsic functional brain topology between the two groups at multiple levels. Compared with the HC group, the characteristic shortest path length ($ {L}_{p} $) showed a significant decrease at the global level, while the global efficiency ($ {E}_{glob} $) and local efficiency ($ {E}_{loc} $) showed an increase considerably. After FDR correction, we found significant group differences in nodal degree and nodal efficiency at the regional level in the ventral attentional network (VAN), dorsal attentional network (DAN), somatosensory network (SMN), visual network (VN) and default mode network (DMN). In addition, the NBS method presented the aberrations in edge-based FC, including frontoparietal network (FPN), subcortical network (SCN), VAN, DAN, SMN, VN and DMN. Moreover, the FC of large-scale functional brain networks revealed a decrease within the VN and SCN and between the networks. These findings suggest that some functions, e.g., visual processing skills, object recognition and memory, may not fully recover after six months of withdrawal. This leads to the possibility of relapse behavior when confronted with MA-related cues, which may contribute to explaining the relapse mechanism. We also provide an imaging basis for revealing the neural mechanism of MA-dependency after six months of abstinence.
Towards an Adaptive Learning Model using Optimal Learning Paths to Prevent MOOC Dropout
Authors: Smaili El Miloud , Daoudi Mohamed , Oumaira Ilham , Azzouzi Salma , Charaf Moulay El Hassan
Published: October 2023

Currently, massive open online courses (MOOCs) are experiencing major developments and arebecoming increasingly popular in distance learning programs. The goal is to break down inequalitiesand disseminate knowledge to everyone by creating a space for exchange and interaction.Despite the improvements to this educational model, MOOCs still have low retention rates, whichcan be attributed to a variety of factors, including learners’ heterogeneity. The paper aims toaddress the issue of low retention rates in MOOCs by introducing an innovative prediction modelthat provides the best (optimal) learning path for at-risk learners. For this purpose, learners at riskof dropping out are identified, and their courses are adapted to meet their needs and skills. A casestudy is presented to validate the effectiveness of our approach using classification algorithms forprediction and the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm to optimize learners’ paths.
Brain Tumor Localization Using N-Cut
Authors: Sahoo Tapasmini , Das Kunal Kumar
Published: October 2023

A brain tumor is an abnormal collection of tissue in the brain. When tumors form, they are classified as either malignant or benign. It is critical to notice and identify the existence of tumors in brain images since they can be life threatening. This paper illustrates a novel segmentation method in which threshold technique is combined with normalized cut (Ncut) for the segregation of the tumors from brain magnetic resonance (MR) images. Image segmentation is a technique for grouping images. It is a method of splitting an image into sections with comparable attributes such as intensity, texture, colour, and so on. In thresholding, an object is distinguished from the background, and for the proposed segmentation methodology, the threshold value is determined by normalized graph cut. A weighted graph is divided into disjointed sets (groups) in which the similarity within a group is high and the similarity across groups is low. A graph-cut is a grouping approach in which the total weight of edges eliminated between these two pieces is used to calculate the degree of dissimilarity between these two groups. The normalized cut criterion is used to calculate the total likeness within the groups as well as the dissimilarity between the different groups.
Impact of Financial Inclusion and Microfinancing on Women Empowerment in India
Authors: Nangia Richa , Singel Rashmi , Shrivastava Swati , Sharma K. Shama , Dubey Vijay Anand
Published: October 2023

This chapter explores the multifaceted linkages between microfinancing, financial inclusion, and women empowerment in India. It delves into the key mechanisms through which improved access to microfinancing and other financial services fosters women's economic, social, and political empowerment. The current study helps the financial regulators, government, and the banking industry to know the state of financial inclusion and to analyse the impact and effectiveness of the initiatives and measures taken by them on the empowerment of women in India. It is also providing in-depth knowledge to policy makers to review the existing policies regarding financial inclusion through microfinancing so as to have a substantial impact on women empowerment.
The Role of Microfinance in Promoting Women's Empowerment
Authors: Amoakohene Gertrude , Afriyie Stephen Owusu , Nkyi Joseph , Musah Mohammed , Lartey Peter Yao
Published: October 2023

Women's economic empowerment is a technique meant to give them more authority over decisions, increase their income, and own assets. Since empowering women is essential to achieving the goals of development and reducing poverty, numerous attempts have been made to address this issue. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) have emerged as key tools over the past few decades to not only address poverty, but also to empower women in particular. It is believed that by employing microfinance, which has been shown to be one of the most effective approaches, women may gain some kind of personal empowerment. The primary objective of this research is to analyse how microfinance affects women's economic empowerment. Microfinance significantly boosts women's independent revenues, their levels of asset ownership, and their savings, which all contribute to their economic empowerment. The research also demonstrated that microfinance helps promote the growth of women's entrepreneurship and accessibility to business opportunities.
Privacy Preservation and Cloud Computing
Authors: Patel Rahul K. , Gidwani Piyush , Patel Nikunj R.
Published: October 2023

As the organization moves to cloud computing to take advantage of lower cost and higher efficiencies and availability, privacy and confidentiality concerns remain a challenge. Modern techniques to manage such challenges with careful evaluation are required to implement effective strategies for privacy protection in cloud computing. In this chapter, various needs for privacy protection of sensitive data are discussed. In turn, the fundamental principles of security protection measures in cloud computing are explored. Later in the chapter, various strategies for ensuring privacy in the cloud are compared and discussed. These methods are examined in the context of allowing authorized access. preventing unauthorized access and ensuring data integrity. Furthermore, the pitfalls and weaknesses of each technique and available workarounds to avoid such vulnerability have been discussed in detail. This chapter also covers a detailed comparative analysis of these privacy preservation and secure data storage techniques, exploring their interplay and potential effective combinations.
Privacy-Preserving Federated Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Subramaniam Gobinath , Palanisamy Santhiya
Published: October 2023

Machine learning is increasingly used for data analysis, but centralized datasets raise concerns about data privacy and security. Federated learning, a distributed method, enables multiple entities to cooperatively train a machine learning model. Clients use their local datasets to train local models, while a central aggregator aggregates updates and computes a global model. Privacy-preserving federated learning (PPFL) addresses privacy issues in sensitive and decentralized data situations. PPFL integrates federated learning with privacy-preserving approaches to achieve both privacy and model correctness.