bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analisis SWOT Kesiapan Pembelajaran Tatap Muka Terbatas pada Era New Normal di Kampus Undaris
Authors: Kurnianto Bagas
Published: November 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed all sectors of human life, including the world of education and teaching. The transformation of teaching experienced massive changes, ranging from teaching styles, learning models to learning evaluation. However, the relaxation of social access restrictions in early 2022 provides an opportunity for face-to-face learning to be held. The purpose of this study was to analyze the readiness of face-to-face learning in the new normal era with a SWOT matrix analysis for Undaris students. This research method is qualitative to formulate the readiness needed in carrying out limited face-to-face learning. The subjects of this study were all Undaris students. Meanwhile, data collection uses a questionnaire with the help of the google form application. The results obtained four formulations from the SWOT analysis, namely the Strengthâ€“Opportunities (SO) strategy, Weaknessesâ€“Opportunities (WO), Strengthâ€“Threats (ST), and Weaknessesâ€“Threat (WT) strategies, among others, improving the quality and standards of learning, restoring commitment students, evaluation of new building construction activities, and adjustment of lecture halls. The conclusion in this study is that the SWOT analysis in limited face-to-face learning can be used as a reference and input in improving learning standards for lecturers, students, and institutions so that the quality of learning at Undaris is maintained and optimal.Keywords: SWOT analysis, face-to-face learning, new normal
Peningkatan Hasil Belajar Matematika Materi Pecahan melalui Model Pembelajaran Kontekstual bermuatan Etnomatematika pada Siswa Kelas III
Authors: Ermawati Dewi , Sri Legowo Yogi Ageng , Fakih Moh
Published: November 2023

Low mathematics learning outcomes, low student learning activity in learning mathematics and low teacher skills in teaching because the teacher only uses the lecture learning model. This type of research is classroom action research. This study aims to improve the learning outcomes of mathematics in fraction material in class III students of Lerep 04 Public Elementary School in the 2022/2023 academic year through the application of an ethnomathematics-laden contextual model. The subjects of this study were 21 students of class III SDN Lerep 04, consisting of 8 boys and 13 girls. This research was conducted on 23 February - 4 March 2023 at SDN Lerep 04. The research instruments were (1) tests to measure class III student learning outcomes, (2) non-tests in the form of observation sheets to observe teacher teaching skills and student learning activities in learning. Data analysis techniques using quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The results of the study show that the ethnomathematics-loaded contextual loaded model can improve student learning outcomes. This is evidenced by the acquisition in the first cycle of learning outcomes of 53% (11 students) completing KKM, teaching teacher skills 2.32 (good enough), and student learning activities 57% (12 students). Cycle II learning outcomes by 67% (14 students) complete KKM, teacher skills 2.72 (Good), and student learning activities by 71% (15 students). Cycle III learning outcomes were 86% (18 students) complete KKM, teacher teaching skills were 3.36 in the Very Good category, as well as student learning activities 85% (18 students) in the Good category.
Pengaruh Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) terhadap Hasil Belajar IPS pada Siswa Kelas V
Authors: Rini Dista Puspita , Praptiningsih Dra , Kurnianto Bagas
Published: November 2023

The use of technology in learning is a concrete form of building education in the 21st century. This study aims to determine the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowlegde (TPACK) on social studies learning outcomes in fifth grade students at Wonoyoso State Elementary School, Semarang Regency. The research used quantitative and model used is Quasi Experimental Design with the research design used The Nonequivalent Control Group Design. Experimental class students totaled 28 students, while control class students totaled 28 students. The sample was selected by Purposive Sampling with a sample size of 56 students. The data collection technique used in this study was a test technique to measure the social studies learning outcomes of fifth grade students. The results showed that Technological Pedagogical Content Knowlegde (TPACK) affects the social studies learning outcomes of fifth grade students of Wonoyoso Elementary School. This is evidenced by the acquisition of hypothesis testing results with the T test formula, namely with the value of T count greater than T table (9.9123 > 2.670) then Ha is accepted and Ho is rejected. This means there is an influence of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowlegde (TPACK) on social studies learning outcomes in fifth grade students at Wonoyoso Elementary SchoolKeywords: TPACK, learning outcomes, social studies
Analisis Tantangan dan Hambatan Penerapan Kurikulum 2013 di MI Maâ€™arif Budiluhur Kertek
Authors: Hasanah Dwi Umul , Khasanah Miladina Nur , Hanifah Desty Putri
Published: November 2023

This study aims to analyze the challenges and obstacles in the implementation of the 2013 curriculum, which has been implemented in MI Ma'arif Budiluhur Kertek for 10 years. The results of this study can be used as a guide in determining improvement plans so that the quality of the school is guaranteed. This research is included in the descriptive quantitative research. The research was conducted in MI Ma'arif Budiluhur Kertek with research subject being MI Ma'arif Budiluhur Kertek teacher. The sampling technique was saturated sampling such that all teachers at MI Ma'arif Budiluhur were involved in collecting research data. The instruments used include interview guides, observation sheets, and questionnaires. The research results showed that the problems that arose in the implementation of the 2013 curriculum at MI Ma'arif Budiluhur were related to classroom conditions, too many students, non-linear teacher competency, and a busy school calendar. On the other hand, teachers' difficulties in integrating materials, teachers' lack of IT skills, late distribution of handbooks, and teachers' demands to produce their own learning media are obstacles to the implementation of the 2013 curriculum at MI Ma'arif Budiluhur. This raises challenges to be solved by MI Ma'arif Budiluhur, namely related to teachers' ability and willingness to use technology and mastering 2013 curriculum material.Keywords: 2013 curriculum, challenges, barriers, MI Ma'arif Budiluhur
Peningkatan Kemampuan Membaca dengan Metode Demonstrasi pada Siswa Kelas III SD Negeri Duren Bandungan
Authors: Suryaningsih Yulianti , Karim Abdul , Puspitasari Nimas
Published: November 2023

This study aims to improve reading skills using the demonstration method for third grade students at Duren Elementary School, Bandungan District, Semarang Regency. The type of research used is classroom action research (PTK). The research subjects were class III students at SD Negeri Duren Bandungan with a total of 25 students in the even semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. Data collection techniques with the performance of students' reading abilities, observing student activities and observing teacher skills during the learning process take place. The results showed that the reading ability of class III students from cycle I increased by 32% to 88% in cycle II. The results of observations of student activity in the conversion of scale 4, namely in the first cycle of 2.11, qualified enough to increase in the second cycle of 3.33 with good qualifications. The results of observations of teacher skills on a scale of 4, the first cycle of 2.11 qualified enough to increase in the second cycle of 2.45 with good qualifications. Based on the results of this study indicate that the use of the demonstration method can improve the reading ability of class III students at SD Negeri Duren Bandungan.Keywords: reading, reading ability, Demonstration Method
Peningkatan Prestasi Belajar Mata Pelajaran Matematika Materi Pembagian menggunakan Papan Pembagian Siswa Kelas IV SD Negeri Sumowono
Authors: Akrom Asâ€™Adun , Winarti Puji , Sri Legowo Yogi Ageng
Published: November 2023

This study was motivated by the low value of mathematics subjects in division material in class IV at SD Negeri Sumowono. The formulation of the problem in this study is how to improve student learning achievement in learning math division material in Class IV SD Negeri Sumowono using a division board. The purpose of this study was to improve learning achievement in mathematics subject of division using division board.The research subjects were all fourth grade students of SD Negeri Sumowono which amounted to 26 students. This research was conducted in March of the 2022/2023 academic year. In this study, 2 data collection techniques were used, namely: (1) Tests to determine the value of student learning outcomes; (2) Observations made during the learning process to determine teacher skills and student activities.The results of the research were an increase in learning achievement as indicated by the results of the evaluation test in cycle I, which was completed by 11 students (42.30%), in cycle II it increased to 22 students (84.61%). For teacher skills, he received a score of 77.5 (Good) in cycle I and increased to 90 (very good) in cycle II. Student activity increased in the very good category from no students getting a very good score (0%) to 4 students getting a very good score (15.39%). Thus, it can be concluded that there is an increase in achievement in mathematics in division material using division boards in class IV students at Sumowono State Elementary School.Keywords: Mathematics, Division Material using the Division Board.
Peningkatan Aktivitas dan Hasil Belajar Menulis Teks Berita melalui Metode Pembelajaran Berbasis Masalah Siswa Kelas VIII C Semester Gasal SMP Negeri 1 Pabelan 2017/2018
Authors: Fauziah W Ratih
Published: November 2023

This research aims to find out whether the learning activity of writing news texts for class VIII C students at SMP Negeri 1 Pabelan for the 2017/2018 academic year can be improved through problem-based learning methods and to find out what the learning outcomes for writing news texts for students at class VIII C at SMP Negeri 1 Pabelan are. The 2017/2018 academic year can be improved through problem-based learning methods.This research is classroom action research designed to be carried out in 2 cycles. Each cycle consists of planning, action, observation and reflection stages. The subjects of this research were students in class VIII C of SMP Negeri 1 Pabelan for the 2017/2018 academic year. This class was chosen because the results of learning to write news texts for this class were still below the expected minimum completeness criteria, namely 71.82.The research results showed that in cycle II the average score for students' learning activities to write news texts was 86.07 (high), while the average learning outcomes for students in writing news texts in cycle II reached a score of 85.51 (good). Classically, students have completed their studies because 93.75% of students have obtained a score of â‰¤ 76. Thus, the success indicator for this research has been achieved in cycle II so that this research can be declared successful in increasing students' activities and learning outcomes in writing news texts.Keywords: learning activities, learning outcomes, problem-based learning.
„Fii bun și tare” Recenzie la monografia autorilor Beatrice Bednarik și Alexandru Davidian cu titlul „Familia Bednarik în arta românească”
Authors: Fănaru Alice-Georgiana
Published: November 2023

Documentation and specialized articles are among the main means of improving stylistic classifications of the works belonging to an art museum’s heritage. A museum’s heritage is also dynamic, although most museums have a well-developed collection of works dating from before the 1990s. As the heritage is enriched, it must also be documented, and volumes of monographs on lesser-known artists are very useful in this process. This is also the case of the volume entitled „The Bednarik Family in Romanian Art” which is the subject of this review. Following the personal and professional career of the members of this family of artists, the Bednarik family monograph is a valuable document for the history of art in our country and a useful tool for specialists in art museums.
Mucormycosis: Issues, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Regmi Sagar , Mahato Premlal
Published: November 2023

Mucormycosis (Black fungus) is an infection caused by opportunistic fungi of order Mucorales affecting the immune-compromised individuals. Cases of Aspergillus and Candida (White fungus) were also reported. The cases of fungal co-infection in COVID-19 patients are increasing globally affecting mainly diabetic patients and individuals that have undergone corticosteroid therapy. Iron metabolism and hypoxia plays an important role in pathophysiology of this disease. Mucormycosis causes thrombosis of blood vessels hindering the blood circulation causing black discoloration of affected site. Histopathological examination of specimen is the most effective way of its diagnosis. Surgical removal of affected site is the best treatment practice in rhino-orbital and cutaneous cases whereas lipid formulation of Amphotericin B is effective in other forms of fungal infection.
Healthy Aging
Authors: Chalise Hom Nath
Published: November 2023

Rapid population aging is a characteristic of the 21st century, regardless of a nation’s level of development. An aging global population results in a burden in medical and social demographic problems worldwide. Addressing this problem is the highest priority for the care of the aging population worldwide. Healthy aging is an individual lived experience that is influenced by healthy behaviors over the course of a lifetime. This includes a person’s ability to: meet their basic needs; learn, grow and make decisions; be mobile; build and maintain relationships, and contribute to society. For the promotion of healthy aging, a healthy lifestyle is important. A healthy lifestyle for older adults includes healthy eating, regular physical activity, staying at a healthy weight, improving mental health, social participation, regular health checkups and health screening, no smoking, and taking steps to prevent falls.
Orthodontic Management of Anterior and Unilateral Posterior Crossbite: A Case Report
Authors: Chaudhary Nabin Kumar
Published: November 2023

Crossbite refers to abnormal labiolingual and buccolingual relations between the opposing teeth. This results in the imbalanced facial appearance of the patient causing varied degrees of distress based on the individual's values and self-esteem. The management of skeletal class III malocclusion with anterior and posterior crossbite can be challenging. This case report describes a case of skeletal class III malocclusion complicated with an anterior, and unilateral posterior crossbite, and severe crowding which was managed satisfactorily with a fixed orthodontic appliance. The proper clinical examination, diagnosis, problem list, and formulation of the treatment plan are of utmost importance for the proper management of the case. The diagnosis can be done through proper history, clinical examination, an orthopantomogram, and a lateral cephalogram. The patient's grin was transformed from a non-consonant to a consonant smile, and the profile was transformed from slightly concave to straight.
Incorporating Physical Activity Lifestyle Management of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Bhat Neeti , Mahotra Narayan Bahadur , Gurung Sanyukta , Dhital Bidhi
Published: November 2023

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases has almost doubled in Nepal from 1990 to 2019, causing the majority of deaths in the country. Despite numerous theories and experiments, satisfactory health outcomes have not been achieved. A holistic approach to lifestyle management is necessary to address the burden of cardiovascular disease. The Center for Disease Control recommends physical activity for lifestyle modification, which can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Using the Metabolic Equivalent, physical activity can be quantified and prescribed based on frequency, intensity, time, type, and progression. Physicians can motivate patients, incorporate physical activity in intervention strategies, and guide patients to empirical workout plans led by qualified exercise experts. In addition to individual interventions by physicians, the government should develop and enforce policies aimed at increasing physical activity. This review provides an outline ways of integrating physical activity into lifestyle medicine to mitigate the burden of cardiovascular disease.
Clinical Spectrum of Herpes Simplex Keratitis in a Tertiary Eye Hospital, Nepal
Authors: Shrestha Poonam , Paudel Santosh
Published: November 2023

Background: Ocular manifestations of herpes simplex virus infection range from benign blepharitis, conjunctivitis, and epithelial keratitis to vision-threatening stromal keratitis and uveitis. This study aims to find out the demographic profile, clinical manifestations of herpes simplex virus keratitis and to assess associated visual impairment in Nepalese population.
Method: The retrospective study was conducted from January 2020 – February 2022. The medical records were reviewed where visual acuity at presentation and at one month follow-up, clinical details on examination and, diagnosis of the stage of disease were noted.
Results:  Of 112 herpes simplex keratitis patients, mean age was 47.19±19.14 years. Patients of herpes simplex keratiris presented with different types of clinical manifestations namely 25 (22.31%) cases were dendritic and 13 (11.6%) geographic ulcers, 38 (33.9%) cases presented with purely stromal lesions, 19 (16.9%) cases with epithelial plus stromal lesions, 11 (9.8%) cases with stromal plus endothelial lesions and six (5.3%) cases with endothelitis. At presentation, 33 (29.4) had visual acuity of 6/6–6/18, 50 (44.6%) had 6/18–6/60, 6 (5.3%) had 6/60–3/60 and 23 (20.5%) had <3/60. At one month follow up 71 (63.3%) had visual acuity of 6/6–6/18, 30 (26.7%) had 6/18–6/60, 5 (4.4%) had <6/60–3/60 and 6 (5.35%) had <3/60.
Conclusion: Herpes simplex keratitis has diverse presentation and can cause significant vision impairment. Early clinical diagnosis and management may prevent disease progression and visual impairment.
Implementasi Fungsi Pengarahan dan Pengendalian dalam Manajemen Pendidikan di SMP Panggudi Luhur Domenico Savio Semarang
Authors: Bhoki Hermania , Bawa Toron Vinsensius Bawa Toron
Published: November 2023

Quality education is an indicator of the success of educational institutions in implementing the role of education management appropriately. This article intends to describe and examine the application of the role of direction and control in educational management at the Panggudi Luhur Domenico Savio Junior High School Semarang. Data obtained through in-depth interviews with informants and documentation. Data analysis uses the method discovered by Miles and Huberman. The research concludes that Panggudi Luhur Junior High School Domenico Savio Semarang applies the function of directing and controlling function in education management well. The directing function is carried out by the principal by guiding, suggesting, giving encouragement, directions and instructions so that teachers and employees personally and communally can work hard, work fast, work productively as well as cooperate and work together well, correctly, according to their duties and functions. Internal and external control is carried out by conducting academic supervision to determine the quality and quantity of teacher work in carrying out its role in planning, implementing and evaluating learning based on quality standards set in the framework of achieving the school's vision, mission and goals.
The string quartet in the works of Beethoven and Shostakovich: thematic and intonation links
Authors: Balshin Vladimir Vladimirovich
Published: November 2023

The article explores the genre of string quartet on the example of Beethoven and Shostakovich in the aspect of intonation and thematic connections, as well as the parallels of creativity of both composers. The author gives examples of thematic, interval, intonation and textural-melodic quoting of Beethoven's works in Shostakovich's quartets. Russian culture and Beethoven's influence is revealed, in particular, in relation to working with the material of Russian songs in quartets written by order of Count Razumovsky. The author reveals Shostakovich's attraction to Beethoven's work, the closeness of his compositional style and ideas in terms of conceptuality, architectonics, the use of musical and expressive means and a tendency to dynamic onslaught. The methodology of the research is based on the analysis of historical materials, musical articles, concepts of outstanding historians and music theorists. The main contribution of this study is the identification of thematic and semantic connections between the quartets of Beethoven and Shostakovich. The author concludes that Shostakovich often turned to Beethoven's work, used his methods and techniques of working with the material, the structure of the cycle, included allusions to themes, intonations in his quartets, and even used whole textured excerpts from Beethoven's music – and he made it through the prism of his creative style. The novelty of the article lies in the identification of the connection between Beethoven's work and Russian music, the composer's use of melodies of Russian songs in "Russian Quartets", as well as intonation-thematic parallels between the quartets of Beethoven and Shostakovich. In addition, the article reveals the special role of the performer in the work on the quartet of both Beethoven and Shostakovich.
Selective-area-epitaxied PbTe-superconductor hybrid nanowires: A new candidate system to realize topological quantum computing
Authors: Yang Shuai , Zhang Hao , He Ke ,   State Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China,   Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, Beijing 100193, China,   Frontier Science Center for Quantum Information, Beijing 100084, China,   Hefei National Laboratory, Hefei 230088, China
Published: November 2023

Semiconductor-superconductor hybrid nanowire is one of the major platforms for realizing Majorana zero modes (MZMs) and topological quantum computing (TQC), and the III-V InAs and InSb-based nanowires are the most-studied materials in this approach. Despite years of efforts to improve and optimize materials, too many defects and impurities in the nanowire samples remain the central problem hindering the research progress in this direction. In recent years, a new candidate Majorana nanowire system—IV-VI semiconductor PbTe-superconductor hybrid nanowire—has attracted much attention and witnessed rapid research progress. The unique advantages of PbTe-based nanowires, such as the large dielectric constant and the presence of a lattice-matched substrate, give them great potential in solving the bottleneck problem of sample defects and impurities, making them an ideal platform for studying MZMs and TQC. In this paper, we briefly introduce the recent research progress of selective area growth and transport characterization of in-plane PbTe nanowires and PbTe-superconductor hybrid nanowires. We also discuss the advantages and problems of the new candidate Majorana nanowire system as well as the prospect of realizing TQC based on it.
A Vibrio cholerae viral satellite maximizes its spread and inhibits phage by remodeling hijacked phage coat proteins into small capsids
Authors: Boyd Caroline M. , Subramanian Sundharraman , Dunham Drew T. , Parent Kristin N. , Seed Kimberley D.
Published: November 2023

Phage satellites commonly remodel capsids they hijack from the phages they parasitize, but only a few mechanisms regulating the change in capsid size have been reported. Here, we investigated how a satellite from
Vibrio cholerae
, PLE, remodels the capsid it has been predicted to steal from the phage ICP1 (1). We identified that a PLE-encoded protein, TcaP, is both necessary and sufficient to form small capsids during ICP1 infection. Interestingly, we found that PLE is dependent on small capsids for efficient transduction of its genome, making it the first satellite to have this requirement. ICP1 isolates that escaped TcaP-mediated remodeling acquired substitutions in the coat protein, suggesting an interaction between these two proteins. With a procapsid-like-particle (PLP) assembly platform in
Escherichia coli
, we demonstrated that TcaP is a
bona fide
scaffold that regulates the assembly of small capsids. Further, we studied the structure of PLE PLPs using cryogenic electron microscopy and found that TcaP is an external scaffold, that is functionally and somewhat structurally similar to the external scaffold, Sid, encoded by the unrelated satellite P4 (2). Finally, we showed that TcaP is largely conserved across PLEs. Together, these data support a model in which TcaP directs the assembly of small capsids comprised of ICP1 coat proteins, which inhibits the complete packaging of the ICP1 genome and permits more efficient packaging of replicated PLE genomes.
A structured multi-head attention prediction method based on heterogeneous financial data
Authors: Zhao Cheng , Li Fangyong , Peng Zhe , Zhou Xiao , Zhuge Yan
Published: November 2023

The diverse characteristics of heterogeneous data pose challenges in analyzing combined price and volume data. Therefore, appropriately handling heterogeneous financial data is crucial for accurate stock prediction. This article proposes a model that applies customized data processing methods tailored to the characteristics of different types of heterogeneous financial data, enabling finer granularity and improved feature extraction. By utilizing the structured multi-head attention mechanism, the model captures the impact of heterogeneous financial data on stock price trends by extracting data information from technical, financial, and sentiment indicators separately. Experimental results conducted on four representative individual stocks in China’s A-share market demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The model achieves an average MAPE of 1.378%, which is 0.429% lower than the benchmark algorithm. Moreover, the backtesting return rate exhibits an average increase of 28.56%. These results validate that the customized preprocessing method and structured multi-head attention mechanism can enhance prediction accuracy by attending to different types of heterogeneous data individually.
Swarm intelligence-based packet scheduling for future intelligent networks
Authors: Husen Arif , Hasanain Chaudary Muhammad , Ahmad Farooq , Farooq-i-Azam Muhammad , Hwang See Chan , Ghani Arfan
Published: November 2023

Network operations involve several decision-making tasks. Some of these tasks are related to operators, such as extending the footprint or upgrading the network capacity. Other decision tasks are related to network functions, such as traffic classifications, scheduling, capacity, coverage trade-offs, and policy enforcement. These decisions are often decentralized, and each network node makes its own decisions based on the preconfigured rules or policies. To ensure effectiveness, it is essential that planning and functional decisions are in harmony. However, human intervention-based decisions are subject to high costs, delays, and mistakes. On the other hand, machine learning has been used in different fields of life to automate decision processes intelligently. Similarly, future intelligent networks are also expected to see an intense use of machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques for functional and operational automation. This article investigates the current state-of-the-art methods for packet scheduling and related decision processes. Furthermore, it proposes a machine learning-based approach for packet scheduling for agile and cost-effective networks to address various issues and challenges. The analysis of the experimental results shows that the proposed deep learning-based approach can successfully address the challenges without compromising the network performance. For example, it has been seen that with mean absolute error from 6.38 to 8.41 using the proposed deep learning model, the packet scheduling can maintain 99.95% throughput, 99.97% delay, and 99.94% jitter, which are much better as compared to the statically configured traffic profiles.
Risk assessment for commercial crime and legal protection based on modularity-optimized LM and SCA-optimized CNN
Authors: Wang YunZhe , Su FengLan
Published: November 2023

With the Internet of Things (IoT) making significant strides in recent years, the challenges associated with data collection and analysis have emerged as a pressing concern in public security. When employed to tackle extensive criminal networks, the conventional deep learning model encounters issues such as heightened computational complexity, sluggish operational efficiency, and even system failures. Consequently, this research article introduces an intricately devised framework for detecting commercial offenses, employing a modularity-optimized Louvain-Method (LM) algorithm. Additionally, a convolutional neural networks (CNN)-based model is formulated to determine the feasibility of extending legal aid, wherein feature transformation is facilitated by utilizing TFIDF and Word2vec algorithms aligned with diverse legal text corpora. Furthermore, the hyper-parameter optimization is accomplished using the sine cosine algorithm (SCA), ultimately enabling the classification of relevant legal guidance. The experimental outcomes comprehensively affirm the exceptional training effectiveness of this model. The commercial crime identification model, grounded in modular optimization as proposed in this article, adeptly discerns criminal syndicates within the commercial trading network, achieving an accuracy rate exceeding 90%. This empowers the identification of such syndicates and bestows the judicial sphere with pertinent legal insights.
Sensitivity analysis of selection bias: a graphical display by bias-correction index
Authors: Chung Ping-Chen , Lin I-Feng
Published: November 2023

Background

In observational studies, how the magnitude of potential selection bias in a sensitivity analysis can be quantified is rarely discussed. The purpose of this study was to develop a sensitivity analysis strategy by using the bias-correction index (BCI) approach for quantifying the influence and direction of selection bias.

Methods

We used a BCI, a function of selection probabilities conditional on outcome and covariates, with different selection bias scenarios in a logistic regression setting. A bias-correction sensitivity plot was illustrated to analyze the associations between proctoscopy examination and sociodemographic variables obtained using the data from the Taiwan National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and of a subset of individuals who consented to having their health insurance data further linked.

Results

We included 15,247 people aged ≥20 years, and 87.74% of whom signed the informed consent. When the entire sample was considered, smokers were less likely to undergo proctoscopic examination (odds ratio (OR): 0.69, 95% CI [0.57–0.84]), than nonsmokers were. When the data of only the people who provided consent were considered, the OR was 0.76 (95% CI [0.62–0.94]). The bias-correction sensitivity plot indicated varying ORs under different degrees of selection bias.

Conclusions

When data are only available in a subsample of a population, a bias-correction sensitivity plot can be used to easily visualize varying ORs under different selection bias scenarios. The similar strategy can be applied to models other than logistic regression if an appropriate BCI is derived.
Inclusive Education in Private Pre-Primary Schools in Lilongwe Urban City, Malawi: A Case Study
Authors: Banda Louis Kachilanga
Published: November 2023

The focus of this article is to examine the implementation of inclusive education in private pre-schools in the urban setting of Lilongwe city in Malawi. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to explore the implementation of inclusive education based on Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological theory.   In-depth, interviews and an observation checklist were used to collect data from a purposively selected sample of 31 selected schools. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire from a sample of 25 private preschool teachers, and 6 educational administrators from 31 selected schools.  Among the results of the study, include that most private pre-schools do not understand the need for implementation of inclusive education and therefore do not implement inclusive education in the schools at all. Very few schools include students with special needs in their schools denying some learners who have disabilities a chance to access education. Coupled with a lack of a consistence, and harmonized curriculum, several private pre-schools do not take the initiative to include special needs interventions in their schools. Further, most schools have no suitable infrastructure to enable the implementation of students with special needs in their school environments. Most current pre-primary schools do not have specially designed learning structures but rather use residential homes that have now been turned into schools.  While private schools are meant to complement the government's efforts and contribute toward the goals of education in Malawi, most private schools have emphasized the business model, rendering schools to ignore some of the educational outcomes for the nation.  Finally, but not least among the factors, another critical common characteristic among private pre-schools is the lack of clear application of policies in place to ensure the implementation of inclusive education.

The study recommends that there is a need to step up efforts to be invest in both human and non-human resource in private preschools to ensure that inclusive education becomes a reality and that there is a propensity to contribute to the goals of education in Malawi. When properly implemented, Inclusive education has myriad benefits to the child and the nation at large. The responsibility to implement inclusive education rests in every bonafide citizen of a nation.  It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that the schools integrate inclusive education into their school activities.
Nigeria’s Standard of Living in the Face of Inflation
Authors: Tevin-Anyali  , Linda Chizoba , Ifeoma Obi, Chinasa , Oluwaseun Oladipo, Abimbola
Published: November 2023

Inflation in Nigeria has been the major problem causing a lower standard of living for people as it erodes the purchasing power of people. As such, studies have been conducted but with different findings. Furthermore, theoretically and practically, Nigeria experiences economic and social instability owing to the fact that it consumes more than it produces, and imports most of the raw materials for the little production it makes. This has however made the cost of living high. Hence, this study examines the impact of the inflation rate on the standard of living of people in Nigeria, collecting data that span from 1999 to 2022. To estimate the parameters of the model, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model was employed. From the long-run result, Manufacturing Capacity Utilization (MCU) and exchange rate (EXCR) have a negative impact on the standard of living, while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and unemployment rate (UNEM) have a positive impact. The short-run impact shows that CPI, MCU and UNEM have a positive impact, while EXCR has a negative impact. As a result of these findings, the study recommends that the government should put measures in place to reduce the rate of inflation, even though it has a positive impact on this study. This can be done by encouraging investments in the manufacturing sector. This will equally increase the manufacturing capacity utilization, and reduce the unemployment rate, thus, increasing the standard of living of people.
Prospects for the Characterization of the Fundamental Parameters Linked to the Energy Spectrum of the Aeolian Sea State in Benin Coastal Zone
Authors: Tokpohozin Bernard N. , Chidikofan Djonoumawou M. G. F. , Kpomahou Fernando Y. J. , Akowanou Christian D. , Houékpohéha Mathias A. , Hounguè Guy H. , Kounouhéwa Basile B.
Published: November 2023

The Beninese coast, like most coastal regions, is subject to various hydrodynamic factors that are likely to be modified by climate change. On the coast, the coasts are constantly subject to the action of waves, currents and wind. This work, carried out near the port of Cotonou, aims to provide representative statistics on the direction of the fundamental parameters of the wind seas, their height in the area close to the coast, where the swell is not yet subject to the action of the funds. Based on in situ data measurements with mooring systems at tide gauge - meteorological stations during the hydrodynamic measurement campaign and carried out at 10-minute time steps, on a regular basis over a period of four consecutive years by NORTECKMED in collaboration with the Millenium Challenge Account (MCA-Benin) within the framework of the extension of the Autonomous Port of Cotonou, the statistical distribution of the characteristic parameters of the waves (height, direction of propagation and period) is elaborated. Thus, the significant height Hs , the peak period or the stable average wave period Tp  ≈ Tms and the most frequent direction of propagation Dp are evaluated. A frequency characterization of the period Tc , the wavelength Lc and the height Hc of short swells, generated by local winds, is obtained using the Pierson-Moskowitz frequency spectrum. In short, the four years of data made it possible to carry out statistical production and simulations of wind, tide and wave data in order to determine the significant heights Hs , the peak period  Tp, the linear energy power available and the link between Hs and  Tp according to the Beaufort scales. Likewise, we made a characterization of short swells (wind seas) based on the value of the local wind speed, the Pierson-Moskowitz frequency spectrum and a representation of the wave propagation directions.
Estimation of Stress Strength Reliability P [Y < X < Z] of Lomax Distribution under Different Sampling Scheme
Authors: Jacob Neethu , Anjana E. J.
Published: November 2023

Lomax distribution can be considered as the mixture of exponential and gamma distribution. This distribution is an advantageous lifetime distribution in reliability analysis. The applicability of Lomax distribution is not restricted only to the reliability field, but it has broad applications in Economics, actuarial modelling, queuing problems,biological sciences, etc. Initially, Lomax distribution was proposed by Lomax in 1954, and it is also known as Pareto Type II distribution. Many statistical methods have been developed for this distribution; for a review of Lomax Distribution, see [1] and the references. The stress strength model plays an important role in reliability analysis. The term stress strength was first introduced by [2]. In the context of reliability, R is defined as the probability that the unit strength is greater than stress, that is, R = P (X > Y ), where X is the random strength of the unit, and Y is the instant stress applied to it. Thus, estimation of R is very important in Reliability Analysis.The estimates of R discussed in the context of Lomax distribution are limited to the study of a single stress strength model with upper stress. But in real life, there are situations where we have to consider not only the upper stress Neethu and Anjana; Curr. J. Appl. Sci. Technol., vol. 42, no. 42, pp. 36-66, 2023; Article no.CJAST.107238 but also the lower stress. Accordingly, in the present paper, the estimation of stress strength model R = P (Y < X < Z) represents the situation where the strength X should be greater than stress Y and smaller than stress Z for Lomax distribution, Shrinkage maximum likelihood estimate and Quasi likelihood estimate are obtained both under complete and right censored data. We have considered the asymptotic confidence interval (CI) based on MLE and bootstrap CI for R. Monte Carlo simulation experiments were performed to compare the performance of estimates obtained.
Distribution of Cancer Care Resources Across US Hospitals by Patient Race and Ethnicity
Authors: Himmelstein Gracie , Ganz Patricia A.
Published: November 2023

This cross-sectional study assesses the availability of cancer-related services in hospitals with predominantly racial and ethnic minority patient populations.
Porous Conductive Hybrid Composite with Superior Pressure Sensitivity and Dynamic Range
Authors: Stevens Michael , Yun Guolin , Hasan Tawfique
Published: November 2023

Porous conductive composites hold immense promise in flexible sensors and soft robotics due to their pressure‐responsive electrical conductivity. Unlike non‐porous composites whose pressure sensitivity is limited by relatively high elastic modulus, porous materials show improved pressure sensitivity owing to their lower stiffness. Despite this, existing porous composites still suffer from insufficient pressure sensitivity or narrow detection ranges, severely restricting their applications. This work presents a liquid metal hybrid filler porous composite to address these issues. Through experiment and simulation optimization, the composite exhibits a conductivity increase of five order‐of‐magnitude over 0–250 kPa, demonstrating a 900% higher pressure sensitivity than the best non‐porous counterpart in this work. The composite maintains a highly linear response (R2 of 0.999) over an exceptionally wide dynamic range up to 8.9 MPa, with a pressure sensitivity of 8.1 MPa–1, surpassing the state‐of‐the‐art in both pressure range and sensitivity. A proof‐of‐concept pressure sensor array further demonstrates the composite's excellent sensing performance, showing stable response under 100‐cycle loading with a measured pressure deviation of only 1.4%, outperforming existing commercial pressure sensors in terms of sensitivity, detection range and cyclic stability. The porous material design strategy opens doors for high sensitivity pressure sensors in wearable devices, flexible electronics, and soft robotics.
Ultrathin Film Hydrogels with Controlled Swelling and Viscoelastic Properties Deposited by Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma Induced‐Polymerization
Authors: Sans Jordi , Azevedo Gonçalves Ingrid , Quintana Robert
Published: November 2023

Development of ultrathin film (utf) hydrogels for cutting‐edge biomedical applications (i.e. artificial skins) is receiving increasing attention. Nonetheless, achieving accurate control on the structure and thickness of utf‐hydrogels becomes extremely complex when assessed through conventional techniques. In this work, an atmospheric‐pressure plasma‐assisted deposition technique is reported, showing great thickness accuracy and versatility, to design utf‐hydrogels with customized properties. For the first time, specific and independent control on the generation and nature of cross‐links by only changing the plasma exposure frequency (fPE) during the synthesis process are reported. Thus, utf‐hydrogels are successfully prepared with tuned swelling ratios and viscoelastic properties (ranging from 150 to 20 kPa). Moreover, a thickness accuracy of 9 nm is reported, permitting the accurate synthesis of utf‐hydrogels below 150 nm. Exhaustive structural and topographical analyses allow elucidating the effects of the fPE on the cross‐link generation mechanism, discarding any undesired effect on the thickness accuracy. To support the structural results obtained, quartz‐crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM‐D) coupled with spectroscopic ellipsometry are put in the spotlight as an efficient and viable alternative for the characterization of the resulting properties of ultrathin film soft materials, including the presence of a hydrated layer at the interface.
Regulating thermal dynamics and gas transport of metal‐oraganic framework glass through silver composites
Authors: Zulkifli Muhammad Yazid Bin , Chen Ruiqi , Lin Rijia , Yao Yuqi , Chai Milton , Appadoo Dominique , Wang Wupeng , Zhu Zhonghua , Liang Kang , Chen Vicki , Hou Jingwei
Published: November 2023

Metal–organic framework (MOF) glass is a versatile and processible material that retains its porous nature while transitioning between liquid and solid states. Incorporating composites into MOF glass can enhance its functionalities, but the effect of the added material on the solid–liquid phase transition of MOF glass remains understudied. This research explores the impact of silver ions on the properties of ZIF‐62 glass, revealing their influence on phase conversion at varying ligand concentrations. The presence of silver enhances gas separation processes, particularly improving CO2 and hydrocarbon separation selectivity compared to pure ZIF‐62 glass. These findings provide valuable insights for composite integration and highlight the potential of AgZIF‐62 glass in gas separation applications. Furthermore, this work paves the way for processing functional AgZIF‐62 glass films, enabling diverse applications such as gas separation, film catalysis, and antimicrobial glass.
Looking back, moving forward: 50 years of the American Journal of Community Psychology
Authors: Allen Nicole E. , Blackburn Allyson M.
Published: November 2023

The American Journal of Community Psychology (AJCP) was founded in 1973 and has since its inception has been the flagship journal for the Society of Community Research and Action. AJCP publishes leading scholarship in community psychology and social action research. This special issue celebrates the 50 years of scholarship in AJCP by curating and assembling previously published articles in virtual special issues (VSIs) with accompanying commentaries. Nine VSIs were compiled as part of this special issue. Each of these VSIs were organized around themes that are of critical importance to community psychology and each VSI summarizes what has been learned from their included articles and future directions for the field. In this paper, we introduce this special issue on this collection of VSIs, discussing how each of these VSIs endeavor to push the field forward.