bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ein NS-Adler lässt sich nicht einfach in eine Friedenstaube umwandeln – Krieg und Frieden in einem Forschungsprojekt zu einem Kriegsgräberfeld im Rheinland
Authors: Wüste Andreas
Published: December 2023

Krieg und Frieden als abstrakte Motive konkretisieren sich in Städten und Gemeinden oftmals besonders dort, wo sie in Denkmalen aufgegriffen und thematisiert werden. Kriegerdenkmale aus dem Ersten und Zweiten Weltkrieg spielen dabei eine große Rolle. Aber auch Kriegsgräberstätten sind in vielen Kommunen ein zentraler Ort dieser Sichtbarkeit. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird das Forschungsprojekt „Den Denkmalen eine Biografie geben – Erforschung von unbekannten Kriegsgräbern auf dem Friedhof Kriegsdorf“, das von einer Forschungsgruppe von 15 Schüler:innen durchgeführt wurde, vorgestellt und fachwissenschaftlich wie fachmethodisch verortet.
175 Jahre Paulskirche und 75 Jahre Deutscher Bundestag. Das Doppeljubiläum als Chance für den historischen und politischen Unterricht
Authors: Ingler Norbert Johannes , Brauers Christian
Published: December 2023

Wie kann dieses für Deutschland bedeutende historische Doppeljubiläum im Geschichts- oder im Politikunterricht thematisiert und gewürdigt werden, und dies in einer für Schülerinnen und Schüler motivierend-herausfordernden Weise? – Die Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (BpB) hat in Zusammenarbeit mit den Wissenschaftlichen Diensten des Deutschen Bundestags eine besondere Aufgabe für den Schülerwettbewerb der BpB 2023/2024 entwickelt und getestet.
Evaluation of minimum flexural reinforcement for precast prestressed concrete NEXT beam bridges
Authors: Huang Jianwei
Published: December 2023

The minimum flexural reinforcement requirement has been used in the current bridge design specifications to protect the member from brittle failure after the formation of the first flexural cracks. Several variables have been reported to affect this requirement, such as concrete strength, amount of prestressing in the member, and type of cross section. Recently, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) developed a new type of beam section (NEXT beam) to accelerate bridge construction and enhance the sustainability of bridges. As a newly developed beam section, no research on the minimum flexural reinforcement has been reported for NEXT beam bridges. This paper aimed to examine the minimum flexural reinforcement requirements in the current AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications for NEXT beam bridges. A comprehensive parametric study was analytically conducted with various parameters, including bridge section, beam section, concrete strength, and span length. The results from this study showed that the current minimum flexural reinforcement requirements were met for all bridges examined herein; the concrete strength, beam cross section, and span length could affect the levels of safety against brittle failure after first flexural cracks for NEXT beam bridges.
The clinical value of a nomogram constructed from CEA, CA199, PT, FIB, tumor differentiation and TNM stage in colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Kang , Ma Lulu , Chen Liying , Jiang Yatong , Liu Ningquan , Cai Jianchun , Zhang Yiyao
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: The accurate Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging of colorectal cancer (CRC) is of great guiding significance for the judgment of tumor progression and prognosis, and the formulation of treatment strategies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to construct a recurrence risk scoring (RRS) system and prognostic prediction model to improve the accuracy of staging, prognosis prediction, and clinical decision making in resectable CRC. METHODS: CRC patients who underwent radical resection were retrospectively enrolled into study. Multivariable Cox regression model was applied to screen for independent prognostic factors. The RRS system is composed of independent prognostic factors which was awarded 1point each. A prognostic model composed of RRS and TNM staging system (RRS-TNM model) was applied to predict postoperative recurrence. RESULTS: TNM stage, tumor differentiation, preoperative elevated Carcinoembryonic Antigen, Carbohydrate Antigen 199, Prothrombin Time and Fibrinogen were the independent prognostic biomarkers. 173 of 540 patients had recurrence. The 5-year cumulative recurrence rate (5-y CRR) and disease-free survival (DFS) of postoperative p-TNM stage I, II, and III were 12.7% and 104.8 months, 26.5% and 89.3 months, and 55.5% and 57.3 months, respectively. The 5-y CRR and DFS of preoperative Low-risk (RRS 0-1score), Middle-risk (RRS 2-3scores), and High-risk (RRS 4-5scores) groups were 13.9% and 101.1 months, 40.9% and 75.5 months, and 70.2% and 41.1 months. The AUC (area under ROC curve) of RRS system was not inferior to that of TNM staging system (0.713 vs. 0.666; P= 0.093). The AUC (0.770) and C-index value (0.721) of RRS-TNM model were significantly better than both RRS and TNM staging system (P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The RRS system accurately identifies CRC patients with high-risk recurrence preoperatively. Constructing a nomogram using the RRS system and TNM staging significantly improves the accuracy of staging and prognosis prediction, which is of great clinical significance for individualized clinical treatment and follow-up of CRC.
Investigating the blood rheology in the first trimester pregnancies with high risk for preeclampsia
Authors: Uygur Lutfiye , Kabasakal Ilter Merve , Helvacı Nazlı , Mokresh Muhammed Edib , Kahya Muhammed , Muvaffak Emir , Elmuhammed Muhammet Huzeyfe , Ayhan Isil , Kumru Pınar
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND:

Pregnancy is a dynamic process associated with changes in vascular and rheological resistance. Maternal maladaptation to these changes is the leading cause of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE:

This study aimed to assess the hemorheological alterations in pregnancies with a high risk for preeclampsia in the first trimester.

METHODS:

Ninety-two pregnant women were allocated into the high preeclampsia risk group (37 cases) and control groups (55 cases). Plasma and whole blood viscosity and red blood cell morphodynamic properties, including deformability and aggregation were assessed by Brookfield viscometer and laser-assisted optical rotational cell analyzer (LORRCA) at 11–14 gestational weeks.

RESULTS:

Whole blood viscosity was significantly higher in the high-risk group at all shear rates. Plasma viscosity and hematologic factors showed no differences between the groups. Hematocrit levels positively correlated with high blood viscosity only in the high-risk group. There were no significant changes in the other deformability and aggregation parameters.

CONCLUSIONS:

Changes in the whole blood viscosity of pregnant women with high preeclampsia risk refer to impaired microcirculation beginning from the early weeks of gestation. We suggest that the whole blood viscosity is consistent with the preeclampsia risk assessment in the first trimester, and its measurement might be promising for identifying high-preeclampsia-risk pregnancies.
Do judokas present differences between upper limbs for the concentric strength of the internal and external rotators of the shoulder?
Authors: Aedo-Muñoz Esteban , Brito Ciro José , Muñoz Pablo Merino , Nóbrega Otávio de Toledo , Miarka Bianca , Valenzuela Matias Gonzalez , Arriagada-Tarifeño David
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND:

Long-time judo training can lead athletes to develop upper limb asymmetry and shoulder asymmetry during force production, mainly in the action of pulling, pushing, and throwing; that requires higher strength and velocity of the internal and external rotators of the shoulders, which may also result in shoulder injury, or a decrease in judo performance.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate asymmetries in concentric force of the internal and external shoulder rotators of the dominant and non-dominant upper limbs in high-level judokas at angular velocities of 60, 180, and 300∘/s.

METHODS:

14 highly trained male judokas (age 24.4 [Formula: see text] 4.8 yrs.; body mass 87.9 [Formula: see text] 18.7 kg; height 1.8 [Formula: see text] 0.1 m). All participants performed 5 attempts of movement concentric internal and external rotation of the shoulder with 3 angular velocities (60∘/s, 180∘/s, and 300∘/s) in an isokinetic dynamometer (Cybex® Humac Norm Dynamometer CSMI, model 502140). The data were analyzed by independent t-student (discrete analysis) a statistical parametric mapping (SPM) curve (one-dimensional analysis).

RESULTS:

There was no difference in dominant vs. non-dominant for discrete analysis ([Formula: see text] 0.05). There was no difference in dominant vs. non-dominant for SPM analysis. None of the comparisons surpassed the comparison cut-off (tcrit) for the [Formula: see text]-test ([Formula: see text] 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

Based on results, judokas do not present significant asymmetries in concentric force of external or internal shoulder rotators when compared to the dominant vs. the non-dominant upper limb according to discrete and one-dimensional (SPM) analysis.
Self-rated flexibility significantly reflects the hip flexibility, but not the ankle flexibility
Authors: Lim Wootaek
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND:

Many studies have reported that exercise increases physical flexibility; however, no study has verified whether patients perceive an increase in physical flexibility after exercise.

OBJECTIVE:

This study investigates the correlations between increased duration of exercise and the self-rated flexibility (SRF) and those between the SRF and quantitative flexibility. Variations in the SRF between males and females were also investigated.

METHODS:

The SRF of the hip (S-Hip) and ankle (S-Ankle) were rated by participants who completed a questionnaire. The range of motion of the hip (M-Hip) and ankle (M-Ankle) were measured using the straight leg raise test and dorsiflexion, respectively.

RESULTS:

No significant correlation between exercise duration and S-Hip and S-Ankle were identified. S-Hip and S-Ankle ([Formula: see text] 0.001) and S-Hip and M-Hip ([Formula: see text] 0.001) were significantly correlated, though S-Ankle and M-Ankle were not ([Formula: see text] 0.660). The exercise duration, S-Hip, and S-Ankle were not significantly different between males and females.

CONCLUSIONS:

Given the significant correlation between hip flexibility and SRF and no gender effect, SRF may serve as a useful clinical indicator.
Psychometric Evaluation of the A-NKS: A Diagnostic Instrument to Assess Impairment of Activities of Daily Living in Mild and Major Neurocognitive Disorder According to DSM-5
Authors: Grothe Jessica , Kropidlowski Adam , Luppa Melanie , Elgner Melanie , Funke Katja , Pabst Alexander , Schomerus Georg , Dietzel Jens , Saur Dorothee , Sommerlad Andrew , Riedel-Heller Steffi G. , Luck Tobias
Published: December 2023

Background: Activities of daily living (ADL) functioning are important in the diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders (NCD), yet no standardized and validated instrument exist based on international classification systems. Objective: We aimed to psychometrically evaluate the differentiated assessment of ADL and instrumental ADL (IADL) impairments due to NCD according to DSM-5 criteria (Instrument für die Erfassung von Alltagsbeeinträchtigungen bei Neurokognitiven Störungen; A-NKS). Methods: We conducted a pilot study involving 92 participant-informant dyads of participants with mild or major NCDs, cognitively healthy individuals, and an informant, to test acceptability, internal consistency, and convergent validity with similar measures. Results: Both A-NKS versions demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α= 0.95 –0.99) and correlate with other instrumental ADL instruments (participant [informant]: Barthel Index: rs = –0.26, p≤0.05 [rs = –0.30, p≤0.01]; Amsterdam IADL: rs = 0.59, p≤0.01 [rs = 0.48, p≤0.01]; SIDAM ADL: rs = 0.46, p≤0.001 [rs = 0.47, p≤0.001]). Additionally, there are correlations with the scale autonomy of the WHOQOL-OLD (rs = -0.50, p≤0.001 [rs = –0.37, p≤0.001]) and physical, as well as cognitive activities (rs = -0.39, p≤0.001 [rs = –0.50, p≤0.001]). They were well-accepted by participants and informants. Conclusions: The A-NKS is an instrument with acceptable psychometric properties to assess ADL due to neurodegenerative decline in healthy individuals, and those with mild or major NCD. Further research is needed to confirm reliability and validity and investigate the factor structure.
Predicting Four-Year’s Alzheimer’s Disease Onset Using Longitudinal Neurocognitive Tests and MRI Data Using Explainable Deep Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Bapat Rohan , Ma Da , Duong Tim Q.
Published: December 2023

Background: Prognosis of future risk of dementia from neuroimaging and cognitive data is important for optimizing clinical management for patients at early stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, existing studies lack an efficient way to integrate longitudinal information from both modalities to improve prognosis performance. Objective: In this study, we aim to develop and evaluate an explainable deep learning-based framework to predict mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD conversion within four years using longitudinal whole-brain 3D MRI and neurocognitive tests. Methods: We proposed a two-stage framework that first uses a 3D convolutional neural network to extract single-timepoint MRI-based AD-related latent features, followed by multi-modal longitudinal feature concatenation and a 1D convolutional neural network to predict the risk of future dementia onset in four years. Results: The proposed deep learning framework showed promising to predict MCI to AD conversion within 4 years using longitudinal whole-brain 3D MRI and cognitive data without extracting regional brain volumes or cortical thickness, reaching a balanced accuracy of 0.834, significantly improved from models trained from single timepoint or single modality. The post hoc model explainability revealed heatmap indicating regions that are important for predicting future risk of AD. Conclusions: The proposed framework sets the stage for future studies for using multi-modal longitudinal data to achieve optimal prediction for prognosis of AD onset, leading to better management of the diseases, thereby improving the quality of life.
The Carnitine Palmitoyl-Transferase 2 Cascade Hypothesis for Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Keizer Hiskias G. , Brands Ruud , Oosting Ronald S. , Seinen Willem
Published: December 2023

Despite decades of intense research, the precise etiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unclear. In this hypothesis, we present a new perspective on this matter by identifying carnitine palmitoyl transferase-2 (CPT2) as a central target in AD. CPT2 is an enzyme situated within the inner mitochondrial membrane, playing a crucial role in beta-oxidation of fatty acids. It exhibits high sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide. This sensitivity holds relevance for the etiology of AD, as all major risk factors for the disease share a commonality in producing an excess of hydrogen peroxide right at this very mitochondrial membrane. We will explain the high sensitivity of CPT2 to hydrogen peroxide and elucidate how the resulting inhibition of CPT2 can lead to the characteristic phenotype of AD, thus clarifying its central role in the disease’s etiology. This insight holds promise for the development of therapies for AD which can be implemented immediately.
Formation mechanism of on-grid power tariff using game model of complete information
Authors: Li Jiaojiao , Zhao Linfeng , Dong Lihao
Published: December 2023

The key to the reform of the power system is to design a fair bidding and trading system. Analyzing the transaction process of electricity price competition, suppressing market power and other unfavorable factors, and finding a perfect bidding system are the research goals of this paper. In order to study the competition in the power spot market and power contract market, this paper employs the game model of complete information and the game theory as a tool. The power spot market adopts the Market Clearing Price (MCP) settlement method, in which the power grid determines the maximal real-time price of the generator node as the MCP. The price is based on the three bidding strategy curves of the power plant. As a result, a Nash equilibrium of power plant revenue is formed. According to the Cournot model and Stackelberg model that analyze the power contract market, the long-term equilibrium price of Stackelberg model in the power contract market is higher than that of the perfectly competitive market and less than or equal to the output of perfect monopoly market. The long-term equilibrium price and output in the power contract market are both certain and stable. This paper has analyzed the static game of complete information in the power market and carried out practical application. The results show that the bidding strategies of power plants have a Nash equilibrium and they have an incentive to collude. The MCP mechanism cannot solve the problem of market power influence. The conclusion of the research provides a basis for the design of the power hybrid auction system.
Research on the online open course of ancient literature in the “Internet+” era
Authors: He Jiangtao
Published: December 2023

This paper firstly introduced the traditional classroom teaching mode, proposed the massive open online courses (MOOC) online teaching platform, and combined it with the traditional teaching mode for the teaching of ancient literature course. In case study, 200 students from Ningbo University of Finance and Economics were divided into a control class and an experimental class. The control class was taught by the traditional mode, while the experimental class was taught by the new mode combining traditional with MOOC. The final results showed that there was little difference in the grade distributions of the control and experimental classes before the respective instruction (the P value greater than 0.05); after the instruction the students’ ancient literature grades in the experimental class improved significantly (the P value less than 0.05), while the control class almost had no change (the P value greater than 0.05). The gap in the ancient literature grade between the control and experimental class students was significant (the P value less than 0.05).
Research on the construction of marine creatures classification and identification model based on ResNet50
Authors: Tang Hongsuo , Zhou Yuchen , Hou Pengfei , Xing Libao , Chen Yanyan , Li Hui
Published: December 2023

There are many kinds of Marine organisms and their biological forms differ greatly, so it is difficult to guarantee the accuracy of artificial species identification, which brings great challenges to the work of Marine species identification. In this paper, we propose a recognition method of Marine biological image classification using residual neural network, redefining convolution layer and using batch regularization to avoid gradient parameter disorder. The bottleneck layer is realized by the residual connection in the neural network, and the residual network ResNet50 is constructed by the transfer learning method. The classification training was conducted on 19 common Marine animal data sets, and the experimental results showed that the recognition accuracy of ResNet50 reached about 90%. Compared with the traditional convolutional neural network VGG19, the results showed that the recognition efficiency of ResNet50 was better, thus verifying the effectiveness of the Marine animal classification and recognition model proposed in this paper.
Prediction of ink flow for 3D bioprinting of tubular tissue based on a back propagation neural network
Authors: Wu Xiaoyan , Wang Shu
Published: December 2023

Based on the development of the 3D vascular printer, the forming process of ink from the nozzle to the rotating rod was studied. In this study, to online detect the ink flow from the nozzle during 3D bioprinting of tubular tissue, we established a geometric model according to the region of interest (ROI) of the ink flow picture of 3D printing of tubular tissue, selected description features of the ink contour, and studied how to select mathematical expressions of the features. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to simplify the image features into 15 features. We used a back propagation (BP) neural network to predict the printing ink flow. The results show that the error between the actual ink flow rate and the flow rate based on the BP neural network is within 5%. The BP neural network can be used to monitor the quality status of the printing target in real time, evaluate the 3D bioprinting quality online, and predict the printing ink flow for the subsequent improvement of the 3D bioprinting accuracy of tubular tissue.
Investigation on the management of college performance pay with linear programming and mathematical statistics
Authors: Lv Jinfei
Published: December 2023

The performance-related pay system in colleges and universities is one of the hot spots in the reform of the wage system in colleges and universities in recent years. It is an important measure to improve the quality of education and teaching in colleges and universities and the construction of talent teams. However, there are many problems in the performance-related pay system of colleges and universities, such as unreasonable evaluation indicators, unfair weight distribution, etc., which makes it difficult to accurately reflect the work performance of teachers and staff in the measurement of performance-related pay. Based on this background and trend, this paper conducted an in-depth discussion on the salary system in China’s colleges and universities, and used the support vector regression algorithm to study the performance-based salary management of colleges and universities based on linear programming and mathematical statistics. The research showed that with other conditions remaining unchanged, the proportions of primary, intermediate, deputy and senior high school students who were dissatisfied with the system of performance-based pay in colleges and universities were 82%, 57%, 46%, and 9%, respectively. After applying linear programming and mathematical statistics, the proportions of elementary, intermediate, sub-high and ortho-high became 1%, 2%, 5% and 7% respectively. The decline of the first three was particularly obvious, and the teachers with positive high school also dropped by 2%, indicating that linear programming and mathematical statistics were beneficial to the management of performance wages in colleges and universities.
Utilizing time series for forecasting the development trend of coronavirus: A validation process
Authors: Zhang Xusong , Wang Feng
Published: December 2023

A time series prediction model was developed to predict the number of confirmed cases from October 2022 to November 2022 based on the number of confirmed cases of New Coronary Pneumonia from January 20, 2021 to September 20, 2022. We will analyze the number of confirmed cases in the Philippines from January 1, 2020 to September 20, 2022 to build a prediction model and make predictions. Among the works of other scholars, it can be shown that time series is an excellent forecasting model, particularly around dates. The study in this work begins with the original data for inference, and each phase of inference is based on objective criteria, such as smooth data analysis utilising ADF detection and ACF graph analysis, and so on. When comparing the performance of algorithms with functions for time series models, hundreds of algorithms are evaluated one by one on the basis of the same data source in order to find the best method. Following the acquisition of the methods, ADF detection and ACF graph analysis are undertaken to validate them, resulting in a closed-loop research. Although the dataset in this study was generated from publicly available data from the Philippines (our data world for coronaviruses), the ARIMA model used to predict data beyond September 20, 2022 exhibited unusually high accuracy. This model was used to compare the performance of several algorithms, each evaluated using the same training data. Finally, the best R2 for the ARIMA model was 92.56% or higher, and iterative optimization of the function produced a predictive model with an R2 of 97.6%. This reveals the potential trajectory of coronaviruses in the Philippines. Finally, the model with the greatest performance is chosen as the prediction model. In actual implementations, several subjective and objective elements, such as the government’s epidemic defence measures, the worldwide pandemic condition, and whether the data source distributes the data in a timely way, might restrict the prediction’s accuracy. Such prediction findings can be used as a foundation for data releases by health agencies.
A method for standardized wear detection of masks based on key point detection
Authors: Hu Hongqian , Wang Hui , Wang Xuanyin
Published: December 2023

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, wearing masks outside has become a daily habit. In view of the current problems of low accuracy and lack of non-standard detection of mask wearing, a detection method for mask wearing based on key points is proposed. First, the YOLOv7_tiny algorithm is used to detect whether the face is wearing a mask, and the resulting ROI (Region of Interest) is scaled to a fixed size. Then, the key point detection algorithm was adopted to extract 68 key points of the face from the ROI region, and the image segmentation of the mask area is performed simultaneously. Finally, the correspondence between face landmarks and the mask area is used to assess whether the mask is worn correctly. The experimental results show that the average detection speed of this method in the natural environment is about 14FPS, the mAP (mean Average Precision) of whether to wear a mask is 66.34%, and the detection accuracy of whether to wear a mask is 96%, which can effectively meet the actual application requirements.
Pythagorean fuzzy Aczel Alsina Hamy mean aggregation operators and its applications to multi-attribute decision-making process
Authors: Hussain Abrar , Latif Sajid , Ullah Kifayat , Garg Harish , Al-Quran Ashraf
Published: December 2023

Multiple-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) technique is often used to make decisions when several optimal options are under consideration. It can be difficult to select a reasonable optimal option for the decision maker under consideration of insufficient information. The theory of Hamy mean (HM) operators are used to express correlation among different input arguments and provide a smooth approximation during the decision-making process. Recently, Aczel Alsina aggregating expressions gained a lot of attention from numerous mathematicians under different fuzzy circumstances. This article aims to illustrate the notion of a Pythagorean fuzzy (PyF) set (PyFS) with some restricted constraints, such as a sum of the square of truth membership value and falsity membership value. We developed a series of new approaches under consideration of the HM tools, including PyF Aczel Alsina Hamy mean (PyFAAHM), and PyF Aczel Alsina weighted Hamy mean (PyFAAWHM) operators. Further, we also extend the theory of Dual Hamy mean (DHM) operators and derived a series of new methodologies such as PyF Aczel Alsina Dual Hamy mean (PyFAADHM) and PyF Aczel Alsina weighted Dual Hamy mean (PyFAAWDHM) operators. To demonstrate the flexibility of our derived approaches, we illustrate an application of a multinational company considering the MAGDM technique. An experimental case study is also illustrated to evaluate a reasonable option from a group of options. We see the advantages and compatibility of our findings by comparing the results of existing approaches with the results of currently discussed methodologies.
RVAIC: Refined visual attention for improved image captioning
Authors: Al-Qatf Majjed , Hawbani Ammar , Wang XingFu , Abdusallam Amr , Alsamhi Saeed , Alhabib Mohammed , Curry Edward
Published: December 2023

Visual attention has emerged as a prominent approach for improving the effectiveness of image captioning, as it enables the decoder network to focus selectively on the most salient regions in the image content, thereby facilitating the generation of precise and informative captions. Although visual attention achieves the improvement, the small numerical values of its input have a negative impact on its softmax, decreasing its effectiveness. To address this limitation, we propose a refined visual attention (RVA) framework that internally reweights visual attention by leveraging the language context of previously generated words. We first feed the language context into a fully connected layer to obtain appropriate dimensions for the visual features. Then, we use a sigmoid function to obtain a probability distribution to reweight the softmax’s input by applying the multiplication process. Experiments conducted on the MS COCO dataset demonstrate that RVA outperforms traditional visual attention and other existing image captioning methods, highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing the accuracy and informativeness of image captions.
Assessment of polluted region using an integrated weighting approach and fuzzy VIKOR method
Authors: Mohamed Nusaf A. , Kumaravel R.
Published: December 2023

Air pollution exerts a profound impact on both public health and the natural environment. In India, festivals like Diwali also contaminate the air by releasing pollutants into the atmosphere. It is essential to identify the most polluted region by estimating these pollutants. Since air quality assessment involves multiple air pollutants, there may be inherent uncertainty associated with data. This study employs a fuzzy Multi Attribute Decision Making (MADM) framework fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process-Entropy-fuzzy VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (FAHP-Entropy-FVIKOR) to model the impact of air pollution as a decision-making problem to address the uncertainty and assess the air quality during the Diwali festival from 2019 to 2021 in Tamil Nadu, India. An integrated weighting approach is utilised to determine the weights of the air pollutants using a fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process and Entropy methods. Mainly, the fuzzy VIKOR approach is employed to rank the polluted regions. The validation of the proposed model is established through a comparative analysis using Spearman’s rank correlation with two other existing fuzzy MADM methods. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the influence of priority weights and the interdependence of pollutants in determining regional rankings. The results conclude that a strong positive correlation is attained between the proposed and existing methods and the highest levels of air pollution during the festival period are observed in Gandhi Nagar (2019), Rayapuram (2020), T. Nagar, Sowcarpet and Triplicane (2021) in their respective years. These findings substantiate the consistency and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Evaluation method of agricultural environmental geological system state based on optimized particle swarm optimization algorithm
Authors: Li Tao , Liu C. , Qu Xingle , Guo Linjia , Fang Jiangping
Published: December 2023

The conventional evaluation methods for the state of agricultural environmental geological system mainly use the support vector regression (SVR) model to process the evaluation samples, which is vulnerable to the influence of the sensitive loss function, resulting in the high difference of the evaluation entropy. Therefore, a new evaluation method for the state of agricultural environmental geological system needs to be designed based on the optimized particle swarm optimization algorithm. That is to say, combining with the evolution process of regional agricultural environmental geology, the accurate state evaluation target is selected, the state evaluation system of agricultural environmental geology system is constructed, and the state evaluation model of agricultural environmental geology system is designed combined with the optimized particle swarm optimization algorithm, so as to complete the state evaluation of geological system. The results demonstrated the suggested methodology assesses the state of an agricultural environmental geological system. Key factors included soil texture (0.254), soil nutrient (0.118), and soil pH (0.256). It showed that the designed evaluation method of agricultural environmental geological system state based on optimized particle swarm optimization algorithm has good evaluation effect, reliability and certain application value, and has made certain contributions to the formulation of reasonable agricultural ecological protection scheme.
Further results on the bivariate semi-parametric singular family of distributions
Authors: Vasudevan Durga , Asha G.
Published: December 2023

General classes of bivariate distributions are well-studied in the literature. Most of these classes are proposed via a copula formulation or extensions of some characterization properties in the univariate case. In Kundu (2022), we see one such semi-parametric family useful to model bivariate data with ties. This model is a general semi-parametric model with a baseline. In this paper, we present a characterization property of this class of distributions in terms of a functional equation. The general solution to this equation is explored. Necessary and sufficient conditions under which the solution becomes a bivariate distribution are investigated. An application of the characterization property of the proposed class for generating bivariate pairs of random variables from a member distribution is also discussed.
Shift schedule effects on firefighter health and fitness
Authors: Garrett Levi R. , Harveson Andrew T. , Ayars Candace
Published: December 2023

BACKGROUND: Firefighter health is of utmost importance both to first responders and the individuals they serve daily. The impact of shift schedule on firefighter health remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in health and performance outcomes in firefighters across two different shift schedules. METHODS: Firefighter (N = 1995) body composition, muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory endurance were assessed and described. A Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to compare differences between shift schedules (48/96 and 4’s and 6’s). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in BMI (U = 70115, z=–1.988, p = .047), BF% (U = 67341, z=–2.779, p = .005), and trunk flexion score (U = 81362, z = 1.979, p = .048) favoring the 48/96 shift schedule. CONCLUSION: Firefighters following a 48/96 shift schedule exhibited improved body composition and fitness performance in comparison to peers who followed a 4’s and 6’s shift schedule. Findings may guide regional firefighter scheduling to optimize health and performance.
PHILOSOPHICAL AND RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS OF CHINA AS THE BASIS OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Authors: Tovbych Valerii , Slieptsov Oleh , Dyomin Mykola , Kozakova Olena
Published: December 2023

The social life of China, its culture and art were determined by the local religion of Taoism, and the main postulates were laid out in the treatise "Daodejing" ("The Book of Tao and De", 6th century AD). Accordingly, a person with the whole way of life became a participant in the cycle of phenomena in nature, and therefore felt that he was not the main creation of God, as it was in Christianity, but only one of the components of the universe.

Unlike Christianity, the phenomenon of Buddhism consists in the absence of a "logos" – the deity at the heart of the religion, since initially the image of the Buddha was interpreted as the image of a person who has achieved enlightenment. In Buddhism, there was no thesis about the value of human existence, which was interpreted as one-moment and changeable.

Now let's trace how the specific philosophical and religious teachings of China influenced art and architecture.

This is clearly visible both in secular buildings and in the temples of the three religions. The phenomenon of the transformation of the borrowed religion of Buddhism on local soil can be illustrated by the example of the unique cave temple complex of Dunhuang, the creation of which lasted over a thousand years, from the 4th to the 14th century. On the example of the wall paintings of sanctuaries, it is possible to trace how the borrowed subjects and techniques were gradually diversified and improved under the influence of local painting techniques. Moreover, scenes of secular life, portraits of benefactors, as well as a pantheon of Taoist deities were gradually added to the purely Buddhist subjects (fetian – the Chinese version of the heavenly apsaras, lords of Fuxi and NЯwa, etc.).

The principles of feng shui and established hierarchy were also maintained in secular architecture and landscape design. So, all the main facades were oriented to the south, and the screens acted as barriers for evil spirits (in the gardens, such a function was performed by "natural screens" – "green screens", when one natural picture covered the other and it was impossible to view the entire garden at the same time. Chinese garden became the personification of the harmony of the world, therefore each landscape picture was carefully thought out. It was believed that gazebos – small pavilions in the garden became a place where a person encountered the laws of perfect harmony of nature. 

An analysis of the relationship between traditional Chinese architecture and art and traditional philosophical and religious teachings proves that architecture and art were subject to the principles of feng shui and local "religious syncretism".
REINDUSTRIALIZATION 4.0 IS THE BASIS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RENEWAL AND PROSPECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERRITORIES
Authors: Pleshkanovska Alla
Published: December 2023

How to protect your own country? How to revive destroyed cities? How to return people to their homes? Experts from various specialties and sectors of the economy are looking for answers to these questions. This publication presents the results of a study aimed at formulating possible directions for the restoration and further development of urban areas damaged during the Russian-Ukrainian war. 

The analysis made it possible to identify the following typological groups of objects: single buildings and structures of different functional purposes are located separately or in groups; separate planning formations for housing, public and industrial purposes within and outside the boundaries of settlements; integral urban and rural settlements; significant areas of undeveloped areas outside populated areas. Each potential ttype of restoration object requires specific reconstruction models and methods. 

The main problematic aspects are identified and possible directions for ensuring the implementation of restoration programs and further development of territories and settlements are formulated. It has been established that the basis for the economic revival of the country should be the process of reindustrialization based on the formation of the latest industrial formations – industrial and innovation parks, industrial and production enterprises of the military-defense complex, educational institutions of secondary and higher technical education. 

It is noted that the process of restoring destroyed urban spaces should be combined with the tasks of a comprehensive reconstruction of built-up and undeveloped territories, integral settlements, considering modern trends - environmental friendliness, balance, multi-functionality, inclusiveness, and comfort of the urban environment, as well as ensuring strict requirements for the protection of the civilian population.
METHODICAL APPROACHES TO DETERMINING THE COST OF ENGINEERING SERVICES AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE OBJECT'S LIFE CYCLE
Authors: Vakhovych Inna , Demianenko Oleksander , Bohatiuk Danylo
Published: December 2023

The article summarizes and analyzes the methods of determining the cost of engineering services in construction. The research methods are content analysis - to find information on pricing methods for design works and engineering services, analysis and synthesis - selection of pricing methods for design works and engineering services, for theoretical generalization of methodical approaches to pricing in the specified areas. 

In world practice, there are three main methods of calculating the cost of engineering services in construction (consulting engineer): one-time fee; time rate; interest charge. Analysis of the international practice of approaches to determining the cost of the services of consulting engineers, the experience of own engineering activities allowed us to determine that in the field of pre-project, project services, administration, construction management, technical supervision, it is recommended to use all three methods of payment for the work of a consulting engineer, while when providing consulting services services, tender procurement, dispute resolution and arbitration - time rate or one-time fee. 

The "time rate" method is universal and can be applied at any stage of the life cycle of an investment and construction project. The main difficulty of using this method is the need to develop a detailed program of the engineer's work. The basis for determining the labor-intensiveness of work should be internal company standards, determined on the basis of the analysis of "best practices", information on the duration of similar work performed by competitors, and own observations. 

It is proposed to develop percentage indicators that will be differentiated depending on the scale and complexity of the project. The scale of the project is measured by the cost of construction (according to chapters 1-9 of the consolidated estimate), and the complexity is the class of consequences of the object (СС1, СС2, СС3).
Surveillance of Wastewater Bodies from Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan for Poliovirus
Authors: Hussain Shabab , Bostan Nazish , Hussain Sabir , Zahra Samra , Mahfoudhi Amira
Published: December 2023

Poliomyelitis is a viral disease caused by the poliovirus (PV), globally. This virus is responsible for Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) in children in Pakistan. Due to this virus, thousands of children are paralyzed. This virus is transmitted through wastewater in a congested population. The target group of polioviruses comprises the children with no vaccination history. Different factors are involved which create hurdles in the process of vaccination. Some of them are false beliefs, as well as the lack of security for the vaccination team in different areas of Pakistan, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) region. KPK is one of the few remaining regions in the world with a high rate of PV outbreaks. In KPK, District Bannu is among the districts with the highest number of cases of PV.
Multidrug-Resistant Enteric Bacteria in the Water Sources of Kalgo Metropolis, Nigeria
Authors: Maidamma Abubakar , Liman Usman Umar , Munkaila Tirmizhi , Gulumbe Bashar Haruna , Abubakar Junaidu , Aminu Uzairu
Published: December 2023

The high incidence of diseases, such as diarrhoea, typhoid fever, cholera, and bacillary dysentery among the populace, especially in remote and developing areas, has been traced to the domestic use of contaminated water. This study aimed to isolate enteric bacteria in major drinking water sources situated within the Kalgo metropolis, Nigeria. Three water samples were aseptically collected in triplicates from three different areas of the city. After serial dilution, the samples were inoculated on nutrient agar and each sample's total viable bacterial count was taken. The enteric bacteria were isolated and identified using standard protocols. The isolates were subjected to antibiotic sensitivity test using the Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. The inhibition zones were measured in millimeters(mm). Seven (7) different species of bacteria were isolated from the collected water samples.The isolated organisms included Shigella spp., Serratia spp., Klebsiella spp., Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Yersinia spp., and Salmonella spp. Among these bacterial isolates, E. coli and Salmonella spp.were found to have the highest frequency of 29.63% and 25.93%, respectively. While, Serratia spp.had the lowest frequency of 3.9%. The sensitivity profile showed that E. coli, Salmonella spp.,Klebsiella spp., Shigella spp., and Serratia spp. were resistant to ampicillin. In contrast, Proteus spp. and Yersinia spp. showed high and intermediate susceptibility, respectively.The presence of multidrug-resistant enteric bacteria in water samples suggests the need to improve water quality through its assessment and treatment before use.
Effects of Nutrition Education Program on Lactating Mothers in Relation to Infant Feeding Practices
Authors: Shirazi Naima , Afreen Asma , Khan Mahnaz Nasir
Published: December 2023

Maternal and child health status is profoundly affected by infant feeding practices. In Pakistan, these practices are sub optimal which may lead to adverse outcomes. The initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, as well as good counseling of lactating mothers regarding infant weaning and introduction of complementary foods to the infants in a hygienic and clean environment, can decrease the risk of malnutrition and infections, leading to a decrease in infant morbidity and mortality. Increasing the awareness of mothers regarding recommended feeding practices is a key to improving this situation, especially in the region of South Asia. The current study was conducted with the aim of assessing the impacts of contextually developed nutrition education sessions on the knowledge and attitudes of women regarding infant feeding. A quasi experiment was conducted for this purpose. A sample of 400 lactating mothers between 20-30 years of age visiting a private post-natal clinic located in Lahore, Pakistan was selected. Half of the sample (200) was included in the experimental group and exposed to 12 weeks of educational intervention based on various audio-visual aids. Pretest and posttest knowledge and attitude scores of the women of both control and experimental groups were recorded. The results showed that women belonging to both control and experimental groups had similar knowledge regarding infant feeding at baseline (pretest). However, experimental group showed significant improvement in knowledge scores after intervention, as compared to control. The results also revealed that simple educational intervention can lead to profound improvements in maternal knowledge and attitudes regarding infant feeding. Increasing awareness is the first step in the translation of knowledge into practice. Therefore, similar interventions may be helpful in improving infant breast and complementary feeding practices. Effective implementation of nutrition education interventions that can improve the breastfeeding rates and also bring about improvement in complementary feeding practices is important for a developing country like Pakistan. This, in turn, may lead to better health outcomes for infants by reducing direct and indirect impacts of undernutrition.
Transformative Strategies for Marketing in the AI Era
Authors: Choudhary Dr Shruti
Published: December 2023

This paper examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming marketing strategies and practices. It categorizes AI marketing applications into four types based on intelligence level and composition: standalone automation, integrated automation, standalone machine learning, and integrated machine learning. Integrated machine learning solutions within existing platforms are highlighted as most valuable long-term. However, a gradual, diversified approach to adopting AI is recommended based on organizational needs and capabilities. While AI offers benefits like efficiency and personalization, marketers must have realistic expectations about current limitations. With careful deployment focused on enhancing human capabilities, AI can make marketing more creative, precise, and customer-centric. But it also introduces new complexities requiring an open, nuanced perspective to harness the potential while mitigating the risks.