bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radio Signature of a Distant behind-the-limb CME on 2017 September 6
Authors: Melnik V. N. , Rucker H. O. , Brazhenko A. I. , Panchenko M. , Konovalenko A. A. , Frantsuzenko A. V. , Dorovskyy V. V. , Shevchuk M. V.
Published: December 2020

We discuss properties of a Type IV burst, which was observed on 2017 September 6, as a result of the powerful flare X 9.3. At decameter wavelengths this burst was observed by the radio telescopes STEREO A, URAN-2, and the Nancay Decameter Array at frequencies 5–35 MHz. This moving Type IV burst was associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME) propagating in the southwest direction with a speed of 1570 km s−1. The maximum radio flux of this burst was about 300 s.f.u. and the polarization was more than 40%. In the frequency range of 8–33 MHz it continued for more than 2 hr. For STEREO A the associated CME was behind the limb, and its longitudinal angle was about 160°. This moving Type IV burst was observed by STEREO A at frequencies of 5–15 MHz in spite of the low sensitivity of STEREO A. This means that the radio emission directivity of a Type IV burst is rather wide. Assuming the plasma mechanism of Type IV radio emission we derived the plasma density distribution in the CME core at distances of 5.6 Rs
and 9.8 Rs
(Rs
is the solar radius), and its mass to be about 1016
g. It is planned that the minimum perihelion of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft will be at about 9 Rs
. So we discuss in what conditions PSP will be in if it crosses a similar CME core.
First Results from SMAUG: The Need for Preventative Stellar Feedback and Improved Baryon Cycling in Semianalytic Models of Galaxy Formation
Authors: Pandya Viraj , Somerville Rachel S. , Anglés-Alcázar Daniel , Hayward Christopher C. , Bryan Greg L. , Fielding Drummond B. , Forbes John C. , Burkhart Blakesley , Genel Shy , Hernquist Lars , Kim Chang-Goo , Tonnesen Stephanie , Starkenburg Tjitske
Published: December 2020

Semianalytic models (SAMs) are a promising means of tracking the physical processes associated with galaxy formation, but many of their approximations have not been rigorously tested. As part of the Simulating Multiscale Astrophysics to Understand Galaxies project, we compare predictions from the FIRE-2 hydrodynamical “zoom-in” simulations to those from the Santa Cruz SAM run on the same halo merger trees, with an emphasis on the global mass flow cycle. Our study includes 13 halos spanning low-mass dwarfs (M
vir ∼ 1010
M
⊙ at z = 0), intermediate-mass dwarfs (M
vir ∼ 1011
M
⊙), and Milky Way–mass galaxies (M
vir ∼ 1012
M
⊙). The SAM and FIRE-2 predictions agree relatively well with each other in terms of stellar and interstellar medium mass but differ dramatically on circumgalactic medium mass (the SAM is lower than FIRE-2 by ∼3 orders of magnitude for dwarfs). Strikingly, the SAM predicts higher gas accretion rates for dwarfs compared to FIRE-2 by factors of ∼10–100, and this is compensated for with higher mass outflow rates in the SAM. We argue that the most severe model discrepancies are caused by the lack of preventative stellar feedback and the assumptions for halo gas cooling and recycling in the SAM. As a first step toward resolving these model tensions, we present a simple yet promising new preventative stellar feedback model in which the energy carried by supernova-driven winds is allowed to heat some fraction of gas outside of halos to at least the virial temperature such that accretion is suppressed.
A new book by Anatoly G. Vishnevsky
Authors: Echenique Vladimir J.
Published: December 2020

Рецензия на новую книгу А.Г.Вишневского «Демографическая история и демографическая теория»
Pharmacological activity of new imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid derivatives in dopaminergic transmission suppression ttests in mice and rats
Authors: Yakovleva Ekaterina E. , Bychkov Eugeny R. , Brusina Maria A. , Piotrovsky Levon B. , Shabanov Petr D.
Published: December 2020

Objective: To study the antiparkinsonian activity of new 1,2-substituted imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acids in dopami­nergic transmission suppression tests in mice and rats.

Materials and methods: On a model of reserpine extrapyramidal disorders, the derivatives of imidazole-dicarboxylic acids (IEM2258, IEM2248, IEM2247) were injected into the lateral brain ventricles of the mice 30 minutes after inject­ing reserpine at the doses of 0.1–0.5 mmol. Locomotor activity was analyzed in the Open-field test 2 hours later. In the catalepsy model, the studied agents were injected, using a pre-implanted cannula, with a simultaneous intraperitoneal injection of haloperidol. The severity of catalepsy was assessed with the Morpurgo method. Amantadine was used as a comparator drug in all the tests.

Results: It was shown that IEM2258 significantly increased the main indicators of locomotor activity in the Open-field test at all the studied doses. The value of the antiparkinsonian effect of IEM2258 at doses of 0.4–0.5 mmol significantly exceeded that of amantadine. The antiparkinsonian effect of IEM2247 was maximally expressed and was significantly different from those in the control and comparator group at doses of 0.2 and 0.3 mmol. For all the experimental groups, a significant decrease in the manifestations of catalepsy in comparison with control indexes was determined.

Discussion: The results made it possible to suggest the involvement of imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acids derivatives in the process of experimental improvement of dopaminergic neuromodulation and efficiency in animals.

Conclusion: The data showed a significant dose-dependent antiparkinsonian activity of new imidazole-4,5-dicarbox­ylic acid derivatives, which makes it promising to develop these agents and to further search for effective and safe antiparkinsonian drugs in this pharmacological class.

Graphical abstract:
Time to Surgery Affects Return to Work Rates for Workers' Compensation Patients With Single-Level Lumbar Disk Herniation
Authors: Ren Bryan O. , O'Donnell Jeffrey A. , Anderson Joshua T. , Haas Arnold R. , Percy Rick , Woods Stephen T. , Ahn Uri M. , Ahn Nicholas U.
Published: December 2020

The optimal timing of lumbar diskectomy in patients with lumbar disk herniation and radiculopathy has not been studied in the workers' compensation (WC) population. A total of 10,592 patients received lost-work compensation from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation for a lumbar disk herniation between 2005 and 2012. The primary outcome was whether subjects return to work (RTW). To determine the impact time to surgery had on RTW status, the authors performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis. They compared other secondary outcomes using chi-square and
t
tests. The authors identified 1287 WC patients with single-level disk herniation and radiculopathy. Average time from injury to surgery was 364 days (range, 2–2710 days). The WC patients with shorter duration of radiculopathy before diskectomy had higher RTW rates; fewer physical therapy, chiropractic, and psychotherapy sessions; and fewer postoperative diagnoses of psychological illnesses (
P
<.05). A multivariate logistic regression model showed that time to surgery was an independent, negative predictor of RTW (odds ratio [OR], 0.97 per month;
P
<.01). Legal representation (OR, 0.56;
P
<.01), psychological comorbidity (OR, 0.32;
P
=.01), and mean household income (OR, 1.01 per $1000;
P
<.01) also significantly affected RTW status. These results confirm that the duration of radiculopathy due to single-level lumbar disk herniation has a predictive value for the WC population undergoing diskectomy. Within 12 weeks of injury, post-diskectomy patients do reasonably well, with 70.0% of subjects returning to work. [
Orthopedics
. 2021;44(1):e43–e49.]
Global and regional constrained controllability for distributed parabolic linear systems: RHUM approach
Authors: Karite Touria , Boutoulout Ali
Published: December 2020

The aim of this paper is to study the problem of constrained controllability for distributed parabolic linear system evolving in spatial domain \begin{document}$ \Omega $\end{document} using the Reverse Hilbert Uniqueness Method (RHUM approach) introduced by Lions in 1988. It consists in finding the control \begin{document}$ u $\end{document} that steers the system from an initial state \begin{document}$ y_{_{0}} $\end{document} to a state between two prescribed functions. We give some definitions and properties concerning this concept and then we resolve the problem that relays on computing a control with minimum cost in the case of \begin{document}$ \omega = \Omega $\end{document} and in the regional case where \begin{document}$ \omega $\end{document} is a part of \begin{document}$ \Omega $\end{document}.
Where the physical world meets the digital world: representations of power structures and cyberspace in television series set in New York
Authors: Ambal Julie , Favard Florent
Published: December 2020

This article analyzes, within television series of the past twenty years, the tensions and power relations surrounding the private, intimate, and secret spheres, through the constant renegotiation of a dyadic structure linking the physical and the digital worlds. Can secrets be kept and people remain anonymous in a sprawling megalopolis?This article focuses on four series that are different in genre and audience, but share two characteristics: these tensions and constant renegotiations are at the heart of their narratives, and they are all set in the iconic megalopolis that is New York City. Person of Interest (CBS, 2011-2016) features mass surveillance controlled by an artificially intelligent system; Gossip Girl (The CW, 2007-2012) pits the gilded youth of the Upper East Side against the eponymous blogger; Mr Robot (USA Network, 2015-2019) presents itself as a direct heir of the cyberpunk genre; finally, Elementary (CBS, 2012-2019) depicts a fragmented city held together by a ubiquitous digital clout that the investigators have to face up to. Our comparative politico-spatial analysis of these four series will thus address contemporary representations of the complex relationships between the physical and the digital worlds.
Challenges Experienced by Lecturers About Instructional Practices on Agricultural Programmes in TVET Colleges
Authors: Sephokgole Ramongwane Daniel , Ramaligela Sylvia Manto
Published: December 2020

The acquisition of knowledge and skills largely depends on the availability of resources and equipment to practice agricultural programmes. Providing quality of knowledge and skills is challenging for lecturers offering agricultural programmes in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges. Therefore, practicing agriculture using appropriate resources and equipment have a crucial role to play in ensuring that lecturers are able to practice agricultural programmes in TVET colleges. The considered challenge is that lecturers are unable to practice agricultural programmes due to a lack of agricultural resources and equipment. The qualitative research approach applied in this chapter was through semi-structured interviews used to collect data of 15 individual agriculture TVET lecturers. The study was analyzed using Mitzel's theoretical framework, and presage variables were used as a lens to understand the challenges experienced by lecturers about instructional practices on agricultural programmes. Content knowledge and skill, teaching skill, teaching style, and personal traits and those themes were used as categories to present the lecturer's interview. The key finding was that although most of the lecturers were able to integrate content knowledge and practical skill and has good personality traits, they were unable to show their teaching skills and teaching style due to a lack of resources and equipment. The authors conclude that a lack of resources and equipment derail the practice of agricultural programmes in TVET colleges.
Comparing Vocational Skills Development and Workplace Learning in Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, Which Way to Go?
Authors: Hondonga Jerald , Chinengundu Tawanda
Published: December 2020

Provision of vocational skills development (VSD) and workplace learning (WPL) have become paramount in solving socio-economic problems of learner skills-job mismatch, inequality, access, unemployment, and poverty. Workplace learning enhances smooth transition from school to the world of work. The chapter compares vocational skills development and workplace learning provision in Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Literature study indicates that the three countries have different models of VSD and policies but have a common vision of imparting skills that can be used for personal and national economic gains. To achieve quality training standards, quality assurance bodies are in place in the three countries responsible to oversee training standards and regulating practices. This is done through registration and accreditation of training institutions, workplaces, programmes, assessors, and moderators and assessment processes up to certification of successful learners. Based on the literature review findings, recommendations are that there is need for cooperation and sharing of best practices between countries to strengthen the provision of vocational skills development and workplace learning. There is need to ensure there is adequately qualified lecturing cadre with both technical and professional qualifications, for school-based training, and trained workplace-based mentors and coaches.
Tools and Means to Facilitate Understanding of TVET Models in Developing Countries
Authors: Wolf Stefan
Published: December 2020

The topic is to bridge concepts from Western international and comparative TVET research with TVET development in developing countries. The main aim is to offer a concept to facilitate the understanding of the often diverse TVET models in developing countries. In the conceptual approach, the authors will rely (1) on two typologies of TVET models, as these allow a comparison to be made, while at the same time permissibly simplifying the complex characteristics of TVET. Both are selected from the long-standing scientific discourse in international comparative science. One from the more German background of comparative TVET research and the other from the comparative political science. (2) In order to understand the context deeper, they use the concept of work culture. After the explication, they give an outline of findings from a case research within the Egyptian construction industry and then show the prospects and the limits for this conceptual approach.
Efficient Virtual Reality-Based Platform for Virtual Concerts
Authors: Fernandes Roshan , Gaonkar Arjun P. , Shenoy Pratheek J. , Rodrigues Anisha P. , B. A. Mohan , Padmanabha Vijaya
Published: December 2020

Virtual reality is a computer-generated three-dimensional environment where seemingly real graphics are used to simulate an imaginary world. It is generally accessed by using a special VR helmet or spectacles which enable you to access this imaginary world. Virtual reality uses the concept of split-screen to project to different images to our eyes in a selected angle which makes our brain believe that we are viewing a three-dimensional image. This tricks the brain into thinking that the human is standing in a three-dimensional environment where they can move around. Over the years, virtual reality has been included in a lot of traditional fields to challenge the endless possibilities in those fields. It has been used in medical sciences to train doctors, the aerospace industry to train the pilots and astronauts, the architecture industry to obtain maximum efficiency in designing the structures, and many more fields. VR gaming is also becoming a huge market where people can interact with the game components to get a realistic experience of being in a game. VR is also being used by counselors and psychiatrists around the world to treat people with mental health problems. In this chapter, the authors use the concept of virtual reality in the live music industry to simulate realistic music concerts by designing and developing a platform to host virtual concerts using virtual reality.
Increasing Participation in Large-Scale Virtual Environments
Authors: Bishop Jonathan
Published: December 2020

The proliferation of media-rich social networking services has changed the way people use information society and audio-visual media services. Existing theories of cognition in human-computer interaction have limitations in dealing with the unique problems that exist in contemporary virtual environments. The presence of significant numbers of people using these at the same time causes behavioural issues not previously envisaged at the time of multi-user domains (MUDs) or the first massively-multiplayer online role-playing games. To understand such large-scale virtual environments, this chapter makes use of data generated from questionnaires, usability testing, and social and web metrics to assess the relevance of ecological cognition theory for the current age. Through making use of a biometric measure called ‘knol', the chapter suggests a new framework for measuring emotion and cognition in these and future environments.
Multimedia Data Transmission
Authors: Rajendran Deepalakshmi , R. Vijayalakshmi
Published: December 2020

Investigating multimedia traffic over optical networks that provide extremely high data rates makes it a very attractive medium for multiservice transmission in building networks at low cost. Recently, there has been active research going on congestion control in optical networks to provide the communication reliability and bandwidth efficiency. The authors investigate the mutual diversity technique as a candidate solution for congestion control over multimedia traffic in optical network. This chapter proposes a new robust medium access control (MAC) protocol, called mutual diversity MAC (MD-MAC), where each terminal proactively selects a consort for mutual operation and lets it pass on concurrently so that this mitigates interference from nearby terminals and thus improves the reliability of network and its bandwidth efficiency. For meticulous evaluation, this study presents and uses a realistic reception by taking bit error rate (BER) and the corresponding frame error rate (FER) into consideration.
Optimal Camera Placement in a Virtual Environment
Authors: Chebi Hocine
Published: December 2020

Camera placement in a virtual environment consists of positioning and orienting a 3D virtual camera so as to respect a set of visual or cinematographic properties defined by the user. Carrying out this task is difficult in practice. Indeed, the user has a clear vision of the result he wants to obtain in terms of the arrangement of the objects in the image. In this chapter, the authors identify three areas of research that are relatively little covered by the literature dedicated to camera placement and which nevertheless appear essential. On the one hand, existing approaches offer little flexibility in both solving and describing a problem in terms of visual properties, especially when it has no solution. They propose a flexible solution method which computes the set of solutions, maximizing the satisfaction of the properties of the problem, whether it is over constrained or not. On the other hand, the existing methods calculate only one solution, even when the problem has several classes of equivalent solutions in terms of satisfaction of properties. They introduce the method of semantic volumes which computes the set of classes of semantically equivalent solutions and proposes a representative of each of them to the user. Finally, the problem of occlusion, although essential in the transmission of information, is little addressed by the community. Consequently, they present a new method of taking into account occlusion in dynamic real-time environments.
Environmentally Friendly Technologies
Authors: Rathoure Ashok K.
Published: December 2020

Any technology that is developed and used will have certain components or constituting mechanisms such as materials used, procedure, or technological process involved. The quality of life on planet with respect to environment such as fresh air to breathe, clean water for drinking, and other purposes are essential for all forms of life on earth. Therefore, whatever developments are undertaken should not degrade our environment. It is essential to bear in mind that whatever development, be it construction, new power plants, transportation modes, etc., should be carefully weighed in terms of its contribution to the environment, especially if there are any negative aspects that emerge from use of machinery, equipment, technologies, etc. We should analyze any technology that we use in terms of its cost-benefit study. Here in this chapter, the authors have discussed environmentally friendly technologies for our sustainability to use the natural resources wisely with some case studies of natural as well as manmade disasters.
A Review on Isolation of Acetobacter and Production of Vinegar From Pineapple and Papaya Waste (Peels) Using Acetobacter aceti
Authors: Praveena B. , Sonashree R. , Halbavi Rashmi R. , Bhavana J. , Rizwana Shamsiya , Rao Vyshnavi V.
Published: December 2020

India is the second-largest producer of contemporary fruits and vegetables. This leads to generation of a large amount of waste, both solid and liquid. This waste is incautiously or carelessly being thrown without any treatment promoting environmental deterioration. The chapter deals with how these fruit wastes, especially pineapple and papaya peels, which are usually discarded during the processing or consumption of the fruit, are useful in preparation of vinegar, which is termed as a useful product from waste. It also discussed the general characteristics of Acetic acid bacteria, importance of the bacteria, and how it can be isolated by natural sources, which is cost effective. So, the waste peels generated after consuming the fruits and vegetables need not be discarded as waste; instead, it can be used in so many ways to produce useful products.
Technologically Driven Legal Framework of Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
Authors: Ashoor Ahmed , Sandhu Kamaljeet
Published: December 2020

Blockchain technology refers to a digital, immutable, distributed ledger that registers completed transactions in a well-ordered manner and near real time. Blockchain security creates a decentralized environment that bars any third-party organization from controlling the cryptographically validated transactions and data. Blockchain technology fosters business innovation by creating a peer-to-peer networking that prevents one central server from accessing as well as processing data belonging to all companies in the network. Cryptocurrency can be defined as a digital asset built to facilitate completed transactions using cryptography. It helps in providing protection to the completed transactions and controlling the creation of additional units of the currency. In the recent years, the application of blockchain technology has been associated with governance. Blockchain governance has been applied in different fields; for example, it can be used to create permanent laws that cannot be violated by any third party.
A Secure Gateway Discovery Protocol Using Elliptic Curve Cryptography for Internet-Integrated MANET
Authors: Verma Pooja
Published: December 2020

Integration procedures are employed to increase and enhance computing networks and their application domain. Extensive studies towards the integration of MANET with the internet have been studied and worked towards addressing various challenges for such integration. Some idyllic mechanisms always fail due to the presence of some nasty node or other problems such as face alteration and eavesdropping. The focus of this chapter is on the design and discovery of secure gateway scheme in MANET employing trust-based security factors such as route trust and load ability. Over these, the elliptic curve cryptography is applied to achieve confidentiality, integrity, and authentication while selecting optimum gateway node that has less bandwidth, key storage space, and faster computational time. Simulation results of the security protocol through SPAN for AVISPA tool have shown encouraging results over two model checkers namely OFMC and CL-AtSe.
Blockchain for Universal Health Coverage
Authors: Thomason Jane , Bernhardt Sonja , Kansara Tia , Cooper Nichola
Published: December 2020

In this chapter the authors provide an overview of where Blockchain is being used in high resource settings and explore its potential use in emerging health systems for universal health coverage. There is opportunity to address issues in emerging health systems through adaptation and testing of Blockchain, especially in the management of patient records and data, financing, supply chain management, health workforce management, and surveillance processes. It also has complementary relevance for identity and financial inclusion, which are vital for improving the health of the poor in emerging economies. Reference is also made to the use of Blockchain for displaced people and humanitarian settings, which is the subject of Chapter 7 of this book. There remains, however, a need for more research and evaluation as these technologies are implemented and increased user participation in design to ensure that privacy and security issues are addressed. Furthermore, greater attention to local implementation and health sector applications in low resource settings is required.
A Perspective on Using Blockchain for Ensuring Security in Smart Card Systems
Authors: Lohachab Ankur
Published: December 2020

Due to the momentous growth in the field of Internet of Things (IoT), various commercial and government organizations are exploring possibilities of mass issuance of smart cards in different applications. Widespread deployment of smart card-based systems in heterogeneous environment would facilitate card holders to participate in these applications in a personalized manner. Despite the security features, valuable data and access to decisive services make these systems prime target for attackers. These systems can be subjected to a range of security attacks – from hardware exploitation to exploitation of software bugs, from unauthorized data access to social engineering, and so forth. In the future, where many sectors will be trying to adopt the concept of Blockchain, it will create new opportunities for benefiting citizens with enhanced security over their data. In this chapter, the author performs in-depth analysis over the role of Blockchain in securing the smart card ecosystem.
Scientific Paper Peer-Reviewing System With Blockchain, IPFS, and Smart Contract
Authors: Rahut Shantanu Kumar , Tanvir Razwan Ahmed , Rahman Sharfi , Akhter Shamim
Published: December 2020

In general, peer reviewing is known as an inspection of a work that is completed by one or more qualified people from the same profession and from the relevant field to make the work more error-free, readable, presentable, and adjustable according to the pre-published requirements and also considered as the primary metric for publishing a research paper, accepting research grants, or selecting award nominees. However, many recent publications are pointing to the biasness and mistreatment in the peer-review process. Thus, the scientific community is involved to generate ideas to advance the reviewing process including standardizing procedures and protocols, blind and electronic reviewing, rigorous methods in reviewer selection, rewarding reviewers, providing detailed feedback or checklist to reviewers, etc. In this chapter, the authors propose a decentralized and anonymous scientific peer-reviewing system using blockchain technology. This system will integrate all the above concern issues and eliminate the bias or trust issues interconnected with the peer-reviewing process.
Blockchain for Islamic Social Responsibility Institutions
Authors: Abojeib Moutaz , Habib Farrukh
Published: December 2020

Blockchain and smart contracts are forming new systems to record and manage businesses with less need for intermediaries. The new systems are expected to offer high level of governance with lower cost as compared to the traditional technologies. While there is a continuous effort to apply this innovative technology in several businesses, Islamic finance in general—and Islamic social finance in particular—are facing few challenges that could be solved by such innovations. Islamic social finance institutions such as waqf are facing some challenges in enhancing its governance structure to ensure Shariah compliance as well as economic efficiency. This chapter explains how blockchain and smart contract technologies can help these institutions for better governance, lower transaction cost, more transparency, and higher trust, hence enhancing the business flexibility and market accessibility. It also presents some related cases that are currently under development as an evidence for the practicality of these technologies in the Islamic social finance arena.
Blockchain and the Protection of Patient Information in Line with HIPAA
Authors: DeLeon Colin , Choi Young B.
Published: December 2020

Blockchains used for the protection of patient information can serve as a way for hospitals and other medical facilities to secure patient records. With more information threats targeting hospitals and other medical facilities, it is becoming more important for these organizations to improve the information systems that are charged with protecting their patient records. HIPAA regulations are in place to try and protect patient records and information, but the hospitals do not allocate enough funds to information systems so they are put at risk of attack. Blockchains can offer the type of protection that these medical facilities need without them having to worry about upgrading the technology every year. The Blockchain is not without its faults, and that can be seen in the attacks that take place against Bitcoin. Even with these attacks, the use of Blockchain would be beneficial to the hospitals and medical facilities.
Vulnerabilities and Threats in Smart Grid Communication Networks
Authors: Lopes Yona , Fernandes Natalia Castro , Bornia de Castro Tiago , Farias Vitor dos Santos , Noce Julia Drummond , Marques João Pedro , Muchaluat-Saade Débora Christina
Published: December 2020

Advances in smart grids and in communication networks allow the development of an interconnected system where information arising from different sources helps building a more reliable electrical network. Nevertheless, this interconnected system also brings new security threats. In the past, communication networks for electrical systems were restrained to closed and secure areas, which guaranteed network physical security. Due to the integration with smart meters, clouds, and other information sources, physical security to network access is no longer available, which may compromise the electrical system. Besides smart grids bring a huge growth in data volume, which must be managed. In order to achieve a successful smart grid deployment, robust network communication to provide automation among devices is necessary. Therefore, outages caused by passive or active attacks become a real threat. This chapter describes the main architecture flaws that make the system vulnerable to attacks for creating energy disruptions, stealing energy, and breaking privacy.
Blockchain Technology Changing Traditional Methods of Applied Research in Bioinformatics
Authors: Rasskazova Natalia , Ratushnaia Liudmila
Published: December 2020

It is evident that traditional research methods are going to change. The research should be based on the possibility of quick access to information, interactivity and interaction of participants in search for information, elimination of temporal and spatial obstacles. Everything mentioned above requires the use of new research technologies, including blockchain technology. This technology allows solving the problems of collection and systematization of scientific data, access to it within the framework of project operation and implementation at any organization, and joint efforts of various structures. Data saved in blocks and stored on different servers can be accessed by different users. It reduces the cost of coordinating the actions of different users who want to obtain certain information. This article explores how blockchain technology is changing traditional methods of applied research in bioinformatics.
A Study of Use Cases for Smart Contracts Using Blockchain Technology
Authors: Sekhar S R Mani , Siddesh G M  , Kalra Swapnil , Anand Shaswat
Published: December 2020

Blockchain technology is an emerging and rapidly growing technology in the current world scenario. It is a collection of records connected through cryptography. They play a vital role in smart contracts. Smart contracts are present in blockchains which are self-controlled and trustable. It can be integrated across various domains like healthcare, finance, self-sovereign identity, governance, logistics management and home care, etc. The purpose of this article is to analyze the various use cases of smart contracts in different domains and come up with a model which may be used in the future. Subsequently, a detailed description of a smart contract and blockchain is provided. Next, different case-studies related to five different domains is discussed with the help of use case diagrams. Finally, a solution for natural disaster management has been proposed by integrating smart contract, digital identity, policies and blockchain technologies, which can be used effectively for providing relief to victims during times of natural disaster.
Developing Brain Tumor Detection Model Using Deep Feature Extraction via Transfer Learning
Authors: Mekonnen Adem Assfaw , Seid Hussien Worku , Mohapatra Sudhir Kumar , Prasad Srinivas
Published: December 2020

The timely prognosis of brain tumors is gambling a great role within the pretreatment of patients and keep the life of suffers. The manual classification of brain tumors is a difficult task for radiologists due to the intensity variation pixel information produced by the magnetic resonance machine and it is a very tedious task for a large number of images. A deep learning algorithm becomes a famous algorithm to conquer the problems traditional machine learning algorithms by automatically feature extraction from the input spaces and accurately detect the brain tumors. One of the most important features of deep learning is transferred a gain knowledge strategy to use small datasets. Transfer learning is explored by freezing layers and fine-tuning a pre-trained model to a recommended convolutional neural net model. The proposed model is trained using 4000 real magnetic resonance images datasets. The mean accuracy of the proposed model is found to be 98% for brain tumor classifications with mini-batch size 32 and a learning rate of 0.001.
Efficient Software Reliability Prediction With Evolutionary Virtual Data Position Exploration
Authors: Behera Ajit Kumar , Panda Mrutyunjaya
Published: December 2020

Determining appropriate software reliability prediction technique is a challenging task for the software development process. So, it is essential for software engineers to develop good quality software product. Though several prediction models are in use for small size data, the estimation of the reliability of software system is crucial. Inadequate data may lead sub-optimal solution. This chapter proposes a technique of increasing training dataset by generating virtual data points original data. For improving the prediction of cumulative failure time in software, multilayer perceptron (MLP)-based virtual data positions (DEVDP) exploration techniques have been proposed. The parameters of the network are optimized by evolutionary algorithm differential evolution (DE). For validation of the model in presence of virtual data point (VDP), eight failure datasets from different sources has been used. The results obtained from the simulation studies indicate that proposed DEVDP exploration technique outperformed traditional models.
Timetable Generation
Authors: Albalooshi Fawzi Abdulaziz , Shatnawi Safwan Mahmood
Published: December 2020

Evidence based on ongoing published research shows that timetabling has been a challenge for over two decades. There is a growing need in higher education for a learner-centered solution focused on individual preferences. In the authors' earlier published work, students' group assessment information was mined to determine individualized achievements and predict future performance. In this paper, they extend the work to present a solution that uses students' individualized achievements, expected future performance, and historical registration records to discover students' registration timing patterns, as well as the most appropriate courses for registration. Such information is then processed to build the most suitable timetable for each student in the following semester. Faculty members' time preferences are also predicted based on historical teaching time patterns and course teaching preferences. The authors propose a modified frequent pattern (FP)-tree algorithm to process the predicted information. This results in clustering students to solve the timetable problem based on the predicted courses for registration. Then, it divides the timetable problem into subproblems for resolution. This ensures that time will not conflict within the generated timetables while satisfying both the hard and soft constraints. Both students' and faculty members timetabling preferences are met (88.8% and 85%).
A Hybrid of Sine Cosine and Particle Swarm Optimization (HSPS) for Solving Heterogeneous Fixed Fleet Vehicle Routing Problem
Authors: Bansal Sandhya , Wadhawan Savita
Published: December 2020

Heterogeneous fixed fleet vehicle routing problem is a real-life variant of classical VRP, which is a well-established NP-hard optimization problem. In this paper, a hybrid approach based on sine cosine algorithm and particle swarm optimization, namely HSPS, is proposed to solve heterogeneous vehicle routing problem. This hybridization incorporates the strength of both the algorithms for solving this variant. It works in two stages. In first stage, sine cosine algorithm is used to examine the unexplored solution space, and then in next stage, particle swarm optimization is used to exploit the search space. The proposed algorithm has been tested and compared with other algorithms on several benchmark instances. The numerical and statistical results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid is competitive with other existing hybrid algorithms in solving benchmarks with faster convergence rate.
Metaheuristic Moth-Flame Optimization Applied on Renewable Wind Energy Incorporating Load Transmit Penetration
Authors: Hazra Sunanda , Roy Provas Kumar
Published: December 2020

Ubiquitous and ecologically friendly renewable wind energy are promising options to execute the energy requirement as well as to reducing emission. Conventional thermal power economic transmit (ET) problem including wind generator model deals with minimizing the generation cost and pollutant emission by fulfilling variety of constraints. The stochastic scenery of wind speed and the discrepancy charges of overestimation and underestimation wind cost, which is essentially a random variable, are taken into account by introducing Weibull probability density function (W-pdf). In order to generate optimal generation scheduling under renewable energy environment, moth flame optimization (MFO) algorithm is proposed, and it is tested on three different benchmark load systems. It is observed that the newly developed enhanced MFO method is proficient, and it can provide lower generation cost and smaller pollutant emission for real-world problems.
A Systematic Review for Predictive Models of IS Adoption
Authors: Naceur Rhouma , Cimon Yan , Pellerin Robert
Published: December 2020

The implementation of a new information system could be a risky decision for any company. In fact, many implementation decisions fail. Studying the success of IS adoption is necessary to identify the factors that impact success and to prevent risk. Many predictive algorithms and models have been used in order evaluate the IS adoption. This paper surveys the relevant predictive models that have been used in this area in the past 20 years. The authors aim to focus on information system adoption, as well as existing adoption models and theory, to put forth a state of the art survey on the issue to further understand the predictive models behind a successful adoption. Therefore, this paper opted for a systematic review to identify all of the articles that study IS adoption and that are using or suggesting a predictive model.
Internet of Things (IoT) Interoperability Success Criteria
Authors: Abdelghaffar Hany , Abousteit Mohamed
Published: December 2020

To deliver more value to customers, companies are striving to offer more digital services, and the internet of things (IOT) is the main enabler to maximize such value. However, one of the major challenges companies are facing is digital service integration with other providers, where IoT platform is playing important role to achieve such integration opening door for interoperability within actors in the IoT ecosystem. There have been a little research addressing IoT platforms interoperability from business value perspective, considering technical and non-technical factors as selection criteria to adopt such platforms. This paper uses a case study as a method. To validate the suggested interoperability criteria, interviews were conducted for IoT platform providers and two things providers. It was observed that considering technical factors alone when selecting IoT platform make companies oversee the value technology add to their business as IoT platform is not only about technology but also about business model in which this platform will be operating and the company position and role in IoT ecosystem. The paper contributes by providing criteria to achieve interoperability for IoT platform from both technical and business aspects.
The Evaluation of Competency-Based Diagnosis System and Curriculum Improvement of Information Management
Authors: Agrawal Dinesh Chandra , Hou Hsing-Yu , Cheng Tao-Ming
Published: December 2020

Teaching evaluation is an important issue in the learning process in higher education. In addition to the teaching evaluation on campus, feedback from alumni is also very important to instruction improvement. Undergraduates and graduates in universities are the main labor force in Taiwan; therefore, many higher education institutions pay attention to the feedback of competency. However, the written questionnaire has limitations and lacks sufficient evidence to improve curriculum planning and instruction activities. In the present study, a systematic survey in the ‘University Career and Competency Assessment Network' was applied to analyze the results. Data were collected from 1,080 participants. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) ‘Learn-Practice Fit' was positive to the ‘Satisfaction' at workplaces. (2) ‘Responsibility and discipline' were significantly positive concerning ‘Communication and Expression,' ‘Interpersonal Interaction', and ‘Teamwork.' (3) ‘Service' and ‘Information technology writing' need to be improved in the training of Information Management students.
Social Media Usage for Informal Learning in Malaysia
Authors: Al-Sabaawi Mohmed Y. Mohmed , Dahlan Halina Mohamed , Shehzad Hafiz Muhammad Faisal
Published: December 2020

Social media (SM) has gained a huge acceptance from all and sundry. A huge potential exists for academic researchers in the use of SM for intellectual exercise. Informal learning (IL) has redefined the entire learning process, creating a new dawn from the formal learning rigid structures. However, there is lack of research on why some researchers fail to accept SM for IL. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the use of SM for IL, barriers, benefits, and effect of individual factors. For this reason, a thorough literature review was conducted, and items were extracted from prior studies. Using a survey, a total of 170 responses were received from academic researchers using paper-based questionnaire. The authors discovered from the survey that lack of encouragement, lack of quality information, threat to research material are the barriers affecting SM use. Furthermore, they found that the benefits of using SM by academic researchers are to communicate with peers, share knowledge, and enhance collaboration. Thus, these findings will help stakeholders in encouraging the use of SM for IL.
Understanding Users' Switching Between Social Media Platforms
Authors: Zhou Tao
Published: December 2020

Social media such as micro-blogs and social networking sites are popular among users. Due to the intense competition, it is crucial for social media platforms to attract users and retain them. The purpose of this paper is to draw on the push-pull-mooring (PPM) model to examine users' switching between social media platforms. The results indicated that identification, perceived usefulness, dissatisfaction, privacy concern, and social influence significantly affect switching intention. In addition, social influence has a positive moderation effect on switching intention. The results imply that social media platforms need to consider the effect of push, pull, and mooring factors in order to prevent users' switching behaviour.
Investigating the Behaviors of Mobile Games and Online Streaming Users for Online Marketing Recommendations
Authors: Liao Shu-hsien , Chiu Wei-Lun
Published: December 2020

Mobile games have become online leisure and communication activities, so in recent years, different generation players have gradually become more involved in mobile games and the market has grown. Online streaming refers to entertainment and communicate in the form of a real-time broadcast on the internet, such as mobile gaming apps which create a one-stop game audio-visual interactive online marketing and social media/network platforms. Using a market survey on Taiwan players, a total of 1,020 questionnaires data are incorporated into a relational database. Big data analytics, including cluster analysis and association rules, are used to determine game players' profiles and their preference patterns and rules. Using cluster analysis, the authors divide Taiwan mobile game players into three clusters and then find each group's profiles. In addition, this study develops a rule-based recommendation approach, association rules, for investigating mobile games players' online streaming and purchasing behaviors in terms of online marketing recommendations.
Feedback Analysis for Digital Marketing in India
Authors: Biswas Biswajit , Sanyal Manas Kumar , Mukherjee Tuhin
Published: December 2020

In the context of fastest growing Indian online market, the big players like Amazon.in, Flipkart.com, Snapdeal.com, etc. are in a competitive journey to expand their market share. This paper is an attempt in modelling customer feedback for the said e-market players. The paper uses feed forward neural networks with maximum two hidden layers and back propagation kind of supervised learning algorithm. The paper found satisfactory level of success and concludes usefulness of customer feedback for both customers (for purchase decision) and marketers (for product development) points of view. It is a footstep and opens a new research challenge for the post-COVID era of business.