bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stakeholder Perspectives of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (2022) Impact on Prescription Drugs: A Narrative Review
Authors: Lieneck Cristian , McLauchlan Matthew , Adachi Valerie , Billings Roger
Published: December 2023

In this review, we examine the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 on pharmaceutical drugs in the United States, drawing on a diverse range of sources to understand the perceptions of multiple stakeholders and professionals. Findings suggest that the Act, while aiming to control price inflation, has had a multifaceted impact on the pharmaceutical sector. Stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups, and policymakers, offered varied perspectives: while some laud the Act for its potential in controlling runaway drug prices and making healthcare more accessible, others raise concerns about possible reductions in drug innovation, disruptions to supply chains, and the sustainability of smaller pharmaceutical companies. The review identified four underlying constructs (themes) in the literature surrounding healthcare stakeholders’ perceptions of the IRA’s impact upon prescription drugs: pricing and/or dictation pricing issues, topics related to patent law and pharmaceuticals, processes surrounding the IRA’s (2022) rules and regulations, and potential threats to the pharmaceutical industry concerning the research and development of future medications. The complex interplay of the Act’s implications underscores the importance of ongoing assessment and potential iterative policy refinements as implementation endures.
Performance Evaluation of Maximum Ratio Combining Diversity Technology and Traditional System Based on Comprehensive Noise Analysis in Underwater Wireless Optical Communication
Authors: Zhang Weidong , Wang Lulu , Wu Xiaying , Fei Li , Peng Han , Wen Ke , Zhao Yanli
Published: December 2023

The maximum ratio combining (MRC) diversity technology has shown outstanding performance in overcoming the adverse effects of underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems. However, its actual performance gain will be affected by the detection area and noise, which requires an in-depth analysis. In this paper, on the basis of fully considering the noises in the UWOC system, the performance of the MRC diversity technology is fairly and comprehensively studied by comparing it with two single-input–single-output (SISO) systems using a small aperture detection (SAD) scheme or a large-aperture detection (LAD) scheme through a Monte Carlo simulation and a formula analysis. The results show that the traditional belief that the MRC diversity scheme has consistently outperformed SISO systems may be misleading. When the thermal noise is dominant and the background noise is small, the LAD scheme performs better than the MRC diversity scheme with the same detection area. And in other cases, the MRC diversity scheme with the same detection area is always superior to the SISO systems. The conclusions obtained in this paper have a guiding significance for the practical application of UWOC.
Evidence That Field Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naud.) Fruits Are Solids of Revolution
Authors: He Ke , Hui Cang , Yao Weihao , Wang Jinfeng , Wang Lin , Li Qiying , Shi Peijian
Published: December 2023

In nature, the fruit shapes of many plants resemble avian eggs, a form extensively studied as solids of revolution. Despite this, the hypothesis that egg-shaped fruits are themselves solids of revolution remains unvalidated. To address this, 751 Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naud. fruits were photographed, and the two-dimensional (2D) boundary coordinates of each fruit profile were digitized. Then, the explicit Preston equation (EPE), a universal egg-shape model, was used to fit the 2D boundary coordinates to obtain the estimates of the EPE’s parameters of each fruit. Under the hypothesis that egg-shaped fruits are solids of revolution, the fruit volumes were estimated using the solid of revolution formula based on the estimated EPE’s parameters. To test whether the fruits are solids of revolution, the fruit volumes were measured by using a graduated cylinder and compared with the estimated volumes using the solid of revolution formula. The EPE was demonstrated to be valid in describing the 2D profiles of C. melo var. agrestis fruits. There was a significant correlation between the measured fruit volumes using the graduated cylinder and the estimated fruit volumes using the solid of revolution formula based on the estimated EPE’s parameters. Acknowledging potential measurement errors, particularly fruit fuzz causing air bubbles during volume measurements, we recognize slight deviations between measured volumes and estimated values. Despite this, our findings strongly suggest that C. melo var. agrestis fruits are solids of revolution. This study contributes insights into the evolutionary aspects of fruit geometries in plants with egg-shaped fruits and introduces a practical tool for non-destructively calculating fruit volume and surface area based on photographed 2D fruit profiles.
Parallel Catalyst Synthesis Protocol for Accelerating Heterogeneous Olefin Polymerization Research
Authors: Chammingkwan Patchanee , Khoshsefat Mostafa , Terano Minoru , Taniike Toshiaki
Published: December 2023

The data scientific approach has become an indispensable tool for capturing structure–performance relationships in complex systems, where the quantity and quality of data play a crucial role. In heterogeneous olefin polymerization research, the exhaustive and multi-step nature of Ziegler-Natta catalyst synthesis has long posed a bottleneck in synthetic throughput and data generation. In this contribution, a custom-designed 12-parallel reactor system and a catalyst synthesis protocol were developed to achieve the parallel synthesis of a magnesium ethoxide-based Ziegler-Natta catalyst. The established system, featuring a miniature reaction vessel with magnetically suspended stirring, allows for over a tenfold reduction in synthetic scale while ensuring the consistency and reliability of the synthesis. We demonstrate that the established protocol is highly efficient for the generation of a catalyst library with diverse compositions and physical features, holding promise as a foundation for the data-driven establishment of the structure–performance relationship in heterogeneous olefin polymerization catalysis.
Unlocking the Secrets of Post-Surgical Flexion: The Vital Role of Rehabilitation in Total Knee Arthroplasty Recovery
Authors: Murvai Gelu Florin , Hozan Calin Tudor , Ghitea Timea Claudia , Cavalu Simona
Published: December 2023

This article delves into the critical aspect of postoperative flexion, particularly in the context of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), commonly known as total knee replacement. Postoperative flexion serves as a pivotal metric for assessing the success of the procedure and a patient’s ability to regain functional knee movement. The exploration encompasses the desired range of post-surgery flexion, the surgical factors influencing it, and the indispensable role of rehabilitation in facilitating patients in achieving functional flexion. The study tracks the progress of 713 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty utilizing the cemented technique, categorizing them based on whether they received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for postoperative treatment. The monitoring of prosthetic and knee complications, along with the evaluation of the Knee Association Score (KSS) for functional assessment, revealed postoperative complications in approximately 18.23% of the patient cohort. These complications were predominantly associated with a restricted range of motion (ROM < 90°) and patellar clunk syndrome. Significantly, the KSS scale exhibited notable enhancements in the quality of life at 12 months post-surgery compared to preoperative and 6-month assessments. The majority of patients achieved scores classified as good or excellent, underlining the positive impact of the surgical approach and postoperative management on functional outcomes and overall patient well-being.
Emergence Profile Creation with CAD Technology on Vertical Edgeless Preparation (VEP)
Authors: Noè Gaetano , Toffoli Andrea , Bonfiglioli Roberto , Foce Edoardo , Bianchi Edoardo , Macaluso Guido Maria , Manfredi Edoardo
Published: December 2023

This article proposes a digital procedure to create the emergence profile of prosthetic crowns for teeth prepared with the Vertical Edgeless Preparation (VEP) technique. This technique extends the tooth preparation below the gingival margin on the root surface of teeth with reduced periodontal attachment. The tooth prepared according to this technique does not present a defined prosthetic margin or the relative finishing line. Still, it shows an edgeless axial wall that emerges from the gingival sulcus. The digital procedure for creating a prosthetic emergence profile, although representing a novelty in absolute terms, is based on traditional concepts, as they have been known and described in the literature for a long time. This article will explain and review the various clinical and laboratory steps necessary to produce, through an entirely digital procedure, a fixed partial denture composed of three zirconia elements, which are going to be subsequently veneered in a traditional way on the vestibular side to improve the esthetic appearance.
Low-Cost Smartphone Photogrammetry Accurately Digitises Positive Socket and Limb Casts
Authors: Cullen Sean , Mackay Ruth , Mohagheghi Amir , Du Xinli
Published: December 2023

Digitising prosthetic sockets and moulds is critical for advanced fabrication techniques enabling reduced lead times, advanced computer modelling, and personalised design history. Current 3D scanners are expensive (>GBP 5000) and difficult to use, restricting their use by prosthetists. In this paper, we explore the use and accuracy of smartphone photogrammetry (<GBP 1000) as an accessible means of digitising rectified socket moulds. A reversed digital twin method was used for evaluating accuracy, in addition to simplified genetic algorithms to identify an optimal technique. The identified method achieved an accuracy of 99.65% and 99.13% for surface area and volume, respectively, with an interclass coefficient of 0.81. The method presented is simple, requiring less than ten minutes to capture using twenty-six photos. However, image processing time can take hours, depending on the software used. This method falls within clinical limits for accuracy, requires minimal training, and is non-destructive; thus, it can be integrated into existing workflows. This technique could bridge the gap between digital and physical workflows, helping to revolutionise the prosthetics fitting process and supporting the inclusion of additive manufactured sockets.
Uncovering Cognitive Distortions in Adolescents: Cultural Adaptation and Calibration of an Arabic Version of the “How I Think Questionnaire”
Authors: Azaiez Fairouz , Tannoubi Amayra , Selmi Taoufik , Quansah Frank , Srem-Sai Medina , Hagan John Elvis , Azaiez Chiraz , Bougrine Houda , Chalghaf Nasr , Boussayala Ghada , Ghalmi Imane , Lami Mazin Inhaier , AL-Hayali Mazin Dawood Ahmed , AL-Rubaiawi Ahmed Wateed Mazyed Shdr , AL-Sadoon Nabee Muttlak Nasser
Published: December 2023

This study adapted and validated the How I Think Questionnaire (HIT-Q), intending to develop an Arabic version of the measure. The study assessed the (a) factorial structure of the Arabic version of the How I Think Questionnaire (A-HIT-Q), (b) construct validity evidence of the A-HIT-Q based on the internal structure of the scale, and (c) criterion validity evidence, highlighting how the cognitive distortions measure relates to some key theoretical variables such as depression. This study involved 762 Tunisian students aged 15–22 years, using a non-probabilistic sampling method. The students were boys (n = 297) and girls (n = 465). They completed self-report forms on Arabic-HIT-Q, depression (HADS), sleep (ISI), and physical activity participation, adhering to all relevant ethical considerations. Exploratory analysis revealed four factors which accounted for 73.46% of the variations in the distortion measure. Reliability analysis showed good internal consistency (α = 0.915) and temporal stability (r = 0.879). Criterion validity evidence showed cognitive distortion (as measured with the A-HIT-Q) was significantly associated with physical activity participation, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. However, no significant relationship has been observed between cognitive distortion, age, gender, and study levels. The evidence gathered supports the utility of the A-HIT-Q. Thus, the instrument demonstrates high efficacy in assessing the levels of cognitive distortions among adolescent students residing in Arabic-speaking regions.
A Paratext Perspective on the Translation of the Daodejing: An Example from the German Translation of Richard Wilhelm
Authors: Li Xiaoshu , Tan Yuan
Published: December 2023

In the German translation history of the Daodejing, the version rendered by the renowned German sinologist, Richard Wilhelm, has vigorously propelled the study of Laozegetics in Germany and stands as a translation of historical and scholarly significance. Wilhelm complemented the concise main text through the use of diverse, precise, and appropriate paratexts, granting his translation both readability and academic rigor. This ensures the admiration of general readers and the recognition of professional scholars. Tailored to the linguistic preferences and educational levels of German readers, Wilhelm frequently employed highly recognizable theological, philosophical, and literary concepts within the German cultural system to elucidate the Daodejing. This translation strategy effectively satisfies the expectation horizon of target readers. In the paratexts, Wilhelm constructs a philosophical framework of Daoism, compares the thought of Confucianism and Daoism, and broadens the dialogue between Chinese philosophical thought and Western intellectual traditions, thereby bestowing upon the Daodejing a renewed vitality in the German-speaking world.
Improving Out-of-Distribution Generalization in SAR Image Scene Classification with Limited Training Samples
Authors: Chen Zhe , Ding Zhiquan , Zhang Xiaoling , Zhang Xin , Qin Tianqi
Published: December 2023

For practical maritime SAR image classification tasks with special imaging platforms, scenes to be classified are often different from those in the training sets. The quantity and diversity of the available training data can also be extremely limited. This problem of out-of-distribution (OOD) generalization with limited training samples leads to a sharp drop in the performance of conventional deep learning algorithms. In this paper, a knowledge-guided neural network (KGNN) model is proposed to overcome these challenges. By analyzing the saliency features of various maritime SAR scenes, universal knowledge in descriptive sentences is summarized. A feature integration strategy is designed to assign the descriptive knowledge to the ResNet-18 backbone. Both the individual semantic information and the inherent relations of the entities in SAR images are addressed. The experimental results show that our KGNN method outperforms conventional deep learning models in OOD scenarios with varying training sample sizes and achieves higher robustness in handling distributional shifts caused by weather conditions, terrain type, and sensor characteristics. In addition, the KGNN model converges within many fewer epochs during training. The performance improvement indicates that the KGNN model learns representations guided by beneficial properties for ODD generalization with limited training samples.
Underwater Structured Light Stripe Center Extraction with Normalized Grayscale Gravity Method
Authors: Li Shuaishuai , Gao Xiang , Xie Zexiao
Published: December 2023

The non-uniform reflectance characteristics of object surfaces and underwater environment disturbances during underwater laser measurements can have a great impact on laser stripe center extraction. Therefore, we propose a normalized grayscale gravity method to address this problem. First, we build an underwater structured light dataset for different illuminations, turbidity levels, and reflective surfaces of the underwater object and compare several state-of-the-art semantic segmentation models, including Deeplabv3, Deeplabv3plus, MobilenetV3, Pspnet, and FCNnet. Based on our comparison, we recommend PSPnet for the specific task of underwater structured light stripe segmentation. Second, in order to accurately extract the centerline of the extracted light stripe, the gray level values are normalized to eliminate the influence of noise and light stripe edge information on the centroids, and the weights of the cross-sectional extremes are increased to increase the function convergence for better robustness. Finally, the subpixel-structured light center points of the image are obtained by bilinear interpolation to improve the image resolution and extraction accuracy. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively eliminate noise interference while exhibiting good robustness and self-adaptability.
Automatic Detection of Electrodermal Activity Events during Sleep
Authors: Piccini Jacopo , August Elias , Noel Aziz Hanna Sami Leon , Siilak Tiina , Arnardóttir Erna Sif
Published: December 2023

Currently, there is significant interest in developing algorithms for processing electrodermal activity (EDA) signals recorded during sleep. The interest is driven by the growing popularity and increased accuracy of wearable devices capable of recording EDA signals. If properly processed and analysed, they can be used for various purposes, such as identifying sleep stages and sleep-disordered breathing, while being minimally intrusive. Due to the tedious nature of manually scoring EDA sleep signals, the development of an algorithm to automate scoring is necessary. In this paper, we present a novel scoring algorithm for the detection of EDA events and EDA storms using signal processing techniques. We apply the algorithm to EDA recordings from two different and unrelated studies that have also been manually scored and evaluate its performances in terms of precision, recall, and F1 score. We obtain F1 scores of about 69% for EDA events and of about 56% for EDA storms. In comparison to the literature values for scoring agreement between experts, we observe a strong agreement between automatic and manual scoring of EDA events and a moderate agreement between automatic and manual scoring of EDA storms. EDA events and EDA storms detected with the algorithm can be further processed and used as training variables in machine learning algorithms to classify sleep health.
Angels at the Top, Rocks at the Bottom: Naturalized Inequality in Brazilian Conservative Thought
Authors: Wink Georg
Published: December 2023

Racialized social inequality is considered a structural problem in Brazil and has been a political priority of recent progressist governments. This understanding is not backed up by the so-called New Right, who understands inequality as an inherent principle of a God-given “order” and question of personal capability and merit. In this study, I explore the ideological roots of this powerful Rightist narrative by looking at the Brazilian canon of traditional conservative thought and its influence on New Right discourse. The results show that the core ideas stem from neo-Thomist interpretations of late-scholastic scholarship, which were promoted in Brazil through the Vatican’s integrist reaction to modernization during the First Republic. Since then, Brazilian conservatives have successfully used these religious legitimizations of naturalized inequality to constrain State-driven social reformism and join forces with neoliberalism through the invention of the supposed late scholastic roots of the Austrian School of Economics. After redemocratization, a recycled version of this liberal-conservative claim for less “State” and more “Brazil” (as guided by theocratic traditional order), promoted mainly by the philosopher and online influencer Olavo de Carvalho, has fueled the desecularizing discourse of the New Right and their attempt to conserve the colonial social hierarchy in Brazil.
Proving Rho Meson Is a Dynamical Gauge Boson of Hidden Local Symmetry
Authors: Yamawaki Koichi
Published: December 2023

The rho meson has long been successfully identified with a dynamical gauge boson of Hidden Local Symmetry (HLS) Hlocal in the non-linear sigma model G/H gauge equivalent to the model having the symmetry Gglobal×Hlocal, with G=[SU(2)L×SU(2)R]≃O(4),H=SU(2)V≃O(3). However, under a hitherto unproven assumption that its kinetic term is dynamically generated, together with an ad hoc choice of the auxiliary field parameter “a=2”, we prove this assumption, thereby solving the long-standing mystery. The rho meson kinetic term is generated simply by the large N limit of the Grassmannian model G/H=O(N)/[O(N−3)×O(3)] gauge equivalent to O(N)global×[O(N−3)×O(3)]local, extrapolated to N=4, O(4)global×O(3)local, with all the phenomenologically successful “a=2 results”, i.e., ρ-universality, KSRF relation, and the Vector Meson Dominance, realized independently of the parameter “a”. This in turn establishes validity of the large N dynamics at the quantitative level directly by the experiments. The relevant cutoff reads Λ≃4πFπ for N=4, which is regarded as a matching scale of the HLS as a “magnetic dual” to QCD. Skyrmion is stabilized by such a dynamically generated rho meson without recourse to the underlying QCD, a further signal of the duality. The unbroken phase with a massless rho meson may be realized as a novel chiral-restored hadronic phase in the hot/dense QCD.
Non-A Non-B Acute Aortic Dissection: Is There Some Confusion in the Radiologist’s Mind?
Authors: Valente Tullio , Sica Giacomo , Romano Federica , Rea Gaetano , Lieto Roberta , De Feo Marisa , Della Corte Alessandro , Guarino Salvatore , Massimo Candida , Scaglione Mariano , Muto Emanuele , Bocchini Giorgio
Published: December 2023

Background: The aim of this study is to define and determine the rate of acute non-A–non-B aortic dissections, and to evaluate CT angiography findings and possible complications, as well as to discuss management strategies and currently available therapy. Non-A non-B type of aortic dissection is still a grey area in the radiologist’s mind, such that it is not entirely clear what should be reported and completed in terms of this disease. Methods: A retrospective single-center study including 36 pre-treatment CT angiograms of consecutive patients (mean age: 61 years) between January 2012 and December 2022 with aortic dissection involving the aortic arch with/without the thoracic descending/abdominal aorta (type non-A non-B). Results: According to the dissection anatomy, we identified three modalities of spontaneous acute non-A–non-B anatomical configurations. Configuration 1 (n = 25) with descending-entry tear and retrograde arch extension (DTA entry). Configuration 2 (n = 4) with Arch entry tear and isolated arch involvement (Arch alone). Configuration 3 (n = 7) with Arch entry and anterograde descending (±abdominal) aorta involvement (Arch entry). CT angiogram findings, management, and treatment options are described. Conclusions: Acute non-A non-B dissection represents an infrequent occurrence of aortic arch dissection (with or without involvement of the descending aorta) that does not extend to the ascending aorta. The complete understanding of its natural progression, distinct CT angiography subtypes, optimal management, and treatment strategies remains incomplete. Within our series, patients frequently exhibit a complex clinical course, often necessitating a more assertive approach to treatment compared to type B dissections.
Raising Voice at School: Preliminary Effectiveness and Community Experience of Culture and Practice at an Australian Trauma-Responsive Specialist School
Authors: Avery Julie C. , Galvin Emma , Deppeler Joanne , Skouteris Helen , Roberts Justin , Morris Heather
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study is three-fold: (1) to explore multiple community member views of core elements of trauma-responsive practice at a specialist school; (2) to explore impact on student wellbeing and learning outcomes, and educator experiences of their workplace; and (3) to explore insights into implementation challenges and enablers. This study uniquely incorporates four participant cohorts: parents or caregivers, educators, and community agencies involved with school students and their families. It utilises a mixed-methods approach with an emphasis on the voice of participants and their lived experience of a trauma-responsive specialist school. The data identify a trauma-responsive school culture, high staff satisfaction, improved student wellbeing and attendance, and progress towards learning goals. Reflective analytic themes centre on a collective experience of the school as a connected community, emphasising relationships, safety, collaboration, mutuality, voice, and empowerment. Findings show that the practices most valued across the cohorts centre on the collective experience of the school as a connected community, emphasising relationships, safety, deep listening, collaboration, mutuality, voice, and empowerment. Trauma-informed principles frame the discussion and implications for equity-focused trauma-responsive practice and policy development. Implications for practice and policy development are discussed.
Exploring the Increased Risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Following a Sexual Assault: Implications for Individuals Who Identify as a Sexual Minority
Authors: Murphy-Oikonen Jodie , Vis Jo-Ann , Egan Rachel
Published: December 2023

Decades of research have enhanced our understanding of the psychological impact of sexual victimization, including risk factors through which post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifests. Research on sexual assault and PTSD predominately reflects the experience of heterosexual women, yet sexual minorities are both at increased risk of sexual assault and suffer greater negative health outcomes from it. In these cases, PTSD is linked to a clearly identifiable cause, thereby making it possible to identify individuals at risk, enhance interventions immediately following the traumatic event, and offer services to mitigate further harm. This narrative review explores the potential risk factors for PTSS and PTSD among individuals who experience sexual assault and identify as a sexual minority. Knowledge of these compounding risk factors among service providers will assist in obtaining sexual assault disclosures in a sensitive and supportive manner, leading to the provision of early interventions to mitigate the risks of developing PTSD following sexual assault. The findings suggest that empirical investigation is urgently required to develop evidence-informed practices in providing targeted interventions for sexual and gender minorities following a sexual assault and mitigating further adverse health outcomes.
Trautman’s Description of Gravitational Radiation Is Universal: A “Pedestrian” Approach to Radiation Phenomena
Authors: Kijowski Jerzy
Published: December 2023

A simple approach to the Hamiltonian theory of radiation phenomena is proposed. It is shown that the so-called “Trautman-Bondi-mass”, known to a rather narrow circle of specialists in general relativity, appears naturally in any special relativistic field theory. The structure of the “radiation data phase space” for the field and its isomorphism with the “Cauchy data phase space” are thoroughly analyzed.
Spatial Cognition and Three-Dimensional Vertical Urban Design Guidelines—Cognitive Measurement and Modelling for Human Centre Design
Authors: Choi Hee Sun , Bruyns Gerhard , Zhang Wang , Cheng Tian , Sharma Saijal
Published: December 2023

Numerous studies have shown that the emotional wellbeing of urban populations is influenced by various aspects of urban development, such as social factors and the presence of walkable areas and green spaces. However, there is a lack of research that closely integrates urban design and cognition, particularly in the context of vertical and volumetric urbanism. This disconnect between design and science disciplines is evident when reviewing the limited research on emotional and spatial cognition in this specific urban context. This paper seeks to address that disconnect by proposing a comprehensive framework for the cognitive measurement and modelling of the built environment. This will involve exploring and measuring neural mechanisms, employing electroencephalogram (EEG) equipment to measure user responses in vertical and volumetric public spaces. The aim is to create a foundation for further studies in this field that is consistent and rigorous and can facilitate collaboration with cognitive neuroscientists by establishing a shared conceptual basis. The goal of this research is to develop a human-centric approach for urban design that is scientific and measurable, producing a set of urban design guidelines that incorporate cognitive measurement and modelling, with the broader intention to prioritize human needs and wellbeing within urban environments to make them more liveable.
US bank failures Spring 2023 : Part Two: Real risks, (mis)diagnoses, (mis)recommendations
Authors: Király Júlia , Mikolasek András
Published: December 2023

In March 2023, a banking panic hit the US market and affected Europe. The panic proved short-lived with no lasting real economic consequences, which would justify a complete overhaul of the current banking model. In the first part of our study, we set out the details of the three selected US banks’ paths to failure. In the current second part, we analyse the three cases by digging deeper into the risks for banks. We show that the sophisticated risk indicators could not reliably predict such a panic and its consequences. Rather, it was the banks’ flawed business models and corporate and risk management cultures that played a key role in the failure, and their inability to manage the risks arising from rapid growth and interconnected customer networks. Future supervisory investigations need to focus on this rather than mechanical indicator analysis.
A háztartások energiahatékonysági beruházásai finanszírozásának keresletoldali korlátai : Regionális áttekintés
Authors: Dobi-Rózsa Anikó , Balaci Adrian
Published: December 2023

Az építőipari ágazat az összes energiafelhasználás 40 százalékát képviseli az Európai Unióban. Az ágazatban rejlő energiahatékonysági lehetőségek kihasználása nélkül sem a Párizsi Megállapodás, sem az Európai Unió vonatkozó kötelezettségvállalásai nem válnak teljesíthetővé. Ez a tanulmány összehasonlítja a különböző régiók hozzáállását, megkülönböztetve Észak-, Nyugat- és Közép-KeletEurópa országait. Célja felmérni a lakossági energiahatékonysági beruházásokat mozgató, illetve annak korlátokat állító erőket a lakásállományt és a háztartások pénzügyi erejét jellemző, különböző mutatók alapján. A tanulmány megállapítása az, hogy a pénzügyi kihívások sokkal jelentősebb szerepet játszanak KözépKelet-Európában, ahol a háztartások költségérzékenysége és kockázatkerülése sokkal erősebb. Annak ellenére, hogy a háztartások jövedelméhez képest nagyon magas energiaszámlák erős motivációt jelentenek, számos piaci és viselkedési kudarc ellene játszik annak, hogy helyes döntést hozzanak. Ha a közpolitika meg akarja könnyíteni a kereskedelmi bankok hitelezési tevékenységét ezen a piacon, akkor arra kellene törekednie, hogy csökkentse a hitelfelvétel valós vagy annak vélt költségeit pénzügyi támogatás, kamattámogatás és portfoliógarancia formájában. Bátorítani kellene a hasonló kockázati profilú háztartásokat, hogy alakítsanak hitelfelvételi közösséget, és ezzel szétterítsék és csökkentsék a finanszírozás kockázatát. A jelen tanulmányban bemutatott, a keresleti oldalt célzó, innovatív közpolitikai javaslatok, illetve a téma általában is további kutatást igényel.
Digitális állampolgárság – digitális banki ügyintézés: a Magyar Bankszövetség digitalizációs javaslatai : A banki alapszolgáltatásoktól a lakáshitelig, avagy lakáshitel-igénylés 15 nap helyett 15 perc alatt
Authors: Becsei András , Csányi Péter , Bógyi Attila , Máriás Endre , Gacsal Márkó , Kovács Levente
Published: December 2023

A Magyar Bankszövetség digitalizációs javaslatain keresztül bemutatjuk, hogy a banki folyamatelemek további digitalizálásával és a nemzetközi jó gyakorlatok felhasználásával hogyan érhető el ügyfélélmény-javulás, illetve milyen eszközökkel növelhető a bankszektor nemzetközi versenyképessége. A javaslatok megvalósítása esetén egy sztenderd lakáshitel-igénylés átfutási ideje a jelenlegi 15 napról akár 15 percre lenne csökkenthető. Ideális esetben a hiteligényléstől számítva ennyi időre lenne szükség ahhoz, hogy a bankok kötelező érvényű ajánlata és a szerződés tervezete megérkezzen az ügyfél elektronikus postaládájába. Emellett a folyamatok átalakítása a további banki termékek és szolgáltatások igénybevételét is egyszerűsítené.
Energy-Efficient UAV Trajectory Planning based on Flexible Segment Clustering Algorithm
Authors:   School of Computer Science and Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Deagu, South Korea, Mei Haoran , Peng Limei
Published: December 2023

This paper plans the energy-efficient UAV trajectory when a UAV gathers data from massive IoT devices in a given area. The UAV trajectory design is addressed by two steps, i.e., IoT node clustering and UAV flight path planning for scanning the clusters, which are formulated as Cluster Minimization (CM) problem and Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) in this work, respectively. The CM aims to contribute fewest clusters with minimal overlap to cover all the IoT devices and the per cluster size approaching the UAV communication coverage. On the other hand, the TSP seeks to design the shortest flight path to cover all the grouped clusters while minimizing energy consumption. Specifically, this work mainly focuses on the CM problem since the TSP issues have been well addressed in the past. In particular, we design a two-stage ILP optimization model to formulate the CM problem and propose two flexible clustering algorithms with low complexity, i.e., segment clustering (SC) and its variant, saying shifted SC (SSC). For the proposed ILP model and algorithms, we conduct extensive simulations under five different topologies and compare the performance results with existing methods. The simulation results indicate that the performance achieved by the proposed SSC algorithm is closest to the optimal results obtained from the ILP model. Moreover, it outperforms the existing methods under most topologies regarding cluster numbers, trajectory path length, and power consumption.
A Novel Cooperative NOMA Coding for Uplink MTC Networks
Authors:   Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada, Padidar Payam , Ho Pin-Han , Peng Limei , Haque Anwar , Naik Kshirasagar ,   Department of Computer Science, Kyungpook National University, Korea,   Department of Computer Science, Western University UWO, Canada
Published: December 2023

In this paper we consider machine-type communications (MTC) in 5G cellular networks for internet-of-thing (IoT) applications, where a large number of MTC devices simultaneously communicate with a base station (BS) over an uplink channel. To overcome the resource-constrained nature of the MTC nodes, we introduce a novel cooperative non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) coding scheme for supporting multi-user uplink transmissions with low complexity and signaling overhead, where the assumption of no feedback link hence no channel state information (CSI) available at the transmitting MTC nodes is taken. To gain deep understanding of its performance, we derive close-form analytical expressions on outage probability and diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) curve in the asymptotic regime of high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and optimize the end-to-end performance in terms of the exponential decay rate of expected distortion (ED). The asymptotic analytical result can be translated into a significant SNR gains of practical implementations with general SNR values, which is further confirmed via extensive simulation.
Performance Analysis of Power Line Communication System for Massive Indoor IoT Applications
Authors:   Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, Hassan Mai , Moussa Hesham , Ho Pin-Han
Published: December 2023

This study explores the utilization of low-voltage indoor power line communication (PLC) technology within the framework of a split centralized radio access network (C-RAN) architecture, aimed at enhancing 5G indoor mobile coverage for the Internet of Things (IoT). A primary focus of this investigation is the comprehensive evaluation of the system’s performance in terms of radio and access latency. Several critical variables come into play, including available bandwidth, the chosen transmission technology, and the number of wireless IoT devices within the network. An analytical model, employing queuing theory, Markovian models, and stochastic geometry, is formulated to assess the radio-access delay spanning the air interface and the innovative PLC-based front-hauling system proposed in our previous study. The precision of this model is validated through simulations, ensuring that the proposed system effectively meets the stringent latency constraints required by eCPRI, thus contributing to the improvement of 5G indoor mobile coverage for the IoT network.
The Generational Journey of Racial Reconciliation: A Call for Tender Hearts and Continuing Conversation Through a Servant-First Life of Leadership
Authors: Von Behren Michael T.
Published: December 2023

In the polarized context of today’s society ideological differences on how to address issues of race funnel the angst from riot-stricken streets into school board meetings, sour social media posts, and cancel both careers and friendships. This article examines the critical critique of what has been called third wave anti-racism contrasting this critique with foundational tenants of critical race theory. Servant-leadership is presented as a preferred alternative leading to continuing conversation with tender hearts, which choose to remember the abuses of the past while seeking renewed reconciliation for the sake of future generations.
Self-Transcendence: Servant-Leadership and the Doorway of Life
Authors: Schmidt Ryan
Published: December 2023

Robert Greenleaf speaks of his relationship to Robert Frost’s poem Directive as a symbol in understanding servant-leadership, offering meaning for others in their reconciliation of who and where they are on life’s inward journey. Reflecting on my personal journey, in searching for a higher purpose and identifying what needs changing, a closer examination into the learnings inspired by my family is exposing the limitations in my predisposed self-orientation approach to leadership and challenging my relationship to a life of meaning. My inward desire to become a better person is opening my heart towards an other-orientation approach to serving, and towards servant-leadership; a framework that encourages dreaming bigger dreams and healing previously ignored wounds. Through the lens of self-responsibility, this article explores the progression from assimilating into a position of power, to redefining meaning through the freedom of choice, to prioritizing the well-being of others as an expression of love. This article ultimately affirms how servant-leadership, through the demonstration of awareness, conceptualization, and healing, leads to self-transcendence; reframing life from being a linear problem to solve to being a mystery to embrace.
Proyecto multipropósito: energía, agua y producción para La población originaria de Mojos”
Authors: Leyva López Marcelo Israel
Published: December 2023

La población de Mojos actualmente ocupa un lugar de asentamiento que carece de los servicios básicos como ser de un sistema de energía y de un sistema de agua potable. El proyecto tiene como multipropósito cubrir las demandas de energía eléctrica doméstica y no doméstica, como también la demanda de agua potable. Para realizar el estudio se recolecto información de los aspectos físicos naturales de la región, así como también se pudo recolectar gran cantidad de datos de instituciones y estudios realizados cercanos al lugar, obteniendo así datos meteorológicos, topográficos, hidrográficos. Se concluye que la implementación de la microcentral hidroeléctrica será la alternativa más viable, debido a que no demanda una gran inversión, además que la construcción y el funcionamiento de ésta no presenta daños para el medio ambiente.
STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF USING WHATSAPP VOICE NOTE IN ENGLISH SPEAKING LEARNING
Authors: M. Amin Fakhrurrazi , Kurniasy Dessy , Novia Muchni
Published: December 2023

The government has implemented hybrid or blended learning, which combines face-to-face and online learning. IAIN Langsa has adopted this hybrid learning approach by utilizing various media tools in the learning process. One widely used media tool in hybrid learning is the WhatsApp Voice Note application. In this perspective, online learning media becomes an important aspect to be evaluated, with WhatsApp Voice Note as the focal media for online learning. This study aims to explore students' experiences in using WhatsApp Voice Note for learning speaking. The subjects of this study consisted of 12 English education students. A qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach is employed to achieve the research objectives. Three data collection instruments are utilized: questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and documentation. The questionnaire employs an 8-item Likert scale, while the semi-structured interviews comprise 14 questions. Based on the data analysis, it can be concluded that almost all eighth-semester English education students at IAIN Langsa have provided positive feedback regarding WhatsApp Voice Note as an online learning medium that helps improve their English speaking skills and supports their learning process both on and off-campus.
DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT OF EFL LEARNERS' ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS AND WRITING ABILITY
Authors: Masrul Masrul , Erliana Santi
Published: December 2023

This research was carried out to investigate factors related to writing skills and writing ability and how they influence writing skills and writing ability. Participants were 100 undergraduate students aged 18 to 21 at Indonesian Islamic University, consisting of 85 females and 15 males. Two different data analysis were performed: the Hierarchical Factorial Test to identify factors that can share meaningful correlation and a multiple regression test to examine the effect of an independent variable on the dependent variable. The findings showed that all variables of this research including content, organization, vocabulary, language, mechanics, thesis statement, blueprint, main idea, supporting, link, linker, fluency, logical order, rewordings, and clincher are contributing factors to the dependent variables. Sig value was lesser than 0.05, implying that the seven main factors had simultaneous and significant effects on the logical order variable.
Deep Learning Based Feature Discriminability Boosted Concurrent Metal Surface Defect Detection System Using YOLOv-5s-FRN
Authors: Vengaloor Reshma , Muralidhar Roopa
Published: December 2023

Computer vision and deep learning techniques are the most emerging technologies in this era. Both of these can greatly raise the rate at which defects on metal surfaces are identified while performing industrial quality checks. The identification of faults over metal surfaces can be viewed as a significant challenge since they are easily impacted by ambient factors including illumination and light reflections. This paper proposes novel metal surface defect detection network called as YOLOv-5s-FRN in response to the problems of ineffective detection brought by the conventional manual inspection system. The proposed system is developed through the integration of a novel architectural module called as Feature Recalibration Network (FRN) to the You Only Look Once-version-5 small network )YOLOv-5s(. In order to extract the global feature information from the provided image, FRN is able to evaluate the interdependencies between the channels. This improves the feature discrimination capability and prediction accuracy of the defect detection system. The incorporation of FRN structure makes YOLOv-5s architecture to selectively enhance the necessary features and discard the unwanted ones. Therefore, the proposed novel method will efficiently detect and classify the metal surface defects such as crazing, patches, inclusions, scratches, pitted surfaces and rolled in scale. North Eastern University Surface Defect Database (NEU-DET) has been used to train and test the proposed architectural model. The suggested system has been compared with alternative models based on several performance matrices such as precision, recall and Mean Average Precision (mAP). It is observed that the proposed YOLOv-5s-FRN architecture provides significant performance improvement than state-of-the-art methods. The proposed system has been provided satisfactory results by means of improvement in mAP and time consumption. The proposed model has delivered value of mAP_0.5 as 98.05% and that of mAP_0.5:0.95 as 89.03%.
Fiber Optic SPR POCT: A Novel Nucleic Acid Detection Biosensor for Environmental Viruses
Authors: Wang Jing , Duan Zhaojun , Luo Dixian
Published: December 2023

In the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, the long-term surveillance of pathogens is still important. The rapid detection of pathogens facilitates the accurate and convenient real-time monitoring of microbial contamination and improves the management of diseases. Here, a novel surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based point of care testing (POCT) approach of microorganism nucleic acids with the guidance of CRISPR enzyme is described, including the application of optical fiber-based detection of trace SARS-CoV2 virus in sewage water on SPR and validation of the plasmonic biosensor for the detection of single-nucleotide mutations in natural water samples.
About the technology of computer-aided design and development of special software for large-scale telecommunication network management systems
Authors:   Starovoytov Center of  Information Technologies and Systems for Executive Power Authorities, Romanov А.А. , Sinev C.G. , Shchetinin G.A.
Published: December 2023

A design technology is proposed based on the methodology for estimating labor costs and timing of software development. The instrumental basis of the technology is interconnected accounts. The technology can be used in practical activities for creating software, analyzing the current state of the project, forecasting its completion dates and cost. Unlike the well-known methods, it has the property of self-learning.
Allverehrt und tiefbetrauert
Authors: Moser Erika
Published: December 2023

Nachrufe, Leichenpredigten, Totenzettel und Grabgedichte bewahren die persönliche und kollektive Erinnerung an Verstorbene. Diese biografischen Formen sind in Länge, Inhalt, Gestaltung und Publikationsort bestimmt von einer Sicht auf Gender, die die damalige Zeit widerspiegelt. Als Medien der Erinnerung beeinflussen sie, wie Geschichte erzählt wird. Erika Moser untersucht neben bekannten erstmals auch viele unbekannte Lebens- und Sterbegeschichten von Männern und Frauen aus der Entstehungs- und Festigungszeit der christkatholischen Kirche. Mit dem Gendering dieser Geschichten rückten die Beiträge von Frauen an den Rand der historischen Wahrnehmung, sodass die Erzählungen über Männer die kollektive Identität zunehmend bestimmten. Doch auch die Frauen leisteten einen gewichtigen Beitrag zur Entwicklung der christkatholischen Kirche. Dies stellt die Autorin in einer reichhaltigen biografischen Sammlung eindrucksvoll heraus.