bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experiential marketing and Islamic branding: a new perspective on college decision in Islamic higher education
Authors: Ambarwati Rita , Sari Dewi Komala
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to determine the effect of Islamic branding, experiential marketing and word of mouth on college decisions and to find marketing strategies through strengthening Islamic branding based on experiential marketing to increase the number of students at Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a quantitative method, with data collection carried out using a survey method by giving questionnaires to respondents. The respondents' criteria are active students, at least in semester three, who have studied at Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education in Indonesia, using a sampling technique with accidental sampling. Data analysis used Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modeling to determine the estimated results or model predictions.

Findings

The results showed a significant direct effect of experiential marketing, Islamic branding and word of mouth on college decisions. There is an indirect effect between experiential marketing and Islamic branding on college decisions through word of mouth, but the word-of-mouth variable could not mediate the relationship between experiential marketing and Islamic branding on college decisions perfectly.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of the results of the study is that it uses respondents who are and have participated in learning activities on the Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education, where the Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education has added value compared to other private campuses. The added value on the Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education is the overall learning activity based on Kemuhammadiyahan Islam in Indonesia. Islam Kemuhammadiyahan is the identity of the Islamic branding strategy on the Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education, which is only owned by the Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education.

Practical implications

This study recommends marketing strategies through strengthening Islamic branding based on experiential marketing to increase the number of students at Muhammadiyah-Aisyiyah Higher Education.

Originality/value

The novelty of this research is the addition of experiential marketing and Islamic branding variable measurements on word of mouth and college decisions, especially prospective students to study at Islamic Higher Education in Indonesia.
A novel PZT-based high-power piezoelectric vibrator for ultrasonic motors: properties enhanced by Yb institution
Authors: Shi Jingjing , Qian Ning , Su Honghua , Yang Ying , Wang Yiping
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The electrical properties of piezoelectric vibrators have a crucial influence on the operating state of ultrasonic motors. In order to solve the problem that the current piezoelectric vibrator generates a large amount of heat during vibration to degrade its performance, which in turn affects the normal operation of ultrasonic motors, this paper prepares a novel piezoelectric vibrator and tests its maximum vibration velocity under the working condition, which is more than twice as much as that of the current commercial PZT-8.

Design/methodology/approach

The crystal structures of the samples were analyzed by using an X-ray diffractometer. For microstructure observation, samples were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The quasi-static piezoelectric coefficient meter (ZJ-3AN) was used for piezoelectric measurement. Dielectric properties were measured by utilizing an impedance analyzer (Agilent 4294A) with a laboratory heating unit. Ferroelectric hysteresis loops were obtained using a ferroelectric analyzer (Radiant, Multiferroic 100). A Doppler laser vibrometer (Polytec PSV-300F, Germany) and a power amplifier were used for piezoelectric vibration measurements, during which the temperature rise was determined by an infrared radiation thermometer (Victor 303, China).

Findings

The ceramics exhibit enhanced piezoelectric performance at 0.1–0.4 mol% of Yb doping contents. The ceramic of 0.4 mol% Yb reaches the maximal internal bias field and presents a larger mechanical quality factor of 1,692 compared with that of 0.2 mol% Yb-doped ceramic, in spite of a slightly decreased dielectric constant of 439 pC/N, the unit of the piezoelectric constant, which is the ratio of the local charge (pC) to the frontal force (N) and electromechanical coupling coefficient of 0.63. The vibrator with this large mechanical quality factor ceramic displays a vibration velocity of up to 0.81 m/s under the constraint of 20 °C temperature rising, which is much higher than commercial high-power piezoelectric ceramics PZT-8.

Originality/value

The enhanced high-power properties of the piezoelectric vibrator by Yb doping may provide a potential application for the high-performance USM and offer the possibility of long-term stable operation under high power for special equipment like USM. In the subsequent phase of research, the novel PZT-based high-power piezoelectric vibrator can be utilized in the USM, and the motor's performance will be evaluated under aerospace conditions to objectively assess the reliability of the piezoelectric vibrator.
From awareness to action: a study of the effectiveness of environmental economic practices for sustainable construction in Nigeria
Authors: Oke Ayodeji E. , Aliu John , Mwanaumo Erastus M. , Odia Onoriode Austin , Kahanji Charles , Tengan Callistus
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to assess the extent to which environmental economic practices are recognized and implemented in developing countries, with a specific emphasis on the Nigerian construction sector.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the extent of awareness and usage, a quantitative research approach was adopted with close-ended questionnaires disseminated to construction professionals in Nigeria. The collected data were subjected to analysis using various statistical techniques such as percentages, frequencies and mean scores. Furthermore, to investigate any significant differences in the respondents' opinions, the Kruskal–Wallis H-test was applied.

Findings

The study's findings indicate that the level of awareness and implementation of environmental economic practices among construction professionals in Nigeria is limited. Based on the findings of this study, a roadmap of recommendations has been proposed to promote the adoption of environmental economic practices in the Nigerian construction industry. The implementation of these recommendations can help reduce the negative impact of construction activities on the environment and public health and contribute to the development of sustainable cities, communities and societies.

Practical implications

The outcomes from this study can inform policy and decision-making by providing insights into the level of knowledge and awareness of environmental economic practices among construction professionals in Nigeria.

Originality/value

The findings from this study provide a baseline for assessing the level of knowledge and awareness of sustainable practices among construction professionals in Nigeria, which can inform future studies on the effectiveness of training and awareness programs.
Behavioural thermoregulation and food availability drive fine‐scale seasonal habitat partitioning in limpets
Authors: Virgin Spencer D. S. , Schiel David R.
Published: August 2023

Small‐scale spatial variation in temperature plays a key role in limiting the distribution of organisms in thermally heterogeneous environments. In the rocky intertidal zone, intra‐day temperature variation at small scales (cm–m) can easily exceed 30°C.

To experimentally test the impact of this small‐scale temperature heterogeneity on the distribution of an ecologically important limpet species (Cellana denticulata), boulders on an intertidal rocky reef in New Zealand were rotated and small‐scale temperature variability and food availability were measured throughout 1 year. Small‐scale variability in thermal tolerance, heart rate and heat shock protein expression was also measured to relate in situ limpet distributions with environmental conditions. Temperature variability was measured using limpet bio‐mimics and HOBO pendant temperature loggers, while food availability (chlorophyll a concentration) was measured on in situ concrete fibreboard tiles.

To measure limpet distributions, every tagged limpet on each of 18 boulders was followed from June 2021 to 2022. During each sampling, the location of each limpet, compass direction and slope of the surface that each limpet inhabited was measured. To test for physiological differences among limpets from each microhabitat, thermal tolerance and heat shock protein expression were measured in collected limpets; in situ heart rates and body temperatures were also measured sporadically on hot days.

Maximum predicted body temperatures (36–39°C), heart rates and actual body temperatures were greatest on equatorial surfaces (i.e. surfaces facing the equator) whereas food availability was greatest on poleward‐facing surfaces. During summer, limpets moved towards surfaces that minimised their body temperatures and maximised food availability, namely vertical and poleward‐facing surfaces and undersides of boulders.

Thermal tolerance, measured using Arrhenius breakpoint temperatures (mean ± SE: 34.7–35.8 ± 0.4–0.7°C) and flat line temperatures (36.2–37.4 ± 0.3–0.4°C), was similar among limpets facing different directions. Surprisingly, heat shock protein expression was relatively consistent throughout the year and among directions.

Overall, limpet populations are resilient to thermal stress because they effectively use behavioural thermoregulation to exploit cooler microhabitats that also have greater food availability during summer.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Assessment of carbon, oxygen, strontium, and lead isotopic variation in modern Colombian teeth: An application to human identification
Authors: Castellanos Daniel , DiGangi Elizabeth A. , Bethard Jonathan D. , Kamenov George , González‐Colmenares Gretel , Sanabria‐Medina César
Published: August 2023

Colombia faces the complex humanitarian challenges of locating approximately 100,000 missing persons and identifying thousands who are deceased. Identification is a difficult task in many cases, because the skeletonized bodies are deteriorated, missing person data are unavailable for comparison, and the provenance of the remains is often totally unknown. Isotopic analysis of human tissues (e.g., bone, hair, nails, and teeth) aid in the identification process of unknown individuals because they can provide valuable information on possible geographic origin. This project evaluated the isotopic variability of carbon (C), oxygen (O), strontium (Sr), and lead (Pb) in modern Colombian teeth according to city, department (a political designation similar to “state” in the US or Mexico), and one of four geographically determined regions of origin; and assessed its utility for human identification in Colombia. Isotopic data (O‐C‐Sr‐Pb) were analyzed from modern Colombians originating from the cities of Bogotá, Cali, and Neiva (n = 95); and these data were compiled with published Colombian data of individuals mainly from the city of Medellín (n = 61). Results indicate a wide range and overlap of O‐C‐Sr‐Pb isotopic distribution according to the defined categories. However, differences between coastal and lowland individuals are observed when using δ18O values, and differences between mountainous regions are observed when using 87Sr/86Sr values. In addition, this study suggests that the usefulness of isotopic analysis for unidentified individuals in Colombia would be with assigning them geographically using the designations of North, Central Andes, Eastern Andes, or Southwest Andes versus making classifications at a city or department level.
A novel radiographic projection for the detection of a scapula body fracture in a Thoroughbred foal
Authors: Santalucia Virginio , Hunt Robert , Murphy Molly
Published: August 2023

This case report describes the clinical and diagnostic imaging findings, treatment and outcome of a 3‐month‐old Thoroughbred foal referred for the evaluation of severe left forelimb lameness and presents the acquisition of a novel radiographic projection of the scapula used to achieve the diagnosis. No abnormalities were found with the standard radiographic examination of the left shoulder. A right dorsal 45° lateral‐ left ventral lateral oblique radiographic view was performed to evaluate the body of the left scapula. A longitudinal, minimally displaced fracture of the infraspinous fossa was diagnosed with this projection. Ultrasound was used in conjunction to confirm the diagnosis, assess the displacement of the fracture in the sagittal plane and evaluate soft tissue damage. The foal was treated conservatively with anti‐inflammatory drugs and stall rest. A radiographic follow‐up and clinical reassessment were performed, and the horse appeared sound, no atrophy of the region was appreciated and no radiographic abnormalities were found.
Placebo effects on all‐cause mortality of patients with COVID‐19 in randomized controlled trials of interleukin 6 antagonists: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis
Authors: Tseng Ping‐Tao , Zeng Bing‐Syuan , Thompson Trevor , Stubbs Brendon , Hsueh Po‐Ren , Su Kuan‐Pin , Chen Yen‐Wen , Chen Tien‐Yu , Wu Yi‐Cheng , Lin Pao‐Yen , Carvalho Andre F. , Hsu Chih‐Wei , Li Dian‐Jeng , Yeh Ta‐Chuan , Sun Cheuk‐Kwan , Cheng Yu‐Shian , Shiue Yow‐Ling , Liang Chih‐Sung , Tu Yu‐Kang
Published: August 2023

Aim

Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated the use of interleukin 6 antagonists for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), yielding inconsistent results. This network meta‐analysis (NMA) aimed to identify the source of these inconsistent results by reassessing whether participants treated with standard of care (SoC) plus placebo have different all‐cause mortality from those treated with SoC alone and to reevaluate the efficacy of interleukin 6 antagonists in the treatment of COVID‐19.

Methods

We conducted a systematic search for relevant RCTs from the inception of electronic databases through 1 September 2022. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality. The secondary outcomes were the incidences of major medical events, secondary infections, all‐cause discontinuation, and serious adverse events.

Results

The results of NMA of 33 RCTs showed that patients with COVID‐19 treated with SoC plus placebo had lower odds of all‐cause mortality than those who received SoC alone (OR, 0.75 [95% confidence interval, 0.58–0.97]). This finding remained consistent after excluding studies with no incident deaths. In addition, when we consider the impact of the widely promoted COVID‐19 vaccination and newly developed antiviral treatment strategy, the results from the analysis of the RCT published in 2021 and 2022 remained similar.

Conclusion

These findings suggest the potential influence of placebo effects on the treatment outcomes of COVID‐19 in RCTs. When evaluating the efficacy of treatment strategies for COVID‐19, it is crucial to consider the use of placebo in the design of clinical trials.
Assessing the Influence of Anthropogenic Causal Factors on Landslide Susceptibility in Bukit Antarabangsa, Selangor
Authors: Mafigiri Amos , Faisal Abdul Khanan Mohd , Che Din Ami Hassan , Abdul Rahman Muhammad Zulkarnain
Published: August 2023

This study sought to assess the influence of causal factors related to anthropogenic activities on landslide occurrence in Bukit Antarabangsa, a township northeast of Kuala Lumpur in Ampang Jaya Municipal Council. Anthropogenic factors were chosen based on the township’s rapid growth, numerous landslide records and intensity of hillside development. The study used a data-driven statistical model to identify factors most predictive of landslide occurrence based on an inventory of 20 landslides, and to evaluate the extent to which susceptibility was driven by factors related to urban development. A total of 17 factors were categorized into four clusters (geological, geomorphological, hydro-tographical and anthropogenic). Factor maps were classified to derive factor classes for each parameter. The dataset was then processed using a weight-of-evidence statistical model to determine the contrast value of each factor class. Contrast value (C) reflects the extent to which each factor class predicts landslide occurrence. The C-weighted factor maps were then combined to derive the landslide susceptibility index (LSI). The LSI enabled visualization of the spatial distribution of susceptibility based on a given combination of factors. Susceptibility maps were prepared for combinations containing only non-anthropogenic parameters and all landslide parameters. The study compared these combinations to determine the influence of anthropogenic factors on total LSI. Similar analyses were conducted to determine the effect of each anthropogenic factor on LSI. The results indicated that lineament density, distance to lineament and distance to road had a significant influence on landslide occurrence. A strong correlation with landslide occurrence was observed for land use/land cover, especially in high susceptibility zones, followed closely by the influence of one distance to road factor class. The results could be useful in planning infrastructure corridors in densely built-up landslide-prone areas.
GIS-Based Vulnerability Analysis for Sustainable Fish Drying Cottage Industry in Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Authors: Abeysooriya Githmi , Weerakoon K.G.P.K.
Published: August 2023

Dried fish manufacturing is a famous cottage industry in Sri Lanka. Due to various natural and manmade reasons, their locations are not set up in sustainable ways. As a result, industry locations have become more vulnerable. Therefore, hurdles are there to sustainably expanding this cottage industry. So, the industry's novelty and the enormous number of issues experienced have yet to be discovered or solved via research study. Therefore, the current study intends to conduct GIS-based vulnerability analysis of the fish drying cottage industry by identifying the socioeconomic, environmental, and industry-related backgrounds of existing manufacturers and the industry, challenges faced by manufacturers, and vulnerable sites in the village using geo-spatial analysis. The case study focuses on Kudawella of Tangalle local authority, in the southern province of Sri Lanka. Qualitative analysis was used to identify the existing situation using a structured questionnaire survey and descriptive analysis was performed on the obtained information. The constraints were revealed by a content analysis of qualitative data acquired from a judgemental sample via semi-structured and unstructured interviews. Furthermore, the relative positions of the cottages were determined using OpenStreet Map and the absolute coordinates of a sample of 27 cottages gathered using GPS. A Weighted Overlay Analysis was performed using Arc Map 10.8 to create a Vulnerability Index Map to identify vulnerable locations for the industry while taking nine socioeconomic and environmental parameters.  The outcome indicated four categories of vulnerability: severe, moderately severe, moderate, and low vulnerability, with 4.13% of the village falling into the severely susceptible category. The index map assists relevant authoritative organisations in making industrial decisions to attain sustainability based on the amount of risk and underlines the importance of institutional and individual decision-making systems
Application of Fuzzy Logic Approach via GIS for Determining the Optimum Groundwater Wells Sites Based on the Hydro-Geoelectric Parameters
Authors: Abdulrazzaq Zaidoon T. , Alnaib Abdulsalam H.
Published: August 2023

Salah Al-Din Governorate, including the study area located in Baiji district, is considered an important agricultural area in Iraq. As these areas have become mainly dependent on ground water. As this led to the depletion of underground water reservoirs, which turned many of the wells into unproductive or poorly productive wells. Therefore, there was a need to re-evaluate the hydraulic properties in the region, and then nominate sites for drilling new wells with high productivity according to the data of this evaluation. Selecting new well sites is becoming an increasingly difficult task. All hydraulic properties and geological factors must be taken into consideration. On the other hand, GIS technology is considered one of the most reliable techniques used in the process of determining the most appropriate sites. All this is done according to the use of algorithms that depend mainly on the importance of each factor and dealing with it as a class within the selection and nomination mechanism. In this study, fuzzy logic was applied through geographic information systems technology to determine the optimum sites for new well drilling with high productivity, based on the analysis of hydro-electrical parameters of the aquifer in the region. The research region was divided into four groups by the findings map: excluded, low suitability, moderate suitability, and high suitability. The area for each suitability category was 172.53, 269.76, 131.89, 127.26 km2 respectively.
Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goal-2030 Agenda-Thirteen: A Review of Technological Advances from the Built Environment Professionals
Authors: Olaniyan Sule Adeniyi
Published: August 2023

Natural resources are increasingly under pressures to cater for the growing human population and their corresponding, often conflicting needs. However, the need to conservatively utilize these resources without deteriorating the environment to the disadvantage of the future generations has prompted some actionable steps at the global level, the prominent of which is the promulgation of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 2030 (SDG-2030) Agenda, having seventeen (17) inter-related actionable areas of human endeavours (i.e., Agenda). Of particular interest within this context is the Agenda Thirteen (Agenda-13) which encompasses the need for urgent action to combat Climate Change and its impacts across various areas of human engagements. This is necessary as Climate Change impacts are characterized with anthropogenic carbon emissions resulting in global temperature rise, sea level rise, flooding, desertification, droughts, and other related disasters. Within the precinct of Built Environment, it is established that building construction and operation alone account for about 40% of the global emissions. This calls for concerns and requires urgent collaborative actions to curtail the trend. This submission, which is review based therefore, highlights various joint efforts particularly, integration of technological advancements by the relevant building professionals, towards attaining the goal of Agenda-13. This is with a view to limiting climate change enablers for reduced environmental impacts. These collaborative efforts are categorized into pre-construction and post-construction activities from the relevant professionals in the built environment. While the former includes Indoor Thermal Comfort Simulation, Integration of Daylighting Technologies, and adoption of Computational Fluid Dynamics integrated architectural design process, the latter consists of design of Double Skin Facades, development of Building Integrated Photovoltaics façade, integration of Evacuated Tube Solar Air Collector System, adoption of Phase Change Material on Building façade, and implementation of Life Cycle Energy Analysis Policy, among others. These endeavours aim at reducing carbon emissions at the building micro level for overall clean, safe and sustainable global environment.
Assessment of Land Surface Temperature Variations and Implications of Land Use/Land Cover Changes: A Case of Malappuram Urban Agglomeration Region, Kerala, India
Authors: Viju Tania , C Mohammed Firoz , V Sruthi Krishnan
Published: August 2023

Urbanization is taking place faster, and urban air temperatures are gradually rising in all cities across the world. Uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization leads to constant environmental threats and can alter local and regional climates. According to the survey published by Economist Intelligence Unit, in India, Kerala's Malappuram district ranks first among the fastest-growing urban areas globally, with a 44.05% growth rate. Hence, the present study aims to identify the hotspot regions of extreme heat within the Malappuram urban agglomeration region and suggest strategies for its improvement. The split-window algorithm retrieved land surface temperature (LST) for 1991, 1998, 2014, and 2020 using Landsat 5 ETM and Landsat 8 satellite imageries. A rising trend in LST has been detected in the last 30 years, and the mean value has increased by 1.70°C within the region. Among the selected hotspots, an LST increase of 1.84°C was observed for those areas with the highest increase in urban density with decreased vegetation. The increasing impact of urbanization and the subsequent change in land use patterns at the cost of greenery have caused a substantial effect on the local climate. Accordingly, planning and policy directions are proposed for the local government that can help provide awareness to the people through the effective implementation of mitigation measures.
A Systematic Review of The Recent Geospatial Approach in Addressing Spatially-Related Radicalism And Extremism Issues
Authors: Jamal Juhaida , Abdul Khanan Mohd Faisal , Md Din Ami Hassan , Umar Hafiz Aminu , Mohammad Aslam Mohd Mizan
Published: August 2023

This systematic review article focuses on the geospatial issues of radicalism and extremism. The scholar has intensified the application of geospatial in radicalism and extremism study to understand better the causes, patterns, and trends of the radicalism and extremism incidents. The advanced geospatial approach provides more spatio-temporal information on radicalism and extremism incidents'. It improves the conventional study method that only focuses on fundamentals and theory. Unfortunately, some geospatial issues from previous radicalism and extremism studies have been found. Hence, the present study reviewed past studies on geospatial applications in radicalism and extremism. Meanwhile, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method were used to review the current research. This systematic review utilises two major journal databases, Scopus and Web of Science. Searching works found in a total of 24 articles can be analysed systematically. The selected article was separated into four corresponding geospatial analysis types: distribution pattern analysis, cluster analysis, statistical and prediction analysis, and 3D technology. Finally, several recommendations were offered after this study for future scholars' consideration.
Operative Temperature Variance and Life Cycle Assessment Impacts of Wall Construction Materials
Authors: Alegbe Mark
Published: August 2023

The overdependence on concrete in the construction industry in sub-Saharan African countries limits the potential use of sustainable materials in the construction of buildings. Hollow Concrete Block (HCB), the industry’s most widely used wall material, contributes to excessive carbon emissions and environmental degradation. Moreso, constructions that employ HCBs, specifically in Nigeria, severely threaten the indoor comfort levels in Naturally Ventilated Spaces NVSs. This study relies on quantitative data to analyse the impact of alternative wall materials in a case building in northern Nigeria. Mud bricks (MB) and Timber/brick (TB) were compared with the existing concrete (CW) case building. The study uses Meteonorm 8 and Climate Consultant 6.0 for EPW file generation. At the same time, dynamic thermal simulation and comparative experiments for thermal comfort and carbon emissions were conducted using DesignBuilder V6 and OneClick Lifecycle assessment tools, respectively. Modelled and simulated under NVS conditions using ASHRAE’s PMV model, the result of the study suggests that the MB alternative, although with an intermediate U-value of 0.318 W/m²k, accounts for the best indoor comfort temperature annually. While the CW building accounts for 41.31% of hours above the comfort temperature of 28⁰C, the TB and MB alternatives account for 29.99% and 27.37% of hours, respectively. Furthermore, the MB alternative is the most environmentally friendly material with 510 KgCO₂/m² emissions, a value 26% less than the CW building with an embodied carbon benchmark of 690 KgCO₂/m² during the building’s life cycle stages. The author suggests that mud construction’s thermal properties and Global Warming Impact (GWI) make it a better alternative to concrete and timber buildings in the tropics.
Interpolation and difference optimized machine learning model for accurate prediction of silicon etching depth with small sample dataset
Authors: Yang Ye , Xu Yang
Published: August 2023

A novel interpolation and difference optimized (IDO) machine learning model to predict the depth of silicon etching is proposed, which is particularly well-suited to addressing small sample problems. Our approach involves dividing both experimental and simulation data obtained from the Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) software into training and testing sets. Both experimental data and TCAD simulation data are used as inputs to machine learning module 1 (ML1), while ML2 takes the actual experimental data as inputs and then learns the difference between the experimental data and the TCAD simulation data, outputting the difference. The outputs generated by ML1 and ML2 serve as input parameters to machine learning module 3 (ML3), and the weights of ML3 are updated through its own learning process to produce the final prediction results. We demonstrate that our IDO model, which contains three basic ML algorithms, achieves higher prediction accuracy compared to the basic ML algorithm alone. Moreover, through ablation studies, we establish that the three components of the IDO prediction model are inseparable. The IDO model exhibits improved generalization performance, making it particularly suitable for small sample datasets in the semiconductor processing domain.
Cascade dynamic assembly/disassembly of DNA nanoframework enabling the controlled delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 system
Authors: Song Nachuan , Chu Yiwen , Li Shuai , Dong Yuhang , Fan Xiaoting , Tang Jianpu , Guo Yanfei , Teng Guangshuai , Yao Chi , Yang Dayong
Published: August 2023

CRISPR-Cas9 has been explored as a therapeutic agent for down-regulating target genes; the controlled delivery of Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) is essential for therapeutic efficacy and remains a challenge. Here, we report cascade dynamic assembly/disassembly of DNA nanoframework (NF) that enables the controlled delivery of Cas9 RNP. NF was prepared with acrylamide-modified DNA that initiated cascade hybridization chain reaction (HCR). Through an HCR, single-guide RNA was incorporated to NF; simultaneously, the internal space of NF was expanded, facilitating the loading of Cas9 protein. NF was designed with hydrophilic acylamino and hydrophobic isopropyl, allowing dynamic swelling and aggregation. The responsive release of Cas9 RNP was realized by introducing disulfide bond–containing
N
,
N
-bis(acryloyl)cystamine that was specifically in response to glutathione of cancer cells, triggering the complete disassembly of NF. In vitro and in vivo investigations demonstrated the high gene editing efficiency in cancer cells, the hypotoxicity in normal cells, and notable antitumor efficacy in a breast cancer mouse model.
Robotic self-modulation enhances implantable long-acting drug delivery devices
Authors: Desai Tejal , Grattoni Alessandro
Published: August 2023

Integrating fibrotic capsule sensing with soft robotics may boost long-term performance of implantable drug delivery devices.
Experimental Investigation of the Structure of Disturbances from Two Pulsed Sources in the Flat-Plate Supersonic Boundary Layer
Authors: Afanasev L. V. , Yermolaev Yu. G. , Kosinov A. D. , Kocharin V. L. , Semionov N. V. , Yatskikh A. A.
Published: August 2023

The work is devoted to the development of a new experimental method for entering controlled disturbances with a given frequency-wave structure into a supersonic boundary layer. Experimental data on the formation of disturbances from two pulsed sources (pulsed glow discharge) in the laminar flat-plate boundary layer at the Mach number equal to 2 are given. The experiments were carried out in the T-325 wind tunnel of ITAM SB RAS. The localized sources were spaced out at the same distance from the leading edge of the plate at 6 mm from each other spanwise. Flow pulsations were measured using a hot-wire probe of constant temperature anemometer, the signal was recorded synchronously with ignition of the discharges. This made it possible to distinguish the pulsations from the discharges against the background of random uncontrolled “natural” pulsations of the boundary layer. The spatial-temporal and frequency-wave structure of the generated disturbances from a single or two discharges, operating synchronously or with a time delay, are analyzed. It is found that the maximum difference in the structure of disturbances from one and two sources is observed in the central region, while at the side boundaries of the disturbances, the pulsations are close in all considered cases. In the wave spectra of disturbances from two discharges, nodes and antinodes are formed. Their position is determined by the distance between the sources and the time delay in their operation.
Analyses of the return on investment of public health interventions: a scoping review and recommendations for future studies
Authors: Turner Hugo C , Hori Yoshiaki , Revill Paul , Rattanavipapong Waranya , Arai Ko , Nonvignon Justice , Jit Mark , Teerawattananon Yot
Published: August 2023

Return on investment (ROI) analysis is increasingly being used for evaluating the value for money of public health interventions. Given its potential role for informing health policies, it is important that there is a more comprehensive understanding of ROI analysis within the global health field. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a scoping review of recent research articles reporting an ROI metric for a health intervention within the public sector in any country setting. The database search was limited to literature published in English and studies published between 1 January 2018 and 14 June 2021. Uses and settings where the ROI metric is being applied, key methodological features of the calculations and the types of economic benefits included were extracted. 118 relevant studies were included within this scoping review. We found that ROI analyses of health interventions differed between those that only included fiscal savings (such as prevented medical expenses) and those which incorporated a wider range of benefits (such as monetised health benefits). This highlights the variation in the definition of ROI analyses and supports the finding that ROI analyses are used for a range of different research questions/purposes within the healthcare sector. We also found that the methodologies used in ROI calculations were inconsistent and often poorly reported. This review demonstrates that there is notable variation in the methodology surrounding recent ROI calculations of healthcare interventions, as well as the definition of ROI analysis. We recommend that ROI metrics should be carefully interpreted before they are used to inform policy decisions regarding the allocation of healthcare resources. To improve the consistency of future studies, we also set out recommended use cases for ROI analysis and a reporting checklist.
Networking and other important requirements for women leaders in their advancement to senior leadership positions in the National Health Service (NHS): a qualitative study
Authors: Bishop Ali Jayne , Mitchell Sarah
Published: August 2023

Background

Executive leadership boards in healthcare should be diverse, reflecting the populations they serve and the workforce serving in them. Worldwide, women constitute most of the healthcare workforce, yet the minority of leaders. Women experience barriers to progression to board-level positions at personal, workplace and wider systemic levels, including self-imposed barriers, prejudice and limited access to role models. Evidence to understand enablers to progression is limited.

This study addressed the following research questions:

What are the inspirations and/or enablers for women, especially those from under-represented backgrounds, in the pursuit of career progression?

What are the coping mechanisms employed to respond to barriers for those women?

Methods

A qualitative interview study with ten women in board-level positions in National Health Service (NHS) organisations across South Yorkshire, with semistructured interviews carried out through 2022, and thematic analysis of data informed by an intersectionality lens.

Results

Three key themes emerged: (1) identities and self-improvement were informed by a sense of self, motivating experiences and the expectations of others; (2) barriers to progression included disability, disadvantage, limiting self-belief, lack of support and prejudice and (3) senior women proactively adopted coping strategies, leading to bespoke, blended solutions including formal programmes alongside personal approaches, notably the development of comprehensive peer networks.

Conclusion

The study highlights the need for NHS Systems and healthcare organisations to adopt facilitating enablers to respond to the challenges faced by under-represented staff, including coaching and mentoring, talent management programmes and peer networking, to enable diverse women leaders to successfully apply for board-level positions.
Composed Image Retrieval using Contrastive Learning and Task-oriented CLIP-based Features
Authors: Baldrati Alberto , Bertini Marco , Uricchio Tiberio , Del Bimbo Alberto
Published: August 2023

Given a query composed of a reference image and a relative caption, the Composed Image Retrieval goal is to retrieve images visually similar to the reference one that integrates the modifications expressed by the caption. Given that recent research has demonstrated the efficacy of large-scale vision and language pre-trained (VLP) models in various tasks, we rely on features from the OpenAI CLIP model to tackle the considered task. We initially perform a task-oriented fine-tuning of both CLIP encoders using the element-wise sum of visual and textual features. Then, in the second stage, we train a Combiner network that learns to combine the image-text features integrating the bimodal information and providing combined features used to perform the retrieval. We use contrastive learning in both stages of training. Starting from the bare CLIP features as a baseline, experimental results show that the task-oriented fine-tuning and the carefully crafted Combiner network are highly effective and outperform more complex state-of-the-art approaches on FashionIQ and CIRR, two popular and challenging datasets for composed image retrieval. Code and pre-trained models are available at
https://github.com/ABaldrati/CLIP4Cir
.
Comprehensive Overview of Modern Controllers for Synchronous Reluctance Motor
Authors: AngayarKanni S. , Ramash Kumar K. , Senthilnathan A.
Published: August 2023

Synchronous reluctance motor drives (SynRMs) are the best promising machines utilized in modern industries and electric vehicles, according to the current study. Research on new SynRMs drive systems has increased as a result. This review article disseminates the most recent developments in these technologies’ design, modeling, and controlling. First, a simple comparison between the main motor technologies and SynRMs is made. To aid researchers in selecting the appropriate motor controller for their motor drive systems, the most common motor control approaches are examined and classed.
Radiofrequency Ablation and Intrauterine Transfusion in a Delayed Diagnosed Acardiac Twin Pregnancy
Authors: Rahimi-Sharbaf Fatemeh , Shirazi Mahboobeh , Hessami Kamran , Saleh Maasoumeh , Golshahi Fatemeh , Saeedi Sara , Shirdel Abdolmaleki Abolfazl , Mousavi Vahed Seyede Houra , Nouri Behnaz , Sahebdel Behrokh
Published: August 2023

Twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence or acardiac twin is a rare and severe complication of monochorionic multiple pregnancies. Acardiac twin accounts for 10% of all TRAP sequences, which is the most morphologically developed acardius. We present an undiagnosed TRAP sequence case up to 24 weeks of gestation who underwent successful amnioreduction, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and intrauterine transfusion (IUT). During follow-up, hydrops of surviving co-twin disappeared, and fetal heart function improved. Finally, a healthy girl weighing 2400 g was born at 36 weeks of gestation. To our knowledge, this is the first reported acardiac twin pregnancy, which requires IUT, in addition to RFA, due to late diagnosis. Therefore, this case report presents successful management options for TRAP sequence cases diagnosed late in pregnancy.
Regular Vehicle Spatial Distribution Estimation Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Liu Lin , Wang Bingbing , Li Yongfu , Hu Nenglong
Published: August 2023

For the mixed traffic flow, obtaining the distribution of connected vehicles (CVs) and regular vehicles (RVs) is of great significance for road network analysis and cooperative control in intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). However, whether it is based on fixed sensors or based on CVs and traffic mechanism to estimate the spatial distribution of RVs, the implementation complexity and low estimation accuracy are the points that need to be improved. This paper proposes a regular vehicle spatial distribution estimation method using adjacent connected vehicles as mobile sensors. First, to investigate the hidden relationship between the interaction information of adjacent CVs and the spatial distribution of RVs among CVs, the Gaussian mixture model-hidden Markov model (GMM-HMM) is selected as the identification method. Then, three sets of experiments were designed to study the influence of observed features on the identification capability of the model, generalization capability validation, and comparison with other methods, respectively. Finally, the proposed method is verified by the dataset generated by the car-following model. The experimental results show that selecting the relative position and time headway as observed features can effectively reflect the regular vehicle spatial distribution between adjacent CVs. The average accuracy of the proposed method to identify the regular vehicle spatial distribution is over 93.7%, which can provide valuable suggestions for the Internet of Vehicles application.
Effects of Layering Milling Technology on Dough Properties of Highland Barley and Bread Qualities
Authors: Tian Shuangqi , Lu Jing , Zhang Yan , Chen Zhicheng
Published: August 2023

Highland barley (Qingke) is rich in nutrients and has the nutrient composition of “three highs and two lows,” which are high vitamin, high soluble dietary fiber, high β-glucan, low fat, and low sugar. In this paper, it was proposed to remove the layers of different ratios with different peeling rates. Then, different peeled highland barley was milled into flour and added to bread flour in the same proportion to make wheat-highland barley bread. The results showed that the removal of the cortex of highland barley flour was beneficial to its fermentation characteristics, the comprehensive capacity of gas production and gas holding has been improved, and the maximum fermentation height and retention coefficient were both at QK2-35%, while the gas production at QK4-35% is higher than other samples. From QK0-35% to QK5-35%, the

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significance of the highland barley bread increased, from 56.31 to 70.88. The results showed that choosing QK4-35% as the best peeling rate of highland barley flour blends could not only retain the nutritional value of highland barley bread but also optimize the quality of bread to a certain extent, which could attract consumers and has a good development prospect.
Successful Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Chronic Total Occlusion after Coronary Perforation
Authors: Areiza Luis A. , Rodriguez Juan F.
Published: August 2023

Coronary chronic total occlusions are challenging lesions with high rates of complications related to percutaneous intervention. We describe a successful angioplasty in a patient with a recent coronary perforation, using multiple techniques, such as stick and swap with Stingray, subintimal transcatheter withdrawal, and investment.
m6A-Mediated Biogenesis of circDDIT4 Inhibits Prostate Cancer Progression by Sequestrating ELAVL1/HuR
Authors: Kong Zhe , Lu Yali , Yang Yue , Chang Kun , Lin Yan , Huang Yan , Wang Chenji , Zhang Lu , Xu Wei , Zhao Shimin , Li Yao
Published: August 2023

The pathologic significance of the circular RNA DDIT4 (circDDIT4), which is formed by backsplicing at the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) with a 5′ splice acceptor site in exon 2 of linear DDIT4 mRNA, has yet to be determined. Our study found that circDDIT4 is downregulated in prostate cancer and functions as a tumor suppressor during prostate cancer progression. By competitively binding to ELAV-like RNA binding protein 1 (ELAVL1/HuR) through its 3′-UTR, circDDIT4 acts as a protein sponge to decrease the expression of prostate cancer–overexpressed anoctamin 7 (ANO7). This promotes prostate cancer cell apoptosis while inhibiting cell proliferation and metastasis. Furthermore, we discovered that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification facilitates the biogenesis of circDDIT4. The methyltransferase complex consisting of WTAP/METTL3/METTL14 increases the level of circDDIT4, while the RNA demethylase FTO decreases it.

Implications:

These findings suggest that abnormal cotranscriptional modification of m6A promotes prostate cancer initiation and progression via a circular RNA-protein-cell signaling network.
Two new species and a new record of the genus Cabardites Volynkin & Černý (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) from China
Authors: ZHAO TING-TING , WU JUN , HAN HUI-LIN
Published: August 2023

Two new species of the genus Cabardites Volynkin & Černý, 2021, C. xinyui sp. nov., and C. unicornuta sp. nov. are described from China along with one newly recorded species, C. varanagara Volynkin & Černý, 2021. All species mentioned in this paper are illustrated with adults and genitalia. The distribution maps of new species and new records have also been provided.
Polionemobius gyirongensis sp. nov. from Tibet, China, and the identification of the species Polionemobius ebony Wu & Ma, 2022 and its close relative (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae; Nemobiinae)
Authors: WANG RUI , MA LI-BIN
Published: August 2023

A new species, Polionemobius gyirongensis Ma & Wang, sp. nov., is reported from Tibet, China. Its appearance is similar to that of Polionemobius yunnanus Liu & Shi, 2014, with a small-sized body and oval notch on both sides of the pronotum. Description and illustrations for the new species are provided here. At the same time, we compared Polionemobius ebony Wu & Ma, 2022 and Pteronemobius nigriscens (Shiraki, 1911) and determined that they are different species.