bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-time Safe Interval Path Planning
Authors: Wild Thomas Devin , Ruml Wheeler , Shimony Solomon Eyal
Published: June 2024

Navigation among dynamic obstacles is a fundamental task in robotics that has been modeled in various ways. In Safe Interval Path Planning, location is discretized to a grid, time is continuous, future trajectories of obstacles are assumed known, and planning takes place offline. In this work, we define the Real-time Safe Interval Path Planning problem setting, in which the agent plans online and must issue its next action within a strict time bound. Unlike in classical real-time heuristic search, the cost-to-go in Real-time Safe Interval Path Planning is a function of time rather than a scalar. We present several algorithms for this setting and prove that they learn admissible heuristics. Empirical evaluation shows that the new methods perform better than classical approaches under a variety of conditions.
A-A*pex: Efficient Anytime Approximate Multi-Objective Search
Authors: Zhang Han , Salzman Oren , Felner Ariel , Hernández Ulloa Carlos , Koenig Sven
Published: June 2024

In the multi-objective search problem, a typical task is to compute the Pareto frontier, i.e., the set of all undominated solutions. However, computing the entire Pareto frontier can be very time-consuming, and in practice, we often have limited deliberation time. Therefore, this paper focuses on solving the multi-objective search problem with anytime algorithms, which compute an initial approximate frontier quickly and then work to find more solutions until eventually finding the entire Pareto frontier. Existing work has investigated such anytime algorithms for problem instances with only two objectives. In this paper, we propose Anytime A*pex (A-A*pex), which works with any number of objectives. In each iteration of A-A*pex, it runs A*pex, a state-of-the-art approximate multi-objective search algorithm, to compute more solutions. From one iteration to the next, A-A*pex can either reuse its previous search effort or restart from scratch. Our experimental results show that an A-A*pex variant that mixes
reusing its search effort and restarting from scratch yields the best runtime performance. We also show that A-A*pex often computes solutions that collectively approximate the Pareto frontier much better than the solutions found by state-of-the-art multi-objective search algorithms for short deliberation times.
Bi-Criteria Diverse Plan Selection via Beam Search Approximation
Authors: Zhong Shanhe , Shati Pouya , Cohen Eldan
Published: June 2024

Recent work on diverse planning has focused on a two-step setting where the first step consists of generating a large number of plans, and the second step consists of selecting a subset of plans that maximizes diversity. For the second step, previous work has focused on solving a combinatorial optimization problem for diverse subset selection that can be approximated using greedy search. In this work, we propose a flexible, bi-criteria framework for diverse plan selection. Our framework consists of optimizing both quality and diversity, generalizing previous work and providing flexibility to prioritize one objective over the other. We consider two quality and two diversity measures and show that greedy search guarantees an approximation with a constant ratio for certain configurations based on established results in the literature. To allow users to trade off additional computation for better solutions, we introduce a beam search approximation that generalizes the greedy search, and we provide approximation guarantees on the obtained solutions. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments that show that: (1) our flexible bi-criteria framework allows us to obtain solutions of better quality while still maintaining a high degree of diversity; (2) our beam search approximation obtains significant improvement in performance over greedy search and, for a large number of instances, is able to generate solutions that are equal to or better than those obtained by an exact MIP solver with a significantly higher runtime limit.
Hitting Set Heuristics for Overlapping Landmarks in Satisficing Planning
Authors: Büchner Clemens , Christen Remo , Eriksson Salomé , Keller Thomas
Published: June 2024

Landmarks are a core component of LAMA, a state-of-the-art satisficing planning
system based on heuristic search. It uses landmarks to estimate the goal
distance by summing up the costs of their cheapest achievers. This procedure
ignores synergies between different landmarks: The cost of an action is
counted multiple times if it is the cheapest achiever of several landmarks.
Common admissible landmark heuristics tackle this problem by
underapproximating the cost of a minimum hitting set of the landmark
achievers. We suggest to overapproximate it by computing suboptimal hitting
sets instead if admissibility is not a requirement. As our heuristics consider
synergies between landmarks, we further propose to relax certain restrictions
LAMA imposes on the number of landmarks and synergies between them. Our
experimental evaluation shows a reasonable increase in the number of
landmarks that leads to better guidance when used with our new heuristics.
Efficient Set Dominance Checks in Multi-Objective Shortest-Path Algorithms via Vectorized Operations
Authors: Hernández Ulloa Carlos , Zhang Han , Koenig Sven , Felner Ariel , Salzman Oren
Published: June 2024

In the multi-objective shortest-path problem (MOSP) we are interested in finding paths between two vertices of a graph while considering multiple objectives. A key procedure, which dominates the running time of many state-of-the-art (SOTA) algorithms for MOSP is set dominance checks (SDC). In SDC, we are given a set X of N-dimensional tuples and a new N-dimensional tuple p and we need to determine whether there exists a tuple q in X such that q dominates p (i.e., if every element in q is lower or equal than the corresponding element in p). In this work, we offer a simple-yet-effective approach to perform SDC in a parallel manner, an approach that can be seamlessly integrated with most SOTA MOSP algorithms. Specifically, by storing states in memory dimension-wise and not state-wise, we can exploit vectorized operations offered by ``Single Instruction/Multiple Data'' (SIMD) instructions to efficiently perform SDC on ubiquitous consumer CPUs. Integrating our approach for SDC allows to dramatically improve the runtime of existing MOSP algorithms.
Some Orders Are Important: Partially Preserving Orders in Top-Quality Planning
Authors: Katz Michael , Lee Junkyu , Kang Jungkoo , Sohrabi Shirin
Published: June 2024

The ability to generate multiple plans is central to using planning in real-life applications. Top-quality planners generate such sets of top-cost plans, allowing flexibility in determining equivalent plans. In terms of the order between actions in a plan, the literature only considers two extremes -- either all orders are important, making each plan unique, or all orders are unimportant, treating two plans differing only in the order of actions as equivalent. To allow flexibility in selecting important orders, we propose specifying a subset of actions the orders between which are important, interpolating between the top-quality and unordered top-quality computational problems. We explore the ways of adapting partial order reduction search pruning techniques to address this new computational problem and present experimental evaluations demonstrating the benefits of exploiting such techniques in this setting.
Scaling Lifelong Multi-Agent Path Finding to More Realistic Settings: Research Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Jiang He , Zhang Yulun , Veerapaneni Rishi , Li Jiaoyang
Published: June 2024

Multi-Agent Path Finding (MAPF) is the problem of moving multiple agents from starts to goals without collisions. Lifelong MAPF (LMAPF) extends MAPF by continuously assigning new goals to agents. We present our winning approach to the 2023 League of Robot Runners LMAPF competition, which leads us to several interesting research challenges and future directions. In this paper, we outline three main research challenges. The first challenge is to search for high-quality LMAPF solutions within a limited planning time (e.g., 1s per step) for a large number of agents (e.g., 10,000) or extremely high agent density (e.g., 97.7%). We present future directions such as developing more competitive rule-based and anytime MAPF algorithms and parallelizing state-of-the-art MAPF algorithms. The second challenge is to alleviate congestion and the effect of myopic behaviors in LMAPF algorithms. We present future directions, such as developing moving guidance and traffic rules to reduce congestion, incorporating future prediction and real-time search, and determining the optimal agent number. The third challenge is to bridge the gaps between the LMAPF models used in the literature and real-world applications. We present future directions, such as dealing with more realistic kinodynamic models, execution uncertainty, and evolving systems.
Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread in Multi-Goal CBS
Authors: Mouratidis Grigorios , Nebel Bernhard , Koenig Sven
Published: June 2024

Research on multi-agent pathfinding (MAPF) has recently shifted towards problem variants that are closer to actual applications. Such variants often include the assignment of multiple goals to agents. To solve them, researchers have extended the Conflict Based Search (CBS) algorithm to multiple goals. This extension might look straightforward at first sight but it is tricky and this has already led to the development of algorithms that despite claiming to be optimal, return suboptimal solutions for some MAPF instances. In this paper, we provide a detailed analysis of the issue to raise awareness among the search community so that this mistake will not be perpetuated. Furthermore, a first evaluation against an optimal implementation is conducted which shows why this issue might have been difficult to spot. In only one of the randomly generated instances, the suboptimal behavior emerged.
Parallelizing Multi-objective A* Search (Extended Abstract)
Authors: Ahmadi Saman
Published: June 2024

The Multi-objective Shortest Path (MOSP) problem aims to find all Pareto-optimal paths between two points in a graph with multiple edge costs. Recent studies on multi-objective search with A* have demonstrated superior performance in solving difficult MOSP instances. This paper proposes a novel parallel multi-objective search framework that can accelerate recent A*-based solutions by several factors.
Exploring Conflict Generating Decisions: Initial Results (Extended Abstract)
Authors: Chowdhury Md Solimul , Müller Martin , You Jia-Huai
Published: June 2024

Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) is an NP-complete problem, indicating its inherent computational hardness. However, Conflict Driven Clause Learning (CDCL) SAT solvers efficiently tackle large instances in diverse domains. Swift conflict identification is crucial for effective problem-solving, as conflicts lead to the learning of search space pruning clauses, pinpointing the root causes of conflicts and preventing their recurrence. CDCL decision heuristics prioritize variables that participated in recent conflicts, anticipating rapid conflict generation and expediting additional clause learning. In practice, only a fraction of decisions lead to conflicts, yet some decisions may yield multiple conflicts.

In this paper, we delve into a detailed study of conflict generating decisions in CDCL, distinguishing between single conflict (sc) decisions, generating only one conflict, and multi-conflict (mc) decisions, producing two or more conflicts. Our empirical analysis characterizes each decision type based on the quality of the learned clauses they produce. Furthermore, our theoretical analysis reveals a crucial distinction: consecutive clauses learned within the same mc decision form a chain of clauses, absent in learned clauses from sc decisions. This leads to the hypothesis that the reasons for conflicts in mc decisions are more closely related than the reasons for conflicts in sc decisions, empirically confirmed with our introduced notion of reason proximity. Finally, we propose score reduction (sr) as a novel decision strategy, reducing the selection priority of certain variables from learned clauses in mc decisions. With four sets of benchmarks, culminating in over 1200 benchmarks, empirical evaluation of sr implemented on top of the SAT competition 2023 winner solver reveals the merit of this new strategy.
Lazy Evaluation of Negative Preconditions in Planning Domains (Extended Abstract)
Authors: Franco Santiago , Roberts Jamie O. , Bernardini Sara
Published: June 2024

AI planning technology faces performance issues with large-scale problems with negative preconditions. In this extended abstract, we show how to leverage the power of the Finite Domain Representation (FDR) used by the popular Fast Downward planner for such domains. FDR improves scalability thanks to its use of multi-valued state variables. However, it scales poorly when dealing with negative preconditions. We propose an alternative hybrid approach that evaluates negative preconditions on the fly during search but only when strictly needed. This is compared to the traditional use of domain-specific PDDL bookmark predicates, increasing memory usage, and automated transformations to Positive Normal Form, further escalating memory consumption.
Minimizing State Exploration While Searching Graphs with Unknown Obstacles (Extended Abstract)
Authors: Koyfman Daniel , Shperberg Shahaf , Atzmon Dor , Felner Ariel
Published: June 2024

We address the challenge of finding a shortest path in a graph with unknown obstacles where the exploration cost to detect whether a state is free or blocked is very high (e.g., due to sensor activation for obstacle detection). The main objective is to solve the problem while minimizing the number of explorations. To achieve this, we propose MXA∗, a novel heuristic search algorithm based on A∗. The key innovation in MXA∗ lies in modifying the heuristic calculation to avoid obstacles that have already been revealed. Furthermore, this paper makes a noteworthy contribution by introducing the concept of a dynamic heuristic. In contrast to the conventional static heuristic, a dynamic heuristic leverages information that emerges during the search process and adapts its estimations accordingly. By employing a dynamic heuristic, we suggest enhancements to MXA∗ based on real-time information obtained from both the open and closed lists. We demonstrate empirically that MXA∗ finds the shortest path while significantly reducing the number of explored states compared to traditional A∗. The code is available at https: //github.com/bernuly1/MXA-Star.
CoRe Challenge 2022/2023: Empirical Evaluations for Independent Set Reconfiguration Problems (Extended Abstract)
Authors: Soh Takehide , Tanjo Tomoya , Okamoto Yoshio , Ito Takehiro
Published: June 2024

In this extended abstract, we describe CoRe Challenge 2022/2023, an international competition series aiming to construct the technical foundation of practical research for Combinatorial Reconfiguration. This competition series targets one of the most well-studied reconfiguration problems, called the independent set reconfiguration problem under the token jumping model, which asks a step-by-step transformation between two given independent sets in a graph. Theoretically, the problem is PSPACE-complete, which implies that there exist instances such that even a shortest transformation requires super-polynomial steps with respect to the input size under the assumption of $NP \neq PSPACE$. The competition series consists of four tracks: three tracks take two independent sets of a graph as input, and ask the existence of a transformation, a shortest transformation, a longest transformation between them; and the last track takes only a number of vertices as input, and asks for an instance of the specified number of vertices that needs a longer shortest transformation steps. We describe the background of the competition series and highlight the results of the solver and graph tracks.
Non-Refined Abstractions in Counterexample Guided Abstraction Refinement for Multi-Agent Path Finding (Extended Abstract)
Authors: Surynek Pavel
Published: June 2024

Counterexample guided abstraction refinement (CEGAR) represents a powerful symbolic technique for various tasks such as model checking and reachability analysis. Recently, CEGAR combined with Boolean satisfiability (SAT) has been applied for multi-agent path finding (MAPF), a problem where the task is to navigate agents from their start positions to given individual goal positions so that agents do not collide with each other. The recent CEGAR approach used the initial abstraction of the MAPF problem where collisions between agents were omitted and were eliminated in subsequent abstraction refinements. We propose in this work a novel CEGAR-style solver for MAPF based on SAT in which some abstractions are deliberately left non-refined. This adds the necessity to post-process the answers obtained from the underlying SAT solver as these answers slightly differ from the correct MAPF solutions. Non-refining however yields order-of-magnitude smaller SAT encodings than those of the previous approach and speeds up the overall solving process.
Multi-agent Motion Planning through Stationary State Search (Extended Abstract)
Authors: Yan Jingtian , Li Jiaoyang
Published: June 2024

Multi-Agent Motion Planning (MAMP) finds various real-world applications in fields such as traffic management, airport operations, and warehouse automation. This work primarily focuses on its application in large-scale automated warehouses. Recently, Multi-Agent Path-Finding (MAPF) methods have achieved great success in finding collision-free paths for hundreds of agents within automated warehouse settings. However, these methods often use a simplified assumption about the robot dynamics, which limits their practicality and realism. In this paper, we introduce a three-level MAMP framework called PSS which incorporates the kinodynamic constraints of the robots. PSS combines MAPF-based methods with Stationary Safe Interval Path Planner (SSIPP) to generate high-quality kinodynamically-feasible solutions. Our method shows significant improvements in terms of scalability and solution quality compared to existing methods.
Benn is vagyok, kinn is vagyok...
Authors: Balla Kálmán
Published: June 2024

Kritika. Czáboczky Szabolcs: Kék a sátram, recece... Fejezetek a csehszlovákiai magyar ifjúsági klubmozgalom történetéből (1948–1992). Pozsony: Phoenix Polgári Társulás – Phoenix Library, 2021. 240 oldal
Totalitarizmus, civilizáció, kereszténység
Authors: Kovács Gábor
Published: June 2024

Kritika. Leszek Kolakowski: A civilizáció a vádlottak padján. Korrekt nézeteim mindenről. Budapest: Rubicon Intézet, 2023. 442 oldal
Kisebbségek madártávlatból
Authors: Horváth Sz. Ferenc
Published: June 2024

Kritika. A Magyar Kisebbségek 100 éve. A Magyar Tudományos Akadémia II. Filozófiai és Történettudományok osztályának 2022. szeptember 22–23-ai konferenciáján elhangzott előadások szerkesztett változata. Összeállította Romsics Ignác, szerk. Kovács Kiss Gyöngy. Kolozsvár: Korunk–Komp-Press, 2023. 320 oldal
Aftershocks of the 2 April 2024 Mw 7.4 Hualin, Taiwan Earthqauke
Authors: Rajesh Rekapalli , Gupta Harsh K.
Published: June 2024

A devastating Mw 7.4 earthquake occurred in Taiwan on the 2 April 2024 at 23:58:11 UTC claiming 14 human lives, injuring over 1000 and causing wide spread structural damage. Moderate aftershocks of major earthquakes tend to cause further damage to already weakened built structures. An assessment of the duration of occurrence of such aftershocks is helpful in post earthquake recovery phase. This earthquake is the most significant earthquake to have occurred after 25 years of the 21 September 1999 Mw 7.7 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan. Our study indicates that there was a paucity of Mw ≥ 5 aftershocks for the Chi-Chi earthquake as only 45 such aftershocks occurred in 40 days. However, an increase in the number of Mw 4.5 earthquakes was observed compared to the background seismicity. Using Omori’s Law, we estimated the duration of Mw ≥ 4.5 aftershocks using the data of first 14 days to be 110 days, that matches quite well with the the Chi-Chi earthquake sequence. The 2 April 2024 Hualin earthquake is quite similar to the 1999 Ch-Chi earthquake. There is a paucity of Mw ≥ 5 for the Hualin earthquake. No such after shock has been recorded after 7 April 2024. However, Mw ≥ 4.5 aftershoks are continuing to occur. Our study, using the data of 14 days after the Hualin earthquake, indicates that Mw ≥ 4.5 aftershocks for the Hualin earthquake shall continue for ∼ 80 days.
Defining the Active Faults and the associated Geotechnical Properties using MASW Technique in Dehradun district and its Adjoining Regions, India
Authors: Sivasankar P. , Satish Kumar K. , Dayal Singh Guru , Swapna Sri K. , Pandey Prabha , Pandey Anand K. , Srinagesh D.
Published: June 2024

Dehradun lies in the intermontane Dun Valley in the Garhwal Sub Himalaya, which lies with the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT)- Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) tectonic wedge with other intrawedge faults. These faults may rupture during a great earthquake and cause damage to the existing civil structures in the fault zone. Therefore, it is essential to characterise the active faults in and around Dehradun. We carried out 2D Shear wave velocity profiles across the Markanda Thrust, Rajban Fault, Bata Fault, Santaurgarh Thrust, Bhauwala Thrust, and Majhaun Fault at 18 sites using the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) technique. The obtained shear wave velocity is further utilised to calculate geotechnical parameters like the average shear wave velocity (Vs30), soil stiffness, amplification factor, and predominant frequency. The weak, weathered or shear zones and dislocations are mapped in terms of a low shear wave velocity layer overlain by a high shear wave velocity layer at deeper depths near identified fault or thrust locations. The active fault/thrust zones in the Dun Valley have a shear wave velocity of 130 m/s to <1500m/s and consist of stiff soil to dense soils of class D to C as per the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Programme (NEHRP) classification. This study contributes to a better understanding of the seismic characteristics of Dehradun and its surroundings, which is useful for earthquake mitigation studies.
Linear Model for Pore Pressure Predication in Gas Hydrate-bearing Sand Formation of Krishna-Godavari Basin (India) – A Case Study
Authors: Yadav Pradeep Kumar , Shankar Uma
Published: June 2024

Pore pressure is a crucial geomechanical parameter, to decide the mud density while well drilling. The mud weight should be between formation pressure (pore pressure) and the fracture gradient of the reservoir rock, otherwise various kind of unwanted incidents like, kicks, blowout, breakout, well collapse, mud loss and lost circulation can happen; which can increase the cost of drilling and in worst case it may lead to a dangerous accident and consequently loss of life and assets at drilling site. In this study we are trying to find pore pressure within water bearing shale formations and gas hydrate (solid) bearing sand formation of four wells of Area B in the Krishna-Godavari Basin, namely, NGHP-02-17A, 19A, 22A, and 23A. Bower’s sonic, Eaton’s resistivity and Eaton’s sonic empirical equations have been used to estimate effective stress in the water-bearing shale formation. In gas hydrate-bearing sand formations these empirical equations cannot be useful for effective stress or pore pressure estimation and hence a linear model based on pressure-core data, relating effective stress and depth in meter below seafloor (mbsf) is generated .This model is applicable for the effective stress estimation in gas hydrate bearing sand formations of the Krishna-Godavari basin. The effective stress estimated from linear model and from core data are found in good agreement in all the wells. At site NGHP-02-23, in-situ pore-pressure was measured between depth of 270.38 to 271.38 mbsf with the help of modular dynamic formation tester (MDT) tool. The in-situ pore pressure (28.2 MPa) and estimated pore pressure (27.8 MPa) from the linear model are found in good agreement. Further, fracture pressures from Matthew-Kelly and Eaton’s method were estimated. The mud weight base on the reported mud density 1.3g/cc are found to higher than the pore pressures and lower than the fracture pressures and hence fulfil the criteria for safe drilling.
DRASTIC-FS Model for Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability in Alluvial Region between Mahi and Narmada Rivers, India
Authors: Modi Mukesh A. , Shrimali N.J.
Published: June 2024

Vulnerability of groundwater to contamination in alluvial region between Mahi and Narmada rivers of Gujarat has been assessed in present study. There have been numerous studies that have analyzed DRASTIC models with weights suggested by the Delphi committee. These models have some limitations that have been overcome by optimizing the weights using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The “DRASTIC-FS” model has an additional layer that takes into account the impact of the physico-chemical properties of groundwater. The dominating factor scores (FS) at each well location were derived from the statistical analysis of the quality dataset. Factor score’s rating and the weight have been assigned considering to its intervention and influence to vulnerability. The DRASTIC and DRASTIC-FS models were carried out in GIS environment to obtain vulnerability maps for 2018 pre and post monsoon seasons. The weights of variable parameters (i.e., D, R, I, C, and FS) have also been optimized using ANN (Artificial Neural Network) and the results were compared with the effective weights derived from SPSA method of sensitivity analysis. Using ANN optimized weights and groundwater nitrate concentrations, the vulnerability maps were validated. Vulnerability maps of DRASTIC-FS with ANN weights correlated well for the year 2018, 2019 and 2020 (Pearson’s ‘r’= 0.56, 0.65 and 0.50 respectively) with groundwater Nitrate concentrations proving its higher efficiency over the DRASTIC method (Pearson’s ‘r’= 0.36, 0.48 and 0.32).
Serapure Beads Preparation and Testing v1
Authors: Carvalho rute.carvalho , Kellogg Colleen , Lemay Matt
Published: June 2024

This protocol is used to prepare low-cost SPRI beads used for Illumina Library preparations. As part of the Hakai Institute Ocean Observing Program, from 0 m to near bottom (260 m), biomolecular samples have been collected weekly to genetically characterize plankton communities in the Northern Salish Sea since 2015. These SPRI beads have been used to clean up PCR products of 16S, 18S, COI, and 12S amplicons, and implemented as part of a standard procedure for eDNA analysis. This protocol is a modification from the following protocol: B. Faircloth and T. Glenn. Serapure v2.2. Ecol. and Evol. Biology, UCLA, November 19, 2011 Which was based on the following article:
DNA Extraction from 0.22µm Sterivex Filters - Qiagen Blood and Tissue Kit v1
Authors: Kellogg Colleen , Carvalho rute.carvalho , Lemay Matt
Published: June 2024

This protocol is used to extract genomic DNA from 0.22μm sterivex filters using Quiagens Blood and Tissue Kit. The protocol was developed as an equivalent replacement for the Phenol Chloroform extraction protocol. This protocol is developed to work across all domains of life, from viruses to prokaryotes to eukaryotes, allowing for both amplicon sequencing and shotgun sequencing.
Subsampling Ethanol Preservative from Zooplankton Museum Collections for DNA Extractions v1
Authors: Novotny Andreas
Published: June 2024

This protocol is used to sample DNA from archived samples preserved in ethanol, without having to subsample or split the actual zooplankton biomass.
DNA Extraction from Ethanol Zooplankton Samples - Phenol-Chloroform v1
Authors: Novotny Andreas , Kellogg Colleen , Carvalho rute.carvalho , Lemay Matt
Published: June 2024

This protocol extracts genomic DNA from bulk zooplankton samples, preserved either in ethanol or frozen - using Phenol/Chloroform extraction. The protocol was developed to be as similar as possible to the standard protocol used for environmental DNA at Hakai Institute Ocean Observing Program, to be used for downstream DNA metabarcoding:
BIG DATA AND DATA LAKES AS COMPONENTS OF THE INFORMATION ECONOMY
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Maslov Anatolii , Osetskyi Valerii ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: June 2024

The article is devoted to consideration of the importance of such components of the information economy as big data and data lakes. It is shown that in the process of unfolding the modern information technology revolution, information and information technologies are gaining increasing importance in the economy and social life. This is especially important in the context of the formation and development of the information economy. It is noted that the characteristic features of the information economy are its virtualization, the processing of large volumes of information based on the digitization of data, the use of quantum and neurotechnologies, artificial intelligence, wireless communication, the industrial Internet, sensors and robotics, digital platforms, etc., and the key technologies of the digital transformation of the economy and society are the Internet of Things, processing of structured and unstructured data of huge volumes, artificial intelligence and blockchain. Key commonalities and differences in big data and data lakes are shown, as well as their role in storing, processing and using large amounts of information. In particular, it states that "Big Data" has become shorthand for the technologies and analytical tools that help manage and query "big data" and represent three steps to a new way of analyzing information that will transform how we think about society and its organization: the first step - rejection of the sampling method; the second is the rejection of precision, and, finally, the third step is the rejection of centuries-old traditions of the search for causality. It is shown that along with big data, which stores processable and structured information, there are also data lakes, which are a system or centralized data repository where all structured, semi-structured, unstructured and binary data are stored in their natural, i.e., their own raw format. The further development of the information economy and the growth of the role and importance of information will lead to new requirements for the technologies of processing, storage and use of information resources.
CREATIVE APPROACHES TO ENSURING HUMAN SOCIAL SECURITY AT RELOCATED ENTERPRISES
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Varnalii Z.S. , Mykytiuk O.P. ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Onysenko T.S. ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Plieshakova N.A. ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: June 2024

The innovative management of social security entails active leadership involvement in fostering employee initiatives, cultivating a conducive environment for creativity, and implementing innovative strategies to enhance working conditions and employee welfare. This is why the authors delve into pertinent issues surrounding personnel social security within Ukrainian enterprises amidst wartime, exploring innovative approaches to managing such security. The research aims to analyze contemporary challenges regarding human social security within enterprises, which gain newfound significance in times of war and subsequent recovery. Amidst the backdrop of innovation and technological advancement, this issue assumes greater importance, necessitating effective tools and systems to support citizens. Recent social crises such as the coronavirus pandemic and military aggression from Russia have prompted a transformation in social security, with an increasing focus on military defense and physical safety. Traditionally, human social security encompasses safeguarding citizens' interests, rights, freedoms, and providing psychological support. Of particular concern is the establishment of a specialized social security system within enterprises to ensure employees' protection and well-being. Under normal circumstances, the enterprise's social security system constitutes a stable framework continually enhanced through the introduction of new tools and functionalities. Safeguarding human social security within enterprises amidst geostrategic threats necessitates thorough analysis and effective measures to uphold peace and stability. The research assesses factors influencing the level of social security for enterprise personnel, highlighting the role of creativity as a transformative instrument in shaping and reshaping human social security systems. It is evident that creativity can be harnessed through the available intellectual potential within the enterprise. These transformative processes are particularly pertinent for relocated enterprises grappling with wartime challenges while adequately addressing the social needs of their personnel. The outcome of the article is the provision of recommendations for establishing an effective system of human social security at the organizational level, integrating elements of creativity and innovative approaches into the enterprise's social infrastructure to ensure its sustainable development and welfare.
OPTIMIZATION OF BUSINESS PROCESSES OF UKRAINIAN COMPANIES BASED ON BLOCKCHAIN ​​TECHNOLOGY
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Holovanenko M.
Published: June 2024

The key foundations of the blockchain technology, which determine the resistance of the systems built on it to external interference and the ability to work in an aggressive external environment, are considered. The first fundamental basis of the blockchain is the hash function. Its role is to create a unique digital fingerprint of each block of the network, and it also facilitates the use of other key solutions in the blockchain architecture. The second basis of the blockchain is its use of a "private-public key" pair, which allows you to ensure the signature of certain data, for example, transactions in crypto networks, as well as guaranteed verification of the authenticity of this data. The third basis of the blockchain is its construction in the form of a chain of blocks, the connection between which is ensured by including the hash function of the previous block to the next block. The fourth basis of the blockchain is the use of specialized consensus algorithms that ensure the correct addition of new blocks to the network. The fifth foundation of the blockchain, which ensures its protection, is the distributed architecture, that is, the decentralization of this network. In order to substantiate the choice of optimal blockchain-based systems for solving the problems of improving the efficiency of business processes at the level of individual companies, four types of blockchain were analyzed. The first of them - public - is the most common due to its use in cryptocurrency networks, which historically became the first powerful impetus for the development of blockchain technology. However, for application in the business processes of individual companies, at the time of the research, the private type of blockchain is more widely used, despite the presence of some significant shortcomings. Partial elimination of the shortcomings of the private blockchain ensures the use of two more types - the hybrid blockchain and the most modern blockchain of the "consortium" type.
The 1D simulation of the mechanism for steering in a transverse plane of the grain harvester adapter
Authors: Dzhasau Dzmitriy V. , Kalinouski Aliaksandr A.
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND: When operating forage harvesters and grain harvesters, the ability to maintain a given cutting height by an adapter is an important condition for the technological process with minimum losses. In the field surface following systems, longitudinal and transverse following systems are used. Uncoordinated operation of these mechanisms can lead to a decrease in the quality of the technological product harvested and increased losses in cutting height. Therefore, the study of operation and selection of optimal parameters of both longitudinal and transverse following systems is an important task for the formation of algorithms of their joint operation. However, the transverse following system mechanisms are often overlooked in terms of characterization.
AIM: Development of the mathematical model for the mechanism for steering in a transverse plane of the grain harvester adapter for research of its operability, response rate and determination of the optimal parameters of its components.
METHODS: The authors employ the Simcenter Amesim multiphysics simulation platform, which has established its merit as a platform for multidisciplinary simulation of mechatronic systems, as a research tool.
RESULTS: The model of the mechanism for steering in a transverse plane of the grain harvester adapter was developed, its kinematic and force characteristics were determined and analysed. One variant of the model is presented in this paper. The analysis of the characteristics made it possible to estimate the response rate of the adapter steering mechanism and the wavelength of the field surface irregularities in the transverse plane, at which satisfactory operability is ensured.
CONCLUSION: The developed mathematical model of the mechanism for steering in a transverse plane of the grain harvester adapter helps to ensure the optimal system components’ parameters and to conduct extensive studies into the system’s operability, both as a whole unit and its individual components. The approach outlined can be utilised to study other field surface following mechanisms, including the system of automatic field surface following of the grain harvester adapter.
Trends in revision hip replacement surgery - a 21-year review of the New Zealand Joint Registry
Authors: Williams P , Hannah A , Henley E , Frampton C
Published: June 2024

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the changing trends in the reasons for total hip replacement (THR) revision surgery, in one country over a twenty-one-year period, in order to assess whether changes in arthroplasty practices have impacted revision patterns and whether an awareness of these changes can be used to guide clinical practice and reduce future revision rates. Methods: The reason for revision THR performed between January 1999 and December 2019 was extracted from the New Zealand Joint Registry (NZJR). The results were then grouped into seven 3-year periods to allow for clearer visualization of trends. The reasons were compared across the seven time periods and trends in prosthesis use, patient age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) grade were also reviewed. We compared the reasons for early revision, within one year, with the overall revision rates. Results: There were 20,740 revision THR registered of which 7665 were revisions of hips with the index procedure registered during the 21-year period. There has been a statistically significant increase in both femoral fracture (4.1 - 14.9%, p<0.001) and pain (8.1 - 14.9%, p<0.001) as a reason for hip revision. While dislocation has significantly decreased from 57.6% to 17.1% (p<0.001). Deep infection decreased over the first 15 years but has subsequently seen further increases over the last 6 years. Conversely both femoral and acetabular loosening increased over the first 12 years but have subsequently decreased over the last 9 years. The rate of early revisions rose from 0.86% to 1.30% with a significant rise in revision for deep infection (13-33% of all causes, p<0.001) and femoral fracture (4-18%, p<0.001), whereas revision for dislocation decreased (59-30%, p<0.001). Adjusting for age and gender femoral fracture and deep infection rates remained significant for both (p<0.05). Adjusting for age, gender and ASA was only significant for infection. Conclusions: The most troubling finding was the increased rate of deep infection in revision THR, with no obvious linked pattern, whereas the reduction in revision for dislocation, aseptic femoral and acetabular loosening can be linked to the changing patterns of the use of larger femoral heads and improved bearing surfaces.
Association of radiological type of dural tail sign in contrast MRI with histopathological grading of intracranial meningiomas
Authors: Saiful Islam Muhammad , Ansari Ayub , Razib K. Olinur , Ahmmed Tayeb , Haque Jui Mahmuda , Rahim M. Abdur , Mostafa M. Abu Hena , Islam Kazi Saiful , Bari M. Sazzadul
Published: June 2024

Background: In neurosurgical practice meningiomas are one of the commonest intracranial tumors to seek surgical intervention which is classified into 3 histological grades and 15 subtypes according to the 2016 WHO classification of tumors of the CNS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between radiological type of dural tail sign in contrast MRI with histopathological grading of intracranial meningiomas.
Methods: This was a cross sectional interventional study carried out in the Department of Neurosurgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and National Institute of Neuroscience Hospital including 35 patients of intracranial meningiomas who fulfilled the selection criteria were enrolled in this study.
Results: This study included 35 cases of intracranial meningiomas. There were 22 individuals (62.9%) in the 28-47 age group. The mean±standard deviation (SD) age of the participants was 45.97±9.56 years. There were 9 male participants (25.7%) and 26 female participants (74.3%) with ratio 1:3. We see that parasagittal location (50%) and sphenoid wing (33.3%) were more prevalent in grade II. We found significant distribution of the types of DTS among the histological grades of meningioma. The nodular cases (6,100%) were all grade II type. Mixed type was the most prevalent type among grade I.
Conclusions: There is association of radiological type of dural tail sign in contrast MRI with histopathological grading of intracranial meningiomas and may be used as a good tools for forecasting tumor type and prognosis.
Association between pre-operative high sensitive C-reactive protein and immediate post-operative radicular pain following prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc surgery
Authors: Razib K. Olinur , Rahman Asifur , Farid Raihan Mohammad , Shahnawaz Bari Mohammad , Rahman M. Ataur , Ahmmed Tayeb , Saiful Islam Kazi , Saiful Islam Muhammad , Rahim M. Abdur , Fatima Kanij , Deb Nath Haradhan
Published: June 2024

Background: Nerve root compression is often inadequately understanding radicular pain due to prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc, a common neurosurgical presentation. Inflammation is proved as an important etio-pathological component of radiculopathy, even after surgery.
Methods: This cross-sectional intervention study conducted from March 2022 to September 2023. Data collected from 45 patients with prolapsed lumber intervertebral Disc, who underwent surgical intervention in Department of Neurosurgery, BSMMU.
Results: The mean±SD age of the patients was 38.4±11.6 years, most of them 37 (82.2%) aged within 29 to 60 years. Majority 30 (66.7%) of them were male. Patients presented with pain, numbness and weakness was 45 (100%), 33 (73.3%) and 8 (17.8%) respectively.  Among the participants most 36 (80%) had right sided and 9 (20%) had left sided radiation. The mean±SD level of pre-operative high sensitive C-reactive protein was 2.1±1.7. Pre-operative high sensitive C-reactive protein was significantly associated pre-operative, post-operative and mean change in visual analogue score (p<0.001, p<0.001, p= 0.006 respectively). Correlation of high sensitive C-reactive protein and VAS score (both pre and post-operative) were also statistically significant with p =0.017 and p <0.001 respectively.
Conclusions: In our study, there is an association between pre-operative serum high sensitive C- reactive protein and post-operative radicular pain following surgical intervention in patients with prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc.
Comparison of psychosocial strengths and difficulties in children born through assisted reproductive technology versus naturally conceived children
Authors: Kamal A. H. M. Kazi Mostofa , Bhuiyan Shah M. A. Uddin , Laila Luna , Inamul Islam M. , K. Biswas Anup
Published: June 2024

Background: Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a set of medical interventions used to facilitate the conception process in couples suffering from fertility issues. ART encompasses several techniques, including ovulation induction (OI), artificial insemination, testicular sperm extraction (TESE), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This current study aimed to analyze the correlation between psychological strength and difficulties among children born by ART and normally conceived (NC) children.
Methods: The study was conducted in a longitudinal retrospective fashion, in Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from December 2022 to June 2023. A total of 47 participants from the ART group and 50 participants from the NC group were selected as study subjects by purposive sampling technique. Data were gathered using a pre-designed questionnaire and analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 computer program.
Results: The age range of the study participants was between 2 to 4 years old. A majority of the participants were female (53.2%), hailed from middle-class families (59.6%), lived in urban settings (42.6%), and identified as Muslim (72.3%). In terms of illnesses, a small proportion experienced physical ailments (6.4%) and psychiatric conditions (10.6%).
Conclusions: Despite persistent worries regarding the potential adverse developmental effects on children conceived by ART, research findings suggest that such children do not exhibit noteworthy physical, psychological, or developmental challenges when compared to those conceived naturally.
An insight into self-medication patterns of analgesics among medical students: a comprehensive analysis of factors and determinants
Authors: Ameer Muhammad Hassan , Qureshy Fatima Ahmad , Malik Ahmad Jamil , Qaiser Ahmed , Ejaz Hafiz Moazam , Ali Hassan , Azeem Zainab , Ur Rehman Asad , Fareed Ghulam , Sadiq Abdullah , Hafeez Hamza , Rehman Abdul , Humayun Ayesha
Published: June 2024

Background: Self-medication is widely practiced globally as a major form of self-care for pain management. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, prescription-only drugs are now increasingly being self-prescribed. This study was conducted to study self-medication practices of analgesics and associated factors among medical students of Lahore.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 432 participants. The participants were all current MBBS students (age group=18-25 years) studying in various medical colleges of Lahore, Pakistan. Data were analyzed using SPSS. The significance value was set at p<0.05. The study was conducted from September, 2021 to October, 2021.Results: Self-medication practices were found to be high among medical students of Lahore, 296 (68.5%) out of total participants (432). Of all the analgesics, acetaminophen was the most preferred for relief of pain of various etiologies (64.58%). The most common reason of self-medication was headache (50.69%). Reason for self-medication for the majority of study population was that disease was not severe enough and did not merit to consult a doctor (36.34%).Conclusions: Education on self-medication should be introduced at the undergraduate level to create awareness among students. The study also indicates the need for establishing health clinics in universities so that the students may benefit from the professional advice of trained health staff in the clinics rather than practicing self-prescription. Periodic survey about self-medication practices is required to improve awareness, prevent health issues related to adverse drug reactions of self-medication practices, and prevent economic burden on healthcare system in Pakistan.