bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time-frequency-dependent directional analysis of room reflections using eigenbeam processing and von Mises–Fisher clustering
Authors: Bastine Amy , Abhayapala Thushara D. , Zhang Jihui (Aimee)
Published: April 2022

The knowledge of frequency-dependent spatiotemporal features of the reflected soundfield is essential in optimizing the perception quality of spatial audio applications. For this purpose, we need a reliable room acoustic analyzer that can conceive the spatial variations in a decaying reflected soundfield according to the frequency-dependent surface properties and source directivity. This paper introduces a time-frequency-dependent angular reflection power distribution model represented by a von Mises–Fisher (vMF) mixture function to facilitate manifold analysis of a reverberant soundfield. The proposed approach utilizes the spatial correlation of higher-order eigenbeams to deduce the directional reflection power vectors, which are then synthesized into a vMF mixture model. The experimental study demonstrates the directional power variations of early reflections and late reverberations across different frequencies. This work also introduces a measure called the directivity time-span to quantify the duration of anisotropic reflections before it decays into a totally diffused field. We validate the subband performance by comparing it with the eigenbeam multiple signal classification method. The results prove the influence of source position, source directivity, and room environment in the distribution of reflection power, whereas the directivity time-span behaves independent of the source positions.
Selective clonal persistence of human retroviruses in vivo: Radial chromatin organization, integration site, and host transcription
Authors: Melamed Anat , Fitzgerald Tomas W. , Wang Yuchuan , Ma Jian , Birney Ewan , Bangham Charles R. M.
Published: April 2022

The human retroviruses HTLV-1 (human T cell leukemia virus type 1) and HIV-1 persist in vivo as a reservoir of latently infected T cell clones. It is poorly understood what determines which clones survive in the reservoir. We compared >160,000 HTLV-1 integration sites (>40,000 HIV-1 sites) from T cells isolated ex vivo from naturally infected individuals with >230,000 HTLV-1 integration sites (>65,000 HIV-1 sites) from in vitro infection to identify genomic features that determine selective clonal survival. Three statistically independent factors together explained >40% of the observed variance in HTLV-1 clonal survival in vivo: the radial intranuclear position of the provirus, its genomic distance from the centromere, and the intensity of local host genome transcription. The radial intranuclear position of the provirus and its distance from the centromere also explained ~7% of clonal persistence of HIV-1 in vivo. Selection for the intranuclear and intrachromosomal location of the provirus and host transcription intensity favors clonal persistence of human retroviruses in vivo.
Addressing indirect sourcing in zero deforestation commodity supply chains
Authors: zu Ermgassen Erasmus K. H. J. , Bastos Lima Mairon G. , Bellfield Helen , Dontenville Adeline , Gardner Toby , Godar Javier , Heilmayr Robert , Indenbaum Rosa , dos Reis Tiago N. P. , Ribeiro Vivian , Abu Itohan-osa , Szantoi Zoltan , Meyfroidt Patrick
Published: April 2022

The trade in agricultural commodities is a backbone of the global economy but is a major cause of negative social and environmental impacts, not least deforestation. Commodity traders are key actors in efforts to eliminate deforestation—they are active in the regions where commodities are produced and represent a “pinch point” in global trade that provides a powerful lever for change. However, the procurement strategies of traders remain opaque. Here, we catalog traders’ sourcing across four sectors with high rates of commodity-driven deforestation: South American soy, cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesian palm oil, and Brazilian live cattle exports. We show that traders often source more than 40% of commodities “indirectly” via local intermediaries and that indirect sourcing is a major blind spot for sustainable sourcing initiatives. To eliminate deforestation, indirect sourcing must be included in sectoral initiatives, and landscape or jurisdictional approaches, which internalize indirect sourcing, must be scaled up.
Association between SARS‐COV‐2 infection and muscle strain injury occurrence in elite male football players: a prospective study of 29 weeks including three teams from the Belgian professional football league
Authors: Wezenbeek Evi , Denolf Sander , Willems Tine Marieke , Pieters Dries , Bourgois Jan G , Philippaerts Renaat M , De Winne Bram , Wieme Matthias , Van Hecke Robbe , Markey Laurence , Schuermans Joke , Witvrouw Erik , Verstockt Steven
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and muscle strain injury in elite athletes.

Methods

A prospective cohort study in three Belgian professional male football teams was performed during the first half of the 2020–2021 season (June 2020–January 2021). Injury data were collected using established surveillance methods. Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection was performed by a PCR test before each official game.

Results

Of the 84 included participants, 22 were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and 14 players developed a muscle strain during the follow-up period. Cox’s proportional hazards regression analyses demonstrated a significant association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of muscle strain (HR 5.1; 95% CI 1.1 to 23.1; p=0.037), indicating an increased risk of developing muscle strains following SARS-CoV-2 infection. All athletes who sustained a muscle strain after infection were injured within the first month (15.71±11.74 days) after sports resumption and completed a longer time in quarantine (14.57±6.50 days) compared with the infected players who did not develop a muscle strain (11.18±5.25 days).

Conclusion

This study reported a five times higher risk of developing a muscle strain after a SARS-CoV-2 infection in elite male football players. Although this association should be examined further, it is possible that short-term detraining effects due to quarantine, and potentially pathological effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection are associated with a higher risk of muscle strain injury.
Faecal calprotectin and rectal histological inflammatory markers in cystic fibrosis: a single-centre study
Authors: Roda Juliana , Maia Carla , Almeida Susana , Oliveira Rui Caetano , Ferreira Ricardo , Oliveira Guiomar
Published: April 2022

Objective

To analyse the association of faecal calprotectin with the genetic and clinical characteristics of paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (PwCF). In a subset of these patients, we aimed to associate histological inflammatory features of rectal mucosa to faecal calprotectin levels.

Methods

In a prospective study, faecal calprotectin levels were collected in all 23 PwCF attending our paediatric centre, together with demographic and clinical data. Associations between faecal calprotectin and clinical features were determined. In 11 of these patients, endoscopic rectal biopsies were obtained and the association between faecal calprotectin and histological inflammatory markers was analysed. Statistical analyses included Spearman’s correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test. Sensitivity and specificity was calculated.

Results

Median age of PwCF was 12 years, 19 had pancreatic insufficiency (PI) (19/23). Seventeen (17/23) had elevated faecal calprotectin, and the median value was 88 µg/g (IQR=178 µg/g). Higher faecal calprotectin levels were observed in the PI group (101 vs 30 µg/g, p=0.027). No significant correlation between elevated faecal calprotectin level and body mass index z-score was found. Five patients (22%) reported abdominal pain, three (13%) complained of diarrhoea and three (13%) had constipation, but these symptoms were not associated with elevated faecal calprotectin.

Unspecific focal rectal inflammation was found in four patients (4/11). An association between rectal mucosa inflammation and elevated faecal calprotectin was found (p=0.015). Sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 86%.

Conclusions

In our PwCF, elevated faecal calprotectin was frequent, particularly if PI, and it was not related to gastrointestinal symptoms or malnutrition. Elevated faecal calprotectin was present in patients with histological evidence of rectal inflammation. Faecal calprotectin may be an indicator of asymptomatic rectal inflammation in PwCF.
Developing the FEEDS toolkit of parent-delivered interventions for eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties in young children with neurodisability: findings from a Delphi survey and stakeholder consultation workshops
Authors: Taylor Helen , Pennington Lindsay , Morris Christopher , Craig Dawn , McConachie Helen , Cadwgan Jill , Sellers Diane , Andrew Morag , Smith Johanna , Garland Deborah , McColl Elaine , Buswell Charlotte , Thomas Julian , Colver Allan , Parr Jeremy
Published: April 2022

Background

Young children with neurodisability commonly experience eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (EDSD). Little is documented about which interventions and outcomes are most appropriate for such children. We aimed to seek consensus between parents of children with neurodisability and health professionals on the appropriate interventions and outcomes to inform future clinical developments and research studies.

Methods

Two populations were sampled: parents of children aged up to 12 years with neurodisability who experienced EDSD; health professionals working with children and young people (aged 0–18 years) with neurodisability with experience of EDSD. Participants had taken part in a previous national survey and were invited to take part in a Delphi survey and/or consultation workshops. Two rounds of this Delphi survey sought agreement on the appropriate interventions and outcomes for use with children with neurodisability and EDSD. Two stakeholder consultation workshops were iterative, with the findings of the first discussed at the second, and conclusions reached.

Results

A total of 105 parents and 105 health professionals took part. Parents and health professionals viewed 19 interventions and 10 outcomes as essential. Interventions related to improvement in the physical aspects of a child’s EDSD, behavioural changes of the child or parent, and changes in the child or family’s well-being. Both parents and health professionals supported a ‘toolkit’ of interventions that they could use together in shared decision making to prioritise and implement timely interventions appropriate to the child.

Conclusions

This study identified interventions viewed as essential to consider for improving EDSD in children with neurodisability. It also identified several key outcomes that are valued by parents and health professionals. The Focus on Early Eating, Drinking and Swallowing (FEEDS) Toolkit of interventions to improve EDSD in children with neurodisability has been developed and now requires evaluation regarding its use and effectiveness.
Sociodemographic correlates and associated factors of depression and anxiety among internally displaced adults in Ogoja, Nigeria
Authors: Ugbe Ugbe Maurice-Joel , Esu Ekpereonne Babatunde , Efut Joseph Ajah , Bisongedam Marvin Muji , Awa Theresa Mark , Ekpo Ofem Irom
Published: April 2022

Background

Displaced persons in Nigeria experience various difficulties at different stages of their displacement, including mental and physical problems. These experiences have been associated with different types of mental disorders.

Aims

This study sought to identify sociodemographic correlates and other factors associated with depression and anxiety among internally displaced adults in Ogoja, Cross River State, Nigeria.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using non-probability and probability sampling techniques. Internally displaced adults (n=335) were identified in Ogoja locations with a high prevalence of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Their mental health symptoms were assessed using the Common Mental Disorder Questionnaire, and a semistructured questionnaire was employed to collect data on sociodemographic and displacement-related characteristics. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, χ2analysis and multivariable logistic regression.

Results

The prevalence of subtypes was 66.0% for anxiety disorder and 73.4% for depression. Factors found to be significant in each bivariate χ2analysis were modelled for each outcome. The multivariate analysis revealed that prolonged displacement (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.64; p=0.048), reduced family size (AOR=0.28; p<0.001) and fears of reprisal attacks (AOR=4.19; p=0.004) were significantly associated with anxiety disorder. Male gender (AOR=2.09; p=0.015), prolonged displacement (AOR=3.55; p=0.020), reduced family size (AOR=0.55; p=0.049), financial strain (AOR=5.43; p=0.023) and loss of loved ones (AOR=1.92; p=0.040) were significantly associated with depression.

Conclusions

The implications of the findings underline the complex aetiology of these two mental problems and the need to cater to the well-being of those at risk who have been exposed to trauma-related events. Accessible and affordable mental health services should be provided for these persons while also considering a social welfare scheme that covers their health expenses. Moreover, socioeconomic conditions targeting IDPs in the Ogoja Local Government Area should be improved by conducting large-scale mapping to identify this population.
Towards a new model of global health justice: the case of COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Jecker Nancy S , Atuire Caesar A , Bull Susan J
Published: April 2022

This paper questions an exclusively state-centred framing of global health justice and proposes a multilateral alternative. Using the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to illustrate, we bring to light a broad range of global actors up and down the chain of vaccine development who contribute to global vaccine inequities. Section 1 (Background) presents an overview of moments in which diverse global actors, each with their own priorities and aims, shaped subsequent vaccine distribution. Section 2 (Collective action failures) characterises collective action failures at each phase of vaccine development that contributed to global vaccine disparities. It identifies as critical the task of establishing upstream strategies to coordinate collective action at multiple stages across a range of actors. Section 3 (A Multilateral model of global health governance) takes up this task, identifying a convergence of interests among a range of stakeholders and proposing ways to realise them. Appealing to a responsibility to protect (R2P), a doctrine developed in response to human rights atrocities during the 1990s, we show how to operationalise R2P through a principle of subsidiarity and present ethical arguments in support of this approach.
Non-accommodationism and conscientious objection in healthcare: a response to Robinson
Authors: Clarke Steve
Published: April 2022

Michael Robinson takes issue with an ‘argument from voluntariness’ made by several opponents of current practices for managing conscientious objection (CO) in healthcare, including Cantor, Stahl and Emanuel, and Schuklenk, whom he characterises as ‘non-accommodationists’. Here I argue that while Robinson is right to oppose the argument from voluntariness, he misunderstands current arrangements for managing CO in healthcare, and he misses the force of the non-accommodationist case against those arrangements. I also argue that despite what he says, Robinson is as much a proponent of reform of the management of CO in healthcare as are his non-accommodationist opponents. Additionally, I raise a concern about Robinson’s preferred approach to managing CO in healthcare.
Finding more constructive ways forward in the debate over vaccines with increased disability cultural competence
Authors: Ahlvik-Harju Carolin
Published: April 2022

The aim of this article is to study the discursive construction of disability that takes place in the vaccine-autism controversy from the 1990s to 2000s, and an attempt to develop a more holistic framework to understand vaccine decisions and their motivations. It is argued that the debate over vaccines produces knowledge and meanings about disability, and that the vaccine-autism controversy is kept alive largely because of how it reproduces stigmatising accounts of disability and autism. The suggestion is that if the stigmatising elements of disability were removed in the debate over vaccines, there would be no controversy to keep alive in the broader vaccine debate. Hence, this article is an attempt to increase disability cultural competence in the media and among health authorities and health professionals and therethrough broaden the shared understanding of what it means to be or become disabled. By investigating the driving forces for past vaccine controversies, the goal is to find more constructive ways forward in present day and future debates over vaccines.
White matter hyperintensity progression is associated with incident probable dementia or mild cognitive impairment
Authors: de Havenon Adam , Sheth Kevin N , Yeatts Sharon D , Turan Tanya N , Prabhakaran Shyam
Published: April 2022

Background

White matter hyperintensity (WMH) on brain MRI is associated with developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but WMH progression over time has not been fully investigated as an independent risk factor.

Methods

We performed a post hoc analysis of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial - Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT MIND) trial. The primary outcome was incident probable dementia or MCI (dementia/MCI) before the follow-up MRI at 48 months from enrolment. The primary predictor was WMH progression, defined as the Z score difference between the follow-up and baseline WMH volumes. The secondary predictor was a binary WMH progression threshold (≥1.4 mL vs <1.4 mL).

Results

Among the 433 included patients, 33 (7.6%) developed dementia/MCI. There were 156 (36.0%) patients who met the WMH progression threshold of ≥1.4 mL, in whom the rate of dementia/MCI was 12.8% (20/156) vs 4.7% (13/277) of patients with <1.4 mL WMH progression (p=0.002). In multivariable logistic regression, the Z score of WMH progression was associated with dementia/MCI (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.04, p=0.007) as was the WMH progression threshold of ≥1.4 mL (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.23 to 6.81, p=0.015).

Conclusions

In this post hoc analysis of SPRINT MIND, WMH progression over 48 months was associated with the development of probable dementia or MCI.
A Dynamic Load Balancing Algorithm for IoV CoMP Communications
Authors: Du Derong , Jiang Linlin , Guo Tan , Wu Lingqian , Li Long , Zeng Xiaoping
Published: April 2022

Due to uneven space–time distribution of vehicles, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) has problems with load imbalance and low resource utilization of Base Stations (BSs) in the Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP) communication scenario. This paper proposes a dynamic load balancing algorithm based on vehicle prediction. It is assumed that the number of vehicles arriving at the BSs obeys the segmented Poisson distribution to determine the current and predicted load statuses of BSs. First, analyze the load status of each BS and the location of users (vehicles). Then, screen out BSs whose load below the full load threshold as a switchable low-load cooperative cluster, which can convert interference signals into useful signals and reduce the interference between adjacent BSs. Finally, complete load balancing by redistributing the communication service of edge users through sharing channel information and user date among coordinated BSs. Because IoV is a dynamic network, the proposed algorithm runs dynamically in cycles. Simulation results show that the algorithm can perform balance the load of BSs well, the overload rates of BSs during the traffic off-peak period and peak period are reduced significantly, and the average information rate of users is greatly improved.
Experimental and Numerical Study on the Influence of Plastic-Modified Concrete as Attenuation Layer on Explosion Effect
Authors: Wei Wan-Li , Chen Ye-Qing , Ren Xin-Jian , Wang Jian-Hui , Wang Zhen-Qing , Ma Shang
Published: April 2022

Reducing the damage of structures under stress wave is one of the popular and challenging issues in the field of protection engineering. In this study, the effect of plastic modified concrete as an attenuation layer on stress wave was investigated through large-scale explosion tests. The volume ratios of plastic particles used as replacement material were 2%, 4%, and 8%. Two explosions were used in each group to analyze the change of pressure under the plastic modified concrete as the attenuation layer. Experimental results showed that as low-impedance material, plastic particles can reduce the stress wave transmitted through the plastic modified concrete, and the elastic–plastic deformation of plastic increases energy consumption. Plastic modified concrete is more difficult to be compacted than loess attenuation layer. Thus, the clipping performance of the plastic modified concrete under the second explosion is better than that of the loess attenuation layer. The effect of plastic modified concrete on shortening the action time of stress wave is not obvious. Plastic modified concrete reduces damage by weakening the peak value of stress wave. The effects of explosive quantity, detonation distance, and plastic particle content on stress wave were studied through experiments and simulation. The propagation process of waves in the plastic modified concrete was studied via numerical simulation, and a fitting formula of wave cutting performance of plastic modified concrete was presented.
Post-Buckling of Magneto-Electro-Elastic Porous Functionally Graded Cylindrical Shells with Geometric Imperfection
Authors: Zhang Hongyu , Bai Haifeng , Zuo Zhongyi
Published: April 2022

Cylindrical shell subjected to axial compression is very sensitive to the initial geometric imperfection. Even very small initial imperfection would significantly reduce the critical load. In this paper, the post-buckling behaviors of functionally graded (FG) porous magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) cylindrical shell with initial geometric imperfection is investigated by using the high-order shear deformation theory. The post-buckling equilibrium paths for different imperfection amplitudes are obtained by Galerkin’s method. Several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed model and reveal the effects of geometrical parameters, material properties, external magneto-electric loads on the post-buckling equilibrium path. In addition, the imperfection sensitivity of FG porous MEE cylindrical shells is also discussed.
Thermal Backbone Curves of Nanocomposite Beams Reinforced with Graphene Platelet on Elastic Foundation
Authors: Davoudvand Arash , Arvin Hadi , Kiani Yaser
Published: April 2022

In this paper, an examination on the backbone curves of nanocomposite beams reinforced with graphene platelet (GPL) on elastic foundation exposed to a temperature increment is accomplished. By means of the Hamilton principle and in the framework of a third-order shear deformation beam theory, i.e. Reddy’s beam theory (RBT), along with the von Karman nonlinear strains, the nonlinear motion equations are disclosed. The Halpin–Tsai micromechanical model is exploited in order to release the effective modulus of elasticity of the nanocomposite beam while the thermal expansion coefficient, Poisson’s ratio and the mass density are estimated resorting to the rule of mixtures. Elastic foundation, and uniform temperature (UD) rising impacts are incorporated during the mechanical modeling of the nanocomposite beam. The Ritz scheme together with an iterative procedure reveals the nonlinear natural frequency associated to an assumed deflection in order to sketch the corresponding backbone curve. The outcomes are validated in comparison with the available results. Some case studies are established for the sake of clarifying the impressions of the distribution pattern of the GPL, the beam length to its thickness ratio, the weight fraction of the GPL, the elastic foundation, the boundary condition type, and the temperature changes on the first backbone curve of the nanocomposite beam. It is elucidated that the increment of the weight fraction of the GPL with X/O distribution pattern decreases/increases the hardening behavior of clamped–clamped (C-C) and simply-supported beam, while the softening behavior of a clamped-free (C-F) nanocomposite beam is independent of the division pattern, and the weight fraction of the GPL. Moreover, the temperature increment unlike the elastic foundation develops the hardening behavior of the backbone curves of simply supported and C-C nanocomposite beams. Although the backbone curve associated to a C-F nanocomposite beam is invariant with respect to the temperature, the elastic foundation develops the softening trend of C-F nanocomposite beams.
Effect of Pulsed Laser Frequency on CdTe Deposited as Solar Cells Device
Authors: Abdalameer Nisreen Kh. , Fahad Othman Abed , Khalaph Kawther A.
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we discuss a new method for increasing the efficiency of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film solar cells (changing frequency in pulsed laser and knowing its effect on solar cells); using the pulse laser (power 800[Formula: see text]mJ), solar cells with (Al/Si/[Formula: see text]-Psi/CdTe/Al) structure were formed using the vacuum deposition method for three samples at various frequencies (4, 5, 6)[Formula: see text]Hz. X-ray diffraction was used to examine nanostructures ([Formula: see text]-Psi, CdTe) for structural, optical and morphological features, UV-Vis spectrophotometers and microscopy of atomic forces. The calculated thin film (CdTe) optical energy value was 2.15, 2.25 and 2.45[Formula: see text]eV accordingly. The test results showed that the solar cell’s highest energy conversion efficiency (PCE) was 2.73, 3.42 and 4.28%; this study reveals and examines the effective hybrid Perovskite solar cells based on porous silicone. With an increase in the frequency of pulsed laser, the efficiency of the prepared solar cells increased.
Building Self-Healing Feature Based on Faster R-CNN Deep Learning Technique in Web Data Extraction Systems
Authors: Patnaik Sudhir Kumar , Narendra Babu C.
Published: April 2022

Web data extraction has evolved over the years with extracting data from documents to today’s World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW growth has placed data at the centre of this ecosystem and benefited society at large, businesses and consumers. The proposed system uses deep learning technique, Faster region convolutional neural network (R-CNN) for automated navigation, extraction of data and self-healing of data extraction engine to adapt to dynamic changes in website layout. The proposed system trains the Faster R-CNN model for detection of product in the web page using bounding box image detection technique and extracts product details with high extraction accuracy. Deep learning technique has advanced rapidly in the different fields for image detection, but its application in data extraction makes this paper unique. An ecommerce retail website is used as real-world example to prove the self-healing capability of the proposed automated web data extraction system.
Gradient estimates of a parabolic equation under the Finsler-geometric flow
Authors: Azami Shahroud
Published: April 2022

Let [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], be a compact Finsler manifold. In this paper, we consider a Finsler manifold evolving by the Finsler-geometric flow [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the symmetric metric tensor associated with [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] is a symmetric [Formula: see text]-tensor, and the study parabolic equation [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a function on [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text]-variables and [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text]-variable and [Formula: see text] is a function of [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text]. We obtain a global estimate and a Harnack estimate for positive solutions. Our results are also natural extension of similar results on Riemannian-geometric flow.
Further results on Vanishing Coefficients in infinite products of the form (qb,qp−b;qp)∞3(qjb,q2p−jb;q2p)∞
Authors: Laughlin James Mc , Zimmer Peter
Published: April 2022

This paper examines the phenomenon of coefficients that vanish in a class of infinite products related to those first examined by Hirschhorn, and later by Tang, Baruah and Kaur, and the first author of this paper. Several infinite families of vanishing coefficient phenomena are found.

In particular, it is shown that if p is a prime in one of several arithmetic progressions modulo 24, then there exist integer values for j, v and w such that if b is any integer (or in same cases, any odd integer, or any even integer), then a result of the following type holds:

If the sequence [Formula: see text] is defined by [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text] for all n.
A Study on the Performance and Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives by Axis Bank Foundation
Authors: Kesavan Varun , Srinivasan K. Sakthi
Published: April 2022

This paper especially studies two important factors of the CSR initiatives carried out by way of the Axis bank foundation. Primarily this paper focuses upon the diverse kinds and the implementation of CSR activities being completed by means of the Axis bank foundation. After going through the information, it can be without a doubt stated that the Axis bank foundation (ABF) has tremendously performed well in fulfilling and uplifting the underprivileged community present in the rural India. The ABF has implemented and carried out multiple projects in diverse sectors of the society. Moreover, the ABF has reached more than 0.9 million covering 25 states, more than 10,000 villages spread across in India. Based on our analysis we can say that the foundation has performed really well in many vital areas moreover, the ABF has created wonders in major areas. But still further improvements can be done in certain areas by the foundation.
Electrochemical Corrosion Behaviour of Nickel and Nickel-Reduced Graphene Oxide Coatings on Mild Steel in 3.5% NaCl Solution
Authors: R a Dharanendra , M Shet Prakash , Sekharappa Shivakumara , K V Jagannath
Published: April 2022

Nickel-based electrodeposits are extensively used to protect mild steel. The graphene-based materials as corrosion resistive coatings for metallic substrates have been attracted researchers due to their ability to prevent the metal surface. Herein, nickel and nickel reduced graphene oxide (Ni-rGO) composite coatings have been electrodeposited on mild steel using sulphate bath solution. The morphological results reveal that the Ni-rGO coatings exhibited a smaller grain size with less surface defects. It was observed from the scanning electron micrographs images that composite coatings are porous free. The anti-corrosion properties of coatings were further examined by salt spray test. The electrochemical polarization and impedance measurements revealed that Ni-rGO coating enhances the corrosion resistance of mild steel. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the insertion of a few-layered rGO to the Ni matrix increases the corrosion resistance properties of the Ni-rGO coatings.
Pre-Existing Mobile Ad Hoc Network Routing Protection
Authors: Patel Ibrahim , Patel Aisha Ruman , Saravanan S , Ganeshaperumal D , B Kedarnath
Published: April 2022

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) versatility and portability have made them well known across a wide range of uses. Security conventions for protecting steering and device details have been established to ensure these systems. Those conventions, however, simply secure courses or correspondence, not both. To offer complete protection, both stable steering and communication safety conventions need to be performed. Using communication security conventions which were originally developed for, and Wi-Fi systems, may also place an enormous weight on a MANET's restricted network property. A new protected system (SUPERMAN) is proposed to disclose these problems. The framework is designed to allow present system and steering conventions to play out their capabilities while providing confirmation, control, and security components for correspondence. This paper shows SUPERMAN, a new protection system for MANETs. Results of replication contrasting SUPERMAN and IPsec, SAODV, and SOLSR are provided to demonstrate reasonableness of both the proposed structures for remote correspondence security.
Future Prospect of Rare Earth Element Free Materials for Thermoelectric Generators
Authors: Singh Yogesh , Singh Satyendra kumar , Hazra Purnima
Published: April 2022

Almost all traditional energy sources are on the point of rapid depletion due to over use. There is demand for alternative renewable energy sources, and thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are one of the rising solutions. TEGs are a new class of solid-state devices that transform waste heat energy directly into electricity using Seebeck effect. The efficiency of TEGs is governed by dimensionless quantity called Figure of merit (ZT), which plays an important role to determine the overall sustainability of TEGs. Traditional thermoelectric generators have a poor efficiency (12-20%), which is a disadvantage. To obtain higher value of ZT, the prime emphasis is given towards material engineering as the efficiency solely depends on the materials selection. The investigation is on earth-abundant, cost-effective, low-toxic innovative nanomaterials. In addition, the paper covers various elements for TEGs with prime focus towards rare earth free materials and their emerging trends.
A Comprehensive Study on Sustainable Practices in the Hotel Industry: A Review
Authors: Shaikh Poonam , Bhautik Prerna
Published: April 2022

Ecological hotels are those that use green best practices in maintenance, services, logistics, goods, and supplies to considerably reduce their environmental effect. Hotels all around the world are implementing green measures, including smart bathrooms, solar power systems, and garbage diversion. Reducing energy and water consumption housekeeping and room service, are all part of moving toward sustainability. There are numerous hotels, ranging from the most basic to the most luxurious, are making efforts to improve their practices. As a result, the goals of this article are to: describe the features of sustainable practices in hotels, ii) investigate the many strategies for enhanced practices, and study the key procedures of sustainable practices. The research framework focuses on efforts that will improve awareness and sustainable development. The findings of this study will educate, motivate, and raise awareness among large and micro hotel company owners about the importance of working together to achieve sustainability.
Higher-Fidelity CFD Tools for Conceptual Design of Supersonic Business Jets
Authors: Govindarajan Nivedha , Jayaswal Abhinav , Gaurav Katari , Seeni Aravind
Published: April 2022

Supersonic business jets are regarded as prime modes of next-generation supersonic transport. They allow long-distance travel at low duration by crossing the Mach 1 speed. This results in the breaking of the sound barrier and a sonic boom generated. Sonic boom and aerodynamic efficiency are the biggest concerns for the return of civil supersonic transport. Supersonic vehicles, such as spacecraft, high-speed missiles, and supersonic jets, are subjected to heavy shock wave drag during flight, which will seriously affect the aerodynamic performance of supersonic vehicles. In addition, supersonic vehicles are also subjected to heavy aerodynamic heating during flight. Therefore, modified geometries using aerospikes and aerodisks can be effective to reduce the above-said concerns. In this paper, we discuss aerospikes and aerodisks, its effectiveness, and its importance. The use of these novel mechanisms in the design of supersonic business jets is probed in order to perform future design studies.
Changing Consumer Dynamics: A Study of Online Food Delivery Platforms During the COVID-19 Pandemic in India
Authors: Ikrama Syeda
Published: April 2022

This research article is focused on the changing consumer dynamics in online food delivery industry during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The consumer dynamics that drastically changed when the COVID-19 was at its peak was assessed using an empirical analysis where statistical tool called MANOVA was used. In the study, 288 responses were collected and MANOVA applied on the dataset and it was found that each factor has a significant effect on the changing consumer dynamics: consumer satisfaction, consumer preferences, consumer behavior, consumer attitudes, and consumer expectations in the online food delivery. It was found that food quality, safety, and customer service was given priority more than pricing and communication by customers while using online food delivery platforms during the pandemic.
Various Dimensions of Quality Work Life and It’s Impact on Labours Emotional Attachment to the Organization: Critical Analysis of Large Scale Manufacturing Industries of Pune District
Authors: Yadav Pravin , Badave Shriram , Pisal Dnyaneshwar , Giramkar Sudharshan
Published: April 2022

There are several dimensions of quality of work life stated by renowned authors in their studies. Further, researcher has gone through the diverse studies wherein it was found that, these dimensions has close relevance with the labours psychology at the workplace. Changing mindset and behaviour towards workplace and whole organization is the most important concern in today’s era. Because; it has a direct relation with labours productivity and turnover ratio which is already stated by various authors. However, it is also needing to study the emotional attachment of the workers towards the organization which is an affective commitment in context of quality work life. Therefore, researcher has considered the quality work life and emotional attachment i.e affective commitment as a core variable of this study. The main objective of this study was to identify the association of quality work life’s dimensions and it’s impact on emotional attachment of the labours to the organization of the large-scale manufacturing industries of Pune district. Data were collected from 390 respondents. Three independent structured close ended schedules were used as instruments for collecting primary data from respondents. Simple Linear Regression & Multiple Linear Regression was used to find the impact of independent variable and dependent variable. Pearson Correlation Coefficient (r) test was used for analysis of relationship. All of the scales utilized in this investigation had acceptable levels of composite reliability, convergent and discriminate validity, according to the measurement model analysis.
Performance Analysis of Clustering Algorithms for Dyslexia Detection
Authors: Sharannavar Anupama , Banu P K Nizar
Published: April 2022

Clustering algorithms plays a vital role in analyzing and evaluating vast number of high dimensional health care data ranging from medical data repositories, clinical data, electronic health records, body sensor networks, IoT devices, and so on. Dyslexia, a learning disorder, is a common problem that is found in children during the initial stages of formal education, which is detected as mild to severe. It can also be one of the reasons of failure in the school. According to the literature, this difficulty is commonly seen among special needs children in education. There are few studies focused on the application of classification algorithms for detecting the presence of dyslexia. This paper focuses one of the SDG goals, Goal 4: Quality Education, as dyslexic students can be given equal and quality education. Analyses of an online gamified test-based dataset is done by applying various clustering techniques, such as K-Means, Fuzzy C-Means, and Bat K-Means to assess their effectiveness in detecting the problem dyslexia. As the dataset is large, it is observed that usage of clustering methods gives us gain insight into the distribution of data to observe characteristics of each cluster. The clustering results are evaluated using root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), Xie-Beni index, and it is found K-Means outperforms FCM and Bat K-Means algorithm for analyzing different levels of the learning disorder.
On Lightlike Submersion of Radical Transversal Lightlike Submanifolds of a Kaehler Manifold
Authors: Sharma Gaurav , Kumar Sangeet , Kumar Manoj
Published: April 2022

The aim of present study is to introduce the idea of a lightlike submersion onto an indefinite almost Hermitian manifold from a radical transversal lightlike submanifold of an indefinite Kaehler manifold. We show that if an indefinite almost Hermitian manifold B admits a lightlike submersion φ : K → B of a radical transversal lightlike submanifold K of an indefinite Kaehler manifold then B must be an indefinite Kaehler manifold. We also establish the relation between the holomorphic sectional and holomorphic bisectional curvature of Κ and B.
A Predictive Model for Student Employability Using Deep Learning Techniques
Authors: P S Ambili , Abraham Biku
Published: April 2022

Education in the present scenario is outcome based and focuses mainly on the skill sets a student acquires on completion of the studies. The society is increasingly concerned about the quality of programs, international rankings, and placement statistics of HEI (Higher Education Institutions). This study concentrates on how demographic data, scholastic and co-scholastic abilities of students, faculty characteristics, and teaching practices contribute to the student learning. Dataset pertaining to the study were collected from the same institution for which the placement prediction needs to be calculated. The study models the problem as a sequential event prediction problem and employs deep learning techniques. The proposed model extracts data from dataset with 18 attributes. This predictive approach evaluates the performance of lower level and higher order skills and provide the enhancement methods by which a student can be on the path to full-time employment before leaving the campus.
Impediments for Work-Life Balance in the New Normal: Exploring the Factors Facing by Working Individuals
Authors: Guleria Neha , Khugshal Richa
Published: April 2022

All over the world, because of the pandemic, the scenario for working individuals totally changed from the reality before. The complete lockdown compelled the organizations to follow the concept of work from home. The study will examine the comparative factors before pandemic and new normal which impact the domains of personal and professional end, the impediments on the way to balance work, and life roles for a working individual and identifying the factors that need to be adopted with the new normal scenario. This study will be analytical and descriptive in nature by collecting data on a primary and secondary basis. Primary data will be collected from working individuals by following the telephonic interview, whereas secondary data will be collected from various publications related to the current situation.
Impact of Social Media Influencers on Conversion Towards Veganism
Authors: Lamba Sumeet Singh , Malik Reena
Published: April 2022

Over the years, there has been a revolutionary and steep gain in the interest of veganism. Nowadays, social media has become an integral element in people's lives. Users are spending more time on these platforms than before. Given the tremendous power of social media influencers on consumers and their impact on eating habits, their influence on converting consumers to veganism is intended to be studied. This work evaluates the behavior of online users in connection with their social media followings, measured through hashtag followings, and eventually compared through a community analysis.
Dispersive Soil Stabilization Using Biopolymers, Bioenzymes, Additives as a Subgrade Material: A Review Paper
Authors: H Mallikarjun , S Nischith Nirmal Raj G , S Nethravathi
Published: April 2022

The overall performance of pavement is dependent on the subgrade soil type and its properties. Soil stabilization has always been a substantial concern in construction of highways. In situ soil remoulding is an essential criterion to enhance the fundamental engineering properties of subgrade and to meet the standards of road construction. Various stabilization techniques are utilized to annihilate the inadequate properties of sub-grade soils. Principally, traditionally used soil stabilizers like lime, cement, bitumen, etc. and combinations of these have been utilized widely to enhance the properties of problematic soil. These traditionally soil stabilizers are uneconomical and use of gravel or sand to enrich soil properties are depleting. This scenario has led to lots of researches in order to identify and introduce cost efficient and eco-friendly materials, in particular, different types of inorganic to organic stabilizers have been experimented at laboratory level and also in field level in order to scrutinize their suitability as soil stabilizer. This paper elaborates the various research conducted on enhancing sub-grade of the road by stabilizing dispersive soil with biopolymers, bioenzymes, and additives. These stabilizers are environmentally friendly and a cost-effective alternative to traditionally soil stabilizers.
Design and Analysis of Medium Utility Aircraft Landing Gear
Authors: R Karthikeyan , Sridhar R , Selvam P Panneer , Jiniraj R
Published: April 2022

Stress analysis is one of the important works in finding the structural safety and integrity of a structure. In this work, initially, the main landing gear strength calculation based on the ultimate load is carried out analytically. The stress failure exists in the intermediate zone between the support bearing of the wheels and the clamping of the axle to the nose of the aircraft. To determine the causes of the failure, a material analysis was performed. The margin of safety for major components, such as axle, piston, cylinder, and yoke, as well as minor components, such as toggle link, toggle fork, stub fork, and bolts, is determined. Both analytical and FEA results for stresses are compared. It is found out that the factor by which the FEA and analytical results are varying. The margin of safety calculated by analytical work based on ultimate loads gives positive values as expected. The landing gear strength calculations by both analytical and FEA show the maximum stress for different load conditions based on ultimate loads are well within the ultimate strength of that material.
The Need for a Bilingual Mode of Instructional Design for Higher Education
Authors: Edmon Sharon Jeevarajathy E , N Hema
Published: April 2022

Immersion in English language at higher education level might not benefit students who did their schooling in their mother tongue, native tongue, or regional language. L2 classroom is the only way for the students who come from economically and socially backward communities to learn the language. When the instruction is fully in English, these students feel left out and disconnected. They are not motivated enough as the means to attain goals is not clear. Therefore, it is hypothesized that a bilingual mode of instruction that makes use of the students’ existing language repertoire might motive them and help them achieve better in L2 learning. This paper has analysed and suggested various motivational models explaining the relationship between students’ attitudes and achievement in second language skills. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to study students’ attitudes towards learning and their efficiency in achieving the target language.