bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stent for life initiative in Portugal: Progress through years and Covid-19 impact
Authors: Pereira Ernesto , Calé Rita , Pereira Ângela Maria , Pereira Hélder , Martins Luís Dias
Published: October 2023

Background

During Stent for Life Initiative in Portugal lifetime, positive changes in ST elevation myocardial infarction treatment were observed, by the increase of Primary Angioplasty numbers and improvements in patients’ behaviour towards myocardial infarction, with an increase in those who called 112 and the lower proportion attending non primary percutaneous coronary intervention centres. Despite public awareness campaigns and system educational programmes, patient and system delay did not change significantly over this period. The aim of this study was to address the public awareness campaign effectiveness on peoples’ behaviour facing STEMI, and how Covid-19 has affected STEMI treatment.

Methods

Data from 1381 STEMI patients were collected during a one-month period each year, from 2011 to 2016, and during one and a half month, matching first lockdown in Portugal 2020. Four groups were constituted: Group A (2011); Group B (2012&2013); Group C (2015&2016) and group D (2020).

Results

The proportion of patients who called 112, increased significantly (35.2% Group A; 38.7% Group B; 44.0% Group C and 49.6% Group D, p = 0.005); significant reduction was observed in the proportion of patients who attended healthcare centres without PPCI (54.5% group A; 47.6% Group B; 43.2% Group C and 40.9% Group D, p = 0.016), but there were no differences on groups comparison. Total ischemic time, measured from symptoms onset to reperfusion increased progressively from group A [250.0 (178.0–430.0)] to D [296.0 (201.0–457.5.8)] p = 0.012, with statistically significant difference between group C and D (p = 0.034).

Conclusions

During the term of SFL initiative in Portugal, patients resorted less to primary health centres and called more to 112. These results can be attributed the public awareness campaign. Nevertheless, patient and system delays did not significantly change over this period, mainly in late years of SFL, probably for low efficacy of campaigns and in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Students learning performance prediction based on feature extraction algorithm and attention-based bidirectional gated recurrent unit network
Authors: Yin Chengxin , Tang Dezhao , Zhang Fang , Tang Qichao , Feng Yang , He Zhen
Published: October 2023

With the development of information technology construction in schools, predicting student grades has become a hot area of application in current educational research. Using data mining to analyze the influencing factors of students’ performance and predict their grades can help students identify their shortcomings, optimize teachers’ teaching methods and enable parents to guide their children’s progress. However, there are no models that can achieve satisfactory predictions for education-related public datasets, and most of these weakly correlated factors in the datasets can still adversely affect the predictive effect of the model. To solve this issue and provide effective policy recommendations for the modernization of education, this paper seeks to find the best grade prediction model based on data mining. Firstly, the study uses the Factor Analyze (FA) model to extract features from the original data and achieve dimension reduction. Then, the Bidirectional Gate Recurrent Unit (BiGRU) model and attention mechanism are utilized to predict grades. Lastly, Comparing the prediction results of ablation experiments and other single models, such as linear regression (LR), back propagation neural network (BP), random forest (RF), and Gate Recurrent Unit (GRU), the FA-BiGRU-attention model achieves the best prediction effect and performs equally well in different multi-step predictions. Previously, problems with students’ grades were only detected when they had already appeared. However, the methods presented in this paper enable the prediction of students’ learning in advance and the identification of factors affecting their grades. Therefore, this study has great potential to provide data support for the improvement of educational programs, transform the traditional education industry, and ensure the sustainable development of national talents.
Performance enhancement of high order Hahn polynomials using multithreading
Authors: Mahmmod Basheera M. , Flayyih Wameedh Nazar , Fakhri Zainab Hassan , Abdulhussain Sadiq H. , Khan Wasiq , Hussain Abir
Published: October 2023

Orthogonal polynomials and their moments have significant role in image processing and computer vision field. One of the polynomials is discrete Hahn polynomials (DHaPs), which are used for compression, and feature extraction. However, when the moment order becomes high, they suffer from numerical instability. This paper proposes a fast approach for computing the high orders DHaPs. This work takes advantage of the multithread for the calculation of Hahn polynomials coefficients. To take advantage of the available processing capabilities, independent calculations are divided among threads. The research provides a distribution method to achieve a more balanced processing burden among the threads. The proposed methods are tested for various values of DHaPs parameters, sizes, and different values of threads. In comparison to the unthreaded situation, the results demonstrate an improvement in the processing time which increases as the polynomial size increases, reaching its maximum of 5.8 in the case of polynomial size and order of 8000 × 8000 (matrix size). Furthermore, the trend of continuously raising the number of threads to enhance performance is inconsistent and becomes invalid at some point when the performance improvement falls below the maximum. The number of threads that achieve the highest improvement differs according to the size, being in the range of 8 to 16 threads in 1000 × 1000 matrix size, whereas at 8000 × 8000 case it ranges from 32 to 160 threads.
Student and teacher performance during COVID-19 lockdown: An investigation of associated features and complex interactions using multiple data sources
Authors: Zambach Sine , Hansen Jens Ulrik
Published: October 2023

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, testing what is required to support teachers and students while subject to forced online teaching and learning is relevant in terms of similar situations in the future. To understand the complex relationships of numerous factors with teaching during the lockdown, we used administrative data and survey data from a large Danish university. The analysis employed scores from student evaluations of teaching and the students’ final grades during the first wave of the COVID-19 lockdown in the spring of 2020 as dependent targets in a linear regression model and a random forest model. This led to the identification of linear and non-linear relationships, as well as feature importance and interactions for the two targets. In particular, we found that many factors, such as the age of teachers and their time use, were associated with the scores in student evaluations of teaching and student grades, and that other features, including peer interaction among teachers and student gender, also exerted influence, especially on grades. Finally, we found that for non-linear features, in terms of the age of teachers and students, the average values led to the highest response values for scores in student evaluations of teaching and grades.
Demographic dynamics between 5500 and 3500 calBP (3550–1550 BCE) in selected study regions of Central Europe and the role of regional climate influences
Authors: Großmann Ralph , Weinelt Mara , Müller Johannes
Published: October 2023

With their rich Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age archives, the Circumharz region, the Czech Republic/Lower Austria region, and the Northern Alpine Foreland are well-suited for research on potential links between human activities and climate fluctuations of this period with pronounced archaeological changes. In this paper, we reconstruct the rate and density of the available 14C data from 5500 to 3500 calBP (3550–1550 BCE). We ask to what extent population patterns varied over time and space, and whether fluctuations in human populations and their activities varied with local/regional climate changes. To answer these questions, we have compiled an extensive list of published radiocarbon dates and created 14C sum calibrations for each region. We also compare population dynamics with local and regional palaeoclimate records derived from high-resolution speleothems. At the regional scale, the results suggest a causal relationship between regional climate and population trends. Climate and associated environmental changes were thus at least partly responsible for demographic trends. These results also allow us to question the motivation for the construction of so-called “Early Bronze Age princely tombs” in the Circumharz region during a period of population decline. Among other things, it can be argued that the upper echelons of society may have benefited from trade relations. However, this process was accompanied by ecological stress, a cooling of the winter climate, a decline in the total population and an increase in social inequality.
Hospital-based violence prevention programmes in South Wales Emergency Departments: A process evaluation protocol
Authors: Van Godwin Jordan , Moore Graham , O’Reilly David , Hamilton Megan , Clift Niamh , Moore Simon C.
Published: October 2023

Background

Addressing violence related harm is a global public health priority. While violence is primarily managed in the criminal justice system, healthcare supports and manages those injured by violence. Emergency Departments (EDs), the primary destination for those seriously injured, have emerged as a candidate location for violence prevention initiatives. There is limited evaluation of ED-based violence prevention, and a lack of guidance for the implementation and delivery of them. Nurse-led Violence Prevention Teams (VPTs) have been developed and implemented in two EDs in Wales, UK. This protocol describes methods used in the process evaluation of these VPTs.

Aim

To understand how VPTs function, how they were implemented, and mechanisms of impact, as well as the exploration of wider contextual factors influencing their function.

Methods

Adopting a critical realist approach and informed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance for process evaluations, the process evaluation will employ qualitative methods to collect and analyse data: a scoping review of evidence of effectiveness that considers the causal mechanisms underpinning violence; a documentary analysis to determine operational considerations concerning the development, implementation and delivery of the VPTs; a descriptive analysis of routine ED data to characterise the prevalence of violence-related attendances in each ED; interviews with professional stakeholders (N = 60) from the violence prevention ecologies in which the VPTs are embedded.

Discussion

This protocol outlines a process evaluation of a novel, nurse led violence prevention intervention. Findings will be used to inform policy makers’ decision making on whether and how VPTs should be used in practice in other EDs across the UK, and the extent that a single operational model should be adjusted to address the local characteristic of violence. To the authors knowledge, this is the first process evaluation of a UK-based, nurse led Emergency Department Violence Prevention Team.

Trial registration

Protocol registrationISRCTN:15286575. Registered 13thMarch, 2023.
HIV-1 subtype diversity and immuno-virological outcomes among adolescents failing antiretroviral therapy in Cameroon: A cohort study
Authors: Togna Pabo Willy Le roi , Fokam Joseph , Njume Debimeh , Takou Désiré , Santoro Maria-Mercedes , Nyasa Raymond Babila , Chenwi Collins , Mpouel Marie Laure , Beloumou Grace , Jagni Ezechiel Semengue Ngoufack , Nka Alex Durand , Ka’e Aude Christelle , Teto Georges , Dambaya Beatrice , Djupsa Sandrine , Gouissi Anguechia Davy Hyacinthe , Evariste Molimbou , Kamta Cedric , Bala Lionel , Lambo Virginie , Halle-Ekane Edie Gregory , Colizzi Vittorio , Perno Carlo Federico , Ndjolo Alexis , Ndip Ndip Roland
Published: October 2023

Objective

We sought to evaluate the variability of HIV-1 and its effect on immuno-virological response among adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV (APHI).

Methods

A cohort study was conducted from 2018–2020 among 311 APHI receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Cameroon. Sequencing of protease and reverse transcriptase regions was performed for participants experiencing virological failure, VF, (Plasma viral load, PVL ≥ 1000 RNA copies/ml). HIV-1 subtypes were inferred by phylogeny; immuno-virological responses were monitored at 3-time points (T1-T3). Cox regression modeling was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of progression to: CD4 < 250, and PVL > 5log10, adjusted for acquired drug resistance, gender, ART line, adherence, and duration on treatment; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Of the 141 participants in VF enrolled, the male-female ratio was 1:1; mean age was 15 (±3) years; and median [IQR] duration on ART was 51 [46–60] months. In all phases, 17 viral clades were found with a predominant CRF02_AG (58.2%, 59.4%, and 58.3%). From T1-T3 respectively, there was an increasing CD4 count (213 [154–313], 366 [309–469], and 438 [364–569] cells/mm3) and decline log10 PVL (5.23, 4.43, and 4.43), similar across subtypes. Among participants with CRF02_AG infection, duration of treatment was significantly associated with both rates of progression to CD4 < 250, and PVL > 5log10, aHR = 0.02 (0.001–0.52), and aHR = 0.05 (0.01–0.47) respectively. Moreover, four potential new HIV-1 recombinants were identified (CRF02_AG/02D, CRF02_AG/02A1F2, D/CRF02_AG, and AF2/CRF02_AG), indicating a wide viral diversity.

Conclusion

Among APHI in settings like Cameroon, there is a wide genetic diversity of HIV-1, driven by CRF02_AG and with potential novel clades due to ongoing recombination events. Duration of treatment significantly reduces the risk of disease progression.
Elementary effects for models with dimensional inputs of arbitrary type and range: Scaling and trajectory generation
Authors: Rutjens Rik J. L. , Band Leah R. , Jones Matthew D. , Owen Markus R.
Published: October 2023

The Elementary Effects method is a global sensitivity analysis approach for identifying (un)important parameters in a model. However, it has almost exclusively been used where inputs are dimensionless and take values on [0, 1]. Here, we consider models with dimensional inputs, inputs taking values on arbitrary intervals or discrete inputs. In such cases scaling effects by a function of the input range is essential for correct ranking results. We propose two alternative dimensionless sensitivity indices by normalizing the scaled mean or median of absolute effects. Testing these indices with 9 trajectory generation methods on 4 test functions (including the Penman-Monteith equation for evapotranspiration) reveals that: i) scaled elementary effects are necessary to obtain correct parameter importance rankings; ii) small step-size methods typically produce more accurate rankings; iii) it is beneficial to compute and compare both sensitivity indices; and iv) spread and discrepancy of the simulation points are poor proxies for trajectory generation method performance.
Institutional factors influencing knowledge production for practice: Evidence from nonprofit studies
Authors: Ma Ji , Ovalle Joycelyn , Wang Yan
Published: October 2023

This study theorizes and tests an institutional-logics framework to explain why some universities produce more practice-oriented peer-reviewed journal articles than others, using nonprofit studies as an example. Empirically, knowledge production for practice can be increased by (1) graduate degree programs with an emphasis on nonprofit management, (2) research centers on nonprofit studies, and (3) location in disadvantaged communities; however, (4) status as an R1 or R2 research university substantially decreases the production of practical knowledge. Furthermore, (5) research centers can mediate the influence of community needs on knowledge production, so that universities with nonprofit research centers are more responsive to solving community issues. Theoretically, knowledge production follows the institutional logics of both closed and open systems, and institutions such as research centers that can repackage the culture of open systems to make it acceptable to closed systems are essential mediators.
Fragments of Reality: Landscape and Sexuality in Arabian Nights (1974)
Authors: Bussell Roy
Published: October 2023

This article explores themes of sexuality and landscape in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s film . Utilizing an auteurist perspective and incorporating scholarly sources, archival images, critical reception, and the filmmaker’s writings, this article also examines the linkages between Pasolini’s biography and his formally challenging, politically conscious cinematic adaptation of the ancient Arabic anthology, One Thousand and One Nights.
Myth and the Cinematic Apparatus Deconstructed in The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
Authors: Yonts William
Published: October 2023

Roland Barthes defines myth as a semiological system with “the task of giving an historical intention a natural justification, and making contingency appear eternal.” I link his ideas to Jean-Louis Baudry’s apparatus theory, which argues that the mechanisms of filmmaking and exhibition forge “an ‘organic’ unity” between a film’s essentially disparate images. Finally, I examine the ways in which films can deconstruct myth by increasing in Barthes’s terms “the abstractness of the concept and the arbitrariness of the sign,” a goal toward which Luis Buñuel’s 1974 film The Phantom of Liberty admirably strives.
“Films for Humanity”: De-victimization of the Female in At Five in the Afternoon and The Milk of Sorrow
Authors: Lawler A. G.
Published: October 2023

Within today’s cinema and other media, there is a dominant and problematic depiction of female vulnerability and victimization that renders women victims, helpless subjects to be pitied, particularly women from non-Western regions of the globe. This article explores the ways in which Samira Makhmalbaf’s Iranian film At Five in the Afternoon (Panj é asr, ) and Claudia Llosa’s Peruvian film The Milk of Sorrow (La teta asustada, ) seek to destabilize the problematic presentations of female victimization that dominate modern screens. The findings reveal that both films grant their female protagonists agency through both external and internal factors such that material objects and their own voices redefine female vulnerability, in turn creating filmic narratives that speak to broader issues shared by humanity.
Meta Auto-Bio-Graph-Y
Authors: Hanson Graeme
Published: October 2023

Review of: Meta Auto-Bio-Graph-Y

William Greaves: Filmmaking as Mission, Scott MacDonald and Jacqueline Najuma Stewart, eds. (2021)

New York: Columbia University Press, 496 pp., ISBN: 9780231199599 (pbk), $35.00, ISBN: 9780231199582 (hbk), $145.00, ISBN: 9780231553193 ebk), $34.99
‘A little bit naughty’: Storytelling and the logotherapeutic process in Matilda the Musical
Authors: Kilner-Johnson Allan
Published: October 2023

Since its debut in 2010, Matilda the Musical has become a worldwide phenomenon, seen by over 11 million people in 91 cities. In the musical, Matilda’s love of reading and storytelling serves as a means of resistance and empowerment in the face of the oppressive forces of her parents and headmistress Miss Trunchbull, and she learns that the act of telling stories can help reshape reality. This article demonstrates that logotherapy, a branch of psychotherapy developed by Viktor Frankl, provides a valuable framework for analysing and understanding the themes of storytelling, identity formation and rebellion in the show. Logotherapy emphasizes the search for meaning as the key impetus in human life, and considers creativity and narrative determination as essential tools for realizing and claiming one’s purpose in society. This analysis of Matilda the Musical through the lens of Frankl’s logotherapy offers a unique perspective on the musical and opens up new insights into the importance of storytelling in the therapeutic process.
Os Portugueses no Golfo 1507–1650: Uma História Interligada
Authors: Leão Delfim F. , Paiva José Pedro , Jesus Roger Lee de
Published: October 2023

O Catálogo da Exposição Os Portugueses no Golfo (1507-1650): uma história interligada evoca a presença portuguesa no Golfo e as relações de sentido muito variado aí estabelecidas durante os séculos XVI e XVII. Partindo de uma perspetiva abrangente, apresentam-se diversas facetas desta presença que visam proporcionar uma melhor compreensão da história do império português na Ásia, da importância do Golfo para os portugueses e para a Europa e das consequências que tudo isso teve nos territórios daquela região do Mundo.
Histopathological changes in the electrical conduction of cardiac nodes after acute myocardial infarction in dogs and horses, compared with findings in humans: A histological, morphometrical, and immunohistochemical study
Authors: Gómez-Torres Fabián , Ballesteros-Acuña Luis , Ruíz-Sauri Amparo
Published: October 2023

Background and Aim: The heart conduction system is responsible for the occurrence of various types of cardiac arrhythmia. This study aimed to histologically and morphometrically describe damaged cardiac nodes during acute myocardial infarction and to compare them with normal tissues in dogs and horses.

Materials and Methods: This study describes the morphometry of cardiac nodes in five dogs and five elderly horses that succumbed to sudden cardiac death (SCD). A computerized morphometric study was conducted to determine the number of cells composing the nodes, different shape and size parameters of nodes, and their relationship with degenerative changes due to cardiac conditions.

Results: In both species, the sinoatrial node (SAN) was ovoid in shape whereas the atrioventricular node (AVN) was pyramidal in shape. The percentage of collagen fibers inside the SAN of dogs (47%) and horses (50%) was found to be higher than that of cells. In contrast, the percentage of cells in the AVN of dogs (24%) and horses (16%) was higher than that of connective tissues. In the SAN, the area (p = 0.09), maximum diameter (<0.001), and mean diameter (0.003) of P cells were larger in dogs than in horses.

Conclusion: Overall, the SAN cells and surrounding cardiomyocytes in dogs and horses as well as the AVN cells in dogs that succumbed to SCD decreased in size compared with those in normal hearts.

Keywords: atrioventricular node, dog, horse, myocardial infarction, sinoatrial node.
Preface
Authors: Bao Siyu , Chan Leon Vincent
Published: October 2023

Introduction to Issue 12
Senin Bersinar Tasmi’ Al-Qur’an Program (Living Al-Qur’an Study at MAN 2 Sleman, Yogyakarta)
Authors: Mukhtar Kamal , Kubro Khodijatul , Minan Muhammad Aufal
Published: October 2023

The living Al-Qur’an study examines various social events related to the existence of Al-Qur’an in society. At MAN 2 Sleman, there is a living Al-Qur’an study in the form of the Senin Bersinar Tasmi’ Al-Qur’an program.
Purpose – This study aims to find meanings of practice Senin Bersinar Tasmi’ Al-Qur’an program with find out the “because motive” and “in order to motive” of Senin Bersinar Tasmi’ Al-Qur’an program for academic community of MAN 2 Sleman.
Design/methods/approach – This research is a qualitative research with a field research pattern, descriptive and phenomenological approach. Data collection techniques using literature studies, observation, interviews, and documentation. Respondents consisted of 40 students and 10 teachers. The data is then analyzed through an interactive process and tested for validity by data triangulation.
Findings – (1) “Because motive” of this program is awareness of obeying religious obligations and running school programs, low Al-Qur’an literacy skills, low interest in reading and memorizing Al-Qur’an, poor quality of memorization, and lack of supporting factors in learning to read and memorize Al-Qur’an, (2) “to order to motive” of this program is to become a momentum and a means to get closer to Allah Swt., get blessings, raise motivation to read and memorize Al-Quran, improve the quality of memorization, increase intelligence and discipline, training courage and strengthen ties of friendship.
Originality/value – Living Al-Qur’an with the tasmi’ method for the academic community of MAN 2 Sleman needs to be improved and developed to increase abilities and motivation in getting closer to Allah Swt.
Implementation of the Design for Change (DFC) Method through Project-Based Learning in Developing Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Skills of Islamic Religious Education Students
Authors: Asniyah Nailasariy  , Burhan Yusuf Habibi  , Khodijatul Kubro  , Nurhaliza  , Aisyah Rahayu Setyaningrum
Published: October 2023

Purpose – This study aims to describe the implementation of the Design for Change (DFC) method in the Softskill Education course to improve the soft skills of PAI students at UIN Sunan Kalijaga. One of the reasons for the moral and character crisis that occurs among students is the lack of maximum internalization of values in learning. Aspects of affection should be accommodated to develop honest, tolerant, adaptive attitudes, and a number of other attitudes. This is where it is important to carry out soft skills learning for PAI teacher candidates with a project-based learning approach, in order to be able to improve personal and social competence, and in the future be able to apply this method to future students.
Design/methods/approach – This study uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive method, where the researcher attempts to describe the process and results of the application of the DFC method. Researchers conducted a series of techniques in data collection, there are observation, documentation, and interviews. The research instrument is the researcher himself. Determination of sample data sources using a purposive sampling technique. Data analysis was carried out descriptively, where the data that had been collected was critically analyzed in depth by means of data triangulation with the steps of data collection, data sorting, data presentation, and conclusion presentation.
Findings – The results of this study indicate that the implementation of the DFC method, with four-step formulations namely FIDS (Feel, Imagine, Do, and Share) is considered quite effective in improvthe ing soft skills of PAI students. So far, no research has been conducted using this method to be applied to PAI students, so the results of this study are considered important as an effort to equip attitude competence to prospective PAI teachers. Soft skills developed by students include intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, including; confidence, leadership, self and time management, adaptability, and public speaking. Even though there are several obstacles in its application, related to the cycle being too short, and the lack of student motivation, all respondents said that the benefits of this method can be felt and applied in a sustainable manner.
Research implications/limitations – The data sources are limited to the students of PAI at UIN Sunan Kalijaga class of 2018 who in 2021 are taking Softskill Education courses.
Techniques for Implementing the Iktisyaf Method in Teaching the Yellow Book at Pesantren Puncak Darussalam, East Java, Indonesia
Authors: M. Husnaini  , Ahmad Syauqi Fuady  , Yusuf
Published: October 2023

Purpose – This study aims to examine the iktisyaf technique applied by teachers to accelerate the Yellow Book understanding by the santri at Pesantren Puncak Darussalam Islamic in East Java, Indonesia.
Design/methods/approach – This study used qualitative methods with an exploratory approach to obtain an in-depth understanding. Data were obtained from teachers who have applied the iktisyaf method in the learning process. This study used a combination of interviews and observations as research instruments, followed by manually analyzed data and information.
Findings – There are five techniques used by pesantren teachers to teach the Yellow Book through the iktisyaf method: question and answer, tutorials or public lectures, direct instruction, repetition, and memorization. The pesantren teachers have used those techniques to apply the iktisyaf method in teaching and learning the Yellow Book. These techniques are often integrated.
Research Implications/Limitations – This study has shown the iktisyaf techniques in teaching the Yellow Book, allowing future researchers to examine the strengths and weaknesses of each technique to conduct additional research on more effective and innovative iktisyaf techniques for teaching the Yellow Book in the classroom.
Physicochemical Characterisation of Commercially Available Prussian Blue Insoluble Samples and Its Comparison with Radiogardase Cs
Authors: Kumar Vivek , Yadav Mahendra , Dhankhar Kunal , Pathak Dharam Pal , Sandal Nidhi
Published: October 2023

The physicochemical properties of insoluble Prussian blue (PB) play an important role in its thallium binding ability. Therefore, the present study aimed to characterise various physicochemical parameters of PB available commercially and compare them with the USFDA-approved Radiogardase ® -Cs. In addition, PB was synthesised by indirect and direct methods. PB samples and Radiogardase®-Cs were analysed for various parameters like particle size, moisture content, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and correlated with its Maximum Binding Capacity (MBC) for thallium. Radiogardase ® -Cs showed the highest MBC of 238 mg/g for thallium with D 90 of 785 μm and moisture content of 23.24 %. The MBC of other PB samples was found to be significantly lower than Radiogardase ® -Cs which was found to be directly proportional to the moisture content. However, other parameters like particle size, and iron content vary significantly but no correlation was observed with MBC for thallium. This finding suggests that moisture content and MBC are extremely important parameters for optimising the PB to achieve desirable pharmacological efficacy for removing thallium in vivo.
Life Saving Aspects of Pilot for Escape Aid Explosive (EAX) System Applications Some Considerations
Authors: Parate Bhupesh Ambadas
Published: October 2023

This manuscript deals with life saving aspects of the pilot for escape aid explosive (EAX) system applicationsunder emergency situation. During the ejection from the aircraft, the pilot is subjected to the various forces suchas linear, angular and transverse accelerations, decelerations, wind drag accelerations, wind blast, dynamic forces,aerodynamic forces, spinning and tumbling. Linear accelerations (decelerations) of major interest in aviation arethose of a high magnitude and a short duration that occur in emergency ejection from the aircraft or occasionallyin a high altitude at high-speed parachute opening, as they tend to exceed the strength limitations of the skeletalstructure of the pilot body. The human body is a heterogeneous mass that is made up of solid, liquid and viscoelastic components. The effects of these forces on the pilot’s body are crucial in nature and significant pertains toan injury. This article is described with some considerations of ballistics, kinematics with different forces and theireffects on the pilot body for aircraft applications during an entire flight trajectory. In conclusion, this kind of studyis very essential considering the pilots safety and its performance at low and high altitudes during an emergency.
Estimation of Trajectory of High speed Artillery Shell
Authors: Sharma Manoj , Kar Subrat
Published: October 2023

This paper presents a novel technique that uses the stereoscopic arrangement of multiple cameras to determine the trajectory of a high-speed projectile. It can be used to detect and track artillery shells moving at high speed in the air toward friendly territory. A system with the proposed concept can enhance retaliation success in battlefield countermeasures. There are many state-of-the-art Radar-based systems to detect moving artillery shells and mortars, but the cost and size of those products make them not so easily deployable in all kinds of terrains. A system with multiple cameras is discussed in this paper as an alternative solution. The experimental results, after algorithms were applied to simulated videos of expected scenes showed that the proposed technique is feasible. The proposed technique is fast and accurate and can be converted into deployable hardware. It can lead to realizing a system that has utility in saving precious lives in critical circumstances.
APSO based automated planning in Constructive Simulation
Authors: Bisht Sanjay , Taneja S.B. , Jindal Vinita , Bedi Punam
Published: October 2023

Constructive simulations are the applications used by the military for the training of their commanders in planning and analysis of various threats and Courses of Action. In the ‘analysis wargames’, there are need to automate many of the tasks of the commander which are carried out by subunit commanders on the ground. Deployment of defence units is one of such important decision making by commander. Deployments of units (and sub units) is dependent on multiple factors which needs to be satisfied/optimised for meeting the given objective of the unit. In this paper we have attempted to solve the multi criterion decision problem of optimal deployment of defence units in mountainous terrain using Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO) and Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization(APSO). The algorithm has been tested with varied number of decision parameters and their weights using digital elevation and vector data of the terrain features. The auto deployment outcomes are found satisfactory. Our solution approach has potential in automated planning in constructive simulations.
Experimental study on dynamic mechanical properties of projectile 155mm ERFB BT material
Authors: Ohol Rajesh B. , Parshuramkar Tekram N. , Parate B. A. , Thakur Dineshsingh G.
Published: October 2023

Artillery projectile 155mm high explosive (HE) extended range full bore boat tail (ERFB BT) and its components experience a high pressure loading of the propellant during gun launch. Mechanical properties of an engineering material are measured using quasi-static tensile test at room temperature. The materials of the projectile and its components are expected to survive time dependent propellant pressure loading inside the gun, which lasts for few microseconds. To investigate dynamic mechanical properties of the projectile and its components at medium strain rates and elevated temperature, the experimental analysis is undertaken. This research paper aims to examine the effect of medium strain rates and elevated temperatures on flow properties of the materials used in the projectile. The uniaxial tensile tests at the medium strain rates between  0.01 s-1 to 1s-1 and at elevated temperatures ranging between 150°C to 500°C are performed separately. The Considѐre criterion was applied to evaluate strain hardening exponent of the materials. Values of strain hardening exponents of shell body and boat tail materials are less than that of driving band material. Strain rate sensitivity of the materials is observed to be very low, thus indicating a good resistance to plastic deformation. The yield strength and true yield strength of the materials fall with increase in temperature.
Materials and Coatings for Defence Application
Authors: Roy Manish
Published: October 2023

Research activities on materials and coating for defense applications sky the limit. The idea for special issue on‘Materials and Coatings for Defense Application’ nucleated quite some time back keeping in mind the direction of future research. However, it took its own time to translate it to actual fact. The purpose of this special issue is to bring out the recent development and progress in research activities in DMRL with regard to defense applications, introduce new comers to this area and foster interdisciplinary research among various communities working in this area. The special issue contains 15 manuscripts composed by various groups in Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory.
Quantity Over Quality? Teaching Cartography Through the 30 Day Map Challenge
Authors: Sack Carl
Published: October 2023

I used the 30 Day Map Challenge as a framework to structure my Spring 2023 Cartography and Visualization community college course. Students were tasked with a new mapping assignment following the themes of the Map Challenge to complete during each class meeting throughout the semester, as an alternative to a more traditional project-based lab structure. I sequenced lecture topics to accompany and elucidate the Map Challenge prompts, and used Socratic prompts on Google Jamboard slides to spur collaborative class discussions. As a whole, the ten-student class completed 80% of submissions for 27 required mapping prompts, submitting a total of 218 maps that fulfilled the prompts. Short, thematic mapping activities entailed greater repetition of software workflows as well as more opportunities for independent problem solving.
Aeolian abrasion of the coastal deposits on the western Crete
Authors: Dulias Renata
Published: October 2023

Crete is located in the collision zone of tectonic plates; therefore, the island coast was often shaped due to tectonic phenomena. In 365 AD, a major earthquake caused the uplift of the coast of western Crete by a few metres. It means that the modern beaches of this part of the island are fragments of the former seabed with its littoral deposits. Some of these deposits are affected by wind activity. The article aims to answer the question, did wind transport lasting more than 1600 years give the marine deposits the features of aeolian deposits? Grain size and mineral composition were determined for samples from seven research sites in western Crete. Deposits representing three sedimentary environments were examined – high-energy beach, aeolian, and beach with permanent or periodic fluvial supply. Quartz abrasion was established using the morphoscopic method. In the 0.8–1.0 mm fraction, less resistant carbonate minerals dominate (on average, 77%), while the content of more resistant quartz is low (on average, 18%). It means most deposits are relatively young and were briefly in the range of aeolian processes. Coastal deposits are dominated by moderately rounded and mat grains EM/RM, on average 79%. The content of very well-rounded and mat grains RM is low, on average 18%. Multiple predominances of EM/RM grains in relation to RM grains indicate short-term aeolian transport. It can be concluded that the degree of aeolisation of coastal deposits by wind activity from 365 AD to the present is weak, at most moderate.
Effect of pretreatment with alkali on the anaerobic digestion characteristics of kitchen waste and analysis of microbial diversity
Authors: Zhen Xiaofei , Li Shange , Jiao Ruonan , Wu Wenbing , Dong Ti , Liu Jia
Published: October 2023

Kitchen waste contains high contents of organic matter and moisture, and it is prone to biodegrade and decompose to give odors. If not collected and transported promptly or treated improperly, it is highly likely to pollute the environment and spread diseases. Because the lipid content in kitchen waste is high and a portion of organic matter is not subject to hydrolysis, the development of anaerobic digestion technology has been greatly limited. Kitchen waste was pretreated with NaOH, KOH, and Ca(OH)2 with different concentrations, and 50 days sequencing batch mesophilic anaerobic digestion experiments were conducted. This study sheds light on the pollution reduction and energy generation of kitchen waste. The results are as follows: (1) The lipid content of kitchen waste could be reduced, and the concentration of dissolved organic matter could be increased by pretreating with alkali. The degradation rate of kitchen waste lipid reached a maximum of 50.51%, if 3% NaOH was added, and the soluble chemical oxygen demand concentration was increased by 235.3%. (2) The cumulative methane (CH4) output and biogas production efficiency were improved in the anaerobic digestion process with kitchen waste pretreated with alkali. The maximum daily gas output of kitchen waste pretreated with NaOH and KOH took place on the 11th to 12th day, with the biogas production efficiency of 40.4 and 45.2 mL·g·VS−1. The cumulative CH4 output was increased from 370.2 mL·g·VS−1 (untreated) to 393.1 and 434.1 mL·g·VS−1, respectively. In addition, the concentration of CH4 in biogas was increased from 54.8% (untreated) to 59.1% and 61.7%, respectively. (3) The Chao1 and Ace values of bacteria were increased first and then decreased. On the 10th day, the diversity of bacteria reached the highest value, and on the 20th day, the diversity of archaea reached its maximum. Therefore, it was verified that the improvement in the hydrolysis acidification efficiency and degree was crucial for the rapid and complete anaerobic digestion reactions.
High modulation laser systems integrated with hybrid pulse generators for high speed fiber transmission systems
Authors: Prabu Ramachandran Thandaiah , Shibu Soman , Siddharthan Niranjana , Murali Muniraj , Sundar Suvitha , Neelamegam Nalini , Ali Firoz Mostafa
Published: October 2023

This study has simulated the high modulation laser systems integrated with hybrid pulse generators for high speed fiber transmission systems. The directly modulated laser with raised cosine/Gaussian pulse generators are employed for ultra-high data rates for modified multi band range applications. The total estimated light power after fiber cable system is demonstrated based on electro-absorption, phase, and single drive MZM measured modulators. The light base band signal and noise signal configuration is clarified after fiber cable system based on various proposed modulators. The degree of signal polarization configuration is studied after fiber cable system based on various modulators. Signal power level with Q, BER, signal eye height, and the total estimated electrical modulated signal power are evaluated after receiver system after receiver side based on proposed modulators.
Zirconia nanoparticles unveiled: multifaceted insights into structural, mechanical, and optical properties
Authors: Abbas Iqra , Anwar Nadia , Ahmed Muqarrab , Naeem Muhammad , Nowsherwan Ghazi Aman , Irfan Shaheen , Khalid Rabia , Iram Nazia , Anwar Bushra , Ahmad Muhammad
Published: October 2023

This work reports the sol–gel synthesis of zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles (NPs) in which the effect of varying molarities of zirconium oxychloride salt (such as 0.025 M, 0.050 M, 0.075 M, 0.100 M, and 0.125 M) has been investigated on the structural, mechanical, and optical characteristics by maintaining a basic pH at 9. All experimental conditions were conducted using basic media, with XRD, SEM, hardness, and optical analysis performed. Structural analysis, which was performed by using an X-ray diffractometer, reveals the formation of mixed phase zirconia (tetragonal and monoclinic) under as-synthesized conditions. Optical analysis shows that transmission increases as the molarity grows. The refractive index and extinction coefficient conform to the normal dispersion behavior, while the refractive index is observed to increase as the molarity becomes large. A high value of the refractive index of about 1.65 and lowest value of band gap 3.96 eV have been observed at a molarity of 0.075 M in the UV region. The hardness is observed to be continuously increased as the molarity grows, wherein the maximum hardness of 1167 HV is observed at a molarity of 0.075 M within the considered molarities (0.025 M, 0.050 M, 0.075 M, 0.100 M, and 0.125 M).
NON-STATIONARY TIME SERIES PREDICTION USING ONE-DIMENSIONAL CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK MODELS
Authors: Nguyen Thi Khanh Tien , Antoshchuk Svitlana G. , Nikolenko Anatoly A. , Tran Kim Thanh , Babilunha Oksana Yu.
Published: October 2023

The main goal of non-stationary time series prediction is the construction, identification, configuration and verification of their models. The efficiency of using machine learning technologies for the analysis of non-stationary time series is shown due to their ability to model complex nonlinear dependencies in the behaviourof the time series from both depending on previous values and external factors, to analysefeatures, relationships and complex interactions. The features of time series prediction using a one-dimensional convolutional neural network are discussed. The features of the architecture and the training process when using a one-dimensional convolutional neural network are considered on the example of solving the problems to predictsales and build a forecast of company stock prices. To improve the quality of the prediction, the initial time series were pre-processed by the moving average method in the window. Computer modellingof the predicting problem using the one-dimensional convolutional neural network was performed in the Python programming language. The sales prediction using the proposed one-dimensional convolutional neural network model predicted volume sale of cars and commercial vehicles in Vietnam from two thousand and eleven to two thousand and eighteen. The one-dimensional convolutional neural network model has given a high accuracy of prediction with seasonal trend data. In stock prices prediction, another architecture of one-dimensional convolutional neural network model was launched, which corresponds to non-stationary data with large lengths of data series with small intervals between minutes, such as stock trading statistics per minute. In this project, data is taken from Amazon Nasdaq one hundred for forty thousand five hundred and sixty data points. The data is divided into training and test sets. The test suite is used to verify the actual performance of the model. It is shown that the model of a one-dimensional convolutional neural network gives good results in the presence of both seasonal and trend components of the time series with large data sizes.