bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The concept of GURU in Indian philosophy, Its interpretation in the ‘soul of the world’ concept in -The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
Authors: Nandan Uma Devi
Published: December 2023

The In the Novel “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho we find the main character Santiago leaves his home Andalusia in search of a treasure. The King of Salem encourages him to find the treasure in Egypt. He learns to read the omens by Urim and Thummim. He understands that there is a language of the Universe without words and all things are one. During his treasure hunt he understands the world has a Soul of its own. The boy constantly endeavors to find meaning to the signs of the universe. The guidance given by the Alchemist helps him to listen to his own heart. The Alchemist character says “everything has a Soul” – including the inanimate objects like rocks and water. The boy constantly endeavors to find meaning to the signs sent by nature. I seek to interpret the concept of the Guru (who is Omnipresent) as proposed by Indian thought and philosophy in the boy’s search for the ‘soul of the world’. Guru Dattatreya in Avadhuta Gita Says the Pancha Bhootas are his Guru. The beings created in this universe have taught him the presence of the all pervading God and his oneness. I seek to find answers for The Principle of favorability as proposed by the Alchemist, the interpretation of omens, listening to the heart, contemplation to seek the truth. The boy realizes that “life is generous to those who pursue their destiny”.
The concept of Marketing in Dharma Shastra
Authors: Palakurthi Somanath
Published: December 2023

The existence of trade and commerce has been existing in the ancient India, where people have been using various concepts of marketing and these have been mainly used for the service and welfare of the people. For a proper business administration to take place there existed several rules and regulations as per Dharma sastra, which have been revised by the various kings as per the necessities and requirements. There is an empirical need to revisit such ancient historical state-crafts, as these may help us re-build our current architecture of trade and commerce for a sustainable and better relations with the people and nations.
Prediction of the tumor microenvironment miRNAs targeting Natural Killer cell genes downregulated in Cancers
Authors: Tellakula Devika , Battula Kiran Kumar
Published: December 2023

Natural Killer (NK) cells are one of the important innate components of the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, in some instances, they become ineffective resulting in the establishment of a cancerous state. The ineffectiveness of NK cells is due to the downregulation of genes with important functions of the immune response. The tumor microenvironments prevailing in cancerous conditions and specifically the miRNA in them may have major role in this. The present study attempts to understand how many of such miRNA, if at all, can target NK cell genes reported as downregulated in cancers. An understanding of this may provide us with the list of miRNA that would aid in predicting the immune status and further for the assessment of risk of development of a cancerous condition.
Malat-1 may interact with several tumor suppressor and DNA repair genes and result in cancer
Authors: Khatri Divya , Battula Kiran Kumar
Published: December 2023

Malat-1 is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) over-expressed in several types of cancers. In a large number of studies, its interaction was shown with several micro-RNAs, the degradation of which results in the de-repression of the genes causing cancers. As lncRNAs are known to regulate gene expression by diverse mechanisms, here in the present study we addressed by insilico methods of whether Malat-1 lncRNA has any interaction to sponge away the mRNA of genes, whose repression may lead to cancers. Through these studies, we predicted that Malat-1 lncRNA could interact with the mRNA of several tumor suppressor genes and genes of DNA repair mechanisms. Further in vitro/in vivo studies can lead to a better understanding of these mechanisms and hence on therapeutic aspects.
Heart valve treatment in rheumatic heart disease and plausible role of stem cell therapy
Authors: Parmar Vanshika , Emon Kalyan Das , Gupta Charu , Sharma Neha
Published: December 2023

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a global health concern and is a neglected disease relative to its prevalence in developing nations. RHD is a result of recurrent ARF episodes and the abnormal immune response against the host proteins. The primary and secondary interventions are highly recommended for patients with ARF but the patients with a confirmed diagnosis and chronic case of RHD undergo either valve repair or depending on the severity of the cases. According to the reports, surgical intervention has been the mainstay in the treatment of chronic cases of rheumatic heart disease. The fundamental issue with the current treatment strategy is the lack of fast-paced degradation due to the lack of self-renewing cells. The promising solution to this challenge can the tissue-engineered cardiac valves by combining stem cells and biomaterials. Although tissue engineering has been explored for valve repair and replacement in severe cardiac disease, this strategy has not been studied and explored in RHD. In this review, we have discussed the plausible role of stem cells and tissue-engineered cardiac valves in the treatment of RHD.
Nutritional Prospects in Bio-Fortified Wheat
Authors: Bhatt Sheelendra Mangal , Jahan Afrin
Published: December 2023

The daily dietary recommendation of micronutrients is different for both men and women. For example, women’s requirement for zinc is 8 mg/day, while for men it is 11 mg/day. The daily meal does not always meet such requirements of micronutrients. Therefore, these micronutrients have been provided from outside sources, in the form of fortifications and biofortifications. In the present article, wheat, the major cereal for breakfast all around the world is addressed, with respect to its potential, various approaches taken on fortification and biofortification of wheat, and future challenges.
Food restriction may not reduce leptin gene expression in obesity condition – A study with reference to an animal model of obesity, WNIN/Ob
Authors: Battula Kiran Kumar , Yadav Dinesh D.M , Merugu Naga Muralidhar , SMVK Prasad , P V Chiranjeevi , Kalashikam Rajender Rao , Nappanveettil Giridharan
Published: December 2023

Objective: Leptin an adipokine, deregulated in many cases of obesity is poorly understood under nutrition interventional strategies like food restriction. The present study addresses the above with the help of a rodent animal model of obesity, WNIN/Ob Methods: Male rats of WNIN/Ob aged 35 days were allotted to three groups (n=4): (1) Rats with lean phenotype and fed ad libitum, (2) Rats with obesity phenotype and fed ad libitum, and (3) Rats with obesity phenotype and subjected to 60% food restriction. Rats were fed up to 90 days age, after which they were assessed for body weights, fat percentages and leptin. Results: The higher body weights and fat percentages, in rats with obesity phenotype were reversed by food restriction to that of lean phenotype. Circulating leptin levels though showed a significant reduction (1.7 fold), they were significantly high (43 fold) compared to lean phenotype. The relatively high leptin gene expression in food restricted versus ad libitum fed ones (11 fold versus 4 fold with respect to lean) explains the higher circulating leptin levels. Conclusions: Results suggest that mere food restriction may not reduce leptin gene expression and hence may not be a safer practice to reduce obesity.
Espécies ou subespecies em Callithrix?
Authors: Marroig Gabriel
Published: December 2023

No abstract
A new record for Callithrix mauesi Mittermeier, Schwarz and Ayres, 1992
Authors: Silva Jr. José de Sousa e , Noronha Maurício de Almeida
Published: December 2023

No abstract
Erratum: El comercio de primates en la República Argentina, C. Bertonatti
Authors: Rylands Anthony B. , Luna Emesto Rodríguez
Published: December 2023

The editors would like to call attention to an error printed in the article “El Comercio de Primates en La República Argentina” by Claudio Bertonatti, Neotropical Primates 3(2), June 1995. On page 36, first paragraph, the following sentence was printed: “Se han detectado cargamentos de 50 Saimiri sciureus, 80 Alouatta caraya y 250 Callithrix jacchus.” This should have read: “Se han detectado cargamentos de 95 Saimiri sciureus, 80 Alouatta caraya y 150 Callithrix jacchus.” The editors apologize for the error.
Erratum
Authors: Rylands Anthony B. , Luna Ernesto Rodríguez
Published: December 2023

In the first article of  Neotropical Primates 3(4), December 1995, the name and address of the author was unfortunately omitted. The author was Thomas J. Masterson of the Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807, USA.

The correct citation for this article is as follows:

Masterson, T. J. 1995. Morphological relationships between the Ka’apor capuchin (Cebus kaapori Queiroz,1992) and other male Cebus crania: a preliminary report. Neotropical Primates 3(4): 165-169.

The editors apologize for this error.
THE USE OF DUOLINGO TO INCREASE THE STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY MASTERY AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Authors: Najwa Lahmady
Published: December 2023

The purpose of this research was to obtain empirical evidence about the effect of using Duolingo to increase students' vocabulary mastery. This research used a quantitative type with a pre-experimental method involving 24 seventh grade students of SMP Nahdiyat Makassar as a research sample. Data collection techniques in this research used a pre-test and a post-test. The results of this research indicate that in the pre-test results the mean value was 56.67 which indicates that the students' ability in the pre-test was still lack while the mean value in the post-test is 67.29 which indicates that students' vocabulary mastery was starting to increase. The results of the data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test, showing that Sig. (2-tailed) was 0.000 which was lower than 0.05 so that the alternative hypothesis (Ha) was accepted and the null hypothesis (H0) was rejected. Research proves that there was an increase in students' vocabulary mastery through the use of the Duolingo application. Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that the use of Duolingo can increase the vocabulary mastery of seventh grade students at SMP Nahdiyat Makassar.
IMPROVING LISTENING COMPREHENSION BY USING ENGLISH SONGS FOR THE TENTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT SMAN 10 GOWA
Authors: Jamila
Published: December 2023

Listening is one of the four most essential English learning skills students have in learning. The research objective was to improve students' listening skills through the use of English songs. This study used a quantitative type of experimental method. There were two classes, namely the experimental class with English songs and the control class without English songs. The research sample was grade X students consisting of 50 students in which 25 students in each experimental class and control class. Data collection techniques in this study used a pre-test and post-test. The results showed that the pre-test for the experimental class had a mean value of 57.88 and the pre-test for the control class had a mean value of 55.04. Then, after treatment, the research results showed that the experimental class post-test had a mean value of 86.08 and the control class post-test had a mean value of 73.00. The results of the data were analyzed by using an independent T-test showing that Sig. (2-tailed) is 0.000 which is lower than 0.05 so that (Ha) is accepted and (Ho) is rejected so that there is an influence on listening results of using English songs. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that English songs can  improve listening skills for grade X of SMAN 10 Gowa.
Teaching kindergarteners creativity with "OCCUT": Origami paper
Authors: Darmayanti Rani , Choirudin Choirudin
Published: December 2023

One of the objectives of the kindergarten curriculum is to enhance originality or creativity. Children's creativity in kindergarten can be optimized through educational media. This study aims to provide a comprehensive account of the planning, execution, progress, and challenges educators encounter in utilizing origami paper as an instructional tool at the Assyfa Learning Center (YALC) Pasuruan Foundation Kindergarten. The present study employs descriptive research methodologies, adopting a qualitative approach. The research sample consisted of two educators and ten preschool-aged children. The findings derived from the data analysis indicate that the planning and implementation executed by teachers exhibit a commendable level of quality. In contrast, children's creative growth manifests in diverse ways through their output. This activity encompasses many intriguing conditions, prompting an examination of the child's state during its execution.
Tinjauan Hukum Terhadap Tindak Pidana Kekerasan Seksual
Authors: Dian  , Raodiah  , Nurmiati
Published: December 2023

Kekerasan Seksual merupakan pelanggaran hak asasi manusia, kejahatan terhadap martabat kemanusiaan, serta bentuk diskriminasi yang harus dihapuskan. Kebanyakan Korban Kekerasan Seksual adalah perempuan dan anak perempuan sehingga Kekerasan Seksual juga merupakan kekerasan berbasis gender. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian yuridis normatif .Adapun hasil penelitian ini  adalah bahwa kekerasan seksual terdiri dari a. pelecehan seksual; b. eksploitasi seksual; c. pemaksaan kontrasepsi; d. pemaksaan aborsi; e. perkosaan; f. pemaksaan perkawinan; g. pemaksaan pelacuran; h. perbudakan seksual; dan/atau i. penyiksaan seksual. Pencegahan kekerasan seksual meliputi antara lain pada bidang: a. pendidikan; b. infrastruktur, pelayanan publik dan tata ruang; c. pemerintahan dan tata kelola kelembagaan; d. ekonomi; dan e. sosial dan budaya (3) Pencegahan Kekerasan Seksual dilakukan dengan memerhatikan: a. situasi konflik; b. bencana alam; c. letak geografis wilayah; dan d. situasi khusus lainnya.  Pencegahan Kekerasan Seksual merupakan tugas dan tanggung jawab kementerian yang mengkoordinasikan urusan pemerintahan di bidang pembangunan manusia dan kebudayaan.
Analisis Hukum Terhadap Perubahan Norma Undang-Undang No.34 Tahun 2004 Tentang Tentara Nasional Indonesia
Authors: Amran  , Asbullah T  , Danil P  , Ramli Haba
Published: December 2023

Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui analisis hukum terhadap perubahan norma undang-undang No.34 Tahun 2004 tentang Tentara Nasional Indonesia. Dengan metode penelitian hukum normatif disimpulkan bahwa dalam rangka menyesuaikan perkembangan maka perlu ditambahkan dalam UU TNI mengenai lembaga yang dapat diisi oleh TNI aktif. Dalam perkembangannya perlu juga diubah definisi yang semula departemen Pertahanan menjadi kementerian Pertahanan. Perubahan ini didasarkan penyesuaian dengan Undang-Undang Nomor 39 Tahun 2008 tentang Kementerian Negara. Selain itu perkembangan produktivitas prajurit TNI aktif yang dianggap masih dapat berperan hingga usia 58 tahun menyebabkan perlu penyesuaian terhadap Undang-Undang Nomor 34 Tahun 2004 tentang Tentara Nasional Indonesia.
Analisis Hukum Terhadap Perubahan Undang-Undang No.14 Tahun 2001 Tentang Paten
Authors: Nurhidayah  , Wahyuni Idrus  , A.Istianah
Published: December 2023

Paten diberikan oleh negara terhadap setiap invensi yang memenuh syarat kebaruan, langkah inventif, dan dapat diterapkan dibidang industri. Penelitian hukum yang dilakukan menggunakan metode pendekatan yuridis normatif dilakukan melalui studi pustaka . Hasil pembahasan yaitu materi muatan terhadap perubahan UU No.14 Tahun 2001 Tentang Paten adalah penyesuaian dengan IPAS, pemanfaatan paten oleh pemerintah, pengecualian atas tuntutan pidana dan perdata untuk parallel import dan bolar provision,tidak boleh adanya invensi , pengaturan yang mendukung access benefit sharing , imbalan bagi peneliti PNS yang merupakan bagian dari ASN untuk mendongkrak jumlah paten domestik, penyempurnaan terkait new invention dan inventiv step .hak atas paten dapat dijadikan sebagai objek jaminan fiducia, penambahan kewenangan komisi banding , pengaturan mengenai ketentuan bahwa paten dapat dialihkan dengan cara wakaf, insentif biaya tahunan paten bagi litbang pemerintah, lembaga pendidikan, dan UMKM,ketentuan expert patent examiner melalui outsourcing, pemanfaatan paten yang telah berakhir masa perlindungannya secara optimal ,pemberian lisensi-wajib atas permintaan negara berkembang atau negara belum berkembang serta penambahan ketentuan pemberatan hukuman pidana.
Online Dispute Resolution
Authors: Muhammad Nur Udpa
Published: December 2023

Sistem penyelesaian sengketa formal dianggap perlu dikembangkan dengan mempertimbangkan tumbuhnya internet di berbagai arah baru.  Eksistensi ODR pada tahun 2020 serta dampak dari COVID 19, seyogyanya menjadi pemicu semakin tingginya penggunaan ODR dalam penyelesaian sengketa. Namun, penyelesaian sengketa melalui Online Dispute Resolution hingga saat ini masih dianggap hal yang baru bagi pelaku bisnis. ODR dianggap belum memiliki kepastian hukum atas eksistensinya. Hal tersebut menjadi dasar penulis untuk membahas terkait dampak Online Dispute Resolution atas perubahan penyelesaian sengketa di Indonesia. Adapun hasil dari penulisan ini yaitu menegaskan bahwa ODR merupakan sebuah langkah maju menyikapi semakin pesatnya perkembangan teknologi dan semakin banyaknya senketa=sengketa perdata yang memerlukan penyelesaian sengketa berbasis teknologi. Namun, Indonesia memerlukan beberapa pembenahan khususnya pada regulasi yang akan menjadi dasar hukum dilaksanakannnya ODR di Indonesia. Serta pengembangan teknologi ODR yang nantinya digunakan BANI dalam penyelesaian sengketa online.
Kedudukan Para Pihak Dalam E-Contract Berdasarkan Prinsip Iktikad Baik
Authors: Udpa Muhammad Nur
Published: December 2023

Secara umum, kontrak elektronik telah memenuhi syarat pembuatan kontrak yang terdapat pada Pasal 1320 KUHPdt. Pada dasarnya bentuk kontrak elektronik pun sama dengan kontrak konvensional. Hanya saja kontrak elektronik dibuat melalui media internet, sehingga para pihak tidak bertemu atau bertatap muka saat pembuatan hingga penandatanganan kontrak. Dari sinilah timbul beberapa permasalahan hukum mengenai keabsahan kontrak elektronik, yaitu penentuan kecakapan antar pihak hingga kedudukan antar kedua belah pihak. Penulis merumuskan permasalahan yaitu Sejauhmanakah Kedudukan Para Pihak dalam E-contract berdasarkan Prinsip Iktikad Baik?. Berdasarkan pendekatan hukum yang digunakan oleh penulis serta analis bahan-bahan hukum premier dan sekunder disimpulkan bahwa Terdapat dua model pengujian tentang ada atau tidaknya iktikad baik dalam kontrak yaitu pengujian objektif (objective test) dan pengujian subjektif (subjective test). Pengujian objektif (objective test) pada umumnya dikaitkan dengan kepatutan, artinya salah satu pihak tidak dapat membela diri dengan mengatakan bahwa ia telah bertindak jujur manakala ternyata ia tidak bertindak secara patut. Sementara itu pengujian subjektif terhadap kewajiban iktikad baik dikaitkan dengan keadaan karena ketidaktahuan (lack of notice).
Sinergitas Komisi Yudisial Dan Mahkamah Agung
Authors: Tenteng Muhammad Nasir
Published: December 2023

Terdapat pro dan kontra dalam hal eksistensi Komisi Yudisial sebagai lembaga negara. Keberadaan Komisi Yudisial yang bertujuan untuk menstabilkan kekuasaan kehakiman dengan menghadirkan lembaga pengawasan dalam proses peradilan menimbulkan beberapa polemik kewenangan diantaranya perbedaan pandangan mengenai teknis yudisial. Adapun rumusan masalah penulisan ini yaitu sejauhmana sinergitas komisi yudisial dan Mahkamah Agung, dengan menggunakan pendekatan perundang-undangan serta yang disertai penulusar bahan hukum primer maupun sekunder. Kesimpulan tulisan penulis yaitu Pelaksanaan pengawasan hakim yang ideal dan harmonis dapat diwujudkan dengan melalui pengawasan ekstrenal dari Komisi Yudisial dan juga harus dilaksanakan secara internal (Mahkamah Agung). Langkah ini tentunya harus didukung dengan pembenahan dari kedua instansi tersebut (Mahkamah Agung dan Komisi Yudisial). Ego sektoral dari masing-masing lembaga perlu ditekan untuk mewujudkan tujuan pengawasan yang ideal. Mahkamah Agung wajib membuka diri untuk menemukan solusi bersama terkait mengenai pelanggaran kode etik dan perilaku hakim.
Preface
Authors: Ellis Basia , Cresswell James , Jovanović Gordana , Morrissey Mary
Published: December 2023

Welcome to the much-anticipated second volume of the International Review of Theoretical Psychologies (IRTP). This issue reflects the vibrant dialogues that unfolded at the 2022 conference of the International Society for Theoretical Psychology (ISTP), virtually hosted by the the University of Sacramento, USA, with Basia D. Ellis as the local organizer. As an open-access online journal, IRTP publishes carefully crafted and peer-reviewed articles that emerge from ISTP conferences and other activities linked to the society. With a biennial publication schedule aligned with the conference themes, this volume showcases the intellectual richness of the latest ISTP conference, themed "Building Community: Theoretical Psychology in the Service of Social Issues."
Using Youth Participatory Action Research to Support BIPOC, Working Class, and Working Poor Elementary School Students' Conscientización
Authors: Langhout Regina
Published: December 2023

This talk draws together two decades of research designed to center BIPOC children as they discuss and continue to develop what a productive school culture means to them. All studies are presented to address a framework to better understand the process of change/conscientización as a theoretical guide. I engage two research questions: What are the characteristics of liked school places, and how do they differ from disliked places? and How does the developmental process of conscientización unfold (prospectively)? The first reserch question, based on a long-term collaboration at one elementary school, sets the stage for another long-term youth participatory action research project at another elementary school. The second research question is addressed through a series of studies where children decide how they want to make decisions as a group, how they discern a problem to focus on, and how this affects their relational empowerment in the school. Children’s critical consciousness and actions are highlighted across these studies.
Feminist Community Psychology and the Advancement of Women in South Africa
Authors: Segalo Puleng
Published: December 2023

In this presentation, I offer a brief personal reflection of my entry and introduction to psychology. I start from positionsing myself to highlight how we do not come into institutions of higher learning and our disciplines as empty vessels but with histories that shape how we view the world. Drawing from social justice scholars and my earlier work, I point to how psychology needs to shift from locating ‘problems’ within individuals but instead acknowledge the structural imbalances that contribute to individual and collective dis-eases facing society. I go on to call for a decolonial feminist psychology that acknowledges the multiple oppressions faced by people in many formely colonised nations such as South Africa, with a particular focus on women. I further show how visual methodologies such as embroideries offer the potential for epistemic justice and decolonial possibilities by centering community members as co-constrctors of knowledge. I conclude by highlighting how hope carries the potential for psychological healing.
Pedagogy of Relation and Educational Communities
Authors: Sidorkin Alexander
Published: December 2023

The paper challenges the efficacy of traditional educational reforms focused on accountability, choice, and technology, proposing that the essence of education lies in the relational dynamics between teachers and students. The author explores the concept of the relational self, arguing that education involves the development of diverse relational selves through various life stages. The author critiques dominant educational theories for neglecting the fundamental caregiver-child relationship, emphasizing the need for educational relationships that balance support and challenge. The text advocates for a new dimension of educational accountability that measures relational well-being, calling for a paradigm shift to recognize the importance of relational dynamics in educational outcomes and student experiences. The work presents a case for redefining educational success beyond conventional metrics, underscoring the transformative power of relational pedagogy.
“I Feel Like a Sex Ed Wizard Now”
Authors: Degen Johanna
Published: December 2023

The discourse around sex education is ambivalent and normatively loaded, stretching roughly between conservatism, liberalism, and neo-emancipation. In Germany, teachers receive no specific training and have little access to education, besides short and optional training from third-party providers. As a result, they feel left alone, overburdened, and politically at risk while simultaneously reporting a personal desire to make a positive change. Teach Love is a psychological knowledge transfer project applying critical community psychology to teachers’ continuing education on sex education. The participants receive emotion-, value-based, and pluralistic digital training based on empirically assessed needs and in collaboration with scientists (psychology, pedagogy, sociology) and practitioners (therapists, teachers, midwives) focusing on comprehensive competence. In this contribution, I present the empirically assessed teacher's needs on sex education and the resultant didactic. Second, I present the empirical post-measure evaluations to discuss the potential of applied critical community psychology in teachers' professionalisation. This contribution serves in three ways. Firstly, the paper presents a practically tested approach to how to deal constructively with polarizing topics in pedagogy. Secondly, the results show how to support teachers by applying critical community psychology in the teacher's professional development. Finally, insights into digital education formats, their applicability, effectiveness, and acceptability are gained.
Importance Of Decolonial Narratives
Authors: Amaral Gama Santos Marcus Vinícius , Leal Ferreira Arthur Arruda
Published: December 2023

This paper aims to discuss the importance of decolonial narratives in general and in the field of history of psychology in particular. For this, we take as the starting point the initial results of a recently published empirical study, which investigated different styles of management within the scope of labor in Rio de Janeiro between 1949 and 1965 through the analysis of publications of the journal Arquivos Brasileiros de Psicologia. Such results pointed to an inadequacy between the interpretations of the management styles that are used, on the one hand, in the English and North American context and, on the other, in Rio de Janeiro. The discussion of this article focuses on this inadequacy, underlining the differences between how colonial and decolonial narratives conceive the relationship between empirical data and intelligibility matrices and the historiographical and methodological consequences of this relationship.
Identifying and Assessing the Functionality of IT Systems for the Maintenance and Development of the Road Network
Authors: Świtała Marcin , Ledwolorz Anna
Published: December 2023

The article presents the results of research aimed at identifying and assessing the functionality of IT systems in activities related to the maintenance and development of the road network managed by local government units. Starting the research, the authors were operating under the assumption that, nowadays, IT systems should play an important role in solving problems related to the management of road infrastructure. The applied research method took a form of a survey, and the research sample consisted of 100 local government units acting as administrators of the road network, i.e., administrators of municipal roads (AMR), county roads (ACR) and operating within cities with independent county rights (ACCR). The results of the research indicate that few administrators utilise integrated information systems in practice. Their users turned out to be mainly representatives of the ACCR group, who use several different support systems on a daily basis, with different functionality and usability. The operation of IT systems is mainly used at the level of operational work related to the implementation of ongoing maintenance activities, excluding the possibility of using them in strategic management.
Experimental Investigation of Mechanical and Electromagnetic Performance of Asphalt Concrete Containing Different Ratios of Graphite Powder as a Filler to be Potentially Used as Part of Wireless Electric Roads
Authors: Kaya Orhan , Annagur Hatice Merve
Published: December 2023

This study experimentally investigates the usability of asphalt concrete pavement containing five different ratios of graphite powder (0%, 1.25%, 2.5%, 3.75% and 5% by weight of the aggregate blend or 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the filler content) as a filler to be potentially used as part of wireless electric roads (ER). As part of the study, first, optimum asphalt binder content for the asphalt mixes without graphite powder was determined as 5%. Then, using the determined optimum asphalt binder content, asphalt mixes containing five different ratios of graphite powder as a filler were prepared and their mechanical and volumetric properties based on Marshall mix design methodology were evaluated. As graphite powder ratios in the asphalt mixes increased, their Marshall stability, flow, voids filled with asphalt and unit weight test results mostly decreased but their air content and voids in mineral aggregate test results increased. Possible reasons for this could be: (1) lower bulk specific gravity of graphite powder, (2) higher asphalt absorbance, (3) having greater surface area compared to that of limestone filler, and (4) weak bonds between sheet-like graphite layers. Furthermore, another batch of asphalt mixes containing five different ratios of graphite powder were prepared and tested in the frequency range of 3–18 GHz for their electromagnetic permittivity properties. It was observed in this study that, except for the specimens with 100% graphite powder ratios, transmission magnitudes of all specimens were above 50% up to 8 GHz, indicating that they had comparably high transmission magnitudes so as comparably low tangent loss values. In the frequency range of 3–13 GHz, transmission magnitudes of the specimens with 25% and 50% graphite powder ratios were consistently higher than that having no graphite powder, the ones with 25% powder ratios had the highest transmission magnitudes in most of the cases in this frequency range. Considering the mechanical, volumetric and electromagnetic property test results of the asphalt mixes with five different ratios of graphite powder, it can be concluded that the use of 25% graphite powder ratio (corresponding to 1.25% of the aggregate blend used in the mixes), has a comparably lower negative effect on mechanical and volumetric properties of asphalt mixes and has a positive effect on electromagnetic permittivity properties of asphalt mixes. Asphalt mixes produced with this graphite powder ratio can be considered to be used as part of wireless ER.
Utilization of Black Cotton Soil Stabilized with Brick Dust-Lime for Pavement Road Construction: An Experimental and Numerical Approach
Authors: Melese Damtew , Aymelo Belete , Weldesenbet Tewodros , Sorsa Alemineh
Published: December 2023

Black cotton soil is highly susceptible to volume change due to moisture fluctuations. This leads to the deformation of structures built on such soil. Therefore, the aim of this study is to improve the soil-bearing capacity and deformation analysis of black cotton soil. The laboratory tests were done according to the American Association State of highway and Transport Official (AASHTO) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). These tests were natural moisture content, grain size distribution, X-ray diffraction test, Atterberg limit test, modified compaction, California bearing ratio, and triaxial test. Soil sample was stabilized with a ratio of 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, and 16% of brick dust and 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 7% of lime, respectively. The result of the laboratory test at the optimum percentage of 12% brick dust and 5% lime shows that the liquid limit improved from 93.2% to 67.5%, plastic limit improved from 48.71%, to 58.2%. The optimum moisture content improved from 26.76 to18.5% and Maximum dry density improved from 1.42 g/cm3 to 1.58 g/cm3. The California bearing ratio improved from 1.29%, to 13.6%. The deformation analysis result shows that at optimum percentage of stabilizing agent, the deformation reduced from 2.087 mm to 0.973 mm. Therefore, brick dust-lime soil stabilization shows the promising improvement of weak subgrade soil.
Performance Analysis of One-Level Signalized Urban Intersections with Exclusive Pedestrian Phases and Diagonal Crossings
Authors: Grigonis Vytautas , Kondratovič Vladislav , Palevičius Vytautas , Juozevičiūtė Dainora , Karpavičius Tomas , Smirnovs Juris
Published: December 2023

The exclusive pedestrian (hereinafter P) phase with a diagonal crossing is routinely introduced to improve P safety at high-volume intersections. The article analyses and evaluates the feasibility of the exclusive P phase and diagonal crossing at single-level smaller intersections, identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the exclusive P phase and diagonal crossing from the point of view of time losses. In the experimental part, traffic flow modelling is carried out. The traffic flow simulations show that an exclusive P phase is most beneficial in terms of time losses at an intersection with 2+2 lane intersecting streets and ≥ 900 P/hour with ≥ 1600 vehicles/hour (hereinafter V). In addition, an exclusive P phase can be implemented at the small intersections analysed in this paper, where the volume of V is low or medium, regardless of the number of P at the intersection.
Experimental and Analytical Studies of String Steel Structure for Bridges
Authors: Beivydas Edmundas , Juozapaitis Algirdas , Paeglite Ilze
Published: December 2023

Due to their efficiency, suspension structures are widely used in both roof slabs and different kinds of bridges, from which stress ribbon pedestrian bridges can be distinguished. The main disadvantage of the latter is high deformability, especially under asymmetrical loads. Recently, string structures or their systems have been introduced into bridge building. Numerical and experimental analysis of string behaviour under symmetrical and asymmetrical loads is carried out in the article. Analytical expressions for the calculation of string displacements and tensile forces are presented. The impact of the string pre-stress on the state of its stresses and deformations was evaluated. The assessment of the accuracy of analytical expressions by applying the results of numerical and experimental research is presented. A methodology is proposed for calculating the pre-stressing force taking into account the operational requirements. Three main loading options at different string pre-stress values are analysed. It is worth mentioning that the difference (error) between the analytical and numerical results is not extensive, it does not exceed 3%. It is necessary to notice that in all cases, the analytically obtained results are somewhat higher than FEM (numerically) obtained results.
Analysis and Evaluation of Short City Tunnel Lighting Solutions
Authors: Puzonas Vytenis , Laurinavičius Alfredas , Juknevičiūtė-Žilinskienė Lina
Published: December 2023

The study focused on the lighting in road tunnels within the city of Vilnius. The condition of the lighting was assessed both visually and through measurements of road surface illumination (brightness). High-quality lighting in road tunnels is crucial for ensuring safe and optimal conditions for car travel. Well-designed lighting reduces stress, enhances information visibility for drivers, ensures uniform visibility throughout the tunnel, and promotes efficient energy use. After analysing the data, the required road surface luminance was calculated following the technical regulations applicable to road tunnel lighting design in other countries. The results suggest a need to update the lighting in existing road tunnels by adopting new types of lamps, adjusting their arrangement, and enhancing the physical characteristics of the tunnels.
System of future tense forms In the Dargin Languages
Authors: Mutalov Rasul Osmanovich
Published: December 2023

The article is devoted to the study of the future tense forms in the Dargin languages which belong to the Nakh-Dagestan language group. The relevance of the issue is that the languages of the small nations of Dagestan are rapidly disappearing for recent decades, while the younger generation mainly uses the Russian language for communication. Meanwhile, it is known that the morphological system of the East Caucasian languages is quite rich and consists of numerous paradigms of inflectional categories. Particularly, there is an extensive system of aspectual, tense and modal forms in the Dargin languages. The main purpose of the article is to study the semantic peculiarities of four verb forms that express - futurum, progressive, possibilitative and obligatory meanings of the future tense. The objectives of the work is to study the ways of their formation and also reveal the differences in the functioning of future tense forms in the Northern Dargin and the Southern Dargin languages. To solve these problems, the methods of field linguistics, as well as the method of descriptive analysis are used. In description of the forms of the future tense, the main meaning, methods of formation, examples are given, and the designations of these forms in the works of predecessors are also given. As a result of the study, all forms of the future tense functioning in the Dargin languages are described, the peculiarities of their formation are considered, semantic differences and the terms for their functioning are revealed. Some ways of development of futurum in the Dargin languages are also identified. A hypothesis is put forward according to which this form existed in the proto-Dargin state, but then disappeared in the Northern Dargin languages. Habitualis started to function as the future tense in them.
Financial Outcomes of Managed Entry Agreements for Pharmaceuticals in Italy
Authors: Trotta Francesco , Guerrizio Maria Alessandra , Di Filippo Aurora , Cangini Agnese
Published: December 2023

Importance

Most countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development apply managed entry agreements (MEAs), reimbursement arrangements between manufacturers and payers, to pharmaceuticals. Few data exist regarding their ability to lower expenditures.

Objective

To analyze the financial outcomes of MEAs for pharmaceuticals from 2019 to 2021 in Italy.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this observational study of MEAs and pharmaceutical spending in Italy, medications that were monitored through individually collected data and generated paybacks from manufacturers during the 2019 to 2021 study period were included in the analysis. Payback data were collected through pharmaceutical spending monitoring activities conducted by the Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (Italian Medicines Agency). Expenditure data were collected through the Italian Drug Traceability System. Products were categorized by type of MEA: financial-based, outcome-based, or mixed.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was median payback as a proportion of expenditure by category of MEA. Results were also provided by subtype: cost sharing or capping models for financial-based MEAs and risk-sharing or payment-by-result models for outcome-based MEAs. Mixed MEAs were considered when medications had multiple indications with different MEA types.

Results

A total of 73 medications with MEAs generated a payback by manufacturers during the study period. Six were either not reimbursable or delivered within the Italian National Health Service, and 5 had incomplete data. Of the 62 medications analyzed, 24 (38.7%) had financial-based MEAs, 30 (48.4%) had outcome-based MEAs, and 8 (12.9%) had mixed MEAs. A total payback amount of €327.5 million was calculated during the 3 years, corresponding to 0.9% of the €41.1 billion of total expenditures for medications purchased by public health facilities in Italy. Financial-based MEAs returned the highest payback revenues, €158.1 million; the outcome-based MEAs and mixed MEAs generated smaller paybacks of €74.5 million and €94.9 million, respectively. Overall, the median proportion of payback to expenditure on the medications analyzed was 3.8%. For mixed MEAs, the payback-to-expenditure proportion was 6.7%; for outcome-based MEAs, 3.3%; and for financial-based MEAs, 3.7%.

Conclusions and Relevance

This observational study found limited evidence that MEAs lower pharmaceutical expenditures. Determining criteria for prioritizing MEA use, identifying potential design changes, and improving implementation may be needed in the future.
Enteromorpha Prolifera Polysaccharide‐Derived Injectable Hydrogel for Fast Intraoperative Hemostasis and Accelerated Postsurgical Wound Healing Following Tumor Resection
Authors: Jiang Fei , Li Luxi , Tian Yu , Su Yun , Zhao Tiange , Ren Ruyi , Chi Zhe , Liu Chenguang
Published: December 2023

Intraoperative bleeding and delayed postsurgical wound healing caused by persistent inflammation can increase the risk of tumor recurrence after surgical resection. To address these issues, Enteromorpha prolifera polysaccharide (PEP) with intrinsic potentials for hemostasis and wound healing, is chemically modified into aldehyde‐PEP and hydrazine‐PEP. Thereby, an injectable double‐network hydrogel (OPAB) is developed via forming dual dynamic bonding of acylhydrazone bonds between the decorated aldehyde and hydrazine groups and hydrogen bonds between hydroxyl groups between boric acid and PEP skeletons. The OPAB exhibits controllable shape‐adaptive gelation (35.0 s), suitable mechanical properties, nonstimulating self‐healing (60 s), good wet tissue adhesion (30.9 kPa), and pH‐responsive biodegradability. For in vivo models, owing to these properties, OPAB can achieve rapid hemostasis within 30 s for the liver hemorrhage, and readily loading of curcumin nanoparticles to remarkably accelerate surgical wound closure by alleviating inflammation, re‐epithelialization, granulation tissue formation, and collagen deposition. Overall, this multifunctional injectable hydrogel is a promising material that facilitates simultaneous intraoperative hemorrhage and postsurgical wound repair, holding significant potential in the clinical managements of bleeding and surgical wounds for tumor resection.
The Challenge of Electrolyte Impregnation in the Fabrication and Operation of Li‐ion and Li−S Batteries
Authors: Dent Matthew , Grabe Sean , Lekakou Constantina
Published: December 2023

Modeling and simulations, coupled with selected experimental studies for validation, are employed to analyze electrolyte impregnation in battery fabrication, elucidate and assess its effects on battery operation. Digital twins of the electrolyte filling process or the cell cycling are based on continuum‐level physicochemical models taking into account the pore size distribution of the porous cathode and separator, dissolution and precipitation of any solutes such as sulfur or sulfides; additionally, ion transport and redox reactions in the liquid electrolyte for simulations of battery cycling. Electrolyte impregnation highly depends on cell format, with a cylindrical Li‐ion cell predicted to take up to 7 days under rest for homogeneous electrolyte distribution. Simulations of the electrolyte infiltration in Li−S coin cells revealed sulfur dissolution and reprecipitation, which was verified by experiments using in operando microscopy. Simulations of the first discharge of electrolyte‐lean Li−S cells demonstrated the effects of poor micropore wetting by the electrolyte.
Atomic layer deposition niobium oxide and lithium niobium oxide as a protection technique for anode‐free batteries
Authors: Doyle‐Davis Kieran , Adair Keegan , Wang Changhong , Zhao Feipeng , Deng Sixu , Sun Xueliang
Published: December 2023

As demand for extended range in electric vehicles and longer battery lifetimes in consumer electronics has grown, so have the requirements for higher energy densities and longer cycle lifetimes of the cells that power them. One solution to this is the implementation of an “anode‐free” battery. By removing the anode and plating lithium directly onto the current collector, it is possible to access the same capacities and voltage windows as traditional lithium metal batteries, with the entirety of the lithium source coming from the cathode. Herein, a copper foil current collector coated with niobium oxide or lithium niobium oxide through atomic layer deposition (ALD) is applied to extend the cycling life of the anode‐free batteries by reducing dendrite formation and improving the stability of the lithium metal surface throughout cycling. The ALD coatings are able to extend the cycle lifetime in full coin cells from 20 cycles to 80% capacity retained in the bare copper controls to 50 and 115 cycles for the NbO and LiNbO coatings, respectively. Over the lifetime of the cells, the ALD‐LiNbO is able to cumulatively offer a staggering improvement of an additional 100 kWh L−1 compared to the bare copper control.
Design and analyses of web scraping on burstable virtual machines
Authors: Drummond Lúcia Maria A. , Andrade Luciano , Muniz Pedro de Brito , Pereira Matheus Marotti , Silva Thiago do Prado , Teylo Luan
Published: December 2023

Web scraping is a widely used technique for decision‐making, collecting, and structuring public data from the internet. As the volume of data continues to grow, the need for more efficient methods of data extraction becomes crucial. This article introduces a novel web scraping framework that utilizes Burstable virtual machines (VMs) on Amazon Web Services with the objective of reducing the monetary cost of execution while ensuring compliance with service level agreements (SLAs). To achieve this, the framework utilizes a combination of fixed and temporary Burstable VMs in a mixed cluster, which can be elastically scaled up to fulfill the SLA and scaled down to minimize monetary costs. Two strategies for handling VM allocation are proposed and evaluated: (i) a queue and SLA‐based strategy that employs queue size information and SLA criteria to determine the required number of VMs for the current scraping requests, and (ii) a credit‐based strategy that incorporates information about Burstable VM credits to effectively manage instance creation and termination. Experimental tests show that the proposed framework meets the defined SLA while achieving cost reductions of up to 74% compared to an approach that executes on fixed‐size clusters of Burstable instances.