bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generation Scotland – Linking all the records we can
Authors: Campbell Archie , Flaig Robin , McCartney Daniel , Whalley Heather , Sudlow Cathie
Published: September 2024

ObjectivesGeneration Scotland (GS) is a family-based genetic epidemiology study. Initial recruitment between 2006-11 recruited ~24,000 adults from ~7000 families across Scotland with consent for medical record linkage and re-contact. In 2022 we began recruiting another 20,000, with consent extended to administrative records, with age range now 12+.
MethodsOriginal volunteers completed a baseline questionnaire, provided biological samples and underwent clinical assessment. The samples, phenotype and genotype (including methylation) data are linked to routine NHS hospital, maternity, lab test, prescriptions, dentistry, mortality, imaging, cancer screening, GP data records, Covid-19 testing and vaccinations, and follow-up questionnaires. The new wave of recruitment is all online and can be done on a smartphone, with DNA from saliva collected by post. Teenagers aged 12-15 can join with parental consent.
ResultsResearchers can find prevalent and incident disease cases and controls, to test research hypotheses on a stratified population. GS is a vanguard cohort testing emerging linkage opportunities in Scotland – including neonatal bloodspots and medical imaging reports. GS has established and validated E-HR linkage with the NHS Scotland CHI Register, overcoming technical and governance issues in the process. We contribute to major international consortia, with collaborators from institutions worldwide, both academic and commercial.
ConclusionWe plan to extend the linkage process to include other administrative data from national datasets as and when approvals are obtained. New types of data can also be collected by online questionnaires. The Research Tissue Bank resources are available to academic and commercial researchers through a managed access process.
Creating a Data Cleaning and Pre-Processing Module for Generalisable Data Linkage
Authors: Plachta Josie , Cleaton Mary , Quinn Leah , Mackay Alex , White Zoe
Published: September 2024

ObjectiveThe Office for National Statistics (ONS) are developing a generalisable tool to facilitate the linkage of various datasets to its population-spine. However, a generalisable process requires that a variety of input datasets can be adaptively pre-processed – which is a problem for bespoke methodologies. Key requirements of the cleaning pipeline include minimal input from the user, and scalability and efficiency to work on Big Data.
ApproachThe pipeline must recognise and adjust the pre-processing steps applied based on the variables present and user requirements. It must accept, preprocess, and derive consistent standardised variables from a variety of input variables and formats, including complex data characteristics.
ResultsThe MVP pipeline successfully met the requirements. It is based on a three-level hierarchy of functions, allowing flexibility and complexity in data preparation. With minimal user input, a variety of important linkage variables are cleaned, and additional variables derived consistently.
Conclusions & ImplicationsThe module has shown promising results at scale, successfully pre-processing datasets of over 91 million records. It will be a valuable tool for increasing the ease and efficiency of record linkage to the ONS’ population-spine. This will make linked data more accessible and increase the consistency of linked datasets, improving compatibility for onward linkages and the comparability of results.
Future work will involve applying this cleaning method to a wider range of different datasets to further test the generalisability of the method, and increasing the adaptability of the module to allow for even greater variation in the input datasets.
Matching Occupational Injury and Illness Data Using Augmented Twin Neural Networks
Authors: Segarra Elan
Published: September 2024

When record linkage efforts involve complex characteristics there is ample potential for general purpose machine learning (ML) techniques to succeed where traditional probabilistic approaches might fall short. However, there can still be pre-processing (e.g. geocoding) and hand-picked comparators that can further improve linkage outcomes using standard ML models. In this project we present a fusion of these sides we are calling an Augmented Twin Neural Network. This approach leverages the inherent flexibility of Twin Neural Networks in a record linkage context while adding additional layers to allow for hand curated comparators that may be difficult for ML optimizers to implicitly identify without sufficiently large, labeled data sets. The framework is used to match establishments from the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses to establishments in the OSHA Injury Tracking Application data. The difficulties inherent in matching company names and addresses and the existence of multi-establishment firms make this a prime application for testing. Linkage outcome metrics of this augmented algorithm are compared both with results from probabilistic methods (e.g. Fellegi-Sunter) and standard machine learning methods to illustrate the added benefits.
IPUMS Multigenerational Longitudinal Panel
Authors: Ruggles Steven , Helgertz Jonas , Fitch Catherine
Published: September 2024

Over the past five years, the IPUMS Multigenerational Longitudinal Panel (MLP) has constructed a massive longitudinal population panel by linking together American censuses, surveys, administrative sources, and vital records spanning the period from 1850 to the present. MLP is designed as a general-purpose resource for studying longitudinal processes and long-run social and economic change. By linking individuals across generations from birth through death using data from multiple sources, MLP enables reproducible research on shifting patterns of life course patterns and intergenerational processes. The large scale of the MLP database allows researchers both to study particular communities and small dispersed populations and to conduct big studies spanning many places and periods. Data that allow investigators to examine simultaneously the broad sweep of time and fine spatial detail will yield new insights into ongoing transformations of demographic behavior.
The presentation will describe the creation of the IPUMS MLP database and the current MLP linking strategy. We then detail our plans for expansion and improvement of MLP over the next five years, including the incorporation of additional data sources, the development of a “linkage hub” to connect MLP with other major record linkage efforts, and the refinement of our technology and dissemination efforts. We will conclude by describing a few early examples of MLP-based research.
Birthing Unit Closures: Impacts and Opportunities in Iowa
Authors: Abraham W. Todd , Rouse Heather , Herbkersman Cora , Chighladze Gio
Published: September 2024

Objective and ApproachIowa, US has experienced the closure of 41 birthing units in local hospitals since 2000, which is nearly 50% of previously available units. Public health concern about access to prenatal care and birthing support in this predominately rural state has raised attention to the value of using integrated administrative data to understand impacts and direct needed resources. This presentation will showcase a series of analyses using vital statistics birth records, hospital closure records, and statewide home visiting records to understand (a) closure impacts on relevant subgroups and (b) opportunities to strengthen outcomes through service improvements. Results suggest indirect relationships between hospital closure and child/mother outcomes through impacts on prenatal care. Some mothers (e.g., mothers with low maternal education, older mothers, and mothers with previous children) were more susceptible to negative impacts on prenatal care. Data about mother connections with other public service systems (e.g., Medicaid or WIC) suggested buffering effects for some women who were at risk for birthing unit closure impacts. Subsequent phases of research have used integrated administrative data to highlight hospital closure areas where women differentially experienced more positive outcomes to inform community outreach and identification of effective intervention efforts.
Conclusions and ImplicationsThis research highlights the value of longitudinal administrative data utilized to address policy-relevant topics in public health. Results suggest opportunities to expand and replicate rural health practices that are working to mitigate risk in geographic areas where women face challenging access to a birthing hospital.
Data Integration to Support Child Care Business Sustainability: Iowa’s Child Care Connect
Authors: Rouse Heather , Abraham W. Todd
Published: September 2024

Working parents need access to childcare, and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical gaps in data system capacities to meet this need. This was particularly acute in the US where many child care providers closed their doors permanently because they could not sustain their business. The state of Iowa estimates losses over $930 million per year to businesses and individuals due to a lack of childcare. Childcare businesses are not sustainable if they cannot fill slots and be consistently paid for care – and families need to be able to find care when they need it to fill those slots. Iowa is addressing this gap by developing a real-time, integrated data solution that includes historically disparate data systems to better identify childcare supply and demand. Through intensive community engagement processes including leadership from state agencies, the development team created a system that includes multiple technology solutions for real-time data sharing; a secure cloud-based system for storage, integration, and analysis; and two public-facing applications that allow data to be aggregated and shared for strategic decision-making as well as used by families to identify available care when and where they need it. This presentation will discuss challenges in cross-sector data linkage with a focus on child care providers, families, and population demand. It will include an overview of the development process, governance structure, and analytic uses of the system. Highlights include identification of real-time vacancies by age group, geography, quality rating, and in relation to estimated potential demand using additional integrated data resources.
As our population changes, so must we: how race and ethnicity data merging has evolved over time in the Wisconsin Administrative Data Core
Authors: Bryz-Gornia Krista , Thornton Katie
Published: September 2024

The Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP), centered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Wisconsin, USA, began collaboration with various Wisconsin state agencies in 1985 to link data between disparate state agencies. These initial efforts have since evolved into the Wisconsin Administrative Data Core (WADC) which is an individual-level population dataset connecting extensive administrative data spanning decades of Wisconsin social services program history. Since its purpose is to facilitate evidence-driven policymaking and support program evaluation, it is essential that our data linking efforts accurately represent our Wisconsin population.
Since its inception, the WADC has adapted to changes in how race and ethnicity are collected and reported. While Wisconsin has a racial makeup that is generally less diverse than the national population, the number of non-white and multi-racial identifying residents has increased over time. Furthermore, varying state agency demographic collection and reporting methods have fueled the need for our linking methods to change, too.
IRP initially implemented standard data linkage methods using a mixture of probabilistic and deterministic matching of personal identifying information. But as the racial composition of Wisconsin residents changed over time, our linking assumptions induced implicit biases. In response, we updated our matching algorithm to account for the cultural nuances in how personally identifying information is assigned and reported within various racial and ethnic subgroups. Furthermore, we prioritized values from data sources that were self-reported rather than assigned from a third-party. These methodological modifications have improved the WADC’s reliability and representativeness of the population.
The art of research cohort construction using administrative datasets
Authors: Williamson Lee
Published: September 2024

ObjectivesUsing research case studies, I will give an overview as to how researchers can experience problems translating great research ideas, grounded in the relevant literature, into a robust research design. Assuming that the question cannot be reliably researched using small but rich sample surveys, I will present ways in which routine admin data can help in this context, along with the additional challenges posed when creating the correct cohort to address the research question.
MethodsThe examples given are from a study which links together routinely collected administrative data for a representative sample of the population. It includes a wealth of information from census, civil registration data, education data, and with further permission health data can also be linked. The study in question is provided deidentified, and accessed within a data enclave. The size and scope of the study make it an unparalleled resource for analysing a range of socio-economic, demographic and health questions.
ResultsI will demonstrate how despite the large number of study members, these cohorts must be carefully considered in order to research outcomes (events/results) due to inconsistency in the years that different admin data are available centrally in admin systems (health/education data). Examples include: life-course events for a cohort of women followed up to mid-life, and a complete sub-cohort followed up into later-life.
ConclusionsTo showcase exciting ways in which linked admin data can be operationalised to take a longitudinal/life-course approach to address research questions, and to emphasise cohort construction is complex.
Implementing Data Governance with Multi-Modal Privacy-Preserving Record Linkages between Restricted and Public Open Enclaves
Authors: Gersing Kenneth , Michael Sam , Prior Fred , Saltz Joel , Moffitt Richard , Rogovin Sara , Phua Jasmin , Grannis Shaun , Amor Ben , Girvin Andrew , Baghal Ahmad
Published: September 2024

Data centralization is increasingly non-viable in the changing landscape of data privacy and data governance. New models of data sharing are needed, in particular when privacy-preserving record linkages (PPRL) are being used to connect data within restricted data enclaves and public open enclaves.
We share a privacy-preserving data-sharing infrastructure that employs a linkage honest broker implementation of PPRL connecting structured electronic health record data between the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) National Clinical Cohort Collaborative (N3C), a restricted data enclave, with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA), a public open enclave.
In particular we will address:

Data governance models needed when linking data from restricted vs. public enclaves
Specific privacy-preserving consideration when linking to imaging data which contain specific structured data and imaging considerations
Privacy-preserving data aggregation when combining multi-modal data from restricted data enclaves with publicly discoverable imaging data
Data Modernization Opportunity: Alignment between US Public Health Data Policies and Public Health Ethics
Authors: Weber-Fares Regen , Cochlin Fallon , Kum Hye-Chung , Schmit Cason
Published: September 2024

Objective and ApproachModernizing data sharing policies is key to fix deficiencies exposed by COVID-19. Decentralized US public health data collection, with varying state laws, challenges data sharing across governmental entities. Many data protection laws rest on bioethical principles that de-emphasize collective interests, creating challenges for public health data governance.
Here, we analyze US state public health data laws with WHO ethical guidelines, using a modified policy surveillance method to examine laws regulating data sharing between public health partners. We assess state law alignment with WHO guidelines for (1) public health data use, (2) research use, (3) emergency use, and (4) law enforcement use.
ResultsWe found 34 states with laws explicitly allowing data sharing with federal public health agencies, 16 states permitting data sharing for research, 10 with provisions for emergencies, and 14 states permitting some data sharing for law enforcement.
ConclusionsEfficient US public health data modernization needs policies that enable effective data sharing with proper justification and governance. The WHO offers guidance on ethically sharing sensitive data, but many US states' laws don't align with these guidelines, based on public health ethics. Instead, state laws often reflect bioethical standards, which are increasingly seen as unsuitable for managing population data in public health.
ImplicationsSupportive policies are crucial for allowing population data to be used for social benefits. Policies that go against ethical guidelines and impose unnecessary obstacles to data sharing can hinder vital activities, like record linkage, that support public health efforts and collective benefits.
The use of Supervised Learning to perform pairwise classification for Record Linkage over real world data
Authors: Pereira Ramon , Junior Wagner , Guerra Junior Augusto Afonso
Published: September 2024

Supervised Learning (SL) is a subset of Machine Learning that uses labeled data to establish the learning process and perform tasks such as classification and regression. Record Linkage (RL) is the process for entity resolution and aims to determine if two records correspond to the same entity in the real world. A challenging aspect of RL involves estimating probabilities and weights for attributes and choosing the algorithm to perform the comparison. Our study aims to address this challenge and contribute in two primary ways: 1) by providing a labeled dataset comprising pairs of records, and 2) by evaluating an alternative classification method using an SL classifier. 
We generated more than 28.000 pairs, manually reviewed, derived from a massive Record Linkage Process on the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS). From that, we selected 5000 random stratified pairs for evaluation. The data contains demographic attributes such as sex, city, date of birth, zip code, and name. We modeled the data pairwise in a vector of latent space. Our methodology involved comparing Random Forest, LightGBM, XGBoost, and Neural Networks for classification tasks on these pairs, utilizing cross-validation to optimize hyperparameters. Our findings reveal that XGBoost had the highest performance, achieving 96% accuracy.
Additionally, we conducted privacy evaluations using bloom filters, yielding an accuracy of 93%. The adoption of SL presents a promising space due to its capability for weight estimation and classification. In future endeavors, integrating these algorithms into a framework for the Record Linkage process could streamline procedures for researchers without compromising performance.
Evidence from an Applied Health Research Question: Health Equity Profiles of Community Health Centre (CHC) and non-CHC clients
Authors: Plumptre Lesley , Kim Eliane , Robertson Angela , Rayner Jennifer , Hall Shelly-Ann , Damba Cynthia , Paterson Michael , Mondor Luke
Published: September 2024

Objective/ApproachThe Black Health Equity Working Group's Applied Health Research Question aimed to compare cancer screening rates and surgical wait times between community health centre (CHC) clients based on race-related data and non-CHC clients.
CHC client data was categorized by self-identified racial groups, with Black self-identification compared to non-Black racialized, White, and missing racial self-identification, and non-CHC clients. Health card numbers were encrypted to link individuals to the Primary Care Population dataset for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates. Surgical wait time indicators, such as the number of patients undergoing surgery and average wait times for initial consultation and completed surgeries, were derived from the Wait Time Information System. Assessments were conducted semi-annually from fiscal year 2018 to 2021.
ResultsFollowing the onset of COVID-19, CHC clients self-identifying as Black experienced the most significant decrease (6.8%) in colorectal screenings compared to other groups. Mammogram screenings remained consistently higher for CHC clients self-identifying as Black pre- and post-pandemic. Average cervical cancer screening rates were approximately 8% higher among CHC clients compared to non-CHC clients, irrespective of racial self-identification. However, due to small sample sizes and missing data among self-identified racial groups, trends in surgical wait times for both CHC and non-CHC clients were unstable.
Conclusion/ImplicationsTailored interventions targeting Black CHC clients can enhance cancer screening rates, particularly colorectal screenings. The analysis of CHC data offers valuable insights into race-based disparities in health outcomes. Improved data completeness is essential for accurately assessing health outcome variations among different racial groups.
A novel encryption protocol for facilitating de-identification of genomics health data
Authors: Copeland David , Taylor Alasdair
Published: September 2024

The exponential growth and affordability of genomics sequencing in the clinical landscape in recent years have intensified a challenge facing privacy experts. They grapple with how to evaluate and mitigate the significant risk of genomics data being used to re-identify individuals. The lack of clear genomics guidance in HIPAA has invited a wide spectrum of expert opinion from advocating for conservative limitations to be placed on genomics data sharing to ‘security’-based arguments that carefully calibrated technical, administrative, and legal safeguards may provide adequate protection in many cases. The need to weigh privacy concerns against the extraordinary value that genomics data offers to cancer and rare disease clinical research is compounded by the reality that conventional data modifications, such as redaction, aggregation, and perturbation, often critically undermine these important use cases.
We present an innovative solution for de-identifying genomics data according to a conservative interpretation of HIPAA while still preserving maximal utility for clinical purposes. Our solution rejects the notion that privacy can be achieved directly via security. Instead, we introduce a reversible encryption protocol designed to be applied to specific combinations of genetic variants and their locations on the genome. The encrypted genomic data is fully de-identified, allowing researchers to perform analyses on the encrypted data in a secure Clean Room environment. The environment host is then able to decrypt and deliver variant-level summary statistics and aggregated outputs from the analysis to the recipient. As information in this format no longer links to patient-level data the solution remains de-identified end-to-end.
The Demographic Frame
Authors: Ortman Jennifer
Published: September 2024

The Demographic Frame is a comprehensive, secure, access-controlled database of person-level data consisting of demographic, social, and economic characteristics of individuals derived from census, survey, administrative, and third-party data sources. The Demographic Frame is facilitating innovations in data collection, processing, analyses, and products for census and survey programs.
Visuaalisen etnografian mahdollisuuksia sosiaalilääketieteellisessä tutkimuksessa
Authors: Lunkka Nina , Hakola Outi , Kivivirta Ville , Rantakari Anniina
Published: September 2024

Visuaalinen etnografia tarjoaa vähän hyödynnetyn metodologian terveyden, sairauden tai hyvinvoinnin tutkimiseen. Visuaalinen etnografia on laadullinen tutkimusmetodologia, jossa tutkimusaineistona hyödynnetään visuaalista materiaalia, kuten valokuvia, piirustuksia, videotallenteita, graafista verkkomateriaalia tai erilaista visuaalista digitaalista mediasisältöä. Visuaalinen etnografia ammentaa antropologiasta mahdollistaen visuaalisten elementtien ja kulttuuristen, teknologisten, ruumiillisten tai kokemuksellisten elementtien välisten suhteiden tutkimisen.  Vaikka visuaalisen etnografian käyttö on kansainvälisessä sosiaalilääketieteellisessä tutkimuksessa yleistynyt, kotimaisessa tutkimuksessa sen hyödyntäminen on ollut vielä vähäistä ja käyttöperiaatteet vasta muodostumassa. Tässä artikkelissa kuvaamme visuaalisen etnografian mahdollisuuksia ja käytännön soveltamista sosiaalilääketieteellisten kysymysten tutkimuksessa. Aineistoesimerkkien avulla havainnollistamme visuaalisen etnografian hyödyntämistä, huomioitavia seikkoja sekä rajoituksia. Nostamme esimerkkejä sekä itse tuotetun että valmiin visuaalisen aineiston hyödyntämisestä. Pohdimme myös tutkimuseettisiä kysymyksiä, joiden erityispiirteiden huomiointi on välttämätöntä visuaalisen etnografian käytännön toteuttamisessa.
La prescription sociale dans le contexte des services intégrés pour la jeunesse : une étude de cas sur les Carrefours bien-être pour les jeunes de l’Ontario
Authors: Turpin Aaron , Chiodo Deb , Talotta Maria , Henderson Jo
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Les services intégrés pour la jeunesse offrent une occasion unique d’inclure des stratégies de prescription sociale au sein de ce modèle de services par la mise en place d’un réseau multidisciplinaire étroitement connecté, composé de fournisseurs de services cliniques et communautaires, afin de s’attaquer aux inégalités en matière de santé et d’améliorer l’accès aux services et l’état de santé des jeunes. Dans cet article, nous présentons une étude de cas sur les Carrefours bien-être pour les jeunes de l’Ontario (CBEJO), au Canada, un regroupement d’organismes de services jeunesse intégrés et interreliés, qui fonctionnent à la manière d’un système de santé apprenant pour la mise en oeuvre des services de prescription sociale. L’étude visait principalement à documenter la façon dont les carrefours de CBEJO intègrent la prescription sociale à leur offre de services.

Méthodologie

Nous avons adopté une approche d’étude de cas intégrée. Les données ont été recueillies auprès de 6361 jeunes de 12 à 25 ans qui ont fait appel aux services d’un carrefour des CBEJO. Nous avons généré, à partir des données sur les services, des analyses descriptives, dont des fréquences associées aux diverses catégories, pour la raison de la visite, les besoins abordés et le service fourni.

Résultats

Une analyse comparative des services demandés et fournis a révélé qu’au cours de leurs visites aux CBEJO, les jeunes interagissaient avec de multiples services et fournisseurs, un large éventail de besoins étant abordés sur le plan de la santé physique et mentale et du soutien social.

Conclusion

Les CBEJO offrent des services de prescription sociale qui visent à améliorer la résilience en santé mentale, grâce à la satisfaction des besoins liés à l’emploi, aux études et à la socialisation, chez les jeunes qui reçoivent des services intégrés pour la jeunesse dans ces centres.
Production of Thermoplastic Starch-Aloe Vera Gel Film Embedded with Polyethylene for Improved Tensile Strength and Water Absorption
Authors:   School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, MALAYSIA, Abd Karim Siti Fatma
Published: September 2024

The water absorption characteristics of thermoplastic starch (TPS) reveal its ability to interact with and absorb water, influencing its overall performance in various applications. The introduction of aloe vera (AV) gel into the TPS polymeric matrix film has proven beneficial in enhancing tensile strength but a notable deficiency is observed in lowering water absorption percentage. Therefore, this paper aims to reduce the water absorption of the TPS30AV polymer matrix film by utilizing polyethylene (PE) without reducing the tensile strength performance of the TPS30AV film. The TPS30AV film was produced using melt-blending and hot-press techniques. Six samples were presented consisting of a control film (TPS30AV) and TPS30AV film with different concentrations of PE resins (5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%). The film's performance was assessed by examining its mechanical properties, water absorption, and water solubility. The finding shows that TPS30AV with 40% PE has the highest improvement in water absorption percentage which reduces from 309.86% to 34.16% but a tremendous decrement in tensile strength performance. However, TPS30AV with 10% PE has the highest tensile strength, 9.65 MPa with a 20.99% improvement in water absorption reduction. The properties obtained for TPS30AV10PE were also good inYoung's modulus and water solubility percentage. It shows that the film formulated is comparable with previous studies, and improvement has been achieved. As a conclusion, adding PE improved the polymeric structure of TPS30AV and can be used as a biodegradable food-packaging film.
Performance of A Triboelectric Nanogenerator Utilising Coconut Husk Layer
Authors:   Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, MALAYSIA, Saparin Muhammad Aqmal
Published: September 2024

Triboelectric nanogenerators, known as TENGs, offer great potential as versatile energy harvesting devices. In recent years, there has been a rise in TENG designs that prioritize compatibility with sustainable biomaterials, leading to new possibilities in green technology. The novelty of this work lies in its pioneering exploration of utilizing sustainable biomaterials, particularly coconut husk, within the field of Tribo-electric nanogenerators (TENGs). This study focuses on evaluating and characterizing coconut husk as TENG material considering factors such as rotational speed, vane count, and coarseness, all of which influence the output potential of the B-TENG. The B-TENG model employed in this research operates on a rotational sliding mode, featuring a biobased material layer of coconut husk, a layer of PTFE, and copper as electrodes. The B-TENG has a diameter of 100 mm with varying vane configurations (3-vane, 4-vane, and 5-vane). The sliding mode demonstrated impressive versatility, yielding output voltages spanning from 0.73 V to 4.0 V across rotational speeds of 200 RPM to 1400 RPM. Remarkably, the 5-vane fine-grained coconut husks achieved a maximum power of 121.10 mW at 10 Ohm and a power density of 3.84 mW/cm2. This research carries global significance, contributing to the advancement ofenergy harvesting technology. Its applications range from harnessing the motion of human bodies to rotating machineries in any industry.
Finite Element Modelling for the Dynamic Behaviour Analysis of a Structure with Hi-Lok Fasteners
Authors:   Structural Dynamic Analysis & Validation (SDAV), School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Selangor, MALAYSIA, Abdul Rani Muhamad Norhisham
Published: September 2024

The number of Hi-Lok fasteners used in the assembly of aircraft structures is very high. For this reason, an efficient modelling technique is required to accurately analyse the dynamic behaviour of the structures. In this study, a modelling technique with special emphasis on Hi-Lok modelling is proposed to analyse the dynamic behaviour of a test structure with Hi-Lok fasteners. Four different finite element (FE) models to represent the test structure with the Hi-Lok fasteners were developed using MSC Software packages. The natural frequencies and mode shapes obtained from the FE models are compared with those of the Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) in terms of total error, computational time and memory disk usage. It was found that the model D with the simplified beams representing Hi-Lok predicts the dynamic behaviour of the test structure with an accuracy of 96.6% and with comparatively low computational time and memory disk usage. This proposed modelling scheme may provide useful approaches to aircraft researchers and engineers for the dynamic analysis of the structures.
Perbaikan Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Kentang (Solanum tuberosum L.) G0 Varietas Granola L dengan Teknik Pengaturan Pemupukan pada Media Tanam
Authors: Fadhilah Nurma Ferdiana , Widhiarso Danang , Karyawati Anna Satyana
Published: September 2024

Upaya untuk meningkatkan kualitas benih kentang terus dilakukan guna meningkatkan produksi benih G0, salah satunya melalui pemupukan. Sumber pupuk kandang yang berbeda dapat memberikan pengaruh yang berbeda pula dalam hal pertumbuhan dan perkembangan tanaman kentang. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari perlakuan penambahan pupuk kandang yang memberikan pengaruh terbaik pada tanaman kentang G0 Granola L, ditinjau dari aspek pertumbuhan, hasil, dan analisis usaha taninya. Analisis statistik yang digunakan adalah analisis sidik ragam 5% dengan tiga kali ulangan dan dilanjutkan dengan uji DMRT 5%, korelasi, dan analisis usaha tani. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pemberian pupuk kandang sapi secara tunggal dengan dosis 40 ton/ha mendorong tanaman untuk tumbuh lebih tinggi dan luas daun yang optimal, sehingga memberikan hasil yang lebih baik pada jumlah umbi per tanaman, berat umbi per tanaman, dan persentase umbi standar. Aplikasi pupuk kandang sapi tunggal juga menghasilkan nilai kelayakan usaha tani terbaik. Hasil uji korelasi menunjukkan adanya korelasi positif antara tinggi tanaman, jumlah daun, dan luas daun terhadap kualitas dan kuantitas umbi kentang yang dihasilkan.
The Potential of Azolla pinnata Powder and Compost as a Carrier-base for Improving N-Fixing and P-Solubilizing Bacteria Performance to Increase Soybean Productivity
Authors: Suryatmana Pujawati , Halimah Ummu ‘Azizah , Kmaluddin Nadia Nuraniya , Herdiyantoro Diyan , Setiawati Mieke Rochimi
Published: September 2024

Efektivitas inokulan Azotobacter sp. dan Bacillus sp. sering kali berkurang ketika diaplikasikan di tanah asam seperti Inceptisol, sehingga diperlukan upaya untuk meningkatkan kinerjanya dalam kondisi ini. Salah satu strategi adalah memilih bahan pembawa inokulan yang tepat seperti tepung Azolla pinnata dan kompos. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengevaluasi kepadatan populasi inokulan, pembentukan bintil akar, berat kering akar, dan jumlah daun trifoliat pada tanaman kedelai yang diberi perlakuan tepung A. pinnata dan kompos sebagai carrier inokulan Azotobacter sp. dan Bacillus sp. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada Agustus 2022 hingga Januari 2023 di Laboratorium Biologi Tanah dan Kebun Percobaan Ciparanje, Departemen Ilmu Tanah dan Sumber Daya Lahan, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Padjadjaran. Penelitian menggunakan Rancanagan Acak Kelompok Faktorial dengan dua faktor yaitu faktor pertama berupa pemberian pupuk NPK dengan dosis 100% (300 kg/ha), 50% (150 kg/ha) dan 0% (0 kg/ha) dan faktor kedua adalah perlakuan inokulan kultur cair, inokulan dalam kompos, inokulan dalam tepung Azolla, inokulan dalam campuran kompos dan Azolla yang masing-masing diulang sebanyak tiga kali. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa carrier tepung Azolla dan kompos meningkatkan populasi Azotobacter spp. dan Bacillus spp. di rizosfer. Inokulan dalam campuran pembawa kompos dan tepung Azolla menghasilkan berat kering akar dan jumlah bintil tertinggi secara signifikan. Inokulasi kultur cair Azotobacter sp. dan Bacillus sp. atau inokulan padat dengan bahan pembawa tepung Azolla menghasilkan polong kedelai yang setara dengan aplikasi NPK 150 kg/ha. Aplikasi inokulan dalam tepung Azolla, kompos, atau campuran keduanya menghasilkan bobot 100 biji yang tidak berbeda nyata, namun, bobot 100 biji setara dengan perlakuan yang menggunakan dosis NPK 300 kg/ha di Inceptisol
Eksplorasi, Isolasi dan Identifikasi Jamur Entomopatogen Asal Rizosfer Tanaman Jagung di Bengkulu dengan Metode Baiting Insect
Authors: Ginting Sempurna Br , Pamekas Tunjung , Neildi Zahara
Published: September 2024

Jamur entomopatogen merupakan salah satu agen pengendali hayati yang dapat digunakan untuk mengendalikan serangga hama. Penggunaan jamur entomopatogen untuk pengendalian serangga memiliki kelebihan yaitu kapasitas produksi yang tinggi, siklus hidup yang relatif singkat dan ramah lingkungan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengeksplorasi, mengisolasi dan mengidentifikasi jamur entomopatogen asal rizosfer tanaman jagung di Bengkulu dengan metode baiting insect. Penelitian dilaksanakan dari bulan Maret hingga Agustus 2023 di lahan tanaman jagung di tiga lokasi yaitu Desa Taba Mulan, Desa Tebat Monok dan Desa Talang Kering di Kabupaten Kepahiang dan Kota Bengkulu. Identifikasi jamur dan uji patogenisitas dilakukan di Laboratarium Proteksi Tanaman, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Bengkulu. Metode yang digunakan yaitu isolasi tanah dari tanaman jagung dan trapping jamur entomopatogen menggunakan larva Tenebrio molitor. Jamur yang tumbuh menyelubungi tubuh larva yang terinfeksi diisolasi, diidentifikasi dan dilakukan uji patogenisitas terhadap larva T. molitor. Hasil eksplorasi, isolasi dan identifikasi diperoleh 12 isolat jamur entomopatogen yang terdiri dari 4 isolat berasal dari Lokasi 1 (Desa Taba Mulan, Kecamatan Meringgi), 6 isolat berasal dari Lokasi 2 (Desa Tebat Monok, Kecamatan Kepahiang) dan 2 isolat berasal dari Lokasi 3 (Desa Talang Kering, Kecamatan Muara Bangkahulu). Perbedaan karakteristik lingkungan ketiga lokasi mempengaruhi jumlah isolat yang diperoleh. Dari 12 isolat yang diperoleh terdapat 10 isolat yang teridentifikasi dan 2 isolat yang belum teridentifikasi yaitu 8 isolat Aspergillus sp. dan 2 isolat Fusarium sp. Laju pertumbuhan jamur entomopatogen yang cepat ditunjukkan oleh isolat CeTMM2, CeTBM2, dan CTBM3. Hasil uji patogenisitas selama 14 hari menunjukkan adanya larva T. molitor yang mati terinfeksi pada semua perlakuan isolat jamur entomopatogen yang diuji. Mortalitas larva terinfeksi berkisar antara 73,33-93,33% dengan mortalitas tertinggi terjadi pada isolat CeTBM5 dan terendah pada isolat CeTK1.
An empirical study on the factors influencing the improvement of education quality within higher vocational colleges—Based on a survey of 13 higher vocational colleges in Hainan Province
Authors: Li Shanshan , Chen Lei , Zhu Qinghui , Liu Xia
Published: September 2024

The issue of quality of higher vocational education in China has become a common concern in all aspects of society, and promoting the improvement of the quality of education within higher vocational colleges is an important way to realize the high-quality development of higher vocational education. Based on the self-constructed five-dimensional model of factors influencing the improvement of the quality of education within higher vocational colleges, an empirical study was conducted using questionnaires and SPSS27.0 software on the teacher and student groups within 13 higher vocational colleges in Hainan Province, and the results showed that the teacher groups of different genders, titles, ages, academic qualifications and disciplines as well as the student groups of different genders and admission modes have different opinions on factors such as the level of governance, education and teaching, the integration of industry and education, student development and policy guarantees; and that there are different degrees of perception differences between teachers’ and students’ groups on the effect of internal education quality improvement. In order to promote the internal quality improvement of higher vocational colleges, it is necessary to improve the construction of modern university system to enhance the governance level, deepen the integration of production and teaching to innovate the education and training mode of talents, promote the development of the whole chain of education to improve the comprehensive quality of students, strengthen the construction of teaching staff to deepen the reform of education and teaching, and innovate the internal education policy and system to regulate the management order.
Exploring biometric attendance technology in the Arab academic environment: Insights into faculty loyalty and educational performance in policy initiatives
Authors: Al-Shamsi Ibrahim Rashid , Shannaq Boumedyen , Adebiaye Richmond , Owusu Theophilus
Published: September 2024

This study provides insights for decision-makers contemplating the implementation of Biometric Attendance Technology (BAT) for faculty in educational institutions. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of BAT’s impact on Arab educational systems, focusing on its influence on faculty loyalty and satisfaction, which are integral to enhancing overall organizational performance. Using SMART-PLS, we analyzed data from an electronic questionnaire distributed to 296 participants. Our findings highlight the importance of fostering faculty loyalty and satisfaction through training and education initiatives alongside BAT implementation strategies. Despite these efforts, there was no significant improvement in the relationship between loyalty, satisfaction, and educational system performance (ESP) following the introduction of BAT. Slope analysis indicated no significant correlations between Faculty Member Satisfaction (FMS), Faculty Member Loyalty (FML), and ESP. However, slight improvements in R-square values were observed: FML increased from 0.512 to 0.514, and ESP from 0.433 to 0.438 with the BAT moderator. These results are crucial for guiding informed decisions regarding the integration of modern technologies into educational systems.
Political discontent in Spain, diagnosis and solutions
Authors: Nieves Clara Escañuela , Romana Ignacio Escañuela
Published: September 2024

The starting point is the presence of a widespread feeling of political confrontation and division among Spanish citizens. This is compounded by dissatisfaction with and distrust in a system that is perceived by many as elitist and out of touch with real needs. Several factors related to this perception of politics are explained and quantified. On the one hand, there are economic elements, such as the stagnation of GDP per capita, the persistence of a relatively high at-risk-of-poverty rate, and the rates of material deprivation. And in all these elements, a significant territorial inequality can be observed. There are significant differences between Spain, France and Germany over the period considered. On the other hand, political factors determine much of the public debate in Spain: Historical memory and the Spanish Civil War, as well as the terrorism of ETA and other terrorist groups. The emergence of new parties is analyzed, especially VOX. Finally, the enormous difficulty of finding a territorial structure of political power that would bring together the consensus of most political forces. It is necessary to find formulas for fiscal federalism that will make it possible to move away from the current decentralization of spending without the Autonomous Communities having their own tax capacity. This study concludes by pointing out the relevance of all these problems and the need to find solutions through democratic debate and deliberation with agreements.
Amatsuchi Kosaku: Reconsidering Postwar Japanese Art History from a Perspective of Ecology
Authors: Yamamoto Iroki
Published: September 2024

This paper discusses Amatsuchi Kosaku, an artist collective that formed in the late 1980s and continued its unique activities until the early 2000s. Because Amatsuchi Kosaku was based in Shizuoka, it was excluded from the normative narrative of Japanese art history, which has been constructed around artists and artist collectives working in metropolises like Tokyo and Kyoto. This paper examines the “metropolitan-centrism” in the Japanese art history, and reconsiders the artistic practice of Amatsuchi Kosaku, from the perspective of “ecology,” a concept that has been the focus of much attention in recent contemporary art discourse.
Against the As-It-Is: An Inquiry into Sculptural Bodies in Recent Japan
Authors: Katsumata Ryo
Published: September 2024

This article aims to propose the way of an interpretation on recent sculptural works in Japan, especially ones with bodily figuration. Although they would share some features with artistic production outside the country and the proposed approach is not comprehensive considering variegated contemporary sculptural practices, it is suggestive that there was a historical situation where artists criticized the human-based representation of the world and turn to a kind of naturalism, as led by Mono-ha in the context of postwar Japan. Some succeeding sculptors have struggled against the naturalism that demands to leave things as it is.
Definición y pistas al respecto de la influencia de José Ortega y Gasset en la filosofía de la técnica hispanoamericana
Authors: Uzal David
Published: September 2024

Detectar una influencia filosófica constituye un ejercicio meticuloso aún más tratándose de un filósofo; Ortega y Gasset, sobre un campo específico; la filosofía de la técnica, en un continente; Hispanoamérica. ¿Como se produce ésta? ¿Por qué caminos y contradicciones u oposiciones eventuales pasa? ¿Qué papel desempeñaron los transterrados, entre ellos; José Gaos (México) y Juan David García Bacca (Venezuela)? ¿En qué medida la precocidad orteguiana en esta disciplina se reflejaría sobre un filosofar continental? A cuestionamientos específicos sobre una influencia que queda por determinar se juntarán otros sobre la naturaleza de la influencia (filosófica) en general, sus características y modos de acción.
concepto etológico de comportamiento
Authors: Caponi Gustavo
Published: September 2024

El objetivo de este trabajo es caracterizar el concepto etológico de comportamiento. Un concepto que no se aplica indiscriminadamente a cualquier respuesta que un ser vivo pueda dar a los estímulos de sus medios externo e interno; sino que sólo se refiere a cierto tipo particular de reacciones biológicas: aquellas pasibles de ser direccionadas, y funcionalmente optimizadas, en virtud de procesos de aprendizaje guiados por cogniciones. Eso, además de exigirnos una caracterización muy amplia, pero ciertamente muy poco exigente, de lo que hemos entender por cognición; también contribuye a establecer la centralidad y legitimidad de la Etología Cognitiva dentro el universo de los estudios etológicos.
Las gayas ciencias. Platón, Nietzsche, Ortega
Authors: Francesco Giuseppe
Published: September 2024

A partir de Nietzsche el tema del “juego” ocupa un lugar central en el pensamiento filosófico contemporáneo. La reflexión nietzscheana sobre el juego ofrece, además, algunos puntos para volver a reflexionar sobre la platónica. Esto es lo que reconoció Ortega y Gasset, cuya filosofía lúdica surge precisamente de un intento de conciliar el pensamiento de Nietzsche y la filosofía de Platón. En este trabajo, por tanto, se intenta reconstruir este juego de simetrías e influencias entre los tres autores, tratando así de delinear tres formas distintas de una gaya ciencia.