bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisiting Presidential Nuclear Autonomy
Authors: Grant Lewis
Published: September 2023

The United States (US) Nuclear Command and Control (NC2) system is no longer appropriate for the current global security environment. The NC2 system lacks adequate hard checks and balances on the president’s use of nuclear weapons. Designed for decisiveness, there is no systemic barrier preventing the president from authorizing and ordering the launch of a nuclear weapon, regardless of the reason. As such, this memo proposes that Congress impose limits on the president’s nuclear first-strike authority. Congressional approval should be required before the president can launch a nuclear strike. In addition, the Department of Defense should reduce its reliance on silo-based missile systems and increase its reliance on submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). The high vulnerability of silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to enemy nuclear strikes creates a ‘use it or lose it’ scenario, where ICBMs must be launched before they are destroyed. This increases pressure on the president to launch these missiles before they are destroyed, increasing the chance of miscalculation or launch if there is a false alarm. SLBMs are not subject to the same vulnerabilities. As more survivable assets, SLBMs reduce pressure on the president to act hastily, eliminating the chance of a poorly informed nuclear launch.
Advertising with Anonymity and Impunity: The Harmful Consequences of Counterfeit PPE Supply Chains
Authors: Hashemi Layla M.
Published: September 2023

The rapid growth of illicit supply chains during and after the Covid-19 pandemic reveals a need for effectively combating and preventing the cross-border movement of contraband, including but not limited to counterfeit goods. A proactive approach by companies along with public stakeholders, such as government agencies and individual consumers, toward disrupting illicit supply chains operating across borders is especially important during moments of global crisis when consumers are more susceptible to unknowingly purchasing substandard counterfeit products such as respirators. While marketplaces, platforms, and other legitimate businesses have worked to prevent movement of counterfeits and illicit goods through their services, the high adaptability and sophistication of counterfeiters requires more preventative and multistakeholder approaches.

This article outlines a multidisciplinary and multilayered approach to detecting and disrupting illicit supply chains of counterfeit personal protective equipment (PPE) with a focus on respirators. It utilizes research conducted for a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant on Covid-19 related crime, including the advertising and sale of counterfeit respirators. One layer examines online content as seen by the end user and the activity of vendors or sellers used to advertise and sell counterfeit products. The research is also informed by data on the information, financial, and physical flows of counterfeit respirators obtained through a public-private partnership with George Mason University’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC-GMU) and 3M, one of the largest manufacturers of respirators in the world. The article examines an important and relatively recent trend - how emerging technological shifts in the marketplace are affecting global security.

Research from the TraCCC-GMU and 3M partnership, including a data sharing agreement, revealed that counterfeiters constantly change their modus operandi to continue selling illicit goods with impunity, facilitating illicit activity with the use and abuse of legitimate companies such as ecommerce marketplaces and social media. The article presents an overview of the current state of counterfeit supply chains and provides concrete policy recommendations on how legitimate companies can move beyond just removing listings but must also actively prevent these transnational crimes through innovative multidisciplinary approaches, advanced data analytics, and public awareness campaigns. The research also seeks to connect the dots to broader policy implications in terms of the legitimate economy and environmental sustainability.
Optimizing chemical agent medical countermeasures in the Strategic National Stockpile
Authors: Sriraman Aishwarya
Published: September 2023

Chemical agents, unlike biological agents such as bacteria or viruses, include toxic chemicals that cause adverse effects such as death, temporary incapacitation, or permanent harm to humans or animals. These agents are structurally and functionally diverse, leading to a wide range of possible dangers. However, federal threat assessments over the years have deemed chemical agents a lesser threat than biological agents. This, in turn, has led the Department of Health and Human Services to deprioritize critical research and investment into the stockpiling of medical countermeasures (MCMs) that can save lives in the event of an exposure, resulting in lowered appropriation levels toward developing MCMs against chemical agents for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). Additionally, annual reviews of the SNS that directly inform budget allocations and appropriations for future years were not conducted from FY2017 to FY2019, further weakening SNS preparedness against chemical threat agents in a constantly changing threat landscape. As such, there are gaps in the inclusion and pursuit of medical countermeasures for chemical agents into the SNS. Costs for non-procurement spending, transitioning MCM integration, and maintaining repositories of existing MCMs from fiscal years (FYs) 2020 and 2021 were calculated based on planned spending costs for the SNS as published in Appendix A of the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise Multiyear Budget for FY18-22. The allocated SNS funding for FYs 2020 and 2021 combined is insufficient to maintain an updated repository of existing medical countermeasures to be drawn from in the case of a public health crisis while simultaneously growing to integrate newer countermeasures compared to planned spending for those years. As such, regulatory policies that enforce annual SNS reviews are recommended. Additionally, increased direct appropriations and bolstering alternative funding avenues for MCM development are essential for research and development of MCMs for emerging threats.
Sports and Esports as Conduits for Gambling
Authors: Dietrich Joachim , Raj Matthew
Published: September 2023

Australians are some of the highest consumers of gambling products in the world and, per capita, their resultant losses may also be among the highest. This article considers the Australian legal regulatory landscapes that govern both sports (including Esports) gambling and, specifically, the advertising of sports gambling products. Although gambling in Australia is highly regulated, this article reveals significant gaps that create opportunities for gambling service providers to target consumers of sport (especially young people) to market their products and further embed gambling into sports culture. Ultimately, the article offers policy-based legal reforms to curb the enticement of young people into gambling. These reforms include introducing legislation banning the advertisement of gambling service providers: (1) on public roads, public transport and near schools; (2) after 8:30pm during breaks in live broadcast sporting events; (3) during highlights, replays or on-demand sporting events (including via internet streaming); and (4), via signage (including electronic signage), branding, or promotion as part of sponsoring a sporting event, club, or venue. In the light of the June 2023 Senate Committee Report on online gambling, the possibility of more wide-ranging reforms, including a ban on all advertisements of online gambling on sport, may even be achievable. That particular reform is one that we would support.
The Role of Tasawuf in Improving the Spiritual and Work Ethos of Urban Communities: A Case Study of Tarekat Tijaniyah in Mampang Prapatan, Jakarta Selatan
Authors: MU’IN Fathul
Published: September 2023

Purpose: This paper examines the influence of the Tarekat Tijaniyah on its adherents' spiritual development and work ethic.Methodology:The type of research used is qualitative research with a case study approach: the tarekat Tijaniyah in Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta. The primary data sources in this study are the results of observation and interview data obtained from the objects and research subjects. The secondary data source is literature related to the tasawuf and tarekat, obtained from books and scientific research results. The data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach.Findings:The study results show that the tarekat has influenced the changes in its congregation in terms of its spiritual and work ethic. The tarekat has become a driving force for social behavior changes, a mindset in the meaningfulness of life, and an increase in obedience and sincerity in worship.Implication:The tarekat encourages creativity to choose lawful, loyal, and responsible work, try well (endeavor), and leave the results to Allah SWT (tawakal).
Spectral Theory of the Nazarov-Sklyanin Lax Operator
Authors:   Singulariti Research, Australia, Mickler Ryan , Moll Alexander ,   Reed College, Portland, USA
Published: September 2023

In their study of Jack polynomials, Nazarov-Sklyanin introduced a remarkable new graded linear operator ${\mathcal L} \colon F[w] \rightarrow F[w]$ where $F$ is the ring of symmetric functions and $w$ is a variable. In this paper, we (1) establish a cyclic decomposition $F[w] \cong \bigoplus_{\lambda} Z(j_{\lambda}, {\mathcal L})$ into finite-dimensional ${\mathcal L}$-cyclic subspaces in which Jack polynomials $j_{\lambda}$ may be taken as cyclic vectors and (2) prove that the restriction of ${\mathcal L}$ to each $Z(j_{\lambda}, {\mathcal L})$ has simple spectrum given by the anisotropic contents $[s]$ of the addable corners $s$ of the Young diagram of $\lambda$. Our proofs of (1) and (2) rely on the commutativity and spectral theorem for the integrable hierarchy associated to ${\mathcal L}$, both established by Nazarov-Sklyanin. Finally, we conjecture that the ${\mathcal L}$-eigenfunctions $\psi_{\lambda}^s {\in F[w]}$ {with eigenvalue $[s]$ and constant term} $\psi_{\lambda}^s|_{w=0} = j_{\lambda}$ are polynomials in the rescaled power sum basis $V_{\mu} w^l$ of $F[w]$ with integer coefficients.
High-energy Electromagnetic, Neutrino, and Cosmic-Ray Emission by Stellar-mass Black Holes in Disks of Active Galactic Nuclei
Authors: Tagawa Hiromichi , Kimura Shigeo S. , Haiman Zoltán
Published: September 2023

Some Seyfert galaxies are detected in high-energy gamma rays, but the mechanism and site of gamma-ray emission are unknown. Also, the origins of the cosmic high-energy neutrino and MeV gamma-ray backgrounds have been veiled in mystery since their discoveries. We propose emission from stellar-mass BHs (sBHs) embedded in disks of active galactic nuclei as their possible sources. These sBHs are predicted to launch jets due to the Blandford–Znajek mechanism, which can produce intense electromagnetic, neutrino, and cosmic-ray emissions. We investigate whether these emissions can be the sources of cosmic high-energy particles. We find that emission from internal shocks in the jets can explain gamma rays from nearby radio-quiet Seyfert galaxies including NGC 1068, if the Lorentz factor of the jets (Γj) is high. On the other hand, for moderate Γj, the emission can significantly contribute to the background gamma-ray and neutrino intensities in the ~MeV and ≲PeV bands, respectively. Furthermore, for moderate Γj with efficient amplification of the magnetic field and cosmic-ray acceleration, the neutrino emission from NGC 1068 and the ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays can be explained. These results suggest that the neutrino flux from NGC 1068 as well as the background intensities of MeV gamma rays, neutrinos, and the ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays can be explained by a unified model. Future MeV gamma-ray satellites will test our scenario for neutrino emission.
Study of Advective Energy Transport in the Inflow and Outflow of Super-Eddington Accretion Flows
Authors: Jiao 焦 Cheng-Liang 承亮
Published: September 2023

Photon trapping is believed to be an important mechanism in super-Eddington accretion, which greatly reduces the radiative efficiency as photons are swallowed by the central black hole before they can escape from the accretion flow. This effect is interpreted as the radial advection of energy in one-dimensional height-integrated models, such as the slim-disk model. However, when multidimensional effects are considered, the conventional understanding may no longer hold. In this paper, we study the advective energy transport in super-Eddington accretion based on a new two-dimensional inflow–outflow solution with radial self-similarity, in which the advective factor is calculated self-consistently by incorporating the calculation of radiative flux instead of being set as an input parameter. We found that radial advection is actually a heating mechanism in the inflow due to compression, and the energy balance in the inflow is maintained by cooling via radiation and vertical (θ-direction) advection, which transports entropy upward to be radiated closer to the surface or carried away by the outflow. As a result, fewer photons are advected inward, and more photons are released from the surface, so that the mean advective factor is smaller and the emergent flux is higher than the fluxes predicted by the slim-disk model. The radiative efficiency of super-Eddington accretion thus should be higher than that of the slim-disk model, which agrees with the results of some recent numerical simulations.
GHOST Commissioning Science Results: Identifying a New Chemically Peculiar Star in Reticulum II
Authors: Hayes Christian R. , Venn Kim A. , Waller Fletcher , Jensen Jaclyn , McConnachie Alan W. , Pazder John , Sestito Federico , Anthony André , Baker Gabriella , Bassett John , Bento Joao , Berg Trystyn , Burley Gregory , Brzeski Jurek , Case Scott , Chapin Edward , Chin Timothy , Chisholm Eric , Churilov Vladimir , Densmore Adam , Diaz Ruben , Dunn Jennifer , Edgar Michael , Farrell Tony , Firpo Veronica , Fitzsimmons Joeleff , Font-Serra Juan , Fuentes Javier , Ganton Colin , Gomez-Jimenez Manuel , Hardy Tim , Henderson David , Hill Alexis , Hoff Brian , Ireland Michael , Kalari Venu , Kelly Neal , Klauser Urs , Kondrat Yuriy , Labrie Kathleen , Lambert Sam , Luvaul Lance , Lawrence Jon , Lothrop Jordan , Macdonald G. Scott , Mali Slavko , Margheim Steve , McDermid Richard , McGregor Helen , Miller Bryan , Miranda Felipe , Muller Rolf , Nielsen Jon , Norbury Ryan , Oberdorf Oliver , Pai Naveen , Perez Gabriel , Prado Pablo , Price Ian , Quiroz Carlos , Reshetov Vladimir , Robertson Gordon , Ruiz-Carmona Roque , Salinas Ricardo , Sebo Kim M. , Sheinis Andrew , Shetrone Matthew , Shortridge Keith , Silversides Katherine , Silva Karleyne , Simpson Chris , Smith Greg , Szeto Kei , Tims Julia , Toro Eduardo , Urrutia Cristian , Venkatesan Sudharshan , Waller Lewis , Wevers Ivan , Wierzbicki Ramunas , White Marc , Young Peter , Zhelem Ross
Published: September 2023

The Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) is the newest high-resolution spectrograph to be developed for a large-aperture telescope, recently deployed and commissioned at the Gemini-South telescope. In this paper, we present the first science results from the GHOST spectrograph taking during its commissioning runs. We have observed the bright metal-poor benchmark star HD 122563, along with two stars in the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Reticulum II (Ret ii), one of which was previously identified as a candidate member, but did not have a previous detailed chemical abundance analysis. We find that this candidate (GDR3 0928) to be a bona fide member of Ret ii, and from a spectral synthesis analysis it is also revealed to be a CEMP-r star, with significant enhancements in several light elements (C, N, O, Na, Mg, and Si), in addition to featuring an r-process enhancement like many other Ret ii stars. The light-element enhancements in this star resemble the abundance patterns seen in the CEMP-no stars of other ultrafaint dwarf galaxies, and are thought to have been produced by an independent source from the r-process. These unusual abundance patterns are thought to be produced by faint supernovae, which may be produced by some of the earliest generations of stars.
Jet-powered Turbulence in Common Envelope Evolution
Authors: Hillel Shlomi , Schreier Ron , Soker Noam
Published: September 2023

We conduct a three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulation of common envelope evolution (CEE) where a neutron star (NS) spirals in inside the envelope of a red supergiant star in a predetermined orbit. We find that the jets shed pairs of vortices in an expanding spiral pattern, inflate two expanding spirally shaped low-density bubbles, one above and one below the equatorial plane, and deposit angular momentum to the envelope. In the simulation we do not include the gravity of the NS such that all effects we find are solely due to the jets that the spiraling-in NS launches. The angular momentum that the jets deposit into the envelope is of the same order of magnitude as the orbital angular momentum and has the same direction. The turbulence that the jets induce in the common envelope might play a role in transporting energy and angular momentum. The jet-deposited energy that is radiated away (a process not studied here) leads to a transient event that is termed a common envelope jets supernova (CEJSN) and might mimic an energetic core collapse supernova. The turbulence and the spiral pattern that we explore here might lead to bumps in the late light curve of the CEJSN when different segments of the ejected envelope collide with each other. This study emphasizes the roles that jets can play in CEE (including jets launched by black hole companions) and adds to the rich variety of processes in CEJSN events.
Maps of Solar Wind Plasma Precipitation onto Mercury’s Surface: A Geographical Perspective
Authors: Lavorenti Federico , Jensen Elizabeth A. , Aizawa Sae , Califano Francesco , D’Amore Mario , Domingue Deborah , Henri Pierre , Lindsay Simon , Raines Jim M. , Savin Daniel Wolf
Published: September 2023

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, possesses a weak intrinsic magnetic field, and has only a very tenuous atmosphere (exosphere). These three conditions result in a direct coupling between the plasma emitted from the Sun (namely, the solar wind) and Mercury’s surface. The planet’s magnetic field leads to a nontrivial pattern of plasma precipitation onto the surface that is expected to contribute to the alteration of the regolith over geological timescales. The goal of this work is to study the solar wind plasma precipitation onto the surface of Mercury from a geographical perspective, as opposed to the local time-of-day approach of previous precipitation modeling studies. We employ solar wind precipitation maps for protons and electrons from two fully kinetic numerical simulations of Mercury’s plasma environment. These maps are then integrated over two full Mercury orbits (176 Earth days). We found that the plasma precipitation pattern at the surface is most strongly affected by the upstream solar wind conditions, particularly the interplanetary magnetic field direction, and less by Mercury’s 3:2 spin–orbit resonance. We also found that Mercury’s magnetic field is able to shield the surface from roughly 90% of the incoming solar wind flux. At the surface, protons have a broad energy distribution from below 500 eV to more than 1.5 keV, while electrons are mostly found in the range 0.1–10 keV. These results will help to better constrain space weathering and exosphere source processes at Mercury, as well as interpret observations by the ongoing ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission.
Immunotherapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: current use of immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy
Authors: Juárez-Salcedo Luis Miguel , González Luis Manuel , Dalia Samir
Published: September 2023

Patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have high cure rates with current treatment options including immuno-polychemotherapy. However, around 30% of cases do not respond or develop relapse disease. For this, it is necessary to search for new therapeutic options. In recent years, therapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells has been a strategy for those patients with LBDCG in progression or relapse, although only 30–40% of cases achieve durable remissions. The programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor regulates the T-cell-mediated immune response through binding to its ligands (PD-L1). Some tumor cells present high expression of PD-L1, which down-regulates T-cell activation. The beneficial antitumor activity of PD-1 and PD-L1 has been widely demonstrated in certain solid organ malignancies. However, their utility in the treatment of lymphomas is complex. To date, different clinical trials have demonstrated its usefulness as an innovative therapeutic alternative in these tumors. In this review article, we evaluate the literature on the role of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in DLBCL and describe future strategies involving these new anticancer agents in this lymphoid neoplasm.
Cardiovascular disease classification based on a multi-classification integrated model
Authors: Zhang Ai-Ping , Wang Guang-xin , Zhang Wei , Zhang Jing-Yu
Published: September 2023

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has now become the disease with the highest mortality worldwide and coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of CVD. This paper makes effective use of patients' condition information to identify the risk factors of CVD and predict the disease according to these risk factors in order to guide the treatment and life of patients according to these factors, effectively reduce the probability of disease and ensure that patients can carry out timely treatment. In this paper, a novel method based on a new classifier, named multi-agent Adaboost (MA_ADA), has been proposed to diagnose CVD. The proposed method consists of four steps: pre-processing, feature extraction, feature selection and classification. In this method, feature extraction is performed by principal component analysis (PCA). Then a subset of extracted features is selected by the genetics algorithm (GA). This method also uses the novel MA_ADA classifier to diagnose CVD in patients. This method uses a dataset containing information on 303 cardiovascular surgical patients. During the experiments, a four-stage multi-classification study on the prediction of coronary heart disease was conducted. The results show that the prediction model proposed in this paper can effectively identify CVDs using different groups of risk factors, and the highest diagnosis accuracy is obtained when 45 features are used for diagnosis. The results also show that the MA_ADA algorithm could achieve an accuracy of 98.67% in diagnosis, which is at least 1% higher than the compared methods.
El pensamiento teórico literario de Fernando Lázaro Carreter. Esbozo para un estudio
Authors: Salas Romo Eduardo A.
Published: September 2023

El trabajo tiene como objetivo el estudio de la producción teórico literaria de Fernando Lázaro Carreter, para lo cual se procede, primeramente, a delimitar su obra en ese sentido de entre el enorme caudal de sus publicaciones. La misma obra aconseja partir de la dialéctica poética explícita / poética implícita, diferenciación entre teoría y crítica que tan buenos resultados ha dado, sin desconsiderar, por supuesto, la complementariedad de las distintas disciplinas literarias. Dicho acotamiento permite, en primer lugar, la descripción de los trabajos más significativos y el análisis de la incursión del autor en las distintas grandes corrientes de pensamiento estético y literario por las que transcurre su obra, posibilitando la ponderación del alcance y singularidad de sus propuestas. Por otra parte, se procede, además, a la consideración de los conceptos e ideas que constituyen su objeto de atención preferente.
Problemas y propuestas para una definición del steampunk
Authors: Calzón García José Antonio
Published: September 2023

El artículo analiza la evolución y la problemática inherente a la definición del steampunk, planteando un nuevo enfoque en torno a dicho concepto, más centrado en los componentes semiótico- pragmáticos de su naturaleza crítica y contestataria –a partir del eje emisión- recepción– que en los clichés temáticos y argumentales tradicionales (universo victoriano, formulación ucrónica, importancia del vapor, etc.), los cuales conceden protagonismo fundamentalmente a los elementos semánticos. En este sentido, se propone una relectura de algunos análisis clásicos en torno a los problemas de la industrialización del siglo XIX –fundamentalmente Karl Marx, William Morris y John Ruskin– como piedra de toque con la que buscar, en última instancia, una nueva definición del género, más centrada en la reformulación de las relaciones entre el hombre y la máquina, desde un prisma cercano a los estudios culturales y al postestructuralismo.
PROCEDURE TO GROW FUNGI-BASED BIODEGRADABLE INSULATING PANELS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
Authors: Díez Isabel González , González M. Auxiliadora Vázquez , González Eduardo Mayoral , Bueno Salvador , Martín Domingo , Aparicio Patricia
Published: September 2023

This work tackles the development of green biocomposite insulating panels out of fungi mycelia and to replace petroleum-based foam-expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels. These biological prototypes have advantages over expanded polystyrene foam panels, since they do not pollute, they are not flammable, and they are 100% biodegradable. They have been developed growing Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) and Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) mycelia on different agricultural substrates inside different types of moulds (up to 21 × 30 cm). As a result, the most suitable combinations of fungi species and agricultural substrates have been determined to grow biological insulating panels. Prototypes obtained were subjected to accelerated ageing tests to evaluate their resistance and changes in durability against water filtration and humidity changes in the event that they are used as insulating panels. Some technological properties have also been determined to evaluate their use as construction materials. The results obtained allow us to claim that biodegradable fungi-based insulating panels are viable to replace polluting foam-based insulating panels for the construction industry.
Quantum-Enabled Machine Learning With a Challenge in Clothing Classification With a QSVM Approach
Authors: Muthusamy Arvindhan , Daniel A.
Published: September 2023

Quantum information encoding also introduces the concept of quantum entanglement, where multiple qubits can become correlated in such a way that the state of one qubit cannot be described independently of the state of the other qubits. This property has important implications for quantum communication and quantum computing, as it allows for the creation of secure quantum communication channels and for the development of quantum algorithms that can solve certain problems much faster than classical algorithms. Quantum-enabled machine learning (QEML) is an emerging field that seeks to combine the power of quantum computing with classical machine learning techniques. One approach to QEML is the use of quantum support vector machines (QSVMs), which are quantum versions of classical support vector machines (SVMs).
Data Analysis on Weaving Productivity of a Jute Industry in West Bengal, India
Authors: Bag Satya Narayan
Published: September 2023

The target efficiency of the Hessian shuttle loom was much lower than the Sacking loom due to the lighter construction of the Hessian fabric and lower yarn count. It was found that variation of actual CV% of efficiency percentage of Hessian Shuttle loom was comparatively higher than Sacking loom. It is due to the high variation of the number of loom running /day and the lighter construction of the Hessian fabric. In the case of Victor loom, there is a positive co-relationship between Kgs/loom/shift and machine efficiency. Here the value of R is positive. In the case of the S 4 loom, there is a strong positive co-relationship between machine efficiency and kgs/loom/shift. Here the value of R is 0.98 which indicates a strong positive relationship between the two variables. The relationship is statistically significant at a 95% confidence level. In the case of sacking quality narrow shuttle loom, it is found that kgs/loom/shift is positively correlated with loom efficiency %.
Becoming a Successful Pre-Service English as a Foreign Language Lecturer in the Digital Divide
Authors: Zeybek Gülin
Published: September 2023

The ephemeral nature of life is such that what was present in our lives yesterday may undergo a transformation or cease to exist altogether, as if it had never been. Technology has emerged as a significant factor in mitigating the challenges posed by various crises, particularly during recent global pandemics, natural calamities, and mass migrations. Undoubtedly, the incorporation of technology in the realm of education is a significant phenomenon. Currently, attention is directed towards academic institutions that offer programs for teacher education. Numerous responsibilities are assigned to the faculty members who provide instruction to individuals pursuing a career in teaching. The education of pre-service teachers regarding technology necessitates a distinct emphasis and instruction. The primary subject matter of this chapter pertains to the instruction of technology integration for pre-service English teachers, with a particular emphasis on the digital divide.
Innovative Active Methodologies That Promote Learning in Postgraduate Students in the 21st Century
Authors: Espinosa Edgar Oliver Cardoso , Hurtado María Elena Zepeda , Cortés Ruiz Jésica Alhelí
Published: September 2023

The objective of the chapter is to propose the incorporation of active methodologies for the development of the competencies of postgraduate students in order to promote quality professional training. This comparative study comes from research whose results emanate from the use of active and innovative teaching strategies, put into practice in the classroom, with the aim of defeating the problems that frequently arise such as academic lapsing, lack of interest and communication, work team up. Within the solution alternatives, strategies and materials were used to promote learning related to the needs and in the context of the students, to develop skills and knowledge for solving administrative situations. Therefore, a proposal for successful training practices in project-based learning and the flipped classroom is presented to promote quality academic training in postgraduate students.
The Future of Distance Education
Authors: Fidalgo Patricia , Thormann Joan , Kulyk Oleksandr , Lencastre José Alberto , Figueiras Maria João
Published: September 2023

This chapter explores students' opinions and experiences with distance education (DE) from a multinational perspective, focusing on Portugal, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates. The research questions address students' previous experiences with online courses, their opinions about DE, reasons for enrolling or not enrolling in DE courses, perceived preparedness for DE, receptiveness to DE courses after the pandemic, preferences for DE formats, and differences based on age, gender, and country. By examining these aspects, the study aims to provide research-informed support for future DE models and contribute to understanding students' preferences, needs, and opinions regarding DE. The findings can potentially inform IHEs' digitalization strategies, recruitment efforts, learning approaches, and the development of purposefully designed DE and blended learning programs. The multinational approach strengthens the analysis and enhances understanding of the impact of DE on students' learning experiences in different countries.
Creative Writing of Disinformation Narratives
Authors: Roca Anastasio García , León Ana Manzano , Rodríguez Ferrer José M. , Sánchez Rubén Camacho
Published: September 2023

The ubiquity of new portable devices with internet access and recent events such as the global pandemic caused by COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the importance of media and information literacy. In parallel, developing tools based on artificial intelligence will allow the developing of sophisticated disinformative content (deepfakes). This media context demands new and refined informational competences to identify and verify information. This research presents a proposal to develop media and information literacy using AI tools to create audiovisual content. Strategies such as flipped classrooms, thematic debates, and playful activities are used. A selection of evaluation instruments is presented, which, through a pre-and post-experimental design, will allow the evaluation of this proposal and the learning developed by the students.
Modeling Requirements With Diabetes Using Supervised Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Dangi Priyal
Published: September 2023

Diabetes is characterized by either insufficient or inefficient insulin production by the body. High blood glucose levels result from this, which over time can harm a number of tissues and organs in the body. Diabetes can be brought on by a specific age, obesity, inactivity, insufficient physical activity, inherited diabetes, lifestyle, poor diet, hypertension, etc. This chapter explores modeling requirements with diabetes using supervised machine learning techniques.
Playing Rock-Paper-Scissors Using AI Through OpenCV
Authors: Bangole Narendra Kumar Rao , Ranjana S.
Published: September 2023

Day-to-day life has become smarter and more intertwined with technology in the modern era. We can chat with AI chatbots, and we can play with AI machines. In many cases, AI machines are defeating human players. All age groups are likely to play these games. The computer gaming industry has found Artificial intelligence as a necessary element to make more entertaining and challenging games. This work involves the integration of rock-paper-scissors (RPS) game with artificial intelligence (AI) using OpenCV and MediaPipe. Through collaboration with designers and animators, the framework is designed to be computationally light while also entertaining and visually appealing. To evaluate kinematic hand data in Python, the basic gesture recognition pipeline emp1oys a 1eap motion device and two distinct machine 1earning architectures. This proposed system will provide a powerful application for future research into social human-machine interaction.
The Art of Breaking Down
Authors: Behera Tapan Kumar
Published: September 2023

Microservice architecture (MSA) is a popular software architecture style for developing scalable and resilient applications. However, designing data models for MSA presents unique challenges that require careful consideration. This chapter explores the relationship between MSA and data modeling and provides insights into best practices for designing data models that are optimized for MSA. It defines MSA and its key principles, examines the implications of MSA on data modeling, and discusses strategies for designing data models that are modular, decoupled, and flexible. The chapter also presents several case studies of organizations that have implemented MSA and data modeling strategies and discusses future trends in MSA and data modeling strategy, including the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate data modeling. By following the best practices outlined in this chapter, organizations can realize the benefits of MSA while ensuring data consistency, scalability, and maintainability.
Analyzing the Rich
Authors: Sokoli Guri Arianit
Published: September 2023

The number of billionaires in a country gives us significant insights regarding the country's corporate and economic landscape. The number of billionaires indicates the country's economic performance, financial market strength, and amount of support for entrepreneurship and innovation. The presence of a large number of billionaires suggests that the country has a solid business climate that promotes the growth and success of affluent individuals. These people' riches may have been built through creative business methods, technical developments, or savvy investments. However, it is crucial to highlight that the number of billionaires does not always imply a thriving economy. Our project seeks to investigate the global links of billionaires and their commercial specialization tactics.
The Software Principles of Design for Data Modeling
Authors: Bhattacharya Saurabh
Published: September 2023

The method for researchers to ascertain clients' software needs is requirement gathering. Requirement gathering rarely occurs successfully, and numerous software programs have failed as a result of incorrect or partial knowledge of the needs of users. The requirement-gathering technique is widely considered to be an essential part of development. The chapter will critically discuss why many developments fail due to poor requirements gathering. It is a challenging task to elicit requirements. When requirements are elicited, errors are most common. Addressing the system's needs presents several challenges, and the chapter intends to study these challenges and provide a solution. Professionals face challenges in gathering requirements due to the unavailability of stakeholders, unclear requirements, frequent changes in demand, and lack of skills for analysts. In a variety of contexts and areas, interviews with a preference for framework proved to be among the best gathering approaches.
Requirements Modeling
Authors: Uysal Murat Pasa
Published: September 2023

Industrial applications and research studies report that organizations using machine learning (ML) solutions may be at risk of failure or they could fall short of business objectives. One serious issue that is often neglected is meeting the specific requirements of machine learning-driven software systems (MLD-SS). The use of a variety of information technologies, integration methods and tools, and domain-specific processes can add to this complexity. The data-driven and black-box nature of ML may be another great challenge. Therefore, there is a clear need for adopting a stakeholder-centered approach to the requirements engineering (RE) of MLD-SS. Use case modeling (UCM) can make requirements simpler and understandable by all stakeholders, allow better communication of ideas and provide support to testing, validation, and verification processes. In this chapter, a ten-step RE method and a four-step UCM method are proposed for MLD-SS, and then these methods are applied in a real case study of a university hospital.
Financial Inclusion
Authors: Vijaya G. S. , Prabhu Divya , M Sandhya , Aldehayyat Jehad
Published: September 2023

Banking is essential for economic growth, but it often faces challenges in rural areas due to lack of knowledge, technology acceptance, education, and infrastructure. Rural Banking in India, with a universal presence, is still lagging behind in the developmental race. To achieve inclusive growth, the country should focus on overall growth without ignoring rural regions. However, rural areas are often the least focused on for providing hi-tech banking services or basic banking services. To achieve financial inclusion, technology can be integrated to provide basic banking services in remote or rural areas, with support from the government, banking regulators, bankers, and potential users. These aspects are covered in a lucid manner in this chapter by supportive facts and figures.
The Relationship Between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Gaming Disorder
Authors: Hawi Nazir , Samaha Maya
Published: September 2023

The relationship between the obsessive-compulsive disorder and the gaming disorder is investigated. A total of 345 undergraduates completed a survey that included demographic information, responses to the obsession-compulsive inventory-revised scale and the internet gaming disorder test. While initial findings showed the obsessive-compulsive disorder can predict the gaming disorder, deeper probe carried the potential of changing how this relationship is conceptualized. Only the checking subtype predicted the internet gaming disorder within the disordered gaming group. A corollary to this finding is that symptoms of the checking subtype of the compulsions component can predict having gaming disorder. Also, there was a significant strong association between a counting symptom and the internet gaming disorder scores of the disordered gaming group. This study indicated that the identified significant impact of the obsessive-compulsive disorder on the gaming disorder is rooted in shared mental functions by a gamer.
A Scholar Case Study of IT Education Knowledge Through Practice for Development in a Post-Conflict Region Kosovo
Authors: Cocaj Halime
Published: September 2023

The technological advancements have enormously changed the way humans live today. According to literature studies, countries that have placed a strong emphasis on the IT revolution could benefit from the rewards of the industrialization era. The study's conclusions have drawn attention to Kosovo's lack of computer applications and IT integration in its educational system. The facts highlighted that Kosovo faces a lack of incorporations of computer application and IT in their educational system. There exists a significant disparity between the public and private educational institutes in this nation in terms of emphasis on IT in their educational system. It has been observed that more emphasis is being given in private sector educational institutes on IT incorporation in these schools and associated curriculums. The survey research has been conducted in person in schools and universities of Kosovo.
Benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) as a possible risk factor for Peyronie's disease (PD). The influence of BPO and PD on mental health
Authors: Paulis Gianni , Paulis Andrea
Published: September 2023

To the Editor, Our study aimed to investigate a possible relationship between benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) and Peyronie's disease (PD) and to characterize the psychological profile of patients affected by Peyronie's disease, with or without concomitant BPO. In this study, we have investigated whether there is a relationship between the two diseases. The typical symptoms of PD are as follows: penile deformation, local pain, erectile dysfunction (ED), and anxious depressive state. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) causes symptoms only in the case of urinary obstruction (benign prostatic obstruction/BPO). BPO is an emotionally stressful condition, but any type of treatment, such as surgery, by significantly decreasing LUTS, can significantly improve the general well-being of the affected patient (1). We performed a retrospective analysis of the clinical database of a single uro-andrology clinic. From the database, we considered two separate cohorts of patients observed between January 2013 and February 2023. The first cohort included 539 patients diagnosed with Peyronie's disease. As a comparator population, we considered a cohort of 2208 outpatients referred to our clinic for any disease, but not Peyronie's disease. [...]
Is quadratus lumborum block combined with low dose-spinal anesthesia an effective alternative to general anesthesia in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy?
Authors: Abouelgreed Tamer A. , Elgarhy Ahmed M. , Elatreisy Adel , Ewieda Tamer M. , Ibrahim Wael M. , Yahia Othman Saadeldien , Elnaggar Ahmed M. , Elbadawy Mohamed A. , Alkumity Ali A. , Badran Yasser , Ali Mahmoud , Gomaa Aly , Elebiary Mohame. F. , Aboelnasr Mahmoud
Published: September 2023

Background: General anesthesia in high-risk patients has many complications and needs long preoperative preparations and postoperative intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combined low-dose spinal anesthesia with quadratus lumborum block (QLB) as an alternative to general anesthesia for patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Patients and methods: A prospective study was conducted at the urology department of Al-Azhar University Hospitals in Cairo, Egypt, from January 2021 to January 2022. The study included 60 patients of ASA ll-lll scheduled for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. All patients received low-dose spinal anesthesia (5 mg bupivacaine) and QLB (QL1-QL2-QL3) approaches. The primary observation parameter was the efficacy of this technique as an alternative to general anesthesia. The secondary parameters measured were evaluation of need for intraoperative narcotics, postoperative pain score (VAS), and patients satisfaction as assessed using a 5-point Likert Scale. Results: None of the patients was given general anesthesia, and intraoperative sedation was given to nineteen patients (32.2%). No hemodynamic changes were observed in all patients. There was a significant correlation between the use of intraoperative sedation and stone site, intraoperative blood loss, and hospital stay. Pain intensity on VAS at rest and movement was low until the 24th postoperative hour. Patient satisfaction score was 3, 4, and 5 in 1 (1.7%), 4 (6.7%), and 55 (91.6%) patients, respectively. Conclusions: Combined low-dose spinal anesthesia with quadratus lumborum block is an effective alternative to general anesthesia in patients undergoing PCNL procedures with good postoperative analgesia. Patients with lower calyceal punctures have a lower incidence of intraoperative sedation requirements.
Overview of the National Ethics Committee Registry for Biomedical and Health Research in India
Authors: Venugopal Balu , Nagar Anu , Kumar Yogesh , Sinha Sujata
Published: September 2023

As notified in the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules 2019, ethics committees (ECs), intending to review and oversee the conduct of Biomedical and Health Research (BHR) shall be required to register with the authority designated by the Central Government in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Health Research (DHR). The entire process of receiving and processing such applications is done online through the Naitik portal. Vide these rules, it has become mandatory for all institutions/entities whether publicly or privately conducting or intending to conduct BHR involving the human participants, to get their EC, registered with the DHR. A status report of the functioning of the National Ethics Registry and an analysis of ECs registered with the DHR are presented in this manuscript. A workflow of the processing involved in EC registration is given with sectorial segregation, and analysis of data on ECs across the country is made for the dissemination and information. This article elaborates on the registration requirements and process of the EC registry with the necessity of being registered with the DHR. 2100 login requests and more than 1560 applications for registration have been received; private hospitals and medical colleges have been the front-runner in getting their organization registered, and organizations in the commercial sector are faring better in terms of EC registration. Further dissemination and outreach efforts have to be made to draw the attention of various stakeholders regarding this requirement and thereby ensuring that all ECs in the country are registered with the DHR.