bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BUDİST VE İSLAMÎ TÜRKÇE METİNLERDE SARAN SÖZCÜĞÜ
Authors: İsi Hasan
Published: June 2024

Eldeki çalışma, yazılı belgeler tanıklığında ilk kez Eski Uygurcada ‘pintilik, cimrilik; pinti, cimri’ anlamlarında tanıklanan saran sözcüğünün Budist ve İslamî Türkçe metinlerdeki görünümüne dayanmaktadır. Dinî terim hüviyetinde ‘cömertlik’ kavramının zıddı olan ‘cimrilik’, dünya üzerindeki çoğu inanç sisteminde toplumsal yardımlaşma ve dayanışmayı engelleyen bir tutum olarak görülmektedir. İslam öncesi Türk inanç sisteminde ‘cimrilik’ kavram alanının içeriği Buddha dinini benimsemiş Uygurlar vasıtasıyla anlaşılmaktadır. Budist Uygur metinlerine göre ‘cimrilik’, aç hayaletlerin ülkesine düşmenin sebebi olarak gösterilmekte ve sıklıkla ‘cömertlik’ erdemine vurgu yapılmaktadır. Buddha dinine dayalı birçok Uygur metninde içeriği ve kapsamı detaylıca gösterilen ‘cimrilik’, İslamî döneme ait Türkçe metinlerde de karşılıklara sahiptir. İslam dini açısından dünya ve ahiret mutluluğunun önünde bir engel olarak görülen ‘cimrilik’, hem Budist hem de İslamî düşünce sistemlerinin ortak dinî terimlerinden biridir. İslamî Türkçe metinlerin ilk kez ortaya konduğu Karahanlı Türkçesine ait metinlerde kavramsal içeriğe sahip ‘cimrilik’, Budizm’de olduğu gibi, İslam dininde de dinî bir yasak olarak görülmekte, çoğunlukla ‘cömertlik’ kavramının önemi vurgulanmaktadır. Bu yönüyle eldeki çalışma, ilk kez Eski Uygurcada ‘pintilik, cimrilik; pinti, cimri’ anlamlarında belgelenen saran kelimesine dair değerlendirmelerden oluşmaktadır. Çalışma, üç bölümden meydana gelmektedir. Çalışmanın ilk başlığında, Budist ve İslamî Türkçe metinlerde saran kelimesine dair tanıklardan ve türevlerden hareketle, ‘cimrilik’ kavramı ortaya konmaktadır. Çalışmanın ikinci başlığında, tarihî Türk dillerinden tanıklanan saran sözcüğünün izi, modern Türk dillerinde sürülmektedir. Çalışmanın son başlığında ise, saran kelimesine dair belirlediğimiz olası köken önerileri gösterilmekte, her bir öneri kendi içerisinde tartışıldıktan sonra, ilgili sözcüğün Altay Dilleri Kuramı ile ilişkili olduğu anlaşılmaktadır.
6 ŞUBAT KAHRAMANMARAŞ DEPREMLERİNDE TÜRK AİLE YAPISI: GELENEKSEL KODLARIN YÜKSELİŞİ
Authors: Akyıldız Nihal Arda , Sığın Aykut
Published: June 2024

6 Şubat 2023 tarihli Kahramanmaraş merkezli iki büyük deprem yıkıcı etkiler yaratmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, depremzedelerin aile yapılarındaki değişimin yanı sıra, yerleşim bölgelerinden ayrıl(a)mama nedenlerini analiz etmeye çalışmaktır. Deprem bölgesinde 30 depremzedeyle yüz yüze (s=22) ve uzaktan (s=8) yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. “Afetlerin geleneksel kodları yeniden üretimi: Çekirdek aileden geniş aileye dönüş” ve “mekânsal aidiyetin kurulmasında öne çıkan bir kurum olarak Türk ailesi” şeklinde iki ana tema belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın ilk bulgusu; deprem deneyimi sonrasında dayanışma ve yardımlaşma duygusunun aile bağlarını güçlendirdiğini ve birkaç kuşağı bir araya getirerek çekirdek aile yapısından geniş aile yapısına doğru bir geçiş sürecinin yaşandığını ortaya çıkarmıştır. İkinci bulgu ise mekân aidiyeti, toprağa bağlılık, toprağın geçim kaynağı oluşu ve güçlü Türk aile bağları gibi nedenlerle yerleşim alanını terk etmeme yönündeki tercihleri açığa çıkarmıştır. Çalışma, Türk aile yapısının dayanışma ruhuyla hızlıca geniş aileye evrilme kapasitesinin yanı sıra, depremzedelerin aidiyet duygularıyla toprağa bağlılık ve geleneksel üretim sistemlerinden de vazgeçmeme tercihlerini ortaya koymuştur. Çalışmanın genel geçerlik veya kalıcılık iddiası bulunmamakla birlikte literatüre katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.
KADINLARIN EVLENMEDEN ÖNCEKİ BEKARET DURUMLARININ FARKLI DEĞİŞKENLER AÇISINDAN İNCELENMESİ: İSTANBUL İLİ ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: Güdücü Burcu
Published: June 2024

Bekaret olgusu; aile yapıları, kişilerin bu aileler içerisinde yetiştirilme tarzları, sosyalizasyon süreçleri, eğitim sistemi, ekonomik yapı, dini inanışlar, tarihsel ve kültürel yapılar, örf ve adetler gibi birçok olgu ile sıkı sıkıya bağlıdır. Bu çalışmada; inanç sistemleri, gelir ve eğitim düzeyi gibi sosyodemografik değişkenlerin bekaret olgusuna etkisi, kadınların eşlerinin bakirliğini nasıl algıladıkları tartışılmış ve bu konuda bir anket geliştirilmiştir. Bekaret, toplumsal cinsiyet bağlamında erkeklerden ziyade kadınlar ile ilişkilendirilen bir kavram olduğundan; geliştirilen anket, İstanbul ilinde ikamet eden evli veya başından bir evlilik geçmiş 400 kadına uygulanmıştır. Çalışmaya katılan kadınlara sorulan temel sorulardan bir tanesi, “Evlendiğinizde bakire miydiniz?” sorusudur. Buna göre kadınların %88,50’si evlendiğinde bakire olduğunu ifade etmiştir. Sadece bu oran bile ülkemizde bekaretin önce kadın, dişilik ve kadının namusu ile ilgili bir kavram olarak görüldüğünün bir ifadesidir. Çalışmadaki temel parametrelerden biri eğitim düzeyi ve bekaret ilişkisidir. Cinsiyet fark etmeksizin eğitim düzeyi arttıkça bakire olma durumu ve kadından bekaret beklentisi azalmakta, eğitim durumu düştükçe bakire olma ve kadından bekaret bekleme durumu artmaktadır. Aynı şekilde hanenin aylık geliri düştükçe kadından bekaret bekleme durumu artmakta, aylık gelir attıkça, kadınların evlenmeden önce bekaretlerini koruma eğilimleri de düşmektedir. Çalışmada konu, başörtüsü, nikah türü, eşin eğitim durumu, doğulan ve yaşanılan bölge gibi farklı parametreler üzerinden tartışılmıştır. Bu sayede Türkiye geneli için geçerli olmasa bile İstanbul ili genelinde bekarete verilen önem ve bu önemin hangi değişkenlere bağlı artıp azaldığı incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın sunmayı hedeflediği bir diğer katkı da bekaret kavramına dair toplumsal norm ve değerlerin anlaşılması, değişimlerin tespiti ve farkındalığın arttırılması yönündedir.
PATERSON, NEW JERSEY'DE MEMORATLAR BAĞLAMINDA ÖLÜM RİTÜELİNE YAKLAŞIM
Authors: Zöhre Eryılmaz Harika
Published: June 2024

Memorat, ‘Tabiat üstü ferdî bir tecrübenin yaşayan veya ondan dinlenmiş birisi tarafından anlatılan şahsa bağlı hikâye’ olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Bilindiği üzere memorat, anlatı geleneği içerisinde en çok efsane türüne yakın bulunmakla birlikte, onu efsanelerden ayıran en önemli husus anlatıya ‘kişinin tecrübe etmesini’ ve ‘şahsi olma’ ölçütünü getirmesidir. Geçiş dönemleri içerisinde ölüm ritüellerinin devamlılığının sağlanmasında bu anlatıların oldukça önemli bir rol oynamasının yanı sıra, heterojen bir yapıya sahip olan bir bölgede anlatıların yayılması ve sürekliliği ayrı bir önem arz etmektedir. Bu anlatı biçimi orada yaşayan insanların kültürel bağlarının kuvvetlenmesinin yanı sıra birbirlerini bu kültürel altyapıda tutmaya olanak sağlayan bir düzendir.
Geçiş dönemleri aynı zamanda kültürel değişimleri de açıkça gözler önüne seren bir süreci kapsadığından, memoratlar Paterson’da yaşayan Türklerin kültürel devamlılıklarının ve ölüm ritüellerine yaklaşımlarının tespitinde kolaylık sağlayan bir tür olarak ele alınabilir.
Paterson, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri içerisinde New Jersey eyaletine bağlı, Little İstanbul olarak bilinen getto bir bölgedir. Çalışmada burada yaşayan Türklerin ‘ölüm’ ritüeline yaklaşımları, anlatıları (memoratlar), mezarlıkları ve Türk sosyokültürel yapısından farklı gerçekleşen defin uygulamaları konu edilmiştir. Ayrıca çalışmada ölümle ilgili anlatılar, tutum ve davranışların yanı sıra Türk mezarlıkları eski Türk inançlarına bağlılıkları bağlamında değerlendirilmiştir. Tüm bu inceleme ve değerlendirmelerle yoğun bir Türk nüfusuna sahip Paterson halkının, yaşadıkları bölgeyi memleket olarak görüp görmedikleri; defin uygulamalarının birtakım farkları sebebi ile insanların huzursuzlukları ve bunların memoratlara yansıması çalışmanın konusunu oluşturur.
Çalışma, Paterson bölgesinde yapılan birebir görüşme, anket ve gözlemlere dayanmaktadır.
Content Brand Journalism Impact on Consumption and Consumer Behavior of 'Big Five' Football Clubs' Digital Products
Authors: YARKIN Zeki , DOĞAN Erman , KILIÇ Çağan
Published: June 2024

This study has been built as a market research which aims to examine the usage of today’s new technological processes along with developing digital marketing tools in sports, to measure the resultant reactions of sport consumers and to provide a better understanding of consumer behaviours, which are examined as a result of the alternative contents produced by football as well as the contents produced by its natural assets. At the same time, the difference between the consumer reaction for both the main and alternative products is measured and the answer to the question whether or not the potential products that can be produced have consumption potential as much as the main products, is searched. This study aims to analyse two football clubs selected from each of the top 5 European football leagues regarding the popularity rates of chosen social platforms. In conclusion, the results state the importance of content creation and support the idea of using players as a product to produce contents, apart from their natural assets, as an effective digital sport marketing strategy. Additionally, it is aimed to incorporate new marketing methods and tools that are actively used by sports clubs with the academic literature.
Analysis of the Scientific Production of the Region of Andalusia in Spain in the area of Social Work in the Web of Science
Authors: CHAVES-MONTERO Alfonso
Published: June 2024

Scientific research in Social Work has become increasingly important in higher education. Although this discipline's incorporation into academic research was delayed, it remains highly relevant. This article explores and analyzes the current bibliographic production in Social Work in Andalusia, using the Web of Science database. The main objective is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of this field, examining indices related to Social Work and identifying its weaknesses and strengths. The analysis will use three primary tools: SPSS, SCIMAT, and VosViewer. This bibliometric analysis will evaluate the scientific production in Social Work, offering a comprehensive overview of its scope and quality. Results may indicate that the bibliometric index of this field is below expected or potential standards. Additionally, it might be noted that higher-indexed articles are often written in English by professionals outside the specific field of Social Work. These findings suggest the need to strengthen research in Social Work by increasing scientific production and encouraging the participation of social work professionals in knowledge generation. The results also highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and establishing connections with professionals from other related research areas. This study aims to provide a detailed insight into the bibliographic production in Social Work in Andalusia through a bibliometric approach. The results will help identify strengths and weaknesses in this field, offering valuable information for future research and the development of Social Work as a scientific discipline.
Exploring Educational Inclusion and School Segregation: New Perspectives from the Case Study of Romania
Authors: COSTACHE Luminita , CRAI Eugen , IVAN Claudiu
Published: June 2024

The article discusses the relationship between school segregation and the inclusive education related goals, analysing auspices that could lead to the success of educational policies aimed at desegregating schools. It goes in depth with nuances necessary for understanding the school segregation phenomenon and mechanisms for monitoring school segregation as a public policy project stemming from the case of Romania. While previous studies on school segregation have focused on inter-school segregation (the distribution of students from various categories among different schools), we argue that it is equally important to consider the intra-school segregation side (i.e. segregation within the same school learning spaces). Relevant social context elements which are paramount for the success of desegregation policies are also discussed, such as the level of public support granted for such an educational policy, the impact of the "marketization" of educational services (degree of freedom in choosing educational services or the privatization thereof, etc.), awareness of the positive effects of school desegregation both from moral and economic perspective, and the necessity of ongoing monitoring of the phenomenon to prevent school re-segregation. The benefits of school desegregation are analysed from the perspective of different stakeholders, including parents of vulnerable students involved in schooling as well as parents of better-off students, placed at the top of the socioeconomic hierarchy. The conclusion we draw is that providing educational services in a desegregated manner is beneficial not only to society as a whole but also to each category of stakeholders considered separately. The article also suggests new future guidelines for researching and documenting school segregation.
The Effect of Top Management Commitment to HRM Practices on Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Workforce Sustainability
Authors: AL DARWISHI Raqiya , YEŞILTAŞ ehmet
Published: June 2024

This study explores the relationship between top management commitment (TMC) to training, reward systems, and empowerment, workforce sustainability (WFS) and job satisfaction (JBS) in the context of commercial banks in Oman. Specifically, the investigation focuses on the mediating influence of workforce sustainability in the connection between TMC to training, reward systems, and empowerment initiatives on JBS. A sample of 310 employees from various commercial banks in Oman participated in this research is achieved using a self-administered survey questionnaire. The study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) as the primary analytical tool to assess the relationships and interactions in this study. The Findings of this study indicated a positive interaction of TMC regrading training on JBS. However, it shows an insignificant impact of TMC to empowerment and reward on JBS. This study also indicated a positive interaction of TMC regrading training and empowerment on WFS. However, it shows an insignificant impact of TMC to reward on WFS. WFS also have a positive impact on JBS. Additionally, WFS has a mediating influence in the interaction between TMC to training and empowerment on JBS. However, the mediating influence of WFS in the interaction TMC to reward on JBS is not supported. The findings of this study are anticipated to provide valuable insights for both academic and practical purposes. This research contributes to the broader discourse on organizational management and human resources practices, offering meaningful implications for cultivating a positive and sustainable work environment in the banking industry.
Public Administration in the Context of Digital Transformation: Innovations and Challenges
Authors: STOROZHENKO Lina , OLSHANSKYI Oleksandr , STATIVKA Nataliia , CHERNOIVANENKO Alina , HORDIIENKO Yevheniia
Published: June 2024

The processes of the management system transformation in various spheres of socio-economic relations towards the growth of the role of publicity, information accessibility, and digitalization of management algorithms are among the current global trends. The study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the aspects of public administration mechanism implementation in the context of digital transformation. The research identifies the main issues of the management paradigm and options for its solution. The study was carried out based on general scientific methods of cognition. They include logical and structural analysis, comparison, theoretical modeling, abstraction, induction, and deduction, as well as statistical methods, specification, generalization, and formalization. The article explores the innovative aspects of public administration in the context of global digital transformation. The authors have considered the public administration digitalization process's main issues, challenges, and achievements. It has been determined that the effective use of digital transformation opportunities is an essential prerequisite for intensifying the effectiveness of economic processes. Moreover, the authors developed a universal model of effective digitalization of the public administration system. Furthermore, the practical significance of the research findings is seen in the possibility of their application during the development of relevant programs. The latter aims to improve the efficiency of the public administration system, increase the productivity of various spheres of socio-economic activity, and form a versatile, effective model of digital optimization of management processes in the context of sustainable development.
Communication Strategies of the Media Elite
Authors: BESSARAB Anastasiia , ZYKUN Nataliia , DRESHPAK Valerii , KVASNYTSIA Olha , VOLYNETS Galyna , ROHOVA Tetiana
Published: June 2024

The article examines the role and influence of the media elite in shaping communication strategies, political communications, and the editorial policies of corporate publishing. Given the current changes in the global media landscape, this research is highly relevant. This paper aims to identify the main characteristics and functions of the media elite, define the content and structure of ideas about media elites and their communication policy. The study employs an integrated approach, utilizing descriptive, analytical, and synthetic methods to present the theoretical and methodological framework. It also applies an interdisciplinary research method to examine specific features of media elites and their communication strategies. Analysis of statistical data was used to determine the popularity and frequency of use of various sources of information, as well as to assess the level of trust in the media elite among society. A semantic and stylistic method is employed to illustrate language resource utilization in media texts. The research establishes that media elites' structure and ideological guidelines significantly impact the style of political communications, communication strategies in the media, and the type, content, and meaning of contemporary media texts. The findings emphasize the evolving nature of media elite communication strategies in response to various factors, including technological advancements, socio-political shifts, and cultural changes. This underscores the importance of further exploration of their roles in transitional democracies and regions facing media challenges. This research provides a foundation for understanding how media elites align with other influential groups, their perspectives on national interests, and the potential implications for democratic processes.
Effects of Consumption Brew Robusta Coffee on Alveolar Bone Resorption in Rats Induced Periodontitis by Porphyromonas gingivalis
Authors: Farchi Ghafran Nailul , Prasetya Rendra Chriestedy , Fatimatuzzahro Nadie
Published: June 2024

Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis is the main cause of periodontitis. The presence of virulence factors of this bacteria increases pro-inflammatory cytokines that can interfere with the remodeling of alveolar bones that will later occur alveolar bone resorption. Robusta coffee is a natural ingredient that contains various substances that are useful for inhibiting inflammation, such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and caffeine. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of steeped Robusta coffee consumption on alveolar bone in rats induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis. Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats divided into 5 groups, control group (K1), rats treated with P. gingivalis induction and was sacrificed on the 14th day (K2), rats treated with P. gingivalis induction with 3.6 ml of brew coffee and was sacrificed on the 14th day (K3), rats treated with P. gingivalis induction and sacrificed on the 28th day (K4), rats treated with P. gingivalis induction with 3.6 ml of brew coffee and sacrificed on the 28th day. The specimens were then processed histologically and stained with HE to determine alveolar bone resorption. Results: There was no significant difference between the induction P. gingivalis and the consumption of robusta brew coffee for 14 days with control group. It means that treated brew robusta coffee for 14 days had alveolar bone resorption similar with the control group. The induction group P. gingivalis with consumption of Robusta coffee brew for 28 days there was a significant difference with the control group. The induction group P. gingivalis with consumption of Robusta coffee brew for 14 days differed significantly from the treatment for 28 days, this could be due to the longer treatment resulting in more bacterial tissue exposure. Conclusion: Consumption of brew robusta coffee can inhibit the resorption of alveolar bone caused by Porphyromonas gingivalis.
Hypertension, Sodium and Their Relationship among Adults or Middle-Aged Adults: A Scoping Review
Authors: Putri Aisyah Desfiani , Syakirah Andi Putri Niswatu , Sitasari Almira , Siswati Tri
Published: June 2024

Background: Hypertension is expected to reach 60% by 2025, largely in low- and middle-income countries, with 46% unaware and 42% undiagnosed and untreated Knowing the intricate association between salt and adult hypertension is vital for public health efforts. This scoping review explain how sodium affects blood pressure to prevent hypertension in adults and middle-aged people. Methods: Tricco and colleagues' approach was used to examine hypertension and salt in adults and middle-aged people. Assessment techniques, hypertension prevalence, and sodium-hypertension relationships were reviewed. A comprehensive PubMed and Google Scholar search of full-text academic journals spanning 2013-2023 found relevant studies. Two researchers extracted data separately and reached consensus for eligible trials. The search phrases were hypertension, salt, adult, middle-aged, and young adult. Results: There were 13 articles, found that nutritional intake evaluations, 24-hour urine collections, clinical and laboratory tests, physical measurements, blood pressure monitoring, and specific trials or interventions are assessment methods. Salt consumption and hypertension show different prevalence rates. Conclusion: These studies also describe the complex relationship between salt intake and hypertension in adults and middle-aged people. These studies effectively elucidate a complex correlation between salt consumption and hypertension among middle-aged and adult individuals, notwithstanding variations in measurement approaches and prevalence.
A Novel Approach Development to Control Solar Air Cooler Using Intelligent Technique
Authors: Hasan Mashhood , Abdullateef Abdullateef H.
Published: June 2024

An intelligent technique is used to control a novel design solar air cooler, where, a solar air cooler has two sections, one is the solar photovoltaic system and the second is an air cooler. A photovoltaic system has non-linear characteristics of active power versus voltage graph that depends on solar irradiation (Watt/Area). Thus, here, an intelligent technique is developed using Arduino IED to extract maximum power from the solar panel. At maximum power buck converter is pulsed to charge the 12V battery. Whereas a second section has a novel approach to circulate unpleasant humid air to pleasant cool air and it completes its duty in three stages. In the first stage, hot or humid air comes from the atmosphere and enters into the tank where 20 W DC pump circulates water inside the evaporator which is made of circular copper coils. The circular coil maintains the cool temperature, whenever, hot air comes into contact with the cool copper coils. In the second stage, a DC fan 60W is installed in between the coils which takes cool less humid air and exhaust through the narrow gap and in the third stage, air takes another path to circulate pleasant air. These approaches reduce 10% of relative humidity and maintain 260C temperature inside the 12ft-by-12ft room. Moreover, relative humidity and temperature are fully controlled under the hybrid condition of the proposed air cooler. Hybrid condition is the condition when the proposed air cooler runs with a split-phase air conditioner.
Packed U Cell Seven Level and Five Level Inverter Topologies for Renewable Energy Applications
Authors: Ahamad Isarar , Iqbal Atif , Alotaibi Majed A. , Malik Hasmat , García Márquez Fausto Pedro , Afthanorhan Asyraf
Published: June 2024

The multilevel inverter (MLI) is a power electronic circuit applied for power and voltage applications. It has the advantages of minimum total harmonic distortion (THD), less voltage stress on the switching devices, fewer switching losses, and a smaller size of passive filters. These high-level inverters are applied in applications like AC drives, FACTS, and in the field of renewable energy. There are various inverters for such applications. A PUC multilevel inverter contains fewer components, fewer switching losses, and easy-to-balance voltage on capacitor sides. In this paper, the performance of the transformer less seven-level inverter and the five-level inverter is analyzed. The sinusoidal pulse width modulation (PWM) has been used with this PUC-based structure. The new control strategy is designed to reduce harmonic contents and low filter ratings. A relative analysis is carried out to focus on the superiority of the recently developed packed U-cell topology. The performance of packed U-cell, seven-level, and five-level inverters has been compared. These types of inverters consist of two power switches and a single capacitor to make this inverter effective. The PUC 7 inverter contains a lot of sensors and other control components to balance the voltage on the capacitor side by one-third of the input voltage, so the structure becomes complex. While PUC 5 is sensor less technology, there is no voltage balancing issue and no complexity found in this inverter. In PUC5, the only level is low, but it is very easy to interface with grids and other devices. So it is the most preferable as compared to PUC7. The performance analyses of these inverters have been verified through simulation.
Intelligent Search Engine Tool for Querying Database Systems
Authors: Kaur Gagandeep , Agrawal Poorva , Shelar Hemlata , Abraha Gebrehiwot
Published: June 2024

The amount of data being produced and used every day is increasing rapidly. Different operations are performed on the data that is stored in database systems to generate meaningful information. The task of retrieving data from the database is difficult for inexperienced users who don’t have great knowledge of Database Management System (DBMS) languages such as Structured Query Language (SQL). Using Natural Language Processing, anyone can directly interact with the database system. To achieve this type of communication, we have developed a novel and improved Intelligent Search Engine (ISE) Tool using natural language processing. Using this search engine, the user can query the database system in natural language (human-understandable language). The intelligent search engine will convert the natural language query into the DBMS language query to retrieve the data from the database. The proposed system also has a query recommendation engine that recommends the possible queries in case of any error or if the result is not found. The intelligent search engine proposed in this work is a generic tool that is not dependent on the front or back end of the system, therefore it can be used for any database system.
An Extended Kannan Contraction Mapping and Applications
Authors: Pant R. P.
Published: June 2024

We extend the Kannan contraction principle and obtain a result that holds for both contractive and non-expansive mappings. Such mappings admit multiple fixed-points and the fixed-point sets and domains of these mappings display interesting algebraic, geometric and dynamical features. Since contraction mappings admit only one fixed-point, almost all the existing results on contractive mappings can be generalized in the light of our theorem. As an application of our main theorem, we obtain the integral solutions of a nonlinear Diophantine equation; the solutions are Pythagorean triples, which represent right angled triangles, and each integer of the triple belongs to a Fibonacci type sequence. These results can be generalised to obtain integral solutions of Diophantine equations of the type (n+k)2 – n2 = p2, k > 1, and to check whether the related sequences are Fibonacci sequences.
Enhancing Apple Leaf Disease Detection: A CNN-based Model Integrated with Image Segmentation Techniques for Precision Agriculture
Authors: Parashar Nidhi , Johri Prashant
Published: June 2024

The agriculture industry has an enormous influence on a nation's economy. Loss of yield due to plant diseases remains a reason, reducing crop quantity and quality. Incorrect diagnosis of crop diseases can result in improper application of chemical pesticides, which promotes immune microbial strains, raises expenses, and triggers fresh outbreaks that are harmful to the economy and the ecosystem. Despite the potential of Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) approaches in plant disease detection, their limited effectiveness results in poor or late disease detection. Resolving this issue is critical, requiring the development of more accurate disease detection methods. This research introduces an innovative approach for the detection of apple leaf diseases utilizing the CNN-based Inception-v3 model. The dataset comprises images taken on location without having any control over the image-capturing settings may provide better relevance to real-world scenarios. The proposed method integrates canny edge detection and watershed transformation to achieve accurate image segmentation, thereby enhancing the identification of disease regions. Additionally, exploratory data analysis was performed, and channel distributions were visualized to understand the dataset's characteristics. To ensure robust evaluation, the model's performance underwent stratified 5-fold cross-validation. The model classified plant images with 84.60% precision, 87.40% recall, 85.00% F1-score, and 94.76% accuracy. Experimental results substantiate the efficacy of the proposed approach, surpassing existing methods in disease classification.
Domain Discrimination Expert Weighted Network for Multi-Source Carotid Artery Plaque Classification
Authors: Jiang Louyi , Xie Jiang , Bi Zhuo
Published: June 2024

The rupture of unstable plaques is a major cause of acute cardiovascular events. The early assessment of carotid plaques can significantly reduce the cardiovascular risks, so developing evaluation models suitable for data from different centers is of great clinical importance. This study leverages plaque datasets from multiple centers to develop a Weighted multi-source carotid artery plaque Unsupervised Classification Framework (WUCF). The multi-source domain adaptation module of the WUCF focuses on maintaining feature consistency between each independent source and target center, while also integrating a specialized domain discriminator expert. This ensures that the knowledge from each source center is effectively learned and combined for accurate predictions in the target domain. The experimental evaluation of WUCF, using datasets from three centers, has demonstrated the method’s superiority and robustness.
Harmful Risk of Bioaerosol Pollution at Major Indoor Sites of a Summer Campus in Guilin City
Authors: Zhang Xibiao , Xu Wei , Liao Lei , Qin Aimiao , Mo Shengpeng , Fan Yinming
Published: June 2024

Bioaerosols are a potential risk of infection in densely populated indoor sites at university campuses. In this study, indoor bioaerosols from the canteen, classroom, and dormitory on campus were sampled and analyzed in the summer of 2021 to investigate the harmful risk. The results showed that bacteria are the predominant microbes, and the total number of bacteria detected in the classroom during no lesson in the morning (33% of samples) and in the canteen during meal times (55% of samples) was greater than the World Health Organization’s recommended value (1000 CFU/m3). The ranges of respirable bioaerosol (<3.3 µm) contributions in the classroom, dormitory, and canteen were 50–75%, 57–70%, and 64–80%, respectively. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the most dominant phyla in all three indoor environments, with a relative abundance of both above 20%. At the family level, Muribaculaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Bacteroidaceae had high relative abundance in all indoor sites. Some of the microbes carried by bioaerosols were conditionally pathogenic bacteria, such as Micrococcaceae and Enterococcaceae, which may have a harmful risk of causing various inflammatory infections. The results of this study provide basic data to improve indoor environments and control indoor bioaerosol pollution on campus.
Refinements and Extensions of Ziv’s Model of Perfect Secrecy for Individual Sequences
Authors: Merhav Neri
Published: June 2024

We refine and extend Ziv’s model and results regarding perfectly secure encryption of individual sequences. According to this model, the encrypter and the legitimate decrypter share a common secret key that is not shared with the unauthorized eavesdropper. The eavesdropper is aware of the encryption scheme and has some prior knowledge concerning the individual plaintext source sequence. This prior knowledge, combined with the cryptogram, is harnessed by the eavesdropper, who implements a finite-state machine as a mechanism for accepting or rejecting attempted guesses of the plaintext source. The encryption is considered perfectly secure if the cryptogram does not provide any new information to the eavesdropper that may enhance their knowledge concerning the plaintext beyond their prior knowledge. Ziv has shown that the key rate needed for perfect secrecy is essentially lower bounded by the finite-state compressibility of the plaintext sequence, a bound that is clearly asymptotically attained through Lempel–Ziv compression followed by one-time pad encryption. In this work, we consider some more general classes of finite-state eavesdroppers and derive the respective lower bounds on the key rates needed for perfect secrecy. These bounds are tighter and more refined than Ziv’s bound, and they are attained using encryption schemes that are based on different universal lossless compression schemes. We also extend our findings to the case where side information is available to the eavesdropper and the legitimate decrypter but may or may not be available to the encrypter.
Image to Label to Answer: An Efficient Framework for Enhanced Clinical Applications in Medical Visual Question Answering
Authors: Wang Jianfeng , Seng Kah Phooi , Shen Yi , Ang Li-Minn , Huang Difeng
Published: June 2024

Medical Visual Question Answering (Med-VQA) faces significant limitations in application development due to sparse and challenging data acquisition. Existing approaches focus on multi-modal learning to equip models with medical image inference and natural language understanding, but this worsens data scarcity in Med-VQA, hindering clinical application and advancement. This paper proposes the ITLTA framework for Med-VQA, designed based on field requirements. ITLTA combines multi-label learning of medical images with the language understanding and reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs) to achieve zero-shot learning, meeting natural language module needs without end-to-end training. This approach reduces deployment costs and training data requirements, allowing LLMs to function as flexible, plug-and-play modules. To enhance multi-label classification accuracy, the framework uses external medical image data for pretraining, integrated with a joint feature and label attention mechanism. This configuration ensures robust performance and applicability, even with limited data. Additionally, the framework clarifies the decision-making process for visual labels and question prompts, enhancing the interpretability of Med-VQA. Validated on the VQA-Med 2019 dataset, our method demonstrates superior effectiveness compared to existing methods, confirming its outstanding performance for enhanced clinical applications.
Modelling a DC Electric Railway System and Determining the Optimal Location of Wayside Energy Storage Systems for Enhancing Energy Efficiency and Energy Management
Authors: Alnuman Hammad
Published: June 2024

Global demand for fossil fuels is highly increasing, necessitating energy efficiency to be enhanced in transitioning to low-carbon energy systems. Electric railways are highly efficient in reducing the transportation demand for fossil fuels as they are lightweight and their energy demand can be fed by renewable energy resources. Further, the regenerative braking energy of decelerating trains can be fed to accelerating trains and stored in onboard energy storage systems (ESSs) and stationary ESSs. It is fundamental to model electric railways accurately before investigating approaches to enhancing their energy efficiency. However, electric railways are challenging to model as they are nonlinear, resulting from the rectifier substations, overvoltage protection circuits, and the unpredictability and uncertainty of the load according to the train position. There have been few studies that have examined the ESS location’s impact on improving the energy efficiency of electric railways while using specialised simulation tools in electric railways. However, no single study exists that has studied the location impact of stationary ESSs on the energy efficiency of electric railways while the trains are supported by onboard ESSs. Given these goals and challenges, the main objective of this work is to develop a model using commercial software used by industry practitioners. Further, the energy saving is aimed to be maximised using stationary ESSs installed in optimal locations while trains are supported by onboard ESSs. The model includes trains, onboard ESSs, rail tracks, passenger stations, stationary ESSs, and traction power systems involving power lines, connectors, switches, sectioning, and isolators. In this article, a test scenario is presented comprising two trains running on a 20 km with three passenger stations and two substations. The trains and track are modelled in OpenTrack simulation software (Version 1.9) while the power system is modelled in OpenPowerNet simulation software (Version 1.11). The two simulation tools are used in the railway industry and can produce realistic results by taking into account the entire electrical network structure. A stationary ESS is added on the wayside and moved in steps of 1 km to obtain the optimal location before investigating the impact of stationary ESSs on the performance and energy management of onboard ESSs. It is found that the energy saving when installing a stationary ESS at the optimal location is 56.05%, the peak-power reduction of Substation 1 is 4.37%, and the peak-power reduction of Substation 2 is 18.67%.
Etching Rate Analysis Model Based on Quartz Bond Angle Characteristics
Authors: Zhao Xinjia , Lv Chengbao , Song Shuanqiang , Zhao Meng , Ji Jing
Published: June 2024

This paper proposes a method for classifying crystal planes based on the bond angle characteristics of quartz unit cells and constructs an etch rate model for quartz crystal planes at both macro and micro scales. By omitting oxygen atoms from the quartz cell structure, a method based on bond angle characteristics was established to partition the atomic arrangement of the crystal surface. This approach was used to analyze the etching processes of typical quartz crystal planes (R, r, m, and (0001)), approximating the etching process of crystals as a cyclic removal of certain bond angle characteristics on the crystal planes. This led to the development of an etch rate model based on micro-geometric parameters of crystal planes. Additionally, using the proposed bond angle classification method, the common characteristics of atomic configurations on the crystal plane surfaces within the X_cut type were extracted and classified into seven regions, further expanding and applying the etch rate model. The computational results of this model showed good agreement with experimental data, indicating the rationality and feasibility of the proposed method. These also provide a theoretical basis for understanding the microstructural changes during quartz-based MEMS etching processes.
Uncovering the Chemical Composition and Biological Potentials of Bupleurum lancifolium Hornem. from Jordan
Authors: Al-Bataineh Nezar , Abu-Orabi Sultan T. , Shannag Suhair B. , Al-Jaber Hala I. , Bataineh Tareq T. , Al-Zereini Wael A. , Al-Qudah Mahmoud A.
Published: June 2024

The current study was designed to uncover the chemistry and bioactivity potentials of Bupleurum lancifolium growing wild in Jordan. In this context, the fresh aerial parts obtained from the plant material were subjected to hydrodistillation followed by GC/MS analysis. The main components of the HDEO were γ-patchoulene (23.79%), β-dihydro agarofuran (23.50%), α-guaiene (14.11%), and valencene (13.28%). Moreover, the crude thanolic extract was partitioned to afford two main major fractions, the aqueous methanol (BLM) and butanol (BLB). Phytochemical investigation of both fractions, using conventional chromatographic techniques followed by careful inspection of the spectral data for the isolated compounds (NMR, IR, and UV-Vis), resulted in the characterization of five known compounds, including α-spinasteryl (M1), ethyl arachidate (M2), ethyl myristate (M3), quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-4”)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (B1), and isorhamnetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-4”)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (B2). The TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity testing of both fractions and HDEO revealed an interesting ABTS scavenging potential of the BLB fraction compared to the employed positive controls, which is in total agreement with its high TP and TF contents. Cytotoxic evaluation tests revealed that BLM had interesting cytotoxic effects on the normal breast cell line MDA-MB-231 (ATCC–HTB-26) and the normal dermal fibroblast (ATCC® PCS-201-012) and normal African green monkey kidney Vero (ATCC-CCL-81) cell lines. Despite both the BLB and BLM fractions showing interesting AChE inhibition activities (IC50 = 217.9 ± 5.3 µg/mL and 139.1 ± 5.6 µg/mL, respectively), the HDEO revealed an interestingly high AChE inhibition power (43.8 ± 2.7 µg/mL) that far exceeds the one observed for galanthamine (91.4 ± 5.2 µg/mL). The HDEO, BLM, and BLB exhbitied no interesting antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Inhibitors of Pueraria lobata Based on the Spectrum–Effect Relationship by Q-Marker Selection
Authors: Zhang Yong , Liu Haipeng , Lv Tianci , Xiao Mengqian , Gao Guihua
Published: June 2024

Pueraria lobata (P. lobata), a traditional anti-diabetic medicine mainly composed of flavonoids and isoflavones, has a long history in diabetes treatment in China. However, the anti-diabetic active component is still unclear. Recently, protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has been a hot therapeutic target by negatively regulating insulin signaling pathways. In this study, the spectrum–effect relationship analysis method was first used to identify the active components of P. lobata that inhibit PTP1B. The fingerprints of 12 batches of samples were established using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and sixty common peaks were identified. Meanwhile, twelve components were identified by a comparison with the standards. The inhibition of PTP1B activity was studied in vitro by using the p-nitrophenol method, and the partial least squares discriminant analysis, grey relational analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and cluster analysis were used to analyze the bioactive compounds in P. lobata. Peaks 6, 9 (glycitin), 11 (genistin), 12 (4′-methoxypuerarin), 25, 34, 35, 36, 53, and 59 were considered as potentially active substances that inhibit PTP1B. The in vitro PTP1B inhibitory activity was confirmed by glycitin, genistin, and 4′-methoxypuerarin. The IC50s of the three compounds were 10.56 ± 0.42 μg/mL, 16.46 ± 0.29 μg/mL, and 9.336 ± 0.56 μg/mL, respectively, indicating the obvious PTP1B inhibitory activity. In brief, we established an effective method to identify PTP1B enzyme inhibitors in P. lobata, which is helpful in clarifying the material basis of P. lobata on diabetes. Additionally, it is evident that the spectrum–effect relationship method serves as an efficient approach for identifying active compounds, and this study can also serve as a reference for screening bioactive constituents in traditional Chinese medicine.
Characterisation of Cannabis-Based Products Marketed for Medical and Non-Medical Use Purchased in Portugal
Authors: Pires Bruno , Oliveira Patrik , Simão Ana Y. , Reis João , Ramos Sofia , Duarte Ana Paula , Margalho Cláudia , Rosado Tiago , Barroso Mário , Gallardo Eugenia
Published: June 2024

Cannabis-based products have gained attention in recent years for their perceived therapeutic benefits (with cannabinoids such as THC and CBD) and widespread availability. However, these products often lack accurate labelling regarding their cannabinoid content. Our study, conducted with products available in Portugal, revealed significant discrepancies between label claims and actual cannabinoid compositions. A fully validated method was developed for the characterisation of different products acquired from pharmacies and street shops (beverages, herbal samples, oils, and cosmetic products) using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector. Linearity ranged from 0.4 to 100 µg/mL (0.04–10 µg/mg) (THC, 8-THC, CBD, CBG, CBDA, CBGA), 0.1–100 µg/mL (0.01–10 µg/mg) (CBN), 0.4–250 µg/mL (0.04–25 µg/mg) (THCA-A), and 0.8–100 µg/mL (0.08–10 µg/mg) (CBCA). Among sampled beverages, none contained detectable cannabinoids, despite suggestive packaging. Similarly, oils often differed from the declared cannabinoid compositions, with some containing significantly higher CBD concentrations than labelled. These inconsistencies raise serious concerns regarding consumer safety and informed decision-making. Moreover, our findings underscore the need for stringent regulation and standardised testing protocols to ensure the accuracy and safety of cannabis-based products.
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Coumarins from the Aerial Parts of Pterocaulon polystachyum
Authors: Scopel Júlia M. , Medeiros-Neves Bruna , Teixeira Helder Ferreira , Brazil Nathalya T. , Bordignon Sérgio A. L. , Diz Fernando Mendonça , Morrone Fernanda Bueno , Almeida Rafael N. , Cassel Eduardo , von Poser Gilsane L. , Vargas Rubem M. F.
Published: June 2024

Pterocaulon polystachyum is a species of pharmacological interest for providing volatile and non-volatile extracts with antifungal and amebicidal properties. The biological activities of non-volatile extracts may be related to the presence of coumarins, a promising group of secondary metabolites. In the present study, leaves and inflorescences previously used for the extraction of essential oils instead of being disposed of were subjected to extraction with supercritical CO2 after pretreatment with microwaves. An experimental design was followed to seek the best extraction condition with the objective function being the maximum total extract. Pressure and temperature were statistically significant factors, and the optimal extraction condition was 240 bar, 60 °C, and pretreatment at 30 °C. The applied mathematical models showed good adherence to the experimental data. The extracts obtained by supercritical CO2 were analyzed and the presence of coumarins was confirmed. The extract investigated for cytotoxicity against bladder tumor cells (T24) exhibited significant reduction in cell viability at concentrations between 6 and 12 μg/mL. The introduction of green technology, supercritical extraction, in the exploration of P. polystachyum as a source of coumarins represents a paradigm shift with regard to previous studies carried out with this species, which used organic solvents. Furthermore, the concept of circular bioeconomy was applied, i.e., the raw material used was the residue of a steam-distillation process. Therefore, the approach used here is in line with the sustainable exploitation of native plants to obtain extracts rich in coumarins with cytotoxic potential against cancer cells.