bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Signal Processing: New Stochastic Feature of Unvoiced Pronunciation for Whisper Speech Modeling and Synthesis
Authors: Zhuang X. D. , Zhu H. , Mastorakis N. E.
Published: January 2021

Whisper is an indispensable way in speech communication, especially for private conversation or human-machine interaction in public places such as library and hospital. Whisper is unvoiced pronunciation, and voiceless sound is usually considered as noise-like signals. However, unvoiced sound has unique acoustic features and can carry enough information for effective communication. Although it is a significant form of communication, currently there is much less research work on whisper signal than common speech and voiced pronunciation. Our work extends the research of unvoiced pronunciation signal by introducing a novel signal feature, which is further applied in unvoiced signal modeling and whisper sound synthesis. The statistics of amplitude for each frequency component is studied individually, based on which a new feature of “consistent standard deviation coefficient” is revealed for the amplitude spectrum of unvoiced pronunciation. A synthesis method for unvoiced pronunciation is proposed based on the new feature, which is implemented by STFT with artificially generated short-time spectrum with random amplitude and phase. The synthesis results have identical quality of auditory perception as the original pronunciation, and have similar autocorrelation as that of the original signal, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed stochastic model of short-time spectrum for unvoiced pronunciation
Overview of the pharmacy education and workforce development challenges and responses to the global pandemic of COVID-19 in Switzerland
Authors: Czock Astrid
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic changed pharmacy education permanently as it promoted and facilitated online learning for the pharmacy workforce. In regards to examinations, it did not affect the examination mode as exams could be performed under special precautions and respecting predefined safety concepts
An online international pharmacy summer course during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kim Rory E , Morningstar-Kywi Noam , Romero Rebecca M. , Chan Karen M. , Gabrielyan Lilit , Mojab Yasi , Parikh Sanjana S. , Nokes Lindsay , Graham Terrence , Haworth Ian S.
Published: January 2021

The University of Southern California School of Pharmacy has offered a residential summer course for international undergraduate pharmacy students for many years, with a focus on clinical therapeutics. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to offer the on-campus course. After some discussion, the course was moved online, with the goals of maintaining links with international partners and providing students with a virtual study abroad experience. This article describes the planning and implementation of this course, which was held for two weeks in July 2020 for 19 students from South Korea, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. The course included an integrated science and clinical approach to diabetes and drug-drug interactions. The facilitation of active learning and problem-solving in transnational student groups through Zoom meetings are described. A post-course survey of students provided positive feedback on the content and online delivery of the course.
Determining the best practices for remote experiential rotations
Authors: Zhu Catherine , Brown Thomas E R
Published: January 2021

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical sites have closed their doors to student placements, leading to the implementation of remote rotations. The purpose was to determine best practices for distance preceptorship from the student’s perspective.
Methods: A survey was sent to the pharmacy students at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy who have completed at least one remote rotation.
Results: Forty-eight out of 121 students (39%) completed the survey. It was found that 83% of the students were motivated during the start of their rotations, while 48% remained motivated throughout. Students who remained motivated had clear expectations set from the beginning, felt comfortable communicating issues regarding their assigned work with their preceptor, had similar rapport with remote preceptors as with in-person preceptors, had a preceptor who is always available for questions, and had a work environment free of distractions.
Discussion:There are numerous best practices students and preceptors can utilise during a remote rotation to help students remain motivated. Preceptors and students should work together so that students remain motivated throughout their rotation. Setting expectations, having good communication, getting to know their preceptor, and having a work environment free of distractions are key factors for conducting a remote rotation.
Distance assessment of counselling skills using virtual patients during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Thomas Dixon , Beshir Semira A , Zachariah Seeba , Sundararaj Kishore G S , Hamdy Hossam
Published: January 2021

Background: Reports on using virtual patients to assess counselling skills is scarce. Aim: This paper describes the feasibility and acceptability of assessing patient counselling skills of pharmacy students using a virtual patient simulator.
Description: In this innovative method, a high quality simulator ‘Virtual Patient Learning’ (VPL) was developed at Gulf Medical University (GMU) and was used to assess the counselling skills of 15 pharmacy graduate students. Counselling skills were measured using a four-domain scoring rubric of 1 to 5 marks followed by instant feedback for improvements. Student and faculty satisfaction scores were collected based on the feasibility and acceptability of the assessment method.
Evaluation: The average counselling skills score for all students was 68.4 (85.5%) out of 80 (range 54-76), with a standard deviation of 5.8. The overall student agreement on the feasibility and acceptability of the assessment method was 92.8%; it was 100% agreement for faculty.
Conclusion: The use of a high quality VPL simulator in assessing counselling skills was deemed feasible and acceptable for students and faculty. The assessment was repeated among 30 Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) graduates with similar outcomes. The virtual counselling method will be used in the programme exit exams, as well as in students entering their experiential year. Further studies are required to assess its validity and reliability with more students.
Pharmacy student perspectives on learning in and from a global pandemic
Authors: Liu Yannee , Kludass Jessica , Mak Vivienne
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way pharmacy students experience education. Some of these transformations may persist long after the disease abates. In normal circumstances, incoming pharmacy students would be enjoying on-campus university life and/or professional instruction for the very first time. Final year students would be focused on making the practice transition needed for entry to practice. Pandemic-related modifications have changed both of these experiences. The following is a commentary by two pharmacy students reflecting on this - what has been missed, what has been learned, what has been contributed, and what (we hope) happens next.
COVID-19: Rebooting pharmacy education in resource-limited settings
Authors: Lates Jennie , Kibuule Dan
Published: January 2021

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated inequalities in access to quality pharmacy education, particularly in resource-limited settings in Africa (Engle, 2020; Fuller et al., 2020). This is a serious concern for Africa especially, given that sub-Saharan Africa ranks lowest on the global pharmaceutical workforce index and has a disproportionately high burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases, combined with weak health systems (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2013; Bates et al., 2018).
Indonesian pharmacy education, workforce challenges, and responses to the global pandemic of COVID-19
Authors: Ernawati Desak Ketut , Kristianto Franciscus Cahyo , Wijoyo Yosef
Published: January 2021

Indonesia is an archipelago country that has a wide range of economic and social differences across the country. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented challenges to multidimensional aspects of human life globally. This pandemic has also disrupted the education sector. Pharmacy education is no exception to the pandemic challenges. This manuscript overviews challenges and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic into the pharmacy education (initial education and pre-registration training) and pharmacy professions in Indonesia.
An overview of Portugal's educational challenges and responses to the global pandemic of COVID-19
Authors: Alves da Costa Filipa , Auxtero Maria Deolinda , Martins Ana Paula , Caramona Maria Margarida
Published: January 2021

The current pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 came un-expectantly and required unprecedented ability to adapt and quickly put in place the most appropriate response measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 disease, while minimising disruption to society’s essential activities. Some sectors were more capable of adapting and reacting than others. Higher education was one of the sectors where the academic capacity (FIP Development Goal 1) demonstrated was phenomenal, partially attributable to the ability to create partnerships between academia and practice. This editorial provides a description of the major changes put in place in Portugal to ensure the education and training of future graduates in Pharmaceutical Sciences was maintained with the same quality. It also discusses some of the potentially less beneficial long-term impacts of these adaptions to the teaching and assessment methods for the competencies of the workforce of tomorrow.
En busca de la tranquilad perdida
Authors: Forero Illera Elias
Published: January 2021

Durante un poco más de 50 años he aprendido a superar problemas de salud, económicos y laborales con éxito, pero esta ‘corona crisis’ parece ser superior a mis fuerzas.
Tambaqui’s sausage: sensory evaluation
Authors: Santo Edson Francisco do Espírito , Rolim Julia Eudoxia Decaris , Pereira Ytaiara Lima , Oliveira Anne Caroline Dantas Tavares de , Júnior Washington Clementino Amorim
Published: January 2021

This work aimed to elaborate 2 formulations of tambaqui sausages, smoked freshness and cuiabana, and to perform their sensory evaluation. After preparation, the pasta was embedded in a casing and stored under refrigeration until the moment of smoking, in the case of freshness, and subsequently the analyzes were carried out. Acceptance, purchase intention and preference tests were carried out, with the participation of 49 IFAM / CMZL tasters. Cuiabana showed better results in all analyzes, with values of 4.52 for the acceptance test, 4.44 for the purchase intention, and 65.3% in the preference test. The freshness obtained, respectively, the values of 4.31, 4.33, 34.7%. Despite the differences, it can be said that both formulations have been accepted and are commercially viable.
HYPOTHYROIDISM – A MANIFESTATION OF AVARANA
Authors: S.Gnana Prasuna  , B. Harinatha Chary  , Manu.R
Published: January 2021

Introduction: The modern era is witnessing a dramatic increase in the incidence of endocrine disorders. The notorious and the non specific nature of the symptoms many a time leads to clinical misdiagnosis. One such condition is Hypothyroidism. An early accurate diagnosis of hypothyroidism is essential as late management may lead to complications as diabetes, IHD etc. For decades the standard treatment of hypothyroidism is levothyroxine. The side effects of levothyroxine as hair loss, headache, menstrual irregularities etc. are forcing the mankind to go for an alternative treatment. To evolve a good treatment a complete understanding of hypothyroidism on Ayurvedic basis is highly essential. Aim: To understand hypothyroidism according to Ayurveda. Materials & Methods: Ayurvedic Samhitas, modern medical text books and websites. Result: Hypothyroidism can be understood as ‘Amayukta Kaphavruta Udanavata’ according to Ayurveda. Conclusion: Depending on several factors as Dosha, Nidana, Samprapti and Lakshanas hypothyroidism can be understood as Kaphavruta udanavata.
Economic evaluation of zinc oxide nanoparticle production through green synthesis method using Cassia fistula plant extract
Authors: Fatmarin Zahra , Dani Nandiyanto Asep Bayu
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a zinc oxide (ZnO) manufacturing project through a green synthesis method using plant extracts Cassia fistula and then evaluate it from an engineering and economic perspective. Several economic evaluation parameters are analyzed to inform the potential production of ZnO nanoparticles, such as the length of time required for an investment to return the total initial expenditure (PBP), the condition of a production project in the form of a production function in years (CNPV), project benefits and so on. The results showed that the production of ZnO nanoparticles was very prospective. Technical analysis to produce 250 kg of ZnO nanoparticles per day shows the total cost of the equipment purchased to be 21,450.00 USD. PBP analysis shows that investment will be profitable after more than three years. This project can compete with PBP capital market standards because of the short investment returns. To ensure the feasibility of a project, the project is estimated from ideal conditions to the worst case in production, including labor, sales, raw materials, utilities, and external conditions.
Development of rural tourism in the municipality of Dragash
Authors: Islami Esad , Sejdiu Lulzim
Published: January 2021

Tourism as an economic activity is a multidimensional phenomenon and is characterized by a pronounced mass in the global school. Modern working conditions in a field and tourist characteristic are characterized by a strong competition. Using tracking and research, we should not achieve a more effective analysis and assessment of natural potentials, anthropogenic resources, infrastructure and investments in the areas of Opolje and Gora, and beyond. With this paper we want to highlight the potentials and achievements of rural tourism in the municipality of Dragash, as well as in the use of policies and the use of concrete initiatives to make a unit. In this way it is necessary to know the tourism and rural economic market, as well as the opportunities for placing goods and the tourist offer of goods in that market, and thus provide reasonable examples for other municipalities in Kosovo.
PENINGKATAN KEMAMPUAN MEMBACA PEMAHAMAN TEKS BAHASA INGRRIS SISWA SMP MELALUI PENERAPAN PENDEKATAN KOMUNIKATIF
Authors: TAMRIN TAMRIN
Published: January 2021

Permasalahan yang peneliti temukan di kelas IX/A SMP Negeri 1 Cabangbungin, pada proses pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris tentang membaca adalah siswa kurang memahami isi bacaan dengan baik. Permasalahan tersebut peneliti rumuskan kedalam beberapa masalah penelitian yang diantaranya adalah sebagai berikut: Apakah penerapan pendekatan komunikatif dapat meningkatkan kemampuan membaca pemahaman teks bahasa Inggris siswa kelas IX/A SMP Negeri 1 Cabangbungin? Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK), sedangkan model PTK yang digunakan adalah model PTK oleh Kemmis dan Taggart. PTK ini dilaksanakan kedalam tiga siklus tindakan, dimana dalam setiap siklusnya terdiri dari rencana, tindakan, observasi dan refleksi. Instrumen yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini berupa observasi dan tes. Hasil penelitian pada tahap pra siklus menunjukan bahwa kegiatan membaca pemahaman belum dilaksanakan secara maksimal dan menarik dalam proses membaca atau menjawab pertanyaan. Hasil observasi pada siklus I kenampakan Ya 50,00% dan Tidak 50,00%, siklus II kenampakan Ya 75,00% dan Tidak 25,00%  dan pada siklus III terjadi peningkatan kenampakan Ya 100,00% dan Tidak 0,00%. Nilai rata-rata hasil belajar siswa yaitu pada siklus I sebesar 66,90, pada  siklus II memperoleh nilai rata-rata 71,20, dan pada siklus III memperoleh nilai rata-rata 80,40, pada setiap siklus pembelajaran mengalami peningkatan prestasi belajar yang cukup baik. Sedangkan ketuntasan belajar siswa secara klasikal pada siklus 1 mencapai 55,00% dimana ada 22 siswa yang mencapai nilai KKM. Pada siklus ke-2 sudah mencpai 72,50% dimana ada 29 siswa yang nilainya sudah mencapai KKM. Dan pada siklus ke-3 ketuntasan belajarsiswa secaraklasikal sudah mencapai 87,50% dimana ada 35 siswa yang nilainya sudah mencapai KKM. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang dilaksanakan dapat disimpulkan bahwa dengan menggunakan pendekatan komunikatif dapat meningkatkan keterampilan membaca pemahaman siswa. Yaitu siswa aktif dalam membaca wacana,menjawab  pertanyaan, dan menceritakan kembali isi bacaan dengan baik dan benar.
UPAYA MENINGKATKAN PEMAHAMAN PESERTA DIDIK DENGAN METODA SIMULASI PADA MATERI KURS MATA UANG DI SMPN 3 CIKARANG SELATAN KAB.BEKASI KELAS IX.1 TAHUN PELAJARAN 2018-2019
Authors: SETYOWATI ARI
Published: January 2021

Metode simulasi dipakai untuk meningkatkan pemahaman peserta didik pada materi kurs mata uang di kelas IX.1 SMPN 3 Cikarang Selatan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah: (1) Penerapan metode simulasi pada materi kurs mata uang; (2) Meningkatkan pemahaman materi kurs mata uang; (3) Mengetahui dampak dari penggunaan metode simulasi pada materi kurs mata uang pada kelas IX.1 SMPN 3 Cikarang Selatan tahun Pelajaran 2018-2019. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian tindakan kelas. Yang menjadi Populasi siswa SMPN 3 Cikarang Selatan. Sampel  yang digunakan sebanyak 40 siswa. Instrumen yang digunakan instrumen lembar observasi, angket dan lembar evaluasi. Penelitian dilaksanakan mulai tanggal 15 Oktober sampai 29 Oktober 2018, dilaksanakan  dalam 2 siklus masing-masing siklus terdiri dari perencanaan, pelaksanaan, observasi, refleksi. Tiap siklus terdiri dari 3 x pertemuan, Data aktivitas peserta didik dapat dilihat pada lembar observasi yang diisi oleh 2 orang kolaborator, sedangkan data hasil belajar dapat dilihat pada tabel nilai peserta didik.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa aktivitas peserta didik dari siklus I ke siklus II mengalami peningkatan 51,3% sedangkan rata-rata ulangan harian pada siklus I 63 sedangkan pada siklus II 76 Jumlah peserta didik yang tuntas pada siklus I 21 orang dan pada siklus II 35 orang prosentase ketuntasan klasikal meningkat 35%. Pada akhir pelaksanaan penelitian diadakan angket dengan hasil yang menunjukkan bahwa peserta didik senang dengan penggunaan metode simulasi ini sehingga berdampak pada peningkatan keaktifan, konsentrasi dan semangat belajar peserta didik. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan metode simluasi dapat meningkatkan pemahaman peserta didik pada materi kurs mata uang di kelas IX.1 SMPN 3 Cikarang Selatan Kabupaten Bekasi.
PENGGUNAAN MODEL INOVATIF BLACK MARKET SEBAGAI UPAYA MEMPERTINGGI PEMAHAMAN KONSEP ALAT OPTIK PESERTA DIDIK
Authors: SOEHARTO TEGUH
Published: January 2021

Model Inovatif Black Market dipakai untuk mempertinggi pemahaman kosep alat optik peserta didik di  kelas VIII-5. SMPN 3 Babelan.  Model Inovatif Black Market  merupakan modifikasi dari metode drilling yang dimplementasikan dalam bentuk permainan untuk pengetahuan, sikap  dan keterampilan  peserta didik. Bentuk permainannya seperti proses tawar menawar objek di pasar gelap.Classroom action research digunakan sebagai metode dalam penelitian ini. Populasi berjumlah 120 peserta didik. Sampel  yang digunakan sebanyak 30 peserta didik. Data perkembangan peserta didik diperoleh melalui observasi sikap dan evaluasi hasil belajar . Instrumen utama menggunakan  instrumen  LKPD,  instrumen sikap dan lembar evaluasi terkait alat optik. Indikator keberhasilan peserta didik adalah hasil belajar alat optik di atas KKM (75).. Data perkembangan berupa data aktivitas, kerjasama, dan nilai pemahaman (hasil belajar) . Pemahaman konsep alat optik diawal penelitian = 59,13, siklus 1  = 63,45, siklus 2 =  70,47, dan siklus 3 = 78,95. Jadi diperoleh  peningkatan pemahaman konsep alat optik sebanyak 33,51 %. Berdasarkan hasil analisis diperoleh pemahaman konsep Alat Optik semakin tinggi setelah menggunakan Model Inovatif  Black Market .  Hasil Penelitian  ini dapat dijadikan bahan referensi untuk meningkatkan pemahaman konsep peserta didik.  Penggunaan Model Inovatif Black Market  dalam mempertinggi pemahaman konsep alat optik dapat terus dikembangkan
HYPOPHOSPHATEMIC ONCOGENIC OSTEOMALACIA: CASE REPORT
Authors: Zarpelon Kunz Rafaela , Freitas Tourinho Tatiana , Lemos Lopes Maria Lúcia , Esteves Hilario Maria Odete , Rosa de Oliveira Eduardo , Willers Thiago , Coradin Rafael , Scanagatta Gilberto , Velasques de Figueiredo Raissa , Sasso Padilha Gabriela , Trevisan Bruno , Ribeiro Carlos Luana
Published: January 2021

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Dangdut Koplo: Tubuh, Seksualitas dan Arena Kekuasaan Perempuan
Authors: Maulana Moh. Faiz
Published: January 2021

Makalah ini membahas tentang tubuh, seksualitas dan relasi kuasa perempuan melalui musik dangdut koplo. Musik dangdut sesungguhnya merupakan pengkristalan orkes melayu yang dianggap memiliki hubungan yang begitu dekat dengan rakyat karena merepresentasikan aspirasi dan keinginan rakyat. Oleh karena itu, dangdut banyak diminati dan digandrungi oleh masyarakat di Indonesia. Keidentikan dangdut dengan biduanita; perempuan dan goyangan, membuat dangdut menjadi arena menarik dalam pertarungan wacana tubuh, seksualitas dan relasi kuasa atas tubuh yang dimiliki oleh biduanita. Seorang biduanita tetap bisa menunjukkan kemandirian tubuhnya alih-alih menjadi objek komoditas. Dia bisa menjadikan tubuhnya sebagai subjek. Dalam hal ini, dia sendiri menjadi pelaku yang berkuasa mengendalikan tubuhnya sendiri. Hal ini terlihat dari peristiwa saweran yang memperlihatkan relasi yang terbangun antara biduanita dengan penonton di atas panggung yang memiliki posisi tawar dan negosiasi yang tinggi terhadap tubuhnya.
ACOUSTIC SENSORS TO DETECT CLOGS IN SEWER PIPELINES
Authors: K AKSHAYA. , RAMACHANDRAN DIVYA , PRABHU MANJULA BASHINI
Published: January 2021

Blockages in sewage pipelines are difficult to be cleaned or extracted. In order to manage sewer blockage proactively sewer managers needs to be able to identify the location of blockages precisely. As of now, only humans do this sully job of cleaning the sewages. Many human right organizations have been advocating to stop this inhuman activity. Even the highest court in the land has admonished the government to stop forth with this job of cleaning. Respective government’s corporation is adapting cleaning machines to suck the clogs and sewage water from respective blockage points. As an alternative solution, using modern technology, we present our paper on how an acoustic based sensor could be used to detect the blockages automatically as well as transmitting this information using the wireless sensor network to the centrally monitored server system. This will help in taking immediate action of removing the clogs instantly. This will not only save cost but also enable instant solution.
AN EFFICIENT TASK SCHEDULING IN DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING SYSTEMS BY IMPROVED GENETIC ALGORITHM
Authors: SUNITHA K. , SUDHA MRS. P V
Published: January 2021

Task Scheduling problem for heterogeneous systems is concerned with arranging the various tasks to be executed on various processors of a system so that computing resources are utilized most effectively. Parallel processing refers to the concept of speeding-up the execution of a task by dividing the task into multiple fragments that can execute simultaneously, each on its own processor i.e. it is the simultaneous processing of the task on two or more processors in order to obtain faster results. It can be effectively used for tasks that involve a large number of calculations, have time constraints and can be divided into a number of smaller tasks. The scheduling problem deals with the optimal assignment of a set of tasks onto parallel multiprocessor system and orders their execution so that the total completion time is minimized. An Optimal scheduling of parallel tasks with some precedence relationship, onto a parallel machine is known to be NP-complete. This precedence relationship among tasks can be represented as Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG). In this paper, a scheduling algorithm has been proposed to schedule DAG tasks on Heterogeneous processor which uses Genetic algorithm to get optimal schedule. The scheduling problem is also considered. This study includes a search for an optimal mapping of the task and their sequence of execution and also search for an optimal configuration of the parallel system. An approach for the simultaneous optimization of all these three components of scheduling method using genetic algorithm is presented and its performance is evaluated in comparison with the Min-Min and Max-Min scheduling methods.
A NOVEL APPROACH IN IMAGE WATERMARKING WITH DISCRETE WAVELET TRANSFORM
Authors: RAO G. KOTESWARA , ANURAGH V. , SRINIVASKAUSALYANANDAN T.P. , PRASHANTH R.L.
Published: January 2021

In this paper we present a new watermarking scheme for still image data. Most of the recent work in watermarking can be grouped into two categories: spatial domain methods and frequency domain methods. We introduce a novel approach of watermarking which involves embedding the watermark in the discrete wavelet domain. We make use of a multi resolution data fusion approach in which the image and watermark are both transformed into the discrete wavelet domain. The resulting image pyramids are then fused according to a series of combination. After watermark insertion, inverse DWT is applied to the sub-bands with modified coefficients to obtain the watermarked image. For watermark extraction, a threshold-based decoder is designed. Embedding and extraction process are characterized with parameters and genetic algorithm is used for parameter optimization. Optimization is to maximize the values of peak signal-to-noise ratio of the watermarked image and normalized cross correlation of the extracted watermark. The performance of the proposed scheme is compared with the existing schemes and significant improvement is observed.
NETWORK RECONFIGURATION IN DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM BY SOFTWARE SIMULATION FOR LOSS REDUCTION
Authors: KUMAR SANJEEV
Published: January 2021

The main aim of the distribution companies is to reduce their operating costs to get ahead of competition. One of the most popular approach is to increase the degree of reliability of distribution system. The management of network defeats (e.g. earth fault, short circuits) offers a lot of feasibilities for automation. The main jobs are fault localization, fault detachment and system refurbishing. The network manipulator needs excellent knowledge about the controlled network area to accomplish these tasks efficiently. In this paper a fault management system is described which magnifies the reliability of the system with the help of network reconfiguration. The fault localization, segregation and refurbishing allowance to remedy the operator from these demanding tasks during network defeats. This paper present a CYMDIST based analysis for the loss minimization problem. This method is tested in 11 KV distribution systems for loss minimization.
IMPLEMENTATION OF ROBUST ARCHITECTURE FOR ERROR DETECTION AND DATA RECOVERY IN MOTION ESTIMATION ON FPGA
Authors: RAMACHANDRAM V.V.. S.V.S , FINNEY DANIEL N.
Published: January 2021

Video compression is necessary in a wide range of applications to reduce the total data amount required for transmitting or storing video data. Among the coding systems, Motion Estimation is of priority concern in exploiting the temporal redundancy between successive frames, yet also the most time consuming aspect of coding. This paper presents an error detection and data recovery (EDDR) design, based on the residue-and quotient (RQ) code that is embed into ME for video coding testing applications. Based on the Concurrent Error Detection (CED) concept, this work develops a robust EDDR architecture based on the RQ code to detect errors and recovery data in PEs of a ME and, in doing so, further guarantee the excellent reliability for video coding applications. We synthesized this design using Xilinx tool.
MFCC AND CMN BASED SPEAKER RECOGNITION IN NOISY ENVIRONMENT
Authors: MISHRA DEBASHISH DEV , BHATTACHARJEE UTPAL , SARMA SHIKHAR KUMAR
Published: January 2021

The performance of automatic speaker recognition (ASR) system degrades drastically in the presence of noise and other distortions, especially when there is a noise level mismatch between the training and testing environments. This paper explores the problem of speaker recognition in noisy conditions, assuming that speech signals are corrupted by noise. A major problem of most speaker recognition systems is their unsatisfactory performance in noisy environments. In this experimental research, we have studied a combination of Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) for feature extraction and Cepstral Mean Normalization (CMN) techniques for speech enhancement. Our system uses a Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) classifier and is implemented under MATLAB®7 programming environment. The process involves the use of speaker data for both training and testing. The data used for testing is matched up against a speaker model, which is trained with the training data using GMM modeling. Finally, experiments are carried out to test the new model for ASR given limited training data and with differing levels and types of realistic background noise. The results have demonstrated the robustness of the new system.
LCD DISPLAY CONTROLLER APPLICATION BY DYNAMICALLY RECONFIGURABLE PLL USING NIOS II
Authors: BHAMBORE ARCHANA S. , HARKARE R.R.
Published: January 2021

The Altera Cyclone family of FPGA provides the ability to perform run time reconfiguration which is known as Dynamic Reconfiguration. This paper concentrates on how to take a complex System-on-Chip design into three different components: fixed hardware, reconfigurable hardware and software, each handled by dedicated sub flow. The method to dynamically reconfigure the pll and application used to see variations in frame rate using LCD Display Controller with FPGA is presented. This flow can be considered a part of a general methodology that can be exploited for the implementation on a complex System on Programmable Chip. An example of application it consists utilizes the reconfigurable clocks generated by PLL and video processing in the reconfigurable module. The architecture of the proposed application will presented in this paper were prototyped using a Cyclone III Starter Board, which is based on Nios II Embedded Evaluation Kit, Cyclone III Edition.
FINGERPRINT RECOGNITION USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK
Authors: BORAH TRIPTI RANI , Sarma Kandarpa Kumar , TALUKDAR PRAN HARI
Published: January 2021

Artificial Neural Network are different means of prediction, optimization and recognition. The ability of the ANN to learn given patterns makes them suitable for such applications. Fingerprint recognition is one such area that can be used as a means of biometric verification where the ANN can play a critical rule. An ANN can be configured and trained to handle such variations observed in the texture of the fingerprint. The specialty of the work is associated with the fact that if the ANN is configured properly it can tackle the variations in the fingerprint images and that way provides the insights for developing a system which requires these samples for verification and authorization. A system is designed to provide authentication decision using the fingerprint inputs can be a reliable means of verification. Such a system designed using ANN and using fingerprint inputs is described here. Experimental results show that the system is reliable enough for considering it as a part of a verification mechanism.
MULTI-PURPOSE EMBEDDED VOICE ASSISTANCE GADGET
Authors: HARIHARAN S. , VIGNESH S.SRIRAM , SHANKAR SANTHOSH , APPOON B.
Published: January 2021

One of the important problems that our society faces is that people with disabilities are finding it hard to cope up with the fast growing technology. In the recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of hearing impaired and speech disabled victims due to birth defects, oral diseases and accidents. When a deaf-dumb person speaks to a normal person, the normal person seldom understands and asks the deaf-dumb person to show gestures for his/her needs. Dumb persons have their own language to communicate to us; the only thing is that we need to understand their language. So, we need a translator to understand what they speak and communicate to us. In order to achieve this, we have proposed a system that can provide basic communication needs for a deaf-dumb person and also aid him in many ways. In the proposed system, we have used a speech recognition unit along with audio pre recorder and embedded controllers which will be helpful for deaf and dumb persons to express their needs to normal person. The frequently spoken words are stored in audio pre recorder which can be easily retrieved and also displayed using Liquid Crystal Display. The proposed device is also helpful for born deaf children to learn the basics of any language. In addition, voice based home automation system is also proposed for elderly and disabled people. Home automation system is achieved by wireless RF transmission and reception techniques integrated with our Embedded Voice Translator Kit. The proposed system along with text to speech converter and language translators as future enhancements will provide great assistance to deaf and dumb persons to portray their needs to society. Our system can also be incorporated for various applications like personal security, wireless TV remote control etc.
Implementation of a Simplified Cultural-Based Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Francis Anupam , Kumar N. Mohan , Devi M. Nirmala
Published: January 2021

This paper presents a simplified Cultural based Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm. In this algorithm we modify momentum and global acceleration components of the conventional MOPSO algorithm. The algorithm has been tested on common benchmark functions. Its performance has been compared with other algorithms, using standard test metrics. The results show that the cultural based MOPSO is more efficient and robust.
ANALYZING THE PERFORMANCE OF CARRY TREE ADDERS BASED ON FPGA’S
Authors: KIRAN RENUKUNTLA , NAMPALLY SUNITHA
Published: January 2021

In this paper carry tree adders are known to have the best performance in VLSI designs. However, this performance advantage does not translate directly into FPGA implementations due to constraints on logic block configurations and routing overhead. This paper investigates three types of carry-tree adders (the Kogge-Stone, sparse Kogge-Stone, and spanning tree adder) and compares them to the simple Ripple Carry Adder (RCA) and Carry Skip Adder (CSA). These designs of varied bit-widths were implemented on a Xilinx Spartan 3E FPGA and delay measurements were made with a high-performance logic analyzer. Due to the presence of a fast carry-chain, the RCA designs exhibit better delay performance up to 128 bits. The carry-tree adders are expected to have a speed advantage over the RCA as bit widths approach 256.
The history of the Geophysical Service of Austria
Authors: Lenhardt Wolfgang A.
Published: January 2021

Abstract. A brief summary will be given of the historical development of
Geophysical Service of Austria, which comprises the national geomagnetic,
gravimetric and seismological services as well as the “Applied Geophysics
Section” located at the Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik
(ZAMG) in Vienna in Austria. The paper presents the achievements, changes
and challenges of the Department from its modest beginning in 1851 until
2020. Finally, a special emphasis is placed on the Conrad Observatory – one
of the most comprehensive geophysical research observatories in the world.
Estimating Case Fatality and Case Recovery Rates of COVID-19: is this the right thing to do?
Authors: Abdullatif Khafaie Morteza , Rahim Fakher
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Case fatality rates (CFRs) and case recovery rates (CRRs) are frequently used to define health consequences related to specific disease epidemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to compare various methods and models for calculating CFR and CRR related to COVID-19 based on the global and national data available as of April 2020.Methods: This analytical epidemiologic study was conducted based on detailed data from 210 countries and territories worldwide in April 2020. We used three different formulas to measure CFR and CRR, considering all possible scenarios.Results: We included information for 72 countries with more than 1,000 cases of COVID-19. Overall, using first, second, and third estimation models, the CFR were 6.22%, 21.20%, and 8.67%, respectively; similarly, the CRR was estimated as 23.21%, 78.86%, 32.23%, respectively. We have shown that CFRs vary so much spatially and depend on the estimation method and timing of case reports, likely resulting in overestimation.Conclusion: Even with the more precise method of CFRs estimation, the value is overestimated. Case fatality and recovery rates should not be the only measures used to evaluate disease severity, and the better assessment measures need to be developed as indicators of countries’ performance during COVID-19 pandemic.
Ocaña Fernández, Almudena. (2020). La experiencia musical como mediación educativa. Barcelona: Octaedro. 174 pp.
Authors: Montes-Rodríguez Ramón
Published: January 2021

Reseña del libro de Ocaña Fernández, Almudena. (2020). La experiencia musical como mediación educativa. Barcelona: Octaedro. 174 pp.
Efecto inmediato de la terapia de tracto vocal semiocluido en los parámetros acústicos en los procesos de masculinización y feminización de la voz
Authors: Fuenzalida Cabezas Rodrigo , Sandoval Zúñiga María Soledad , Díaz Sandoval Eugenia , Pérez Zurita Tanya , Quiroz Bustamante Fernanda , Rosales Orellana Marcela
Published: January 2021

El propósito de este estudio es determinar, describir y comparar el efecto inmediato de la Terapia de tracto vocal semiocluido (TVSO) sobre los parámetros acústicos en los procesos de feminización y masculinización de la voz de 40 transexuales de entre 18 y 40 años. Corresponde a un estudio de tipo cuantitativo, con un diseño preexperimental con pre y post prueba, con una dimensión de temporalidad trasversal y un alcance descriptivo y comparativo. El instrumento utilizado para medir los parámetros acústicos fue el programa de análisis acústico de la voz PRAAT (Boersma y Weenink, 2018). Los resultados indican que, aunque en las transexuales femeninas los valores de los parámetros acústicos disminuyeron, sólo existió efecto inmediato en los parámetros acústicos Jitter local, Jitter APQ5, Relación armónico-ruido y Frecuencia fundamental (F0), por tanto, lo que indica que las voces se agudizaron. En transexuales masculinos, se modificó la F0 luego de la terapia, entonces la voz se hizo más grave. Se concluye que la terapia de TVSO tiene efecto inmediato principalmente en el Jitter y en el F0 y puede considerarse una alternativa, viable y complementaria en el proceso de masculinización y feminización de la voz.
The Transcending Age: A Study of Psycho-social Wellbeing of Elderly Women in India
Authors: Hussain Sabiha
Published: January 2021

India is witnessing rapid growth of elderly population. The population aged 60 years or older

is projected to climb from 9% in 2015 to 19% in 2050 and to 32% in 2100 (UN, 2017). Aging

population requires attention on their physical, social and emotional well-being. Wellbeing

encompasses multiple interactive components which are beyond the conventional issues of

health and diseases. There is multitude of social relationships and dynamics of social roles

that women in this age negotiate in their lives. Family dynamics, compatibility with partner,

household headship, decision making and level of autonomy, incidences of domestic violence,

security concerns, care-giving, perceptions of self, societal status do influence quality of life

and wellbeing.

Using primary survey data of 165 women aged 60 to 65 years residing in urban areas in

Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) interviewed during first quarter of 2018, the paper

attempts to understand what does well-being mean to them, how do they ensure it, what are the

psycho-social barriers and how do they overcome them. Purposive sampling and snowballing

techniques has been employed to identify these women.

Increase in health related problems especially mobility issues, lifestyle diseases along with

depression were predominant in this age. For women in post 60 years of age, respect and

appreciation from family and society is vital to ensure their happiness, while family bonding

and overall contentment stands out for ensuring wellbeing. Religious pursuits and social

interaction are the fundamental coping mechanisms from stress. Inadequate and incomplete

education and early marriage rooted in patriarchy and financial dependence are the principal

sources of regret in lives of these women. Widowed women were identified as the most

vulnerable. Women in the lowest income group and literacy level were further marginalized

and needed help from state. Evident gaps were reported in the existing welfare government

schemes for this age.
Competencia didáctica en estudiantes universitarios de Lengua y Literatura Hispánicas
Authors: Sandoval Armando José
Published: January 2021

Esta investigación ha indagado las estrategias para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje del español como lengua materna. Se trata de un análisis de 45 trabajos didácticos de estudiantes universitarios de Lengua y Literatura Hispánica de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, Managua, divididos entre las diferentes macrohabilidades: escritura, expresión oral, comprensión lectora, gramática y literatura. Los principales resultados manifiestan que la utilización del modelo de aprendizaje por esquema facilita la reestructuración y la generación de una nueva secuencia didáctica de los trabajos de los estudiantes. Se concluye, que el modelo de aprendizaje por esquema fortalece la competencia didáctica y de investigación de los estudiantes.
Problems of an Ergonomic Approach to the Design of a Uniform Medical Suit
Authors: Yumagulova Venera M. , Akhmetshina Elmira G. , Ahmetshina Gulnaz R.
Published: January 2021

The article presents the research in the design of a uniform medical suit and methods of implementing ergonomic requirements in the process of solving problems. The authors have chosen special uniforms for surgeons as an object of study and analysis. As a result of comparative analysis, it is noted that currently, the assortment does not meet consumer needs since many manufacturers do not attach much importance to the ergonomic requirements. The current domestic standards and regulatory and technical documents also do not always take into account the specialization and working conditions of a specialist. In the course of targeted research, the whole range of issues related to the pre-project analysis of the situation was resolved, the sequence of development of the design solution was indicated. The authors have given specific practical recommendations for the preparation of design documentation for a new model of a women's surgical blouse. The developed design documentation can serve as an information source when launching new models into industrial production since it is designed to meet the requirements for the ergonomics of surgeons.
Developing an Automated Monitoring System for Cable Yarding Systems
Authors: Gallo Raimondo , Visser Rien , Mazzetto Fabrizio
Published: January 2021

Cable yarders are often the preferred harvesting system when extracting trees on steep terrain. While the practice of cable logging is well established, productivity is dependent on many stand and terrain variables. Being able to continuously monitor a cable yarder operation would provide the opportunity not only to manage and improve the system, but also to study the effect on operations in different conditions.This paper presents the results of an automated monitoring system that was developed and tested on a series of cable yarder operations. The system is based on the installation of a Geographical Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) onto the carriage, coupled with a data-logging unit and a data analysis program. The analysis program includes a set of algorithms able to transform the raw carriage movement data into detailed timing elements. Outputs include basic aspects such average extraction distance, average inhaul and outhaul carriage speed, but is also able to distinguish number of cycles, cycle time, as well as break the cycles into its distinct elements of outhaul, hook, inhaul and unhook.The system was tested in eight locations; four in thinning operations in Italy and four clear-cut operations in New Zealand, using three different rigging configuration of motorized slack-pulling, motorized grapple and North Bend. At all locations, a manual time and motion study was completed for comparison to the data produced by the newly developed automated system. Results showed that the system was able to identify 98% of the 369 cycles measured. The 8 cycles not detected were directly attributed to the loss of GNSS signal at two Italian sites with tree cover. For the remaining 361 cycles, the difference in gross cycle time was less than 1% and the overall accuracy for the separate elements of the cycle was less than 3% when considered at the rigging system level. The study showed that the data analyses system developed can readily convert GNSS data of the carriage movement into information useful for monitoring and studying cable yarding operations.
The Combustion Characteristics of Waste Liquor from Renewable Plant-Derived Chemical Polyol Processing
Authors: WANG Dawei , ZHAO Guangbo , LI Yuting , LUAN Yigang
Published: January 2021

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the combustion characteristics of plant-derived polyol liquor waste using thermogravimetric analyzer and vertical tube furnace tests. The research results showed that the waste liquor combustion reaction comprised four processes: evaporation, pyrolysis, combustion, and inorganic salt reaction, and that a wave peak exists for each process. The pyrolysis process, which is the most violent reaction, exhibited the maximum peak weight-loss rate and weight-loss ratio and had the lowest activation energy and frequency factor. The peak weight-loss rate of inorganic salt reaction process was less than that during the combustion process, but sodium alkali has catalytic effect at high temperature, which makes the activation energy and the frequency factor of inorganic salt reaction process less than that of the combustion process. The ignition temperature of the waste liquor in the vertical tube furnace was lower than the temperature in the thermogravimetric analyzer. The ignition temperature of pyrolysis volatiles measured in a vertical tube furnace was less than 700 °C but the ignition temperature of carbon combustion as measured with TG – DTG was 718 °C. When the temperature inside vertical tube furnace was higher than 800 °C, the waste liquor combustion process becomes almost instantaneous (about 8 s) and is violent, which produces more residual carbon content in the combustion products as a longer holding time is necessary to ensure that the reaction is completed.