bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aplikasi Cerdas Terintegrasi dalam Mendiagnosa Penyakit ISPA Pneumonia Pada Balita Menggunakan Algoritma Neural Network Backprogation di Kabupaten Langkat
Authors: Harahap Ahmad Indra , Priyatna Ryan Dhika , Figna Harry Pratama , Rambe Nurhamimah
Published: October 2023

Jaringan saraf tiruan merupakan salah satu sistem pemrosesan informasi yang didesain dengan menirukan cara kerja otak manusia dalam menyelesaikan suatu masalah dengan melakukan proses belajar melalui perubahan bobot sinapsisnya. ISPA (Infeksi Saluran Pernafasan Akut) dan Pneumonia merupakan dua penyakit yang masih menjadi permasalahan kesehatan di Indonesia, terutama pada balita. Penyakit-penyakit tersebut seringkali sulit didiagnosis secara akurat dan tepat waktu, sehingga penanganan yang dilakukan juga tidak optimal. Dengan menggunakan algoritma Neural Network Backpropagation, penelitian mengembangkan sebuah sistem aplikasi cerdas yang dapat membantu dalam mendiagnosa penyakit ISPA Pneumonia pada balita dengan akurasi yang lebih tinggi. Data yang digunakan dapat berupa gejala dan riwayat kesehatan pasien, seperti riwayat demam, batuk, dan sesak napas. Metode ini diharapkan dapat meminimalkan kesalahan diagnosis dan meningkatkan dan memberikan penanganan yang tepat. Aplikasi cerdas ini juga dapat membantu tenaga medis di daerah yang mungkin memiliki keterbatasan dalam mendiagnosa penyakit tersebut.
Exploring YOLOv8 Pretrain for Real-Time Detection of Indonesian Native Fish Species
Authors: Hindarto Djarot
Published: October 2023

The main objective of this research is to determine the efficacy of the YOLO model in detecting native fish species found in Indonesia. Indonesia has a variety of maritime natural resources and shows significant diversity. This research utilizes the YOLO architecture, previously trained on several datasets, for fish detection in the environment in Indonesian waters. This dataset consists of various fish species native to Indonesia and was used to retrain the YOLO Pretrain model. The model was evaluated using test data that accurately represents Indonesian water conditions. Empirical findings show that the modified YOLO Pretrain model can accurately recognize these fish in real-time. After utilizing YOLO and Pre-Train with Ultralytics YOLO Version 8.0.196, the results show an accuracy of 92.3% for head detection, 86.9% for tail detection, and an overall detection accuracy of 89.6%. The fish image dataset, consisting of a total of 401 images, is categorized into three subsets: the training dataset, which consists of 255 images; the validation dataset, which includes 66 images; and the testing dataset, which contains 80 images. This research has great potential for application in fisheries monitoring, marine biology research, and marine environmental monitoring. A real-time fish detection system for the Identification and tracking of fish species is carried out by researchers and field workers. The findings of this research provide a valuable contribution to ongoing efforts aimed at conserving marine biodiversity and implementing more sustainable management practices in Indonesia.
Türk Kamu Yönetiminde Şeffaflık ve Hesap Verebilirlik
Authors: ŞAMDAN Yasin
Published: October 2023

Geleneksel kamu yönetimi anlayışından yeni yönetim anlayışına geçiş ile demokratik, katılımcı, şeffaf ve hesap verebilir bir yönetim anlayışının gerekliliği vurgulanmaya başlanmıştır. 1970'li yılların ikinci yarısından itibaren dünyada kamu yönetimi alanında meydana gelen değişim ve dönüşüm çabaları, 1980'li yılların ikinci yarısından itibaren Türkiye'de de etkisini göstermeye başlamıştır. Türk kamu yönetiminde asıl değişim 2003 sonrası döneme rastlamaktadır. 2003 sonrası süreçte, siyasal ve yönetsel alanda gerçekleştirilen reformlarla birlikte demokratikleşme, sivilleşme ve yerelleşmeye yönelik önemli adımlar atılmış, şeffaflık ve hesap verebilirliğe ilişkin bazı düzenlemeler yapılmıştır. Bu kapsamda Kamu Mali Yönetimi ve Kontrol Kanunu, Bilgi Edinme Hakkı Kanunu, Dilekçe Hakkının Kullanılmasına Dair Kanun, Kamu Denetçiliği Kurumu Kanunu, Kamu Görevlileri Etik Kurulu Kurulması ve Bazı Kanunlarda Değişiklik Yapılması Hakkında Kanun gibi yasal düzenlenmelerle Türk kamu yönetiminde daha şeffaf ve hesap verebilir bir yapı amaçlanmıştır. Şeffaflık ve hesap verebilirlik ilkeleri, toplum ile siyaset ve bürokrasi ilişkisi açısından hayati öneme haizdir. Bu ilişkinin güven duygusu içinde beslenmesi devletin gelişimini sağlamakta, hak ve adalet üzerine bir düzenin kurulmasına hizmet etmekte ve toplumun refahına katkı sağlamaktadır. Bu nedenle, Türk kamu yönetimi için iyi yönetim uygulamalarının artarak devam etmesi elzemdir.
Sağlık Kurumlarında İçsel Pazarlama Uygulamalarının İş Performansına Etkisi: Pazar Odaklılığın Aracı Rolü
Authors: DENİZLİ Fatih , KINIŞ Zühal , KAYA Buket
Published: October 2023

Bu çalışmanın amacı, sağlık kurumlarında içsel pazarlama uygulamalarının iş performansına etkisinde pazar odaklılığın aracı rolünü incelemektir. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak “İçsel Pazarlama”,“Pazar Odaklılık” ve “İş Performansı” ölçekleri kullanılmıştır. 15 Ağustos-15 Aralık 2022 tarihleri arasında Kayseri ilinde gerçekleştirilmiş olan çalışmaya 340 kamu sağlık çalışanı katılmış olup veriler elektronik anket tekniği ile toplanmıştır. Elde edilen verilerin çözümlenmesinde SPSS 22 (Statistical Package of Social Sciences) paket programı kullanılmış olup, verilerin analizinde tanımlayıcı analizler, korelasyon analizi ve regresyon analizinden faydalanılmıştır. Çalışma bulguları, içsel pazarlamanın pazar odaklılığı ve iş performansını pozitif yönde etkilediğini ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca, içsel pazarlamanın iş performansına etkisinde pazar odaklılığın tam aracı role sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Çalışmada elde edilen bulgular sağlık pazarlaması alan yazınına ve sağlık yöneticilerine uygulamaya yönelik önemli katkılar sunacağı düşünülmektedir.
Türk Devlet Geleneğinde Ahilik Teşkilatı’nın Yeri ve Önemi
Authors: BALCI Deniz
Published: October 2023

Çalışmanın konusu Türk tarihinde oldukça önemli bir yere sahip olan ve uzun yıllar varlığını sürdürerek tarihte kalıcı izler bırakan Ahilik Teşkilatı’nın Türk devlet geleneği içindeki yeri ve önemidir. Çalışmanın amacı bir benzetme yapmak gerekirse tıpkı bir joker gibi nerede bir ihtiyaç nerede bir eksik varsa bunu tamamlamak için her an hazır bekleyen, tarihimize birçok uygulama ve kültürü mirası bırakan bu teşkilatın kökeni, gelişimi, etkilerini ve yüzlerce yıllık bir geleneğe dayanan Türk devlet geleneğinde nasıl bir konumda olduğunu incelemektir. İnceleme yaparken araştırma yöntemi olarak literatür taraması kullanılmıştır. İncelemeler sonucunda görülmektedir ki yüzyıllarca varlığını sürdüren Ahilik Teşkilatı, Türk devlet geleneğinde de Türk tarihinin tamamında da oldukça önemi bir role sahip olmuş büyük etkiler yaratmıştır. İlk Türk devletlerinin kurulmasıyla oluşmaya başlayan Türk devlet geleneğinin güçlenmesi ve devamlılığında en önemli kurumlardan biri Ahilik Teşkilatı olmuştur. Türk devlet geleneğini inşa eden toplumsal yapı ve kültür, inanç, bağımsızlık hedefi gibi unsurlar Ahilik Teşkilatı’nın da en temel unsurları olmuş ve teşkilat bu çerçevede uygulamalar geliştirerek aynı zamanda devlet geleneğinin güçlenmesine de hizmet etmiştir. Halk ve devlet birlikteliğinin esas alındığı Türk devlet geleneğinde Ahilik Teşkilatı’nın, bu anlayışı oldukça güçlendirici bir kurum olduğu görülmektedir. Çünkü Ahilik Teşkilatı halkın eğitimi, istihdamı, güvenliği gibi birçok ihtiyacını karşılayan ve en temel gayesi mükemmel topluluklar yetiştirmek olan bir teşkilattır.
Biyokorsanlıkla Mücadelenin Taşra Teşkilatı Boyutu ile İncelenmesi: Bartın Doğa Koruma ve Milli Parklar Örneği
Authors: GÜLER Erdal , BILDIR Can
Published: October 2023

1990’’lı yılların başında biyoteknolojideki gelişmelerle beraber gen kaynaklarının ve biyoçeşitliliğin öneminin artmasıyla piyasaya yeni ürün sürmek isteyen küresel tohum, ilaç ve endüstriyel şirketler için biyolojik veya doğal kaynaklar cazip hale gelmeye başlamıştır. Bu şirketler, bir ülkenin kaynaklarını izinsiz olarak yurt dışına çıkartarak (biyokaçakçılık) ve yeni gen türleri ekleyerek daha dayanıklı veya verimli kimyasal, tıbbi, zirai ilaçlar üretmektedir. Bu tür şirketlerin, gen kaynaklarını veya biyoçeşitliliğe dayalı geleneksel bilginin asıl sahibi olan ülkeye herhangi bir tazminat ödemeden mülkiyetini ele geçirmesi (patent) biyokorsanlık olarak adlandırılmaktadır. Biyokaçakçılıkla mücadelede, arazide yabancıların izinsiz tür toplama ve araştırma yapmalarını engellemek esastır. Ancak biyokorsanlar, bu türleri sahadan topladıktan sonra laboratuvar ortamında analiz etmektedir. Daha sonra biyoçeşitliliğe dayalı geleneksel bilginin ve gen kaynaklarının izinsiz patentlenmesi ile mülkiyet el koyma süreci yaşanmaktadır. Dolayısıyla bu kaynaklara sahip yerel halk ve ülke kaynakları ekonomik, kültürel, ekolojik erozyona uğramaktadır. Türkiye, biyoçeşitlilik bakımından tüm kıta ülkelerinde 9. sırada yer almaktadır. Aynı zamanda Türkiye, “kocakarı ilaçları” olarak adlandırılan geleneksel bilgiye de sahiptir. Biyokorsanlıkla ilgili ülkemizde, fayda paylaşımı ile ilgili mevzuat düzenlenmemiş ve biyoçeşitlilik yasası yürürlüğe girmemiştir. Biyoçeşitliliğin korunması ve sürdürülebilirliği açısından kamu yönetiminde birçok kurum ve kuruluş arasında yetki ve sorumluluk çatışması yaşandığı bilinmektedir. Biyokorsanlıkla mücadelede yönetsel, idari ve hukuki sorunlar bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, biyokorsanlıkla mücadelede geleneksel bilginin kayıtlanması çalışmalarını ve denetimine ilişkin faaliyetleri taşra teşkilatı (il düzeyinde) boyutuyla incelemektir.
Kadınların Üst Yönetimdeki Görünürlüğü: Yükseköğretim Kurumlarında Bir Araştırma
Authors: KISA Hilmiye , AKCA Meltem , YILDIRIM Ceyhan
Published: October 2023

İnsanoğlunun ilk günlerinden bu yana kadınlar toplumların gelişimi açısından sosyal hayatta aktif rol almış ancak buna karşın yönetimde yeteri kadar söz sahibi olamamış, otoriteyi elinde bulunduramamıştır. Ülke yönetiminde çeşitli dönemlerde kadın liderlere rastlanılsa bile Dünya’nın gelişim sürecinde kadın yöneticilerin güce sahip olma örnekleri çok azdır. Sanayi Devrimi ile çalışma yaşamındaki değişiklikler ve kadınların iş hayatına katılımı, binlerce yıldır kadınlara atfedilen rollerin yavaş yavaş değişimini hızlandırmıştır. Bu hareketliliğe rağmen günümüzde kadınların üst düzey yönetici olarak temsil edilme oranları çok düşüktür. Kültürel özellikler, toplumsal önyargılar, stereotipler kadınların çalışma hayatındaki kariyer serüvenleri üzerinde belirleyici olabilmektedir. Dünya’nın çoğu ülkesinde kadınların çalışma hayatına katılımının sağlanması, kadınların üst düzey pozisyonlarda erkekler ile eşit oranlarda temsil edilmesi amacıyla birtakım destekleyici politikalar mevcuttur. Diğer taraftan gerek özel sektörde gerekse kamu yönetiminde kadınların iş hayatında yükselmesinin önündeki engellerin ortaya çıkarılması amacıyla çalışmalar yürütülmektedir. Bununla birlikte cinsiyet ayrımcılığı sorununun çözümüne yönelik ulusal ve uluslararası projeler gerçekleştirilmektedir. Tüm bu farkındalık çalışmalarına rağmen kadınların tepe yönetiminde hak ettikleri pozisyonlarda yeteri kadar yer edinemediklerini söylemek mümkündür. Eğitim seviyesi yüksek, kariyer meslek alanlarında emek sahibi kadınların üst yönetimde daha fazla yer alması toplumlarda kadınların eğitime katılımı ve ekonomik kalkınmanın gelişimi konusunda tetikleyici bir unsur olarak değerlendirilmelidir. Bu araştırmada kadınların üst yönetimdeki rolleri ele alınmış, ülkemizdeki veriler derlenmiş ve kadınların üst yönetimdeki görünürlüğü üzerinde cinsiyet ayrımcılığının olup olmadığının ortaya çıkarılması amaçlanmıştır. Bununla birlikte Yükseköğretim Kurulu Üniversiteler listesinde yer alan 201 üniversitenin üst yönetim ve yönetici kadrolarındaki veriler cinsiyet bağlamında frekans analizi kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Araştırma kapsamında incelenen üniversitelerde üst düzey kadın yönetici oranlarının ve görünürlüğünün erkeklere göre düşük olduğu gözlemlenmiştir.
Use of speckle tracking echocardiography in evaluating cardiac dysfunction in patients with acromegaly: an update
Authors: Huang Rong , Jin Jiewen , Zhang Pengyuan , Yan Kemin , Zhang Hanrong , Chen Xin , He Wei , Guan Hongyu , Liao Zhihong , Xiao Haipeng , Li Yanbing , Li Hai
Published: October 2023

In recent years, cardiovascular disease has garnered increasing attention as the second leading cause of death in individuals with acromegaly, following malignancy. Identifying cardiac dysfunction early in acromegaly patients for timely intervention has become a focal point of clinical research. Speckle tracking echocardiography, a well-established ultrasound technique, surpasses conventional Doppler ultrasound in its sensitivity to assess both local and global cardiac mechanics. It can accurately detect subclinical and clinical myocardial dysfunction, including myocardial ischemia, ventricular hypertrophy, and valvular changes. Over the past five years, the use of speckle tracking echocardiography in acromegaly patients has emerged as a novel approach. Throughout the cardiac cycle, speckle tracking echocardiography offers a sensitive evaluation of the global and regional myocardial condition by quantifying the motion of myocardial fibres in distinct segments. It achieves this independently of variations in ultrasound angle and distance, effectively simulating the deformation of individual ventricles across different spatial planes. This approach provides a more accurate description of changes in cardiac strain parameters. Importantly, even in the subclinical stage when ejection fraction remains normal, the strain parameters assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography hold a good predictive value for the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization in acromegaly patients with concomitant cardiovascular disease. This information aids in determining the optimal timing for interventional therapy, offering important insights for cardiac risk stratification and prognosis. In the present study, we comprehensively reviewed the research progress of speckle tracking echocardiography in evaluating of cardiac dysfunction in acromegaly patients, to pave the way for early diagnosis of acromegaly cardiomyopathy.
Pathogenic germline variants in patients with breast cancer: conversations across generations, practices and patients’ attitude
Authors: Abdel-Razeq Hikmat , Mustafa Rawan , Abdel-Razeq Sarah , Abu-Fares Hala , Al Masri Sama , Damsees Rana , El-Atrash Mariam , Elemian Shatha , Alkyam Mais , Ammar Khawlah , Bater Rayan , Kderat Marah , Alhajahjeh Abdulrahman
Published: October 2023

Background: Breast cancer susceptibility genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, CHEK2 and many others are increasingly recognized among our patient population. In addition to their impact on treatment decisions of tested patients themselves, identifying at-risk family members offer opportunities for cancer preventive measures.

Methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study of adult breast cancer patients with positive breast-cancer-susceptibility germline variants who received treatment at our institution. Patients with variants of uncertain significance (VUS), or who refused to give consent, were excluded. The data was collected from an eligible sample of breast cancer patients using a structured questionnaire developed by the study team and tested for validity and reliability, as well as a clinical chart review form. Patients were invited to participate in the study during their scheduled oncology clinics visit.

Results: 169 patients were enrolled, including 42 (24.9%) with pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) BRCA1 variants, 84 (49.7%) with BRCA2 and 43 (25.4%) with non-BRCA variants. All patients were female and the mean age was 45 ± 9.9 years. Among 140 eligible patients, 104 (74.3%) underwent prophylactic mastectomy, while 79 (59.0%) of 134 eligible patients had prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO). Results were communicated with family members by majority (n = 160, 94.7%), including 642 first degree female relatives, and 286 (44.5%) of them have taken no action. Fear of positive test results, cost of testing, unwillingness to undergo preventive measures, and social stigma were cited as barriers to genetic testing in 54%, 50%, 34% and 15%, respectively.

Conclusion: Risk-reducing interventions including mastectomy and BSO were carried by majority of patients with P/LP variants. However, though the rate of communication of genetic testing results with family members was high, proper preventive measures were relatively low. Cost and fear of cancer diagnosis, were the leading causes that prevented cascade testing in our cohort.
Sanwei sandalwood decoction improves function of the gut microbiota in heart failure
Authors: Ma Kuiying , Bai Tingting , Hu Pengfei , Zhao Ming , Xiu Zhi , Surilige  , Dalintai  , Zhang Qingshan , Wan Quan
Published: October 2023

Objective

To investigate the effects of Sanwei sandalwood decoction on improving function of the intestinal flora in doxorubicin-induced heart failure in rats.

Materials and methods

Thirty Sprague–Dawley rats were screened and randomly assigned into a blank group, a model group, and a Sanwei sandalwood decoction group (treatment group). The rat model of heart failure was prepared and established in the latter two groups. After successful model establishment, the treatment group received Sanwei sandalwood decoction by continuous gavage at 2 g/kg, once daily for 4 weeks. The other groups were given an equivalent volume of saline. After the final dose, fecal samples were collected from each group and analyzed by macrogenomics and nontargeted metabolomics to characterize the intestinal flora and associated metabolites.

Results

The composition of gut microbiota was significantly different between the three groups. There were 778,808 common genes between the blank and model groups, while 49,315 genes were lost and 521,008 were gained in the model group relative to the blank group. At the phylum level, all groups of rat fecal samples were dominated by Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, the microbial community composition in all experimental groups of rat fecal samples was dominated by Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Limosilactobacillus, Allobaculum, Prevotella, and Ligilactobacillus spp. Interestingly, cluster analysis was performed on the top 30 KEGG ontology (KO) terms displaying significant differences in relative abundance in the rat fecal microbiome among experimental groups. The relative frequency of posttranslational modification, coenzyme transport and metabolism, cell wall, membrane, and envelope biogenesis in the eggNOG and CAZy databases. In the nontargeted metabolomics, the group principal component analysis revealed that the groups were well distinguished from one another. The different metabolites were screened with VIP >1, and the KEGG different metabolite classification and enrichment analysis revealed that there includes 15 metabolites pathway, including loxoprofen, conifery-l-acetate, trichilin A, and others. The arachidonic acid pathway also accounted for a significant portion of the KEGG pathway classification analysis.

Conclusion

Sanwei sandalwood decoction positively affects the intestinal microbial environment of rats with heart failure, improving the gut dysbiosis that is caused by the condition. This treatment intervention inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria and promotes the growth of beneficial species.
A Soft Actor-Critic Approach for a Blind Walking Hexapod Robot with Obstacle Avoidance
Authors: Wang Lei , Li Ruiwen , Huangfu Ziwei , Feng Yishan , Chen Yiyang
Published: October 2023

This paper investigates a path planning approach for the walking and obstacle avoidance of a blind hexapod robot in various field conditions. Hexapod robots often perform field tasks in unstructured environments, and their external sensors are affected by weather and light. This paper proposes the use of internal sensors to sense the terrain and a slightly modified soft actor-critic algorithm to train the motion strategy. A hexapod robot is capable of walking smoothly on rough ground only using internal sensors that are not affected by weather factors, and the soft actor-critic approach is superior for overcoming high-dimensional issues for multi-degree-freedom robot motion in unstructured environments.The experiments showed that the hexapod robot not only traversed rugged terrain at a fixed speed but also possessed obstacle avoidance capabilities.
Effect of Feeding Dried Apple Pomace on Ruminal Fermentation, Methane Emission, and Biohydrogenation of Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Dairy Cows
Authors: Gadulrab Khaled , Sidoruk Pola , Kozłowska Martyna , Szumacher-Strabel Małgorzata , Lechniak Dorota , Kołodziejski Paweł , Pytlewski Jarosław , Strzałkowska Nina , Horbańczuk Jarosław Olav , Jóźwik Artur , Yanza Yulianri Rizki , Irawan Agung , Patra Amlan Kumar , Cieślak Adam
Published: October 2023

Industrial fruit by-products are now being utilized as animal feeds for several reasons. They may substitute the conventional cereal feeds, and also offer economic and environmental benefits. One of the most important industrial fruit by-products is apple pomace, which can be used as a source of energy in the ration of ruminant species, including dairy cattle. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of feeding dried apple pomace to dairy cattle on ruminal fermentation, fatty acid concentration, microbial populations, and methane production. The experiment lasted 64 days and was conducted with 4 cannulated commercial dairy cows. The control animals received a standard diet, while the experimental animals was fed a standard diet supplemented with 150 g/kg DM dried apple pomace. Ruminal fluid samples were collected at three different time intervals. The samples were obtained at 0-, 3-, and 6-h post-feeding. The ruminal fluid was used to assess the ammonia concentration, pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA), long-chain fatty acids (FA), microbial population. A number of ruminal fermentation variables changed as a result of the addition of dried apple pomace to the standard diet. Ruminal pH slightly increased (p < 0.01) while the ammonia concentration decreased (p < 0.01) by 46%. There was a significant decrease in total protozoa count (p < 0.01) and an increase (p < 0.01) in total volatile fatty acids. In addition, there was a decline in methane emission (p = 0.05) by 8% due to dried apple pomace feeding. To sum up, this study demonstrated a positive effect of 150 g/kg DM dietary dried apple pomace on ruminal metabolism including a decrease in ammonia concentration and methane emissions, alongside with an increase in total ruminal VFAs, higher nutrient digestibility, and milk production. Also, beneficial changes to the ruminal fatty acid profile resulting from reduced biohydrogenation were observed although a decreased content of the C18:2 cis 9 trans 11 isomer was also noticed. The dietary inclusion of DAP can serve as a valuable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly dietary component for dairy cows.
Knowledge, Beliefs, and Experience Regarding Slow Lorises in Southern Thailand: Coexistence in a Developed Landscape
Authors: Quarles Luke F. , Dechanupong Juthapathra , Gibson Nancy , Nekaris K. A. I.
Published: October 2023

Natural landscapes are being converted for agriculture and other human uses across Asia and this development presents potential threats for specialist species of primates, like the Endangered slow lorises of Thailand (Nycticebus bengalensis and N. coucang). It is crucial to understand the interface between humans and slow lorises in order to conserve these primates. Local ecological knowledge provides valuable information about these cryptic nocturnal species. We conducted 36 semi-structured interviews in Khao Lak, in southern Thailand, asking (1) where slow lorises were seen, (2) what they were doing, (3) how often people see slow lorises, and (4) what people knew about them. We converted the interviews to free lists and determined the importance of key words. Our results show that the informants saw lorises frequently in six general locations: forests/trees (58%), electric wires (47%), towns/villages (36%), plantations (33%), homesteads (28%), and roads (17%). The most prominent places were forests/trees, wires, and plantations. Eleven key concepts defined local beliefs, with the most prominent being that lorises are awake at night (69%), eat fruit (42%), are not aggressive (25%), are bad omens (25%), and there used to be more of them (25%). Due to a minimal presence of persecution or exploitation of slow lorises by humans in the study area and general tolerance in the face of competition for the same resources and spaces, we suggest that, despite extensive persecution for the illegal photo prop trade in nearby Phuket, the people of Khao Lak seem to live in a state of passive coexistence with slow lorises. However, we did find some evidence that the pet and photo prop trade are still present in the area. It is crucial that coexistence be struck within the context of deforestation and urbanization so that conservation initiatives can take place within the community to further improve the lives of humans and the status of lorises.
In-Line Registered Milk Fat-to-Protein Ratio for the Assessment of Metabolic Status in Dairy Cows
Authors: Antanaitis Ramūnas , Džermeikaitė Karina , Januškevičius Vytautas , Šimonytė Ieva , Baumgartner Walter
Published: October 2023

This study endeavors to ascertain alterations in the in-line registered milk fat-to-protein ratio as a potential indicator for evaluating the metabolic status of dairy cows. Over the study period, farm visits occurred biweekly on consistent days, during which milk composition (specifically fat and protein) was measured using a BROLIS HerdLine in-line milk analyzer (Brolis Sensor Technology, Vilnius, Lithuania). Clinical examinations were performed at the same time as the farm visits. Blood was drawn into anticoagulant-free evacuated tubes to measure the activities of GGT and AST and albumin concentrations. NEFA levels were assessed using a wet chemistry analyzer. Using the MediSense and FreeStyle Optium H systems, blood samples from the ear were used to measure the levels of BHBA and glucose in plasma. Daily blood samples were collected for BHBA concentration assessment. All samples were procured during the clinical evaluations. The cows were categorized into distinct groups: subclinical ketosis (SCK; n = 62), exhibiting elevated milk F/P ratios without concurrent clinical signs of other post-calving diseases; subclinical acidosis (SCA; n = 14), characterized by low F/P ratios (<1.2), severe diarrhea, and nondigestive food remnants in feces, while being free of other post-calving ailments; and a healthy group (H; n = 20), comprising cows with no clinical indications of illness and an average milk F/P ratio of 1.2. The milk fat-to-protein ratios were notably higher in SCK cows, averaging 1.66 (±0.29; p < 0.01), compared to SCA cows (0.93 ± 0.1; p < 0.01) and healthy cows (1.22). A 36% increase in milk fat-to-protein ratio was observed in SCK cows, while SCA cows displayed a 23.77% decrease. Significant differences emerged in AST activity, with SCA cows presenting a 26.66% elevation (p < 0.05) compared to healthy cows. Moreover, SCK cows exhibited a 40.38% higher NEFA concentration (p < 0.001). A positive correlation was identified between blood BHBA and NEFA levels (r = 0.321, p < 0.01), as well as a negative association between BHBA and glucose concentrations (r = −0.330, p < 0.01). Notably, AST displayed a robust positive correlation with GGT (r = 0.623, p < 0.01). In light of these findings, this study posits that milk fat-to-protein ratio comparisons could serve as a non-invasive indicator of metabolic health in cows. The connections between milk characteristics and blood biochemical markers of lipolysis and ketogenesis suggest that these markers can be used to check the metabolic status of dairy cows on a regular basis.
Oxidation of Wine Polyphenols by Electrochemical Means in the Presence of Glutathione
Authors: Newair Emad F. , Al-Anazi Abdulaziz , Garcia François
Published: October 2023

The oxidation of wine may be beneficial or harmful to its quality. On the one hand, controlled oxidation can lead to the development of desirable sensory characteristics for red wine, such as enhanced color stability. Alternatively, oxidation can lead to white wine browning and a decrease in fruity aromas, and the development of an off flavor and wine polyphenols are also involved. The presence of glutathione (GSH) can help mitigate the negative effects of oxidation by acting as a protective antioxidant. In order to better understand the antioxidant role played by GSH, wine polyphenols oxidation experiments by electrochemical means in the presence of GSH were carried out. The oxidation behavior of polyphenols representing different phenolic classes commonly found in wines, including protocatechuic acid (PCA), caffeic acid (CAF), epicatechin (EC), and rutin (Ru), was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and bulk electrolysis. We identified the oxidation products and reaction pathways of these polyphenols using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS), in both the absence and the presence of glutathione (GSH). UPLC-MS was utilized to demonstrate that, in the presence of glutathione (GSH), the four molecules were subjected to electrochemical oxidation, resulting in the formation of mono- and bi-glutathione conjugates. A two-electron oxidation process combined with the removal of two protons is the first step in transforming polyphenol molecules. As a result, the corresponding quinone is formed. The quinone can then be reduced back to its original form by glutathione (GSH), or it can interact further with GSH to produce mono- and bi-glutathione conjugates. These results contribute to understanding and predicting the oxidative degradation pathway of polyphenols in wine. Understanding this process seems important for winemakers to control and optimize the sensory characteristics of their wines.
ESH: Design and Implementation of an Optimal Hashing Scheme for Persistent Memory
Authors: Regassa Dereje , Yeom Heon Young , Hwang Junseok
Published: October 2023

Recent advancements in memory technology have opened up a wealth of possibilities for innovation in data structures. The emergence of byte-addressable persistent memory (PM) with its impressive capacity and low latency has accelerated the adoption of PM in existing hashing-based indexes. As a result, several new hashing schemes utilizing emulators have been proposed. However, these schemes have proven to be suboptimal, lacking scalability when implemented on real devices. Only a handful of hash table designs have successfully addressed critical properties such as load factor, scalability, efficient memory utilization, and recovery. One of the main challenges in redesigning data structures for an effective hashing scheme in PM is minimizing the overhead associated with dynamic hashing operations in the hash table. To tackle this challenge, this paper introduces ESH, an efficient and scalable hashing scheme that significantly improves memory efficiency, scalability, and overall performance on PM. The ESH scheme maximizes the utilization of the hash table’s available space, thus reducing the frequency of full-table rehashing and improving performance. Consequently, this scheme achieves a high load factor while minimizing the need for rehashing. To evaluate the effectiveness of the ESH scheme, we compare it to widely used dynamic hashing schemes employing similar techniques on Intel Optane® DC persistent memory (DCPMM). The experimental results demonstrate that ESH outperforms CCEH and Dash in terms of data insertion performance, exhibiting a 30% improvement over CCEH and a 4% improvement over Dash. Furthermore, ESH improves the lookup operation by nearly 10% compared to Dash, while achieving a load factor of up to 91%, surpassing its competitors.
Classification of Peruvian Flours via NIR Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometrics
Authors: Martínez-Julca Milton , Nazario-Naveda Renny , Gallozzo-Cárdenas Moises , Rojas-Flores Segundo , Chinchay-Espino Hector , Alvarez-Escobedo Amilu , Murga-Torres Emzon
Published: October 2023

Nowadays, nutritional foods have a great impact on healthy diets. In particular, maca, oatmeal, broad bean, soybean, and algarrobo are widely used in different ways in the daily diets of many people due to their nutritional components. However, many of these foods share certain physical similarities with others of lower quality, making it difficult to identify them with certainty. Few studies have been conducted to find any differences using practical techniques with minimal preparation and in short durations. In this work, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) were used to classify and distinguish samples based on their chemical properties. The spectral data were pretreated to further highlight the differences among the samples determined via PCA. The results indicate that the raw spectral data of all the samples had similar patterns, and their respective PCA analysis results could not be used to differentiate them. However, pretreated data differentiated the foods in separate clusters according to score plots. The main difference was a C-O band that corresponded to a vibration mode at 4644 cm−1 associated with protein content. PCA combined with spectral analysis can be used to differentiate and classify foods using small samples through the chemical properties on their surfaces. This study contributes new knowledge toward the more precise identification of foods, even if they are combined.
Non-Axiomatic Logic Modeling of English Texts for Knowledge Discovery and Commonsense Reasoning
Authors: Juárez Osiris , Godoy-Calderon Salvador , Calvo Hiram
Published: October 2023

Non-axiomatic logic (NAL) is a term-based, non-monotonic, multi-valued logic with evidence-based formal semantics. All those characteristics position NAL as an excellent candidate for modeling natural language expressions and supporting artificial agents while performing knowledge discovery and commonsense reasoning tasks. In this article, we propose a set of rules for the automatic translation of natural language (NL) text into the formal language of non-axiomatic logic (NAL). Several free available tools are used to support a previous linguistic analysis, and a common sense ontology is used to populate a background knowledge base that helps to delimit the scope and the semantics of logical formulas translated. Experimentation shows our set to be the most comprehensive NL-to-NAL translation rule set known so far. Furthermore, we included an extensive set of examples to show how our proposed set of rules can be used for translating a wide range of English statements with varying grammatical structures.
Investigating Highway–Rail Grade Crossing Inventory Data Quality’s Role in Crash Model Estimation and Crash Prediction
Authors: Farooq Muhammad Umer , Khattak Aemal J.
Published: October 2023

The highway–rail grade crossings (HRGCs) crash frequency models used in the US are based on the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) database for highway–rail crossing inventory. Inaccuracies or missing values within this database directly impact the estimated parameters of the crash models and subsequent crash predictions. Utilizing a set of 560 HRGCs in Nebraska, this research demonstrates variations in crash predictions estimated by the FRA’s 2020 Accident Prediction (AP) model under two scenarios: firstly, employing the unchanged, original FRA HRGCs inventory dataset as the input, and secondly, utilizing a field-validated inventory dataset for the same 560 HRGCs as input to the FRA’s 2020 Accident Prediction (AP) model. The findings indicated a significant statistical disparity in the predictions made with the two input datasets. Furthermore, two new Zero-inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) models were estimated by employing 5-year reported HRGCs crashes and the two inventory datasets for the 560 HRGCs. These models facilitated the comparison of model parameter estimates and estimated marginal values. The results indicated that errors and missing values in the original FRA HRGCs inventory dataset resulted in crash predictions that statistically differed from those made using the more accurate and complete (validated in the field) HRGCs inventory dataset. Furthermore, the crash prediction model estimated upon the corrected inventory data demonstrated enhanced prediction performance, as measured by the statistical fitness criteria. The findings emphasize the importance of collecting complete and accurate inventory data when developing HRGCs crash frequency models. This will enhance models’ precision, improve their predictive capabilities to aid in better resource allocation, and ultimately reduce HRGCs crashes.
Ultra-Low-Frequency Acoustic Black Hole Radial Elastic Metamaterials
Authors: Li Lixia , Hu Haiteng , Wu Xiaolan
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we propose an acoustic black hole radial elastic metamaterial (AREM). Through the study of its dispersion relations, it is found that, compared with the conventional elastic metamaterial, the AREM gathers energy at the tip of the black hole cell, which can trigger the local resonance (LR) effect and couples with the Bragg scattering (BS) effect, thus opening the very low-frequency strong attenuation broadband. The influence of the structural parameters of the AREM on the bandgap (BG) characteristics is further explored, and the bandwidth can be modulated in the frequency range of 0–1300 Hz by varying the truncation thickness and power exponent of the acoustic black hole (ABH) structure. Finally, by analyzing the transmission spectrum and displacement field, it is found that the total bandwidth of the flexural BG is better than that of the conventional radial elastic metamaterial, and the wave attenuation capability is improved by more than 110%. It is also discovered that the BG characteristics of the longitudinal BG are also better than those of the conventional radial elastic metamaterial, and the total bandwidth of the longitudinal BG is superior to that of the conventional radial elastic metamaterial, with the wave attenuation capability improved by more than 56%. The research findings may have applications in engineering fields such as ultra-low-frequency vibration reduction.
Research on Dynamic and Thermal Effects Based on the Calculation of the Short-Circuit Current in Low-Voltage DC Distribution Systems for Civil Buildings
Authors: Wei Qiang , Ni Gaojun , Feng Jianhua , Ma Hao
Published: October 2023

The verification of short-circuit effects is very important for ensuring the safety of equipment and power systems. Compared with that in alternating current (AC) systems, research on this issue in direct current (DC) systems is scarce, and it is urgently necessary to develop an accurate verification method for applications in DC systems. This research establishes an equivalent model of a pole–pole cable short-circuit according to the characteristics of low-voltage DC distribution systems in civil buildings. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, the development process of a short circuit is summarized, and the methods of verifying dynamic and thermal effects based on the time-domain characteristics of the short-circuit current are specified. By calculating the peak value and Joule integral of the short-circuit current, in comparison with those in the IEC 61660 (1997) standard, this research points out that the method in the IEC 61660 (1997) standard is insufficient. Finally, the short-circuit peak current is greatly affected by the DC-link capacitance, the steady-state current is directly related to the filter inductance of the AC-link; and the verification of the thermal effect requires the calculation of the Joule integral in the transient and steady state.
Hierarchical Episodic Control
Authors: Zhou Rong , Zhang Zhisheng , Wang Yuan
Published: October 2023

Deep reinforcement learning is one of the research hotspots in artificial intelligence and has been successfully applied in many research areas; however, the low training efficiency and high demand for samples are problems that limit the application. Inspired by the rapid learning mechanisms of the hippocampus, to address these problems, a hierarchical episodic control model extending episodic memory to the domain of hierarchical reinforcement learning is proposed in this paper. The model is theoretically justified and employs a hierarchical implicit memory planning approach for counterfactual trajectory value estimation. Starting from the final step and recursively moving back along the trajectory, a hidden plan is formed within the episodic memory. Experience is aggregated both along trajectories and across trajectories, and the model is updated using a multi-headed backpropagation similar to bootstrapped neural networks. This model extends the parameterized episodic memory framework to the realm of hierarchical reinforcement learning and is theoretically analyzed to demonstrate its convergence and effectiveness. Experiments conducted in four-room games, Mujoco, and UE4-based active tracking highlight that the hierarchical episodic control model effectively enhances training efficiency. It demonstrates notable improvements in both low-dimensional and high-dimensional environments, even in cases of sparse rewards. This model can enhance the training efficiency of reinforcement learning and is suitable for application scenarios that do not rely heavily on exploration, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, robot control, computer vision applications, and so on.
Fire Detection and Geo-Localization Using UAV’s Aerial Images and Yolo-Based Models
Authors: Choutri Kheireddine , Lagha Mohand , Meshoul Souham , Batouche Mohamed , Bouzidi Farah , Charef Wided
Published: October 2023

The past decade has witnessed a growing demand for drone-based fire detection systems, driven by escalating concerns about wildfires exacerbated by climate change, as corroborated by environmental studies. However, deploying existing drone-based fire detection systems in real-world operational conditions poses practical challenges, notably the intricate and unstructured environments and the dynamic nature of UAV-mounted cameras, often leading to false alarms and inaccurate detections. In this paper, we describe a two-stage framework for fire detection and geo-localization. The key features of the proposed work included the compilation of a large dataset from several sources to capture various visual contexts related to fire scenes. The bounding boxes of the regions of interest were labeled using three target levels, namely fire, non-fire, and smoke. The second feature was the investigation of YOLO models to undertake the detection and localization tasks. YOLO-NAS was retained as the best performing model using the compiled dataset with an average mAP50 of 0.71 and an F1_score of 0.68. Additionally, a fire localization scheme based on stereo vision was introduced, and the hardware implementation was executed on a drone equipped with a Pixhawk microcontroller. The test results were very promising and showed the ability of the proposed approach to contribute to a comprehensive and effective fire detection system.
Electron and Positron Impact Ionization of SF6−nHn(n = 0 − 6); {SCln, SFn−1Cl(n = 1 − 6)} and SF5X(X = CN, CFO)
Authors: Suriyaprasanth S. , Choi Heechol , Gupta Dhanoj
Published: October 2023

We have calculated the electron and positron impact ionization of a set of molecules, SF6−nHn(n=0−6), SCln(n=1−6), SFn−1Cl(n=1−6) and SF5X(X=CN,CFO), for which there are much fewer data in the literature. We have optimized the targets, and their electric polarizability is calculated along with their orbital binding and kinetic energies within the Hartree–Fock approximation that serve as input to the Binary Encounter Bethe (BEB) model for both electron and positron ionization. Most of the targets are investigated for the first time, apart from SF6, for which we compared our data with various experimental and theoretical data, giving us a good comparison.
Scale-Up of Lithium Iron Phosphate Cathodes with High Active Materials Contents for Lithium Ion Cells
Authors: Apachitei Geanina , Heymer Rob , Lain Michael , Dogaru Daniela , Hidalgo Marc , Marco James , Copley Mark
Published: October 2023

The size of a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode mix was increased by a factor of thirty, and the capacity of the cells produced with it by a factor of three-hundred. As well as rate and cycling tests, the coatings were also characterised for adhesion and resistivity. The adhesion and total through-plane resistance were both dependent on the drying conditions during coating. The discharge capacities at high rates and the pulse resistances showed much less influence from the drying temperature. The mix formulation contained 97 wt% LFP, and was based on an earlier design of experiments (DoE) study, using relatively high active material contents. Overall, the mix exceeded the performance predicted by the modelling study.
Aneurysm Rupture Prediction Based on Strain Energy-CFD Modelling
Authors: Al-Jumaily Ahmed M. , Embong Abd Halim Bin , AL-Rawi Mohammad , Mahadevan Giri , Sugita Shukei
Published: October 2023

This paper presents a Patient-Specific Aneurysm Model (PSAM) analyzed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The PSAM combines the energy strain function and stress–strain relationship of the dilated vessel wall to predict the rupture of aneurysms. This predictive model is developed by analyzing ultrasound images acquired with a 6–9 MHz Doppler transducer, which provides real-time data on the arterial deformations. The patient-specific cyclic loading on the PSAM is extrapolated from the strain energy function developed using historical stress–strain relationships. Multivariant factors are proposed to locate points of arterial weakening that precede rupture. Biaxial tensile tests are used to calculate the material properties of the artery wall, enabling the observation of the time-dependent material response in wall rupture formation. In this way, correlations between the wall deformation and tissue failure mode can predict the aneurysm’s propensity to rupture. This method can be embedded within the ultrasound measures used to diagnose potential AAA ruptures.