bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Cognitive Performance
Authors: Chen R , Essader T , Jang J , Kaundinya K
Published: June 2021

The beneficial effects of mindfulness meditation on higher-order cognitive performance as well as physiological parameters, such as decreased cortisol levels, blood pressure, pulse rate, and reaction time, have been studied extensively. However, most of these studies have been conducted over a relatively long term, comparing subjects who meditate on a regular basis with those who have never meditated. In this study, the acute effects of mindfulness meditation are investigated by examining the differences between tactile reaction time and temporal-order judgement (TOJ) obtained before and after a 10-minute meditation session in several case studies. Additionally, the participants reported their mood and stress levels in a survey before and after the meditation session. The results demonstrate that mindfulness meditation improves performance on the tactile reaction time and TOJ tasks, and it also promotes a peaceful state of mind.
Reaction time and hand dominance
Authors: Karim Chouamo Abdel , Griego Svetlana , Susana Martinez Lopez Fatima
Published: June 2021

In most individuals, there is a significant difference in hand dominance and this suggests that  sensorimotor tasks, such as reaction time, would demonstrate a difference in performance tasks conducted with dominant versus non-dominant hand. In this study, comparisons were made between the reaction time of the dominant to the nondominant hand, the reaction time of the male participants to that of the female participants, the reaction time variability of the dominant hand of the male participants to that of the dominant hand of female participants, and finally the reaction time variability of the nondominant hand of the male participants to that of the female participants. The study was conducted virtually with participants performing a set of instructions emailed to them. The results demonstrated that the reaction time of the dominant hand was faster than that of the nondominant hand in all participants, the reaction time of the male participants was faster than that of the female participants, the reaction time variability of the dominant hand was higher in male than in female participants, and lastly, the reaction time variability of the nondominant hand was lower for the male than in the female participants.
Muon Tracker with Unsegmented Plastic Scintillator Panels
Authors: Cashion Avery , Cieslewski Grzegorz , Foris Adam , Su Jiann , Schwellenbach David , Bonal Nedra
Published: June 2021

A muon tracker was developed using three polyvinyl toluene scintillator panels instrumented with photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) mounted at the corners. Panels are mounted in parallel on an aluminum frame which allows for simple adjustment of angle, orientation and separation distance between the panels. The responses of all PMTs in the system are digitized simultaneously at sub-nanosecond sample spacing. Software was developed to adjust settings and implement event rejection based on the number of panels that detected a scintillation event within a 400-nanosecond record.  The relative responses of the PMTs are used to calculate the position of scintillation events within each panel. The direction of the muons through the system can be tracked using the panel strike order. Methods for triangulation by both time-of-flight (TOF) and PMT magnitude response are reported. The time triangulation method is derived and experimentally demonstrated using parallel cables of differing length. The PMTs used in this experiment are only optimized for amplitude discrimination, not for time spread jitter as would be required to implement TOF methods into the scintillator panels. A Gaussian process regression machine learning tool was implemented to learn the relationship between PMT response features and positions from a calibration dataset. Resolution is analyzed using different numbers of PMTs and low-versus-high PMT sensitivities.  Muons traveling in forward and reverse directions through the detector system were counted in all six axis orientations. The muon detector was deployed for 28 days in an underground tunnel and vertical muon counts were recorded.
The Effects of Regular Versus Irregular Caffeine Consumption in Mental Performance
Authors: Pippin Sara , Harrison Brenna
Published: June 2021

Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world and is a central nervous system stimulant that increases alertness and excitation. Regular consumption of caffeine can cause one to become dependent on the drug and this, in turn, can cause withdrawal to occur when regular caffeine consumption is disrupted [1]. A case study series (3 cases) addresses the way in which caffeine consumption by regular and irregular caffeine drinkers impacts cognitive performance. Three subjects, 2 regular caffeine drinkers and 1 irregular caffeine drinker, performed case studies to examine the effect of caffeine consumption on their reaction and choice reaction times.  A Brain Gauge device and software were used to conduct these cognitive performance tasks.  Across all 3 cases, choice reaction time decreased (i.e., task performance improved) after drinking coffee.  In most cases, there was a decrease in the average reaction time (performance improvement) after caffeine consumption.  The difference in mental performance between regular and irregular drinkers cannot be determined with the results of this case study series. Additional research and experiments with larger sample sizes are needed before making further conclusions about how caffeine consumption and disruption of caffeine consumption affects mental performance.
The Impact of Caffeine on Memory
Authors: Chappelear Emily , Drury Cassa
Published: June 2021

Many people rely on caffeine as part of their daily routine to induce the feeling of wakefulness. However, the effects of caffeine on various brain functions, such as memory, remains unclear. To study the impact of caffeine on memory and attention, we conducted a pilot study on individuals with varying levels of caffeine consumption. Each individual completed a survey, memory test, and reaction time test. The results did not elucidate clear trends or significant differences between those who consumed caffeine and those who did not. This study suggests that caffeine intake does not have a direct impact on memory, but a correlation between reaction time variability and memory suggested that more research could provide deeper insights into the effects of various levels of caffeine consumption.
Accurate reaction time methods demonstrate similar results from different sensory modalities
Authors: McRacken Drew , Dyson Maddie , Hu Kevin
Published: June 2021

Over the past few decades, there has been a significant number of reports that suggested that reaction times for different sensory modalities were different – e.g., that visual reaction time was slower than tactile reaction time. A recent report by Holden and colleagues stated that (1) there has been a significant historic upward drift in reaction times reported in the literature, (2) that this drift or degradation in reaction times could be accounted for by inaccuracies in the methods used and (3) that these inaccurate methods led to inaccurate reporting of differences between visual and tactile based reaction time testing.  The Holden study utilized robotics (i.e., no human factors) to test visual and tactile reaction time methods but did not assess how individuals would perform on different sensory modalities.  This study utilized three different sensory modalities: visual, auditory, and tactile, to test reaction time. By changing the way in which the subjects were prompted and measuring subsequent reaction time, the impact of sensory modality could be analyzed. Reaction time testing for two sensory modalities, auditory and visual, were administered through an Arduino Uno microcontroller device, while tactile-based reaction time testing was administered with the Brain Gauge. A range of stimulus intensities was delivered for the reaction times delivered by each sensory modality. The average reaction time and reaction time variability was assessed and a trend could be identified for the reaction time measurements of each of the sensory modalities. Switching the sensory modality did not result in a difference in reaction time and it was concluded that this was due to the implementation of accurate circuitry used to deliver each test. Increasing stimulus intensity for each sensory modality resulted in faster reaction times. The results of this study confirm the findings of Holden and colleagues and contradict the results reported in countless studies that conclude that (1) reaction times are historically slower now than they were 50 years ago and (2) that there are differences in reaction times for different sensory modalities (vision, hearing, tactile). The implications of this are that utilization of accurate reaction time methods could have a significant impact on clinical outcomes and that many methods in current clinical use are basically perpetuating poor methods and wasting time and money of countless subjects or patients.
A new species of the genus Morpheis Hübner, [1820] from Brazil and Peru (Lepidoptera: Cossidae)
Authors: Naydenov Artem A. , Yakovlev Roman V. , Penco Fernando C.
Published: June 2021

The article describes a new species, Morpheis humboldti Naydenov, Yakovlev et Penco sp. n. From the western Brazil and Preu. The description is accompanied by a detailed diagnosis and illustrations.
Conditions for Justifying Single-fluid Approximation for Charged and Neutral Dust Fluids and a Smoothed Particle Magnetohydrodynamics Method for Dust–Gas Mixture
Authors: Tsukamoto Y. , Machida M. N. , Inutsuka S.
Published: June 2021

We describe a numerical scheme for magnetohydrodynamics simulations of dust–gas mixture by extending smoothed particle magnetohydrodynamics. We employ the single-species particle approach to describe dust–gas mixture with several modifications from the previous studies. We assume that the charged and neutral dust can be treated as single-fluid, that the electromagnetic force acts on the gas, and that that acting on the charged dust is negligible. The validity of these assumptions in the context of protostar formation is not obvious and is extensively evaluated. By investigating the electromagnetic force and electric current with terminal velocity approximation, it is found that as the dust size increases, the contribution of dust to them becomes smaller and negligible. We conclude that our assumption that the electromagnetic force on the dusts is negligible is valid for the dust size with a

d
≳ 10 μm. On the other hand, they do not produce the numerical artifact for the dust a

d
≲ 10 μm in the envelope and disk, where the perfect coupling between gas and dust is realized. However, we also found that our assumptions may break down in outflow (or under an environment with very strong magnetic field and low density) for the dust a

d
≲ 10 μm. We conclude that our assumptions are valid in almost all cases where macroscopic dust dynamics is important in the context of protostar formation. We conduct numerical tests of dusty waves, dusty magnetohydrodynamics shocks, and gravitational collapse of magnetized cloud cores with our simulation code. The results show that our numerical scheme well reproduces the dust dynamics in the magnetized medium.
Zooming into the Collimation Zone in a Massive Protostellar Jet
Authors: Carrasco-González Carlos , Sanna Alberto , Rodríguez-Kamenetzky Adriana , Moscadelli Luca , Hoare Melvin , Torrelles José M. , Galván-Madrid Roberto , Izquierdo Andrés F.
Published: June 2021

Protostellar jets have a fundamental role at the earliest evolution of protostars of all masses. In the case of low-mass (≲8 M
⊙) protostars, strong observational evidence exists that the launching and collimation is due to the X- and/or disk-wind mechanisms. In these models, it is the protostar/disk system that creates all the necessary conditions to launch and collimate the jets near the protostar via strong magnetic fields. The origin of jets from more massive protostars has been investigated much less, in part because of the difficulty of resolving the collimation zone in these more distant objects. Here we present the highest angular resolution observations of a jet powered by a massive protostar, the Cep A HW2 radio jet. We imaged the radio emission at projected distances of only ∼20 au from the protostar, resolving the innermost 100 au of a massive protostellar jet for the first time. The morphology of the radio jet emission in this massive object is very different than what is usually observed in jets from low-mass protostars. We found that the outflowing material in HW2 has two components: a wide-angle wind launched from the protostar/disk system, and a highly collimated jet starting at 20–30 au from the protostar. We discuss two possible scenarios: an extension of the classical disk-wind to a massive protostar, or external collimation of a wide-angle wind. These results have important consequences for our understanding of how stars of different masses are formed.
8.9 hr Rotation in the Partly Burnt Runaway Stellar Remnant LP 40-365 (GD 492)
Authors: Hermes J. J. , Putterman Odelia , Hollands Mark A. , Wilson David J. , Swan Andrew , Raddi Roberto , Shen Ken J. , Gänsicke Boris T.
Published: June 2021

We report the detection of 8.914 hr variability in both optical and ultraviolet light curves of LP 40−365 (also known as GD 492), the prototype for a class of partly burnt runaway stars that have been ejected from a binary due to a thermonuclear supernova event. We first detected this 1.0% amplitude variation in optical photometry collected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Reanalysis of observations from the Hubble Space Telescope at the TESS period and ephemeris reveal a 5.8% variation in the ultraviolet of this 9800 K stellar remnant. We propose that this 8.914 hr photometric variation reveals the current surface rotation rate of LP 40−365, and is caused by some kind of surface inhomogeneity rotating in and out of view, though a lack of observed Zeeman splitting puts an upper limit on the magnetic field of <20 kG. We explore ways in which the present rotation period can constrain progenitor scenarios if angular momentum was mostly conserved, which suggests that the survivor LP 40−365 was not the donor star but was most likely the bound remnant of a mostly disrupted white dwarf that underwent advanced burning from an underluminous (Type Iax) supernova.
Hybrid Comptonization and Electron–Positron Pair Production in the Black-hole X-Ray Binary MAXI J1820+070
Authors: Zdziarski Andrzej A. , Jourdain Elisabeth , Lubiński Piotr , Szanecki Michał , Niedźwiecki Andrzej , Veledina Alexandra , Poutanen Juri , Dziełak Marta A. , Roques Jean-Pierre
Published: June 2021

We study X-ray and soft gamma-ray spectra from the hard state of the accreting black-hole binary MAXI J1820+070. We perform an analysis of two joint spectra from NuSTAR and INTEGRAL, covering the range of 3–650 keV, and of an average joint spectrum over the rise of the hard state, covering the 3–2200 keV range. The spectra are well modeled by Comptonization of soft seed photons. However, the distributions of the scattering electrons are not purely thermal; we find they have substantial high-energy tails, well modeled as power laws. The photon tail in the average spectrum is detected well beyond the threshold for electron–positron pair production, 511 keV. This allows us to calculate the rate of the electron–positron pair production and put a lower limit on the size of the source from pair equilibrium. At the fitted Thomson optical depth of the Comptonizing plasma, the limit is about 4 gravitational radii. If we adopt the sizes estimated by us from the reflection spectroscopy of >20 gravitational radii, the fractional pair abundance becomes much less than unity. The low pair abundance is confirmed by the lack of both an annihilation feature and of a pair absorption cutoff above 511 keV in the average spectrum.
La fabrique de l’évaluation des hauts potentiels, un travail politique ?
Authors: Braun Pascal
Published: June 2021

L’abondante littérature sur l’évaluation des hauts potentiels reste très centrée sur les outils de détection du potentiel, mais peu de recherches appréhendent l’évaluation des hauts potentiels comme un « processus », allant de la construction des politiques d’évaluation jusqu’à la discussion des résultats de l’évaluation dans les comités de carrière. L’analyse empirique d’un processus d’évaluation de hauts potentiels dans une étude de cas approfondie (2 ans d’observation non participante, 58 entretiens semi-directifs) nous a permis d’étudier le travail opéré par les différents acteurs impliqués dans l’évaluation, notamment les acteurs RH centraux. Prenant appui sur le cadre d’analyse élaboré par Braud (2018) pour analyser la professionnalisation des acteurs politiques, nous interprétons le travail des acteurs RH centraux comme un travail politique, visant à légitimer le processus d’évaluation vis-à-vis de leur direction générale, et dans une moindre mesure vis-à-vis des salariés évalués. Nous montrons que ce travail comporte trois dimensions : un travail de mise en cohérence des dispositifs d’évaluation avec le projet stratégique, un travail symbolique sur les perceptions du processus d’évaluation par la direction générale et les salariés évalués, et un travail de médiation auprès des acteurs impliqués dans la mise en forme et la discussion des évaluations.
De la réalité virtuelle comme médiation thérapeutique auprès des personnes âgées en institution
Authors: Charlet Olivier , Rabeyron Thomas
Published: June 2021

Nous interrogeons dans ce travail la pertinence d’utiliser la réalité virtuelle comme médiation thérapeutique auprès de personnes âgées qui vivent en institution. Nous avons mis en place un dispositif à médiation en enregistrant des vidéos à 360° de différents lieux. Les participants les observent à travers un casque de réalité virtuelle lors de séances individuelles réalisées en Ehpad. L’analyse du cas clinique de Jade pose les jalons d’une lecture psychodynamique des propriétés de la réalité virtuelle comme outil thérapeutique.
Calendar Spread Hedging Mechanism for Mining Companies
Authors: Mishin Andrey , Kisarina Polina
Published: June 2021

This chapter attempts to answer the question of how much of its current production a mining company should hedge by forward selling by using a model that allows a company to determine the optimal (profit-maximising) hedge. The risk estimation model of company failure is based on the forward price of metals; the miner's operating costs is based on quantitative approach for mining companies. The chapter considers the transition to advanced digital, intelligent manufacturing technologies, robotic systems, the creation of systems for processing large amounts of data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. The model calculates the present value of future income distributed as dividends in order to determine the value of the company from the perspective of the owner or investor, a multiple of the current value of the product. By simulating the work of several companies working with different levels of forward, it is possible to determine the relative profitability and survival in the market that allows one to determine the optimal hedging ratio.
Methods of Information Processing and Presentation in Peer-to-Peer Online Marketplaces
Authors: Monakhov Mikhail , Monakhov Yuri , Telny Andrey Viktorovich
Published: June 2021

In e-commerce, buyers do not have enough information about the products and services provided. In some industries, retail trade has been completely supplanted; offline trading floors have become essentially pick-up points. Therefore, online marketplaces have a disruptive effect on traditional trade. Features of the online environment often encourage consumers to take additional risks (e.g., to buy a product or service having only its virtual representation available). A system of trust is formed to streamline the virtual interaction of sellers with buyers and stimulate regulations in the purchase/sale, since the usual regulatory mechanisms and rights do not work here. The electronic market in general can break down. Such a problem can be eliminated by introducing mechanisms of trust and reputation of buyers and sellers to each other. The chapter provides an overview of the ways of presenting and processing information in the systems of reputation and trust that function on online trading sites on the social networks of the internet.
The Algorithm of Semantic Analysis in Disruptive Information Security Systems
Authors: Kisarina Polina , Mishin Andrey
Published: June 2021

This chapter represents some of the main drawbacks of DLP systems implemented by businesses in international practice. The main structural shortcomings of these systems have been analyzed, and the factors correlating with them were revealed. An experimental setup has been formed to assess the impact of changes in these factors on the Type 1 and 2 errors in the operation of the systems. The authors also provide the results of the research with the use of algorithms, including the influence of the identified factors in the business systems of different directions to improve the economic security of the company.
Towards a Sharing Economy
Authors: Demushina Olga , Buletova Natalya E. , Li Jun , Youssif Mohamed Mohmoud Atwa
Published: June 2021

The purpose of the research is to explore factors, trends, and prospects of the sharing economy in economic systems of various types. To achieve this goal, the authors established a typology of countries according to their sharing economy development. Based on the structural and rank analysis, the authors investigated and compared national economic systems according to the level of the sharing economy development. The authors also employed the expert survey method to identify factors and risks affecting the sharing economy at the national level. The following factors have been identified: digital economy development, the openness of citizens and businesses to innovations, consumer mentality affecting behavior patterns, regulatory at the national and local levels, availability of the services, simplicity and quality of the infrastructure, trust, political situation in the country, and digital literacy of the users.
Applications of Biomechanics Analysis in Dance
Authors: Cantergi Debora , Moraes Laura Ruaro , Loss Jefferson Fagundes
Published: June 2021

The field of sports biomechanics aims to improve performance and decrease injury rates in athletes. Although first developed thinking of athletes, sports biomechanics analysis was expanded to the dance field due to the similarities between athletes and dancers, including high workload, high injuries incidence, and the constant seeking of performance improvements. For the past few decades, a field focused only on dancers, thus called “dance biomechanics,” has used sports biomechanics literature and produced its own knowledge analysing different dancers and many types of dance. Many questions have been made about dance, and some of those have been addressed by dance biomechanics. This chapter will explain how science has tried to answer many of them.
The Menstrual Cycle and the Dance Performance
Authors: Pessali-Marques Bárbara
Published: June 2021

The physiological alterations due to the variation in female hormones' concentrations, oestrogen and progesterone, will allow pregnancy or the period to occur. However, this hormone fluctuation across the menstrual cycle phases may affect way more than only the ability to get pregnant. Although the female hormones' primary action is related to the ovum's maturation and implantation, their variation causes many physiological and emotional secondary effects. It is expected that this interaction may, in turn, influence exercise performance, including dance performance; therefore, it is essential to understand better what happens in the body during the menstrual cycle. This understanding may allow better awareness and control of the symptoms, bringing a better quality of life and more remarkable dance performance.
The Psychology of Creativity in Dance
Authors: Clements Lucie , Yutzey Elizabeth Frost
Published: June 2021

Dance science researchers have developed a body of work and knowledge that focuses on understanding physical and psychological skills, leading to performance optimisation in dance. Research has predominantly focused on what constitutes a fit, healthy dancer, but the focus on dance's creative elements has been considerably less. This chapter provides an overview of the place of creativity in the skillset of a training or professional dancer. Several theories of motivation and personality that might be relevant for developing creativity in dance are discussed. Within this chapter, the authors aim to highlight the fundamental role of psychology in dancers' creativity.
Is AI in Your Future?
Authors: Gunter Darrell Wayne
Published: June 2021

AI was first coined by John McCarthy in 1956. Vannevar Bush penned an article, “As We Make Think,” that was first published in The Atlantic, and five years later, Alan Turning wrote a paper on the notion of machines being able to simulate human beings. AI had a number of significant contributors, which this chapter chronicles along with the definitions and their achievements. This chapter will provide an introduction, history, and overview of AI. It will also provide examples of the four waves of AI and the current applications and future applications of AI.
The World of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens)
Authors: Raman Ramakrishnan , Edwin Raj Benson
Published: June 2021

Tokenizing assets through the use of blockchain is the next big thing in digital currency markets. Securing the assets in the world of the internet is challenging as most of them can easily be copied and sold in the secondary market. Protecting the rights of the asset owner is one of the challenging research areas. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are very useful in representing the ownership of unique items for any assets. NFTs ensure that an asset can have only one official owner at any point in time with the help of Ethereum-based blockchain network. Ethereum NFTs can ensure that no one can modify the ownership rights or copy and paste the digital assets. NFTs are a boon to the artists, musicians, and others who want to create impressive digital assets. The objective of this chapter is to take you to the world of NFTs and to explain how the NFTs are going to impact digital transactions in a bigger way in the future. This chapter covers the introduction, technical aspects, security impacts, use cases, and successful implementations of NFTs in various realms.
Blockchain With the Internet of Things
Authors: Pal Kamalendu
Published: June 2021

The internet of things (IoT) is ushering a new age of technology-driven automation of information systems into the manufacturing industry. One of the main concerns with IoT systems is the lack of privacy and security preserving schemes for controlling access and ensuring the safety of the data. Many security issues arise because of the centralized architecture of IoT-based information systems. Another concern is the lack of appropriate authentication and access control schemes to moderate the access to information generated by the IoT devices in the manufacturing industry. Hence, the question that arises is how to ensure the identity of the manufacturing machinery or the communication nodes. This chapter presents the advantages of blockchain technology to secure the operation of the modern manufacturing industry in a trustless environment with IoT applications. The chapter reviews the challenges and threats in IoT applications and how integration with blockchain can resolve some of the manufacturing enterprise information systems (EIS).
Security for IoT
Authors: Sheikh Anjum Nazir Qureshi , Ambhaikar Asha , Kumar Sunil
Published: June 2021

The internet of things is a versatile technology that helps to connect devices with other devices or humans in any part of the world at any time. Some of the researchers claim that the number of IoT devices around the world will surpass the total population on the earth after a few years. The technology has made life easier, but these comforts are backed up with a lot of security threats. Wireless medium for communication, large amount of data, and device constraints of the IoT devices are some of the factors that increase their vulnerability to security threats. This chapter provides information about the attacks at different layers of IoT architecture. It also mentions the benefits of technologies like blockchain and machine learning that can help to solve the security issues of IoT.
A Survey on Aspect Extraction Approaches for Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Yadavilli Vrps Sastry , Seshadri Karthick
Published: June 2021

Aspect-level sentiment analysis gives a detailed view of user opinions expressed towards each feature of a product. Aspect extraction is a challenging task in aspect-level sentiment analysis. Hence, several researchers worked on the problem of aspect extraction during the past decade. The authors begin this chapter with a brief introduction to aspect-level sentimental analysis, which covers the definition of key terms used in this chapter, and the authors also illustrate various subtasks of aspect-level sentiment analysis. The introductory section is followed by an explanation of the various feature learning methods like supervised, unsupervised, semi-supervised, etc. with a discussion regarding their merits and demerits. The authors compare the aspect extraction methods performance with respect to metrics and a detailed discussion on the merits and demerits of the approaches. They conclude the chapter with pointers to the unexplored problems in aspect-level sentiment analysis that may be beneficial to the researchers who wish to pursue work in this challenging and mature domain.
Effective Multi-Label Classification Using Data Preprocessing
Authors: Tidake Vaishali S. , Sane Shirish S.
Published: June 2021

Usage of feature similarity is expected when the nearest neighbors are to be explored. Examples in multi-label datasets are associated with multiple labels. Hence, the use of label dissimilarity accompanied by feature similarity may reveal better neighbors. Information extracted from such neighbors is explored by devised MLFLD and MLFLD-MAXP algorithms. Among three distance metrics used for computation of label dissimilarity, Hamming distance has shown the most improved performance and hence used for further evaluation. The performance of implemented algorithms is compared with the state-of-the-art MLkNN algorithm. They showed an improvement for some datasets only. This chapter introduces parameters MLE and skew. MLE, skew, along with outlier parameter help to analyze multi-label and imbalanced nature of datasets. Investigation of datasets for various parameters and experimentation explored the need for data preprocessing for removing outliers. It revealed an improvement in the performance of implemented algorithms for all measures, and effectiveness is empirically validated.
Leaf Disease Detection Using AI
Authors: Maduri Praveen Kumar , Biswas Tushar , Dhiman Preeti , Soni Apurva , Singh Kushagra
Published: June 2021

Plants play a significant role in everyone's life. They provide us essential elements like food, oxygen, and shelter, so plants must be supervised and nurtured properly. During cultivation, crops are prone to different kinds of diseases which can severely damage the whole yield leading to financial losses for farmers. In last 10 years, researchers have used different machine learning techniques to detect the disease on plants, but either the methods were not efficient enough to be implemented or were not able to cover the wide area in which plant diseases can be detected. So, the author has introduced a method which is efficient enough to easily detect plant disease and can be implemented in large fields. The author has used a combination of CNN and k-means clustering algorithms. By using this method, crops disease is detected by analyzing the leaves, which notifies users for action in the initial stage. Thus, the proposed method prevents whole crops from getting damaged and saves time and energy of farmers as disease will be identified way before a human eye can detect it on a large farm.
Limitations and Implications of Doubling Time Approach in COVID-19 Infection Spreading Study
Authors: Senapati Apurbalal , Maji Soumen , Mondal Arunendu
Published: June 2021

To control the spread of COVID-19, around the world, many countries imposed lockdowns. Numerous studies were reported on COVID-19 in different disciplines with various aspects. The doubling time is a mathematical technique to estimate the current rate of spread of the disease. Researchers used the doubling technique to address the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The larger doubling period represents a low spreading rate, whereas the smaller doubling period represents a high spreading rate. In other words, high infection implies the low doubling period and low infection implies the high doubling period. So, there is an inverse relationship between doubling time and the infection rate. But the real-life data does not follow such a rule properly in various domains. The data shows that after a certain time when the infection is high, the doubling period is also high, which misleads our general concept of doubling time. This chapter addressed this issue by investigating the real-time COVID-19 data. To overcome this limitation, a gradient smoothing technique has been proposed.
Behaviour Anomaly Detection With Similarity-Based Sampling for Imbalanced Data
Authors: Agarwal Isha Y. , Rana Dipti P. , Suri Kshitij R. , Jain Punitkumar , Awasthi Saumya , Roy Krittika
Published: June 2021

Mental health is a major issue in our society, and people treat this issue as a subject that should not be spoken about. So, many such individuals utilize social media as a platform to share their thoughts and fears. This emphasizes the researchers to identify sufferers who require treatment. Many approaches have been devised to detect early markers of mental health illness, some of which include learning algorithms based on the heuristic of equally distributed balanced data. However, they yield biased results towards the majority data (i.e., normal behaviour). Thus, new perception is needed to explore the available data. This research deals with the first identification of such users from weblog data, and the similarity-based sampled data is then given to the classifier. The experiment analysis shows the effectiveness of this work and will provide the user's mental state information early to take timely necessary steps.
Teacher Effectiveness in Australia
Authors: Skourdoumbis Andrew
Published: June 2021

This chapter explores the concept of teacher effectiveness as it relates to the Australian schooling context. The chapter delineates some of the important aspects connected to the concept of teacher effectiveness within Australian education policy now and over recent times. It discusses some of the major contextual elements involved in schooling which situate classroom teachers as the variable with the most influence in enhancing student achievement scores. The field of Australian school education has undergone significant change in recent decades with policymaker calls on classroom teachers to enhance school system productivity via teacher effectiveness. The chapter will traverse the significant economic and educational change, marking the emphasis on the concept of teacher effectiveness connecting it to the current Australian education policy framework that emphasizes the continuous development and performance of individual classroom teachers and their pedagogic effectiveness.
Teacher Effectiveness
Authors: Min Mina
Published: June 2021

This chapter examines teacher recruitment, selection, and evaluation policies in South Korea and explores how teacher quality and effectiveness are understood, ensured, and assessed in the country. To show how the concepts are understood in Korea, the chapter starts with an analysis of the goals of education, of the kind of education perceived by the Korean government and citizens as high quality, and of the way effective teachers are defined by the goals they achieve. The analysis illustrates the historical, political, economic, and cultural backgrounds that have shaped Korean perspectives on the goals of education. Subsequently, the chapter describes policies and practices in the recruitment of teacher candidates, the selection of public school teachers, and the evaluation of in-service teachers' teaching quality and effectiveness. Lastly, it discusses the effectiveness of these policies and practices.
Conceptions of Teacher Effectiveness and Its Implications for Educational Policy and Practice in the United States
Authors: Stronge James H. , Xu Xianxuan , Grant Leslie W. , Mo Yanping , Huang Ke
Published: June 2021

This chapter provides an overview of the educational system from the founding of the country to today. Like Australia and Canada, the governmental structure involves the national government with smaller units in the form of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This structure means variation of educational systems across governmental units. The authors provide an overview of the influence of conceptions of teaching effectiveness including the development of professional organization standards, passing of national legislation aimed at defining teacher effectiveness in terms of student outcomes, and standards-based teacher evaluation systems. Unique features of the United States perspective include a focus on differentiation to include getting to know the needs of individual students and meeting those individual needs. The authors describe the cultural basis for these unique features.
Grey Rhinos and Deep Risk
Authors: Sarpong Prince
Published: June 2021

Discussions on the impact of climate change within the financial services sector have mainly focused on institutional investors. Talk of climate change is all but ignored in financial planning. Financial planning, however, has a profound impact on society and can play a major role in climate change mitigation. Climate change poses an overarching challenge to financial planning and how individuals plan for their long-term goals. The financial services sector which provides the financial instruments for financial planning faces deep uncertainty, which threatens the stability of the sector. The environmental impact of climate change poses an additional risk on health outcomes for individuals. This chapter presents a review of disparate literature to position the risk of climate change as deep risk which has significant implications for financial planning. The chapter outlines how financial planners can prepare themselves and their clients for climate risks while contributing to climate change mitigation as well.
Nexus of Climate Change and Sustainable Real Estate
Authors: Msomi Thabiso Sthembiso , Olarewaju Odunayo Magret
Published: June 2021

This chapter investigates the nexus of climate change and real estate sustainability. Climate change is the topical dramatic swing of the planet's normal climate patterns caused by a spike in emissions of carbon dioxide triggered by human activities. Climate change risk is not being effectively estimated into commercial real estate assessments. Due to high demand for coastal properties, a lopsided share of commercial real estate is vulnerable to climate change risks. Thus, it was concluded that real estate is an essential part of an evolving growth phenomenon and also plays a major role in stimulating economic growth. This makes it important for investors and property owners/dealers to be resilient in combating climate change, and adequate information should be available for investors so they will know the risk attached to their investment.
Climate Change and Insurance Business in Developing Economies
Authors: Olarewaju Olusola Olawale , Nomlala Bomi Cyril
Published: June 2021

The capacity of insurance systems to reduce immediate losses caused by disasters through the provision of financial security against extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, tropical cyclones, droughts, and floods avails an opportunity to developing countries for reduction of poverty and steady economic growth. The process of negotiating premium creates a platform for incentives to reduce risk and adapt to the climate change. There are opportunities for donors to combine resources so as to support the vulnerable communities with measures to reduce risk. In this research work, the scholar examines the process of financing disaster risk in developing countries, insurance of disaster in developing economy, advantages of disaster insurance, cost and risks involved in the insurance business, the concept of adaptation in insurance system, proposal of the Munich climate insurance initiative, the impact of insurance on the reduction of greenhouse gasses, and the globalisation of climate change risk.
The Perfect Storm of Challenging Students
Authors: Ryan Mark Patrick
Published: June 2021

This chapter explores 15 strategies being employed at various public military charter schools across the United States to support the socio-emotional learning and education of the whole learner. These research-based strategies are intended to overcome and vanquish the adverse childhood experiences (identified in a Kaiser health study), various forms of trauma, and typical “at risk” factors so common amongst families who tend to choose public military academies in the hopes these schools will “fix” the many challenges their children face. Through a careful examination of each strategy (including its research basis and benefits and challenges), the author provides a glimpse into a possible formula other public and private schools might consider employing to meet the socio-emotional and educational needs of students impacted by a cacophony of life's challenges.
Promoting Social and Academic Wellness Among African American Adolescent Males
Authors: Collins Ayanlaja Carole Rene' , Polydore Catherine Lenna , Beamon Danielle Anita
Published: June 2021

African American adolescent males are at increasing risk for mental health challenges. Statistics indicate that depression and anxiety are of primary concern. Historical and social conditions, including institutionalized racism, produce stressors for Black males and propel negative public attitudes. The responses of healthcare professionals and school personnel to the mental health needs of Black adolescent males are generalized with limited focus on this specific population and effective interventions. The authors identify and describe predominant mental health conditions in Black male adolescents and describe the current landscape of emotional health impacting this population. They identify determinant factors that lead to poor mental health. Activating a social-constructivist approach, the authors recommend culturally responsive approaches to address the problem and improve outcomes, along with future directions.
Becoming Ellis
Authors: King Bonnie Carter
Published: June 2021

The chapter describes the author's experience as a counselor working with a transgender-identifying teenager named Ellis. The goals of the counseling relationship included exploring transgender identity, managing feelings of depression and anxiety connected to gender dysphoria, and helping Ellis process and cope with life struggles that he experienced. The author provides an in-depth description of Ellis's experience in counseling, as well as a follow-up interview conducted five years after termination of the counseling relationship. This chapter depicts the experience of Ellis's transition and his perspectives about what his transgender identity means to him. The author provides insights on how to best work with transgender clients that emerged from her experience of working with Ellis.
Supporting Immigrant Children in College and Career Readiness
Authors: Wambu Grace W. , Nkabinde Zandile P.
Published: June 2021

The number of immigrant students have been on the rise in the last decades in many American classrooms. Both public schools and institutions of higher learning have increasing numbers of racially and ethnically diverse students than in the past. Immigrants from around the world come to America for different reasons but with one dream, and that is to create better lives for themselves and their children. Many leave their countries of origin seeking economic opportunities, while others leave their countries fleeing political, religious, and ethnic persecution. A number of refugees fleeing wars and turmoil from their home countries come to America with psychological, physical, and emotional trauma. Adelman and Taylor suggested that refugee students are among the most vulnerable for school failure and its consequences. This chapter discusses the role of teachers and school counselors in facilitating a smooth transition of all immigrant children in college and career readiness.
Lucia's Journey of Bridging Two Worlds
Authors: Tello Angelica M.
Published: June 2021

Lucia is a Latina first-generation college student (FGCS) attending a predominantly white institution, a state university in her hometown, located in a large metropolitan city in the Southern United States. While in her sophomore year, Lucia accessed counseling services on her campus to discuss having difficultly balancing school, work, and home responsibilities. In this chapter, the author discussed the challenges experienced by Latinx FGCS along with the strengths they bring to college settings. In addition, the author utilized the case study of Lucia to discuss her counseling approach for helping Latinx FGCS navigate the terrains of higher education.
Applications of the Indigenous and Modern Career Counselling in Education
Authors: Oigara James N. , Lyimo Godrick E.
Published: June 2021

The career development field is continually growing and changing to reflect the current career realities of individuals, changes in society, and in the world of work. The main aim of this chapter is to explore the relationship between modern and indigenous career counselling. The relatively under-researched indigenous career counselling approach can be blended with modern career counselling to help students handle their challenges specifically related to career choice. This strategy provides an interpretive tool trying to create a third space or bridging areas between the indigenous and modern career counselling approaches within the Tanzanian context. The study revealed that some school counsellors employ both indigenous and modern counselling to address career challenges among the secondary school students. The blending of indigenous and modern career counselling creates a balanced guidance and counselling service which relates students to the careers that are relevant to their context which promotes the development of community-based careers.
A New Combinational Technique in Image Steganography
Authors: Pramanik Sabyasachi , Samanta Debabrata , Bandyopadhyay Samir Kumar , Ghosh Ramkrishna
Published: June 2021

Internet is used for exchanging information. Sometimes it is needed to transmit confidential data via internet. Here the authors use image steganography to pass confidential data within a cover image. To construct the algorithm, they take the combinational help of particle swarm optimization (PSO), bi-orthogonal wavelet transform (BWT), and genetic algorithm (GA). They use PSO to take the enhanced version of cover image. They use BWT to choose the selective sub bands of cover image and we utilize GA to select a particular stego image among a set of stego images. Thus, an innovative technique of image steganography has been made to transmit confidential data via cover image generating stego image. This combinational approach of image steganography is quite safe for confidential data transmission and makes it hard for the attackers to retrieve the confidential data.