bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological elements that create a safe environment for extracting the organizational story during the mirror effect
Authors: Roland John , Salsi Debra P.
Published: March 2022

Ce résumé de recherche explorera les façons dont les aspects psychologiques des employés peuvent être intégrés dans la technique de conseil en gestion du changement, l’effet miroir. La santé d’une organisation reflète la santé de chaque employé. En incluant une partie de la littérature psychologique qui peut créer des déclencheurs de traumatisme émotionnel, de dépression, d’anxiété ou de deuil, notre article montre comment intégrer un impact impressionnable sur les employés pendant l’effet miroir. En révélant une histoire plus profonde, le potentiel humain d’une organisation peut-être amélioré. L’histoire détaillée peut fournir un environnement sûr et une ressource pour l’amélioration d’un employé au fil du temps.
Référence, qualification et distribution de l’information : approche contrastive français / anglais
Authors: Sarda Laure , Carter-Thomas Shirley
Published: March 2022

Cet article a un double objectif. Il vise d’une part, à comparer la manière dont les expressions nominales référentielles donnent lieu à différents types d’expressions anaphoriques en français et en anglais. Il identifie et détaille d’autre part, les différentes stratégies utilisées pour fournir des informations qualitatives sur les référents introduits. Nous montrons que le français et l’anglais ont des préférences spécifiques : d’abord en ce qui concerne le choix des catégories d’expressions référentielles, le français évitant la répétition et faisant donc beaucoup plus usage que l’anglais de la redénomination, c’est-à-dire des anaphores « infidèles » ou lexicales. Quant au codage des informations qualitatives, le français privilégie la position initiale de la phrase, alors que l’anglais a plus tendance à placer ces informations après le verbe. Nous adoptons une perspective textuelle pour expliquer les différences observées.
Le démonstratif et autres marqueurs anaphoriques dans les chaînes de référence en français et en tchèque
Authors: Dvořák Jan
Published: March 2022

Cette étude propose un regard contrastif exploratoire sur la place des démonstratifs dans les chaînes de référence en tchèque et en français. Partant d’un micro-corpus constitué par l’original et la traduction du premier chapitre du roman Le brave soldat Chvéïk de l’auteur tchèque Jaroslav Hašek, elle est centrée sur le genre romanesque et ses représentations de la langue parlée. Une annotation dans le logiciel textométrique TXM suivie de la visualisation des chaînes de référence nous a permis de comparer le comportement du démonstratif au sein des textes et, en particulier, de leurs chaînes de référence les plus longues. Si la taille du corpus s’avère limitante, celui-ci permet néanmoins de relever certaines tendances proéminentes comme le rôle joué par le démonstratif dans l’accessibilité du référent et/ou sa (re)catégorisation (pratiques communes aux deux langues), les emplois dits « émotionnels » du démonstratif (phénomène bien plus prévalent en tchèque) ou le recours au démonstratif pronominal ten dans le but de renforcer le statut thématique d’un référent.
Phase portraits of the Selkov model in the Poincaré disc
Authors: Llibre Jaume , Nabavi Arefeh
Published: March 2022

In this paper we classify the phase portraits in the Poincaré disc of the Selkov model for the glycolysis process

   \begin{document}$ \begin{equation*} \dot{x}\, = \, -x+a y+x^2 y, \quad \dot{y} \, = \, b-a y-x^2 y, \end{equation*} $\end{document}

in function of its parameters \begin{document}$ a, b \in \mathbb{R} $\end{document}. In particular we determine the regions in the parameter plane with biological meaning, i.e. with \begin{document}$ a $\end{document}, \begin{document}$ b $\end{document}, \begin{document}$ x $\end{document} and \begin{document}$ y $\end{document} positive.
The isothermal limit for the compressible Euler equations with damping
Authors: Chauleur Quentin
Published: March 2022

We consider the isothermal Euler system with damping. We explicitly compute the propagation and the behavior of Gaussian initial data, then we show the weak \begin{document}$ L^1 $\end{document} convergence of the density as well as the asymptotic behavior of its first and second moments. We also rigorously show the convergence of Barenblatt solutions towards a limit Gaussian profile in the isothermal limit \begin{document}$ \gamma \rightarrow 1 $\end{document}.
Numerical investigations of pattern formation in binary systems with inhibitory long-range interaction
Authors: Baginski Frank , Lu Jiajun
Published: March 2022

We investigate pattern formation in a two-dimensional manifold using the Otha-Kawasaki model for micro-phase separation of diblock copolymers. In this model, the total energy includes a short-range and a long-range term. The short-range term is a Landau-type free energy that is common in phase separation problems and favors large domains with minimum perimeter. The inhibitory long-range interaction term is the Otha-Kawasaki functional derived from the theory of diblock copolymers and favors small domains. The balance of these terms leads to equilibrium states that exhibit a variety of patterns, including disk-like droplets, droplet assemblies, elongated droplets, dog-bone shaped droplets, stripes, annular rings, wriggled stripes and combinations thereof. For problems where analytical results are known, we compare our numerical results and find good agreement. Where analytical results are not available, our numerical methods allow us to explore the solution space revealing new stable patterns. We focus on the triaxial ellipsoid, but our methods are general and can be applied to higher genus surfaces and surfaces with boundaries.
Qualitative properties of stable solutions to some supercritical problems
Authors: Liu Yong , Wang Kelei , Wei Juncheng , Wu Ke
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we study symmetry properties of stable solutions to the Lane-Emden equation

   \begin{document}$ \Delta u+|u|^{p-1}u = 0\quad{\rm{in}}\quad\mathbb{R}^{n} $\end{document}

with $ n\geq 11 $, $ p $ in a suitable range and the Liouville equation

   \begin{document}$ \Delta u+e^{u} = 0\quad{\rm{in}}\quad\mathbb{R}^{n} $\end{document}

with $ n = 10 $.
Error correction of semantic mathematical expressions based on bayesian algorithm
Authors: Wang Xue , Yang Fang , Liu Hongyuan , Shi Qingxuan
Published: March 2022

The semantic information of mathematical expressions plays an important role in information retrieval and similarity calculation. However, a large number of presentational expressions in the presentation MathML format contained in electronic scientific documents do not reflect semantic information. It is a shortcut to extract semantic information using the rule mapping method to convert presentational expressions in presentation MathML format into semantic expressions in the content MathML format. However, the conversion result is prone to semantic errors because the expressions in the two formats do not have exact correspondences in grammatical structures and markups. In this study, a Bayesian error correction algorithm is proposed to correct the semantic errors in the conversion results of mathematical expressions based on the rule mapping method. In this study, the expressions in presentation MathML and content MathML in the NTCIR data set are used as the training set to optimize the parameters of the Bayesian model. The expressions in presentation MathML in the documents collected by the laboratory from the CNKI website are used as the test set to test the error correction results. The experimental results show that the average $ {F_1} $ value is 0.239 with the rule mapping method, and the average $ {F_1} $ value is 0.881 with the Bayesian error correction method, with the average error correction rate is 0.853.
Transición hacia el renacimiento de la carpintería de armar en Tierra de Campos (España)
Authors: González-Uriel Ana , Cabo-Fernández Miguel Carlos , De-Miguel-Sánchez Manuel , García-Ríos Ismael
Published: March 2022

Cuando el Renacimiento aparece en España, la carpintería de armar disfruta de una rica tradición geométrica y constructiva, la carpintería de lazo, desarrollada en la Península Ibérica durante siglos. Aunque la llegada de las nuevas ideas supone la aparición de techos de aspecto muy distinto, con molduras “al romano” y casetones, ambos estilos están íntimamente ligados. Sus geometrías comparten una base común. Los sistemas constructivos pertenecen a una misma familia, basados en la tradición de par y nudillo. Es sabido que los carpinteros castellanos del siglo XVI eran capaces de diseñar y construir según uno u otro código indistintamente, mostrando su dominio de las reglas tradicionales, así como la compatibilidad de ambas tendencias. Este artículo muestra la transición entre ambos estilos a través del estudio de diseños que fusionan características tanto de la carpintería de lazo como de la renacentista y especialmente un caso paradigmático en Villamayor de Campos, Zamora.
Análisis comparativo del levantamiento del terreno mediante UAS y topografía clásica en proyectos de trazado de carreteras
Authors: Pérez Juan Antonio , Rito Gonçalves Gil , Montilla Galván Jesus
Published: March 2022

La incorporación de vehículos aéreos no tripulados (UAS) como alternativa a los levantamientos topográficos clásicos ha experimentado en estos últimos años un gran avance en todos los ámbitos de la ingeniería, dado que permiten una rápida y eficaz generación de diferentes productos fotogramétricos (nube de puntos, modelo digital del terreno, ortofotos), a la vez que favorecen una reducción de los costes. Para demostrar las posibilidades que nos ofrecen los UAS en el ámbito de la ingeniería civil, se presenta aquí un estudio en el que se comparan los resultados obtenidos entre un levantamiento topográfico clásico y otro efectuado con estos medios aéreos, que será la base topográfica que permita realizar el proyecto de construcción de una carretera. Los resultados experimentales revelan que el uso combinado de datos UAS y topografía clásica proporcionan una generación exitosa de los productos.
La residencia para ancianos Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftung en Frankfurt am Main (1928-1930). Un edificio colectivo a escala humana
Authors: Arribas-Blanco Ruth
Published: March 2022

Mart Stam fue un arquitecto holandés implicado con los problemas de la sociedad. Con escaso volumen de obra construida, en este texto se analiza uno de sus proyectos construidos de mayor envergadura, una residencia para ancianos en Frankfurt am Main erigida en la época del Neues Frankfurt de Ernst May. Stam, considerado como miembro destacado del ala radical de la arquitectura racionalista europea de principios del s.XX, en esta ocasión proyectó un edificio para la población envejecida con menos recursos, junto a Werner Moser y Ferdinand Kramer. Un edificio pensado a escala humana en el que los usuarios mantenían su individualidad viviendo en colectividad. Una construcción ideada bajo criterios científicos cuantificables, como el soleamiento y las circulaciones interiores, buscando la máxima economía, quedando el edificio despojado de artificios estéticos irrelevantes. Una Arquitectura reconocida como Construcción en la que la arbitrariedad fue sustituida por la objetividad. Un edificio que podría ser calificado como sachlich.
Who is in charge? An analysis of waste electrical and electronic equipment management in Brussels
Authors: Mansuy Jean , Lebeau Philippe , Verlinde Sara , Macharis Cathy
Published: March 2022

La gestion des déchets d’équipements électriques et électroniques (DEEE) est peu performante en Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. Cette contre-performance est en partie due à la collecte des DEEE via des filières non enregistrées. Fondée sur une approche relationnelle, cette étude vise à comprendre le rôle des parties prenantes de la gestion des DEEE. Elle révèle l’existence d’un réseau basé sur le marché, en conflit avec le réseau officiel centralisé autour de Recupel. Elle montre également comment les choix des consommateurs et des détaillants orientent les DEEE vers l’un ou l’autre sous-réseau. Sur la base de ces résultats, nous suggérons des solutions pour limiter les filières non enregistrées, soit en intégrant davantage ce sous-réseau marchand au réseau officiel, soit en influençant le comportement des consommateurs et des détaillants.
Wie heeft het voor het zeggen? Analyse van het beheer van afgedankte elektrische en elektronische apparatuur in Brussel
Authors: Mansuy Jean , Lebeau Philippe , Verlinde Sara , Macharis Cathy
Published: March 2022

La gestion des déchets d’équipements électriques et électroniques (DEEE) est peu performante en Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. Cette contre-performance est en partie due à la collecte des DEEE via des filières non enregistrées. Fondée sur une approche relationnelle, cette étude vise à comprendre le rôle des parties prenantes de la gestion des DEEE. Elle révèle l’existence d’un réseau basé sur le marché, en conflit avec le réseau officiel centralisé autour de Recupel. Elle montre également comment les choix des consommateurs et des détaillants orientent les DEEE vers l’un ou l’autre sous-réseau. Sur la base de ces résultats, nous suggérons des solutions pour limiter les filières non enregistrées, soit en intégrant davantage ce sous-réseau marchand au réseau officiel, soit en influençant le comportement des consommateurs et des détaillants.
Convolutional Neural Networks for Detection of COVID-19 From Chest X-Rays
Authors: Damania Karishma , Pawar Pranav M. , Pramanik Rahul
Published: March 2022

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was rapid in its outbreak and the contagion of the virus led to an extensive loss of life globally. This study aims to propose an efficient and reliable means to differentiate between Chest X-Rays indicating COVID-19 and other lung conditions. The proposed methodology involved combining deep learning techniques such as data augmentation, CLAHE image normalization, and Transfer Learning with eight pre-trained networks. The highest performing networks for binary, 3-class (Normal vs COVID-19 vs Viral Pneumonia) and 4-class classifications (Normal vs COVID-19 vs Lung Opacity vs Viral Pneumonia) were MobileNetV2, InceptionResNetV2, and MobileNetV2, achieving accuracies of 97.5%, 96.69%, and 92.39%, respectively. These results outperformed many state-of-the-art methods conducted to address the challenges relating to the detection of COVID-19 from Chest X-Rays. The method proposed can serve as a basis for a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to ensure that patients receive timely and necessary care for their respective illnesses.
Statistical Analysis on the Body Flexibility of the Laborer of the Indian Service Sector
Authors: Oraon Manish , Mahto Anulal
Published: March 2022

The ergonomics is one of the key factors in any service sector where the workers are involved in physical work. The physical strength of an individual is dependent on the human artefacts which may help the system to recruit the suitable person to right place. The present study comprises the body flexibility (Bf) of the servicemen associated to Indian railway. Four inputs i.e. age, height, weight, and waist of all recruited participants are measured and conduct the sit and reach test (S-R test) for the Bf. The statistical analysis is performed for investigating the significance of the inputs on the Bf. Statistically, the inputs Ag (P=0.002), Wg, (P=0.030), and Wa-g (P=0.001) are individually significant whereas the interactional relation of Hg with Ag (P=0.008) and Hg with Wa-g (P≤0.001) is reported. The Bf of Tall Hg is grown up gradually with Ag but it was 20.47% lesser than the maximum Bf. Simultaneously, with the increase in Wa-g of all Hg, the degradation in the Bf is reported.
Unstructured Road Detection Method Based on RGB Maximum Two-Dimensional Entropy and Fuzzy Entropy
Authors: Wu Huayue , Xue Tao , Zhao Xiangmo , Wu Kai
Published: March 2022

To solve the problem that lane keeping function for automatic driving and vehicle assisted driving will not work reliably on unstructured road without lane lines or other guide markings, this article uses the characteristics of information entropy to generate the RGB entropy image to pre-segment the road region on unstructured road image. At the same time, the maximum two-dimensional entropy algorithm is introduced to achieve the joint segmentation using gray and neighborhood gray to effectively reduce the impact of interference on segmentation. After that, the fuzzy entropy algorithm is used to judge and determine the actual road boundary by combining the results of RGB and maximum two-dimensional entropy image. Finally, using the improved least square fitting quadratic curve model to build the road boundary. Our method could well and rapidly extract the lane from unstructured road image and fit out the lane line, which helps to achieve visual based lane keeping on unstructured road for autopilot and driver assistance system.
Selection of Optimum Hybrid Composite Material for Structural Applications Through TOPSIS Technique
Authors: Appa Rao Y.  , Koona Ramji , Himagireesh C.
Published: March 2022

Currently Aluminum alloys and polymer based fibre composites are being used for various structural applications. It is always an advantageous to have light weight high strength materials. In this context, hybrid nanocomposites are fabricated and tested for their mechanical properties to meet various applications. Due to the conflicting nature of the mechanical properties, a multi criteria decision model employing AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process), Entropy, and TOPSIS techniques were developed with the goal of selecting an appropriate material to meet the objective out of various material combinations. A framework has been developed to assist composite structure designers in selecting the best fibre types for a given application. The purpose of this paper is to first investigate the impact of weighting methods in multiple criteria decision making (MCDM), and then to develop a systematic framework for optimum fibre selection among all fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites.
Cluster-Based Vehicle Routing on Road Segments in Dematerialised Traffic Infrastructures
Authors: Feltus Christophe
Published: March 2022

The structure and composition of the worldwide mobility infrastructure is growing exponentially and urgently needs to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide gas, to decrease the growing of traffic jam, to limit the over-abundancy traffic signs, and to improve the interoperability of traffic sign between different countries. First, this paper proposes a new mobility paradigm to organize in a global way the mobility based on three arising technology characteristics: high-performance computing efficiency, geo-positioning accuracy and 5G technology. Second, the paper proposes a cluster based approach for managing the mobility of (autonomous-)vehicles in the frame of that new paradigm and propose a set of usage scenarios. Finally, some basic tool are presented in order to implement machine learning based clustering step of the approach.
Benchmarking Serverless Computing
Authors: Sadaqat Mubashra , Sánchez-Gordón Mary , Colomo-Palacios Ricardo
Published: March 2022

With the increasing adoption of serverless computing, there is a need for a benchmark. The aim of this paper is to present such a benchmark based on performance and usability testing to better understand serverless services as well as help practitioners to select between two major clouds, namely, Amazon and Azure. Jmeter tool and system usability scale are used to conduct performance and usability testing, respectively. In addition, a replication package is provided to increase the validity and reliability of the results. The main findings revealed that the serverless platforms are different in their architecture. Even though both of them support the same serverless concept, they differ considerably in structure, development, and creations of services. Overall, both the cloud vendors under study provide the same core capabilities one would expect but, there are some differences too. In particular, usability could be improved to extend the market and capture more customers.
Risk Classification in Global Software Development Using a Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Iftikhar Asim , Musa Shahrulniza , Alam Muhammad Mansoor , Ahmed Rizwan , Su'ud Mazliham Mohd , Muhammad Khan Laiq , Ali Syed Mubashir
Published: March 2022

Software development through teams at different geographical locations is a trend of modern era, which is not only producing good results without costing lot of money but also productive in relation to its cost, low risk and high return. This shift of perception of working in a group rather than alone is getting stronger day by day and has become an important planning tool and part of their business strategy. In this research classification approaches like SVM and K-NN have been implemented to classify the true positive events of global software development project risk according to Time, Cost and Resource. Comparative analysis has also been performed between these two algorithms to determine the highest accuracy algorithms. Results proved that Support Vector Machine (SVM) performed very well in case of Cost Related Risk and Resource Related Risk. Whereas, KNN is found superior to SVM for Time Related Risk.
Wearable Technology and Women Empowerment in the Technology Industry
Authors: Gupta Manali , Sinha Neena
Published: March 2022

The extant literature has significantly contributed towards the body of knowledge on wearable technology by exploring its potential for enhancing the well-being of consumers. Another strand of literature focuses on the challenges being faced by women in the wearables industry. This study has critically investigated the prevailing status of women in the gendered imbalance technology industry particularly the wearables industry. To elucidate this, the study has followed the qualitative approach by conducting an inductive-thematic analysis on the interviews of women achievers in the wearables industry. The findings revealed that the future of wearable technology seems bright in the following sectors: AR/VR and Artificial intelligence (AI) industries, Medical, sports and fitness sectors, Clothing and Jewellery industry, Military, and other industrial applications. However, it would be more promising if women employees and entrepreneurs are encouraged at all levels, and their roles are substantiated in the organizations by reducing challenges and appreciating them for their achievements.
The Sensitivity of Research on COVID-19
Authors: Jan Rosy , Gul Sumeer
Published: March 2022

Beall’s list heavily used as a base for selection of predatory journals by large no. of research studies was ceased from internet in 2017. Thus, status of journal declared as predatory in list is debatable. To verify quality of journals in terms of accuracy and standard of peer review, a sample of Medical Science journals from Beall list and indexed in reputed indexing/abstracting databases was taken. sample of journals was put to quality and credibility check by submitting a deliberately flawed research article. deliberate errors exceed an acceptable norm in submitted research paper. It is astonishing to see that majority of journals (61.96%) accept flawed article on such a sensitive issue, i.e., COVID-19 without peer review and desired revisions. Instant mails reporting paper's acceptance, preceded by multiple emails requesting for submission for Article processing fee, were received frequently. It is found that such publishing ventures are a scare story that only wants to generate as much revenue as possible.
Utilizing the Internet of Things in the Public Sector
Authors: Al-Sebae Mai , Abu-Shanab Emad Ahmed
Published: March 2022

This study investigated the utility of the Internet of Things in the public sector and the factors influencing the satisfaction of its users. The study followed two directions, the first investigated managers’ perceptions and their satisfaction with using sensors for tracking vehicles. The second direction investigated drivers’ satisfaction with the system used. Results collected from 20 interviews conducted with managers revealed that cost reduction and more control over drivers’ behaviors are the contributions expected from the system. They reported the dissatisfaction of drivers based on violation of their privacy, inequity of implementation, and the low awareness of its utility. Surveys collected from drivers supported the role of trust and privacy, but failed to support the role of usefulness. The qualitative and quantitative nature of this research revealed valuable insights and concluded to important recommendations and future work.
Prediction of Nurses Allotment to Patient in Hospital through Game Theory
Authors: Dash Satya Ranjan , Sahu Rekha
Published: March 2022

Allotment of nurses to patients is a critical task in terms of better treatment. Nurses should be appointed according to a patient's health condition, type of disease, and financial condition. Again, understaffing of nurses may hamper patient health and condition. Similarly, overstaffing of nurses is a waste of manpower. Adequate staffing of nurses is crucial. The authors propose a technique using game theory to meet overstaffing and understaffing of nurses. Game theory plays a vital role to meet the exact requirement. Nash equilibrium can be used for taking all possible decisions, like appointment of nurses in different categories for smooth treatment of patients. However, the final and most suitable decision can be taken using perfect Nash equilibrium. This technique is a perfect technique to implement in case of vital and critical decision points.
MATLAB-Based Real-Time Data Acquisition Tool for Multimodal Biofeedback and Arduino-Based Instruments
Authors: Chand Kulbhushan , Khosla Arun
Published: March 2022

AfDaq is an open-source, plug and play, MATLAB based tool that offers the capabilities of multi-channel real-time data acquisition, visualization, manipulation, and local saving of data for offline analysis. The MATLAB Arduino package suffers from serious timing jitter during real-time data acquisition. This timing jitter associated with four main commands (Analog Read, Digital Read, Digital Write and PWM Set) available in MATLAB Arduino package is statistically analyzed and a simple post-hoc timing jitter correction mechanism is proposed to acquire data points with high timing accuracy. The benchmark of the final program is conducted at various sampling rates for multichannel acquisition with 10 Hz comes as the maximum sampling rate for 5 channel recording. In the end, a use case of the developed tool for physiological data acquisition in multimodal biofeedback is presented. The software tool, data, and analysis scripts that support the findings of this study are released as an open-source project to support the replicability and reproducibility of the research.
Business Continuity in Data Centers and Seismic Isolation Applications
Authors: Esen M. Fevzi
Published: March 2022

Economic losses from earthquakes raised many questions regarding the adequacy of the current seismic design and seismic isolation in data centers. Organizations accommodated new explicit seismic isolation applications in their business continuity and disaster recovery plans. These applications aim acceptable damage levels that correspond to acceptable business interruption for data centers in case of an earthquake. In this study, the authors aim to discuss the importance of seismic isolation applications that can be implemented for data centers within business continuity and disaster recovery planning contexts. To provide a clearer aspect on seismic isolation applications, the topic has been discussed within the framework of international standards. They conclude that GSA, ASCE, and Uptime Institute provide internationally recognized standards which make raised floors a good option for data centers. These standards provide technical documentation for service functioning with high levels of availability during an outage.
Characterizing the Capabilities of Internet of Things Analytics Through Taxonomy and Reference Architecture
Authors: Daradkeh Mohammad
Published: March 2022

The increasing prevalence of business cases utilizing internet of things (IoT) analytics, coupled with the diversity of IoT analytics platforms and their capabilities, poses an immense challenge for organizations seeking to make the best choice of IoT analytics platform for their specific use cases. Aiming to characterize the capabilities of IoT analytics, this article presents a reference architecture for IoT analytics platforms created through a qualitative content analysis of online reviews and published implementation architectures of IoT analytics platforms. A further contribution is a taxonomy of the functional and cross-functional capabilities of IoT analytics platforms derived from the analysis of published use cases and related business surveys. Both the reference architecture and the associated taxonomy provide a theoretical basis for further research into IoT analytics capabilities and should therefore facilitate the evaluation, selection, and adoption of IoT analytics solutions through a unified description of their capabilities and functional requirements.
Finding Relevant Documents in a Search Engine Using N-Grams Model and Reinforcement Learning
Authors: El Hadi Amine , Madani Youness , El Ayachi Rachid , Erritali Mohamed
Published: March 2022

The field of information retrieval (IR) is an important area in computer science, this domain helps us to find information that we are interested in from an important volume of information. A search engine is the best example of the application of information retrieval to get the most relevant results. In this paper, we propose a new recommendation approach for recommending relevant documents to a search engine’s users. In this work, we proposed a new approach for calculating the similarity between a user query and a list of documents in a search engine. The proposed method uses a new reinforcement learning algorithm based on n-grams model (i.e., a sub-sequence of n constructed elements from a given sequence) and a similarity measure. Results show that our method outperforms some methods from the literature with a high value of accuracy.
When Users Enjoy Using the System
Authors: Abu-Shanab Emad Ahmed , Ben Salah Ines
Published: March 2022

This study utilized an extended model of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) to explore the factors influencing the future adoption of accounting information systems (AIS) by Qatari students. A research model was proposed to predict future adoption, partially moderated by voluntary status of using the system. A sample of 237 students was used to probe their perceptions regarding the use of such systems in their future careers. Students were enrolled in an accounting information systems course in Qatar University. Results indicated that perceived facilitating conditions, performance expectancy and enjoyment were significant predictors of AIS. The other factors failed to be significant predictors. The estimated R2 was 48.4%. The moderation effect of voluntariness was also significant in influencing the relationship between enjoyment and future adoption. The moderator yielded a negative beta, which means that it faded the relationship under consideration. Conclusions and future recommendations are reported at the end of the paper.
Development of a Pico-Hydro Electric Generator with 3D-Printed Pelton Turbine
Authors: Andres Nelson Socias , Manalang Roland , Gache Patrick , Poblete Ramon , Italia John Lester , Urganay Jhensen , Servolo Ronan , Gamboa Ellison
Published: March 2022

Most farmers in Bataan, Philippines are using diesel pump system to irrigate their crops. In this system, water is pumped out continuously during cropping period and one may think that the water is being squandered because the diesel pump operates for about eight to ten hours a day. Furthermore, with the high price of Diesel nowadays, the irrigation system seems to be a burden to most crop farmers. The proponents thought of applying the pico-hydroelectric generation technology to add value to the system. Specifically in this study, the proponents aimed to develop a pico-hydroelectric generator with 3D-printed Pelton turbine to be installed in diesel pump irrigation system, and be able to harness the energy from the flowing water and convert it into useful electric energy which can be used for lighting and for charging electronic gadgets.
Chinese belt and road investments in south Asia under the influence of multiple social crises and natural disasters
Authors: Samarathunga W. H. M. S.
Published: March 2022

One Belt One Road initiative is one of the mammoth infrastructure development projects that the world has seen in the recent past. With the visionary thinking of President Xi Jinping, the One Belt One Road significantly contributes to the economic infrastructure development of many continents including Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. Although the recipient countries are significantly benefitted by receiving the financial aid under the One Belt One Road initiatives, economic and political activists raise grave concerns over the true intention of China. The present perspective analyzes both merits and demerits of implementing the One Belt One Road initiative in South Asia which is frequented by multiple social crises and natural disasters.
Covid-19 Vaccines Work but Other Factors Play a Relevant Role: A Data Analysis on Spread and Mortality in 24 Countries
Authors: Carta Mauro Giovanni , Orrù Germano , Cossu Giulia , Velluzzi Fernanda , Atzori Laura , Aviles Gonzalez Cesar Ivan , Romano Ferdinando , Littera Roberto , Chessa Luchino , Firinu Davide , Del Giacco Stefano , Restivo Angelo , Deidda Simona , Scano Alessandra , Onali Simona , Kalcev Goce , Coghe Ferinando , Minerba Luigi
Published: March 2022

Background

The aim was to outline a methodology to monitor the impact of vaccinations in different countries comparing in two different time within countries and between countries the frequency of new cases and Covid-19 related deaths and the percentage of vaccinations conducted.

Design and methods

The 25 countries with the largest increase in SARS-CoV-2 cases on 8 August 2021 were evaluated. In each nation was calculated the proportion of Covid-19 deaths divided per new cases x 100 and the proportion of new cases per 1.000 inhabitant on 10 January 2021 (before vaccinations’ distribution) and 8 August 2021 (when large percentage of the population had been vaccinated in many countries).

Results

The study shows that in the countries with the highest number of cases as of 8 August 2021, the proportion of vaccinations carried out in the population correlates negatively with both the proportion between Covid-19 dead people x100 infected people and with the rate of new cases. However, the proportion of vaccinations does not correlate with the differences in the two same indicators considered in the weeks observed, thus additional factors seem to play an important role.

Conclusions

This work indicates that mass vaccination is associated with a lower spread of the pandemic and, to greater extent, with a lowering of mortality in infected people.
Not Control but Conquest: Strategies for the Remission of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kim Jinyoung , Kwon Hyuk-Sang
Published: March 2022

A durable normoglycemic state was observed in several studies that treated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients through metabolic surgery, intensive therapeutic intervention, or significant lifestyle modification, and it was confirmed that the functional β-cell mass was also restored to a normal level. Therefore, expert consensus introduced the concept of remission as a common term to express this phenomenon in 2009. Throughout this article, we introduce the recently updated consensus statement on the remission of T2DM in 2021 and share our perspective on the remission of diabetes. There is a need for more research on remission in Korea as well as in Western countries. Remission appears to be prompted by proactive treatment for hyperglycemia and significant weight loss prior to irreversible β-cell changes. T2DM is not a diagnosis for vulnerable individuals to helplessly accept. We attempt to explain how remission of T2DM can be achieved through a personalized approach. It may be necessary to change the concept of T2DM towards that of an urgent condition that requires rapid intervention rather than a chronic, progressive disease. We must grasp this paradigm shift in our understanding of T2DM for the benefit of our patients as endocrine experts.
Establishment of Normative Data for Autonomic Function Tests in Indian Population
Authors: Singh Sheena , Jaison Vineeth , Khatter Himani , Adya Silky , Singh Bharat , Pandian Jeyaraj D.
Published: March 2022

Background:

Normative data for autonomic function tests (AFT) is not available for Indian population.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to establish normative data in AFT and its correlation with age, gender, and body mass index.

Material and Methods:

The study was done on 254 healthy subjects of age ≥18 years. All AFTs were done in autonomic laboratory at the Department of Neurology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. Cardiovascular tests (heart rate response to deep breathing, HR changes in Valsalva maneuver and head-up tilt test (HUT)) and quantitative sudomotor axon reflex testing (QSART) were performed in all the subjects. Fifty subjects underwent thermoregulatory sweat test (TST).

Results:

The mean age (SD) of study participants was 43 (16.0) years (range 20–84), and 129 (50.8%) were men. The normative value range (2.5–97.5 percentile) for HR difference, E: I ratio, and Valsalva ratio (VR) was 3.5–47.0, 1.05–1.93, and 1.11–2.64, respectively, for all the subjects. HR difference and E: I ratio showed an significant inverse relation with age (r = -0.623 and r = -0.584, respectively). VR also showed an inverse relation with age (r = -0.575, P =< 0.001), and female had a lower value than male (1.63 vs 1.78, P =< 0.001). In QSART, mean (SD) sweat volume was higher in males 0.630 (0.230) compared to females 0.513 (0.132) for all sites, P < 0.001, and similar trend was noticed for sweat area in TST.

Discussion and Conclusion:

Normative AFT data has been established for Indian population for the first time. The values are comparable to previously published studies.
Overt long QT syndrome in children presenting with seizure disorders in Pakistan
Authors: Rashid Usman , Virk Ahmad Omair , Nawaz Rashid , Mahmood Tahir , Fatima Zile
Published: March 2022

Background and Objective:

The long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a repolarization defect of heart involving potassium linked channels and it usually manifests clinically as seizures, syncope, or sudden cardiac death syndrome in children secondary to its characteristic ventricular tachy-arrhythmia like torsades de pointes. The reason behind epilepsy or seizures like activity in this disease is the sequelae of prolonged cerebral hypoperfusion secondary to the cardiac dysrhythmia. The aim of study is to look for clinical spectrum and risk factors associated with LQTS among children presenting with epilepsy, which can predict the early diagnosis of LQTS.

Materials and Methods:

For this observational study, 422 patients having epilepsy presenting for the first time in a 3-year period were enrolled. Demographical profile, LQTS measures, and various factors under observation were recorded.

Results:

Among the 422 enrolled children (M: F 1.8:1) with age ranging from 4 to 87 months (median 23 months), 8 (1.9%) children who presented with epilepsy had LQTS. Among those, mean QTc on electrocardiogram was 454 ± 31 msec and mean Schwartz score >3. Half of the patients with LQTS had deafness (P = 0.002) and 37.5% had a positive family history (P = 0.0045). Nearly a third (37.5%) presented with syncope and 87.5% patients with LQTS had no postictal drowsiness or sleep (P ≤ 0.004).

Conclusions:

LQTS is underestimated in children presenting with epilepsy and LQTS should be considered as an alternate diagnosis in children with recurrent seizures or syncopal attacks. The brief period of seizures with no postictal drowsiness, syncope, and strong family history are the features which may help in segregating LQTS from epilepsy.
Evaluation of right and left ventricular function using speckle-tracking echocardiography in thalassemic patients
Authors: Nashat Mohamed , Khedr Lamiaa Abdelghany , Khairat Ebtsam , Elsheikh Eman
Published: March 2022

Background:

Beta-thalassemia major is the most common chronic hemolytic anemia among children and adolescents across the world. Several studies have demonstrated that thalassemic patients who have preserved left ventricle systolic function could still have subtle systolic dysfunction. Among patients with beta-thalassemia, early detection of transfusion-induced myocardial iron loading and its intervention with aggressive chelation therapy may delay or reverse heart failure. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) is a novel tool that may detect early myocardial dysfunction in these patients.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to investigate whether longitudinal strain based on speckle tracking can detect subtle right or left ventricular dysfunction.

Patients and Methods:

Fifty thalassemic patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (>55%), mean age of 14.75 ± 4.73 years, and thirty age-matched healthy control subjects have been included in the study. Conventional echo Doppler, tissue Doppler echocardiography, and 2D-STE were performed in all patients and control subjects.

Results:

The right ventricular and left ventricular longitudinal strains were significantly lower in patients than in controls (21.67 ± 5.59 vs. 25.32 ± 2.29, P = 0.001 for right ventricular and 21.29 ± 3.49 vs. 24.90 ± 0.97, P = 0.001 for left ventricular).

Conclusions:

The 2D-STE can detect early ventricular (left and right) systolic dysfunction in thalassemic patients in the presence of normal systolic function by conventional methods. It may be suggested that the assessment of global longitudinal strain (GLS) can be used as a useful and less expensive tool for screening myocardial iron overload, especially in countries with a limited magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) availability for logistic and economic reasons. Hence, we can refer positive cases with GLS to a higher center to do MRI and start intensive iron chelation treatment.
Infective endocarditis-induced complete closure of a ventricular septal defect and complete heart block in a child
Authors: Karuru Umadevi , Relan Jay , Kothari Shyam S. , Gupta Saurabh Kumar , Talwar Sachin
Published: March 2022

We hereby report rare occurrence of irreversible complete heart block in a child with tricuspid valve infective endocarditis. The tricuspid valve vegetation also caused complete closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect, which was later discovered during surgery.
Percutaneous treatment of anomalous systemic artery to pulmonary venous fistulas in children
Authors: Mazza Giuseppe Antonio , Garofalo Mariangela , Agnoletti Gabriella
Published: March 2022

In the normal lung, the only communications between the systemic and pulmonary arterial systems are the connections between the bronchial and pulmonary arteries that occur at the respiratory bronchioles, where pulmonary and bronchial capillaries freely anastomose. Rarely, anomalous connections can occur between normal or aberrant systemic arteries and pulmonary vessels. We performed a comprehensive literature review of all available manuscripts on PubMed and Google Scholar that included a case report or case series with diagnosis of systemic artery to pulmonary venous fistulas who underwent percutaneous treatment. Furthermore, we report three cases of children diagnosed and treated in our Pediatric Cardiology Center.
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Exercises Versus Lumbar Stabilization Exercises for Chronic Low Back Pain Patients
Authors: Koutarapu Sunita , Ghumare Dipti
Published: March 2022

Background:

Chronic low back pain causes discomfort and disturbance in the mechanoreceptor and proprioception centers. Exercises improve muscle strength, flexibility, endurance, and ability to perform life activities. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) involves stretching, resisted movements which improves muscle disharmony, atrophy, and joint movement limitation. Lumbar stabilization exercises (LSE) develop the awareness of muscle contraction and control from simple to complex patterns. Both exercises are effective individually in chronic low back pain patients. This study was conducted to find out which technique is better.

Objectives:

The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of PNF versus LSE program in chronic low back pain patients.

Study Design:

A Randomized study was conducted.

Methods:

A prospective, interventional study was conducted on patients with mechanical low back pain of more than 3 months, in both males and females, of age 20–45 years. Patients having systemic illness, central or peripheral neurologic signs, and specific causes of low back pain were excluded. Individuals having systemic illness and psychiatric illness were also excluded from the study. Twenty-two patients were selected and divided into two groups. Patients were assessed on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), modified Schober's test, Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODI), Roland and Morris Low Back Pain and Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). Patients in the PNF Group received concentric and eccentric contractions of agonist and antagonist muscles, patterns such as chopping, lifting, bilateral leg, and trunk lateral flexion. LSE Group received core strengthening exercises. Both group received 3 treatment sessions per week for 4 weeks, each session lasting for 45 min.

Results:

PNF group showed significant improvement in pain on VAS (P = 0.003; 95% confidence interval [CI[, 2.15–3.01), in disability on ODI (P = 0.001, 95% CI, 12.09–20.1), and in lumbar flexibility Modified Schober's test (P = 0.000, 95% CI, 5.15–5.93) On RMDQ, there was no statistically significant difference between PNF and LSE groups (P = 0.061, 95% CI, 6.87–8.97).

Conclusion:

There was a significant improvement seen in the pain and disability which was assessed on VAS and ODI in the PNF group over LSE. Hence, PNF exercises can be incorporated with LSE in the treatment of LBP.
The Psychiatrist as an Expert Witness
Authors: Channaveerachari Naveen Kumar , Manjunatha Narayana , Mukesh Jagiwala , Damodharan Dinakaran , Dass Garg Parshotam
Published: March 2022

A psychiatrist, in India, unlike in the western developed world often is required to play dual role of being a treating psychiatrist and that of an expert witness for the same patient. In the clinical scenario, the principle of therapeutic alliance comes into play, while in the court of law, he/she needs to play the role of assisting the judicial system to deliver “justice.” Psychiatrist role in the court is directed by the court rules and not by the clinical rules. This chapter aims to describe the various roles played by the psychiatrist in the court room and provides a basic outline of the medicolegal expectations from a psychiatrist.
Remembering Leonard Thompson
Authors: Aldermam Chris
Published: March 2022

Many names in the history of medicine and therapeutics have become famous. Some names are less recognizable but still important. Without the aid of a search engine, it is possible that many people would struggle to identify the historical significance of names such as James Phipps, Albert Alexander, Ruth Tucker, or even the much more contemporary Margaret Keenan. Many people would not know who Leonard Thompson was. A hint: none of these people were pharmacists, doctors, or nurses. These people are the human faces of some of our most tremendous medical successes.