bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historia Domu Dziecka im. Dzieciątka Jezus w Sosnowcu w latach 1942–1962
Authors: Szczepańczyk Wiktoria Renata
Published: February 2023

Baby Jesus Orphanage was created in response to protective needs of years of the war and German occupation. God’s servant Mother Theresa Kierocinska took in orphan children at Mother-Home of Carmelite Sisters of Baby Jesus in Sosnowiec. The orphanage became officially registered in March 1945. Then children were divided into groups according to their age, younger were taken to the nursery, while older children (3–18 years) stayed in the custody of Carmelite Sisters in their educational institution. In 1946 the place was included into structures of ‘Caritas’ of the Dioscese of Częstochowa and since then was named Baby Jesus Orphanage. When ‘Caritas’ was liquidated in 1950 , for almost two years of the sisters tried in-house to gain indispensable funds to maintain the orphanage as the state suspended grants. To protect the orphanage from anticipated liquidation, at the end of 1951 Sisters decided to cooperate with ‘Caritas’. In September 1957 the place was transformed into an orphanage for girls aged pre-school and school to the IVth class. To limit the influence of Sisters on a young generation, since 1 January, 1961 the authorities of the state changed The Orphanage ‘Caritas, into a special institution for children who had lower intellectual efficiency. Although the Sisters achieved positive results while working with children, what was underlined more than once by people inspecting the place, in 1962 authorities of the Polish People’s Republic liquidated the orphanage.The Carmelite Sisters brought up children who did not have any care and they did it with commitment. They tried to create them a friendly environment, which could provide their development. The Sisters submitted to requirements of school superintendent’s office while working; they taught children fondness of their motherland, they inculcated them with human and religious values. The pupils were given Baby Jesus an example of behaviour. They prepared children to independent life, helped them to gain knowledge, an occupation and practical skills.Work of the sisters brought results in children’s further life which were entrusted to them, and it was visible during the meeting of pupils in 1990 in Sosnowiec.
Statuty i regulaminy wielickich organizacji sportowych przed 1939 rokiem
Authors: Krokosz Paweł
Published: February 2023

In 1892 the nest of Polish Gymnastic Association ‘Falcon’ in Wieliczka was called, the association patronized whole sports life in the town for decades. Following local organizations and athletic clubs came into existence after gaining independence by Poland in 1918. In the 20’s of the XXth century the club of Cyclists and Motorists in Wieliczka (1924) and Railway-Athletic Club ‘Wieliczank’ (1927) joined ‘Faclon’. Everything what was connected with doing sports-activity business was regulated by appropriate statutes and regulations. Up till now only few documents outlasted, which are completely unknown to researchers studying with local history and all-Polish sport (most of the documents is in a very bad shape), regulating the whole activity of the club, chosen sections, or directives connected with organization of sports competitions organized by particular organizations. The content of this article presents materials documenting the sports-activity of the Polish Gymnastic Association ‘Falcon’ in Wieliczka and the Club of Cyclists and Motorists in Wieliczka before 1939; materials of the Railway Sports Club ‘Wieliczanka’ from that period has not been found so far.
Evolutionary aspects of thymology in pediatric practice
Authors: Rovda Yu. I. , Minyailova N. N. , Vedernikova A. V. , Shabaldin A. V. , Khalivopulo I. K. , Zinchuk S. F. , Shmakova O. V. , Lobykina A. A.
Published: February 2023

The thymus is now considered a derivative of the immune system being, to greater extent, its central organ. Immunodeficiency states and immune dysregulation also depend on the quality of the thymus, which may be determined both genetically and by fetopathic approach as well as due to the possibility and mode of its intravital injuries, age-related involution over different periods of life. Not accidentally, there are various morphometric bipolar states of the thymus gland in the pediatric population (3-7%), whereas its size may be sufficiently larger or smaller than the reference variable values. In certain cases, the phenomenon of thymomegaly (for example, in newborns) is considered a result of genetic errors (neuro-endocrine-immune syndrome with thymomegaly) induced by the mutated Hox genes. This syndrome may also be associated with congenital heart disorders. Moreover, the excessive morbidity in respiratory infections (commonly, viral by their etiology) among young children with bipolar thymus conditions remains the subject of sharp discussions. Some works assessing immune status in the children subjected to forced thymectomy, e.g., during heart surgery, yielded quite controversial results, even in cases of subtotal removal of thymus gland.

Dialectically, the concepts of “morphology” and “organ function” could not be separated from one another. The morphometric transformations in organs (even transient ones) occuring within the range of > 95 and < 5 percentiles, should be almost always underlied by a certain pathomorphosis which require verification of their causes and origin. Even today, however, the assessment of thymus pathomorphology in the deceased children is not always critical, being often descriptive. This situation is, probably, associated with extreme complexity of thymic morphology assessment. The final point seems to be not set in the discussion about immunodeficiency states or immune dysregulation among children with bipolar thymus transformations. This is due to current absence of reliable immune-mediated biomarkers, the limited availability of genetic diagnostics in primary immunodeficiency conditions, and a decreased interest of clinical science in the issues of bipolar conditions of the thymus gland at the early age, in the absence of longitudinal observations in this category of patients, etc. In this article, the authors attempt to draw attention of researchers to this problem.
Effect of extracts from microalgae on cytokine levels in female C57Bl6 mice
Authors: Lykov A. P. , Uvarov I. P. , Gevorgiz R. G. , Zheleznova S. N.
Published: February 2023

Microalgae from the freshwater basins and seas are a valuable source of broad-spectrum biologically active substances that can affect the cells of immune system and their functional state. Cytokines are involved in all vital processes proceeding in the living cells (proliferation, maturation, differentiation, apoptosis/ necrosis). A study was performed in order to assess the effects of standard food formula for experimental animals supplemented with oil extract of microalgae from various systematic groups upon the levels of cytokines in blood serum, culture media conditioned by immunocytes, as well as kidney and liver tissues. The standard food was impregnated in oil extracts of microalgae (C. vulgaris, Coelastrella sp., A. platensis, C. closterium, and P. purpureum). In control series, the food was impregnated with pure vegetable oil. The animals were fed these foods for 12 days. Blood, spleen and thymus were taken to isolate immunocytes, kidneys and liver, and dimethyl sulfoxide extracts of the cells were produced. The conditioned media of splenocytes and thymocytes were obtained by adding concanavalin A (0 and 10 μg/ml) to the cultured cells. The levels of NO, IL-1β, IL-10, TNFα, and NO were determined in serum, conditioned media, and tissue extracts. In serum, the influence of microalgae on the levels of IL-1β and TNFα was revealed. Activation of immunocytes in experimental groups was followed by changes in IL-1β, TNFα and IL-10 production. Changes of cytokine and NO levels were revealed in liver and kidney extracts in experimental groups. Thus, microalgae extracts of various systematic groups affect the levels of cytokines in blood serum, cultural media conditioned by splenocytes and thymocytes, kidney and liver tissues.
Актуальні питання публічного адміністрування у сфері користування землями в межах функціонування ринку земель сільськогосподарського призначення в Україні (сучасні проблеми та шляхи вдосконалення)
Authors:   Sumy National Agrarian University, Nezhevelo Valentina
Published: February 2023

The qualitative development of a democratic society and the improvement of the functions of the rule of law in our country are closely connected with the understanding of human rights, including in the field of land relations. After all, the land, its subsoil and other natural resources located on the territory of Ukraine, in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, are the objects of property rights of the Ukrainian people exclusively, and are a national treasure. Today, Ukraine is undergoing a complex process of reforming land relations and adapting them to modern political, economic and social needs, especially in an open market for agricultural land. With an extremely strong agro-industrial potential, Ukraine has a significant role to play in overcoming the global food crisis. However, in the current system there is no competent and balanced state policy, and appropriate mechanisms for its implementation, on the integrated development of land relations and adaptation of land reform in Ukraine. As never before, there is a need for quality and effective public administration in the field of land use within the functioning of the agricultural land market in Ukraine. With the beginning of land status in Ukraine, new questions arose about the directions and mechanisms of improving land relations, the formation of the land market, the solution of which involves scientific and practical clarification of a wide range of problems in its infrastructure. Due to the introduction of a new wave of land reform in Ukraine, public administration in the field of land use of state and communal property should acquire a modern character. Along with the introduction of a transparent market for agricultural land, the reform also aims at transparent and efficient land management. One of the mandatory components of this goal is the introduction of an effective system of public administration in the field of land use of state and communal property. Thus, the formation of effective public administration in the field of land use within the functioning of the agricultural land market in Ukraine, including taking into account international experience, would ensure quality and rational use and protection of land in Ukraine, guarantee the rights of land owners and users and effective governance, which requires a systematic and scientific approach to addressing issues.
Semantic Graph Based Convolutional Neural Network for Spam e-mail Classification in Cybercrime Applications
Authors: Muthurajkumar S. , Rahmath Nisha S.
Published: February 2023

Spam is characterized as unnecessary and garbage E-mails. Due to the increasing of unsolicited E-mails, it is becoming more and more crucial for mail users to utilize a trustworthy spam E-mail filter. The shortcomings of spam classifier are defined by their increasing inability to manage large amounts of relevant messages and to effectively detect and effectively detect spam messages. Numerous characteristics in spam classifications are problematic. Given that selecting features is one of the most often used and successful techniques for feature reduction, it is a crucial duty in the identification of keyword content. As a result, features that are unnecessary and pointless yet potentially harm effciency would be removed. In this study, we present SGNNCNN (Semantic Graph Neural Network With CNN) as a solution to tackle the diffcult task of mail identification. By projections E-mails onto a graph and by using the SGNN-CNN model for classifications, this technique transforms the E-mail classification issue into a graph classification challenge. There is no need to integrate the word into a representation since the E-mail characteristics are produced from the semantic network. On several open databases, the technique's effectiveness is evaluated. Some few public databases were used in experiments to demonstrate the high accuracy of the proposed approach for classifying E-mails. In term of spam classification, the performance is superior to state-of-the-art deep learning-based methods.
Optimized CNN-based Brain Tumor Segmentation and Classification using Artificial Bee Colony and Thresholding
Authors: Ashok Babu P. , Subba Rao B.V. , Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Y. , Rajendra Kumar G . , Nageswara Rao J. , Kumar Reddy Koduru Surendra , Sunil Kumar G.
Published: February 2023

One of the most important tasks used by the medical profession for disease identification and recovery preparation is automatic medical image processing. Statistical approaches are the most commonly used algorithms, and they consist several important step. Brain tumors are the foremost causes of death of cancerous diseases all over the world. The hippocampus is the human body’s primary control structure. Since a tumor attacks the brain, it can kill the patient if it is not detected early. Among the various imaging modalities available, Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) is a better implement for calculating area and classifying tumors based on their grade. MRI does not emit any toxic radiation. There is currently no automated method for detecting and identifying the grade of a tumor. This study mainly focusses on classifying and segmenting brain tumors from MRI scan data. It aids physicians in the planning of future care or surgery. This procedure consists of four steps: image de-noising, tumor extraction, attribute extraction, and hybrid classification. In the first step of image de-noising, the curvelet transformation (CT) is used. Then, in the next stage, Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) Optimization is used in conjunction with the thresholding process to remove tumors from brain MRI scans. Another optimization approach is used to recover the learning rate of the Convolutional Neural Network for the final hybrid classification. The experiment model is assessed by using the multimodal brain tumor (BRATS) 2013 and 2015 challenge datasets from medical image computing. The outcomes of the experiment presented that the method achieved the segmentation 95.23% and 94% of accuracy, where the proposed optimized CNN achieved classification accuracy of 98.5% and 99% for both datasets.
A Graph-Based Soft Actor Critic Approach in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Pan Wei , Liu Cheng
Published: February 2023

Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) is widely used to solve various real-world problems. In MARL, the environment contains multiple agents. A good grasp of the environment can guide agents to learn cooperative strategies. In Centralized Training Decentralized Execution (CTDE), a centralized critic is used to guide cooperative strategies learning. However, having multiple agents in the environment leads to the curse of dimensionality and influence of other agents’ strategies, resulting in difficulties for centralized critics to learn good cooperative strategies. We propose a graph-based approach to overcome the above problems. It uses a graph neural network, which uses partial observations of agents as input, and information between agents is aggregated by graph methods to extract information about the whole environment. In this way, agents can improve their understanding of the overall state of the environment and other agents in the environment while avoiding dimensional explosion. Then we combine a dual critic dynamic decomposition method with soft actor-critic to train policy. The former uses individual and global rewards for learning, avoiding the influence of other agents’ strategies, and the latter help to learn an optional policy better. We call this approach Multi-Agent Graph-based soft Actor-Critic (MAGAC). We compare our proposed method with several classical MARL algorithms under the Multi-agent Particle Environment (MPE). The experimental results show that our method can achieve a faster learning speed while learning better policy.
Fathers and Murders: a retrospective study of paternal filicide in Italy
Authors: Rizzo Amelia , Rosi Nicolina , Iuele Giada , Canales Donaldo , Della Villa Lucia , Russo Gaetana
Published: February 2023

Background. An amount of literature has heavy focused on homicidal mothers. Nevertheless, due to the lower frequency of these events, yet little is known about the paternal filicides.

Aim. The purpose of this study was to identify the spatio-temporal coordinates, authors and victims characteristics, and the context in which these murders take place, in order to identify specific patterns.

Methods. We analyzed 76 events occurred in Italy, between 1996 and 2012 involving 134 victims. The data were collected through a careful and thorough review of the daily press and encoded on a Excel ® sheet specially designed for data collection.

Results. Findings show a significant incidence of psychiatric disorders, history of violent behavior, employment problems and low-skilled professional roles. In particular, violence seems to be determined by the fear of loss which is more common among the common law partner and among youngest male, especially when son is far.

Conclusion. The in-depth analysis of the phenomenon may contribute to its best knowledge and to identify the areas on which psycho-social intervention, based on prevention best practices, are required.
Impaired Endosome Maturation Mediates Tubular Proteinuria in Dent Disease Cell Culture and Mouse Models
Authors: Shipman Katherine E. , Baty Catherine J. , Long Kimberly R. , Rbaibi Youssef , Cowan Isabella A. , Gerges Mona , Marciszyn Allison L. , Kashlan Ossama B. , Tan Roderick J. , Edwards Aurélie , Weisz Ora A.
Published: February 2023

Significance Statement

Loss of function of the 2Cl−/H+ antiporter ClC-5 in Dent disease causes an unknown impairment in endocytic traffic, leading to tubular proteinuria. The authors integrated data from biochemical and quantitative imaging studies in proximal tubule cells into a mathematical model to determine that loss of ClC-5 impairs endosome acidification and delays early endosome maturation in proximal tubule cells, resulting in reduced megalin recycling, surface expression, and half-life. Studies in a Dent mouse model also revealed subsegment-specific differences in the effects of ClC-5 knockout on proximal tubule subsegments. The approach provides a template to dissect the effects of mutations or perturbations that alter tubular recovery of filtered proteins from the level of individual cells to the entire proximal tubule axis.

Background

Loss of function of the 2Cl−/H+ antiporter ClC-5 in Dent disease impairs the uptake of filtered proteins by the kidney proximal tubule, resulting in tubular proteinuria. Reduced posttranslational stability of megalin and cubilin, the receptors that bind to and recover filtered proteins, is believed to underlie the tubular defect. How loss of ClC-5 leads to reduced receptor expression remains unknown.

Methods

We used biochemical and quantitative imaging data to adapt a mathematical model of megalin traffic in ClC-5 knockout and control cells. Studies in ClC-5 knockout mice were performed to describe the effect of ClC-5 knockout on megalin traffic in the S1 segment and along the proximal tubule axis.

Results

The model predicts that ClC-5 knockout cells have reduced rates of exit from early endosomes, resulting in decreased megalin recycling, surface expression, and half-life. Early endosomes had lower [Cl−] and higher pH. We observed more profound effects in ClC-5 knockout cells expressing the pathogenic ClC-5E211G mutant. Alterations in the cellular distribution of megalin in ClC-5 knockout mice were consistent with delayed endosome maturation and reduced recycling. Greater reductions in megalin expression were observed in the proximal tubule S2 cells compared with S1, with consequences to the profile of protein retrieval along the proximal tubule axis.

Conclusions

Delayed early endosome maturation due to impaired acidification and reduced [Cl−] accumulation is the primary mediator of reduced proximal tubule receptor expression and tubular proteinuria in Dent disease. Rapid endosome maturation in proximal tubule cells is critical for the efficient recovery of filtered proteins.
Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of CKD Patients with High-Risk APOL1 Genotypes
Authors: Elliott Mark D. , Marasa Maddalena , Cocchi Enrico , Vena Natalie , Zhang Jun Y. , Khan Atlas , Krishna Murthy Sarath , Bheda Shiraz , Milo Rasouly Hila , Povysil Gundula , Kiryluk Krzysztof , Gharavi Ali G.
Published: February 2023

Significance Statement

APOL1 high-risk genotypes confer a significant risk of kidney disease, but variability in patient outcomes suggests the presence of modifiers of the APOL1 effect. We show that a diverse population of CKD patients with high-risk APOL1 genotypes have an increased lifetime risk of kidney failure and higher eGFR decline rates, with a graded risk among specific high-risk genotypes. CKD patients with high-risk APOL1 genotypes have a lower diagnostic yield for monogenic kidney disease. Exome sequencing revealed enrichment of rare missense variants within the inflammasome pathway modifying the effect of APOL1 risk genotypes, which may explain some clinical heterogeneity.

Background

APOL1 genotype has significant effects on kidney disease development and progression that vary among specific causes of kidney disease, suggesting the presence of effect modifiers.

Methods

We assessed the risk of kidney failure and the eGFR decline rate in patients with CKD carrying high-risk (N=239) and genetically matched low-risk (N=1187) APOL1 genotypes. Exome sequencing revealed monogenic kidney diseases. Exome-wide association studies and gene-based and gene set–based collapsing analyses evaluated genetic modifiers of the effect of APOL1 genotype on CKD.

Results

Compared with genetic ancestry-matched patients with CKD with low-risk APOL1 genotypes, those with high-risk APOL1 genotypes had a higher risk of kidney failure (Hazard Ratio [HR]=1.58), a higher decline in eGFR (6.55 versus 3.63 ml/min/1.73 m2/yr), and were younger at time of kidney failure (45.1 versus 53.6 years), with the G1/G1 genotype demonstrating the highest risk. The rate for monogenic kidney disorders was lower among patients with CKD with high-risk APOL1 genotypes (2.5%) compared with those with low-risk genotypes (6.7%). Gene set analysis identified an enrichment of rare missense variants in the inflammasome pathway in individuals with high-risk APOL1 genotypes and CKD (odds ratio=1.90).

Conclusions

In this genetically matched cohort, high-risk APOL1 genotypes were associated with an increased risk of kidney failure and eGFR decline rate, with a graded risk between specific high-risk genotypes and a lower rate of monogenic kidney disease. Rare missense variants in the inflammasome pathway may act as genetic modifiers of APOL1 effect on kidney disease.
ASH2L Controls Ureteric Bud Morphogenesis through the Regulation of RET/GFRA1 Signaling Activity in a Mouse Model
Authors: Zhao Ziyi , Dai Xuantong , Jiang Gengru , Lin Fujun
Published: February 2023

Significance Statement

Causes of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) remain unclear. The authors investigated whether and how inactivation of Ash2l—which encodes a subunit of the COMPASS methyltransferase responsible for genome-wide histone H3 lysine K4 (H3K4) methylation—might contribute to CAKUT. In a mouse model, inactivation of Ash2l in the ureteric bud (UB) lineage led to CAKUT-like phenotypes. Removal of ASH2L led to deficient H3K4 trimethylation, which slowed cell proliferation at the UB tip, delaying budding and impairing branching morphogenesis. The absence of ASH2L also downregulated the expression of Ret, Gfra1, and Wnt11 genes involved in RET/GFRA1 signaling. These findings identify ASH2L-mediated H3K4 methylation as an upstream epigenetic regulator of signaling crucial for UB morphogenesis and indicate that deficiency or dysregulation of these processes may lead to CAKUT.

Background

Ureteric bud (UB) induction and branching morphogenesis are fundamental to the establishment of the renal architecture and are key determinants of nephron number. Defective UB morphogenesis could give rise to a spectrum of malformations associated with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT). Signaling involving glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor rearranged during transfection (RET) and coreceptor GFRA1 seems to be particularly important in UB development. Recent epigenome profiling studies have uncovered dynamic changes of histone H3 lysine K4 (H3K4) methylation during metanephros development, and dysregulated H3K4 methylation has been associated with a syndromic human CAKUT.

Methods

To investigate whether and how inactivation of Ash2l, which encodes a subunit of the COMPASS methyltransferase responsible for genome-wide H3K4 methylation, might contribute to CAKUT, we inactivated Ash2l specifically from the UB lineage in C57BL/6 mice and examined the effects on genome-wide H3K4 methylation and metanephros development. Genes and epigenome changes potentially involved in these effects were screened using RNA-seq combined with Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation sequencing.

Results

UB-specific inactivation of Ash2l caused CAKUT-like phenotypes mainly involving renal dysplasia at birth, which were associated with deficient H3K4 trimethylation. Ash2l inactivation slowed proliferation of cells at the UB tip, delaying budding and impairing UB branching morphogenesis. These effects were associated with downregulation of Ret, Gfra1, and Wnt11, which participate in RET/GFRA1 signaling.

Conclusions

These experiments identify ASH2L-dependent H3K4 methylation in the UB lineage as an upstream epigenetic regulator of RET/GFRA1 signaling in UB morphogenesis, which, if deficient, may lead to CAKUT.
Detection rate of pulmonary tuberculosis by direct and concentrated microscopy techniques with Lowenstein-Jensen Culture as standard: South-South Nigeria Scenario
Authors: Ekom Ndifreke Edem , Anthony Nathaniel Umo , Olajide Joseph Akinjogunla , Adel AE Elahmar , David Arome
Published: February 2023

Objective: This study seeks to identify a more sensitive smear microscopy method for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in low-resource centers. Materials and methods: One hundred and forty sputum specimens were collected and direct smears were prepared as the specimen was submitted. The specimens were afterward digested/decontaminated using the modified Petroff’s method. Both smear methods were stained by the Ziehl-Neelsen technique and examined. All specimens (direct and concentrated) were cultured on a Lowenstein-Jensen medium and results were considered the gold standard to calculate sensitivity. Results: Out of 140 specimens, 27 (19%) and 34 (24%) were positive by direct and concentrated methods respectively. The number of culture positives by the direct and concentrated method was 26 (19%) and 31(22%) respectively. The sensitivity of direct and concentrated methods was 92.3% and 100% respectively. The negative culture and contamination rate was minimum with the concentrated method. The diagnostic accuracy of direct and concentrated methods was 88.6% and 97.1%.  Conclusion: In summary, results showed concentrated techniques were able to detect more true positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis than the direct smear method. Therefore, the study region with AFB smear microscopy can utilize the concentrated smear method for AFB smear microscopy to improve the case-finding strategy.
Mini-review of Street Crime Prediction and Classification Methods
Authors:   School of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia., Mohamad Zamri Nurul Farhana , Md Tahir Nooritawati ,   Institute for Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (IBDAAI), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malayisa, Megat Ali1 Megat Syahirul Amin ,   Microwave Research Institute (MRI), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia., Khirul Ashar Nur Dalila ,   School of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Johor, Malaysia, Al-misreb Ali Abd ,   Department of Computer Science and Engineering, International University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, BiH
Published: February 2023

Crime rates are one of the biggest problems in today’s modern society, especially in urban cities. Various techniques on crime prediction and detection have been developed by previous researchers in reducing the crime rates that keep increasing throughout the year as well as to assist the government authorities in combating crimes. These include studies on forecasting crime activities based on both primary and secondary data that include numerical data, statistics, video, and images related to various categories of crimes. Thus, in this study, a mini-review is conducted related to the database used as well as methods that have been developed by previous researches related to crime classification, crime analysis and forecasting of crime or crime prediction. Further, a new technique will be proposed in the detection of crime activities. The proposed technique involves evaluation and validation of several Deep Learning (DL) specifically the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) along with the type of database to be used specifically for street crime detection that focuses on snatch theft.
An Overview on Monopulse Microstrip Antenna Design Evolution
Authors:   Dept. of Electrical, Electronic and System Engineering,  Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia, Mat Kamarulzaman , Misran Norbahiah ,   Dept. of Electrical, Electronic and System Engineering,  Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia, Islam Mohammad Tariqul ,   Dept. of Electrical, Electronic and System Engineering,  Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia, Mansor Mohd Fais ,   Dept. of Electrical, Electronic and System Engineering,  Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
Published: February 2023

A monopulse radar system functions to detect targeted objects by using Sum and Difference signals from the reflected signals. The use of parabolic type antennas in conventional radar systems has disadvantages in terms of space, mass, and manufacturing costs. Therefore, microstrip antennas have been proposed because they are flat, lightweight, and cheaper to fabricate. Multiple devices used to produce the important sum and difference signals i.e., hybrid junctions, directional coupler, comparator, and other related methods are studied in this paper. This is due to each of them has their own advantages and limitations. Monopulse microstrip antenna also can be designed in single and multiple layers. Single layer antenna structure is smaller in size and low cost. However, the downside of this structure is having low bandwidth. On the other hand, the multi-layer structure has a higher bandwidth compared to single layer. Nevertheless, at the same time it is thicker in size, difficult to integrate as well as requires more expensive manufacturing costs. It is found that the combination of a single layered antenna structure design and hybrid coupler has the potential to provide better advantages in terms of simplicity, space and cost.
Psychophysical Adaptations to Pre-cooling in Transient Thermal Environments
Authors:   Department of Architecture, Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia, Dahlan Nur Dalilah
Published: February 2023

The application of the thermal alliesthesial concept through pre-cooling strategies in tropical buildings has attracted customers by purging surplus body heat, particularly at the entry point of their transitional space. However, there is little empirical evidence on the impact of thermal alliesthesia on the human subject’s perception of sensation and pleasantness. This study aims to investigate this relationship in the thermoneutral zone and various affective responses based on simulated transient thermal environments. Twenty nine healthy college-aged participants are recruited for a series of thermal alliesthesia climate chamber experiments. The predominant ET* setting refers to the participant’s preferred temperature, that is, 25.1 °C (±1.0). Three experiment stages with a total of nine hours, namely, Stage A (predominant ET*: 22 °C), Stage B (predominant ET*: 24 °C), and Stage C (predominant ET*: 26 °C) are devised to simulate the working commute of office workers in and out of an air-conditioning building during warm weather conditions. The results show that a high proportion of participants are indifferent up to 11 °C of down-step despite encountering corrective transitions within the thermoneutral zone. Pre-cooling strategies are not successful in eliciting thermal pleasure responses in any of the three stages. These findings suggest that a preconditioned indoor environment of 24 to 26 °C ET* is thermally sufficient when designing for transient thermal environments, thereby, eliminating the need for over-cooling.
Review on Alternative Energy Education in Malaysia
Authors:   Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi Selangor, Malaysia, Basri Sahriah , Zakaria Siti Umaira ,   Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi Selangor, Malaysia, Kamarudin Siti Kartom ,   Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi Selangor, Malaysia
Published: February 2023

Alternative energy sources have gained increasing attention due to the diminishing fossil fuel reserve. However, awareness of the importance and use of this alternative energy is still lacking in developing countries, especially in Malaysia. Alternative energy technology is also not widely known amongst students. Community awareness of the importance and usability of alternative energy to ensure the preservation of the earth and nature remains less due to the convenience of the community to existing power sources from fossil fuel. The dependence on fossil fuel has contributed to 40% of the carbon dioxide emission damaging the ecosystem and will undoubtedly have adverse effects in the future. Hence, replacing this energy source with alternative sources is necessary to preserve the environment. To increase public awareness regarding this issue, scholars should create an application that would be easily accessible to the society. This study aims to criticise public's awareness and challenges faced in educating the community on alternative energy. Society awareness is important in maintaining and preserving the environment because alternative energy sources are eco-friendly and produce less carbon dioxide than existing energy resources. This article also examines the development of education modules for students especially in Malaysia. Additionally, a curriculum oriented in higher education is recommended to produce a generation that loves nature and explores the environment with the development of science and technology. Comparisons of education systems among developed countries are helpful in achieving this objective.
Automotive Body in White Framing Systems Review
Authors:   Mechanical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Malaysia, Md Zain Mohamad Zamri , Abdul-Rani Ahmad Majdi ,   Mechanical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Malaysia, Al-Amin Md ,   Mechanical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Malaysia, Khan S F ,   Additive manufacturing and design Lab, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Abdul Razak Muhammad Al’Hapis ,   SEELAB, Manufacturing Section, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Spanish Institute, Malaysia, Sulaiman M.H ,   Department of Manufactruing and Materials Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University, Malaysia, Rajendra Unune Deepak ,   Department of Mechanical-Mechatronics Engineering,  The LNM Institute of Information Technology, Jaipur-302031, Rajasthan, India
Published: February 2023

One of the main assembly processes in Body Shop produce BIW (Body in White). Automated framing system is used to assemble main sub assembly of body parts to become a BIW. Among the challenges using BIW framing are high investment, change of model or product life cycle and multiple or mixed model in a single line.This paper conducts a systematic review on BIW framing systems for automotive scope. Study and compare on the framing systems used have been carried out. Some examples of different BIW framing systems are shown. The current trend indicates that the framing systems changed from dedicated model to multiple models which seek flexibility approach to add in. Major or big automotive OEM's have their own design of BIW framing system.
Review on Awareness and Practices in Malaysia Land-Use Planning on Municipal Solid Waste Management
Authors:   Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia, Samsudin Khairunnisa Syarafina , Mat Sohif ,   Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia., Razalia Halim ,   Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia., Ahmad Basri Noor Ezlin ,   Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia., Aini Zulkifli ,   Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
Published: February 2023

In 2016, almost 95% of the collected waste were taken to about 156 treatment disposal facilities that are distributed throughout Peninsular Malaysia, yet municipal solid waste (MSW) open dumping is common wherever land is available. Previous studies show that the land-use activities influenced the waste generation. The issue of non-compliance such as illegal change of land-use zoning and conflicts in development plans are among others that affect environmental sustainability. Hence, this paper focuses on how land-use planners include MSW management (MSWM) in their development planning. As a case study, the research considers 30 government town planners and 30 registered town planning consultants with the Malaysian Institute of Planners. A close-ended questionnaire method was adopted in this research. To design the questions, three aspects were considered: technical, management, and behaviour and the questions were structured based on literature review, books, and personal experience of the people involved. This research further identifies the issue concerning the reasons for the lack of involvement of land-use planners to include MSWM. Results show that land-use planners are aware of the regulations, national plans, and policies regarding MSWM in Malaysia but lack actions in their planning due to several reasons, such as inadequate expertise and insufficient funding. The findings in this research are expected to provide useful guidelines for policy makers.
Investigating Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete with Glass Fibre
Authors:   Faculty of Engineering, Bani Waleed University, Libya, Alsadey Salahaldein , Abdallateef Miftah ,   Faculty of Engineering, Bani Waleed University, Libya, Mohamed Muftah ,   Faculty of Engineering, Bani Waleed University, Libya, Milad Abdalrhman ,   Faculty of Engineering University of Azzaytuna (AZU). Tarhouna, Libya
Published: February 2023

Concrete is the most commonly used building material. Nowadays, the world has seen the construction of engineering applications that has become difficult and complicated. Therefore, it is important to have high strength and adequate workability. Besides that, the glass fibre is highly beneficial as a construction material for reinforced concrete as it can be identified as one of the numerous compelling topics related to its benefits. This study contributes to the specification and classification of glass fibre reinforced concrete (GFRC). However, ordinary concrete has limited ductility, slight resistance to cracking, and insufficient tensile strength. Internal micro-cracks in the concrete are visible, and the proliferation of such micro-cracks caused its weak tensile strength. When a certain percentage of fibre is added to the concrete, it improves the properties of the strain, namely, resistance to cracking, ductility, toughness, and flexure strength. The current paper outlines the experimental study conducted on the usage of glass fibre with structural concrete. The parameters were used in percentages, which varied from 0.5% to 2% by weight of cement in concrete, and the properties of the FRC (fibre reinforced concrete), such as ultrasonic pulse velocity test, flexure strength, and compressive strength were examined. However, it refers to an increase in deformation before failure of the structural concrete, reinforced with a high ratio of GFR. The results show good performance of concretes containing glass fibre and increasing glass fibre content, increasing the compressive strength.
An Investigation of Building Occupants Behaviour during Fire Alarm
Authors:   Faculty of Build Environmental and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru. Johor, . Alao , Kaseem Mohammed ,   Faculty of Build Environmental and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru. Johor, Wan Mahmood Wan Yousuf ,   Faculty of Build Environmental and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru. Johor, Yatim Yahya Mohamad ,   Faculty of Build Environmental and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru. Johor
Published: February 2023

The safety of building occupants during fire emergencies depends mainly on the occupant's behavior in the fire event. Therefore, this study investigates the behavior of high–rise building occupants in Nigeria when they hear the sound of fire alarm under fire drill. The study adopted a survey research design. The population for this study consists of 349 low and high-rise building occupants across six north-central state of Nigeria. A research question was used to direct the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents which was duly validated by an expert in the field of fire safety. Cronbach Alpha reliability technique was used to determine the internal consistency of the questionnaire items at 0.90. Data collected were analysed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment of Statistics (Amos). After a preliminary analysis (descriptive), data from respondents were found suitable for presence in confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), The CFA was performed, and results of the analysis support the one-factor model of occupants behavior in building when they hear the sound of the alarm during a building fire can enhance early evacuation and safety of lives and properties. The study found that occupants required nine actions to be taken when they hear the sound of fire alarm under investigation. However, the study recommended that fire training; total compliance with the relevant fire safety regulations, fire drill, fire communication, and effective fire safety management should be organized for the high or low-rise building occupants to enhance their knowledge of fire safety in a building.
“Architecture is Gesture”: The Ornamentation of Minbars in Selected Old Mosques of Melaka
Authors:   Department of Architecture, Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia, Dahlan Nur Dalilah , Abd Manan Mohd Shahrudin ,   Department of Architecture, Faculty of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Published: February 2023

The argument of ‘architecture is gesture’ suggests an episteme of artefact that celebrates the narration of human culture. This article explores the ‘gesture’ of mosque architecture. The exploration is conducted with particular reference to the ornamentation of minbar. In the context of Malay art, minbar is considered evidence of traditional ingenuity. The design of minbar reflects the beauty of intricate composition and the skillfulness of craftsmanship. Visits to old mosques as recommended by the Malacca Museums Corporation enable the researchers to select minbars with unique design and carvings. The ornamentation of minbars with reference to three selected old mosques in Melaka, namely, Masjid Peringgit, Masjid Kampung Hulu, and Masjid Kampung Keling are discussed. The discussion highlights the ornamentation of minbars as a response to the cultural convergence in Melaka. The article recommends the study of minbars to be concentrated more on its function as ‘signs’ instead of just a mere ‘aesthetic element’. In this respect, the study of minbars may enrich the holistic meaning of Islamic architecture. It can also be seen as a sign of a harmonious plural society in 18th century Melaka.
Evaluation of Occupational Noise Exposure in a Plastic Manufacturing Industry: A Case Study
Authors:   Industrial Engineering and Management Programme, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia, Alnabih Asem I A , Bin Mat Tahir Mohd Faizal ,   Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department,Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia, Khamis Nor Kamaliana ,   Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department,Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
Published: February 2023

Industrial workers need a safe working environment to ensure their wellbeing is protected while performing tasks. Occupational noise is one of the most prevalent problems in industries due to nature of the industry. Therefore, this paper aimed to evaluate the occupational noise exposure in one of the plastic factories in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Noise measurement has been done in all production lines, crushing department, packaging department and officers’ area. The noise measurements were taken 1 to 3 metres from the source of noise at several points for each line and departments using sound level meter. Average noise level at all measurement location noted LAeq less than 80 dBA, except one point in line B and the crushing area. The packaging department recorded the lowest noise level, with LAeq 64.8 dBA and LAmax of 69.2 dBA. While, the crushing department is the noisiest area in the factory, with LAmax 105 dBA and LAeq 100.9 dBA. The average noise level at majority location in the factory is less than 80 dBA which means it is at a safe range. The workers do not need any personal hearing protection equipment during working, which was according to the Occupational Safety & Health (Noise Exposure) Regulations 2019 noise regulations in Malaysia, except the crushing area only. In conclusion, evaluation of noise exposure in each section can provide a good understanding of the occupational noise level experienced by different workers at different departments. It can help the management to strategize and plan the noise control approach, especially at the area that may have risk of hearing loss for their workers.