bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Transfer-Matrix-Based Approach to Predicting Acoustic Properties of a Layered System in a General, Efficient, and Stable Way
Authors: Song Guochenhao , Mo Zhuang , Bolton J Stuart
Published: May 2023

Layered materials are one of the most commonly used acoustical treatments in the automotive industry, and have gained increased attention, especially owing to the popularity of electric vehicles. Here, a method to model and couple layered systems with various layer types (i.e., poro-elastic layers, solid-elastic layers, stiff panels, and fluid layers) is derived that makes it possible to stably predict their acoustical properties. In contrast with most existing methods, in which an equation system is constructed for the whole structure, the present method involves only the topmost layer and its boundary conditions at two interfaces at a time, which are further simplified into an equivalent interface. As a result, for a multi-layered system, the proposed method splits a complicated system into several smaller systems and so becomes computationally less expensive. Moreover, traditional modeling methods can lose stability when there is a large disparity between the magnitudes of the waves within the layers (e.g., at higher frequencies, for a thick layer, or for extreme parameter values). In those situations, the contribution of the most attenuated wave can be masked by numerical errors, hence inducing instability when inverting the system. Here, the accuracy of the wave attenuation terms is ensured by decomposing each layer’s transfer matrix analytically and reformulating the equation system. Therefore, this method can produce a stable prediction of acoustical properties over a large frequency and parameter region. The fact that the proposed method can couple different layer types in a general, efficient, convenient, and stable way is beneficial, for example, when numerically optimizing the design of the acoustical treatments. The predicted acoustic properties of layered systems calculated using the proposed method have been validated by comparison with those predicted by previously existing methods. Further, an optimal design exercise is performed to find a lightweight layered dash panel treatment.
Impact of Foaming Baffle Materials on Structure Borne Noise in Car Bodies
Authors: Unruh Oliver , Obst Heike-Ursula , Fuhrmann Bernd , Bautista Jose
Published: May 2023

Foaming materials such as 2C-PUR or expandable baffles are increasingly used in the car body acoustic package of modern passenger vehicles. Over the last several decades the primary function of foaming materials was the moisture sealing and airborne noise absorption / insulation in various areas of the car body such as pillars, door sills or other cavities. Recent developments also show an increasing application of expandable foams, functioning as structural dampers and reducing structure-borne noise transmission through frames and pillars. This paper summarizes the results of various studies that deal with the impact of expandable baffle materials on structure-borne noise in car bodies with special focus on mid and high frequencies which become more relevant in the acoustic optimization efforts of EV’s. Structural vibrations are evaluated experimentally on foamed generic frames and double sheet metal systems under free-free boundary conditions. The most promising candidate among tested foaming materials is then introduced into a C-Segment car body. This body is investigated with laser scanning vibrometry and transfer functions are measured using dual shaker excitation. The presented results are showing potential damping performance of baffle foams compared to empty body and bodies damped with conventional liquid-applied-sound-dampers and bitumen foils.
The Risk of Ignoring the Uncertainty of Biot Parameters Measurements and their Impact on Simulation Models Accuracy
Authors: Blanchet Denis
Published: May 2023

It is well known today that Biot parameters are the intrinsic material properties of porous media such as foams and fibers. They are to porous media what Young’s modulus is to steel panels. Once these Biot parameters are accurately known, one can trust that a predictive simulation model will yield the corresponding level of accuracy. But how accurate must these Biot parameters be to warrant a safe level of accuracy of the resulting simulation models? This paper analyzes various round-robin tests publications related to measurements of Biot parameters (acoustic and elastic) and uses the reproducibility of measured data from the numerous laboratories involved to evaluate the effect of the observed measured variability on simulation models accuracy when predicting transmission loss, surface absorption and actual sound pressure level (SPL) response inside a vehicle.
Sound Transmission Loss of Acoustic Metamaterial with Lightweight Frame and Hard Membrane-Like Material
Authors: Yang Xu-Hao , Kang Yingzi , Xie Xinxing , Zhang Qu , Shangguan Wen-Bin
Published: May 2023

To reduce the noise in the frequency range of 100Hz~1000Hz, a metamaterial structure composed of lightweight frame, hard membrane-like material and added mass is proposed in this paper. The advantage of this structure is that it is lightweight and the membrane-like material does not need to be stressed in advance. Finite element method (FEM) and experiment are used to investigate the sound transmission loss (STL) performance of the metamaterial structure. The results show that the peak STL is caused by the local resonance of the added mass and the membrane-like material. The valley versus frequency results from the resonance frequencies of metamaterial structure, and it is divided into three resonance frequencies: resonance frequencies from added mass, membrane-like material and frame. Frame resonance will influence vibration of membrane-like material, if the frequency of frame resonance is close to the frequency at peak STL, the frequency at peak STL will be changed and the amplitude of STL at the peak will be lowered. The effects of the elastic modulus, density and width of the frame on the STL are discussed. The result shows that the STL is sensitive to frame width, and it is concluded that the effect of frame resonance on STL can be decreased by reducing the frame width, and STL is greater than 20 dB in the range of 400Hz-900Hz.
A Method for Identifying Tortuosity, Viscous Characteristic Length and Thermal Characteristic Length of Kapok Mixed Fiber Porous Materials
Authors: Chen Binquan , Kang Yingzi , Xie Xinxing , Zhang Qu , Shangguan Wen-Bin
Published: May 2023

Tortuosity, viscous characteristic length and thermal characteristic length are three important parameters for estimating the acoustic performance of porous materials, and it is usually measured by ultrasonic measurement technology, which is costly. In this paper, a method for identifying the tortuosity, viscous characteristic length and thermal characteristic length for the porous fiber materials mixed with kapok fiber and two kinds of other fiber materials is proposed. The tortuosity is calculated by using the porosity and high-frequency normal sound absorption coefficient of porous materials. According to the normal sound absorption coefficient curve of porous materials under plane wave incidence, viscous characteristic length and thermal characteristic length are identified through the Johnson-Champoux-Allard-Lafarge (JCAL) model and genetic algorithm by using the measured parameters, the calculated tortuosity and static thermal permeability. The measured parameters include static airflow resistivity, porosity, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, structural loss factor, thickness and density. The error between the parameters identification results and the experiments is analyzed. The error between the simulations and the experiments of the normal sound absorption coefficient under plane wave incidence is very small, which proves the accuracy of this method. The relationship between sound absorption performance of kapok mixed fiber porous materials, and tortuosity, viscous characteristic length and thermal characteristic length is investigated. Assuming the frequency range is located between 1000Hz to 4000Hz under the plane wave incidence, taking the average normal sound absorption coefficient of the materials as the objective function, the JCAL model and genetic algorithm are then used to obtain the optimal parameters of kapok mixed fiber porous materials.
Influence of Operational Parameters on Tyre Noise in Semi-Anechoic Chamber
Authors: Ganesan Karthikeyan , Tomer Avinash , Ghosh Prasenjit , Mukhopadhyay Rabindra
Published: May 2023

There are two key factors driving the tyre manufacturers to increase their focus on improving the noise characteristics of the tyre: Strict homologation requirements for tyre and vehicle noise and the increasing prevalence of Electric vehicles. With developing infrastructure and vehicle technology, the tyre noise impact on overall vehicle noise is becoming more and more important. The principal focus of the study is to perform experimental analysis for understanding the effect of various operational parameters such as load, inflation pressure (IP) and speed on overall tyre noise in a semi-anechoic chamber under controlled conditions. To understand the impact of the operational parameters, five C1 class radial tyres with different rim sizes (14”-18”) and same tread patterns were used. The study includes measuring the overall tyre noise expressed as Sound pressure level (SPL) in dB(A) using microphones at three different locations inside the semi-anechoic chamber on a 2m steel drum i.e., Leading edge Mic (LM), Trailing edge Mic (TM), and Center Mic (CM). These three microphone locations will help us to recognize the impact of the operational parameters on aerodynamic, vibrational and amplification or reduction noise generating mechanisms. A test matrix with varying load (50%-125%), speed (40km/h-100km/h) and inflation pressure (200-260kPa) were used to capture the overall noise characteristics.
From Measured Road Profile to Tire Blocked Forces for Road Noise Prediction
Authors: Zhang Jie , Geluk Theo
Published: May 2023

The automotive industry is evolving towards Electrified Vehicles (EV) in the recent years. Compared to the traditional ICE vehicles, tire noise induced by the tire-road interaction, is no longer masked by the internal combustion engine, and therefore becomes one of the most dominant sources of noise within the cabin and acoustic emission perceived by by-standers.

Robust source characterization is one of the most important tasks for road noise prediction. The receiver-independent tire blocked forces are often used as ire-road source characteristics, which can be applied to any test-based or FE-based vehicle model to obtain the interior noise. They can be inversely identified from measurements on a tire test rig or on an in-situ vehicle. However, this inverse process needs to be repeated for different tires, roads and rolling speeds, which can become time-consuming and expensive.

In this paper, an alternative solution for the blocked force calculation is proposed: a direct simulation of blocked forces from measured road profile data. This approach consists of two major steps. The first step is a road envelopment module, which allows the user to reprocess a once measured road profile at any desired speed. This is done using a CAE based approach to get in an objective manner to the right envelopment settings for the given tire, thus avoiding dependency on experience-based tuning of envelopment functions. In a second step, the enveloped profile is applied to a test-driven, concept CAE tire model which enables to predict the blocked forces and moments. As the whole process is implemented in the frequency domain, this allows efficient integration with full vehicle NVH calculations for design optimization.

This paper gives a detailed description of the proposed direct or forward approach to get to the blocked forces, with a validation case to demonstrate the obtained results.
NVH Features and Corresponding Control Strategies for Differing Architecture Hybrid Vehicle Facing Specific Driving Scenarios
Authors: Zhao Qian , Liu Ming , Zhang Liling , Li Jing , Kang Ming , Li Xiaolong , Niu Haolong , Ma Chao , Cheng Yanan , Liu Yu
Published: May 2023

Hybrid vehicle, equipped power source not only gas engine but also motor, power electronics and differing types of transmissions, manifests more complicated/specific/exceptional NVH behaviors than that of gas powered vehicle, like parking engine start/stop for charging, EV mode traction/recuperation, mode switch, etc. On top of that, differing hybrid architecture exists, depending on number and location of motor and type of transmission, hence NVH features and related control strategies are highly likely to be different even under identical driving scenarios, as such, the holistic and deep insight into the NVH features and related control strategies are very meaningful for hybrid vehicle NVH performance refinement, and will expedite the process of vehicle NVH development. Firstly in this paper, the differing hybrid architectures, e.g. single motor installed parallel hybrid and twin motor installed main stream hybrid architecture are delineated as well as the general NVH pros/cons as per common driving scenarios, then the specific driving scenarios assessing NVH performance differing to gas powered vehicle is described in terms of concerned engine/motor/transmission/vehicle parameters. Secondly the NVH features for differing hybrid architecture facing common driving scenarios are presented to illustrate distinguished NVH phenomenon are existed even facing common driving scenarios by differing hybrid architectures, as of different number/location of motor and of topology of transmission. Lastly, the NVH control strategy/measure guidelines for above-mentioned NVH issues under common driving scenarios pervasively for all mentioned hybrid architecture are elaborated, specifically centering on calibration aspects.
Using Numerical Models within an SEA Framework
Authors: Alimonti Luca , Mejdi Abderrazak , Gardner Bryce , Musser Chadwyck
Published: May 2023

Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) is widely used for modeling the vibro-acoustic response of large and complex structures. SEA makes simulations practical thanks to its intrinsic statistical approach and the lower computational cost compared to FE-based techniques. However, SEA still requires underlying models for subsystems and junctions to compute the SEA coefficients which appear in the power balance equations of the coupled system. Classically, such models are based on simplified descriptions of the structures to allow analytical or semi-analytical developments. To overcome this limitation, the authors have proposed a general approach to SEA which only requires the knowledge of impedances of the structures to compute SEA coefficients. Such impedances can always be computed from an accurate FE model of each component of a coupled system. This yields to a numerical SEA framework able to account for the dynamic complexity of the FE model without any a priori assumption on the type of waves traveling in the subsystem. In turns, this allows to (i) extend the range of applicability of SEA towards lower frequencies thanks to the higher fidelity models used to compute the power coefficients and (ii) improve accuracy in the mid- and high-frequency domains for complex structures. Moreover, the computational cost is kept low thanks to the substructuring approach which is inherent in SEA. Representative examples are considered to show the capabilities of the proposed numerical SEA framework.
A Historical Perspective on Automotive Noise Control
Authors: Thompson James K.
Published: May 2023

The character and level of noise in a vehicle has changed significantly from the 1970s to today. In the 1970s the challenge was to permit communication from the front seat to the rear at highway speeds. In the last decade, the challenge has grown to provide a vehicle that provides the right "type" of sound while isolating the occupants from disturbing exterior noise. This may involve adding engine noise simulation and sculpting the interior sound to meet customer expectations. More recently, the challenge has been to modify noise controls for extreme light weighting exercises and electric vehicles. In addition, electric vehicles present a different sound environment and the challenge of determining what an EV should sound like. This paper will attempt to discuss these challenges and talk about the future of vehicle interior noise.
Analytical and Experimental Studies on Ride Comfort in a Combat Vehicle (CV)
Authors: Chandramohan Sujatha , Sinha Adheesh
Published: May 2023

Extremely uncomfortable levels of bounce and pitch vibrations are produced when a CV moves over uneven terrain. The present study was carried out to ascertain the vibrational response at the driver’s, commander’s and trooper’s seats. A 23 -degrees of freedom (DOF) lumped parameter 3-D model of a combined CV and human body was made. The vehicle had 15 DOF corresponding to the bounce, pitch and roll of the hull (sprung mass) and bounce motions of the 12 wheel stations (unsprung masses) on either side. The human body was idealized as having 8 DOF corresponding to bounce motions of the pelvis, abdomen, diaphragm, thorax, torso, back and head. The seat was also assigned a bounce DOF. The lumped masses of the body parts were distributed and connected by springs. The differential equations of motion for the linear rigid body model were formulated and the natural frequencies of different parts of the human body and the military tank were determined by eigenvalue analysis using MATLAB. Subsequently, vertical and longitudinal accelerations at the driver's, commander's and trooper's seats were measured on both the Sinusoidal track and Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) using accelerometers connected to the DEWESoft data acquisition system (DAS). Fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectra and power spectral densities (PSDs) were determined at each location. Also, the measured root mean square (RMS) accelerations computed in 1/3 octave bands were multiplied with ISO weighting factors and were compared with ISO ride comfort boundaries for assessment of ride comfort. Thereafter, exposure values, A(8) and vibration dose value (VDV) were calculated. A full multi-body dynamics model (MBD) was idealized to get insight into the dynamic behavior of the CV. The vibrational response of the CV was simulated during steady-state runs on Sinusoidal and Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) tracks through MSC ADAMS (ATV) and the results were compared with those obtained from experimental work. The measured acceleration data correlated well with the computed results.
Improvements to a Method to Simulate Non-Stationary Wind Noise in Vehicles
Authors: Yu Jinghe , Davies Patricia
Published: May 2023

As the vehicle and wind speeds and directions change, the unsteady flow creates non-stationary wind noise. To investigate people’s perceptions of non-stationary wind noise, a method to simulate the non-stationary wind noise is needed. Previously, a method was developed that used stationary recordings taken at several speeds and directions to create a set of sound pressure level predictions in each one-third octave band that are a function of wind speed and direction. These functions are used to create time-varying filters based on provided wind profiles. A reference wind noise measurement is then filtered to produce the sounds. A drawback of this method is that many stationary wind condition measurements are needed to form accurate sound pressure level functions, which can be time consuming. A method requiring fewer measurements was investigated. At each yaw angle one non-stationary noise measurement and one stationary reference measurement are used to estimate the relationship between sound power and wind speed. The accuracy of the estimation was validated by comparing wind noise simulations with wind tunnel measurements, A further improvement is to use partially correlated white noise signals to simulate binaural sounds that have a similar coherence structure between the left and right ear sounds to that observed in binaural measurements in the vehicle.
Numerical Simulation of On-Road Wind Conditions for Interior Wind Noise of Passenger Vehicles
Authors: Moron Philippe , Wu Long , Powell Robert , Senthooran Sivapalan
Published: May 2023

Traditionally vehicles are designed for wind noise under ideal steady wind conditions. But, passenger comfort is affected by high modulation of cabin noise while cruising in traffic due to variations of instantaneous wind speed and direction from driving through large-scale turbulence. In consequence, designing a vehicle for the best performance in a low-turbulence wind tunnel may lead to issues during on-road conditions. To predict the interior noise corresponding to on-road turbulence, a simulation approach is proposed combining an upstream turbulence flow simulation with an SEA vehicle model. This work is an extension of existing well validated procedures for steady wind conditions. Time-segmented transient loads on panels and steady-state structural acoustics transfer functions are combined, producing interior noise results for a series of overlapping time segments. This interior noise prediction, as a function of time, captures the modulation of wind noise results, which are then visualized using a spectrogram, plotting sound pressure level indicated by color as a function of time and frequency bands. Audio signals are also created from the interior noise results, allowing detailed signal analysis from this simulation. This capability enables designers to reduce wind noise modulation in time caused by on-road turbulence, improving speech intelligibility and passenger comfort.
Drivetrain Gear Rattle Simulation Methodology & Optimization: Simulation and Testing Correlation
Authors: Kumar Suneel , Veerkar Vikrant , Memane Nilesh
Published: May 2023

This paper describes a simulation methodology developed for gear rattle severity evaluation and drivetrain architecture optimization. The noise generated by gear rattle is one of the main contributors towards customer’s overall NVH perception. This study adopts a model-based design approach to simulate the tendency of gear rattle in neutral and drive conditions. Gear rattle simulation model for Tractor driveline developed in 1-D environment and correlated with test data acquired on tractor drivelines for multiple field applications. This analytical physics-based model includes engine torsional signature, clutch damper torsional characteristic and dynamics of traction and PTO driveline. This dynamic simulation model helps to understand and predict the gear rattle severity of various drivetrain architecture early in the product development cycle and assess & Optimize driveline NVH performance. The simulation model predicts the mesh force variation between the gear pairs based on engine excitation & driveline system dynamic response. The standard deviation of this gear mesh force is used as a gear rattle metric to quantify the rattle tendency and correlated with NVH subjective assessment. DOE conducted to assess the impact of the various driveline parameters i.e., Flywheel inertia, damper stiffness & hysteresis, gear backlash etc. on gear rattle metric. This virtual methodology was deployed for multiple drivetrain architecture evaluation & based on the analysis optimal drivetrain architecture adopted for better customer NVH perception. This methodology helped in developing new predictive simulation workflows to resolve design issues analytically and effectively within a relatively shorter time with significant reduction of product development time and cost.
Shear-wave splitting patterns in Perachora (Eastern Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
Authors: Spingos Ioannis , Kapetanidis Vasilis , Michas Georgios , Kaviris George , Vallianatos Filippos
Published: May 2023

The Eastern Gulf of Corinth (EGoC) is one of the most seismically active areas in Greece. It is monitored by local and regional seismic stations of the Hellenic Unified Seismic Network (HUSN). In 2020, a high-yield seismic sequence, lasting over five months, occurred at the Perachora peninsula. This provided a unique opportunity to investigate the anisotropic properties of the upper crust in the area, which lacks relevant studies. The sequence exhibited characteristics of a seismic swarm, with the strongest event having a magnitude of 3.7. In the herein analysis, we use recordings from suitable HUSN stations for two periods: (a) 2008 to 2019, a period of scarce seismicity, to identify background anisotropy and (b) the 2020 seismic swarm period. We used a fully automated method to measure shear-wave splitting properties. After considering a shear-wave window of 45° and several quality criteria, we determined a complex state of anisotropy, with NE-SW directions of polarization (𝜑) prevailing pre-2020, while a dominant WNW-ESE orientation was observed during the swarm (with secondary NE-SW and N-S trends). The spatial distribution of 𝜑 did not offer any strong correlation with local faults. Additionally, 𝜑 seemed to rotate in 2015 and 2020, with variations of normalized time-delays being present during the crisis. These observations, along with indications regarding fluid diffusion during the swarm, led us to hypothesize that shear-wave splitting in the EGoC is mainly driven by high pressure gradients. A better understanding of pre‑2020 seismicity and more local stations to record future seismicity would be required to further specify the connection between fluid processes and seismic anisotropy in the area.
An Analysis of Error Aspects in the Discussions of University Freshmen
Authors: Jo Young-Ah
Published: May 2023

My study analyzed and considered the error patterns that appear in discussion classes for university freshmen, focusing on their papers and discourse for discussion. Debate is the activity of asking and answering questions regarding the justification for an argument. The conclusion and the ground, or the basis for supporting a certain conclusion, constitute an argument. The conclusion is well justified when the ground supports the conclusion well, is acceptable, and contains content that can answer the counterargument. Therefore, whether or not the arguments in any given discussion were erroneous was analyzed on the basis of the acceptability, relevance, and sufficiency of the aforementioned grounds. A wide range of discussion errors appeared in both the composition and presentation level of the argument, and the process of asking and answering the reason by constructing the argument. In particular, I often found that grounds unrelated to the conclusions were presented by ‘begging the question’, ‘appealing to the majority’, or simply by confusing the meaning of the concept. In addition, errors were found that provided grounds which were difficult to accept or provided grounds which did not sufficiently support the conclusions. My analysis of error patterns found in discussions is significant for providing a basis for discussion classes in universities which apply various thinking experiments in order for us to move in the direction of expanding the depth and breadth of our students' thoughts.
Critical Thinking Education Using Classic Texts in Humanities－Focusing on The Plague
Authors: Choi Yongho
Published: May 2023

For critical thinking education in the liberal arts, virtuous disposition education is essential. Simply teaching logical thinking skills is no different from mass-producing sophists who are good at forensics. One way to meet the goal of critical thinking education for cultivating educated people is to use classic texts in the humanities. The strength of such texts is that students are not only able to think about desirable human and social aspects by reading them, but they can also become the main character themselves and use critical thinking for the best decision-making and problem solving possible. I would like to show that critical thinking education in liberal arts education is possible by using Albert Camus’ novel The Plague. First, the first-person point of view of the novel was introduced as material for consideration to provide a focal point for the students on which they could concentrate. Following this, various questions were provided worthy of serious consideration. Students were able to think for themselves about these questions and to share their thoughts with each other during the discussion process. Next, students were able to logically analyze, evaluate, and improve their thinking process. To this end, arguments and errors were extracted and presented from the thoughts of the characters of the novel. In short, through this classic text, students were able to become the protagonists of a story very similar to the pandemic situation of our current time, indirectly experiencing various problematic situations and contemplating solutions, thereby becoming critical thinkers with critical thinking skills and dispositions at the same time.
A Study on What it Means to Teach Literacy in the Digital and AI Age
Authors: Kim Min-Su
Published: May 2023

Generational conflicts and controversies surrounding literacy continue to arise. This paper aims to diagnose the problem of literacy in the digital and AI era, which has entered an irreversible phase, and to emphasize the need for book reviewing education as one of the ways to overcome this issue. To this end, we first critically examine the fact that ‘eye-byte’ is becoming the new norm as print media has been transformed into digital media. In addition, we explore how recently emerged conversational AI services operate in a way that is far from the academic writing system. ChatGPT, which is based on a large-scale language model, is not only exposed to the problem of “hallucination,” where false information is answered plausibly, but also does not disclose the source of the results, even when verification is required. To overcome these problems, we tried to reconsider the academic process and the value of literacy education by focusing on the case of book review writing education.
Case Report of a Contained Ascending Aortic Rupture
Authors: Welch Jack, , Kristen Ewing, , Bradford Cardonell,
Published: May 2023

Aortic aneurysm rupture is typically the failure of the aortic wall to withstand the tension placed upon it by a patient’s blood pressure. Along with clinical judgement and an assessment of signs and symptoms, a computed topography angiogram (CTA) is amongst the first line of diagnostic studies having 87-94% sensitivity for rupture. Therefore, while the possibility of a CTA not catching an aortic rupture is present, the chance is very low. Usually a missed or delayed diagnosis for this type of pathology is catastrophic resulting in patient death. We present the case report of a 68-year-old male with a contained aortic rupture that was initially missed on CTA. He presented to the ED with shock like symptoms after a syncopal episode at home. Initial computed topography (CT) scan revealed a pericardial effusion with concern for hemopericardium and mass effect on the right ventricle. A follow up CTA was obtained; however, it was negative for any acute process. Given patient’s continued instability, a TTE was performed which showed concern for a dissection flap. Subsequently, a TEE was performed showing an aortic dissection at the anterior aortic root as well as severe aortic insufficiency with a perforated right coronary cusp. The patient underwent emergent cardiac surgery and recovered well despite the delay in diagnosis. This case demonstrates the importance of a high index of suspicion for acute aortic dissection despite an initial negative CTA.
Trends among a population of neonatal abstinence syndrome patients in Huntington, West Virginia
Authors: Boggess Taylor , Payne Mitzi
Published: May 2023

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) represents a serious emotional toll for the families of affected children and represents a significant financial burden for healthcare providers. Historically, patients living in rural regions, such as Appalachia, have limited access to healthcare facilities. The goal of this study was to increase understanding of the population served by a medical treatment center for NAS patients in Huntington, West Virginia in the hopes of better meeting the needs of these patients and their families. A clinical records review was conducted using the charts from 122 NAS patients that returned for followup clinic appointments at Lily’s Place, a non-profit NAS center in Huntington, between the years of 2015 and 2019. Factors examined in this study included number of visits to the clinic, drugs used by patient mothers, developmental milestones reached, medical issues observed during clinic visits, medical issues common among patient mothers, insurance status, and plans for care developed during each visit. The mean number of visits to the clinic per patient was 1.92. Opioids were found to be the most commonly misused class of drugs among the mothers of patients. Over one third of patient mothers were positive for hepatitis C. Medicaid was the most common insurance for patients and their parents/guardians. Many patients demonstrated a delay in reaching developmental milestones for their age group. Common patient symptoms included muscle and/or joint tightness, torticollis, and tremors. Many patient visits required a demonstration of stretches/exercises for the patient’s guardian to perform on the patient and most patient visits resulted in referrals to additional developmental support services. The results of this study indicate important trends among NAS patients and their families in West Virginia and, potentially, in the wider United States.
ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM UNDER THE CALIPHATE OF IMAM ALI (A.S)
Authors: Ali Muhammad Azhar , Zaidi Syed Yasir Zaheer
Published: May 2023

Whoever has the intention to deny with the virtues of Imam Ali A.S as they were blessed to him by the Almighty Allah. The historians has only unfold the truth of Imam Ali A.S as a brave hero and his act of velour but his qualities and abilities were more than to the boundaries of their wit. Imam Ali A.S under his rule (Caliphate) proved himself as a great administrator and statesman. He has marked his virtues by his abilities and use of knowledge to the ever remaining world. Under this paper an analytical striving has been made to enlighten the world with the virtue of Imam Ali A.S as a great jurist, statesman, administrator, general or commander in chief and governing head of the state. The primary focus of this study limited but not bound to administrative abilities of the great Imam Ali A.S and secondarily, focuses on the imposition of the just system. The study will also uncover the structural roots of the administrative system imposed and the changes made in the preceding systems of the Caliphate (The Rashidun Caliphate) in the best interest of the fulfillment of state prosperity. The paper also discusses the mode of distribution of authorities and checks-in and out according to the Sharia Principles i.e. Holy Quran and Sunnah. The study is kept as qualitative and references from sacred books has been taken to draw inferences in rightful way. As the topic is typical in nature, it is strived to check every reference sharply and then come to any point.
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND ITS IMPLICATION
Authors: Z. B. Junaid Z. B. Junaid , Siddique Muhammad , Ahmed Monir
Published: May 2023

This study attempts to analyze the current performance management system of a restaurant to present a solution in the form of the new performance management system. A PMS and performance appraisal form have been made with an effort to provide a solution in Urdu that is best suited to the requirements of all the branches of the restaurant across Pakistan. It further deals with explaining the responsibilities of the selected groups of employees. These groups of employees included the back end and the front-end staff of the employees. This study gave the basis for analyzing the presently practised performance appraisal in the restaurant which helped to identify the pitfalls and the gaps prevalent in their appraisal system of the performance of the employees. Several visits were made to the various branches of the restaurant, interviews were conducted, and data was gathered that helped in analyzing the prevalent system. The study formulates a hypothesis based on relevant literature about using the present system of appraisal and the criticality of its ineffectiveness. The study of the whole system being practised.
THE IMPACT OF MACROECONOMIC VARIABLES ON THE PROFITABILITY OF COMMERCIAL BANKING IN PAKISTAN
Authors: Noorani Ibrahim
Published: May 2023

The research was conducted to determine the impact of macroeconomic variables on the profitability of commercial banking in Pakistan over the period from 2007 to 2016. The quarterly data was used. The five major banks of Pakistan were selected to collect the data. Exchange rate, interest rate, inflation rate and money supply were used as independent variables and ROE used as dependent variable. The unit root and ARDL model techniques were used to analyze the data and it was concluded that money supply has positive and insignificant relation with ROE, inflation has negative and insignificant relation with ROE, exchange rate has negative and significant relation with ROE and interest has negative and significant relation with ROE.
IMPACT OF JOB ROTATION PRACTICES ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE, IN BANKING SECTOR OF PAKISTAN
Authors: Shamis Mudassir
Published: May 2023

Job rotation is a widely used technique followed by many workplaces to make the employees more productive that is beneficial for the organization. For the employee development and to keep them motivated, job rotation practices are identified as a powerful tool. The main purpose of this research is to find the relationship and the impact of job rotation practices on employee performance, motivation and commitment in the banking sector of Pakistan. Various hypothesis were tested to analyze the effects of job rotation on performance, motivation and commitment of employees. The sample size of this study was consisting of 50 respondents. The target population was the employees who are working in different banks and questionnaires were distributed to those employees. Primary Data was collected and analyzed through software named IBM SPSS. Different tests like reliability test, coefficient test, regression, significant and the test of hypothesis were done by using this software. The study found that employees perceived a great and positive effect of job rotation on their performance, motivation & commitment. When employees are shifted from one department/unit to another department/unit, their motivation increases and their commitment towards the organization also enhanced. Employee performance becomes well and improves through job rotation programs. The result indicates that there is a significant relationship between job rotation on employee performance, motivation and commitment. Recommendations have been made that the banks should follow techniques of job rotation concerning to improve the performance of employees, and to increase motivation and commitment level of them and understand different jobs and tasks during their jobs.
BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF DISSERTATION RESEARCH IN MANAGEMENT
Authors: Shah Zubair
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this exploratory and descriptive research is to evaluate a representative sample of reference lists of the selected dissertation research in the field of Management in Pakistan by using descriptive citation analysis methods, citation patterns and citation evaluation on a modified, validated objective Tunon & Brydges rubric.  Furthermore, the sample was divided into two lusters to compare mean impact factors of reference lists of two lusters to see if quality of dissertations in Management in general is improving over time.  Another comparison is made to see how does the quality of theses completed at public universities fare in comparison to the quality of theses completed at private universities.   
The findings of the research show that PhD theses in the field of Management appear to have been improving in terms of quality as total mean impact factor of the theses completed in second luster (2013-2017) was statistically speaking significantly different from that of the first luster (2008-2012).  However, no statistically significant difference was noted between total impact factor mean of public universities’ reference lists, when it was compared to that of private universities; allowing the researcher to conclude though quality of PhD thesis have been improving for the 10-year period studied, however there was no qualitative difference between theses completed at private universities and those which were completed at the public universities.
TRANSPARENT AND EFFECTIVE PROCUREMENT IN PUBLIC SECTOR UNIVERSITIES OF KARACHI FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATION SECTOR
Authors: Khan Muhammad Abdul Majid , Zuberi Shameel Ahmed , Aurangzeb
Published: May 2023

The federal and provincial governments set strict rules and regulations for procurement in public sector universities to ensure transparency and value for money to achieve sustainable development in Education Sector. The United Nations has developed a set of 17 goals called Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and Pakistan is the first country to adopt these goals through Parliament’s unanimous resolution. Ensuring transparent and effective procurement in public sector educational institutions especially in universities is actually fulfilment of the two goals of the SDGs, first one is Goal 4 Quality Education and Goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Because public universities are governed by the federal or provincial governments, they must adhere to Public Procurement Rules. There are three Public Sector Universities, out of which two are governed and managed by the provincial government of Sindh and one is by Federal government. Procurement is considered as best when goods or services are procured in a process which gave more value for money spent on procurement but in the case of public sector universities, there is a perception that procurement in public sector universities are not cost effective and fair. The objective of this research is to government’s efforts to ensure transparency and effective procurement in public sector universities for achieving the targets of quality education and building strong institutions. This paper has made an attempt to identify the issues and challenges being faced by the public sector universities in procurements due to rigid rules and regulations made for government sector procurement but enforced on universities also just because they are under the administrative control of the federal or provincial governments. In order to conduct an extensive research within limited allocated time, both primary as well as secondary research methods are used in this research.
QUALITY EDUCATION: EFFECT OF JIGSAW METHOD ON REVISED BLOOM TAXONOMY IN THE SUBJECT OF MATHEMATICS
Authors: Mehmood Sheikh Tariq , Ahmad Razzaq , Ullah Kaleem
Published: May 2023

The teaching of mathematics is used by several methods; one of them is the cooperative learning jigsaw method to improve the student's higher ordered thinking skills. The study intended to investigate that how the jigsaw method is effective on higher-order thinking skills in the subject of mathematics at the elementary level. The major objectives of the study were; to understand the result of the jigsaw method on students' analysis skills, to examine the effect of the jigsaw method on the assessment of students' abilities, to explore the outcome of the jigsaw method on the creation of students' skills. The hypothesis used that there is no significant difference between the mean score of the experimental group and control group on analyzing, evaluating, and creating skills of the students. The sample of the study consist of 60 elementary school science students of Grade VIII in the subject of mathematics of two groups, 30 in the control group and 30 in the experimental group. The study was experimental and a Pre-test-Posttest control group was used as the study design. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of the samples. Data were analyzed by using SPSS-22, T-test was used to compare student pre-test and post-test. The major results of the study were; the jigsaw method is more effective than the traditional method because the learning effect in a stimulating environment has an eternal influence on the learning process of students. In the classroom, students use the jigsaw method to stimulate their enthusiasm and actively participate in classroom teaching because the jigsaw method creates a positive learning environment in the classroom.
OBSTACLES IN IMPLEMENTING HR PRACTICES IN PAKISTAN
Authors: Shah Syed Zakir , Jamal Muhammad Asif , Farid Ahmed
Published: May 2023

The study evaluates in this research paper that the obstacles faced by human resource practitioners in businesses in Pakistan what these are? A total of hundred human resource practitioners from hundred randomly selected firms and one hundred eighty others belonging to different occupations were contacted and through a structured questionnaire, their responses have been taken. They responded to a Likert scale questionnaire that measured five major obstacles in the implementation of HRM practices. purpose of the research is to know the thinking of the experts on the importance of issues they face while in executing the HRM practices such as recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation and benefits and first-line manager knowledge about HRM. Data has been compiled and tested on SPSS with Multiple Linear regression which showed that recruitment and selection, training and development, performing appraisals, and need assessments (IVs) have an impact on HR Practices. (DV).
UNDERSTANDING THE BODO MOVEMENT: IDENTITY POLITICS AND THE RISE OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Authors: Sarma Pankaj
Published: May 2023

The Bodo movement refers to the socio-political mobilization that emerged in the late 20th century in Assam emphasizing the indigenous Bodo community’s aspiration and struggle for the recognition of unique identity, cultural heritage and territorial rights. With its desire to attain greater autonomy and self-determination the movement mobilized the Bodo people through various forms of protests including strikes, rallies and civil disobedience. This paper makes an attempt to analyse how a complex interplay of historical, economic and cultural factors have shaped the trajectory of the movement. Focusing on the exclusivist tendencies generated by the movement the paper makes a critical investigation of the serious implications when a particular ethnic group obsessively pursues its identity politics with definite territorial claim in a multiethnic and multi-cultural society. Territorial claim based on narrow ethnic lines driven by exclusivist tendencies and informed by militant politics renders the other minority communities in the particular living space in a position of grave disadvantage undermining their rights. The paper argues that attempts made by the Bodo leadership to create a homogenous Bodo-inhabited area by carrying out a string of indiscriminate attacks, and process of ethnic cleansing against the non-Bodos in a shared homeland that is characterized by ethnic diversity not only in terms of plurality but of shared geographical and cultural space, essentially problematized the idea of democratic living in a shared homeland