bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Achievement and problems of modern civilian science and practice on judicial reform
Authors: Orel Liliya
Published: February 2023

The judiciary has lost confidence in the population of Ukraine. This is also confirmed by the statistics of the European Court of Human Rights, as Ukraine ranks one of the first countries in the Council of Europe in the number of applications pending before it.

Hopes for a solution to Ukraine’s courts have given citizens judicial reform, which began several years ago and was to renew the judiciary at the expense of «new faces», people from outside the judiciary, including academics and lawyers. The entry of scholars into the judiciary should also have contributed to the improvement of judicial practice and the creation of clear legal positions on a national scale, if they had passed to the Civil Court of Cassation of the Supreme Court in the amount of at least 1/3 of the composition.37 scientists, including 8 doctors of law, have applied to participate in this competition. Of these, 16 scientists were not allowed to take the qualifying exams, then only 1 dropped out after the first exam (the results were published on the same day, the works were checked in the presence of observers and the press). However, as many as 12 scientists dropped out immediately after the second exam: all doctors of science who applied for the positions of judges of the Civil Court of Cassation were eliminated. The process of evaluating the works was delayed, the results were published only after 37 days, which gives grounds to doubt the objective selection of candidates.The Civil Court of Cassation did not include any doctor of sciences as an independent scientist in the new Supreme Court. The hope for a fundamental change in the system in terms of civil justice relied on only 3 people from science (candidates of science), 2 lawyers, the remaining 25 – judges from the old system. It is hard to believe that new people in the judiciary with 5 votes, who are in the minority, can radically change civil jurisprudence.

Key words: judicial reform, civil science, Supreme Court, Civil Court of Cassation.
Organization and functioning of foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine: theoretical and legal aspect
Authors: Markaryan Maryna
Published: February 2023

The article analyses the current legislation of Ukraine in the regulation of the diplomatic service, primarily related on the organization and functioning of foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine. The author explores the main innovations in the field of diplomatic service, in particular in the context of changes in the conceptual and categorical apparatus, system and elements of the diplomatic service, approaches to the organization and functioning of foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine. In the process of thorough analysis of the legislation of Ukraine, certain shortcomings in the current Law of Ukraine «On Diplomatic Service» and the Regulations on Foreign Diplomatic Institutions of Ukraine were identified, which in the future may cause problems in the application of law.

The current state of the network of foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine (embassies, consulates and missions to international organizations) and the prospects for further expansion of Ukraine’s diplomatic presence in the world is shown.

Based on the norms of international agreements, legislative and by-laws of Ukraine are described the procedure for the establishment and placement of foreign diplomatic institutions in Ukraine, the procedure for appointing their heads and outlining the functions entrusted to foreign institutions of Ukraine.

Attention is also focused on an interesting novelty of the Law of Ukraine «On Diplomatic Service» – the introduction of a new type of foreign diplomatic institution – the Embassy of Ukraine with the residence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Kyiv. Although this norm exists only in the theoretical plane and has not been implemented in practice, but the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba sees great new prospects in this.

Based on the results of the study, were singled out the main directions in which the reform of foreign institutions of Ukraine is carried out, as well as the author’s vision of the possible reasons that led to this process was expressed.

Key words: foreign diplomatic institutions of Ukraine, diplomatic service, embassies of Ukraine, Consulate of Ukraine, permanent mission to international organizations, mission to international organizations, missions of Ukraine to international organizations, Law of Ukraine «On Diplomatic Service».
Dynamic model for predicting quality of life indicators in the region
Authors:   Balakovo Branch of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, Yandybaeva Natalya V.
Published: February 2023

An approach to assessing and forecasting indicators of the quality of life of the population in the region based on the concept of system dynamics is presented. A mathematical model has been developed, which is a system of non-linear, non-homogeneous, different-tempo differential equations, which include system variables and external factors. A digraph of causal relationships between system variables and external factors is constructed. As system variables, the model uses indicators of socio-economic development of the region: gross regional product, life expectancy at birth, population size, per capita per capita income, registered unemployment rate, birth rate, share of the population with income below the subsistence level, the weight of organizations using personal computers. The choice of external factors and functional dependencies in the developed model is substantiated. The adequacy of the developed mathematical model was checked using retrospective data and the calculation of the relative error. The interface of the author’s software application “Prognoz_2”, developed in the GUIDE MatLab environment, used to conduct computational experiments, is presented. An example of the practical implementation of the developed approach to assessing the quality of life in the Saratov and Samara regions is considered. The results of the computational experiment on the analysis and prediction of the quality of life on the time interval [2022;2026] years within the framework of the implementation of three scenarios are shown. The values of system variables in 2021 normalized relative to 2010 were used as initial conditions for the calculations. The developed software can be used to form scenarios for the socio-economic development of the region. Models and algorithms can be used as part of an information-advising system for making decisions at various levels of management.
Model of intelligent planning of robot behavior in a team of robots
Authors:   Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Ross Gennady V. , Konyavskiy Valery A. ,   Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University); Closed Joint Stock Company “Special Design Bureau of Computer-aided Design Systems” (JSC OKB SAPR), Medvedev Vadim V. ,   National Technology Initiative Foundation
Published: February 2023

The article deals with an urgent problem related to organization of control of a team of intelligent mobile robots and their interaction with each other for the most effective achievement of the goal. The research is aimed at development of interrelated models of intelligent planning of robot behavior, which is based on a market approach resting on a new risk equilibrium model. The substantial and formal formulations of the task of planning of autonomous mobile robots activities are proposed. The author’s model and a set of new simulation models for calculation of the overstatement, understatement costs, as well as their risks are developed. Various calculation algorithms are proposed for various variants of robot interaction: control under conditions of a restricted limit of the most scarce resource (for example, battery energy); interaction between robots using information products (messages); robot control from the center; purchase and sale of the information product; making a decision on subordination and support of communication between robots, etc. Examples of description of robot behavior options (speed of movement, equipment with photos, videos, sampling tools, energy limit), classification of events (fire, traffic accident, violation of law and order, emergency situations, suspicious object) are offered. Examples of calculation procedures are given: robot behavior options, if it is possible to maintain speed depending on energy consumption; adjustment factors to take into account increase of the probability to detect an event due to improvement of the photo quality (wide format, high definition, frame frequency).
Delito fuente en las sentencias condenatorias por el delito de lavado de activos
Authors: Nakano Alva Patricia Elizabeth
Published: February 2023

El propósito del estudio fue determinar si las consideraciones sobre el delito fuente influyen en las sentencias condenatorias firmes por el delito de lavado de activos en el periodo 2012-2020 . La población materia de investigación estuvo conformada por las 140 sentencias condenatorias firmes realizadas en el periodo mencionado, identificandose los delitos fuente en estas. Los resultados muestran que el delito de lavado de activos, materialmente, sigue siendo un delito de conexión, por lo que siempre requiere un delito previo. No hay autonomía material, a no ser que lo consideremos un delito de enriquecimiento ilícito privado. Como conclusión, se pudo determinar que las consideraciones sobre el delito fuente influyen significativamente en las sentencias condenatorias por el delito de lavado de activos en el Perú.
SISTEM PENILAIAN KINERJA KARYAWAN BERBASIS WEB PADA PT.WIFIKU INDONESIA
Authors: Wahyuni Refni , Irawan Yuda
Published: February 2023

AHP is able to help the employee selection process recipient an incentive to perform matrix calculations pairs criteria weights, then get the highest priority. Based on the highest priority, determined which alternative will be recommended. The purpose of this research is to make performance appraisal which can facilitate quickly assess performance. Steps for assessing employee performance such that designing concepts, data collection, preparation of hardware and software, display design, system manufacturing, testing and evaluation. Based on the research that has been done it is concluded that the media system is web-based employee performance appraisal at PT. Wifiku Indonesia has successfully created.
ANALISIS PENGARUH KUALITAS MARKETPLACE TOKOPEDIA TERHADAP KEPUASAN PENGGUNA MENGGUNAKAN METODE END USER COMPUTING SATISFACTION (EUCS)
Authors: Diansyah Risnal , Pranoto sudrajat Purnomo , Syahril Syahril
Published: February 2023

Tokopedia is an online buying and selling website (e-commerce) in Indonesia that carries the Marketplace business model. In an effort to achieve efficiency in user satisfaction with the Tokopedia Marketplace, the EUCS method is used. Based on 5 independent variables in EUCS, namely Content (content), Accuracy (accuracy), Format (format), Ease of Use (ease of use) and Time linesss (timeliness). Data collection was carried out by distributing questionnaires to the Pekanbaru community using Tokopedia, from distributing the questionnaire 100 data were taken as samples to measure the satisfaction of Tokopedia marketplace users. Then it is known that the level of satisfaction with the content of information (Content) is 76.4%, Satisfaction with the accuracy of information (Acuracy) is 74.46%, Satisfaction with Display (Format) is 77.53%, Satisfaction with user convenience (Ease of Use) of 78.66%, and satisfaction with Timelines of 75.9%.
PERANCANGAN SISTEM PAKAR UNTUK IDENTIFIKASI KERUSAKAN HARDWARE DAN SOFTWARE PADA SMARTPHONE DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE FORWARD CHAINING
Authors: Asrianto Rudy , Araafy Araafy
Published: February 2023

Smartphone is a mobile phone that has the ability to use and function like a computer. The use of smartphones that are too frequent is one of the factors that trigger the damage caused, such as falling, being exposed to water or using the wrong way in everyday life. To help or protect smartphone users from deceit and cheating service workers that often occur today, an expert system is designed to detect hardware and software damage that occurs on smartphones in the form of applications. With this expert system, even ordinary people can find out the damage that occurs to smartphones which can only be obtained with the help of experts in their fields. This expert system is made using PHP and MySQL database so as to produce a web-based expert system to identify smartphone damage using the forward chaining method.
ANALISIS MANAJEMEN LAYANAN TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI DENGAN FRAMEWORK (ITIL) DOMAIN SERVICE STRATEGY
Authors: WULANDARI DEVA , Arribe Edo , Aryanto Aryanto , Putriani Putriani
Published: February 2023

Aisyiyah Pratama Clinic in Pekanbaru is one of the clinics in Pekanbaru. precisely on KH Ahmad Dahlan street. At the Pratama Aisyiyah Clinic in Pekanbaru, they already use an application in their daily lives, the application is called KANZA. The application is java-based and the application covers all work in the clinic, from the queuing system to medical records. However, this application has several drawbacks, namely the ui/ux display of the application which confuses prospective patients so that this application is less effective when used in general (by patients and clinic staff). and also this application which has been in use since 2019 has been hacked which means this application is still vulnerable to hackers. but the clinic technician quickly fixed the firewall of the KANZA application. Because of this, this research really needs to be completed to the end so that this journal can later be used as a reference for agencies experiencing cases similar to or similar to this research, and specifically at the Aisyiyah Pekanbaru Primary Clinic which is the object of our research.
CREATING A MOOC IN TEACHER EDUCATION– TEN STEPS ACTION PLAN
Authors: Ansari Shama P. , Biswal Ashutosh
Published: February 2023

MOOCs began as an online education experiment to benefit from technology in Education. They were created for those who couldn't get traditional education for a variety of reasons, including living in rural places or working full-time and being unable to commute to campus regularly. Many people now use MOOCs for personal or professional development. They are accessible from any device with a reliable internet connection. National Education Policy 2020 also emphasizes the significance of exploiting technology's benefits while also addressing its hazards and perils. It encourages well-designed and adequately sized pilot projects to discover how to maximize the benefits of digital education while also addressing or decreasing its drawbacks. Pilot studies for online education, online teaching platforms, and tools, content production and dissemination, bridging the digital divide, virtual labs, teacher training and incentives, online evaluation, blended learning models, and other initiatives are recommended by the policy. The objective of the present study is to list the steps that can be followed by an instructor while designing an effective MOOC in teacher education.
Securing a Web-Based Hospital Management System Using a Combination of AES and HMAC
Authors: Baban Alaa , Hameed Safa
Published: February 2023

The demand for a secured web storage system is increasing daily for its reliability which ensures data privacy and confidentiality. The proposed paper aims to find the most secure ways to maintain integrity and protect privacy and security in healthcare management systems. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm is used to encrypt data transferred by providing a means to check the integrity of information transmitted and make it more immune to cyberattack techniques, this was implemented by using Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC) and Secured Hash Algorithm-256 (SHA-256). The risk of exposure to attackers can be avoided by using honeypot systems combined with Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) as a firewall system is not effective against such attacks alone. The experimental results evaluate the proposed security health information management system by comparing the performance of the encryption algorithm based on encryption time, memory and CPU usage, and entropy for different plaintext lengths. In addition, it can be seen that when changing the AES key size, more memory and time are required the longer the key size is used. The 128 bits AES key is therefore advised if the system must operate in hard real-time.
CONCEPT CREATION IN ACTION: INTERNET SPACE AS A METEOROLOGICAL PRESSURE SYSTEM
Authors: Dovydaitis Gytis
Published: February 2023

The spatiality of the Internet is a complex phenomenon presupposing a wide range of ideas: that there are different environments which can be characterized, that there are subjects moving within them, that these spaces are being employed for certain ends by their users, and much more. However, various spatial descriptions of the Internet most of the time observe it as a part of a larger spatial architecture, not as a spatial architecture itself. This paper employs radical concept creation machinery conceptualized by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari in What Is Philosophy? (first published in 1991), principles of paralogistic thinking proposed by Jean-François Lyotard and divergent thinking methods, finally arriving at a new conceptualization of the Internet space as the meteorological pressure system. This is an invitation to see the Internet and movements occurring within it from a new perspective: where temperatures rise and drop, winds blow and dissipate, fogs come and go; where limits of spatial characteristics are forming different climates; where each part affects the whole, and can potentially bring out various chain reactions. Such a conceptual system opens up the possibility to see the Internet as a coherent spatial structure, filled with becomings and intricate relationships.
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC–PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP LITERATURE PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2012 AND 2021
Authors: Fu Liping , Sun Huajun , Fang Ya’nan , Xu Kaibo
Published: February 2023

After approximately 30 years of development, public-private partnership (PPP) has attracted increased attention as an alternative procurement paradigm. However, fresh research on PPP has emerged in the last decade that needs to be summarized. This study selects publications on PPP that were published in recognized journals between 2012 and 2021 from the Scopus database. In target publications, methodologies employed, contributions made, and fields applied are summarized. Social network analysis is used to summarize five core topics in PPP from a multidisciplinary perspective; they are risk management, contract management, CFFs and CSFs, economic and financial issues, and performance management. Additionally, the research limitations and future development direction of PPP are also examined. This study can shed some light on future research on PPP and can contribute to the practice of PPP.
Probability of a Central American locust Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons upsurge in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Authors: Poot-Pech Mario A.
Published: February 2023

From ancient times to the present, infestations of the Central American locust (CAL) [Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons (Walker, 1870)] have occurred periodically and with varying intensities in the Yucatan Peninsula (YP), Mexico. Despite efforts to survey the recession zone, an upsurge is still difficult to predict and prevent, and high economic costs are incurred in controlling this pest. For this study, two models were developed to determine the probability of an upsurge in the YP. The first was the Markov chain (MC) with transition probability matrix, which estimates probability by determining the proportion of times that the system moved from one state to another (n2) over 71, 33, and 24 years in Yucatan, Campeche, and the Quintana Roo States, respectively, divided into different periods; a correlation of the matrix and probability (n2) of the next period was performed to evaluate the accuracy of the estimation. The other method is the classic probabilistic (CP) model, which uses the number of times the upsurge could happen and the number of possible events. In the MC model, great variation was found in CAL upsurge probabilities between periods, with a similar number of upsurges from the past to the present but with varying intensity. In recent years, the treated area with insecticides has been less than that of the past. The CP model revealed that the locust population reached its maximum peak every four years, with the migration of swarms to neighboring states at the end/start of the year. Validation of the MC and CP models was performed considering information on areas treated in 2019 and 2020, and good accuracy was obtained. Both models provide information on the probability of an upsurge in the YP. This information can be incorporated into economic models to improve management decisions, such as when to announce early warnings, and to implement preventive control strategies.
The effects of rearing density on growth, survival, and starvation resistance of the house cricket Acheta domesticus
Authors: Mahavidanage Siyumi , Fuciarelli Tamara M. , Li Xiaobing , Rollo C. David
Published: February 2023

Alternative food sources have become an important focus of research due to increased food demand coupled with reductions in traditional food productivity. In particular, substitutes for protein sources have been of increasing interest due to the unsustainability of traditional protein sources. Insects have been identified as a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources, as they are easy to produce and contain essential proteins, fats, and minerals. However, mass-rearing insects requires similar considerations as farming traditional protein sources. To increase productively, growth and survival must be maximized at the highest possible densities while minimizing disease and food requirements. Here, we use the house cricket Acheta domesticus, a highly cultivated insect species, to investigate optimal densities for mass rearing at 14 days of age (4th instar). Nymphs were separated into density groups of 0.09, 0.19, 0.47, and 0.93 cricket/cm2 and monitored for growth and survival. Multiple regression revealed sex (p < 0.0001), density (p < 0.0001), and sex*density interaction (p = 0.0345) as predictors of growth rate. Survival to maturation was significantly reduced in both 0.47 (31%) and 0.93 (45%) cricket/cm2 groups compared to the controls. A second experiment was then conducted to investigate the starvation resistance of adult crickets reared from 14 days of age at 0.09, 0.19, 0.93, and 1.86 cricket/cm2. A second multiple regression analysis revealed only density (p < 0.0001) and to a lesser extent sex (p = 0.0005) to be predictors of starvation resistance. These results indicate that mass-rearing house crickets is most optimal at densities < 0.93 cricket/cm2, where impacts on survival and starvation are minimal. Although these results have implications for cricket mass rearing, research on other endpoints, including reproduction and the synergistic effects of other environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, should be conducted.
Can the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) be used as an effective sampler of fish diversity? Using molecular assessment of otter diet to survey fish communities
Authors: Dou Hailong , Wang Mi , Yin Xuwang , Feng Limin , Yang Haitao
Published: February 2023

The Eurasian otter Lutra lutra is a generalist carnivore that is widely distributed in many aquatic ecosystems. Based on its inherent attributes of opportunistic foraging behaviour and broad dietary range, it is naturally considered a potential sampler of the diversity of aquatic vertebrates. To test the ability and efficiency of otters as a diversity sampler, we used DNA metabarcoding to investigate the composition in vertebrates of the diet of otters that inhabit a forest stream area in northeast China. Twenty vertebrate prey taxa were detected in 98 otter spraints. Otter diet mainly comprised aquatic fishes (59.4%) and amphibians (39.0%). We also used traditional approaches to investigate fish communities at 60 sampling sites in the same area to determine the relationship between fish population composition in the environment and otter diet. The comparison revealed that 28 species of fish were distributed in this area, of which five are simultaneously detected in otter spraints. This indicates that molecular analysis of the diet of otters is not an ideal approach for investigating fish diversity, at least when using the 12SV5 primer pair. Based on a review of the available molecular research on otter diet, we conclude that the low species resolution may be due to the presence of many closely-related prey species in native habitats and lack of suitable barcodes. Considering the remarkable power of diet metabarcoding analysis in capturing elusive and rare species, it represents an approach that can compensate for the defects associated with fishing methods and we suggest that it can be used as an auxiliary means of measuring traditional fish diversity.
Les petits contre les grands
Authors: Dubreucq Éric
Published: February 2023

Le roman de Louis Pergaud, La guerre des boutons , propose une peinture de l’enfance. Sa truculence le fait souvent assimiler à un récit dénonçant le poids des mœurs traditionnelles sur l’éducation : à ce titre, c’est un roman moderne. Je montrerai que, si le souci qu’exprime Pergaud face à une enfance en butte à la guerre que lui livrent les adultes est bien moderne, il en donne aussi une représentation antimoderne. Son pessimisme face à la séparation des mondes adulte et enfantin et sa vision d’une enfance hantée par le mal des guerres intestines portent aussi bien contre les promesses de progrès de la modernité et contre celles de l’éducation : elles forment les traits antimodernes d’une critique moderne de la modernité.
Aux sources de la sociologie de Karl Mannheim : la connaissance conjonctive
Authors: Faure David
Published: February 2023

La théorie de la connaissance conjonctive est le fondement assez peu connu de la sociologie de la connaissance de Karl Mannheim. Élaborée pour étayer les méthodes des sciences sociales par opposition aux méthodes des sciences de la nature, cette conceptualisation originale qui croise phénoménologie et sociologie met au jour, contre la conception dominante d’une connaissance abstraite détachée de toute subjectivité et de tout ancrage social, la structure et les processus d’un type de connaissance situé, historique et toujours “en perspective” parce qu’ancré dans l’existence. Elle se comprend comme ce qui relie les sujets dans un espace d’expérience qui leur est propre lié à un environnement déterminé et dans lequel se joue la dynamique de leur communauté. Elle résonne particulièrement avec les développements récents qui réhabilitent la connaissance sensible, située et clarifie le lien entre le sujet et son environnement qui fonde en particulier les approches cliniques de la formation et du travail en sciences humaines et sociales.
Periodic solutions of a class of indefinite singular differential equations
Authors: Liang Zaitao , Zhang Xiuqiang , Li Shengjun , Zhou Ziqing
Published: February 2023

In this article, some sufficient conditions for the existence of positive periodic solutions of a more general indefinite singular differential equation are established. The results are applicable to strong singularities as well as weak singularities. Some results in literature are generalized.
Robustness analysis of fuzzy BAM cellular neural network with time-varying delays and stochastic disturbances
Authors: Fang Wenxiang , Xie Tao , Li Biwen
Published: February 2023

Robustness analysis for the global exponential stability of fuzzy bidirectional associative memory cellular neural network (FBAMCNN) is explored in this paper. By applying Gronwall-Bellman lemma and other inequality techniques, the range limits of both time-varying delays and the intensity of noise that FBAMCNN can withstand to maintain globally exponentially stable is estimated. It means that if the intensities of interference are larger than the bounds we derived, then the perturbed system may lose global exponential stability. Several instances are given to support our main results.
A novel numerical method for solving the Caputo-Fabrizio fractional differential equation
Authors: Arshad Sadia , Saleem Iram , Akgül Ali , Huang Jianfei , Tang Yifa , Eldin Sayed M
Published: February 2023

In this paper, a unique and novel numerical approach—the fractional-order Caputo-Fabrizio derivative in the Caputo sense—is developed for the solution of fractional differential equations with a non-singular kernel. After converting the differential equation into its corresponding fractional integral equation, we used Simpson's $ 1/3 $ rule to estimate the fractional integral equation. A thorough study is then conducted to determine the convergence and stability of the suggested method. We undertake numerical experiments to corroborate our theoretical findings.
Cubic B-Spline method for the solution of the quadratic Riccati differential equation
Authors: Ala'yed Osama , Batiha Belal , Alghazo Diala , Ghanim Firas
Published: February 2023

The quadratic Riccati equations are first-order nonlinear differential equations with numerous applications in various applied science and engineering areas. Therefore, several numerical approaches have been derived to find their numerical solutions. This paper provided the approximate solution of the quadratic Riccati equation via the cubic b-spline method. The convergence analysis of the method is discussed. The efficiency and applicability of the proposed approach are verified through three numerical test problems. The obtained results are in good settlement with the exact solutions. Moreover, the numerical results indicate that the proposed cubic b-spline method attains a superior performance compared with some existing methods.
Stability switch and Hopf bifurcations for a diffusive plankton system with nonlocal competition and toxic effect
Authors: Wang Liye , Wang Wenlong , Yang Ruizhi
Published: February 2023

Since the distribution of plankton is always uneven, the nonlocal phytoplankton competition term indicates the spatial weighted mean of phytoplankton density, which is introduced into the plankton model with toxic substances effect to study the corresponding dynamic behavior. The stability of the positive equilibrium point and the existence of Hopf bifurcations are discussed by analysing the distribution of eigenvalues. The direction and stability of bifurcation periodic solution are researched based on an extended central manifold method and normal theory. Finally, spatially inhomogeneous oscillations are observed in the vicinity of the Hopf bifurcations. Through numerical simulation, we can observe that the system without nonlocal competition term only generates homogeneous periodic solution, and inhomogeneous periodic solution will produce only when both diffusion and nonlocal competition exist simultaneously. We can also see that when the toxin-producing rate of each phytoplankton is in an appropriate range, the system with nonlocal competition generates a stability switch with inhomogeneous periodic solution, when the value of time delay is in a certain interval, then Hopf bifurcations will appear, and with the increase of time delay, the quantity of plankton will eventually become stable.
WG-ICRN: Protein 8-state secondary structure prediction based on Wasserstein generative adversarial networks and residual networks with Inception modules
Authors: Li Shun , Yuan Lu , Ma Yuming , Liu Yihui
Published: February 2023

Protein secondary structure is the basis of studying the tertiary structure of proteins, drug design and development, and the 8-state protein secondary structure can provide more adequate protein information than the 3-state structure. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel method WG-ICRN for predicting protein 8-state secondary structures. First, we use the Wasserstein generative adversarial network (WGAN) to extract protein features in the position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM). The extracted features are combined with PSSM into a new feature set of WG-data, which contains richer feature information. Then, we use the residual network (ICRN) with Inception to further extract the features in WG-data and complete the prediction. Compared with the residual network, ICRN can reduce parameter calculations and increase the width of feature extraction to obtain more feature information. We evaluated the prediction performance of the model using six datasets. The experimental results show that the WGAN has excellent feature extraction capabilities, and ICRN can further improve network performance and improve prediction accuracy. Compared with four popular models, WG-ICRN achieves better prediction performance.
Les sagas islandaises : enjeux et perspectives
Authors: Tulinius Torfi H.
Published: February 2023

L’Islande fascine autant par la beauté et l’hostilité de ses paysages que par la richesse de sa culture, héritée des Vikings qui colonisèrent l’île au IXe siècle. Pétri de cet imaginaire nordique, l’univers des sagas islandaises demeure toutefois injustement méconnu, malgré son inscription dans l’édifice littéraire de l’Occident médiéval et son influence frappante sur la création actuelle.

Qu’est-ce qu’une saga ? Dans quel contexte ce genre a-t-il émergé ? Quel rôle jouaient ces récits relatant des événements tantôt légendaires, tantôt historiques, tantôt contemporains de leur composition ? Que disent de la société insulaire et de son identité ces textes ambigus ? Autant de questions auxquelles Torfi H. Tulinius répond par une lecture à la fois historique, littéraire et esthétique qui apporte un éclairage précieux. De la Saga d’Egil à la Saga de Snorri le Godi, en passant par la Saga de Njáll le Brûlé et bien d’autres encore, l’auteur explore les thèmes de la mémoire, de la violence et de la poétique qui traversent ces œuvres exceptionnelles.
Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction among Government School Teachers in Nuwara- Eliya District of Sri Lanka
Authors: Rathnayake R. M. L. , Jagoda D. J.
Published: February 2023

Job satisfaction among teachers has received immense importance in increasing the quality of education. Students' performance in schools will never be improved without teachers' commitment, effectiveness to work at school, and job satisfaction. The teachers in government schools in Sri Lanka are frustrated with their job. This study aims to examine the determinants of job satisfaction among teachers in government schools in Sri Lanka. The study was conducted in the Nuwara Eliya district. A sample of 352 teachers was selected using multi-stage stratified random sampling. Descriptive statistics, principal components factor analysis, and multiple binary logistic regression models were used in data analysis. Descriptive statistics show that most sample teachers are female (65%) and married (62%). The principal components factor analysis extracted two factors labeled as community factors and school factors from 13 dimensions describing teachers' job satisfaction based on eigenvalues. The multiple binary logistic regression model results indicate that community factors, school factors, gender, and educational qualification were significant in the model to explain the teachers' job satisfaction. Further, the odds ratio for community factors is greater than 1 and positively related to Teacher’s job satisfaction. Similarly, School factors too have built a positive relationship. The model predicts the probability of being satisfied for the female is 0.52 while it is 0.21 for the male. The probability of being satisfied for degree holders is 0.02 while it is 0.52 for diplo-matic teachers compared to trained teachers. It is concluded that attention should be paid to community factors and school factors to enhance the teachers' job satisfaction to improve the quality of education.
Absurdity of Human Existence in Albee’s Drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Authors: Adhikary Ramesh Prasad
Published: February 2023

This research paper aims to analyze how Edward Albee's characters in his drama, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? live their absurd or meaningless lives. Through this paper, I have attempted to reveal the existential absurdity of human life in modern society using the literary theory of Existentialism. This research paper is a qualitative study of Albee's drama based on existential philosophers' literary theories: Sartre, Camus, and Beauvoir. The drama is employed as a primary source, and existential theory has been used to explain the characters' roles. This research paper finds that the two major characters in this drama, Martha and George, are trying to figure out who they are. They wish to have their own child in the future, but they cannot do it. As a result, they create an imaginary son to satisfy their desire for a baby. The conclusion of this paper is that Albee's characters, just as everyone in the real world, want their own issue that makes their life meaningful. The major characters in this drama want their own issue to run their dynasty forever. Therefore, they are looking for their identity in this modern world, but they are living their absurd lives.
Psychological Capital, Work Engagement and Affective Organizational Commitment among Employees of the Handloom Industries in Sri Lanka
Authors: Kalyani L. D. , Priyanath H. M. S. , Gamage Aruna S.
Published: February 2023

The study examined the effect of psychological capital on work engagement and employees’ affective organizational commitment of employees in the weaving canters of the Handloom sector in Sri Lanka. Further, it attempts to find out the effect of psychological capital on work engagement and affective organizational commitment of employees of the Handloom industries in Sri Lanka. The study expands the literature on relevance by contextualizing it in one of Sri Lanka's indigenous sectors of the Handloom industry based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory and the Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) Theory. Data was collected from 361 employees in the Handloom industry in Sri Lanka by applying the second thumb rule of Ringle et al (2012). The quantitative analytical technique was employed in this study through Smart Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modelling. The study revealed that psychological capital has positively related to affective organizational commitment and work engagement, the association between psychological capital and affective organizational commitment was mediated by work engagement. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on both the JD-R theory and COR theory by expanding the theoretical understanding of the mediation effect of work engagement in the relationship between psychological capital and affective organizational commitment.
A Systematic Review of Sources of English Language Anxiety
Authors: Weerakoon I. , Zhang Z. , Maniam V.
Published: February 2023

Research on sources of language anxiety (LA) of undergraduates specifically when they engage in speaking activities has generated a plethora of discrete findings. An apparent gap is that these findings have not been used to inform a coherent framework where various sources of LA are identified and properly grouped. Such a framework is important for developing proper interventions to manage LA effectively in English as a Second Language (ESL)/English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This paper utilized a systematic review methodology to examine the key studies published from 2015 to 2020 on sources of LA in ESL/EFL contexts. When assessed against the inclusion/exclusion criteria, five of the 121 studies identified were selected to be included in the systematic review. The review revealed a number of anxiety sources that emerge specifically when students engage in oral performance. These were categorized under three main headings: (i) learner-specific, (ii) in-class, and (iii) out-of-class. It further highlighted the importance of out-of-class sources in ESL/EFL contexts and how they have been neglected and underrated in the literature specifically in defining LA. Hence, it is expected that this review will advance the understanding of LA, especially regarding LA in socio-culturally complex ESL/EFL contexts. Such a comprehensive understanding of the sources of LA is fundamental in the reconceptualisation of a coherent framework to successfully address it.
An Empirical Study of the Reasons for Client Dropouts from Contributory Pension Schemes of Sri Lanka Social Security Board
Authors: Mihirani W. M. P. G. D. , Handaragama S. , Wickramasinghe P. D. V. K.
Published: February 2023

The study attempts to explore the causes of client dropouts of the said pension schemes in the Sri Lanka Social Security Board (SLSSB) to identify the mechanisms to overcome the weaknesses in providing a successful pension scheme. The study employed the embedded mixed method from nine Grama Niladhari Divisions in Gampaha, Badulla, and Matale Districts. A purposive sampling method was used and primary data were gathered using simple observation, key-informant interviews, survey with questionnaires and in-depth interview methods; secondary data, using government reports and relevant literature; SPSS package, used in analyzing quantitative data; content analysis, used in analyzing qualitative data. The findings revealed that socio-economic factors such as gender, occupation, income, expenditure and the number of dependents significantly affect the client dropping out of the pension schemes. Furthermore, lack of proper awareness among both active and inactive members regarding the contributory pension and social security benefit schemes of SLSSB was also a key contributory factor to client dropouts; in terms of institutional inefficiency of SLSSB, lack of a proper follow-up process, incompetent record-keeping, misinformed recruitments, having inadequate staff also seen as contributing factors. The lack of proper awareness and information dissemination about the institution and its program to the general public has created a distance between the SLSSB and the contributors. Enhancing the quality of customer service and taking proper measures will reduce this distance minimizing dropouts and developing an effective pension scheme.
The role of comprehensive geriatric assessment in older patients affected by knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review
Authors: Veronese Nicola , Fazzari Anna , Caudal Maela , Polidori Maria Cristina , Topinkova Eva , Mattace Raso Francesco , Barbagelata Marina , Barbagallo Mario , Pilotto Alberto
Published: February 2023

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases and highly prevalent in older people. Whilst the management of knee OA is usually multidisciplinary, the use of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) for this condition is still limited. Given this background, with this systematic review, we summarized the current literature regarding the importance of CGA in people affected by knee OA. A systematic search across several databases was run until 10th April 2022 and updated on 21st November 2022 for any study investigating the use of CGA in patients with knee OA. The data were summarized descriptively. Among 295 articles initially included, three studies made in the context of the osteoarthritis initiative (OAI) were included. All the three studies used the OAI multidimensional prognostic index (MPI), a composite score derived from the CGA. Higher MPI values were associated with a higher risk of falls, cardiovascular conditions, and fractures across a follow-up period of 8 years and after adjusting for potential confounders. In conclusion, in this systematic review we summarized the current evidence of CGA in knee OA, finding that the MPI, a CGA derived tool, could be useful to early find people at higher risk of conditions that are associated with knee OA and therefore that can be the target of personalized interventions for preventing these conditions.
Long-term albendazole therapy for diffuse parenchymal neurocysticercosis in an immunocompetent patient
Authors: Sugianto Paulus , Machin Abdulloh , Islamiyah Wardah Rahmatul , Cecilia Cindy
Published: February 2023

Rationale:

Neurocysticercosis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the larvae of Taenia solium and may occur in immunocompetent people. We report a case of diffuse parenchymal neurocysticercosis mimicking tuberculous meningitis in an immunocompetent patient.

Patient concerns:

A 24-year-old immunocompetent woman presented with serial focal to generalized seizure, left body weakness, left abducens palsy, chronic cough, and body weight loss. She came from an area where she was unlikely to have contact with Taenia solium.

Diagnosis:

Diffuse parenchymal neurocysticercosis.

Intervention:

Valproic acid, dexamethasone and 15 months of albendazole therapy.

Outcome:

Complete recovery without any neurological sequelae.

Lessons:

Prolonged anthelminthic treatment may benefit neurocysticercosis patients with multiple cerebral parenchymal lesions.
An Online Survey of Prevalence and Risk Factors of Nomophobia in Indian Adults
Authors: Arumuganathan S. , Kaliamoorthy Charanya , Syed Usaid , Sinnathambi Sumithra Devi , Thangaraju Siva Ilango
Published: February 2023

Background:

India stands to be the major market of exponential growth for the suppliers of smartphones. With the increasing availability and reduced pricing, both smartphone usage and its dependence are bound to increase. Nomophobia though reported commonly in the young, the behavior seems to span across age which warrants further exploration. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the smartphone use and nomophobia disorder among adults.

Methodology:

Adults above 18 years responded to our online survey by snowballing method. Information collected included sociodemographic data, smartphone use details, and severity of nomophobia assessed by a 20-item NoMophobia Questionnaires (NMP-Q). Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 20. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used.

Results:

A total of 661 participants (female = 309) responded to our survey. Among them 51.1% were in 18–29 years age group. Majority were employed (61.7%) and married (50.4%), coming from an urban background (81.1%), owned a 4G mobile (82.5%), consuming >4 GB per month (58.6%). About 42% of them used smartphones for more than 4 h on activities not related to their jobs. They used smartphones frequently to search information, text and talk to family members. Mostly used when bored, alone or waiting for someone. The median NMP-Q score was 77 (±22.5) and 49.3% of our respondents had scored above the median cutoff score. Nomophobia was positively correlated with duration of phone use per day and inversely with age. Duration of smartphone use predicted nomophobia (80.34 + 4.91; P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Nomophobia prevails across age group with increased severity in the young. Intervention need to be planned to decrease the duration of use per day as it emerged as a significant predictor of nomophobia.