Critical Circumstances Research Articles

Integrated robust dynamics control of all-wheel-independently-actuated unmanned ground vehicle in diagonal steering

In the future civilian Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and military area, the Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) are supposed to replace humans to conduct various tasks in wide civilian or military applications. This paper aims at improving the overall performance of the All-wheel-independently-actuated (AWIA) UGV. Each wheel of the AWIA UGV is independently driven and steered by the motors with independent active suspension equipped to achieve the great potential of mobility, maneuverability, and controllability. Aiming to improve the performance of AWIA UGV in diagonal steering mode under critical circumstances, a novel integrated control approach is extended in this paper based on robust H2/H∞ theory. The major control objective is to generate additional vehicle active moment by full X-by-wire technique to collaboratively control lateral and roll motion of the vehicle to maintain a target diagonal steering performance. A wheel force distribution controller in the control executive layer interfaced to actuators is applied to achieve the resultant active control moment at each wheel corner, by controlling each independent drive motor, independent steer motor, and active suspension actuator. The effectiveness of the proposed control approach is validated by an AWIA UGV testbed by performing the step-steer experiments.

Novel CSR & novel coronavirus: corporate social responsibility inside the frame of coronavirus pandemic in Greece

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) becomes popular as big international firms gain more power than states and global issues engender concerns to people from all over the world. The pandemic of novel coronavirus is a current issue of global concern that threats humanity and global economy since the end of 2019. A lot of firms have announced urgent actions to support their employees and the local communities. The present study aims to examine whether the CSR activities of firms due to the pandemic could be categorized either as strategical or tactical CSR. The researcher recognizes the formation of a new kind of CSR called critical CSR as a hybrid between tactical and strategical CSR sharing characteristics from both. The examination of the case of Greece during the pandemic has provided a variety of examples of CSR activities from big Greek international firms that have been processed to support the validity of the reasoning. Finally, the paper delineates this new universal form of CSR born under the critical circumstances of the pandemic and the ensuing economic recession. That fact proves that this crisis could be transformed into a chance for corporations to realize their social role and improve their CSR footprint with the learnings of this pandemic by underlining possible advantages of these urgent CSR actions that could be incorporated into the usual CSR policy of the firms.

Assessing mental health status among Iranian healthcare workers in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: A web-based cross-sectional study.

ObjectivesThe present study was conducted to assess 3(HCWs) during the COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsA total number of 7626 HCWs were included in this web‐based cross‐sectional study, via the convenience sampling technique. To collect the required data, the sociodemographic characteristics information form, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 (DASS‐21), and the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) were also employed. In addition, data analysis was performed using the SPSS Statistics software (ver. 24), as well as descriptive statistics, Chi‐square test (χ2 ), and univariate/multivariate logistic regression models.ResultsThe CDAS results revealed that 47.9% and 70.5% of the HCWs had experienced moderate levels of physical and psychological anxiety, respectively. Based on the DASS results, 44.8%, 43%, and 34.8% of the HCWs had been subjected to depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic, respectively. The logistic regression models correspondingly showed that depression among the HCWs was significantly correlated with risk factors, such as the age groups of 20–30 years (p = .001), 31–40 years (p = .006), female HCWs (p> .001), history of physical illnesses (p = .004), and history of psychiatric disorders (p> .001). Moreover, factors including the age groups of 20–30 years (p < .001), 31–40 years (p < .001), 41–50 years (p < .001), female HCWs (p> .001), history of physical illnesses (p < .001), and history of psychiatric disorders (p>.001) were assumed as significant predictors of anxiety in these individuals. Besides, factors such as the age groups of 20–30 years (p = .002), 31–40 years (p = .004), female HCWs (p>.001), occupation (p = .016), history of physical illnesses (p < .001), and history of psychiatric disorders (p> .001) could significantly predict the prevalence rate of stress in the HCWs in times of this crisis.ConclusionGiven the importance of mental health status among HCWs during the COVID‐19 pandemic, health administrators and policymakers of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in Iran are suggested to provide psychological screening and supportive care programs for HCWs with the aim of enhancing their mental health and successful coping with critical circumstances.

The Role of Dysbiosis in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

In late December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) quickly spread worldwide, and the syndrome it causes, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has reached pandemic proportions. Around 30% of patients with COVID-19 experience severe respiratory distress and are admitted to the intensive care unit for comprehensive critical care. Patients with COVID-19 often present an enhanced immune response with a hyperinflammatory state characterized by a “cytokine storm,” which may reflect changes in the microbiota composition. Moreover, the evolution to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may increase the severity of COVID-19 and related dysbiosis. During critical illness, the multitude of therapies administered, including antibiotics, sedatives, analgesics, body position, invasive mechanical ventilation, and nutritional support, may enhance the inflammatory response and alter the balance of patients' microbiota. This status of dysbiosis may lead to hyper vulnerability in patients and an inappropriate response to critical circumstances. In this context, the aim of our narrative review is to provide an overview of possible interaction between patients' microbiota dysbiosis and clinical status of severe COVID-19 with ARDS, taking into consideration the characteristic hyperinflammatory state of this condition, respiratory distress, and provide an overview on possible nutritional strategies for critically ill patients with COVID-19-ARDS.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the Danube River in Serbia associated with the discharge of untreated wastewaters

In Serbia less than 13% of collected municipal wastewaters is being treated before their release in the environment. This includes all municipal wastewater discharges from Belgrade (capital city of Serbia; population 1,700,000). Previous research has identified the impacts of raw wastewater discharges from Belgrade on the Danube River, and this study investigated if such discharges also provided a pathway for SARS-CoV-2 RNA material. Samples were collected during the most critical circumstances that occurred so far within the COVID-19 pandemics in Serbia. Grab and composite samples were collected in December 2020, during the peak of the third wave (in terms of reported cases) at the site which receives the wastewater loads in Belgrade. Grab samples collected upstream and downstream of Belgrade were also analyzed. RNA was quantified using RT-qPCR with primer sets targeting nucleocapsid (N1 and N2) and envelope (E) protein genes. SARS-CoV-2 RNA (5.97 × 103 to 1.32 × 104 copies/L) was detected only in samples collected at the site strongly impacted by the wastewaters where all three applied primer sets gave positive signals. Determined concentrations correspond to those reported in wastewater influents sampled at treatment plants in other countries indicating an epidemiological indicator function of used approach for rivers with high pollution loads in countries with poor wastewater treatment.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on ride-hailing services based on large-scale Twitter data analysis

Ride-hailing services have gained popularity in recent years due to attributes such as reduced travel costs, traffic congestion, and emissions. However, with the impact of COVID-19, the ride-hailing market is estimated to lose its fair share of an uprising as a transportation mode. During normal and critical circumstances, ride-hailing service users express their concerns, habits, and emotions through posting on social platforms such as Twitter. Hence, Twitter, as an emerging data source, is an effective and innovative digital platform to observe the rider’s behavior in ride-hailing services. This study hydrates large-scale Twitter reactions related to shared mobility to perform comparative sentiment and emotion analysis to understand the impact of COVID-19 on transportation network services in pre-pandemic and during pandemic conditions. Amid pandemic, negative tweets (34%) associated with ‘sad’ (15%) and ‘anger’ (15%) emotions were most prevalent in the dataset.

The Effect of COVID-19 on the Domestic Tourists' Attitudes: A Comparative Study between Egypt and Jordan

The COVID 19 pandemic heavily deteriorated the tourism and hospitality industries worldwide. New Norms were set. In reality, extra travel barriers were made, which made a critical situation. In these critical circumstances, fingers pointed to domestic tourism as an urgent solution to help in surviving the tourism and hospitality industries. This highlighted the importance of this research, as it investigated local tourists' attitudes regarding the tourism and hospitality industries' activities in Egypt and Jordan. This study aimed to develop a comparative case study between Egyptian and Jordanian travellers to help in identifying the domestic tourists' preferences to figure hospitality and tourism post COVID-19 world. An online survey was developed and distributed via social media and travel agent websites to achieve the study purpose. The Means, standard deviation, and sample t-test were used in the analysis. The findings asserted that the COVID 19 pandemic has significant impacts on the tourists' attitudes in the tourism and hospitality industries' activities and highlighted the differences and similarities between the domestic Egyptian and Jordanian tourists. Moreover, the research outcomes and managerial implications presented new ideas and priorities for travel agencies and tour operators in the era of post COVID-19 world.

Prime ministers and party governments in Central and Eastern Europe

ABSTRACT This article is the introduction to a special issue on Prime Ministers (PMs) and party governments in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It argues that the political survival of PMs in post-communist democracies depends on their interrelationships with other actors in three different arenas. The first arena encompasses the linkages between PMs and their parties. In this respect, being a party leader is a major power resource for PMs to retain their office even under critical circumstances. At the heart of the second arena is the PMs’ relationship to other parliamentary parties. In this regard, the high fragmentation and fluidity of many post-communist party systems pose enormous challenges for PMs to secure constant parliamentary support. In the third arena, PMs are confronted with state presidents. Relatively strong CEE presidents, especially in semi-presidential systems, may use their constitutional powers to interfere in the political domain of PMs and thus jeopardise the stability of party governments. For each of these interrelationships, the article provides systematic evidence for eleven CEE democracies from 1990 to 2019 and situates the findings of the volume’s contributions within a broader comparative perspective.

The Need for Purposeful Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Crisis Resource Management Principles and Practices in the Undergraduate Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Curriculum: A Narrative Literature Review

Introduction Traditionally, undergraduate emergency medical care (EMC) training programs have, over the years, typically focussed on developing individuals with proficiency in clinical skills who can perform complex procedures in the act of administering safe and effective emergency care in the pre-hospital setting. A shortcoming of this training relates to the attention given to the soft skills needed to work efficiently in a team-based environment. Crisis resource management (CRM) is a structured, evidence-based approach to training that is designed to enhance teamwork performance in critical circumstances where the absence of coordinated teamwork could lead to undesired outcomes. Methods A narrative review of GOOGLE SCHOLAR, MEDLINE, PUBMED, CINAHL as well as paramedic-specific journals was conducted. Articles were included if they examined the importance of CRM in pre-hospital emergency care; training undergraduate pre-hospital emergency care students on the principles and practices of CRM; and non-technical skills in pre-hospital emergency care. Discussion Researchers found limited articles related to CRM and the pre-hospital emergency care setting. Our findings reveal that CRM focusses on addressing non-technical skills necessary for effective teamwork and that those identified to be relevant for effective teamwork in pre-hospital emergency care setting include situation awareness, decision-making, verbal communication, teamwork as well as leadership and followership skills. Conclusion Effective team management is a core element of expert practice in emergency medicine. When practised in conjunction with medical and technical expertise, CRM can reduce the incidence of clinical error and contribute to effective teamwork and the smooth running of a pre-hospital emergency care plan.

Liquidity Risk Management in the Avoidance of Another Financial Crisis

The global financial crisis showed us that there is a need for appropriate identification and evaluation of implicit liquidity trading risks in investment portfolios. It is undeniable that many of the financial institution collapses, both in developed and emerging markets, as well as the subsequent financial turbulence, were, to a certain extent, caused by the impact of liquidity trading risk on structured stocks portfolios. Liquidity trading risk increases due to the incapability of financial institutions to liquidate their shares at a fair price during the settlement period. In the chapter “Liquidity risk management in emerging and Islamic markets” that I published as part of the Handbook of Empirical Research on Islam and Economic Life (Edward Elgar, 2017), edited by the renowned scholar Prof. M. Kabir Hassan, University of New Orleans, I empirically develop and test a strategy of measurement and exposure control of market/liquidity risks of investment portfolios that include illiquid capital shares in critical circumstances, proposing that there be a strategy for the establishment of maximum risk limits.

An enhanced fuzzy logic based strategy for non-disruptive load shedding and the predictive energy management system

Electrical energy capacity mismatch and immense power shortages due to energy deficit in the power system keep on increasing because of inadequate power capacity, insufficient investment, demand growth, and the rise in living standards. To maintain a balanced relationship between production and consumption, several load shedding schemes have been implemented for load management in the last few years, but their inconsistency poses a challenge. This research work will apply the fuzzy logic algorithm (FLA) and optimise the existing conventional power systems with and without dispersed generators (DGs). In critical circumstances, the algorithm will find node sets or desired locations where limits are violated and system operators may request the utility or industrial customer to shed a required amount of load by operating distributed generators to maintain its system integrity. The performance and suitability of the proposed scheme are demonstrated and proved by testing on a standard 33-bus radial distribution system in MATLAB Simulink having an objective function of minimising its total load curtailed and reducing power system losses by improving its system stability.

Uso de inmunoestimulantes recombinantes (rToxA) producidos en plantas (Nicotiana tabacum) y su aplicación en la acuicultura de camarón: una propuesta de análisis bioeconómico

In the Aquaculture industry, which is in charge of sustainably supplying food of marine and freshwater origin (fish, mollusks, crustaceans, among others), there are risks that compromise production and sometimes put producers in very critical circumstances. Sanitary issues, caused by accumulated outbreaks which affected the shrimp farming industry in the past two decades, provoked the collapse of this activity in several countries. Therefore, the implementation of recombinant vaccines, probiotics and immunostimulating substances, instead of antimicrobial agents (antibiotics), has been a proposal recommended by the scientific community for the aquaculture industry. Given the volume of production, the implementation of a health prevention measure demands a cost-benefit analysis whose objective should be focused on minimizing costs and maximizing benefits in order to expand its use on a commercial scale. In Mexico, the costbenefit assessment of the implementation of recombinant immunostimulants, in species of great comercial demand (such as shrimp), has not yet been finalized, which opens a window of opportunity for their attention. This study aims to elucidate the economic potential for the production of oral vaccines manufactured in plants in order to control the Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrotic Disease (AHPND) in the farmed whiteleg shrimp (L. vannamei); additionally, aims to evaluate the cost-benefit ratio obtained through the implementation of such vaccine in a Penaeid farming system, consequently after optimizing the production parameters at small scale, generating and visualizing graphically the biggest net present value and maximum economic yield within the system.

The impact of psychological factors on bereavement among frontline nurses fighting Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably changed the workplace and social relationships of nurses. As potential factors, uncertainty, stigma, and exposure of nurses' families to risk have disturbed the process of providing healthcare services for patients infected by COVID-19. Accordingly, this study aimed at determining the impact of psychological factors on stigma among frontline nurses fighting COVID-19. The extant paper was carried out based on the descriptive-analytical method for April-June 2020. A total of 312 nurses working in educational-medical centers in Ardabil, Iran, were selected using the census method to participate in this research. To collect data, demographic features, stigma, mental health, perceived stress, and hardiness questionnaires were used. The collected data were analyzed using statistical correlation tests, multivariate regression, and descriptive tests through SPSS v.22 Software. The mean score of stigma in nurses equaled 28.36 ± 10.55. Results of the correlation coefficient showed a positive relationship between the mean score of stigma and stress (P ≤ 0.01) as well as the negative relationship between mental health and hardiness (P ≤ 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that mental health could be the predictor of stigma. Therefore, these factors should be identified and controlled to mitigate stigma under such critical circumstances.

Significance of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor for the Irkutsk Region and Mongolia

The paper considers the issue of implementing the Silk Road Economic Belt and especially the China-Mongolia-Russia transport corridor and its influence on the development of the Irkutsk Region and Mongolia as intracontinental peripheries. According to customs statistics, the Irkutsk Region mostly exports aluminum to the well-developed countries of the West and mineral fuel, timber, and cellulose to the East (China, Japan, and South Korea), and after increasing the throughput of railways, it will strengthen its export-resource dependence subject to the current trends. Mongolia has the same problems because the Mongolian economy has limited diversification and is strongly dependent on the extracting industry. Routes of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic belt fit the objects of the promising project “New Angarstroy” that makes the Irkutsk Region a full-fledged member of this concept. The convergence of the commodity markets of Siberia and Mongolia resulted from the shortened economic distance makes it possible to develop efficient end-use production facilities up to the creation of cross-border Russian-Mongolian territorial production complexes. On the other hand, distances are not so critical circumstances for building an innovative economy. However, the main problems of regional development within the framework of the initiative lie in the institutional and political field, i.e. the mechanisms of financing suggested in the concept of the Silk Road Economic Belt are not efficiently used in the territories of Siberia and Mongolia.

A Novel Framework of Health Monitoring Systems

IoT plays an important role in the healthcare domain for improving the quality of patient care. To analyze the patients' healthcare data, a real-time health-monitoring system is required. The proposed framework in this work is cable of such monitoring and sending alerts on critical circumstances. In this framework, the use of IoT devices makes it possible. This is very helpful in taking care of especially old wards and children in the absence or their caretakers. The function of alerting the caretakers and to inform hospital in critical condition makes this system one of its kind. Readings of patient pulse rates are taken from the pulse rate sensor and the body temperature is measured by MAX30205, a temperature sensor. The data is collected through sensors and sent over the cloud servers. Linear regression is used for further analysis and prediction of pulse and temperature trend lines. Corresponding health repots will be sent to the nearby hospitals and registered mobile numbers. The framework is validated with real-time patient data, and prediction is made regarding the trends.

The importance of public support in the implementation of green transportation in smart cities using smart vehicle bicycle communication transport

Purpose Smart mobility is a major guideline in the development of Smart Cities’ transport systems and management. The issue of transition into green, secure and sustainable transport modes, such as using bicycles, should be implemented in this case, along with the subjectivism of management. Design/methodology/approach The proposed technology reflects the Smart Bicycle vehicle model, which tracks cyclists and weather conditions and turns to electric motors in critical circumstances. Findings This reduces the physical load and battery consumption of cyclists which affects the Smart Cities’ ecology positively. Originality/value In Smart Vehicle Bicycle Communication Transport, the vehicle movement optimization technique is used for traffic scenarios to analyze traffic signaling systems that give better results in variable and dense traffic conditions.

Characterization of Sintered Bronze–MoS2 Composite With Solid Lubrication Effect

Abstract The most efficient method to reduce material loss and frictional energy losses is by using lubrication. An alternative is the use of solid lubrication, specifically by using solid lubricants evenly distributed in a metallic matrix, thus forming self-lubricating composites, which are capable to induce low coefficients of friction in mechanical systems. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a very versatile solid lubricant, suitable for lubrication in critical circumstances such as vacuum, high temperatures, and pressures. Therefore, the aim of this study is to produce samples of sintered composites consisting of homogeneously distributed MoS2 in a bronze matrix obtained by cold uniaxial pressing and to compare the wear-rates and friction coefficient between the MoS2-free bronze and the self-lubricating composites. Different MoS2 percentages were used to characterize the tribological properties of the composites as a function of the MoS2 content. At the end of the experiments, it was found that samples with 20% MoS2 did not sinter properly due to the large amount of lubricant between the bronze particles. It was also found that the mixture with 5.0 vol% MoS2 had proper sintering, satisfactory hardness, achieved lower friction coefficient, and better material wear performance due to the optimal amount and good distribution of MoS2 when compared with the rest of conditions studied.

A real-time trajectory planning method for enhanced path-tracking performance of serial manipulators

Robotized assembly and manufacturing often require to modify the robot motion at runtime. When the primary constraint is to preserve the geometrical path as much as possible, it is convenient to scale the nominal trajectory in time to meet the robot constraints. Look-ahead techniques are computationally heavy, while non-look-ahead ones usually show poor performance in critical circumstances. This paper proposes a novel technique that can be embedded in non-look-ahead scaling algorithms to improve their performance. The proposed method takes into account the robot velocity, acceleration, and torque limits and modifies the velocity profile based on an approximated look-ahead criterion. To do this, it considers only the last point of a look-ahead window and, by linearizing the problem, it computes the maximum admissible robot velocity. The technique can be applied to existing trajectory scaling algorithms to confer look-ahead properties on them. Simulation and experimental results on a 6-degree-of-freedom manipulator show that the proposed method significantly reduces path-following errors.

Wi2Vi: Generating Video Frames From WiFi CSI Samples

Objects in an environment affect electromagnetic waves. While this effect varies across frequencies, there exists a correlation between them, and a model with enough capacity can capture this correlation between the measurements in different frequencies. In this paper, we propose the Wi2Vi model for associating variations in the WiFi channel state information with video frames. The proposed Wi2Vi system can generate video frames entirely using CSI measurements. The produced video frames by the Wi2Vi provide auxiliary information to the conventional surveillance system in critical circumstances. Our implementation of the Wi2Vi system confirms the feasibility of constructing a system capable of deriving the correlations between measurements in different frequency spectrums.

Financial Management, Savings and Investment Behavior and Financial Well-Being of Working Women in the Public Sector

Women have made an amazing progress personally, financially, and professionally however, with regards to the field of finance, an extensive effort to be done to become well performers comparing to the men. Therefore, women must begin understanding, and thinking the significance of money, savings, and its investment perspectives to overcome critical circumstances at any phase of their lives. Therefore, the major objective of this research is to investigate the relationships among financial management, savings and investment behavior, andfinancial well-being (FWB) of working women in the public sector in Malaysia. A sum of 722 respondents were selected using the multi-stage random sampling method in Malaysia. According to the financial status of working women, 39.2% felt that their assets were more than their debt, and 44.3% was said that their salary was sufficient to meet only their basic requirements. Furthermore, more than 80% of the respondents were followed good financial management practices such as, keeping updated records of the expenses, planning the expenses, doing investments monthly, keeping the loan payment on schedule, settling all the bills on time, and maintaining a savings account. Moreover, it also showed that Malaysian working women have good financial management practices which are indicated by their abilities in performing the savings and investment behaviors to manage their surplus money wisely in order to achieve higher FWB levels. Further, this study was detected some specific financial challenges that Malaysian public sector working women meet over their lifetime, and offered possible solutions for the present and future.