Execution Quality Research Articles

ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ МАРКЕТИНГОВИХ ІНСТРУМЕНТІВ У ПІДТРИМЦІ ЛЮДЕЙ З ОСОБЛИВИМИ ПОТРЕБАМИ: МІЖНАРОДНИЙ АСПЕКТ

The article investigated the effectiveness of marketing tools in supporting people with special needs at the international level. Special attention was paid to the use of social media, advertising and PR campaigns as the main tools contributing to the social integration of vulnerable population groups. Social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, have proven highly effective due to their accessibility and ability to spread information quickly. It was appreciated that such platforms not only disseminate information, but also provide an opportunity to interact with the audience, engaging communities in active participation. It was concluded that advertising, especially visual, has a significant potential to influence people’s emotions and consciousness, contributing to the destruction of stereotypes and the formation of a tolerant attitude towards people with special needs. However, the effectiveness of advertising campaigns depends on the quality of execution and the authenticity of the submitted content. In this context, recommendations were developed for the creation of emotionally resonant content, which should raise issues of support and solidarity, and not cause pity or feelings of superiority. Examples of successful use of PR campaigns, which allow organizations to create long-term relations with the media and the public, which contribute to a sustainable increase in the level of awareness of the problems of people with special needs, were also considered. It has been estimated that a combination of social media, advertising and PR campaigns provides the best result in achieving social goals. As a result, strategic recommendations were developed to increase the effectiveness of marketing tools in supporting people with special needs. These include involving the target audience in the development of campaigns, ensuring the availability of content, using a multi-channel approach and integrating the latest technologies. Using these recommendations will help build a more inclusive and tolerant society. For the first time, key marketing strategies that are successfully implemented globally to support this vulnerable population have been systematized and evaluated.

Information system for monitoring number of fruits and their condition using computer vision technology

The main objectives of process automation are to improve the quality and productivity of process execution. An automated process has more stable characteristics than a manually executed process. One of the tools of automation is artificial intelligence in general and computer vision in particular. Computer vision (also called machine vision) is a scientific trend in the field of artificial intelligence and related technologies for acquiring images of real-world objects, processing them and using the obtained data to solve various kinds of applied tasks without (full or partial) human participation. From an engineering perspective, computer vision seeks to automate tasks that can be performed by the human visual system. Computer vision tasks include ways of acquiring, processing, analysing, and understanding digital images and extracting data from the real world to produce numerical or symbolic information. In the context of crop farming, automation is primarily capable of increasing yields and improving the quality of the final product, by better controlling environmental conditions and timely detection of any abnormalities in the development and growth of plants and fruits, by increasing productivity, by replacing a variety of more accurate and responsive automated systems (e.g. irrigation or temperature control) with human involvement, and thereby simplifying the role of humans in cultivation, and by improving the quality of the final product. In the paper, the main objective of the designed information system is the recognition in a digital image of plant fruits with subsequent classification based on known colour ranges in advance. In order to achieve this goal, the following tasks should be solved: minimisation of possible negative effects of distortions of the original image; analysing the image to look for tomato fruits on it.

The end of an era: Who paid the price when the livestock futures pits closed?

AbstractThis paper evaluates the impact of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange's (CME) decision to close the livestock futures pits on the execution quality of customer orders. Our findings suggest that, prior to its closure, the livestock futures pit offers high immediacy execution and attracts large orders. Because such high immediacy orders generally execute faster and cost more, their migration to the electronic market after the pit closure explains why the execution of electronic orders becomes on average speedier and more expensive for customers who used to be active pit users. However, our results also indicate that these pit‐user customers face a lower overall execution cost following the pit closure when we account for all their orders, pit and electronic.

The quality of judicial decisions in cases of bullying in professional educational institutions

The positions of scholars on the concept of “judicial decision quality” have been examined. Criteria for a high-quality judicial decision include justice, timeliness, justification, clarity, clear language, and an accessible style. The researchers also distinguish between objective (legal training, legal experience, qualification requirements for judicial candidates, opportunities for practicing judges to improve their skills, mechanisms for monitoring the work of judges, unrestricted public access to judicial decisions, the role of legal science in analysing judicial decisions) and subjective (the judge’s personality, salary, social guarantees, working conditions and ability to organise their work) factors that affect the quality of a judicial decision. The summaries of judicial practice and analytical work on the application of the Supreme Court’s legislation focus on the following requirements for the quality of drafting and execution of court decisions in cases on administrative offences: execution of a judicial decision with strict compliance by the court with the requirements established by law to its form and content, compliance with the legislation on the language of legal proceedings.
 Normative legal acts aimed at developing a unified approach to understanding the quality of judicial decisions have been analysed. Requirements for determining the quality of a judicial decisiont are considered in the Conclusion of the Advisory Council of European Judges No. 11 (2008) on the quality of judicial decisions, including external environment – legislation and economic and social context (legislation, resources, actors in the judicial system and legal education), internal environment - professionalism, procedural rules, case consideration and decision-making (professionalism of the judge, procedural rules and case management, case consideration in court, elements inextricably linked to decision-making).
 Judicial decisions in cases of bullying in vocational education institutions adopted in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences are considered with regard to the presence or absence of requirements for the quality of judicial decisions. It has been established that a certain number of judgements do not have the components of judicial quality.
 Shortcomings of the current legislation on administrative offences have been highlighted. In particular, the outdated provisions of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences; the absence of an article that would provide for the adoption of rulings by courts in the name of Ukraine in cases of administrative offences, etc.
 The article analyses the judicial decisions made by courts in the period from 2019 to 2021 in cases on administrative offences involving bullying of participants in the educational process in vocational education institutions in terms of their clarity (comprehensibility) and validity. It has been highlighted that most judicial decisions contain an exhaustive list of evidence in the case; the courts comply with the requirement to find out whether an administrative offence has been committed, whether the person is guilty of committing it, whether he or she is subject to administrative liability, etc..

Task execution flow management in the software development process under the minor change event

In modern project management methodologies, insufficient attention is devoted to the process of promptly responding to minor changes during task execution, which necessitate adjustments to the priorities of ongoing tasks. The existing approaches are not sufficiently detailed for a fundamental reassessment of priorities while such changes significantly impact project execution. The available materials and approaches do not provide ready-made solutions. This article proposes a task planning model during project execution. The model comprises the following key elements: Executor, Task Set, Task Execution Progress, and Calculation of Task Execution Quality Indicators. The Executor element contains information for identifying the developer and allocating their working time. It is anticipated that under exceptional conditions, a portion of non-working time may be scheduled for task execution. The Task Set element represents planned temporal characteristics and the priority of each task. The Task Execution Progress element contains information about actual dates, hours, and durations of segments during which the task was executed. The calculations of task execution quality indicators enable obtaining operational information about the progress of specific projects and assessing the effectiveness of process management. Basic algorithms for managing task sequences have been developed. The “Addition of a New Task” algorithm implements a task queue based on priority and start and end dates. The “Task Priority Change” algorithm envisages the possible repositioning of a task, as well as cases of task transfer to another executor or rescheduling tasks during non-working hours. Additionally, algorithms for notification of critical planning changes for dependent tasks (“Notification of Critical Planning Change for Dependent Tasks”) and critical deprioritization of dependent tasks (“Notification of Critical Deprioritization for Dependent Tasks”) have been developed. The proposed model and algorithms allow for accommodating micro-changes in the project and responding to their occurrence. The validation of research results in a real project demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithms while concurrently revealing a certain range of open questions requiring further consideration. Future research directions include the classification of micro-change scenarios, analysis of possible scenarios for suspending the execution of current tasks, and the development of scenarios and algorithms for selecting executors.

Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) assessment of Kuwait mega construction projects' complexity

PurposeMegaproject's construction is essential for the development and economic growth of any country, especially in the developing world. In Kuwait, megaprojects are facing many restrictions that discourage their execution causing a significant delay in bidding, design, construction and operation phases with the execution quality being affected. The objective of this study is to develop a complexity measurement model using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for megaprojects in Kuwait, with a focus on the New Kuwait University multi-billion campus Shadadiyah (College of Social Science, Sharia and Law (CSSL)) as a case study.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies a hybrid fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method to compare the results with those obtained using the conventional AHP method. This can facilitate the project management activities during the different stages of construction. Data were collected based on the results of a two-round Delphi questionnaire completed by seniors and experts of the selected project.FindingsIt was found that project modeling methodology was responsible for complexity. It was grouped under several categories that include technological, goal, organizational, environmental and cultural complexities. The study compares complexity degrees assessed by AHP and FAHP methods. “Technological Complexity” scores highest in both methods, with FAHP reaching 7.46. “Goal Complexity” follows closely behind, with FAHP. “Cultural Complexity” ranks third, differing between methods, while “Organizational” and “Environmental Complexity” consistently score lower, with FAHP values slightly higher. These results show varying complexity levels across dimensions. Assessing and understanding such complexities were essential toward the completion of such megaprojects.Originality/valueThe contribution of this study is on providing the empirical evidential knowledge for the priority over construction complexities in a developing country (Kuwait) in the Middle East.

Quality Analysis of Radiation Therapy for Hodgkin Lymphoma in the HD 16/17 Trials: A Final Report By the Reference Radiation Oncology Panel of the German Hodgkin Study Group

The HD 16 and 17 trials by the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) have evaluated the use of consolidative radiotherapy (RT) in early-favorable and -unfavorable stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), respectively (1, 2). Quality of RT planning and execution is pivotal for treatment outcome in HL with protocol violations jeopardizing prognosis (3). Consequently, the present work aims at a decisive analysis of quality and dosimetry in the modern era. Random samples of 100 involved-field RT (IFRT) plans in HD16 and 176 plans in HD17 (134 involved-node RT (INRT) and 42 IFRT) were selected for analysis. Evaluation was performed systematically by the reference radiation oncology panel using pre-chemotherapy imaging, recommendation by the reference radiation oncology and RT planning imaging and graded as "correct", "minor" or "major deviation", respectively. RT doses to the target volume and organs at risks (OAR) were analyzed using dose-volume histograms. Median RT doses were 20 Gy (19.8 Gy-21.6 Gy) in HD16 and 30 Gy in HD17 (IFRT: 18-30.6 Gy, INRT: 14 Gy-40 Gy). Overall, 84.0%, 69.0%, and 76.1% of RT series in HD16, the IFRT-group of HD17 and the INRT-group of HD17, respectively, were planned correctly. The main reason for major deviation was an insufficient coverage of an involved region (11 %-14.3 %). There was no significant difference in quality between IFRT and INRT in HD17 (p = 0.418 for any deviations; p = 0.466 for major deviations). In comparison to previous GHSG studies in the respective stages, a significant increase in correct RT-series (p<0.001) and decrease in major deviations (p<0.001) occurred. However, doses to OAR varied individually with median values of 4.3 Gy (0.2 Gy-9.2 Gy), 4.7 Gy (0.2 Gy-15.2 Gy) and 3.8 Gy (0.0 Gy-16.0 Gy) for mean doses to the right lung, left lung and heart in HD16, respectively. Correspondingly, values were 9.8 Gy (0.3 Gy-20.0 Gy), 10.5 Gy (0.2 Gy-26.5 Gy) and 13.1 Gy (0.5 Gy-30.4 Gy) for mean doses to the right lung, left lung and heart in HD17, respectively. The size of the planning target volume decreased significantly with INRT compared to IFRT (median values: 1163.1 ml vs. 1464.3 ml; p = 0.043). However, only some OAR-parameters (V25 of the right and left lung, respectively, thyroid and spinal cord) showed significant differences between INRT and IFRT in HD17. The use of intensity-modulated techniques in HD 17 resulted in an increase in V5 and V10 of the lungs with a concomitant decrease in V20-V30. Quality of RT in the planning and treatment of HL has improved significantly with the latest GHSG study generation. Future analyses will focus on a further individualization of treatment fields.

A Hierarchical Resource Scheduling Method for Satellite Control System Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning

Space-based systems providing remote sensing, communication, and navigation services are essential to the economy and national defense. Users’ demand for satellites has increased sharply in recent years, but resources such as storage, energy, and computation are limited. Therefore, an efficient resource scheduling strategy is urgently needed to satisfy users’ demands maximally and get high task execution benefits. A hierarchical scheduling method is proposed in this work, which combines improved ant colony optimization and an improved deep Q network. The proposed method considers the quality of current task execution and resource load balance. The entire resource scheduling process contains two steps, task allocation and resource scheduling in the timeline. The former mainly implements load balance by improved ant colony optimization, while the latter mainly accomplishes the high task completion rate by an improved deep Q network. Compared with several other heuristic algorithms, the proposed approach is proven to have advantages in terms of CPU runtime, task completion rate, and resource variance between satellites. In the simulation scenarios, the proposed method can achieve up to 97.3% task completion rate, with almost 50% of the CPU runtime required by HAW and HADRT. Furthermore, this method has successfully implemented load balance.

THA-Net: A Deep Learning Solution for Next-Generation Templating and Patient-specific Surgical Execution

BackgroundThis study introduces THA-Net, a deep learning inpainting algorithm for simulating postoperative total hip arthroplasty (THA) radiographs from a single preoperative pelvis radiograph input, while being able to generate predictions either unconditionally (algorithm chooses implants) or conditionally (surgeon chooses implants). MethodsThe THA-Net is a deep learning algorithm which receives an input preoperative radiograph and subsequently replaces the target hip joint with THA implants to generate a synthetic yet realistic postoperative radiograph. We trained THA-Net on 356,305 pairs of radiographs from 14,357 patients from a single institution’s total joint registry and evaluated the validity (quality of surgical execution) and realism (ability to differentiate real and synthetic radiographs) of its outputs against both human-based and software-based criteria. ResultsThe surgical validity of synthetic postoperative radiographs was significantly higher than their real counterparts (mean difference: 0.8 to 1.1 points on 10-point Likert scale, P < .001), but they were not able to be differentiated in terms of realism in blinded expert review. Synthetic images showed excellent validity and realism when analyzed with already validated deep learning models. ConclusionWe developed a THA next-generation templating tool that can generate synthetic radiographs graded higher on ultimate surgical execution than real radiographs from training data. Further refinement of this tool may potentiate patient-specific surgical planning and enable technologies such as robotics, navigation, and augmented reality (an online demo of THA-Net is available at: https://demo.osail.ai/tha_net).

The state budget of Ukraine: Diagnostics in the context of martial law

At the current stage of development of a market economy, the efficiency of the state depends on the quality of budgeting and execution, as it is the main instrument for mobilising and spending public resources. The purpose of this study was to diagnose the revenues and expenditures of the State Budget of Ukraine under martial law, to identify the main problems that impede effective budget formation and execution, and to provide recommendations on how to eliminate them. The study used empirical, theoretical, and statistical research methods, namely description and comparison; synthesis, analysis, and generalisation. The paper examined the essence of the state budget according to the opinions of foreign and Ukrainian researchers. Based on the statistical data, the study described the current state of the state budget and analysed the dynamics of budget revenues and expenditures in 2018-2022. The structure of tax and non-tax revenues to the state budget was investigated. The structure of the state budget expenditures was analysed in terms of economic and functional classification. The budget deficit was analysed. The study highlighted the main problems related to the preparation and execution of the state budget, namely: military operations in the country leading to capital outflows; a decrease in the growth rate of the gross domestic product and a decline in production; insufficient filling of the reserve fund; an increase in tax rates leading to tax evasion by business entities; instability of the national currency; lack of an effective strategy for budget preparation and execution; imperfect control over the implementation of budget programmes. The paper offers recommendations on how to overcome these problems and promote optimisation of the revenue and expenditure sides of the state budget. The results of the study are of practical importance, since it is based on the analysis of the state budget indicators that the state of the budget is determined and ways to balance the revenues and expenditures of the State Budget of Ukraine are identified

Biomechanical characterisation of the pull-up exercise

PurposePerformance is the benchmark to assess the level of an athlete: in this respect, a more precise qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the performance represents an important target to be achieved.MethodsThe work presents a possible method, based on the biomechanical evaluation of the motor exercise with an optoelectronic system, to characterise single or multiple repetitions of pull-ups of 12 athletes of sport climbing and sportive healthy subjects, monitoring and scoring the performance and the safety of the executions. The analysis includes the time courses of the segmental kinematics and some newly developed synthetic indices in the form of performance and safety scores.ResultsThe time courses make it possible to analyse the linear and angular kinematics district-by-district and have a direct overview of the ranges of motion, the patterns of task execution, together with the possible strategies adopted to complete the exercise in terms of compensations. The proposed characterisation provides a condensed summary of the global execution quality and offers the possibility to identify which single biomechanical parameters are modified.ConclusionThe method is intended as a practical tool to enrich the training schedule in terms of the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the performances and to increase the self-awareness while training.

Autonomous confrontation strategy learning evolution mechanism of unmanned system group under actual combat in the loop

Confrontation of unmanned system group (USG) is an important combat pattern in future aerial combat, and autonomous confrontation strategy learning evolution is the pre-foundation of USG for actual combat application, researching multiple problems concerning the realization of USG autonomous confrontation strategy active learning evolution in high-dynamic actual combat scenario through continuous interaction with commander, an Autonomous Confrontation Strategy learning evolution mechanism of USG under Actual Combat in the Loop (ACS-ACL) was thence proposed. Select the Multi Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MADDPG) algorithm as the baseline algorithm, introduce the Parallel Decoupling Reward Mechanism (PDRM) to make applicability improvement on MADDPG algorithm, establish the generation model of USG autonomous confrontation strategy; after generating the initial autonomous confrontation strategy, USG proactive initiation the Continuous Interaction (CI) with the commander of actual combat in the loop, and uploads the perception information of recessive battlefield situation, whereas commander makes proofreading supplement for the information of battlefield situation, and transmits them back to USG with combat intention together; USG updates replay experience pool, updates autonomous confrontation strategy according to the combat intention, and updates simultaneously interaction strategy with actual combat commander in the loop, and then establishes the autonomous confrontation strategy benign closed-loop learning evolution mechanism of USG. Assume USG execution of collaborative search moving target mission against the enemy, and a visual USG autonomous collaborative search dynamic confrontation game environment is constructed, and carry out a series of simulation validation experiments. By observation and comparison, the convergence efficiency and execution quality of autonomous confrontation strategy driven by combat intention are improved significantly, the autonomous confrontation strategy learning has the benign evolution trend, and further improves the credibility of actual combat application of autonomous confrontation strategy of USG.

IOT based Big Data Analytics for Smart Buildings: A Survey

The goal of the digital transformation procedures has been to increase productivity, safety, and execution quality, as well as to promote sustainable development, teamwork, and solutions for the sustainable smart city. The main digital developments are transforming the construction industry and exposing new trends for integrating information technologies. Systems for managing smart buildings today use a range of sensors, actuators, and dedicated networks. Their goals are to assess the state of particular places and implement the necessary regulations to maintain or enhance comfort while conserving energy. In this paper, we suggest a survey of IoT- and Big Data Analytics-related activities in smart buildings

A recently discovered cameo and a few considerations on the glyptics from Apulum (Roman Dacia)

AbstractIn this paper, the author draws the attention of experts to a new glyphic discovery from Apulum. It is a schematic portrait of the Gorgon Medusa, depicted on a three-layered sardonyx. Based on parallels and the manufacturing technique, the author concludes that the piece originates from the workshops of Viminacium, Upper Moesia. The cameo is dated in the second half of the second century AD, prior the time when the canabae of the XIII Gemina legion rose to the status of municipium (ante AD 197). It is the only glyptic piece that bears the image of Medusa that's Dacian origin is certain. From an artistic point of view, it is a modest quality of execution, below the average provincial level. Furthermore, the author makes some remarks on the gems found in the collections of the National Museum of the Union in Alba Iulia, with a few additions and clarifications regarding the place of discovery and the possibility of the existence of a workshop of cavatores gemmarum at Apulum.

Use of agile methodology for project management in banking organizations

Methods. Scientific results were obtained using the following methods: structural and logical – when identifying the relationships between the definition of the essence of the object of activity in the works of Ukrainian and foreign authors; chronological method – in reconstructing the chronology of the development of flexible project management methods and their impact on the quality of project execution; the method of substantive analysis – when comparing different methods of project management to formulate the advantages that a financial institution can receive from the use of flexible methods of project management. Results. Directions for adjusting the strategic development plans of banking organizations are proposed, which will allow to minimize the risks of conducting business operations under conditions of force majeure. A list of tools (mortgage financing, interest rate increase, opportunities to invest one's own savings in securities) is proposed, which should help to increase the deposit base of individuals and legal entities. Positive trends of the transition to flexible project management methods have been identified. The results of the transformation of banking institutions into mobile banks are shown and the distribution of the client base by channels of using the functionality is given. Novelty. The advantages of the transition to flexible management methods, namely agile, in project management in banking organizations have been revealed. The current state of transformation of banking organizations on the way to the transition to digital banking is considered. Practical value. This study demonstrates the possibilities and prospects for the development of a flexible approach to project management (agile approach) in banking organizations.

Minimum tick size, market quality and costs of trade execution in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese government introduced a change in the minimum tick size for stock trading on 12 September 2016 to improve market quality and reduce trade execution costs. The intended effects of this policy have not been widely investigated in an emerging market such as Vietnam. We use data on trade and quote intraday of all stocks listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange for the periods before and after the event, with a one-week break from 12/9/2016 to 18/9/2016, for the market to adapt to the new tick size policy. Findings from this paper confirm that the trading cost is reduced following the change to the smallest tick size. However, this is different for large trades executed at the stock price associated with a larger tick size. Furthermore, the findings are robust with a different sample period. These findings imply that introducing a change in tick size in Vietnam in 2016 is desirable for improving market quality. However, the differentiation of these changes in different ranges of stock prices is not necessarily effective for improving market quality and reducing trade execution costs.

Influence of exposure in a corrosive environment on ultimate stress of heat-treated welded joints of Al–Mg–Si–Сu alloy

Abstract The priority task of modern aircraft construction is to ensure the reliability of the operation of structures, which depends both on the quality of execution of technological processes during manufacturing and on the corrosion-mechanical durability of welded joints. This work aims to study the influence of contact duration with a corrosive environment on the mechanical strength of the base metal and welded joints of the Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy, heat-treated in different modes (artificial aging, quenching followed by artificial aging). Corrosion-mechanical tests were carried out under constant axial tensile stress in 3 % NaCl solution for 14 days, followed by determination of the corrosion rate, ultimate strength, and fractographic analysis of the fracture surface. The results showed that the corrosion resistance of the joints is almost equal to the corrosion resistance of the base metal. It was experimentally confirmed that the ultimate strength of the base metal and welded joints decreased after corrosion exposure in a 3 % NaCl solution. This is caused by the embrittlement of the structure and the formation of corrosion defects in the near-surface zone during contact with a corrosive environment, which led to a change like a fracture from ductile to ductile with brittleness.

Analysis of technical errors during the execution of the classical jerk by young weightlifters at the stage of preliminary basic training

The purpose of the article was to study the analysis of technical errors during the performance of the classical jerk by young weightlifters at the stage of preliminary basic training. The study was conducted at the Kalnyshevsky State Secondary School No. 2 in the city of Romny and the Poltava State Secondary School No. 2.42 athletes of the pre-basic training stage aged 12-13 years in the category up to 45 kilograms participated in it. For the distribution of athletes into groups and, in turn, to identify the high average and low level of physical and technical preparation, we conducted control and transfer standards. Thus, in the course of our research, it was found that athletes with a low level of physical fitness should focus their attention on the technical component and work in the range of 60-70% from 5 to 7 repetitions per approach. The quality of execution of the elements of the classical jerk technique among young weightlifters aged 12-13 years of different groups according to the level of physical fitness was revealed. The highest quality indicators were obtained in group 1 (high level) of physical qualities in "athlete's interaction with the barbell" (5.1±0.52 points), "pre-acceleration" (5.1±0.45 points), "depreciation phase" (4.2±0.29 points), "final acceleration" (5.3±0.31 points), unsupported squat (7.0±0.32 points), supported squat (6.8±0.52 points ), fixation in a squat (6.7±0.45 points), standing up and fixation (6.3±0.29 points), which in most indicators is reliably better than in groups 2 (average level of physical qualities) and 3 (low level of physical qualities). Such a small percentage, and the corresponding high number of repetitions during the training process, will be able to eliminate many technical errors and shortcomings. Athletes with a low level of physical training, in turn, should pay great attention to exercises for the development of general and special physical training, improve strength indicators in auxiliary exercises, which, in combination with technique, will certainly improve their overall results.

A sequential learning model with GNN for EEG-EMG-based stroke rehabilitation BCI.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential in providing neurofeedback for stroke patients to improve motor rehabilitation. However, current BCIs often only detect general motor intentions and lack the precise information needed for complex movement execution, mainly due to insufficient movement execution features in EEG signals. This paper presents a sequential learning model incorporating a Graph Isomorphic Network (GIN) that processes a sequence of graph-structured data derived from EEG and EMG signals. Movement data are divided into sub-actions and predicted separately by the model, generating a sequential motor encoding that reflects the sequential features of the movements. Through time-based ensemble learning, the proposed method achieves more accurate prediction results and execution quality scores for each movement. A classification accuracy of 88.89% is achieved on an EEG-EMG synchronized dataset for push and pull movements, significantly outperforming the benchmark method's performance of 73.23%. This approach can be used to develop a hybrid EEG-EMG brain-computer interface to provide patients with more accurate neural feedback to aid their recovery.

Experimental results of reinforced concrete frames with masonry infills with and without openings under combined quasi-static in-plane and out-of-plane seismic loading

Reinforced concrete (RC) frames with masonry infills can be encountered all over the world, especially in earthquake prone regions. Although masonry infills are usually not considered in the design process, in the case of seismic loading they are subjected to in-plane and out-of-plane forces that can act separately or simultaneously. In recent earthquakes it was observed that seismic loads can severely damage masonry infills or even cause their complete collapse, especially when the loads act simultaneously. Due to this, effects of interaction of in-plane and out-of-plane loads on seismic performance of masonry infills have received more attention recently. However, most of studies focus only on fully infilled frames, even though openings, such as windows and doors are essential parts of infills that substantially affect the seismic response of masonry infills. Therefore, this article presents the results of a comprehensive experimental study on nine full-scale traditional masonry RC frames infilled with modern hollow clay bricks for configurations with and without window and door openings under separate, sequential and combined in-plane and out-of-plane loading. Based on the results, a detailed comparison and interpretation for the different infill and loading configurations is presented. The test results clearly show the unfavourable influence of openings and combined loading conditions as well as the importance of the quality of execution of the circumferential mortar joint between infill and frame. The new findings can be used as a basis for the required development of innovative solutions to improve significantly the seismic performance of RC frames with masonry infills.