Greater Extent Research Articles

Input Design for Active Fault Detection: Reconciling System Control Objectives.

Active fault detection (AFD) is the newest frontier in the field of fault detection and has drawn increasing amounts of research attention. AFD technology can enhance fault detection performance by injecting a predesigned auxiliary input signal for a specific fault. In most existing studies, system control objectives are not fully considered in the auxiliary input design of AFD. This article investigates a new reconciliatory input design problem for both achieving control objectives and improving fault detection performance. An exemplary algorithm for the reconciliatory input design is proposed, by using a trajectory optimization approach. The proposed algorithm consists of three parts: 1) residual generation; 2) trajectory optimization; and 3) input design. A state observer is designed to obtain residual signals used as fault indicators. Considering the optimization index composed of the fault indicators, a trajectory optimization technique is carried out to find an optimal system trajectory which can improve the fault detection ability to the greatest extent. The control input is designed to track this optimal trajectory while complying with system physical constraints. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, simulation cases on an underwater manipulator are conducted.

Testing nanometer memories: a review of architectures, applications, and challenges

Newer defects in memories arising from shrinking manufacturing technologies demand improved memory testing methodologies. The percentage of memories on chips continues to rise. With shrinking technologies (10 nm up to 1.8 nm), the structure of memories is becoming denser. Due to the dense structure and significant portion of a chip, the nanometer memories are highly susceptible to defects. High-frequency specifications, the complexity of internal connections, and the process variation due to newer manufacturing technology further increased the probability of the physical failure of memories to a great extent. Memories need to be defect-free for the chip to operate successfully. Therefore, testing embedded memories has become crucial and is taking significant test costs. Researchers have proposed multiple approaches considering these factors to test the nanometer memories. They include using new fault models, march algorithms, memory built-in self-test (MBIST) architectures, and validation strategies. This paper surveys the methodologies presented in recent times. It discusses the core principles used in them, along with benefits. Finally, it discusses key opens in each and offers the scope for future research.

Haemophilia care in Asia: Learning from clinical practice in some Asian countries.

The healthcare systems in Asia vary greatly due to the socio-economic and cultural diversities which impact haemophilia management. An advisory board meeting was conducted with experts in haemophilia care from Asia to understand the heterogeneity in clinical practices and care provision in the region. The overall prevalence of haemophilia in Asia ranges between 3 and 8.58/100,000 patients. Haemophilia A was more prevalent as compared to haemophilia B with a ratio of around 5:1. There is under-diagnosis in the region due to lack of diagnosis, registries and/or lack of appropriate facilities in suburban areas. Most patients are referred to the haematologists by their families or primary care physicians, while some are identified during bleeding episodes. Genetic testing faces obstacles like resource constraints, services available at limited centres and unwillingness of patients to participate. Prophylaxis is offered for people with haemophilia (PWH) with a severe bleeding phenotype. Recombinant factors are approved in most countries across the region and are the preferred therapy. The challenges highlighted for not receiving a high standard of care include patients' reluctance to use an intravenous treatment, poor patient compliance due to frequency of infusions, budget constraints and lack of funding, insurance, availability and accessibility of factor concentrates. Prevalence of neutralizing antibodies ranged from 5% to 20% in the region. Use of immune tolerance induction and bypassing agents to treat inhibitors depends on their cost and availability. Haemophilia care in Asia has evolved to a great extent. However, some challenges remain for which a strategic approach along with multi-stakeholder involvement are needed.

New secular holidays in modern Kazakh culture. Westernization of everyday life and transfor-mation of family rituals

The growing attention to processes related to the revival of Islam throughout Central Asia leaves in shadow some no less interesting tendencies associated with the westernization of the daily life. These processes have been recorded across the entire Central Asia but presently they manifest themselves to the greatest extent specifically in Kazakhstan, where interweaving of traditional elements of the East and the West created a remarkable distinctive culture of the 21st century. The voluntary or involuntary neglect of these processes undoubtedly leads to serious misrepresentation in our understanding of further routes of development of the traditional rites. Equally important is the fact that problems of Islamization itself undoubtedly appear more prominent when taking into account factors linked with the new ‘westernized daily routine’. In this regard, very interesting are the new secular rituals and festivities which appeared in modern Kazakh culture not long ago: gender reveal party, baby shower, tilashar (Kaz., literally ‘opening of the tongue’), constituting the subject of this research. This study employs methods of his-torico-cultural and ethnographic approaches, and it is based on fieldwork data obtained during the ethnographic studies in Western Kazakhstan in recent years and data from monitoring personal profiles of users of social networks and services. Gen-der reveal parties and baby shower celebrations are widespread in the entire world, and they are of a secular nature. The analysis of evidence from Kazakh culture shows an example of how modern Kazakhs attempt to fit the ‘westernized’ practices into the universal matrix of present-day Kazakh ritual activities based on three constituents: a repast with an indispensable na-tional dish of ‘meat in Kazakh style’, a symbolic exchange of presents between members of socially kindred group, and bata beru i.e. ‘best wishes from senior relatives’. This is also supported by the search for parallels in the rites, conventional synonymity of the new practices and established family rites. Thus, the secular celebrations of gender reveal and baby shower are acquiring a national colour. The culture is adapting the ‘westernized’ practice; copying of the original example and its re-interpretation at a new level is taking place. In contrast to family rites, the gender party and baby shower are not obligatory; following of such practices is rather a fashion of its kind — a response of the modern Kazakh young people to cultural globalization. The author is trying to find an answer to the ques-tion: why indeed the Kazakh culture is so readily accepting and adapting practices of this kind? The answer seems to lie in the specifics of the social organization of the Kazakh society, in the emergence of new channels for storing and broadcasting of information, and in the overall orientation of modern Kazakhstan towards globalization.

Optimizing Placement and Scheduling for VNF by a Multi-objective Optimization Genetic Algorithm

Virtual network functions (VNFs) have gradually replaced the implementation of traditional network functions. Through efficient placement, the VNF placement technology strives to operate VNFs consistently to the greatest extent possible within restricted resources. Thus, VNF mapping and scheduling tasks can be framed as an optimization problem. Existing research efforts focus only on optimizing the VNFs scheduling or mapping. Besides, the existing methods focus only on one or two objectives. In this work, we proposed addressing the problem of VNFs scheduling and mapping. This work proposed framing the problem of VNFs scheduling and mapping as a multi-objective optimization problem on three objectives, namely (1) minimizing line latency of network link, (2) reducing the processing capacity of each virtual machine, and (3) reducing the processing latency of virtual machines. Then, the proposed VNF-NSGA-III algorithm, an adapted variation of the NSGA-III algorithm, was used to solve this multi-objective problem. Our proposed algorithm has been thoroughly evaluated through a series of experiments on homogeneous and heterogeneous data center environments. The proposed method was compared to several heuristic and recent meta-heuristic methods. The results reveal that the VNF-NSGA-III outperformed the comparison methods.

European administrative networks during times of crisis: Exploring the temporal development of the internal market network SOLVIT

AbstractEuropean administrative networks (EANs) are an increasingly prominent form of European Union (EU) governance. Although these networks are typically portrayed as important and flexible forms of organization, we lack knowledge of their temporal dimension, including their development in times of crisis. This paper provides a first analysis of network interaction as it unfolds before and during times of severe crisis for the EU internal market. Specifically, we examine interactions in the EU internal market network SOLVIT. This network offers member states both a formalized procedure for the bilateral resolution of cases of alleged misapplication of EU law, and an informal network for general discussions on internal market topics and SOLVIT‐related matters beyond specific case‐resolution. Based on unique three‐wave survey data, we develop a continuous‐time model (stochastic actor‐oriented model) to analyze the evolution of SOLVIT's informal interactions over time. In explaining these developments, we reflect on the importance of two crises: the exit of a central SOLVIT member (the United Kingdom), which drove informal interactions to a great extent, and COVID‐19, which led to great sudden uncertainty and challenges for the implementation of internal market law. Our results show that the network is remarkably stable and despite, or rather because of, these crises, has become denser over time.

Selection of best wavelet functions and decomposition levels for coupling with soft computing methods in estimating ETo in coastal and island regions

ABSTRACT Mass transfer-based models are among the extensively applied reference evapotranspiration (ET o ) estimation approaches that have been proven to provide reliable estimates under certain climatic and geographical conditions. A major issue with such approaches is the high variations in wind speed time series, which is a governing meteorological parameter in mass transfer-based models. few studies have focused on applying wavelet transform as a robust pre-processing technique for ETo estimation. A major question with coupling wavelet transforms with soft computing methods would be the proper choice of the wavelet function, vanishing moments and the decomposition levels. The present study aims at assessing different wavelet functions coupled with boosted regression tree (BT) models, i.e. wavelet-BT (WBT), in estimating ET o values (through mass transfer parameters) in both coastal and island regions, where it is supposed that wind speed variations are affected by sea–inland interactions and so has the sharp variations (unlike ET o ). The obtained results showed that the coupled WBT model could improve the single BT model results to a great extent, and meanwhile, the Daubechies wavelet function with six vanishing moments provided the most accurate results in all the locations. Further, the best simulation outcomes with each wavelet function were obtained when the maximum possible decomposition level was used with each function.

Effects of Land Use Types on Water Quality at Different Buffer Scales: Tianjin Section of the Haihe River Basin as an Example

It is important to explore the relationship between land use types and water quality to improve the surface water environment. Based on monthly water quality monitoring data from 16 nationally controlled surface water quality monitoring stations in Tianjin and land use data in 2021, GIS spatial analysis and mathematical and statistical methods were used to study the influence of land use types on surface water quality in buffer zones at different scales. The results showed that:① the land use types in the study area were mainly construction land, farmland, and water areas, which had significant effects on river water quality. Except for water temperature (WT) and pH, the farmland, construction land, and water areas were negatively correlated with each water quality indicator; forest land and grassland were positively correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO) and total nitrogen (TN) and negatively correlated with other water quality indicators. ② The water quality indicators showed obvious spatial differences in different seasons. The pH, DO and TN concentrations were higher in the dry season, whereas the permanganate index, ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations were higher in the rainy season. ③ The results of the RDA analysis showed that the 800 m buffer zone land use had the greatest explanatory power for water quality changes in the dry season (50.4%), whereas the 3 000 m buffer zone land use could explain the water quality changes in the rainy season to the greatest extent (49.6%); from the average explanation rate of the dry and rainy seasons, the 3 000 m buffer zone was the best impact scale (50.0%) on water quality indicators in Tianjin. ④ The partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis showed that the most important variables affecting surface water quality changes were construction land, farmland, and water areas. The predictive ability of the PLSR model of most water quality indicators was stronger in the dry season than that in the rainy season. In the dry season, all water quality indicators, except WT and pH, were most influenced by farmland. In the rainy season, construction land had the greatest influence on WT and NH4+-N concentrations, and the most important influencing factor for the remaining water quality indicators was still farmland. This study showed that the rational planning of land use types within 3 000 m of rivers or lakes was beneficial to improving the water quality of surface water.

Reflection of the Japanese Consciousness and Worldview in the Context of Globalization in the Novels of Haruki Murakami.

Contemporary literature encompasses not only works but also culture, defining the processes of the past preserved in the memory of posterity. Haruki Murakami influenced the shaping of this modern culture to a great extent. The research purpose is to investigate the phenomenon of Haruki Murakami analysing the components of the collective and individual consciousness of the Japanese nation in his fiction. At the methodological level, the following methods of analyzing literary phenomena were used in the training to solve the set tasks: hermeneutic interpretation and sociological method. The research reveals the main features of the urban world of the Japanese society portraying it in progress (from the post-war period to the present moment). The evolution process is portrayed as detachment, independence and solitude. The literary factors reflect both internal spiritual relations and global intercultural links. At the same time, the writer portrays Japan as a country experiencing technological and informational progress, thereby declaring that it is ready to accept and participate in the world changes and become a part of the globalisation process. The writer has made a great contribution to the treasury of Japanese literature and his works are considered an important part of the intercultural interactions between countries they are trying to achieve in a global world. The results close the theoretical and empirical gaps in the literature and literary criticism and contribute to the analysis of the cultural and literary traditions of Japan.

Influence of Fuel Properties on the Light Absorption of Fresh and Laboratory-Aged Atmospheric Brown Carbon Produced from Realistic Combustion of Boreal Peat and Spruce Foliage.

Climate change has exacerbated fire activity in the boreal region. Consequently, smoldering boreal peatland fires are an increasingly important source of light-absorbing atmospheric organic carbon ("brown carbon"; BrC). To date, however, BrC from this source remains largely unstudied, which limits our ability to predict its climate impact. Here, we use size-exclusion chromatography coupled with diode array UV-vis detection to examine the molecular-size-dependent light absorption properties of fresh and photoaged aqueous BrC extracts collected during laboratory combustion of boreal peat and live spruce foliage. The atmospheric stability of BrC extracts varies with chromophore molecular size and fuel type: in particular, the high-molecular-weight fractions of both peat- and spruce-BrC are more resistant to photobleaching than their corresponding low-molecular-weight fractions, and total light absorption by peat-BrC persists over longer illumination timescales than that of spruce-BrC. Importantly, the BrC molecular size distribution itself varies with fuel properties (e.g., moisture content) and to an even greater extent with fuel type. Overall, our findings suggest that the accurate estimation of BrC radiative forcing, and the overall climate impact of wildfires, will require atmospheric models to consider the impact of regional diversity in vegetation/fuel types.

Fast breakdown process and characteristics diagnosis of nanosecond pin–pin discharge

In this paper, the characteristics of a nanosecond spark discharge with a pin–pin electrode configuration have been systematically studied. Both a streak camera with high temporal resolution and an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera are employed together to investigate the breakdown and evolution process of the discharge. The formation of initial breakdown and mode transition from streamer to spark in the electrode gap are clearly observed on the time scale of several nanoseconds with a temporal resolution of 100 ps. In addition, the time-resolved spectra technology is also used to analyze the generation and quenching mechanisms of reactive species, the electron density, and the electron temperature. The results show that there is a 1.25 ns initial discharge breakdown and that a bright cathode spot exists before the transformation from streamer to spark channel. After a faster cathode filament and a slower anode filament propagate and merge at the electrode gap, the spark discharge phase begins. The generation processes of different reactive species depend on the discharge phase to a great extent. The N2* is first generated during the streamer phase while the O*, N*, and N+ are mainly generated under the spark phase, in which the electron temperature calculated by Boltzmann plots is 2.74 eV, and the electron density determined from the Stark broadening of O lines is on the order of 1016 cm−3.

Multiple criteria decision modeling in social networks: An application to identify opinion leaders in online public opinion events

For online public opinion events, the misconduct of opinion leaders can easily lead to the spread of negative public opinion, which in turn can adversely affect real society. In order to minimize this adverse impact to the greatest extent, this paper uses social network analysis to explore the attributes of individuals, features of network structure, and social relationships between decision makers (DMs). It constructs the structural system of evaluation criteria and a multiple criteria decision model to comprehensively and reasonably identify opinion leaders. It additionally considers the importance of criteria and the interaction among them. The hierarchical structure is combined with the evaluation level to construct a precise structural system of criteria. To handle the interaction, the Choquet integral is applied as the preference model. Based on the disaggregation principle, a generalized hierarchical level dependent Choquet integral is developed to reproduce additional preference information provided by decision analysts (DAs) and aggregate evaluation values of DMs on multiple interacting criteria. Then, the relevant indices of this integral and the preference information are applied to robust ordinal regression to mine rich preference relations among DMs. Furthermore, the hierarchical level dependent Choquet integral-driven multiple criteria decision model is proposed to rank DMs and identify opinion leaders. Finally, a numerical example and two real datasets validate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed decision model.

Genetic characterization of glyoxalase pathway in oral streptococci and its contribution to interbacterial competition

ABSTRACT Objectives To analyze contributions to microbial ecology of Reactive Electrophile Species (RES), including methylglyoxal, generated during glycolysis. Methods Genetic analyses were performed on the glyoxalase pathway in Streptococcus mutans (SM) and Streptococcus sanguinis (SS), followed by phenotypic assays and transcription analysis. Results Deleting glyoxalase I (lguL) reduced RES tolerance to a far greater extent in SM than in SS, decreasing the competitiveness of SM against SS. Although SM displays a greater RES tolerance than SS, lguL-null mutants of either species showed similar tolerance; a finding consistent with the ability of methylglyoxal to induce the expression of lguL in SM, but not in SS. A novel paralogue of lguL (named gloA2) was identified in most streptococci. SM mutant ∆gloA2SM showed little change in methylglyoxal tolerance yet a significant growth defect and increased autolysis on fructose, a phenotype reversed by the addition of glutathione, or by the deletion of a fructose: phosphotransferase system (PTS) that generates fructose-1-phosphate (F-1-P). Conclusions Fructose contributes to RES generation in a PTS-specific manner, and GloA2 may be required to degrade certain RES derived from F-1-P. This study reveals the critical roles of RES in fitness and interbacterial competition and the effects of PTS in modulating RES metabolism.

Optical-related properties and characterization of some textile fibers using near-infrared spectroscopy

Abstract When light falls on the fiber surface, it is absorbed, reflected, or refracted. These three phases of incident light determine, to a great extent, the behavior of lustre of major textile fibers. This article sheds light upon the behavior of some textile fibers, namely, polyethylene terephthalate, cotton, viscose, bamboo, tencel, and modal fibers, in terms of their reflectance percentages in the ultraviolet regions. Also, the direct and indirect band-gap energies of the used textile fibers were also investigated. The findings of this study revealed the significant differences among these used textile fibers in relation to their optical properties. Also, the chemical composition of the used textile fibers was easily identified using near-infrared spectroscopy. Finally, the findings of this study revealed that the used textile fibers are considered good insulators.

GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS OF REVITALIZATION OF RURAL SETTLEMENTS “WITHOUT POPULATION

The article proposes a method for identifying “reviving” rural settlements (RS). Case studies of the Tver region RS revealed what features of the geographical location determine a settlement opportunities for revitalization. The previous typology, based on the analysis of satellite images, showed a considerable differentiation in the degree of RS degradation, classified according to the 2010 census as “without population”. Further work to determine the leading factors of revitalization was based on the study of those RS where the houses and outbuildings, identified by satellite images, have been preserved to the greatest extent. Nearness to rivers and water bodies, position relative to federal and regional highways, and location near the regional and/or district center were chosen as key features of the geographical location that have an effect on the prospects for revitalization of a territory. The presence of registered residents (according to current records) and demarcated cadastral plots are indicators of the RS revitalization. The study showed that one third of all RS, which fell into the category “without population” according to 2010 statistics, could now be considered “reviving”. A key factor in the revitalization of rural settlements of the Tver region is their nearness to the river, mainly to the Volga River. Another important factor is the location in the zone of influence of main centers, primarily the city of Tver. The main function is the recreational (dacha) use of such villages.

Attitudes of students towards joint educational programs with students with disabilities

Introduction. The attitude of healthy students to joint educational programs with disabled students plays a decisive role in creating psychological safety in the educational environment. The study aims to analyze the attitude of healthy students to joint educational programs with students with disabilities. Materials and methods. The study was part of the state program of Voronezh Oblast ‘Accessible Environment’, commissioned by Voronezh regional rehabilitation center for young disabled people and based at Voronezh State Industrial and Humanitarian College (N=1000 people, 46.3% male and 53.7% female). A questionnaire was created to identify opinions about the totality of opportunities and abilities for disabled citizens and about the formation of socially tolerant and psychologically safe relationships. Questioning, analysis, generalization, grouping, comparison, mathematical statistics (Spearman's ρ; principal component method) were used. Results. As the main factor, the analysis revealed tolerant relationships which do not depend on age, gender, and place of residence and are formed in communication. Semantic analysis of students' understanding of tolerance in interaction with people with disabilities includes five TOP-words: 1. Respect 255 (9.6%), 2. Attitude 116 (4.4%), 3. Understanding 113 (4.3%), 4. As towards ordinary people 65 (2.5%), 5. Respect and compassion 18 (0.7%). Discussion. In comparable Russian and foreign studies, the results and basic prerequisites for personal attitudes towards disability, healthy students’ ideas about possible types of relationships with students with disabilities and the degree of their readiness to establish equal and tolerant interpersonal relationships are similar to ours. Conclusion. Students who have experience of studying together with people with disabilities are less characterized by social barriers and segregation of support, compassion and a desire to help, and to a much greater extent by an equal and tolerant attitude, a desire to cooperation and partnership.

Use of fire as a tactic in agricultural practices

The use of fire in agriculture is an ancient practice that is still used in modern times to prepare the land, but this technique can lead to environmental problems, generating various impacts on the environment, including the loss of biodiversity. Several reasons lead to environmental degradation, among the main ones are logging, fires and farming activities, where years ago fires were predominantly carried out at the beginning of the dry season and were replaced by fires at the end of the dry season, causing fires of great extent and intensity, causing greater plant mortality and consequences for the supply of water sources. Despite the dangers of using fire in agriculture, fire management and the use of these areas is restricted by Brazilian legislation, so it continues to be practiced by many producers in Brazil, which instigates the study of the practice and its implications for society.

Comparison of different methods of local anesthesia for platelet rich plasma injections to scalp in patients with hair loss - A prospective study

Background: Platelet-rich plasma injection (PRP) for hair loss is a widely accepted treatment modality at present. The most common problem with PRP is the pain that is associated with the procedure. The type of anesthesia is decided mostly based on preference rather than protocol. Aims and Objectives: The current study was undertaken to establish a standardized anesthetic protocol for PRP based on the response of the patients undergoing the treatment plan. Materials and Methods: The study included 60 patients who underwent four sittings of PRP at 1-month intervals for hair loss treatment. The modality of anesthesia was different during each of the sessions - topical anesthesia, vibration anesthesia, nerve block, and ring block. The order of anesthetic modality was different in each patient, to avoid bias. Responses by the patients for the following questions related to anesthetic pain during the procedure was recorded and analyzed based on the type of anesthetic procedure adopted. Results: Vibration anesthesia had the highest mean intra procedure numerical pain scale value. Nerve block was the least acceptable modality with maximal problems including the pain of the local anesthetic injection and the unsightly visible bulge in the supra orbital region. Post procedural pain was highest for vibration anesthesia and least for ring block. Highest acceptance was seen with the ring block technique. Conclusion: This is a preliminary study aimed at standardizing the anesthetic protocol for PRP. This modality of treatment involves multiple sittings with long total duration. Improving patient comfort with adequate anesthesia will improve compliance to a great extent.

Self-Supervised Deep Multiview Spectral Clustering.

Multiview spectral clustering has received considerable attention in the past decades and still has great potential due to its unsupervised integration manner. It is well known that pairwise constraints boost the clustering process to a great extent. Nevertheless, the constraints are usually marked by human beings. To ameliorate the performance of multiview spectral clustering and alleviate the consumption of human resources, we propose self-supervised multiview spectral clustering with a small number of automatically retrieved pairwise constraints. First, the fused multiple autoencoders are used to extract the latent consistent feature of multiple views. Second, the pairwise constraints are achieved based on the commonality among multiple views. Then, the pairwise constraints are propagated through the neural network with historical memory. Finally, the propagated constraints are used to optimize the fused affinity matrix of spectral clustering. Our experiments on four benchmark datasets show the effectiveness of our proposed approach.

A Comparative Study on Lattice Tower Angle Member Capacities as Per Indian, American, and BSEN Standards

The transmission lines and Telecommunication networks are normally supported by lattice towers. Therefore, the reliability of these essentials depends much on the reliability of the towers and their foundations. In Both telecom and power transmission line sectors, the towers are mass-produced and generally based on optimized tower weight and foundation volumes. The weight of a tower is influenced to a great extent by the selection of tower configuration, choice of bracing patterns, choice of steel grade, and profile type. The towers in general are lattice types consisting of main legs, diagonals, horizontals, cross-arm members, and peak members. The telecommunication and power transmission line tower members are generally made of steel equal-angle sections. These tower members are modeled and analyzed as pin-jointed 3-dimensional space truss models and the members are subjected to axial forces, either axial compression or axial tension in nature. Estimation of member compression capacity is the most vital parameter in design as per respective local standards and proving those estimations during full-scale model tower testing if carried out. This paper presents the differences in axial compression capacity of angle members as per Indian, American, and European standards viz., IS: 802 (Part 1/Sec 2)-2016, IS 800-2007, ASCE 10-15 and BS EN 1993-3-1:2006.